Tag Archives: Horror

2025 Films, Hailee Steinfeld, Horror, Jack O'Connell, Li Jun Li, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Omar Benson Miller, Ryan Coogler, Wunmi Mosaku

Sinners-2025

October 31, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Sinners-2025

Director Ryan Coogler

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton

Scott’s Review #1,498

Reviewed October 31, 2025

Grade: B+

After hearing so much positivity about Sinners (2025), director Ryan Coogler’s latest film, which shifts from independent (Fruitvale Station, 2013) and Marvel (Black Panther, 2018) films to the horror genre, I excitedly waited months to see it.

Coogler shifts into a vein more like Jordan Peele, a contemporary director known for daring horror message offerings like Get Out (2017) and Us (2019).

While very good, it’s not the A+ daring, horrific, extravaganza I was expecting. The tone is dark, mysterious, and compelling, but it takes an awfully long time to actually get going despite a looming expectation of bloody events to come.

Or maybe that’s because my expectations told me to await thrills and gore mixed with a powerful storyline.

Nonetheless, had I not listened to the buzz, I might have been more satisfied. Instead, I was impressed but not blown away.

Sinners reminded me very much of the HBO series True Blood (2008-2014), with its southern vampire fantasy/horror mix, but featuring an almost entirely black cast and a lot of music.

Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, the film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers, ‘Smoke’ and ‘Stack’ Moore, one of whom is a criminal, who return to their hometown, where they confront a supernatural evil.

The brothers return from Chicago, where they have made an illegal fortune, and purchase a sawmill from a racist landowner to start a juke joint for the local Black community.

They reconnect with local friends and musicians, offering substantial amounts of money to help make opening night a grand experience.

Coogler wisely begins the film, which takes place over the course of a twenty-four-hour period, the morning after the thrilling Saturday night events, so we somewhat know something bad will happen.

Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), the brother’s cousin, staggers into his preacher father’s church during services, clutching his coveted guitar. He is an aspiring blues musician and is wounded.

Michael B. Jordan, clearly the star of the film and frequently in Coogler films, is an Oscar hopeful by portraying dual roles. With a good versus evil vibe, he may make the cut, given the differing personalities fleshed out in the parts.

While offering decent cinematography and a southern flavor that adds dimensions, it takes so long for much action to arrive that the payoff isn’t as satisfying as I’d like.

Sure, the last forty-five minutes work well as the dusk-to-dawn fight scenes, a workable whodunit of who’s a vampire and who isn’t a vampire, and hold your breath moments of which characters will unwittingly invite a vampire inside.

The last sequence is excellent when 1932 suddenly turns into the 1990s, and one character is still left alive. The film ends happily as the character realizes a pact made in the ghastly night years ago has allowed him to live.

A question repeatedly dangled before the audience’s noses like a carrot before a horse is whether we would give in to temptation and live forever as a vampire.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful never to age? I’ll admit to realizing the appeal.

The supporting characters, including Stack’s girlfriend, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), the bouncer, Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller), and Smoke’s estranged wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), deliver strong performances.

However, the southern accents occasionally feel overdone, but the lovely costumes never do.

Neither good nor bad, the characters don’t look genuine from the 1930s, and there is more inclusion (a Korean family in the deep south?) than in real life.

Still, the film works as a fantasy, right?

Coogler gets points for creativity and showcasing racism of the 1930s still exists today, but treads lightly on going full throttle with any message.

Instead, he shows that strong black characters can forge their own success in a racist world, accompanied by a toe-tapping melody and bluesy guitars.

Sinners (2025) crosses genres like horror, supernatural, fantasy, and musical, with some sexy scenes of blood and sex amid music. The creativity is there, but it’s a slow build.

2025 Films, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Cillian Murphy, Danny Boyle, Edvin Ryding, Horror, Jack O'Connell, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes

28 Years Later-2025

October 13, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

28 Years Later-2025

Director Danny Boyle

Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams

Scott’s Review #1,496

Reviewed October 13, 2025

Grade: B

For loyal fans of the 28 Days Later film franchise, launched in 2002, 28 Years Later (2025) may be a disappointment.

Not what I expected, the film has less raw horror than its two predecessors, but it adds a deeper emotional connection, linking various characters together.

A family is introduced, which helps provide character depth. Apparently, 28 Years Later is the first of a new trilogy, which may leave the first two installments by the wayside.

Still, the film is uneven and meanders quite a bit until the final thirty minutes or so, when I felt more invested in the events.

This is surprising, given the participation of Academy Award-winning participants, including director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland, and actor Cillian Murphy, as Executive Producer. It also features the original cinematographer (Anthony Dod Mantle), so I’m surprised how little connection it has to the original.

A weak sub-plot featuring Sir Jimmy Crystal, the leader of the Jimmy Savile–inspired “Jimmy” cult, and a survivor of the original outbreak is the only connection.

It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a heavily enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected.

One group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway.

When Spike (Alfie Williams), the twelve-year-old son of Jamie and Isla (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer), leaves the island on a mission to find help for his ailing mum, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but also other survivors.

He encounters characters like “Samson”, a physically imposing Alpha leader of the infected, the odd Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a former doctor and survivor of the outbreak, and a pregnant infected woman.

Isla, who teeters in and out of sanity, is along for the ride.

Comer, known for the television series Killing Eve (2018-2022), has begun to forge her way into feature films and is the standout performer.

Isla suffers from a mentally debilitating disease, but it’s unclear what the issue is. She mostly lies in bed, sleeping or suffering from excruciating headaches. It’s not until the final act that Comer’s work is stellar.

When she becomes attached to a healthy newborn baby, her emotional connection to Spike and her memories of time spent with her father are linked.

These are the best scenes, and when Comer shines brightly. She is aided by the inclusion of Fiennes as the sympathetic doctor.

This proves that superior actors can make any film better as long as they infuse their talents into the script, which Comer and Fiennes do. They have tremendous chemistry during their limited scenes, offering humane and tender moments. Young Williams also does good work.

The cinematography is impressive. Lavish outdoorsy sequences in meadows or amidst a raging fire are lucid and colorful. An abandoned train set is dressed perfectly with dingy seats overgrown with plants and weeds. When the characters race through the aisles, there’s a realism to the scene.

The rest of the film has issues, especially weak subplots.

There’s a bit too much going on, so the result feels messy. Visions, memories, Jamie cheats on Isla while Spike watches, Spike pulls a knife on dad, the alpha is on the loose, a mysterious doctor, a fire, and other such additions are included.

Some work better than others.

A hunting expedition where Jamie teaches Spike to hunt is superfluous and clichéd. Doesn’t almost every post-apocalyptic film or television show feature someone showing someone else how to hunt?

The film also feels remarkably similar to television’s The Walking Dead or The Last of Us, suggesting that the filmmakers may have been riding a trend rather than creating their own original work.

Why make the father sympathetic, then non-sympathetic? Is it a way to enhance Isla’s and Spike’s bond?

The same occurs later when a kind Swedish soldier (Edvin Ryding) debuts, only to become unlikable minutes later. Is this to justify his head being torn from his body? An incredible scene by the way.

28 Years Later (2025) has some impressive story and technical tidbits, marginally giving it a recommendation for fans of the franchise. Otherwise, there isn’t enough quality content to entice new viewers.

2025 Films, Alden Ehrenreich, Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, Cary Christopher, Horror, Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, June Diane Raphael, Justin Long, Toby Huss, Zach Cregger

Weapons-2025

October 5, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Weapons-2025

Director Zach Cregger

Starring Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Amy Madigan

Scott’s Review #1,495

Reviewed October 5, 2025

Grade: A

Zach Cregger, who made his directorial debut with Barbarian in 2022, may have made his way to the big leagues with Weapons (2025), a highly original film rumored to have a follow-up prequel in the works.

One of his characters, the wicked Aunt Gladys (Amy Madiagan), is already becoming a household name and a potential Halloween costume idea.

The fabulous combination of tone, mystery, and genuinely frightening moments makes Weapons an edge-of-your-seat experience.

And who doesn’t find the disappearance of children a perfect horror premise?

Furthermore, the inclusion of chapters dedicated to each central character does wonders to retain the intrigue. Each character has a connection to others, making each subsequent chapter enthralling as viewers realize the connections.

Weapons is one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years.

Cregger masterfully gets the film off to a suspenseful and foreboding start with a quiet narration by a child. The youngster explains how one night at exactly 2:17 am, seventeen children left the safety of their suburban Pennsylvania homes and fled into the night, missing without a trace.

All but one child from the same class is included.

Alex (Cary Christopher), who has a strange connection to Aunt Gladys, is mercifully spared.

The rest of the town is left wondering what is behind their disappearance as fingers start to point towards suspects, most notably Justine (Julia Garner), the classroom teacher with a troubled past.

The ensuing witch hunt involving Justine is terrific. We tag along with the haggard teacher to the liquor store as she buys vodka in preparation for a boozy night alone in her small house, hoping to escape her troubles.

Alone, in the dark, and in a small town is frightening enough, but when a mysterious person knocks on her door and vandalizes her car, we feel vulnerable along with the character.

But is Justine as innocent as she appears?

When her chapter ends, and other characters like cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), James (Austin Abrams), a homeless drug addict and burglar, and Archer (Josh Brolin), a construction contractor and the father of Matthew, one of the missing children, get their backstories, the dots start to connect.

Aunt Gladys doesn’t appear for quite a while except in sudden, eerie background shots, but when she does, she immediately takes over the film.

As Alex’s elderly aunt (or is she only posing?), she quickly becomes the main antagonist of the film. Recently arrived in town, she is clad in a short, curly, ginger wig, large amounts of red lipstick, blue eyeshadow, fake eyelashes, and fake eyebrows, all behind thick-framed, tinted sunglasses.

On the surface, she appears to be an odd, old eccentric woman, but jovial and good-natured.

I wonder if Cregger patterned her after Minnie, played by Ruth Gordon, the eccentric woman revealed to be a witch in the 1968 masterpiece Rosemary’s Baby?

In one terrific scene, we almost see a sympathetic side to Aunt Gladys. She explains to Alex that neither a hospital nor water will help her recover from her terminal illness. There is a glimpse of kindness and humanity in her eyes before we recall her intentions.

There are also periodic jumps that come out of nowhere. When kindly principal Marcus (Benedict Wong) suddenly behaves out of character, we are startled. An odd woman brandishing a knife stumbles out of a doorway and lumbers to a car, cutting the hair of Justine.

Why, we wonder?

Many scenes are shot from a long-view angle without dialogue, which adds to the tension.

The finale combines a chase scene to end all chase scenes, blending horror and comedy in a way that oddly works similarly to what The Substance did in 2024. This might be the new trend in modern horror films.

Solidly infusing classic horror elements with mystery and intrigue, Cregger provides an unsettling experience that feels fresh and original.

He served as director, producer, writer, and co-musical scorer, proving that having only one chef in the kitchen often works wonders for creativity and structure.

Weapons (2025) has deservedly received critical acclaim while enjoying box office success, solidifying Cregger’s name on the cinematic map.

2025 Films, Billy Campbell, Brandy Norwood, Chase Sui Wonders, Freddie Prinze Jr., Horror, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jonah Hauer-King, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sarah Pidgeon, Slasher, Tyriq Withers

I Know What You Did Last Summer-2025

October 3, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

I Know What You Did Last Summer-2025

Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Starring Chase Sui Wonders, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Madelyn Cline

Scott’s Review #1,494

Reviewed October 3, 2025

Grade: B+

The 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer offering is pure nostalgia for fans of mainstream 1990s horror flicks. Those who love film franchises like Scream (1996-present) and Final Destination (2000-present) will be pretty pleased.

I adored watching the film and traveling back to my youth, although I was startled by the revelation that the young cinema stars of the 1990s are now almost 50 years old.

I only knew that Jennifer Love-Hewitt was returning by way of coming attraction trailers. Still, I had no idea that Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar were also returning, which added to my viewing pleasure.

It felt like catching up with old friends you haven’t seen in nearly thirty years.

While not a sequel to the 1997 original, it feels fresh with its clever ideas, twists and turns, and whodunit sensibilities, adding a refreshing dose of feminism that is timely.

This can undoubtedly be due in large part to being directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, a female director who also co-wrote the screenplay.

Just like in 1997, when five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences.

A year later, their past comes back to haunt them when one of the friends receives a threatening note, and they realize that someone knows what they did last summer.

As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.

The most fun is the whodunit factor and trying to figure out who is the one donning a fisherman’s cloak and brandishing a hook to slice and dice their victims to ribbons.

Or does Robinson borrow a gimmick from the Scream films and make it two killers?

Of course, the victim of the original summer tragedy shares a link with the killers, and plenty of red herrings are in store, adding to the enjoyment.

The rulebook is slightly bent to allow for even more female empowerment than the original, wisely bringing Love-Hewitt’s Julie James back into the fold.

Now older, wiser, and tougher, and a college professor, she serves as a coach and mentor to Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders), the leader of the new group of friends.

In a cool bit of inclusion, the character of Ava is bisexual, having a passionate bathroom encounter with a rocker chick while also having an ex-boyfriend, Milo (Jonah Hauer-King).

It’s also revealed that Julie and Ray Bronson (played by Prinze Jr.) were once married and have a tumultuous past. This is appealing to viewers familiar with the duo from the original film.

Putting the soap opera trimmings aside, the main highlight of I Know What You Did Last Summer is the accident during the first summer, the chase scenes, and the kill scenes, and the film wisely provides many of these.

When Teddy (Tyriq Withers) and Danica (Madelyn Cline) go to a dark graveyard to snoop for information, it doesn’t bode well for either when the fisherman lurks nearby.

These straightforward yet compelling sequences blend seamlessly with the finale aboard a yacht and later in a bar. The twists and turns, as well as the killer reveal, are well-written and character-themed, building on history and making sense.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) successfully takes a stroll down memory lane while providing jumps, scares, and even a few laughs along the way.

1980 Films, Dean Jagger, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Lewis Teague, Michael V. Gazzo, Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Sue Lyon

Alligator-1980

August 18, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Alligator-1980

Director Lewis Teague

Starring Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo

Scott’s Review #1,491

Reviewed August 18, 2025

Grade: B-

Alligator (1980) capitalizes on the Jaws (1975) and Jaws 2 (1978) craze with a similarly themed ‘creature that attacks humans’ idea.

The stalking musical score is essentially the same as Jaws, and the film includes a copied underwater camera shot of a victim in peril trying to reach a boat.

The late-night offering is adequate, though amateurish and cheaply made, with enough stock characters to make for a comical offering, whether intentional or unintentional.

The romantic chemistry between the two leads, Robert Forster and Robin Riker, is surprisingly genuine and sweet, which barely lifts this effort above mediocrity.

The kills are underwhelming and quickly become redundant as a leg or arm is chomped off a victim with little more than systematic style as the doomed person desperately attempts to escape being the giant alligator’s next meal.

Set in Chicago, the film follows Detective David Madison (Forster) and a reptile expert, Dr. Marisa Kendall (Riker), who team up to track an enormous, ravenous man-eating alligator flushed down the toilet years earlier as a baby.

The reptile terrorizes and attacks residents without capture after escaping from the city’s toxic sewers.

An inane explanation is provided, involving the alligator mutating to a humongous size due to feeding on animals used as test subjects for an experimental growth formula intended to increase agricultural livestock meat production.

The plot-driven story assuredly pairs David and Marisa as romantic counterparts from the get-go, so there is little doubt they will wind up together. A weak attempt at a spat between the couple is perplexing and a waste of time.

Thank goodness the actors have a decent amount of chemistry, which compels during scenes when they trapse around the metropolis trying to catch the reptilian murderer.

Marisa is written well as a self-assured, intelligent female doctor, though inexplicably, she lives with her overbearing mother. David has a mediocre backstory involving an incident where he should have saved his partner’s life but failed.

The death setups are outrageously satisfying as cookie-cutter stock characters quickly get their comeuppance. For example, the villainous Slade (Dean Jagger), an influential local tycoon responsible for the experiments, is crushed by a car that the alligator flattens.

This follows Slade’s selfish attempt to save his skin at the expense of another character, whom he locks out of his car.

Interestingly, Alligator features Jagger, an Oscar-winning actor (for 1949’s Twelve O’Clock High) and Oscar-nominated actor Michael V. Gazzo (for The Godfather Part II, 1974).

The grand finale is delicious B-movie style. The alligator goes on a rampage through a high-society wedding hosted at Slade’s mansion, eating a maid serving guests at the reception and killing Slade, the mayor, and Slade’s chief scientist for the hormone experiments, who was also his intended son-in-law.

The shrieking women and scrambling guests hilariously try to outrun the creature amid flying champagne glasses, wedding cakes, and delicate dining dishes.

This scene is worth the price of admission.

The rest of the experience is ludicrous as the alligator escapes notice in the city of millions. He crawls down urban streets and hides in dark alleys at whim, occasionally eating a villain or two.

Like any horror film of the 1970s or 1980s, Alligator perfectly sets up a sequel, a la Alien (1979), with a spawn being hatched in the sewer.

Playing more like a light comedy than a scary film, Alligator (1980) has moments of satisfaction. But most of it is an attempt to capitalize financially on an idea that has been used before, making it feel more like a ripoff movie than anything original.

2025 Films, Adam Stein, Brec Bassinger, Horror, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Richard Harmon, Teo Briones, Tony Todd, Zach Lipovsky

Final Destination Bloodlines-2025

August 9, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Final Destination Bloodlines-2025

Director Zack Lipovsky, Adam Stein

Starring Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Brec Bassinger

Scott’s Review #1,489

Reviewed August 9, 2025

Grade: B+

Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) is the sixth installment in the Final Destination film franchise, but the first in fourteen years, making the film feel more like a relaunch than a retread.

I’ll gladly see any new (or old) chapters since I enjoy the once inventive premise, which is now familiar territory and part of the brand.

The plots are based on the idea of a small group of people who escape impending death after one visionary individual has a sudden premonition and warns them about a major disaster that is about to occur.

Of course, Death cannot be tricked for long.

After avoiding their deaths seen in the visions, the survivors are later killed one by one in bizarre accidents caused by an unseen force.

The unique deaths are the fun part. From a garbage truck compactor, a malfunctioning MRI machine, and a deadly vending machine, the anticipation is in the killings and how they will be showcased.

Events begin in 1969, marking the best segment of Final Destination Bloodlines and one of the greatest in the series.

Young adults, Iris (Brec Bassinger) and Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones), embark on a lavish opening celebration of the Skyview, a high-rise restaurant tower that resembles the Seattle Space Needle. He awkwardly plans to propose, and she intends to reveal that she is pregnant.

The scene is shockingly tender and emotional since we immediately care about the couple, a pleasant surprise in the horror genre.

As the lovebirds sip champagne at the sophisticated bar, Iris is unsettled by the skyscraper’s lofty height and an unnerving feeling of dread and destruction as revelers hoot and holler on a glass dance floor.

Eventually, the tower collapses following a deadly chain reaction, killing everyone inside.

The Mad Men-style art direction and set design are magnificent and polished, adding worlds of style to the film. The pacing also works with appropriate tension throughout the extended sequence.

The action shifts to 2024, and a violent recurring nightmare plagues Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), revealed to be Iris’s granddaughter. She heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save the Reyes family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them.

The 2024 events are what you’d expect from the Final Destination films, and while decent, they don’t compare to the superior 1969 part.

The most fun is watching the cat-and-mouse setup of the presumed chain of events.

At the Reyes family barbeque, an accidental chunk of broken glass, a mislaid sharp rake, a fiery grill, and a torn trampoline are all possible death objects revealed as the family sips drinks and revels in outdoor activities and chatter.

Or are they merely red herrings?

The genius is forcing the audience to look around their own homes and decipher how many different objects could lead to their deaths.

Santa Juana is excellent at carrying the film, playing a relatable girl next door. Her likability keeps the audience invested in her as she attempts to break the cycle.

Other characters are more stock. The annoying tattoo artist cousin, the absentee mother looking for a second chance, and the uptight female cousin. They are all intended victims that Death will surely pluck.

They all play second fiddle to the bloody deaths, which are the main attraction.

Notably, a recurring character played by Tony Todd returns before the actor’s death, getting a lovely sendoff. His character’s appearance, in both 1969 and 2024, ties in deliciously with the history of the franchise.

Giving fresh breath to a formerly aging franchise, Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) is much better than expected. It adds charm and fulfillment, making it a treat for longtime fans of the past twenty-five years.

2025 Films, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Eli Craig, Horror, Katie Douglas, Kevin Durand, Slasher, Will Sasso

Clown in a Cornfield-2025

August 7, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Clown in a Cornfield-2025

Director Eli Craig

Starring Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams

Scott’s Review #1,488

Reviewed August 7, 2025

Grade: B+

Clown in a Cornfield (2025) is a surprisingly satisfying throwback to 1980s slasher horror films but with a modern twist.

The fun vibe creates an entertaining experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously, incorporating comic moments and blending twenty-first-century technology with traditional genre standards.

Additionally, a juicy and surprising same sex romance is revealed in the final stages of the film, when typically the crazed killer whodunit would be the featured main attraction.

The film feels vintage, containing killer clowns, a midwestern cornfield, and eerie townspeople. These one-time clichéd add-ons suddenly feel fresh with a younger audience in mind.

Middle-aged horror buffs can fondly recall 1980s gems like Children of the Corn (1984), which is reminiscent primarily. There is something particularly unsettling about a rural plains area in the middle of nowhere and menacing figures emerging from a dusty cornfield late at night.

As with most creepy small-town horror films, there is a deadly secret harvesting amid the lonely, quiet nights.

In 1991, two fresh-faced teens sneak off into the nearby cornfield and are killed by the local mascot, Frendo the Clown.

Decades later, teenage Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas) and her father, Dr. Glenn Maybrook (Aaron Abrams), begrudgingly arrive in the quiet town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, after Quinn’s mother dies, hoping for a fresh start.

Quinn meets fellow students Cole (Carson MacCormac) and Rust (Vincent Muller), and they uncover a mystery surrounding the once-affluent small town that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down.

The adults warn Quinn to be wary of the high school cool kids, whom she quickly starts to hang out with. But is it the locals and Sheriff Dunne (Will Sasso) that Quinn and her father should be wary of? What is the symbolism of a haunting Baypen factory music box?

The screenwriters wisely, and fantastically, add a mix of humor to many sequences, which both counterbalance the bloodshed and provide laugh-out-loud, genuinely funny moments.

This mostly comes at the expense of two female supporting characters, Janet and an unnamed friend. After a series of pranks to initiate Quinn into their group, one girl assumes that a decapitated head belonging to her boyfriend is fake.

She giggles and juggles it between both her hands before she shrieks in horror at the realization that the head is real. Later, she trudges through the cornfield, complaining that she feels like she’s in a bad 1980s slasher movie.

The best kill comes when a buff, shirtless high school kid bench presses weights in his garage and is decapitated by Frendo. His head bounces into a laundry hamper, and the lid closes shut with exact precision.

I noticed a potent anti-nationalist message as the antagonists are portrayed as small-town, small-minded simpletons meant to represent the United States, the MAGA movement. They blame the teens for the town’s troubles and for ruining its public image.

In satisfying form, the teenagers make fools of the adults, except for Quinn’s father, who is one of the good guys and subsequently runs for mayor to rid the town of the dolts who currently control it.

The sexual preference of Quinn’s male crush is also a breath of fresh air in a genre that typically doesn’t stray too far from mainstream gender roles.

The 2020 novel of the same name, from which the film was adapted, might be superior, but Clown in a Cornfield (2025) is fun. It also proudly has one twist that I did not see coming, which has nothing to do with the deadly clowns.

2024 Films, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood, Horror, Kiernan Shipka, Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Oz Perkins

Longlegs-2024

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Longlegs-2024

Director Oz Perkins

Starring Maika Monroe, Blair Underwood, Nicolas Cage

Scott’s Review #1,487

Reviewed August 1, 2025

Grade: A-

Oz Perkins, already making his mark in the modern horror genre with films like The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) and The Monkey (2025), offers an eerie little gift sure to creep many viewers out.

Add-ons like nuns, sacrifices, satan, and the like usually freak religious church-goers out, which is a testament to the achievement Perkins makes.

Giving credibility to Perkins is being the son of Anthony Perkins, aka Norman Bates from the 1960s Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho.

That’s some horror legacy, and he gets more and more comfortable with the genre.

The story follows Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), a quiet FBI agent in the 1990s, who is tasked with tracking down an occultist serial killer responsible for murdering multiple families throughout Oregon.

Harker, reminiscent of Jodie Foster’s Clarice from The Silence of the Lambs (1991), is serious and grounded with a tinge of tension and insecurity. She has been through some trauma that could be a key to unlocking the mystery.

Does she have a secret connection to the tragic events that includes the victims sharing a birthday pattern? With her birthday approaching, things become more and more perilous.

Besides the disquieting tone of the film being filled with terror, Nicolas Cage, who produced, plays Longlegs (also known as Dale Kobble), an elusive Satanic serial killer.

On screen for only a short amount of time, Longlegs/Cage leaves an impression. With long hair and a pasty face, he looks like a cross between the Joker and Pennywise the Clown, with lipstick and a super-creepy, demonic voice.

There is something very off about him.

Buffalo Bill, the serial killer from The Silence of the Lambs, also bears a resemblance to Longlegs.

The first sequence leaves an indelible impression—a young girl on a snowy afternoon peers across her vast front yard to her family’s paneled station wagon. It is the 1970s. Suddenly, Longlegs appears and charmingly announces he forgot his long legs.

The scene made the chills run down my spine.

The atmosphere makes the film as good as it is. There is a lonely, isolated feeling throughout, like events take place in a secluded, middle-of-nowhere setting. And, this consists of both interior and exterior scenes.

Set in the Pacific Northwest, United States, specifically Oregon, the geography is perfect for a rash of patriarchal killings. Mysteriously, a seemingly normal father kills his wife and kids without hesitation. A pattern develops involving an upcoming birthday of the family’s daughter.

In an effective sequence, one of the family deaths is featured on-screen, mirroring Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980). A long camera shot from far away makes the viewer feel like they’re in the room and watching voyeuristically.

Blood splays, an ax impales a victim from behind, and death and destruction have never looked finer in cinema.

Perkins incorporates a visual satisfaction that makes the film work, especially given the horror genre.

The fact that Longlegs, the villain, is frightening to look at makes the film a significant win and probably Perkins’ best work.

Yes, the story has a surprise ending, including one character’s deal with the devil. The final plot summation is shocking but rather far-fetched. While gripping, it doesn’t seem possible, and a supernatural suspension of disbelief is required.

The occult and spiritual possession are the ingredients that make Longlegs startling but not realistic.

Special shout-outs to actors Kiernan Shipka and Alicia Witt, who brilliantly portray their minor yet monumental characters with top-notch acting.

What Longlegs (2024) lacks in making sense—a common theme among modern horror films with camera-heavy trimmings over storyline plausibility, if I’m being honest—it succeeds with a visual wizardry.

The mood of terror is the film’s most significant victory.

#1 Favorite Horror Film, #5 Favorite Film, 1960 Films, Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, Pat Hitchcock, Top 10 Films, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films, Vera Miles

Psycho-1960

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Psycho-1960

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins

Top 250 Films #5

Top 40 Horror Films #1

Scott’s Review #165

Reviewed September 6, 2015

Grade: A

Psycho (1960) is the film to end all films, and not just within the horror genre. At the time of its release, it transcended the art of cinema to a new level and has influenced generations of films since, still holding up incredibly well today.

It is undoubtedly one of the greatest Alfred Hitchcock films and one of the greatest films ever made.

Hitchcock took considerable risks and dove from the thriller to the horror genre with Psycho.

The story revolves around a young woman named Marion Crane, superbly portrayed by Janet Leigh. Marion lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and sees her boyfriend (the dashing John Gavin) for frequent afternoon rendezvous at cheap motels when he is in town because they are both struggling financially.

She is presented with an opportunity, via her job, to steal $40,000 and flee the state to start a new life with her beau. She seizes the opportunity.

On the run, she stops at a run-down Bates motel where she meets owner Norman Bates, hauntingly played by Anthony Perkins.

Perkins and Leigh have fantastic chemistry together, and the audience picks up on it—is it romantic? Is there a mysteriousness to it? Something is odd about Norman. They bond over a quiet meal of sandwiches at the motel while discussing life and his ailing mother.

The famous shower scene and the shocking twist that follows are now almost taken for granted, as most people are already familiar with them. However, I can only imagine the shock viewers felt when they first saw these two delights.

To this day, both are still suspenseful.

Fortunately, when I saw this film for the first time, I didn’t know the ending, and I am glad I didn’t, because it took my breath away.

Killing off the leading actor at the start of the film, halfway through, was a novel idea and mind-blowing at the time of its release (1960).

This act left the audience’s mouths agape in disbelief, prompting them to ask, “What now?” “How can this be followed?” This act later influenced the original Scream (1996) film and surprised audiences again.

According to Hitchcock, no one could enter the film after it had started, and viewers were persuaded not to reveal the ending – oh, how I wish that occurred these days.

An aspect of the success and longevity of Psycho is the chemistry between Perkins and Leigh, who got along famously while shooting Psycho, and more importantly, the likability of Norman Bates. There is a rooting value for him, even though he is the villain.

When Marion’s car is only half-submerged in a lake containing her dead body, we root for it to sink entirely because of Norman. The concerned look on Norman’s face has a sense that affects the audio at this point in the story. Norman is troubled and wo, undead, and the audience does not have history.

Let’s not forget Janet Leigh. The audience sympathizes with her predicament. She is hopelessly in love with her man, steals money, is conflicted, and, at her core, is a friendly, decent, kind woman.

Halfway through the film, Marion’s sister, Lila, played by Vera Miles, is introduced as a detective, and the suspense and mystery intensify as they search for Marion and investigate the Bates Hotel and Norman Bates himself.

Miles then takes center stage as the lead in the film, which is intriguing.

The film then returns to horror at the terrific and terrifying conclusion, which will shock first-time viewers.

The musical score (especially the shrill strings) is incredibly effective and influenced other horror films to come (Friday the 13^th immediately comes to mind).

Psycho is a film that can be enjoyed and studied over again.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director, Alfred Hitchcock, Best Supporting Actress-Janet Leigh, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

#2 Favorite Horror Film, #6 Favorite Film, 1963 Films, Alfred Hitchcock, Elizabeth Wilson, Ethel Griffies, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, Jessica Tandy, Karl Swenson, Richard Deacon, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Tippi Hedren, Top 10 Films, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films, Veronica Cartwright

The Birds-1963

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Birds-1963

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor

Top 250 Films #6

Top 40 Horror Films #2

Scott’s Review #173

Reviewed September 22, 2014

Grade: A

The Birds is one of director Alfred Hitchcock’s finest works.

Made in 1963, following Psycho, it continues Hitchcock’s run of successes, both commercially and critically.

It is set in northern California (in San Francisco and Bodega Bay) and tells the story of unexplained bird attacks in a peaceful small bay town.

Tippi Hedren plays Melanie Daniels, a wealthy socialite from San Francisco who drives to Bodega Bay to pursue a love interest, Mitch Brenner.

Mitch, played by Rod Taylor, is a successful attorney who meets and shares a flirtation with Melanie the day before at a pet store in San Francisco. He regularly visits his mother (Jessica Tandy) and sister (Veronica Cartwright) in Bodega Bay.

Once Melanie arrives in town, birds begin to attack the locals living in the sleepy community periodically.

The Birds is a film that has held up incredibly well and is as exciting and horrifying today as it was in the past.

One intriguing aspect of the film is that it offers no rhyme or reason for the bird attacks, which keeps the viewer guessing when a gull swoops down and attacks innocent Melanie.

It is entirely mysterious and open to interpretation- are birds fed up with being caged?

Are the love birds that Melanie purchased the cause of the attacks? Do the birds hate humans? Why do they attack the children? Why do they peck the eyes of their victims out?

One could spend hours debating these questions.

A major creative success of the film is its decision to eliminate a musical score. The eerie silence and the loud sounds of the birds attacking create a haunting dynamic.

My favorite scene of The Birds features Melanie sitting on a wooden bench in the schoolyard, enjoying a cigarette. Behind her is a deserted jungle gym. She barely notices a tiny bird innocently flying past her and landing on the jungle gym.

She continues smoking her cigarette. The viewer sees what Melanie cannot- as slowly, hundreds of birds land on the jungle gym behind her.

Without music, the scene is deadly silent and dramatic, shifting from close-ups of Melanie to long shots of the birds gathering behind her.

Another interesting aspect of The Birds is the character relationships. Mitch’s mother, Lydia, is afraid of losing her son, so she initially despises Melanie. Mitch’s ex-girlfriend, schoolteacher Annie Hayworth, strikes up a close friendship with Melanie; one might expect them to be rivals.

A hysterical mother lashes out at Melanie, calling her evil and blaming her for the attacks.

During the long periods of calm, one wonders when the next attack will occur—and we know it will. We searched for clues to identify what triggers the attacks, but we found none.

This makes for brilliant and suspenseful filmmaking. They hardly come better than the masterpiece The Birds (1963).

Oscar Nominations: Best Special Effects

#3 Favorite Horror Film, #9 Favorite Film, 1978 Films, Charles Cyphers, Donald Pleasance, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter, Kyle Richards, Michael Meyers, Nancy Loomis, Nancy Stephens, Nick Castle, P. J. Soles, Slasher, Top 10 Films, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films

Halloween-1978

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Halloween-1978

Director John Carpenter

Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence

Top 250 Films #9

Top 40 Horror Films #3

Scott’s Review #114

Reviewed July 16, 2014

Grade: A

Halloween is an iconic horror film from 1978 that set the tone for the barrage of slasher films to follow throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s.

Today, the film continues to hold up incredibly well, and I am proud to list it as not only one of my favorite horror films (which I watch religiously every Halloween) but also one of my favorite films of all time.

The focus is on style and substance over gore (the film contains little of it), and the score is one of the scariest and most effective in cinematic history.

The premise of the film is simple- a homicidal maniac is on the loose in a sleepy little town named Haddonfield, Illinois, targeting three female babysitters on a crisp Halloween night.

The audience knows that the six-year-old little boy dressed as a clown on a dark Halloween night years ago, who butchered his older sister to death, is the now grown-up culprit.

What we do not know, nor should we, is what his (Michael Meyers’) motivation is. This confusion only adds to the impact.

Subsequent remakes have added complexities to the character, albeit unnecessarily so; however, in the original, we see a seemingly happy child with stable parents and a good life.

Similar stories have been told throughout film history. But Halloween is simply one of the greatest horror films ever made.

As simple as the story is, the way the film is made makes it a masterpiece. Everything about Halloween is mesmerizing – the lighting is perfect, the ambiance, the brilliant, scary musical score, the battle between good and evil, and the feeling of a chilly Halloween night.

Highly unusual for its time, the point of view of the killer and heavy breathing are prevalent throughout the film, which will startle and scare the viewer. The opening shot is through the eyes of a masked six-year-old kid wearing a clown mask.

The unique technical aspects continue to evolve.

Director John Carpenter had a vision for this film, and thankfully, no studio influence compromised it, as it was an independent film on a shoestring budget.

The Hitchcock influences are evident in the character names, such as Sam Loomis, and in many scenes where someone watches the action or peers around a corner or through a window, making the viewer anxious and nervous.

Set in small-town USA, a frightening element of the film is that it could happen anywhere, and the location is ingenious. There is very little blood, let alone gore. It is needless. It is the creepiness that makes the film brilliant.

The three teenagers are perfectly cast- Jamie Lee Curtis is the serious bookworm, P.J. Soles and Nancy Keyes are the flirtatious bad girls. Still, the chemistry is excellent, and the audience buys them as best friends.

The jump-out-of-your-seat moments are incredibly well-timed, and it is one of the few genuinely scary films.

Forget the horror genre alone- Halloween (1978) is one of the greatest films ever made.

#14 Favorite Film, #4 Favorite Horror Film, 1968 Films, Horror, John Cassavetes, Mia Farrow, Ruth Gordon, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films, William Castle

Rosemary’s Baby-1968

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Rosemary’s Baby-1968

Director Roman Polanski

Starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon

Top 250 Films #14

Top 40 Horror Films #4

Scott’s Review #9

Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is not only a great film, it’s a masterpiece. Easily one of my favorites in the horror genre, it’s also towards the top of the list of my all-time favorite films.

The beauty of this film lies in its power of suggestion and subtleties. It lacks the blood, gore, or standard horror frights one might expect.

It doesn’t need them.

The audience senses something is amiss through clues provided throughout the film. The closed-off room in the young couple’s apartment, the sweet, but a bit odd, elderly neighbors, a strange suicide, a mysterious, horrid-smelling, good luck charm. Rosemary’s due date (June 6, 1966- “666”).

The strange, dreamlike conception scene is intense and surreal. Her husband- claiming Rosemary passed out from too much alcohol- begins to become a suspicious man following the incident, but we are confused by his involvement- what are the neighbors up to, we wonder? Are they sinister or simply innocent and meddlers?

In a sinister scene, Rosemary gnaws on bloody raw meat, catches her reflections in the glass, and is horrified by her behavior.

Mia Farrow is frightfully good as the waifish, pregnant, Rosemary, who loses, instead of gains weight.

The film also has a couple of real-life eerie occurrences: the building setting (The Dakota) is where John Lennon was shot and killed, and Director Roman Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, in a cameo, was murdered shortly after filming by Charles Manson.

Rosemary’s Baby is similar in theme to other devilish/demon films like The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976).

This is a film that must be seen by everyone and only shines brighter with each subsequent viewing.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Ruth Gordon (won), Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

#16 Favorite Film, #5 Favorite Horror Film, 1980 Films, Angie Dickinson, Brian De Palma, Dennis Franz, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, Keith Gordon, Michael Caine, Nancy Allen, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films, William Finley

Dressed to Kill-1980

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Dressed to Kill-1980

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Michael Caine

Top 250 Films #16

Top 40 Horror Films #5

Scott’s Review #164

Reviewed September 2, 2014

Grade: A

Dressed to Kill (1980) is Brian De Palma’s most significant work throughout his storied career.

Set in New York City, the film is essentially divided into two halves.

The first half centers around Angie Dickinson, who plays a bored housewife named Kate. She is unhappy in her marriage and seeks therapy from a psychiatrist played by Michael Caine, to whom she makes sexual advances.

She is unfaithful to her husband, yet is a kind, intelligent, cultured woman. She adores her son and loves her husband but is utterly unfulfilled with life.

Do we, the audience sympathize with her? Does she get what she deserves? Is she a victim? One powerful scene involves a wide-eyed little girl who cannot stop staring at Kate. Can she sense Kate’s shenanigans? Does she sense her conflict? Does Kate feel guilt?

Kate is a complex character and brilliantly played by Dickinson, who gives the character sexiness, softness, and appeal.

After a shocking event in a high-rise elevator rivaled only by the shower scene in Psycho (1960) in its surprise and terror, the remainder of the film belongs to Nancy Allen, who plays a prostitute named Liz, determined to solve a mystery to clear her name.

De Palma sets the dreamlike tone with a sizzling opening shower scene sure to make the prudish blush in its explicitness, which I found deliciously sexy.

A ten-minute museum sequence speaks volumes without dialogue as Kate has a cat-and-mouse flirtation with a stranger.

The brilliance of Dressed to Kill is its versatility and complexity and contains one surprise after another, from the elevator scene to the final reveal to the final stage itself.

It is part horror film part thriller and always stylish.

The film was not well regarded upon its release, but over the years has been respected due to its creativity and excellent mood. Many scenes are shot in slow motion adding an effect to them.

Dressed to Kill (1980) is simply brilliant on every level.

#21 Favorite Film, #6 Favorite Horror Film, 1980 Films, Horror, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films

The Shining-1980

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The Shining-1980

Director Stanley Kubrick

Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall

Top 250 Films #21

Top 40 Horror Films #6

Scott’s Review #313

Reviewed December 31, 2015

Grade: A

The Shining is one of the great horror masterpieces of all time.

Released in 1980, and atypical of the slasher craze that was rampant at that time, the film is a psychological ghost story with frightening elements, including a musical score, long camera shots, and a haunting, grandiose hotel set in a deserted locale.

Without the brilliant direction of Stanley Kubrick, The Shining would not be the masterpiece that it is, to say nothing of the talents of Nicholson and Duvall in the lead roles.

Based on the popular horror novel by Stephen King.

Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, an author and alcoholic, who takes his wife Wendy (Duvall) and son Danny to serve as caretakers at the vast Overlook hotel- for the winter in snowy Colorado.

The lavish hotel will be deserted for the season and Jack looks forward to months of peace that will enable him to complete his novel.

Unfortunately, the hotel is haunted by spirits of the past, and the added burden of the previous caretaker going mad and chopping his family to bits with an ax.

The real success of The Shining is that the hotel itself is a character and has nuances of its own. The hotel is deathly quiet as the Torrances take over for the season-long hallways are featured and the forbidden Room 237 takes on a life of its own.

Creepy images of two young girls and red blood gushing from the elevators take over. Young Danny can communicate with the chef without speaking to each other. Jack imagines a gorgeous nude woman in the bathtub only to discover she is a shriveled old hag.

The film’s cinematography coupled with the looming, morose, musical score perfectly go hand in hand and, in my opinion, are the reasons for the success of the film.

Throughout the film, there is a sense of dread and a forbidden presence that works beautifully.

The very first scene is an aerial shot of the Torrances driving along a mountainous road to be interviewed for the caretaker position. The vast land and mountains as we eventually see the Overlook immediately reveal to us the feeling of isolation, which is really what the film is about.

These exterior scenes are also gorgeous to marvel at.

The crisp, gloomy, winter scenes and the endless maze of animal shrubbery come into play during the film’s final act as Jack, now completely mad, chases Danny through the snowy paths that seemingly lead to nowhere.

The catchphrase, “Here’s Johnny!”, that is uttered from an ax-wielding Nicholson, is permanently ensconced in the relics of pop culture.

Nicholson and Duvall have such dynamic and palpable on-screen chemistry that makes the film work from a character perspective. There is something slightly off with each of the characters, readily apparent from the outset, but that has more to do with each actor being rather non-traditional in appearance.

I can imagine no other actors in these roles.

Author, Stephen King, who reportedly despised the film version of his novel, has since grown to respect the film and Kubrick’s direction, a great deal. The Shining is one of my favorite horror films in addition to being one of my favorite films of all time.

#28 Favorite Film, #7 Favorite Horror Films, 1972 Films, Alfred Hitchcock, Anna Massey, Barry Foster, Horror, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films

Frenzy-1972

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Frenzy-1972

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Jon Finch, Barry Foster

Top 250 Films #28

Top 40 Horror Films #7

Scott’s Review #244

Reviewed May 17, 2015

Grade: A

Frenzy (1972) is a latter-day Alfred Hitchcock film that returns the masterful director to his roots in London, England, Hitchcock’s country of origin, and where his early films were made.

As with numerous other Hitchcock stories, the protagonist is falsely accused of murder and struggles mightily to prove his innocence before time runs out and he meets his doom.

The film is distinctly British, featuring an entirely British cast, and includes a humorous side story about the primary investigator’s wife. This terrible cook prepares exotic yet unappetizing meals for her husband.

This comic relief perfectly balances the heavy drama encompassing the main murder story, as Frenzy is one of Hitchcock’s most violent and graphic.

Made in 1972, he was able to include much more explicit content. A neck-tie murderer, who also rapes his female victims, is on the loose in London.

In the opening sequence, we see a dead woman floating in the Thames River during broad daylight, nude, except for a necktie that she has been strangled with. A crowd of spectators races to see what all the fuss is.

We then meet the central character of the film, down-on-his-luck bartender Richard Blaney, who is fired from his job as a bartender by his hateful boss.

Blaney has a loyal girlfriend in Babs, a barmaid at the same local watering hole. Babs is sexy, yet plain. He also has a successful ex-wife, Brenda, who runs a dating company. Blaney regularly sponges money and dinners from Brenda. Also in the picture is successful fruit-market trader, Bob Rusk, who is a friend of Blaney’s.

All four of these central characters have much to do with the main plot.

As events begin to unfold, the film is not a whodunit as traditionally it could have been. Instead, the audience knows very quickly who the murderer is and their motivations, which is an interesting twist in itself.

Regardless of this knowledge, the film is quite compelling as a classic Hitchcock horror thriller.

It is interesting for Hitchcock fans to compare this film with many of his earlier works. Released in 1972, at a point in film history where aforementioned sensors were more lax, it is the first Hitchcock film to feature nudity.

It is also the film of Hitchcock’s that features the most brutal rape/murder scene of all, surpassing the shower scene from Psycho, in my opinion.

The victim’s ordeal is prolonged, as she begins praying, thinking she will only be raped, at first unaware that her attacker is also the neck-tie murderer and her life is running short. This leads to a sad, gruesome outcome for her.

One of the most interesting murder scenes takes place off-camera and is an ingenious idea by Hitchcock. The neck-tie murderer lures a victim to his apartment complex under the guise of being a friend of hers.

They walk upstairs to his unit and go inside, all the while the camera remains poised outside of the apartment so the viewer only imagines the horrors occurring inside.

The camera then slowly goes back down the stairs and out onto the street and looks up at the murderer’s window. The fact that the victim is one of the principal characters makes one’s imagination run wild as to what is transpiring inside the apartment and the viewer is filled with grief.

This is a brilliant choice by Hitchcock and so effective to the story.

Another great scene is the potato truck sequence.

As the neck-tie murderer has dumped his victim, like garbage, into a potato sack, he is panicked to realize that she has taken his pin from his jacket and presumably clenched it in her fist as a clue, despite her demise.

What will he do now?

The long scene features the murderer inside the potato truck attempting to unclench his pin from her hand and escape the moving truck without being caught.

It is my favorite scene in Frenzy.

Frenzy (1972) is a return to triumph for Hitchcock, after the complex Topaz (1969) and Torn Curtain (1966), underappreciated political thrillers made a few years before this film.

He returns to the horror genre like gangbusters throwing some good, sophisticated British humor into his recipe for good measure.

What a treat this film is.

#36 Favorite Film, #8 Favorite Horror Films, 1980 Films, Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer, Horror, Jason Voorhees, Kevin Bacon, Slasher, Steve Miner, Tom Savini, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films

Friday the 13th-1980

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Friday the 13th-1980

Director Sean S. Cunningham

Starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King

Top 250 Films #36

Top 40 Horror Films #8

Scott’s Review #115

Reviewed July 17, 2014

Grade: A

Friday the 13th (1980) is one of my favorite films (horror and otherwise) of all time, as I have such fond and scary memories of watching it at too young an age!

My highlight was watching this film alongside the star, Betsy Palmer, herself, in a movie theater in later years.

I can watch this film countless times and never tire of it. Is it high art? Hardly. Is it brilliant filmmaking? Not a chance. However, for whatever reason, this film holds a special place in my heart, and I love it.

The premise involves seven young adults, all squeaky clean and All-American looking, who flock to Camp Crystal Lake for a summer involving counseling, partying, and frolicking around the lake.

They engage in strip poker, smoke pot, and play jokes on each other, but share a good spirit.

Through flashbacks, we learn that two brutal camp counselor killings occurred years ago and the camp has been unsuccessful at reopening since that time due to strange events like bad water.

The residents of the town are convinced that there is a curse involving the lake and warn the teenagers to stay far away, specifically, one loony townsperson named Ralph, who frequently shows up proclaiming messages from god and other rants of doom.

Inevitably, the teens begin to be systematically hacked to bits one by one in creative fashion such as a slit throat, ax to the head, a dagger through the neck, and other good, old-fashioned horror kills.

The film has many standard horror elements- a dark, ominous storm, a mysterious hidden killer lurking in the shadows, giving first-time viewers a suspenseful whodunit.

Could the killer be crazy Ralph, one of the counselors? Or Steve Christie, the man opening the camp?

As each victim is killed one begins to narrow down the remaining suspects to the crimes and at least one red herring comes into play, which leads us to try to figure out the conclusion, which, critically speaking, is an enormous surprise.

The looming killer, whose feet and arms/hands are the only parts shown throughout is successfully ominous. As the killer angrily watches the counselors swim and goof around, one of them gets a sixth sense of being watched and is sure she sees someone in the trees, but quickly shrugs it off.

Another ominous scene involves one counselor setting up an archery game for the kids as another counselor jokingly shoots an arrow nearby.

They both laugh, but the foreshadowing of what is to come is fantastic.

Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King add so much to this film, which would not be nearly as good if not for them.

The conclusion involving a knockdown drag-out, mud fight is my favorite sequence, in addition to the final thirty-minute chase scene around the camp and its vicinity.

The final character hides in closets, storerooms, and bushes, and a cat-and-mouse game climaxes. Great stuff.

The big twist at the end almost rivals, and is very similar to, the shocking ending to the 1976 horror classic Carrie.

The sound effects are spectacular- the distant loons and the creepy sound effects add a ton to making Friday the 13th a classic fright-fest.

The line “kill her mommy, she can’t hide” is undoubtedly permanently etched in horror fan’s minds.

Friday the 13^th (1980) has successfully held the test of time and is now a highly regarded classic within the horror genre.

A highly entertaining, mainstream, cut above the rest, and a fun must-see for all horror fans.

#39 Favorite Film, #9 Favorite Horror Film, 1974 Films, Andrea Martin, Christmas, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, John Saxon, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Olivia Hussey, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films

Black Christmas-1974

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Black Christmas-1974

Director Bob Clark

Starring Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder

Top 250 Films #39

Top 40 Horror Films #9

Scott’s Review #309

Reviewed December 29, 2015

Grade: A

Black Christmas (1974) is one of my all-time favorite horror films and, in my opinion, an underappreciated classic. Somehow, it is just not the first, second, or third film mentioned when most discuss the influential horror films of years past.

My hubby and I make sure to watch it every holiday season.

It largely influenced Halloween (another of my passions), particularly from the killer’s point of view, camera shots, and the seasonal element.

It is pretty horrifying in several key scenes, in fact, and I am proud to list it as one of my favorite films.

Black Christmas is a must-see for fans of the horror genre.

The setting (a cold and snowy Christmas) is perfect, and the film is shot quite darkly. There are Christmas lights and carolers to create a significant winter holiday atmosphere. Most of the film takes place at night, and the location is primarily inside a vast, somewhat creepy, sorority house. The ambiance is well thought out.

Several sorority girls, led by boozy Barb (Margot Kidder) and sweet-natured Jess (Olivia Hussey), prepare to depart for the holiday season by having a small farewell Christmas party. Recently, the girls have been harassed by a prank caller spouting nonsensical gibberish daily.

As in true horror fashion, the girls are systematically offed one by one as events turn dire. Two subplots that ultimately merge with the central plot include Jess’s pregnancy with her suspicious boyfriend, Peter, and the search in the park for a missing young girl.

The best part of Black Christmas is that it is an honest, raw film, made on a small budget, that eschews gimmicks and contrivances.

It has authenticity.

A disturbing film for sure, one victim being posed in a rocking chair continuously rocking back and forth next to the attic window, while said victim is bound in plastic wrap, holding a doll, mouth, and eyes wide open, is one of the most chilling in horror film history.

The nuances of the killer also scare and the brilliance of this is that his motivations are mysterious and unclear (in large part the success of Michael Meyers as well). We never fully see the killer except for his shape and eyes, and that is the brilliance of the film.

The one slight negative to the film is the decision to make the cops appear incompetent. The desk sergeant, in particular, is a complete dope- one wonders how he got his job- as a sexual joke by one of the girls goes over his head while the other detectives laugh like fools.

Why is this necessary? I suppose for comic relief, but isn’t that the purpose of Mrs. Mac, the overweight, boozy sorority mother? Her constant treasure hunt for hidden booze (the toilet, inside a book) is comical and fun.

Her posing and posturing in front of the mirror (she is a very frumpy, average woman) are a delight and balance the heavy drama.

The conclusion of Black Christmas is vague and fantastic and works very well. Due, once again, to the police errors, the final victim’s fate is left unclear as we see her in a vulnerable state, unaware that the killer is looming nearby.

We only hear a ringing phone and wonder what happens next.

My admiration for Black Christmas (1974) only grows upon each viewing as I am once again compelled, to notice more and more ingenious nuances in the film.

Can’t wait until next Christmas to watch it again.

#10 Favorite Horror Film, #47 Favorite Film, 1960 Films, Anna Massey, British, British Horror, Horror, Karlheinz Böhm, Maxine Audley, Michael Powell, Moira Shearer, Shirley Anne Field, Top 10 Horror Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Top 50 Films

Peeping Tom-1960

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Peeping Tom-1960

Director Michael Powell

Starring Nigel Davenport

Top 250 Films #47

Top 40 Horror Films #10

Scott’s Review #127

Reviewed July 22, 2014

Grade: A

Peeping Tom is a brilliant 1960 horror film directed by Michael Powell.

It is a British film released the same year as Psycho. The two films share similarities in that they both feature more character-driven villains than many other contemporary horror films.

Both feature male killers with a sympathetic (to them) female.

Set in London, it tells the story of an assistant cameraman who kills his victims by using a camera with a spike on the end of it as he is videotaping the fear in their eyes, which he later plays back for his own psychological needs.

The killer has emotionally damaged himself, and the film explores this aspect in depth; his father tormented him as a child with weird, traumatic experiments used on the boy for research.

I love this aspect of the film compared with other films of the genre, where the killer typically has no sympathetic aspects and whose motivations are usually explored minimally.

The audience has sympathy for this killer, which, strangely, is absurd and shocking.

Ahead of its time, viewers were initially turned off by the film upon its release. Director Michael Powell’s (ironically playing the terrible father in videotape scenes) career was ruined.

Anna Massey (later to appear in the Hitchcock masterpiece Frenzy, 1972) plays the sweet-natured girl next door who develops a crush on the killer. Her blind and boozy mother is a fascinating character as she suspects and strangely bonds with the killer.

The film has an erotic and voyeuristic quality that has been unmatched in horror.

Peeping Tom (1960) is now widely regarded as a masterpiece, and I concur with that assessment. It is one of the most interesting and unique horror films ever made.

#11 Favorite Horror Film, #53 Favorite Film, 1977 Films, Alida Valli, Dario Argento, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, International, International Horror, Joan Bennett, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

Suspiria-1977

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Suspiria-1977

Director Dario Argento

Starring Jessica Harper, Joan Bennett, Alida Valli

Top 250 Films #53

Top 40 Horror Films #11

Scott’s Review #339

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Suspiria is a horror masterpiece, made in 1977, by my favorite Italian horror director, Dario Argento.

A combination of complex storytelling, glossy colors, and a unique art direction makes this film a treasure and an influence in “the look” of a film attempting to achieve an interesting art direction choice.

The color red is highly prevalent throughout Suspiria, which is fitting given the film’s subject matter of witchcraft and demons. The musical score is brilliant and chilling.

This film is perfect and one of my favorites.

The film takes place in Germany, and the opening sequence is fantastic. We meet our heroine, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), an American ballet student, as she arrives in blustery Munich to attend a prestigious ballet school.

The shot of the driving wind and rain as she exits the airport is a great example of the ultimate style of this film.

Suzy meets a creepy taxi driver who drives her to the school, where she witnesses a frantic student, Pat Hingle, fleeing the school. Suzy is then denied access to the school by a mysterious voice over the intercom. The focus of the film then shifts briefly to Pat’s perspective as she meets a sinister fate when she stays with a friend.

One fantastic aspect of Suspiria is we know something is wrong with the ballet academy, we just do not know what or who it involves. With great creativity, Dario Argento builds a set that is modern, and sophisticated but laced with an underlying menace.

As we meet the supporting characters, Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli), we know something is not right with them either. Blanc is kindhearted; Tanner is a drill sergeant, but both seem to have something to hide and claim to know nothing of Pat’s terror.

There is also Daniel, the blind piano player, whose seeing-eye dog suddenly turns vicious.

The plot is complex and does not always make perfect sense, but the elements of Suspiria make it a masterpiece. Pat’s death scene is laced with greatness as she dangles from a high glass ceiling dripping blood. Her hysterical friend is sliced to bits by the falling glass.

This is the best double-death scene in horror film history.

When creepy maggots invade the school leaving the girls feeling for safety, the film goes all out. A later scene involving Suzy’s best friend and fellow student, Sarah, attempting to flee the school via the basement, only to struggle in a pit of razor wire is splendid.

Much of Suspiria is dubbed in English mainly due to the actors either speaking German or Italian, but Jessica Harper and Joan Bennett have distinguishable voices, which lend texture and richness to the dialogue.

Suspiria (1977) is a grand horror film, not solely for its mysterious story, but for all the added components that Argento throws into the mix- strange characters, weird sets, and the heavy dose of blood-red- pretty fitting.

#12 Favorite Horror Film, #5 Most Disturbing Film, #55 Favorite Film, 1974 Films, Gunnar Hansen, Horror, Independent, Independent Horror, John Dugan, Marilyn Burns, Tobe Hooper, Top 10 Most Disturbing Films, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-1974

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-1974

Director Tobe Hooper

Starring Marilyn Burns

Top 250 Films #55

Top 40 Horror Films #12

Top 10 Most Disturbing Films #5

Scott’s Review #209

Reviewed December 31, 2014

Grade: A

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is one of the grittiest, rawest, and most frightening horror films I have ever seen, and it still holds up incredibly well in the present day.

Featuring a documentary-like look, it is horrifying due to its grainy, visual, and realistic feel. It is not psychological horror- it is in-your-face, brutal horror.

The perception of an incredibly hot, sticky, backwoods Texas summer is incredibly well done and only adds to the terror.

A group of five teenagers travels to the vast fields of Texas — aka the middle of nowhere —presumably on a road trip. On their drive, they pick up a strange hitchhiker who ends up stabbing one of the teens and cutting his arm.

Spooked by this odd occurrence, they stop for gas and directions, but veer off course and accidentally wind up at a slaughterhouse owned by cannibals.

The group of teens is led by Sally Hardesty, played by Marilyn Burns.

As the teens are chopped off grotesquely, similar to a slew of similar fashioned, but less interesting horror films to follow, Sally winds up the lone survivor of the group.

Burns plays the first “final girl”, a title made famous in horror films as the last female remaining alive- it was almost always a female- to take on the maniacal killer.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre features one of the horror genre’s best villains- Leatherface.

The viewer knows little about him since he does not speak- is he mentally disabled? Is he an intelligent man? He is disguised behind a mask made of strewn-together human skin and wields a scary chainsaw.

We know nothing about him- only that he loves to kill.

The ambiguity is immeasurable.

Besides the way that the film is shot, another shocking element is the reality of the story. Could this happen to the viewer? The answer is yes of course it could. How many times have we been driving and gotten lost in surroundings unfamiliar to us?

There are no supernatural beings or CGI effects in this film- only a group of youngsters crossing paths with maniacs and this could happen in real life. This realization adds to the fright.

The famous- or infamous- dinner scene is revolutionary in disgust and distaste. The family attempts to serve Sally as dessert to the elderly patriarch and as he begins to suck blood from Sally’s finger, it will force the squeamish to turn away.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a short film, running at only 84 minutes, but the breathtaking finale- Sally running through the endless woods followed by Leatherface, seems interminable. Will he catch her? How can she possibly escape?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is dirty, ugly, and intense. It is no-holds-barred brutality. It is one of the best horror films ever made.

#13 Favorite Horror Film, #59 Favorite Film, 1973 Films, Ellen Burstyn, Horror, Lee J. Cobb, Linda Blair, Mercedes McCambridge, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, William Friedkin

The Exorcist-1973

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Exorcist-1973

Director William Friedkin

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair

Top 250 Films #59

Top 40 Horror Films #13

Scott’s Review #326

Reviewed January 5, 2016

Grade: A

Making a lasting mark on cinematic history and impossible not to be familiar with through some form of pop culture, The Exorcist (1973) is a classic supernatural horror film that transcends the genre to become a Hollywood success story.

Along with Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Omen (1976), these three films have similarly haunting “religious” subject matters and deal with dark and sinister topics such as “god versus the devil” and “good versus evil”.

The Exorcist is a masterpiece on every level and is adapted from the 1971 hit novel of the same name.

The story centers on “demonic possession” and was quite simply a shocking subject when The Exorcist was released in 1973, scaring the wits out of those brave enough to see it (especially Christians) everywhere.

Some abhorred the subject matter and refused to have any part of the film; their loss.

Ellen Burstyn stars as Chris MacNeil, a noted actress who relocates to Georgetown to film a movie. In tow is her twelve-year-old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair).

As shooting on the film wraps, Regan begins acting very strangely —making noises, becoming belligerent, and urinating on the floor during a dinner party. Worried, Chris enlists the assistance of priests (Max von Sydow and Jason Miller).

Things progress from bad to worse as Regan spirals out of control, and Chris and the priests determine that an exorcism is the only resolution to the problem.

The Exorcist-mainly director William Freidkin sets up the film in a clever way by using various technical elements to build the tension.

For starters, the eerie musical score is highly successful at scaring the audience and the score is similar to that of Rosemary’s Baby. The film is also lit very well, so it appears dark with dim lighting- the cinematography and the windy rustling of leaves in the exterior sets are great.

The cover art of the film should give an indication of the unique style used- black and white, a man with a hat and suitcase peers up at the second floor of a house where a glowing light is illuminating- the image is intriguing and haunting.

Enough cannot be said for Linda Blair’s performance as Regan, especially in the final act. During the “pea soup” and the “Jesus crucifix” scenes a different voice was used, but the facial expressions and the emotions that Blair uses are admirable.

As Regan is bed-ridden, angry, scared, and emotional, there is no limit to Blair’s range. Throughout a large part of the film, she is a sweet, young girl- innocent, so much so that her transformation is both shocking and disturbing to witness.

The final act of the film- the “exorcism” is riveting and a groundbreaking aspect of film history. The terrifying scene all taking place in one child’s tiny bedroom elicits fright and is nail-biting beyond belief.

The Exorcist (1973) is a very influential film that inspired filmmakers for decades to come and still resonates with audiences to this day.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-William Friedkin, Best Actress-Ellen Burstyn, Best Supporting Actor-Jason Miller, Best Supporting Actress-Linda Blair, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Sound (won), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

#14 Favorite Horror Film, #63 Favorite Film, 1976 Films, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Brian De Palma, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, John Travolta, Nancy Allen, P. J. Soles, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer, Sissy Spacek, Stephen King, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

Carrie-1976

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Carrie-1976

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie

Top 250 Films #63

Top 40 Horror Films #14

Scott’s Review #325

Reviewed January 5, 2016

Grade: A

Carrie is a 1976 horror film adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name.

Many King adaptations have failed, but Carrie (along with The Shining) is among the best.

Going beyond the scope of horror and receiving more than one major Oscar nomination (largely unheard of in horror), Carrie influenced films and filmmakers for decades beyond its release.

This is due mainly to the dream-like and breathtaking direction of mood master Brian De Palma.

By this time (2016), the film and the character of Carrie White were legendary.

Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is a lonely suburban teenager, ostracized by her classmates for being “weird”. Her mother (Piper Laurie) is a devout Christian who spreads the word of god amongst the neighbors.

Carrie has a special ability to move things, usually during anger- this is called telekinesis.

After a humiliating incident in the girl’s locker room when Carrie begins menstruating, one of the nicer girls in the class, Sue Snell (Amy Irving) feels sorry for Carrie and convinces her boyfriend, Tommy Ross, to take Carrie to the prom.

When others in the class take revenge upon Carrie with a sick joke, things take a horrific turn.

Betty Buckley as the empathetic gym teacher, Miss Collins, and John Travolta and Nancy Allen, as dastardly Billy and Chris, also star and are perfectly cast.

The direction in the film is second to none. De Palma adds interesting camera work throughout the film.

During a tender, lovely prom dance between Carrie and Tommy, the camera circles the pair repeatedly, giving a spellbinding, but not dizzying quality.

The use of slow-motion in the important “pig blood” scene is immeasurably effective.

The seemingly eternal time it takes for the blood spilling to occur, and the camera (in slow motion) goes from Sue to Miss Collins to Chris to the bucket of blood is fantastic.

The list of inspired and intense scenes goes on and on- from the climactic scene between Carrie and Mrs. White to the “jump out of your seat” final scene.

The acting is also worthy of high praise. Spacek and Laurie deservedly received Oscar nominations for their work. Spacek elicits so much rooting value into her role with a shred of psychosis bubbling just beneath the surface.

Carrie wants to fit in and have a happy life so the audience is immersed in her corner and celebrates her short-lived happiness with Tommy at the prom. Spacek is just perfectly cast.

Laurie on the other hand exudes crazy in every sense, but we do feel pangs of sympathy for her. We largely believe she cares for her daughter and wants to protect her from the dangerous world.

Carrie (1976) is a masterpiece that continues to hold up well and influence generations who can relate to school bullying, taunting, and the desire to see the nasty popular kids get their just desserts.

More than a great horror film, it is a revered classic with a dreamy, moody vibe.

One of my all-time favorites.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Sissy Spacek, Best Supporting Actress-Piper Laurie

#15 Favorite Horror Film, #64 Favorite Film, 1991 Films, Anthony Hopkins, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Charles Napier, Diane Baker, Favorite Film of the Year, George A. Romero, Horror, Jodie Foster, Jonathan Demme, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

The Silence of the Lambs-1991

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Silence of the Lambs-1991

Director Jonathan Demme

Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster

Top 250 Films #64

Top 40 Horror Films #15

Scott’s Review #320

Reviewed January 3, 2016

Grade: A

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) has the honorary achievement of being one of only three films to win the top five Oscar statuettes, having been awarded Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), and Best Actress (Jodie Foster) at the 1991 Oscar ceremonies.

This is no small feat, especially considering the film was released in March (not an Oscar-happy month) and is a horror film. These elements speak volumes for the level of mastery that is The Silence of the Lambs and the film holds up incredibly well as the years go by.

The film was a sleeper hit at the time of release and gradually built momentum throughout the year, becoming a phenomenon and forever a classic.

The film is adapted from the novel of the same name- written by Thomas Harris and, despite being a horror film, contains little gore. The film stars Foster as Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, sent by her superiors to interview the infamous Hannibal Lecter.

Hannibal, “The Cannibal”, is a highly intelligent former psychiatrist who has been banished to a maximum security insane asylum after having been found guilty of killing and eating his victims.

The FBI hopes that Hannibal will aid them in a current case involving “Buffalo Bill”, a serial killer who skins his female victims.

Hannibal and Clarice embark on an intense and strange relationship in which he gets under her skin and questions her unhappy childhood in exchange for information about “Buffalo Bill”.

This relationship leaves Clarice vulnerable, though the pair develop a strong connection. As Hannibal makes more and more demands in exchange for information, he eventually escapes from custody and a chilling and bizarre escape.

The psychological elements and the intense relationship between Hannibal and Clarice are of monumental importance and Hopkins and Foster share an amazing chemistry.

Hopkins gives a top-notch and downright creepy performance as the cannibalistic killer. His mannerisms are stiff and calculating, his tone of voice monotone, and he simply embodies his character, making him a legendary and recognizable presence in film history.

Two memorable lines that he utters are, “I do wish we could chat longer, but I am having an old friend for dinner.”, and “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”.

The character of “Buffalo Bill” is as terrifying as Hannibal Lecter.

Portrayed by Ted Levine, the character is maniacal, sexually confused, and otherwise downtrodden. A tailor, he aspires to make a full “woman suit” costume out of his victim’s skin. His current hostage, a Senator’s daughter, is kept confined in an old well and terrorized by Bill’s antics.

His famous line, “It puts the lotion on or it gets the hose again” still terrifies me.

Highly influential, mimicked for years to come, and containing multiple lines and characters permanently etched in film history, The Silence of The Lambs (1991) is a classic not soon forgotten.

The film was followed by multiple sequels, none of which come close to the power and psychological complexities of the original.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Jonathan Demme (won), Best Actor-Anthony Hopkins (won), Best Actress-Jodie Foster (won), Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published (won), Best Sound, Best Film Editing

#16 Favorite Horror Film, #68 Favorite Film, 1962 Films, Anna Lee, Bette Davis, Favorite Film of the Year, Horror, Joan Crawford, Maidie Norman, Maxine Cooper, Robert Aldrich, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films, Victor Buono

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?-1962

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? -1962

Director Robert Aldrich

Starring Bette Davis, Joan Crawford

Top 250 Films #68

Top 40 Horror Films #16

Scott’s Review #193

Reviewed November 14, 2014

Grade: A

Baby Jane kicked off a trend, prominent throughout the 1960s, of aging Hollywood actresses starring in horror films (interestingly, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford each did two—the others being Dead Ringer and Strait-Jacket), with varying degrees of success.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962), directed by Robert Aldrich, stars Davis and Crawford as, ironically enough, two aging Hollywood actresses, Jane and Blanche Hudson.

Jane (Davis), a child star in the 1920s nicknamed Baby Jane, with an adorable signature song, “I’ve Written a Letter to Daddy,” has long since faded from the spotlight but continues to dress in her Baby Jane costume, consisting of a little girl dress with hair in curls and ribbons.

Blanche, however, achieved success as an adult in the 1930s until a tragic accident left her wheelchair-bound and subsequently ruined her career. She then became a popular film star, much more popular than Jane.

Blanche and Jane now while away the years in a crumbling mansion in Los Angeles. Blanche is entirely dependent on her unbalanced sister for care. Jane is resentful of Blanche’s success and popularity and plans to relaunch her career in her once-famous alter ego.

The film has macabre comedic elements but never veers too far over the edge into camp or foolishness. It is also a very psychological film, as Jane mentally abuses Blanche and plays mind games with her to gain the upper hand.

Davis had a ball with this role, as her appearance alone is frightful – a grown woman of a certain age in blonde curls, pancake makeup, and a baby doll dress – she looks hideous!

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane reminds me quite a bit of Billy Wilder’s masterpiece Sunset Boulevard in several ways. For example, both feature successful stars of years past with delusions of returning to their former fame, both feature older women who are more than a bit unbalanced, and both films are set in sunny Los Angeles.

Two of the film’s supporting actors are well cast, adding significantly to the film, and deserve recognition. Victor Buono, later made famous for his role of King Tut in the popular late 1960s television series Batman, is highly effective as the opportunist sloth, Edwin Flagg, who aids Jane in her comeback attempt.

Maidie Norman as the Hudson sisters’ black housekeeper, Elvira, loyal to Blanche but never a fan of Jane’s, slowly becomes wise to Jane’s sinister plot and does a fantastic acting job when she stands up to the manipulative sister- for 1962, a black maid verbally assaulting a white woman employer was still somewhat taboo and kudos to the film for bravely going there is a highly effective scene.

The fact that Davis and Crawford famously despised each other in real life gives the audience an edge in scenes where the two women physically and verbally clash.

The film features wonderfully quotable dialogue. “We got rats in the cellar,” Jane utters matter-of-factly as she serves Blanche a cooked rat on a bed of lettuce for lunch one day, and cackles fiendishly when she hears Blanche scream in disgust.

One aspect of the film that has taken me three viewings to become aware of and that I love is the musical score throughout the film- it features multiple and creepy versions of Jane’s signature song, “I’ve Written a Letter to Daddy,” with varying tempos.

This film must use suspension of disbelief. Why does Blanche not pound and scream at her bedroom window to alert the neighbor of trouble instead of casually tossing a note out the window?

Blanche struggles to descend the steps by sliding down them and then cannot slide across the floor to escape the mansion, which is silly. The film is so gripping that I happily overlook these errors and instead enjoy the suspenseful film, which features two actresses, rivals both on and off-screen, that make this film a bit too realistic —a realism that makes for delightful film-watching.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actress-Bette Davis, Best Supporting Actor-Victor Buono, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White (won)

#17 Favorite Horror Film, #94 Favorite Film, 1961 Films, British, British Horror, Deborah Kerr, Horror, Jack Clayton, Megs Jenkins, Michael Redgrave, Peter Wyngarde, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

The Innocents-1961

August 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Innocents-1961

Director Jack Clayton

Starring Deborah Kerr

Top 250 Films #94

Top 40 Horror Films #17

Scott’s Review #639

Reviewed April 29, 2017

Grade: A

The Innocents is a 1961 British psychological horror film that tells a ghost story, based on the novella “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James.

Although it is a horror film, it contains few traditional elements, such as contrived frights, jumps, and blood. Instead, the film succeeds by using lighting and magnificent cinematography by Freddie Francis.

And, of course, fantastic storytelling and direction from Jack Clayton.

Deborah Kerr gives an excellent turn as a beleaguered governess hired by a wealthy bachelor (Michael Redgrave) to tend to his young niece and nephew, Flora and Miles.

The setting is a lavish yet creepy mansion located outside London. As the Uncle goes away to India on business, Miss Giddens, with no previous experience, is left to tend to Flora and Miles, who both begin acting strangely.

To complicate matters, Miss Giddens sees sinister ghosts lurking around the property. The ghosts are former household servants who have passed away, of whom Miss Giddens has never met.

Miss Giddens is assisted only by the kindly housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, who tells her about the servants’ tragic deaths.

The Innocents, shot in black and white, uses sound to its advantage. This, combined with the interesting camera angles and focus shots—mainly of the ghosts Miss Giddens sees—makes the film unique and scary.

When she hears strange voices, she becomes convinced that Miles and Flora are playing tricks on her, engaging in games with her. The whispers’ sounds are haunting and do wonders for the effects, chilling the viewer as the film progresses.

Is Miss Giddens imagining the voices and visions, or is this an actual reality? Could the children be sinister and playing a vicious prank on her? Could Mrs. Grose be evil?

Nobody else within the household sees or hears anything amiss- or admits to it.

Kerr, a treasured actress, plays the part with emotional facial expressions and genuine fear, so much so that she wins the audience over as we side with and empathize with her character. Still, is she a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown? Does she have past mental problems?

Like her uncle, we know nothing of her past, only that she claims to be the daughter of a minister. How, then, does she have stylish, expensive clothes? Could she only be pretending to be a governess? Has she run away from her past?

The Turn of the Screw is a true ghost story, but The Innocents is a bit different —it relies, successfully, on being more of a character-driven story.

As Miss Giddens becomes convinced that the spirits of the servants have possessed both children, she makes it her mission to rescue them from these spirits. We have an ominous feeling that events will not end well, and they do not.

Several scenes will frighten the viewer, as Miss Giddens sees a haggard ghost (the female servant) quietly standing in the distance near a lake as Flora dances chirpily; the image of the faraway ghost figure is eerie and well-shot.

The film draws comparisons to the classic Hitchcock film Rebecca (1940). Each is set in a large mansion and features complex villains who are portrayed as deceased characters.

Also, the sanity of the main character is in question.

With a compelling story and the nuts and bolts surrounding the tale to add clever effects and a chilling conclusion, the film succeeds as an excellent and intelligent horror film.

With great acting all around, including fantastic performances by child actors, The Innocents (1961) scares the daylights out of any horror fan and uses exterior and interior scenes to make the film an all-around marvel.

Welcome to my blog!1,498 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my featured films of the month, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.