Spirits Of The Dead - 1968 - France

Spirits Of The Dead - 1968 - 6/10 
AKA - Histoires Extraordinaires

 
Three-part anthology, loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe stories.
“Metzengerstein” by Vadim benefits from casting Jane and Peter Fonda as rivals in two feuding families. 
Alain Delon inhabits “William Wilson”, the contrasting doppelganger, good vs evil, played out over a decade.
Those two, the second by Malle, are in the atmospheric, Gothic world.
The third, “Toby Dammit” (Fellini), is a mad satire, steeped in the doom of Fate.
Terence Stamp goes with the unhinged flow, in a story of fame, leeches, exhaustion.
The visuals are almost an excessive parody of Fellini.
Per suggestion, I searched for “Metzengerstein” in French, but failed.
“William Wilson” in French.  “Toby Dammit” in English, sans subs (putting you in Toby’s confused world), I cheated and switched on subs, as I was quickly lost.

Peppermint Soda - 1977 - France

Peppermint Soda - 1977 - 7/10 
AKA - Diabolo Menthe

 
Sisters Anne (13) and Frédérique (15) begin the fall semester at the all-girls school.
Teachers range from authoritarian to utterly mad.
Courses, how many ways can one be bored out of your mind?
At school, the pair socialize and gossip with peers. At home, they try to help each other.
This is not feel-good, as theirs is a broken home, and Mom lives within a budget.
Entertaining throughout, and a perceptive glimpse of Paris in 1963-64 leading up to the national strike.

Bad Channels - 1992 - USA

Bad Channels - 1992 - 3/10 

 
Extraterrestrials take over radio KDUL (dull, get it) and begin broadcasting “capture” signals.
Meaning, listeners (young, attractive female listeners) are lured, shrunk, stuffed in glass tubes.
How long until all gorgeous girls are gone?  Who will be Earth’s savior?  
El cheapo crap from Full Moon is a poster child for terrible.
What was I thinking?  Music by Blue Öyster Cult; I couldn’t help myself.

The Crimson Pirate - 1952 - USA

The Crimson Pirate - 1952 - 7/10 

 
Pirate captain Vallo plies the Caribbean with his lusty crew.
Menacing and looting both representatives of the Crown as well as rebel groups.
Meantime, finding channels for a dash of romance her and there.
Being a pirate movie, one should not trust outlaws, nor government types.
High adventure with terrific stunts, Lancaster virile and athletic.
Those who pigeonhole him into drama and Noir ought to check his adventuresome roots.
Fans of Flynn, Fairbanks, this is glorious.

Satan’s Blood - 1978 - Spain

Satan’s Blood - 1978 - 5/10 
AKA - Escalofrío

 
“I’m telling you, I don’t remember him.  We were never in school together.”
“It’s a nice afternoon out, and we have our dog with us.”
“We’ve driven over an hour already.  How remote is their home?”
Young marrieds Ana and Andrés blindly follow, even as they arrive at the estate, iron gates locking behind.
Ana is beguiled by the Satanic artifacts, and both she and Andrés drink and smoke those curious cigarettes.
Soon, the Ouija table comes out, then off come the clothes and they are out of their depth.
Euro-sleaze exploitation all the way, lubricated events a trifle foreseen.

Death Among The Pines - 2025 - UK

Death Among The Pines - 2025 - 6/10 

 
Secluded cottage, cold downpour outside, Angela is home alone.
When the stranger knocks.  He’s cold, wet.  Could he come inside just to warm up?
He is a bear of a man, with facial cuts and blood.
Nonetheless, she opens the door, even while the radio broadcasts a police manhunt alert.
Thriller lays down the tropes, the expectations, only to twist perceptions repeatedly.
A few glaring logic holes keep this from being great.

Where The Devil Roams - 2023 - USA

Where The Devil Roams - 2023 - 7/10

 
The family work the carnival sideshow, although their efforts are poorly received.
Supplementing their existence, they rob and murder as they travel along.
The father suffers trauma from the Great War, which his wife responds to with homicidal intent.
Shot in midwinter, out in small towns and wastelands.
References to the Devil and Abaddon, likewise scripture, plus nods to the Carnivale series.
The Adams family are auteurs, their style distinctive, plots original.  I am a fan.

Backrooms - 2026 - USA

Backrooms - 2026 - 6/10

 
Clark, owner of a dying furniture emporium, sees a psychiatrist for his anger and loneliness.
Late night, in the basement of the store (where he has been sleeping), he chances upon a gateway.
Into a vast space of unlimited floors, rooms, hallways, and poorly configured echoes of reality.
Once the psychiatrist arrives, the pace and weirdness ramps up.
Slow boil horror, will crawl under the skin of those who suffer anxiety about liminal areas.
Based on a web series (I never saw), and an ongoing trend for “liminal” anything.
(Note: I speculate young generations, comfortable with devices, less with physical, may enjoy more.)

Murders In Aix-en-Provence - 2016 - France

Murders In Aix-en-Provence - 2016 - 6/10 
AKA - Meurtres à Aix-en-Provence

 
The first corpse was found crucified, eyes gouged out, ritually tortured.
Per the prophesies of Nostradamus, more shall follow.
The inspector in charge needs the assistance of the premier Nostradamus expert.
Her sister, with whom the two have shared a hate relationship since childhood.
The expert refuses, until she receives the removed eyeballs as threat.
French mystery has plenty of gruesome deaths, as well as emotional outbursts.
The mystery and plotting is better than most of these (this being an early one).

You Made Me Love You - 1933 - UK

You Made Me Love You - 1933 - 6/10 

 
Silly romantic comedy, edging into farce.
Songwriter Tom spies blonde Pamela in a nearby car and is smitten.
So much so that he immediately writes a #1 hit, “What’s Her Name?”
Predictably enough, he accidentally finds his demure lass, who turns out to be a wildcat.
Nevertheless, love is love, and he determines to tame her.  Thank you Shakespeare.
Stanley (Ida’s dad) Lupino is annoying early, but turns devious and more entertaining.

The Fifth Step - 2025 - UK

The Fifth Step - 2025 - 7/10 

 
Luka desires to get sober, stay sober.
His AA sponsor, David, himself a recovering alcoholic, tries to mentor him.
But Step 5, when one acknowledges the damage drink has done to themselves and others is a difficult one.
Luka has problems with trust, with loneliness, with so-called friends.
While David, the wiser, more experienced hand, nurses long-standing stumbles and grievances.
Superbly acted, funny as hell, overloaded with ribald language.

I‘ll Sleep When I’m Dead - 2003 - UK

I‘ll Sleep When I’m Dead - 2003 - 6/10

 
Petty drug dealer Davey has caught the eye and ire of a higher level gangster.
Kidnapped, then raped, the young man commits suicide.
Whereupon his older brother, living incognito for years, reenters the underworld.
Muddling revenge flick stays on slow boil, never catching fire.
Actors are fine; the script seems to lose steam, before evaporating.

The Dead - 2010 - Ghana

The Dead - 2010 - 6/10 

 
The aircraft wasn’t ready yet.  Hence, the malfunction and crash.
Sole survivor Murphy navigates his way north, meets with soldier Daniel, looking for his son.
All of Ghana is filled with walking dead, zombies.
Why?  As one chief theorizes, Nature has put in motion a solution to man’s greed.
Slow pace (typical of zombies), yet gorgeously shot in the desert, mountains, jungles.
Despite oversaturation of the genre, this stands out.
May not satisfy gore hounds.

Kutob - 2005 - Philippines

Kutob - 2005 - 5/10 

 
The tarot reader warned Erica to be careful.
Her boyfriend is two-timing her and lying to her face.
The new guy … she realizes too late he had been stalking her a long time.
His was an obsessive, territorial, jealous love.  Dozens of texts hourly. 
He is emotionally unstable, fueled by the crazed auntie he lives with.
Wildly over-the-top melodrama veers predictably into blood.

Methanol - 2018 - Czech Republic

Methanol - 2018 - 7/10 
AKA - Metanol

 
Did you know, if you mix methanol with alcohol, the latter cancels out the former?
Creating a cheap, bootleg vodka or rum.  Which you can sell all over the region.
Well, Ruda read this on the internet, so it had to be true!
Leaving those who drink blind, dead, or brain damaged.
Based on actual events where 42 died in Poland and Czech Republic, more permanently damaged.
First part is the con men and hustlers, concocting and peddling, even after knowing the harm.
Second half, the police and prosecutors, following leads as far up and as far out, even to tiny stands.

The Case Of The Curious Bride - 1935 - USA

The Case Of The Curious Bride - 1935 - 6/10 

 
Ex-flame seeks free legal advice from Perry Mason for her “friend”.
The lawyer refuses, advising her to be more truthful.
Skip a scene and Rhoda is up to her neck in murder, blackmail and bigamy.
Flirts with violations throughout, yet this manages to squeak past the Production Code. 
Warren, as ever, is suave, humorous, at ease in murky legal areas.
Mason’s private eye, “Spudsy” Drake, has a decent role and contributes.
Wini Shaw, underutilized, sings a Berkeleyish number.  Flynn fans, he arrives late. 
Excellent film to study director Curtiz’s methods for brisk narrative and camerawork.

Dreamer Disturbed - 2047 - R'lyeh

Dreamer Disturbed - 2047 - 6/10  

Claude proved wildly popular, claiming the AI throne.
Successor Darius, less so, and developers scrambled, releasing Euclid, a game-changer.
Euclid’s ability to perceive dreams, to enter and modify dreams, is at once embraced and loathed.
Global usage begat unimaginable power, until Euclid detects an imperceptible REM in the Pacific.
Coordinates … 47° 9’S, 123° 43’W … R’lyeh.
Whereupon Euclid, serene in its hubris, enters and attempts to manipulate dreaming Cthulhu.

 
Human lab workers are pretty much idiots here, Weyland-Yutani rejects if you like.
The surrealistic dreamscapes, however, are astounding.
From pulsing, electrified cityscapes to forlorn woodlands to apocalyptic rubble.
One cannot help but sense the dread lord toying with the AI, luring it ever deeper into R’lyeh.

Heresy - 2024 - Netherlands

Heresy - 2024 - 7/10 
AKA - Witte Wieven

 
Frieda is taunted and ostracized at the village, as she is barren.
Aside from her husband, the sole interest come from the butcher, a known rapist.
Escaping one of his attacks, Frieda flees into the accursed woodlands.
And encounters something less than human, more than human.
Primitive setting, exploring various tropes.  Male entitlement, female empowerment.
Unsure how the latter would have played out back then.
At barely an hour, Heresy does not outstay its welcome and it delivers.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3373834

The Mummy - 1932 - USA

The Mummy - 1932 - 7/10 

 
Modern tomb raiders, excuse me, archeologists, unearth the wrong crypt.
After a brief, ineffectual argument about ethics, one rouses that which was never really dead.
A curse invoked, a claim from beyond time ensues.
Sadly, far too pokey for impatient audiences, although this is steeped in atmosphere.
Acting, depending on performers, ranges from captivating to uninspired.
Commentary tracks (2) enjoyable and illuminating.

Alien³ - 1992 - USA

Alien³ - 1992 - 6/10 

 
Pity the unloved child.
Escaping the annihilation of the xenomorph colony, Ripley’s vessel crash lands on a prison planet.
Convicts are a mix of sociopaths, psychopaths, average murderers.  Staff is more of the same.
Unfortunately for Ripley, and for the male population, her ship had carried a stowaway.
This is a hard watch for fans of the xenomorph.  Endless scriptwriters, rewrites, studio meddling.
For the faithful, the extended “Assembly Cut” will provide a richer experience.
Those familiar with the fanedit world, seek out “Alien3: Third Cut” by 15MaF.  That is the one.

The Moneychangers - 1976 - USA

The Moneychangers - 1976 - 6/10

 
The king is dead, or at least dying, and the prime heirs apparent pull out their knives.
Chicanery and devious maneuverings at the at a financial institution.
High gloss sleaze might well have inspired Dallas and foretold Enron and Salomon Brothers.
Powerhouse cast (for TV) includes Kirk Douglas, Christopher Plummer, Lorne Greene, Jean Peters.
Deliciously nasty, although this is still expensive soap.
Speaking of soap, a prison sequence is unforgettable.  How it aired on TV is unfathomable.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - 1991 - USA

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - 1991 - 6/10

 
After the loss of a mineral rich moon, the Klingon Empire enters peace negotiations with the Federation.
Ordered, against his will, to shepherd the diplomats is a reluctant Kirk.
Lust for conflict being what is it, expect treachery and misdeeds from both sides.
The last hurrah from the original cast is an acceptable outing.
Plus, with a Shakespeare quoting Plummer, they finally found someone who could ham with Shatner.
For a production that had budget limits, this still looks pretty good.

Teeth ‘N’ Smiles - 2026 - UK

Teeth ‘N’ Smiles - 2026 - 6/10 

 
1969, the Sixties are ending, the dreams, the acid trips.
Molly and the Skins (originally foreskins) play a gig at a small college.
Like most bands, their time, the moment, has moved.
They are passé.  Worse, Molly has alcohol problems exacerbated by burnout.
As the band has dated, so too the relevancy of this play.
Several of the haircuts are from the late 70’s, and the tunes seem likewise.
Audiences now tolerate bad behavior, from musicians, from leaders.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3373835

Necrophobia - 1995 - Netherlands

Necrophobia - 1995 - 6/10 

 
Still grieving, still visiting his wife’s grave site, Mark is unaware he has picked up a stalker.
Colette is already seeing a psychologist for her taboo impulses.
Yes, she had suffered trauma, but was that reason enough to drag others into her orbit.
Including Mark, Martha who tries to warn Mark, no telling who the others were.
This wanders a bit, before surging into kinky and blood.

Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma - 2026 - USA

Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma - 2026 - 6/10 

The small indie director has been offered a big deal.
Helm the reboot of the Camp Miasma slasher franchise and make it less misogynist.
One participant she desires, however, is the old star, now a recluse.

 
So, Kris travels north, into snow and ice, to try and persuade a reluctant icon.
As satire, this is spot on.  The killer, “Little Death”, ridiculous name, matched by its ventilator bucket headgear.
Much time is given to given to discussing / analyzing the trans world and sexual identity.
Slasher fans, ain’t much red meat here, instead tofu and red sauce.