terrymac

Strays pretty far from the original novel, but retains a good chunk of the key elements that made it into both of the previous mini-series. Acting was alright, but the opening parts felt very rushed. It very much had the flavour of a lot of recent streaming-channel made horror fare - competent but lacking in character.

60 _36%

Yes Man (2008) - Rated 21 Oct 2026

Kinda fun if you can bear Carrey gurning and carrying on. Harmless.

35 _7%

Ghost Ship (2002) - Rated 21 Oct 2026

It had decent production values but I burst out laughing at the pivotal opening scene and it didn't recover from that. Absolute tosh.

62 _41%

The Innkeepers (2011) - Rated 13 Oct 2026

I liked the relationship between the two hotel workers, and they helped me buy into the nonsense that was unfolding on the screen. It's quite charming, really, and gets a bit creepy towards the end. Apparently something happened at the end and I didn't see it. I may need my eyes tested.

58 _31%

The Void (2016) - Rated 13 Oct 2026

I didn't like any of the characters, so I wasn't really rooting for them. I also didn't really know what the hell was going on, but I may have been a bit unfocused at the time. It had some nice scenes and pleasing nastiness. I'm not sure anyone has made a truly classic film with Lovecraftian roots, but I like it when they try.

59 _33%

Dead of Winter (1987) - Rated 13 Oct 2026

This would have benefitted hugely by not being quite so daft and by having a much more engaging villain. Other than that it's fine, if a touch bland.

81 _87%

After Hours (1985) - Rated 09 Oct 2026

I won’t bandy around phrases like “neo-noir” like I know what they mean, but that feels appropriate. As does “black comedy”. This resonated with me in terms of recalling times I stayed out far too late and got into bizarre situations with strange characters. It also reminded me of certain nightmares. And Eyes Wide Shut. A compelling, surreal little adventure with a great cast. I probably wouldn’t have clocked this as a Scorcese film if I didn’t know beforehand, for what it’s worth. Recommended.

59 _33%

Ted 2 (2015) - Rated 09 Oct 2026

I couldn’t remember the original all that well, but I think the things I enjoyed about the first one were present here. A couple of scenes jarred with me, and some of it was a little earnest at the expense of keeping the humorous vibe going. It was still a lot of fun though, and the interplay between John and Ted worked well. Daft fun.

48 _16%

Grave of the Vampire (1974) - Rated 08 Oct 2026

I rather enjoyed the central premise and story here, but the execution was very much lacking on pretty much every front. Apparently, this may or may not have been based on a story by David Chase of Sopranos fame...he did the screenplay according to IMDB. Fascinating. Maybe one for vampire flick completists and the curious only.

71 _62%

Nightsiren (2022) - Rated 07 Oct 2026

I rather enjoyed this Slovakian number, being a blend of folk horror and modern drama that flits back and forth between the two, occasionally the two elements intersecting. The underlying story is interesting enough, the supernatural elements are dealt with quite cautiously, and the real life situations, where behaviours are ostensibly driven by superstition, are all quite nasty really. Quite compelling and effectively ambiguous, with some fine performances. Worth a look.