I expected a brutal, white-knuckle endurance test. I discovered a haunting, resonant, and surprising journey. Continue reading...
Martyrs 2008
Directed by Pascal Laugier. Starring Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin, and Robert Toupin.
![A still from Titane (2021)]()
Titane 2021
Directed by Julia Ducournau. Starring Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, and Laïs Salameh.
How to talk about Titane without ruining the experience? I can reveal the setup. A car accident results in a tween girl suffering a traumatic brain injury. Upon exiting the hospital, she approaches the family car with an almost feral desire. We jump forward in time. The girl has become a woman, but the accident’s scar remains. Continue reading...
![A still from 3 from Hell (2019)]()
3 from Hell 2019
Directed by Rob Zombie. Starring Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, and Jeff Daniel Phillips.
Ten years after The Devil’s Rejects, Baby and Otis escape jail with help from Otis’ half brother Foxy, played by Richard Brake. The trio flee to Mexico, where they’re targeted for revenge by a masked gangster. Continue reading...
![A still from Deadly Blessing (1981)]()
Deadly Blessing 1981
Directed by Wes Craven. Starring Maren Jensen, Sharon Stone, Susan Buckner, and Jeff East.
After directing gritty indie-horrors The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven landed a job directing a TV movie called Summer of Fear. The result proved popular enough to secure a theatrical run in Europe and lead to this entry, his first studio theatrical production. A rural giallo starring Ernest Borgnine and featuring an early performance from Sharon Stone. Fair warning, spoilers follow. Continue reading...
![A still from Duel to the Death (1983)]()
Duel to the Death 1983
Directed by Siu-Tung Ching. Starring Norman Chu, Damian Lau, Flora Chong-Leen, and Paul Chang Chung.
My favorite wuxia. Set in medieval China on the eve of a once-a-decade contest between China’s greatest swordsman and Japan’s greatest swordsman. The Chinese champion is Ching Wan. The Japanese champion is Hashimoto. Unbeknownst to Hashimoto, his Shogun has a secret agenda involving a ninja army. Continue reading...
![A still from The Hills Have Eyes (1977)]()
The Hills Have Eyes 1977
Directed by Wes Craven. Starring Susan Lanier, Robert Houston, John Steadman, and Janus Blythe.
A murderous clan of cannibalistic savages descends upon an unwitting family stranded in the desert. Continue reading...
![A still from Corridor of Mirrors (1948)]()
Corridor of Mirrors 1948
Directed by Terence Young. Starring Eric Portman, Edana Romney, Barbara Mullen, and Hugh Sinclair.
Christopher Lee’s feature debut. Also Terence Young’s directorial debut. A Rebecca knock-off featuring Eric Portman as a wealthy eccentric who believes Edana Romney to be the reincarnation of an Italian countess he loved in a past life. Lee’s bit part comes early and his lone line lacks his resonant baritone. Continue reading...
![A still from Raw (2016)]()
Raw 2016
Directed by Julia Ducournau. Starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella, and Laurent Lucas.
I was fine with the cannibalism, but everything else irked me. Continue reading...
![A still from Headhunters (2011)]()
Headhunters 2011
Directed by Morten Tyldum. Starring Aksel Hennie, Synnøve Macody Lund, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Julie R. Ølgaard.
An elite corporate head hunter finances his lavish lifestyle by stealing art from his prospects. This setup serves as a fulcrum for a clockwork plot. To reveal anymore would spoil the film’s myriad surprises. Continue reading...
![A still from Five Fingers of Death (1972)]()
Five Fingers of Death 1972
Directed by Chang-hwa Jeong. Starring Lieh Lo, Ping Wang, Hsiung Chao, and Chin-Feng Wang.
A prestigious Kung Fu tournament. Two rival schools, one of which will stop at nothing to win. A promising young student. Imposing villainous fighters with exotic techniques. Despite the abundant tropes, the film surprised me. Continue reading...
