gill0383

James Whale's celebrated sequel to one of horror film's masterpieces is one of the best around, because it is a poignant and frightening film that never fails to entertain me. Karloff's second turn as the monster and Elsa Lanchester's "Bride of" are iconic performances.

20 _0%

The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985) - Rated 13 Jan 2011

This downright awful sequel is my go-to film for those times when I need to liken a work to the worst film that I can remember. For example, "'Tron' is a fine film; it is not 'The Hills Have Eyes Part II.'" When contrasted with the original 'The Hills Have Eyes', which is a good film, it seems like an even bigger disappointment. It suffers from all the ailments that seemingly slapped-together sequels always do: flat characters, a weak plot.

75 _8%

The Omen (1976) - Rated 13 Jan 2011

This is a ho-hum entry in the satanic horror genre. It fails to interest or frighten me very much. There are, however, some fine performances by a cast of familiar British performers: Billie Whitelaw's Mrs. Blaylock is the standout performance of the film. Patrick Troughton is memorable as the priest, and David Warner always shines. In spite of this, it will stay lost in the shuffle.

98 _95%

Cul-de-sac (1966) - Rated 13 Jan 2011

This film is a real gem. It's one that I hunted a long time for, because it is (or was) difficult to find in the USA on home video. I loved all of the performances. It achieves a unique atmosphere and is beautifully filmed. If you've seen the film "The Ref" with Kevin Spacey and Dennis Leary, you'll be surprised with the similarities that the two films share.

55 _0%

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) - Rated 13 Jan 2011

Awkward dialogue and some really ludicrous moments keep this film from working well for me. It almost seemed like a parody of Lynch: for instance, Herzog shows that Grace Zabriskie staring vacantly into space can be made to look weird by anyone. In spite of this, the film is nicely shot and makes me enthusiastic about the future of digital cinematography.