Showing posts with label Based on a Book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Based on a Book. Show all posts

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

The Shining (1980)

A family move to an hotel on a mountain for the winter, so that Jack, the father, a frustrated writer, can work as caretaker while the snow cuts the hotel off from the outside world for the season.
As Jack descends into alcoholism and insanity, the hotel's decedent and sordid past is reaching out to him.



Reviewed for Horror Movie a Week, here

Saturday, 18 October 2014

Let The Right One In (2008)

A FULLER VERSION OF THIS REVIEW IS ALSO POSTED AT A BLOG I CONTRIBUTE TO YEAR-ROUND.

Head to Horror Movie A Week to see what my friend Lisa and I think of the 52 movies we review each and every year.

This isn't my type of movie at all. Although one of its main characters is a vampire, it has very few horror elements; indeed, it could only be called a Horror Film in the very loosest definition of the sense. Mostly, it's a romance; the leads may be 12 years old, but it's clear early on that their relationship is destined to go beyond friendship, into romantic love. And yet, I was blown away by this film.

If you haven't seen this movie, go and watch it. Although the following review qualifies as spoiler-free, I implore you not to watch it. Don't read the DVD case,  don't read anything, just obtain and watch this movie. I went in blind, knowing only that it's a vampire movie, and I strongly recommend that you do the same.

I have friends who read my reviews, but don't actually like horror movies; if you are one of those people don't be put off; go and watch this movie anyway.

Friday, 10 October 2014

Jackyll + Hyde (2006)

Medical student, Henry "J" Jackyll, believes he can invent a drug to change a parent's personality for the better.
Refused help from his university due to his drug's illegal ingredients, he decides to experiment on himself.
Under the influence of the drug, he becomes violent and predatory.
Soon, he starts to slowly lose control of his life, as he become addicted to the drug, and his alter ego takes over more and more.


Friday, 1 November 2013

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (1970)

Vincent Price tells 4 of Poe's most famous and beloved tales.
In The Tell-Tale Heart a man is driven mad with guilt, The Sphinx tells of a man who see's a monster looking out through his friend's window, The Cask of Amontillado sees a man lead a rival wine collector into the catacombs on the pretext of showing him a rare bottle, and finally, a first-hand account of a man sentenced to death by torture at the hands of the spanish inquisition brings things to a close in The Pit and The Pendulum.


Saturday, 26 October 2013

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

A silent and unnamed man (Vinnie Jones) is killing people on quiet, late night trains in the New York subway, but with no bodies are turning up, the victims are listed only as "Missing People".
A photographer photographs a woman minutes before her disappearance, and his investigation leads him to the killer.
Unable to convince the police, he becomes obsessed with the man, and is determined to find proof.


Wednesday, 23 October 2013

World War Z (2013)

When the Zombie Apocalypse breaks out, former UN investigator, Garry Lane (Brad Pitt), is called in to work with a team tracking down patient zero in hopes of finding a cure. 


Sunday, 13 October 2013

The Box (2009)

The Lewises wake one morning to find a package on their doorstep.
Inside the package is a wooden box, with a red button on top of it, shielded by a locked glass dome.
Later, a Mr Steward comes to give them the key to the dome, and explain the box's purpose.
They are to keep the box for 24 hours, after which Mr Steward will call again to collect it.
If at any point during that 24 hours, the button is pushed, 2 things will happen; Mr Steward will give them $1 million when he collects the box, and someone they do not know will die...


Saturday, 5 October 2013

Night of the Lepus (1972)

THIS REVIEW IS ALSO POSTED AT THE BLOG I CONTRIBUTE TO YEAR-ROUND.

Head to HorrorMovieAWeek.co.uk to see what my freind Lisa thinks about this film, and the rest of the 52 movies we review each and every year.

WARNING:
Although this movie has been tagged as "Recommended" I am not claiming it is a "good" film. It is not. 


A cattle farmer in the American South West calls in experimental biologists to help rid him of his rabbit-infestation, a rabbit injected win an experimental serum is inadvertently released into the wild, the infestation of rabbits rapidly becomes an infestation of giant, killer rabbits.
It's up to the farmer, and the scientists who created the monsters, to find a way to stop them before they reach a nearby town and destroy it.


Sunday, 28 October 2012

The Woman in Black

4 years after his wife died during childbirth, struggling lawyer Arthur Kips (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent to a small remote town to obtain the paperwork that his company may settle an estate by selling a large manor house.
Upon arrival, the locals are obviously not keen to have Arthur around but, despite every on stick the townsfolk throw at him, Arthur is determined to do his job in time for his son and his nanny to join him for a break in the country.
Upon arrival at the Manor, it is clear that something is amiss, and it becomes quickly apparent that the house is haunted...

Friday, 12 October 2012

Lifeforce

A manned mission to examine Halley's comet finds an alien craft traveling in it's wake.
Aboard the craft are thousands of dead bat like creatures, and 3 apparently human creatures - 2 men and a woman, each in stasis chambers, which are removed and placed aboard the shuttle.
When the shuttle crash lands, the crew are dead and the in-flight records wiped, Things go further awry when the 3 beings from the alien craft awaken...

Monday, 31 October 2011

Vault of Horror

5 short stories based on EC comics tales (for those who don't know EC were the guys who put out horror comics in the 50s, including 'Tales From the Crypt', 'Vault of Horror' and 'Haunt of Fear').

As is typical with EC, the strikes are simple consisting of a setup, in which someone behaves badly, and a payoff, where they get their just deserts. I never understood why parents groups got upset with these comics; they are little morality plays where no bad deed goes unpunished.

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

The Phantom of The Opera (1989)

Or to use it's full title 'The Phantom of the Opera: The Motion Picture'

I should mention that I have never read Phantom, and I'm not familiar with any of the film versions, or the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical, so while I can attempt to judge this 1989 version as a movie / story in it's own right, I cannot comment on how it serves as a version of Phantom, which is a shame, as I am lead to understand that this version is far more faithful to the spirit (if not the text) of the book than most; apparently the book (like this version) is not as romanticised as most versions, with more emphasis on horror element.

Saturday, 8 October 2011

Pin

Unlike my 'reviews' over at VideoNastyAWeek.co.uk, which are mostly meant more as 'discussions' with those who have seen the films, or are at least familiar with them, I try to keep my Shocktoberfest Reviews pretty spoiler-lite, so that they can serve as recommendations (where warranted) to people who have not seen the films.