Django-21

Originally when I heard of this, I'd assumed it to have something to do with the Japanese film "Onibaba" (aka "The Hole") but from the plot description it was obvious that it was completely different. Turned out to be surprisingly dark and gripping. The story of a wild teen hideaway gone terribly wrong when only one of the four teens emerges from being locked in an underground bunker in the woods for weeks, with accusations against a fifth member of their private school. The police must investigate as to what actually went on and the events of the bunker are told in flashbacks from differing points of view. Reminded me of bits of "Absolution" and "Blood Relatives" in the way that the real version of the story and the real villain get revealed. The final chilling shot of the movie also reminded me of both "The Omen" and the original version of "The Vanishing" (before the director of that film ruined the ending in his own inferior remake) as a study of evil triumphant. The final death in the actual "hole" of the title was a bit too circumstantial to be effective but the very last twist to the story made up for this. Of course the early version of the events was too dumb to be believable. Who the hell would willingly be locked in a underground bunker in the woods for four days and wait to be let out again. Why be locked in, in the first place? Keira Knightley shows why she's such a rising star and some of her scenes are surprising for a British film, considering her age (not that I'm complaining or prudish of course - actually it's fairly true to how a lot of teens are anyway). Thora Birch was certainly impressive in her role. Desmond Harrington reminded me of "Callan" and "Performance" star Anthony Valentine here.

Ultimately I found it to be a gripping psychological chiller/mystery and the ending cleverly makes me wonder if we still know the full truth as to what happened down in the bunker.

What a great movie! An entertaining female "Great Escape"! Roberta Collins, Pam Grier and Sid Haig in particular are real hoots with some great moments and dialogue. Bodine (Pat Woodell) is a great character too (introduced as someone not to be messed with), especially letting loose with twin machine guns in the final gunfight. Lots of fun to be had in Jack Hill's Women In Prison exploitation classic. See Matilda The Hun and Foxy Brown themselves duke it out and mud wrestle. Ponder as to how someone so skinny (whereas the resident junkie is quite healthy) got to be head guard. The obligatory prison breakout relies on the help of one prisoner's pet cat to come through at the right time. The scenes with the junkie being completely out her tree are hilarious, although she also gets to show her creepier, more deranged side too in some scenes. The prison break attempt and the final gunfight with the authorities are fun and exciting stuff and for me Roberta Collins steals the show. Not content with the aforementioned mudwrestle with prison bully Pam Grier, she gets some male action at knifepoint and gets great revenge on the evil prison governess. Roberta has some great dialogue too in "Get it up or I'll cut it off!" and "Bye bye lardass!" The head guard has a slight Barbara Steele resemblance. The ending is a bit rushed, some character's fates are left up in the air and the dialogue that seals Judy Brown's fate was a dub forced on the film but it's still great fun and was a groundbreaking hit for AIP. Roberta, Pam and Judy had all just been in "Women In Prison" beforehand and Jack Hill later also directed Pam Grier in some of the blaxploitation flicks that made her an icon. Roberta Collins would of course go onto starring in the masterpiece "Death Race 2000" and the inferior (in my opinion) prison classic "Caged Heat". As you'd expect from this type of movie, there are chances to see attractive women getting naked or scantily clad and you get amusing foodfights and catfights. The female leads are obviously in on the joke though and have fun with it. There's some amusing moments and unlike the "Charlie's Angels" tv show, these resourceful, smart women really do get a chance to kick ass and get tough. Classic feelgood exploitation!

Just seen this for the second time. First time I saw it (about a year ago), I wasn't really sure what to make of it, but there were scenes from it (when Elias Koteas reveals why his connection to the disturbed and grieving father and the scene with the father and his daughter's babysitter at the end) that have always stuck in my mind.

A very haunting and beautiful movie (even though it gives a very unpleasant view of life), with a haunting snake charm style score and starring the brilliant Elias Koteas (from "Crash") and the lovely Mia Kirshner (from early first season "24" and "The Crow: City Of Angels"). Victor Garber (Sidney's dad in "Alias") also has a couple of scenes. Not to many tastes but very rewarding if you can appreciate it (although it's sense of detachment probably puts off a lot of people).

It seems to me to explore the theme of people trying to connect, in a very insular and ultimately unfulfilling way (the young gay man who goes to the ballet every night and gives away his "extra ticket" for companionship or the grieving father who pays a young girl to "babysit" his empty house so that he can have the illusion his daughter is still around for example), and also the theme of loss (variously of loved ones, innocence, youth, opportunity etc). The Exotica strip club seems such hollow place but at the same time it seems almost understandable that it would draw hapless souls night after night with nowhere else to go. Some of the dialogue seems poetic, cynical and truthful all at the same time. A film that you really need to watch to the end before you really feel you understand it's puzzle (and even then there seems to be something just out of grasp this viewing). A moving portrait of life that will linger in your mind afterwards.

As a fan of the original Japanese version of "Ring" ("Ringu") I am pleased to say that "The Ring" (starring the great Naomi Watts from the David Lynch masterpiece "Mulholland Drive") for the most part complements the original cycle of films and stands as one of the best American horror pictures of recent years.

At first I thought the film had already blown it in the first scene. Hideo Nakata's original opens with a nod to horror movies like "Scream", only Japanese style. The American take on the same scene however, seemed to speed up the telling of the urban myth that sets up the film's premise and came across more like a second rate "Scream" clone than a well crafted homage. However, as the opening sequence goes on, it's handling improves and it reveals that this remake is quite capable of serving up scares of it's own.

The pace is more urgent in this version and the first few days of the curse fly past. Events and characters also play out differently and much of the revelations are last day rather than spread out. Such is the tension (a combination of direction and Naomi Watts's brilliant and riveting performance) that I almost completely forgot that something we're led to believe about Rachel (Watts) 's uncovering of the curse and impending doom is a red herring.

"The Ring" retains the dreary rainy grey look of Hideo Nakata's original and the music and sound effects are also eerily reminiscent, which helps keep the creepy mood and gives the story an

unsettling atmosphere. There are also a few teasing nods to scenes and events from the Japanese sequels "Ring 2" and "Ring 0: Birthday". One of "The Ring"'s strengths though is that it can both complement and differentiate from the Japanese cycle and stand in it's own right. Sometimes I was unsure of what would play out and how it would play out from the original story. If you're comfortably familiar with "Ring" there's still a few surprises in store. Brian Cox (of "Manhunter" fame) plays a character who is actually an amalgamation of two characters from the original and the protagonist's mother is a bit different to Shizuko (her Japanese equivalent). Shockingly so in one crucial scene. There's also a real heart in your throat scene on the ferry involving a horse which is completely new and very effective. Another main difference is that Noah initiallly seems oafish and gets properly involved in Rachel's investigation of the cursed tape a lot later on than in the Japanese version. The film also concentrates more on building a family link between characters making their fate more emotionally important to the viewer.

Now to some criticism of the film. The backstory of Samara and the curse doesn't play out as effectively as that for

Sadako in "Ring" (1998) and seems a bit half sketched in comparison. Unfortunately the scary finale is one place (like the initial opening) where this film suffers in comparison to it's predeccesor, seeming more overblown and more sped up at the expense of subtlety and building tension. This scene did seem to work well enough, it has to be said on audience members who probably hadn't seen the original, judging by their nervous giggles when the credits came up.

Overall if you're a fan of horror that dares to be creative and genuinely scary, I'd urge you to see both this well crafted, spine-tingling, supernatural thriller and the terrifying Japanese films that inspired it.

I love this movie! From some of the reviews I'd read beforehand I expected it to be a difficult movie (despite being a fan of Lynch) but I really enjoyed it on first viewing and watching it again reveals new things easily missed before. It's right up there with David Lynch at his finest. The two beautiful female leads both do a wonderful job of separating their dual identities in the movie. Naomi Watts as Betty is amusingly all "Gosh, gee! This is superfun!" through much of the film but gets to show her acting chops in the scene where Betty is auditioning for an acting role and later in the film when she becomes Diane, a tragic victim of unrequited love and guilt in the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams. Laura Elena Harring is frightened and helpless as Rita but as Carmilla, she becomes more confident and hard edged. Justin Theroux kind of reminds me of Bruce Campbell in his role as a director and it's great to see "Twin Peaks" star Michael J Anderson appear in the movie.

There's lots of great scenes in the movie including the aforementioned audition, Theroux's meeting with "The Cowboy" (note the use of electricity in this scene, a familiar motif from David Lynch's other work), the hitman's first scene which reminds me of both Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers, the erotic love scene between Betty and Rita which is tender and is there to do more than titillate we male viewers

and the surreal and touching scene in the Silencio club.

It's great that David Lynch was able to turn his passed over tv pilot into a masterpiece of cinema with his familiar elements. Even by the time we get to the Pandora's Box cliffhanging ending of the pilot, we've been on quite a journey with the two girls, but the second part of the movie is just as interesting in it's way in showing an even darker side of trying to live in the Hollywood illusion. A great exploration of dreams vs reality and the consequences of guilt. Often amusing, mysterious, erotic, touching and heartwrenching in it's final revelations. This film is red hot!

Angel is a successful spin-off of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and continues that show's tradition for great characters, performances and writing. Slightly darker in tone and with a more urban feel, Angel the charcter has successfully adapted to his own series and his adventures can and do stand on their own. There has been some patchy episodes of course but overall it maintains Buffy's standard and on some episodes has even outshone it's parent show.

My favourite episodes have included "Five By Five" (the final scene with Angel and Faith in the alley just makes me catch my breath every time, great direction from James A Contner and Eliza Dushku as Faith is always a powerhouse), "Reunion" (as a big fan of Juliet Landau's character Drusilla, I loved her teaming up with Darla to go on a killing rampage, too bad it was shortlived and a great dark twist to the end), "Judgement" (Angel unwittingly kills a demon on the side of good and to make amends takes up his duties to protect a pregnant woman) and "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" (great flashback story to Angel's life in the 1950s and a great treatment of paranoia in the McCarthy era).

Angel's second season was among my favourite seasons of both Buffy and Angel. The whole Darla story arc (with and without Dru) was compelling and dark. Season 3 was patchier but Holtz was a great "villain" and his arc provided the season with some of it's most dramatic, poignant and exciting episodes.

For me, Buffy The Vampire Slayer is the best, most innovative, most entertaining and most compelling TV series since Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner" or David Lynch and Mark Frost's "Twin Peaks". The main concept may be simple but the stories being told are loaded with metaphor and situations that we can all relate to (if the more cynical and jaded would just bother to get past their preconceptions about it being a teen show). I've always loved horror anyway but even if that aint your bag, there's no denying the exceptional acting, writing, directing and dedication on the show. A true groundbreaking TV show that plays a large part in the popularity of genre TV right now. My favourite seasons were 3, closely followed by 2. Some of the other seasons have had their ups and downs but the show continues to innovate and entertain. My favourite character is Drusilla (the wonderfully talented Juliet Landau) who's completely deranged, sexy and can be chilling, innocent, malicious and playful all at once. M favourite episodes include "Prophecy Girl" (Sarah Michelle Gellar's heart wrenching performance when Buffy finds out she's destined to die battling The Master and the great cimactic vampire siege of the high school), "Fool For Love" (the revelation of Spike's Blank Generation style re-invention of his humble human origins, James Marsters's commanding performance, the great flashbacks, especially the New York subway fight (I'm a punk fan)), "School Hard" (the introduction of Spike and Drusilla and some great action), "Faith, Hope & Trick" (Faith's introduction brings a real edge to the core group), "Anne" (very dark episode dealing with some real social issues and an amazing cimactic fight sequence) and "The Gift" (hankies at the ready).

In a nutshell the show is a great, fun mixture of kung fu, vampires, angst, humour and drama all in one excellent package.

I LOVE this movie! It's obviously not meant to be taken seriously and is a delicious, camp psychadelic space adventure that perfectly encapsulates all the things that make the 1960s look so fun. It's about FUN people and this movie has loads to throw around. Barbarella (Jane Fonda) is sent on a mission through space to find a missing scientist. On the way she has many amazing adventures and tittilating encounters. My favourite bits include: 1. Barbarella and blind angel Pygar (John Philip Law who funnily enough doesn't have any wings in the re-release poster) flying toward the dark city and having to shoot down the Black Guard forces of the Queen (the guards are very sinister and are composed entirely of leather armour). 2. The creepy children and their eerie and deadly killer dolls which bite chunks out of our heroine with their metal jaws. 3. Anita Pallenberg (with the voice of Fenella Fielding) as the wicked Queen. 4. The orgasm machine which crazed scientist Duran Duran uses to torture Barbarella (except she's starts to enjoy it)

Great cameos for Ugo Tognazzi as Mark Hand and David Hemmings (Blow Up, Eye Of The Devil) as the resistance leader Dildano. Lots of colourful characters and set pieces. Lots of great ideas (those poor earth suckers whose idea of sex is to take a pill, ha ha). Never a dull moment in a psychadelic space adventure for lovers of the offbeat and bizarre. This is what cult movies are all about. Of course alcohol or drugs can be ideal companions to the movie but if you're a cult movie fan you'll enjoy it just as well without them.

I first saw the real Ed Wood's films "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "Night Of The Ghouls" as a kid and had become interested in the fascinating story of the director and his bizarre group of friends and their experiences in later years. His films are enjoyable and fun (which is more than can be said for a lot of truly awful movies that others have raved about to me).

This film is a fitting tribute to Ed's dreams. I know it has it's inaccuracies but it's never less than true to the spirit of Ed Wood's amazing (and sometimes touching) story. I even went back and discovered that some of the things I assumed were artistic lisence in the story were actually drawn from Rudolph Grey's book (Nightmare Of Ecstacy). Much of the film is hilarious and has a lot of quirky humour and bizarre moments. There are also some beautifully poignant moments and a definite

sadness to some parts of the film. The style of the film is great and really recreates the atmosphere of Ed's movies and also accounts of his life. Shooting it in black and white was an inspired and bold move on director Tim Burton's part and is an example of his obvious affinity with the material. There were many colourful characters in Edward D Wood Jnr's life and the film really captures them and almost makes you want to join in with his wild dreams and eccentric films. The cast is uniformly excellent. Johnny Depp, apart from being in some of my favourite films

(Cry-Baby and Ed Wood) is also one of the finest actors around and has an interesting film career (Sleepy Hollow, From Hell, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Edward Scissorhands etc). He's a great choice for the lead role and gives the film a lot of energy and wit. Martin Landau (Space:1999, Cleopatra) is truly excellent as Bela Lugosi and it's great to see him acting alongside hi lovely, talented daughter in some scenes. Martin Landau provides many laughs in the film but also some of it's more poignant moments and makes you feel true sympathy for Bela in the film. Juliet Landau (Drusilla in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel) is perfect for quirky character roles and is a delight here. Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex And The City, Mars Attacks! )has some great bitchy moments and is another great actress. Patricia Arquette (True Romance, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3) is sweet in her role and brings out the poignancy of Ed's following his dreams. Both Jeffrey Jones and Bill Murray are great in their roles. Criswell was a bizarre character and I enjoyed the real person's opening monologues in Ed's pictures. The film is mostly funny up to and including the making of

"Bride Of The Monster" but gets sadder and grimmer for a period when dealing with Bela's addiction and time in hospital but the film gets funny again for the making of "Plan 9". The end gives the viewer some additional information about some of the main people portrayed and the film ends on a beautiful note (even though the reality for the characters isn't so great). Ed's left in the film with his dreams of fame and the film is an inspiration to dreamers and non-conformists everywhere. Funny and sad and always fascinating. Another stroke of genius from Tim Burton.

After an unrelated third entry, this was a great return to form for the franchise. As we'd already seen Michael Myers "die" several times already in the first two intstallments and get right back up again for more, it was no surprise that he could survive being set alight in Halloween II. That Dr Loomis could survive his expected demise was more of a surprise, but he was a much loved character for the series and I'm glad he was in this sequel. Donald Pleasance gives a wonderful performance and Dr Loomis is as reliable as ever (can see why people would think he's a bit loony though, what with all his ramblings). The scene with the reverend in the antiquated automobile talking about apocalypse is amusing without ruining the tone of the movie. The vigilante squad roaming in absence of the police is a neat touch to the movie. The whole locking the main characters in a house, unwittingly with Michael Myers is a contrived situation of course, but so's the premise of the whole series. And it still manages some nice tension. My only main quibble here is that the reprise of John Carpenter's original theme has been needlessly tinkered with, robbing it of some of it's power. Pretty Ellie Cornell does a great job in this movie and acquits herself well in the role of Jamie's protector and a heroine in peril. She's the most likable teen of the series and her wholesomeness seems a lot more natural than the forced chastity and sainthood of Jamie Leigh Curtis's original character. Danielle Harris does a great job in the role of the young girl, Jamie. When has a child actor ever been this un-annoying before? She does a good job of evoking sympathy and being believable and she and Ellie Cornell do a great double act (you could almost believe they really are sisters). We all know what's going to happen in the film, Michael Myers is going to kill a few people and noone's going to be able to stop him completely but the film is well crafted of it's kind, fun to watch, well acted and does create some tension and gets us to care for the characters. It's certainly a few notches above the average slasher sequel. The last scene, refreshingly actually comes as a real shock and Donald Pleasance's performance really sells it that this is Dr Loomis driven to the point of dementia and beyond, by the revelation that it's all about to start all over again. A great entertaining continuation of the Halloween series and definetly for me the best of the sequels.

This film is a genuine classic of the horror genre and not for nothing is it the most celebrated of slasher movies. Contrary to popular myth it's not the first movie of it's kind (nor is the also terrifying "Black Christmas") but what makes it a classic is the performances, writing, cinematography, editing and above all it's flawlessly crafted by John Carpenter who was at the time a master of his craft. Not only is his directing effective but his theme for the movie is one of the most recognisable horror film themes and gives the film a sense of ominous foreboding throughout. The direction also gives a sense of unease to even the daylight scenes. Donald Pleasance, Jamie Leigh Curtis, Charles Cypher, Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles all give great performances in the film and the teen characters are well observed. The film spends just enough time with the teen characters to convince you that they are believable characters. Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles have some amusing quips throughout the film that keep the teen scenes enjoyable. Dr Loomis is a great character and Donald Pleasance gives a quirky neurotic performance that can be both amusing and gives some gravitas to the proceedings when he rants about how evil and dangerous Michael Myers is (and the film gives us no reason to doubt this). Some superb scares and thrills throughout. This film scared the hell out of me when I was a kid and still packs a punch. One scene in particular will always have you checking the back seat of a car before getting in. The end of the movie when Laurie Strode finds out what has been happening to her friends and discovers that there really is a

"boogey man" is tense and gripping throughout up to the end credits. John Carpenter was my favourite director when I was a

kid and this is a masterful exercise in why that was.

Videodrome is one of my absolute favourite films. Cronenberg's most engaging film. It explores the nature of addiction, obsession, the growth of video technology and the increasing power of the media in a fascinating way. I'm a big Blondie/Deborah Harry fan and this film gives Debbie one of her most interesting film roles. Her sexual presence is used to blinding effect here and she still speaks fondly of this role and working with Cronenberg. This film made me a fan of James Woods and he gives one of his finest and quintessential performances. The plot concerns Max Renn (Woods), head of a cable station in Toronto, who becomes exposed to a pirate tv show. Intrigued by the show's content he begins to explore it's origins and finds some unsavoury connections and worse, that the signal is responsible for his growing hallucinations of a violent and sexual nature. Thus the film deals with the themes of hallucination, the mental state and personal disintegration of the main character and explores the notion of "what if" violent and sexual imagery really could influence a viewer. You see everything in the film from Max Renn's point of view and so are unsure of exactly how much is hallucination or real. Videodrome can be seen as a turning point for writer/director David Cronenberg, away from the simpler shock horror movies of his past (Shivers, Rabid etc) and onto more serious and acclaimed works (Naked Lunch, Crash). Videodrome is hard to classify as it blends elements of science fiction. horror and thriller and deals with complex issues and storyline. Although far more ambitious in plot and characters than the average 80s horror movie, Videodrome shares the prevalent trend of special effects and special make-up and indeed foresees later films like "A Nightmare On Elm Street" and "Society" in it's subversion of reality.

Videodrome defies traditional structural values to an extent. Max Renn is amoral, cynical and discontent before his exposure to Videodrome's addictive and dangerous signal. However if contact with Videodrome is his problem then the film offers no conventional happy ending. The conclusion is open to various interpretations and comes as a numbing experience to close a darkly cynical, gritty and intelligent film. Part of the film's lasting appeal is that the film allows the viewer to delve into the central character's enigma as he tries to unravel the secrets of Videodrome and get some grasp over his changing mental/physical state. As with Michaelangelo Antonioni's "Blow Up", fact and illusion are inextricably linked. Like "The Prisoner" series (devised by Patrick McGoohan) the film rewards the viewer with a plot dramatically engaging and yet one which may never be completely unravelled. Many of the characters will seem familiar archetypes. Max Renn is an anti-hero and his obsessive quest invokes comparison with the anti-heroes of film noir. Brian O'Blivion is the eccentric scientist whose ideas are misused by others. Nicki Brand (Deborah Harry) is the ideal femme fatale and female fantasy figure. However, Cronenberg's writing and direction gives the familiar character types the depth of a new edge and fresh realism.

Videodrome is a compelling and addictive film.

On first viewing of this film I found myself underwhelmed by it. Some of my criticisms were: a) The film seemed unbalanced, the first hour being mostly a art-house style costume drama while the second half was all of a sudden filled with Hollywood action sequences b)Confusing and lacking in details in places (this may be down to me having seen a cut version) c)As I'm interested in the case of The Beast Of Gevaudan, I was disappointed that such a fascinating story is only a small part of this movie. I wanted to see more of the history and legend in the film and see The Beast get used more. On a second viewing however, I was able to appreciate it's finer qualities and accept it for a an enjoyable well crafted historical adventure, that's only partly based on the real details of the legend. The film does a good job of incorporating various styles into it's story (martial arts/historical drama/political intrigue/social commentary/historical romance/horror/fantasy etc). The action scenes are well done. Mark Dascascos does a fine job in his martial arts scenes and Gregoire De Fronsac's series of battle scenes against the Brotherhood are excellently choreographed. The Beast does have some impressive sequences too (pity it's underused overall). The film does also have some clever ideas and is inventive in having it's own feel to it. It may take more than one viewing to fully catch everything, get to know who's who and appreciate the film for what it is, but ultimately it's largely satisfying and a thrillingly entertaining ripping yarn. 7/10

After the disappointment of a still decent "Ring 2", "Ring 0 : Birthday" is a return to form. Yukie Nakamo does a wonderful job of portraying the tragic final days of Sadako's attempt at a normal life. The sweet, innocent side of her was never suspected when I first glimpsed the malevolent presence of Sadako in the first installment. Yukie is very moving in her portrayal and evokes sympathy and empathy for the character. Similarily, Daisuke Ban gives a opens up the character of Dr Ikuma from the glimpses we've seen in previous installments. Here we see a tortured and resigned man who genuinely loves Sadako as a daughter, but can't escape from the knowledge of how dangerous she is and the steps he may have to take to prevent her harming others.

Despite the main love story and drama of Sadako's attempt at a normal life, there are still plenty of creepy moments and supernatural happenings. The scenes with the school teacher relating her experiences of teaching a young Sadako are genuinely intriguing and eerie. Indeed the story of the kids swimming in the sea and Sadako's prediction of their fate, is truly gripping, despite nothing actually being shown. The excitng scenes in the woods and cabin show how deadly Sadako can be when her evil side has control. The weird appearance and way of walking from the first "Ring" is seen again here and there's some great bonesnapping moments when Sadako hunts down her final prey. These scenes and the conclusion give "Ring 0 : Birthday" the standout sequences that "Ring 2" never quite managed to sustain from the original film.

Some of the plot points do bear a resemblance to "Carrie" but the film handles them in a different way. The story, although slow paced is always enthralling (a hallmark of the "Ring" series to date) and it seems poor Sadako never really had a chance from what awaited her. Aligned against her are: an inability to control the dark powers of her alter ego, a creepy director who learns of her secret and wishes to use her, a reporter with a grudge and a suspicious and unfriendly acting troupe who never seem to have made any real attempt at welcoming the shy, withdrawn girl into their fold. Mob paranoia and fear contribute to Sadako's fate and make her the malevolent presence she is today. As the film reaches it's conclusion, you can't help but wish that things could end differently for the unfortunate lovers but anyone who's seen the previous installments, knows that there's only one place this prequel can end. The last few minutes of the film are heartbreaking and the film's end credit song beautifully encapsulates the finality of Sadako's backstory.

Don't expect too many absolute answers here though. "Ring 0 : Birthday" maintains the mystery and ambiguity of the first two films and once again, imagination is a required element from the viewer. If you enjoyed the previous films and want to see more of Sadako, this film will give you quite a thrill ride. Whether it's poignant doomed love story, another part of the Ring puzzle or an eerie and haunting Japanese ghost story, "Ring 0 : Birthday" is a winner on every level.

While a decent enough sequel, Ring 2 is a bit of a disappointment in that it tries to weave too many threads and characters, tries to have too much going on and too many characters and ultimately gets a bit muddled and incoherent towards the end. Another thing that disappoints, after the masterpiece that was "Ring", is that it lacks any one big scare or standout sequence to match the first film's finale or most memorable moments.

One thing that Ring 2 scores in is it's series of little scares. There is still a creepy atmosphere (just without the pay off of the first film). The scene with Shizuko combing her hair, gliding along the floor and peering round the corner with a eerie expression is a genuinely chilling moment. There's also an effective sequence where a survivor from the first film sets off the hospital television

and the other patients start to panic at the sight of the infamous well. The confusing ending also gives us the

return of Sadako (now with the clayface of her real corpse) climbing up the well. The continuation of style, situations and characters from the first film, prevents this from just being an unrelated sequel, but it tends to ask new questions and then provides no answers. A certain hint of ambiguity is introduced to the story of Sadako, who was a convincingly malevolent presence in the first film (despite the beautifully poignant scene where Reiko finds her body in the well and the skull almost appears to cry the gloop off from it). The more sympathetic view of Sadako is successfully followed up in the prequel "Ring 0: Birthday".

One of the film's assets for me was Kyoko Fukada as Kanae, a young student who makes the mistake of trusting a reporter to keep his word. Apparently she's some kind of pop star in real life but I was unaware of that before being impressed with her performance. Kanae is sweet and cute and seems undeserving of the fate that the reporter gets her into, by shamefully manipulating her and then lying repeatedly until it's too late. The scene where the reporter then tries to conveniently erase his guilt along with footage of Kanae backfires on him and provides one of the film's memorably eerie scenes (but also one of the confusing plot threads that I didn't really understand until reading the FAQ at RingWorld). Later there is a certain satisfactory poetic justice when Kanae appears, giggling and smiling, behind the reporter in the hospital. Ultimately much of the satisfaction to be had from this

sequel, comes from the groundwork and impact of the original film. However it is a decent, if flawed effort and still proves to be fascinating and creepy in places. A far better sequel than many. Just needed a bit more overall coherency.

I originally set the timer to record this film, knowing next to nothing about it, because the description sounded like a Japanese version of "Videodrome" one of my favourite movies. Rather than the derivative copy of a horror classic that I anticipated, Ring turned out to be something better; a worthwhile original horror classic in it's own right (maybe it does borrow from some other films, Japanese ghost stories, Lovecraftian ideas and the atmosphere of "Twin Peaks" but the way it's put together gives it it's own unique voice). The tv introduction from critic Mark Kermode gave me some information about the film, but still kept his description vague so that I still didn't know quite what to expect. As promised though, the famous well scene really did scare the **** out of me and still gives me the creeps when I think of the film. Very few films can actually really scare me as an adult. The Halloween series has it's moments, as does "The Fog" and the concept of "Scream" and parts of "Black Christmas".

"The Shining" can still be scary. "Carnival Of Souls" has

an eerie sense of deja vu and "The Haunting" definetly

manages to be scary. I'd have to that with the possible

exception of "The Haunting", "Ring" is the most genuinely terrifying film I've ever seen. Apart from the conclusion, the cursed video footage in the film is genuinely eerie and there is a creepy feeling of dread to the whole film. Also impressive and refreshing is that this film rewards repeat viewing and retains it's fascinating atmosphere and there always seems to be something new to discover and much to analyse. The film has it's share of great scenes from the opening nod to "Scream" with the two teen girls alone in the house to the eerie finding in the well and the video's creepy imagery. It's a pity that many people won't even give this classic a chance just because it has subtitles, doesn't have exploding heads or car chases and doesn't spoonfeed the viewer. A film that dares to expect some intelligence from it's audience! The sheer nerve! All I can say is to ignore the scoffers and cynics who have come out from beneath their rocks to dismiss and scoff at this film as they have many other classics. They remind me of the jaded journalists in the film's flashback, covering up their fear and lack of understanding with mocking tones. The many reviews here of others like me who came to this fresh of the hype and were genuinely impressed and scared by this film speaks for itself. This is no hype but justifiable praise.

It's about time Blondie got some of the respect they so richly deserve for their innovative, exciting and still influential music, being part of New York's fledgling punk scene in the early 70s and for being a genuine classic rock band up there with the best of them. This documentary is a good starting place if you're new to the Blondie story and their origins in the New York punk scene at CBGBs. Apart from fascinating contributions from the band (including Debbie's warm, self deprecating sense of humour) and a lot of good archive clips, photos and soundtrack, there's also good contributions from such luminaries as John Waters (who directed Debbie in "Hairspray"), Joey Ramone (a long time friend from the early days, singer for the other seminal New York punk band The Ramones) and biographer and friend Victor Bockris. There's even a mention of Dbbie's solo career, acting and work with The Jazz Passengers and a mention of Jimmy Destri's little known solo album. Then forthcoming comeback album "No Exit" coverage help kept it from being just a belated retrospective. As John Waters states to some of us Blondie were and continue to be as important as a cultural impact on music as the Beatles and Rolling Stones were. I hope they continue to get some of this kind of respect and recognition, as too many people lazily dismiss Blondie because of their success without really knowing anything.

This is an ok and entertaining movie. Still I would have preferred another Kirsty adventure to explore the various concepts and ideas of Hellraiser 2 in more detail. The original two Hellraiser movies had more creative input from Clive Barker and also had a more British gothic feel. This americanised approach to sequelitis gives us the usual yawn inducing jokes, lots of explosions and special effects overdrive that made the horror sequel (and most of the originals) so archaic and at times plain embarrasing in the late eighties and early nineties. However Hellraiser 3 still has a lot more to offer viewers looking for something darker or more thought provoking tan the average stalk 'n' slash sequel. The nightclub owner, JP Monroe (character name) is a selfish hedonistic male slut who has sex with women and then doesn't want to know them. But he is shocked initially, when he sees the fate of his latest conquest at the hands of Pinhead (still in statue form from the end of Hellraiser 2). This

makes his agreeing to procure more victims for Pinhead even more evil and it's good to see some sort of layering of evil at work. Deep Space Nine's Terry Farrel is hardly in the Heather Langenkamp or Ashley Laurence school of intelligent and resourceful heroines but she is more than a few steps up from the Denise Richards school of bimbos. Character Terri (Paula Marshall) is pretty pathetic at times, but as she's probably been under the influence of creeps like JP Monroe her whole life, it is possible to sympathise to an extent and there is a nice twist to her victim role, when it's her time to feed Pinhead. Once Pinhead is freed from the statue there is some fun to be had with the nightclub massacre, the creation of new cenobites and the pursuit of Joey (Terry Farrel) who has what Pinhead needs but can't just take. The original Hellraiser score is as effective as ever and helps inject some mood into the early parts of the film and it also subtly foretells Terri's expected demise. Ultimately however, Pinhead has been reduced to camp bogeyman and to some extent it is your usual Hollywood gore sequel, but there is enough of a sombre tone carried over from the earlier Hellraiser movies to raise it above some of the garbage that horror fans were being fed at the time. And at least it does develop (if not totally satisfactorily) the human origin of Pinhead from the previous sequel. I'd say 3 out of 5.

Hellraiser was always going to be a hard act to follow (especially with Clive Barker handing over so much control to others). This first sequel starts promisingly enough though, beginning on the same night as the original ended. It features the return of Ashley Laurence's heroine Kirsty and the resurrection of wicked stepmom (no, really) Julia (Clare Higgins). However about two thirds into the movie any attempt at story progression, character development or coherency goes out the window and instead the film throws up albeit interesting imagery and ideas seemingly at random. That's not to say that Hellbound : Hellraiser 2 is a totally bad movie, it just seems like such a wasted opportunity. If the next sequel would have followed on more directly (instead of going stateside and bringing in different characters) maybe the ideas about Hell and Leviathan could have been explored and developed more fully. However without this safety blanket, much of Hellbound seems confused and half baked. Kenneth Cranham lends weight to the role of sinister Dr Channard but as soon as he's made into a cenobite the film goes into high camp and I wonder what happened to the sombre tone of the original. Clare Higgins seems t be enjoying playing her return as Julia like a Hollywood bitch on drugs and it's interesting to find out something about the origin of the cenobites albeit briefly(and at least Pinhead's human origin is something that does get explored further in Hellraiser III). If you like the first film, it's probably worth checking this one out and you may want t view it more than once to catch everything in it but just don't expect another Hellraiser like the original.

I just watched this again for the first time in years and half expected to be disappointed. But no, Hellraiser remains a true classic of the horror genre and is just as I remembered it. I can't agree with those who describe the acting as "mediocre". I found Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins and Ashley Laurence to be quite natural in their portrayals (Robinson does ham it up a bit towards the end but even that's perfectly in character for who he's playing and at that point in the story). Some would complain about the characters being unpleasant but I think adults deserve some entertainment of their own without "Leave it to Beaver" representations of life. The unpleasantness of Frank and Julia is in keeping with the EC Comics traditional horror feel to the story. The special effects sequences (particularly the resurrection of Frank) were still just as impressive. If you have any passion for horror films I think there's something here for you, whether you're into the arthouse, gore or traditional horror storytelling approach or if you're looking for something unique or different. This is a dark and sombre film and there is a lot of gory effects and some surreal moments. Clive Barker's direction and the hammer murders owes some debt to Pete Walker's 70s horror movies but much of the film is truly his alone. The cenobites and the way corpses are resurrected are unique and innovative. Christopher Young's musical score is an integral part of the film's grim baroque mood. I would still recommend this to fans of strong horror. A justifiable classic.

This is a silent classic (although not quite as good as Nosferatu or Metropolis) and is easily the best version of The Phantom Of The Opera. Silent film is a perfect medium for this tale, if like me you're less than fond of actual opera.

This film to me, is different from many of the later versions (the Charles Dance/Terri Polo mini series, for example) in the fact that I can't believe that Erik (The Phantom played by Lon Chaney, a master of his painstaking craft) truly loves Christine Daae (silent era starlet Mary Philbin). In this film it seems more

like a selfish need to possess her and keep her for him alone. Lon Cahaney is gleefully evil and sadistic in this version, wantonly terrorising and killing without a thought. A true monster, unlike the later more sympathetic/romantic interpretations. This is a dark film, atmospheric and thrilling. An early horror classic worth keepin alive and far superior to the later Universal "talkies" of the '30s.

I'd have to fall into the school of thought that places Halloween 5 as the weakest entry in the Michael Myers series (actually 5 was an unlucky number for the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street series too).

It's not the re-interpetation of Michael Myers and Dr Loomis that I have a problem with (at least this helps the last 30 minutes or so get more interesting). Nor is my problem with Jamie's telepathic link with Michael. My problems are:

1. The utterly trite and out of place attempt at humour by using annoying background music (usually around the bumbling cops, as if we have to be spoonfed the fact that they're bumbling). Hmmm someone seems to think they're making a Police Academy sequel here. The ever reliably effective John Carpenter original score also seems to be cheesed up a bit in this outing.

2. It just seems such a waste to bring back Ellie Cornell's sympathetic and intelligent heroine from Part 4, only to dispatch her so lazily. It seems to be as lazy as killing off the potentially interesting characters of Hicks and

Newt in Alien 3. This is especially unwelcome as they then....

3. Replace her with mostly unsympathetic, annoying and wincingly embarrassing teenagers whom, as far as I'm concerned Michael couldn't kill fast enough. The two males were especially annoying (what was the "bad boy" in the leather jacket's problem? PMT?

4. We all expect at least one fake scare in these type of films but in one drawn out scene in Halloween 5, there seems to be nearly twenty of them and I'm sure I wasn't the only viewer thinking "enough already".

5. I found Parts 4 and 6 enjoyable and fun and the man in black thing does get more interesting in Halloween 6. Nevertheless Part 5 obviously suffers from being sandwiched in between these films and having to follow or incorporate themes/situations from Part 4 and lay the groundwork for Part 6.

The last third of Halloween 5 does get more interesting and so this helps to redeem the film but ultimately I found parts of it (the annoying teenagers, cheesy incidental music etc) embarrassingly lame (it's Scream 3 all over again!!!). As such it's a wasted opportunity in some ways and for me it's the least of Michael's exploits (okay I'll give you that it's at least trying to be more inventive and story progressive than the H20 retread).

I love this film! It's one of my all time favourite movies and I'd rate it as a deservedly acclaimed cult classic and the eeriest, most strangely compelling, most unforgettable and greatest horror movie of all time.

The camera work is beautiful. The organ music, creepy carnival and director Herk Harvey as the figure of Death are all unforgettably eerie. The first time I saw this film (I had already read about it's making in an issue of Fangoria) was on BBC2's Moviedrome introduced by Alex Cox (himself the director of Repo Man, the lacklustre and innacurate Sid & Nancy and the amazing Well Did You Evah music video. On watching the film I was captivated and fascinated and ultimately at the film's conclusion had a strange feeling of deja vu, as if I'd seen it before in a dream or something, long ago.

There are a number of surreal and creepy scenes in the film. The scene where Mary (Candace Hilligoss) goes to the abandoned carnival during the day has a surreal, dreamlike and sensual beauty. Whereas the later scenes

of Mary playing the church organ and seeing in her mind, the dead rising from the sea and the film's carnival/beach conclusion are at once dreamlike and yet somehow documentarylike at the same time. It's unforgettable imagery like this that makes this film such an unforgettable experience. On the other hand, the drunk lodger's attempts to seduce Mary are amusing and some of her biting dialogue and sarcasm helps keep the non horror moments entertaining. The film is also notable for having a clear influence on

films and filmmakers like George A Romero's classic "Night Of The Living Dead" (another 60s b/w horror classic) and David Lynch (compare Herk Harvey's ghoul with Killer Bob's surreal and frightening appearances at unexpected times in Twin Peaks). Be warned however, once you experience the dreamlike qualities of this eerie masterpiece, I can't

guarantee you'll ever awake from it.

This isn't my favourite role for Deborah Harry (those would be Nicki Brand in "Videodrome" and Delores in "Heavy") but the film is a must for Debbie fans. It's a rare lead role for her and she gets the chance to play a warm and sympathetic character. Her character Cory Wheeler/ phone name "Angel" is a struggling bar singer who also works as a phone sex operator to make ends meet. Other luminaries in the film include Grace Zabriskie (of "Twin Peaks" and "Wild At Heart") and Tim Thomerson (Jack Deth in "Trancers") as the sick and twisted psycho who's taken a shine to Debbie's sensual voice (who hasn't?). To be fair, if you're not a big Debbie Harry/Blondie fan, it's just an average or maybe slightly above average cable slasher thriller. However Debbie is good in this and the scenes where she sings in the bar (including Janis Joplin's "Take Another Piece Of My Heart") are worthwhile. Tim Thomerson is also notable for being quite disturbing. The film also stars James Russo (an acting friend of Iggy Pop, who has since also been in the excellent film "Panther") as the cop who helps Debbie's character find the sicko who likes torturing women before she (or someone close to her?) is the next victim.

I truly believe that "Night Of The Ghouls" is an underrated masterpiece among Edward D Wood Jr's movies. Tim Burton's bio-pic stops before the making of it, documentaries like Rhino Video's "Look Back In Angora" at best just briefly mention it and it just doesn't get the (ahem) credit that "Plan 9 From Outer Space" does. Personally I find it just as enjoyable as "Plan 9" and the opening monologue by Criswell is among the finest moments of Ed Wood's films. Valda Hansen is a gorgeous female lead as the phony "White Ghost" who gets more than she bargained for and probably deserves. The Black Ghost (sometimes claimed to be Vampira, although I'm sure that would be news to her) is classic Wood. The phony mystic's ultimate fate is inspired and Tor Johnson and Paul Marco are as fun as ever. Ultimately it's tighter and more coherent than "Plan 9" (although just as much fun) so if you enjoyed that this is definetly a film not to be missed. Let's help get this underrated gem the reputation it deserves as an Ed Wood Classic!