Through his often crazed screen presence, Nic Cage has become a strange pop cultural icon and his films have almost become a subgenre unto themselves. His kooky charisma is given full licence to go into hyperdrive as he plays none other than Count Dracula in the slightly bonkers action/ horror comedy Renfield. Despite the imposing presence of Mr Cage, the
Read moreAlmost no franchise is safe from a reboot and modern makeover, not even horror cult classic The Evil Dead. A film, that was a staple of 80’s teen sleepover parties, has seen two direct sequels (Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness) a 2013 remake and a TV series Ash vs Evil Dead. There have also apparently been several aborted
Read moreYes, it’s another Scream film, the latest in the satirical slasher series that began in 1996. Is it just a cynical cash in on 90’s nostalgia, the latest attempt to milk a few bucks from franchise-loyal fans or a legitimate horror/ comedy with an least a spark of life left in it. We might ask ourselves these questions but the
Read moreA religious parable, a critique of a society poisoned by chatroom conspiracy theories, an endorsement of conspiracy theories or simply a loopy shaggy dog story, the meaning of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film A Knock at the Cabin is a little too fuzzy and while some of the journey is worth it, its half-baked story makes for an often-irritating experience.
Read moreWhile it doesn’t always hit the mark, in its best moments the jet-black culinary comedy The Menu cleverly (and violently) skewers foodie pretention, the cult of celebrity chefs, the loss of artistic credibility and America’s unspoken class system. There are familiar flavours here with dashes of Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Haneke, disturbing dinner party dramas like Luis Bunuel’s The
Read moreThe 2018 Halloween reboot tapped into horror fans’ ravenous nostalgia for the original 1978 film while delivering a strong storyline that gave the franchise a credible place in today’s world. That film’s unadorned visual style made the scares more convincing and effective while interestingly exploring the traumatic impact of knife-wielding murderer Michael Myers on heroine Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).
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