Tag: retrospect

Videodrome

1983 Director: David Cronenberg Cast: James Woods, Debbie Harry, Peter Dvorsky, Jack Creley, Sonja Smits, Leslie Carlson, Julie Khaner Words: Adam Janicki. Throughout the 1980s David Cronenberg had one of the best directorial runs in science-fiction horror cinema. Videodrome (1983), the second of these… Continue Reading “Videodrome”

Demons (1985)

1985 Director: Lamberto Bava Starring: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Karl Zinny, Fiore Argento, Paola Cozzo, Fabiola Toledo, Nicoletta Elmi, Stelio Candelli, Nicole Tessier, Geretta Geretta, Bobby Rhodes, Guido Baldi, Bettina Ciampolini Words – Oliver Innocent. By the time Demons was unleashed in 1985 Italian horror… Continue Reading “Demons (1985)”

Drive

2011 Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks, Ron Pearlman Words: J. Senior It seems surreal to be talking about Drive, now over a decade on from its original release, as it still feels… Continue Reading “Drive”

Shogun Assassin (1980)

1980 Director(s): Robert Houston, Kenji Misumi Starring: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Kayo Matsuo, Tokio Oki Words – Nathan Scatcherd. The kind of bloody, balletic Samurai film you rarely see made anymore, Shogun Assassin stands as perhaps one of the finest examples of the Jidaigeki… Continue Reading “Shogun Assassin (1980)”

Candyman (1992)

1992 Director: Bernard Rose Starring: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons, Vanessa Williams, DeJuan Guy, Marianna Elliott, Ted Raimi, Ria Pavia Words – Oliver Innocent.  Touted as the heir to the throne of Stephen King, Liverpool-born horror novelist Clive Barker came to… Continue Reading “Candyman (1992)”

Tetsuo: The Iron Man

1989 Director: Shinya Tsukamoto Starring: Tomoro Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shinya Tsukamoto, Naomasa Musaka Words – Christian Abbott “Your future is metal!” This line hits two-thirds into the film, and after a series of deliriously disturbing sequences, you believe it. It’s hard to… Continue Reading “Tetsuo: The Iron Man”

Nosferatu (1922)

1922 Director: F. W. Murnau Starring: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroeder, Alexander Granach Words – Eleanor Smith Nosferatu (1922), by German director F.W. Murnau, is a textbook example of the haunting beauty and mystery seen in classic, silent horror films. This exceptional… Continue Reading “Nosferatu (1922)”

Mad Max – 40th Anniversary

1979 Director: George Miller Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Geoff Parry, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, Roger Ward Words – Rebecca Kirby If like me, your first exposure to the Mad Max franchise came via Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, it’s predecessor… Continue Reading “Mad Max – 40th Anniversary”

Alien: 40th Anniversary

1979 Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton, Bolaji Badejo Words: Nathan Scatcherd Living as we do in the year 2019, it’s difficult to imagine the sheer force Alien must have had… Continue Reading “Alien: 40th Anniversary”

Battle Royale

2000 Director: Kinji Fukasaku Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Takeshi Kitano Words: Katherine Guest Battle Royale, a Japanese dystopian thriller, is a film in which violence is made into a spectator sport. More specifically, it is about children on children violence as… Continue Reading “Battle Royale”