THE BRIDE
2026

*

That movie bites more than it can chew.

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GOODNIGHT MOMMY
2022

**

Yes that's clearly a haunting one that stays with you for a couple of days afterwards. But not being a fan of minimalism, I found the first two thirds of the movie unecessarily bland. The first true consequential event happens an hour in and by that time, I had already mentally checked out. The strong last ten minutes couldn't save it. It wasn't worth it.

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LET ME IN
2010

****

It's been a while since I've seen the original... I know I prefered the pool scene in the swedish version. Better choregraphed, better lighting... But otherwise, this is a well crafted horror movie. Good acting, good directing, good production. Moretz and Smit-McPhee are wonderful.

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THE HOST
2006

****

Kind of funny how the evil characters in that movie (I mean the truly deeply evil characters) are all westerners (I understand though, I get it, it checks out). Solid movie that manages to present many characters we understand and care about. The movie has many layers, social, psychological, human. The first monster rampage scene is spectacular, breathtaking A+ cinema. Funny, satyrical, poignant, thought-provoking, stylish, exciting. That's the sort of movie that reminds me why I watch movies.

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THE DESCENT
2005

****

Even though the "last girl" trope (and therefore spoiler) was pretty much telescripted into our brain like 2 minutes into the movie, overall a solid methaphor about surviving real life horror, going through hell -- and getting out of hell. It delivers everything it ought to be delivering. (But why is spelunking even a thing I can't understand).

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HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES
2003

*

Braindead american crap. Soaked in soggy froot loops, thinks it's clever, thinks that knowing it's trash makes it less trash, uses clichés ironically and "references" because it can't create, uses MTV cut shots that are supposed to be oh so fucked up!... instead of building a proper story, characters or scenes. Zero original ideas, embarassing acting, overdone amateurish directing (cue the split screens!). "The End" with a question mark... I mean really?... Spoiled kid got to do his "badass" horror movie and I had to watch it sadly because it was on my list. Wanna know more about Rob Zombie's fantasies? This movie is for you. Juvenile, puerile and lame as fuck.

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MAY
2002

***

Even though it came out in 2002, it's a very 90s movie in regards of vibes, music, look, characters, etc. I imagine it took a while to give it the green light and by the time it came out, it was out of the zeitgeist. Well acted, well produced, a memorable scene in the center for blind kids. May snaps. It delivers. We feel sorry for her, and fascinated.

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NAKED LUNCH
1991

*

Fine! I guess I liked the creatures and the sex scenes! But the druggy-trippy theme doesn't excuse everything. It doesn't excuse the red and beige vomit palette, it doesn't excuse the meandering plot, it doesn't excuse the corny over-acting and the sets that look like sets. And it doesn't excuse the boring story and dialogue. In fact, it makes it worst: A drug movie being boring is an insult to drugs. Pass.

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LOST BOYS
1987

***

The tone shifts between horny vampire sexy mayhem and silly kid adventures, but each of them works pretty well on its own. The two Coreys at their peak, a great soundtrack, great set designs, glorious 80s glam, and I gotta say the cinematography is really beautiful: The use of lights and flames and the night shots are incredible. I'd give it a higher score if the ending with the big reveal and "boss fight" wasn't so silly, formulaic and forced. Good movie.

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BASKET CASE
1982

****

Grotesque, crappy, nasty, pathetic, fucking horrible at times. As it should be. "Old New York" at night, the Twin towers in all their 80s glory, some of the worst acting ever put to film (Hentenryck). What's not to like? 

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POSSESSION
1981

*****

Fantastic. Everything about this movie is incredible. The music, the script, the cinematography, the set design, the acting... Obviously, Adjani steals the show but every performance here is top notch. Beautiful.

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DRESSED TO KILL
1980

***

Ordinary story (you even get the "it was just a dream!" trick a couple of times), too much time spent at the police office, so-so acting (except maybe Allen and Dickinson), but the directing is, unsuprisingly, something else: You get the trademark split screens here and there, and the first half hour is pure dripping soapy kitshy extravaganza. Script and acting are below par but the directing elevates it all.

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INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
1978

**

It's a movie. Nimoy nimoys, Goldblum goldblums, Sutherland sutherlands. Bonus points for Nimoy's leather glove thingy. Some driving around. The climax is a big showdown at the warehouse! Woo-hoo! That's about it. Some cool night shots and some cool effects here and there. It's basically a movie you'd see on TV in 1987 at 11:00 PM, interwined with donut commercials -- but not in a good way. It's a movie.

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PIRANHA
1978

***

Competent Jaws copycat, fine middle of the road 70s american movie. Dante probably had a budget of like 5$ and made the most of it. Hits the typical beats of that sort of story, and the actors are fine. It should have been crap but it isn't. It's decent. I enjoyed it.

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MESSIAH OF EVIL
1974

****

That early sequence, at the gas station, has to be one of the most beautiful use of color I've seen in a while. The whole movie has spectacular cinematography. It's stylish, atmospheric, the primitive electronic music is gorgeous... I was somewhat disapointed it was basically a zombie movie, not much more. I was disapointed the whole movie didn't exactly live up to this promising start. That's probably unfair. It's a terrific film.

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IT'S ALIVE!
1969

*

Weenick and Thurman offer competent performances, but it's just a bad movie. Bad bad bad. And boring. Poor quality all around. Skip it.

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HOUR OF THE WOLF
1968

*

Overindulgent drivel. Some nice images, deep shadows.

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THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
1964

****

We get to see Vincent Price as a cruel Satan-worshipping monarch and as Death itself, in a tale imagined by Edgar Allan Poe: What a treat! The sets and cotumes are of that cinematic era, everything is wonderful and well thought out. But again, the main attraction here is Vincent Price delecting in his own wickedness. For those who like 60s movies, Poe, horror (albeait light)... This is a delight.

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THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
1955

***

(I was looking forward to see this one.) I feel a lot of movies are elevated and overrated because of their cinematography. I believe this is one of them. The cinematography is fantastic. Some of the acting is good (Mitchum, Winters, the kids), some is bad (Varden, Beddoe). The story is underwhelming and some of the american religious bullshit is quite nauseating. That being said, there is a couple of scenes... when the kids flee on the river, when we see the silhouette of Powell on the horizon, when he sits in front of the house, waiting to strike... when we hear those divine melancholic songs... I wish the whole movie was like that...

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M
1931

**

The scenes with Peter Lorre are fantastic (those eyes!), but the rest is, well, for the most part, pretty underwhelming: Boring police procedures, endless pointless conversations... So many characters we just don't care about! And no music (I guess they had not figured that out yet, technically). There is some moral exploration in there about the nature and execution of justice, but it's pretty thin : It doesn't offer much beyond the rejection of black and white moral dichotomy, which is pretty basic, let's be honest. Sorry everyone. Sorry Fritz. Metropolis is still amazing.

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THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE
1921

***

Evocative and haunting light effects, a surprisingly intricate and poignant story, beautiful acting (especially Victor Sjöström). "Please Lord, let my soul mature before it is reaped".

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