Reviews
The Haunting (1999)
Yet another case of Hollywood closing a door that should have remained open.
It would have been so easy for the makers of this "Haunting" remake to actually leave viewers with the same sense of foreboding dread we all got from the original. More of a sequel than a remake or retelling, the film is horribly miscast (with the exception of lead Lili Taylor, who doesn't even get star billing), flatly acted, and only marginally scary. The religious overtones in the new, happy ending are so ham-fisted and glopped on that it ruined the entire experience for me. EFX and locations were completely excellent, but the original 1963 version is one of the most terrifying films ever made, and this one is hardly a blip on the radar screen of summer '99 movies.
Rolling Thunder (1977)
Borderline gruesome, gripping revenge film.
I went through hell and high water to find a copy of this one, and after watching it a few times, I'm still pretty surprised. It's an incredibly unflinching film (and in the case of William Devane's character, literally unflinching, even as his hand gets ground up in that garbage disposal). It's the kind of study in violence that people usually relate to a film like Boorman's "Point Blank," Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" or "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia," only the issue of violence is never itself questioned, but addressed in terms of honor beyond courage. The Vestron tape is too dark and as such lots of the violence is muted, but there are some truly shocking scenes here, as well as some amazing dialogue and a main character who embodies revenge like few other. Not for everyone, but worth a peek if you need some message behind your carnage.
Squirm (1976)
Hey, there's a worm in my egg cream!
You wouldn't know it from the description, but SQUIRM manages to be scary, fun, gross, and engaging all at once. Scare shots are timed to a tee and both the conflict of the film and the characters involved in it are executed with as much style and excellent timing as could be expected for a film about killer worms. The scene where worms burrow into Roger's face, and the one where the bathtub is quickly filling up with worms are really effective. Your local video store probably sold off this one years ago along with other slow-renting titles to make room for hundreds of copies of "Sleepless in Seattle," though, so if you see a copy and are looking for a good scare, pick it up.
Gli occhi freddi della paura (1971)
A "deadly game of cat-and-mouse" between a court solicitor and two criminals seeking revenge.
A court solicitor's evening with a prostitute takes a turn for the worse when a pair of hardened criminals show up at the home of said solicitor's uncle, a judge who unfairly convicted one of them years before. Tensions mount as the victims try to turn their captors against one another and save the judge's life, as well as their own.