The Wicker Man (1973)

Now cult classic starring Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward. Written by the late Anthony Shaffer and directed by Robin Hardy on a shoe string budget. A missing girl prompts a police sergeant to investigate her whereabouts on a secluded Scottish island. However, as the locals deny her existence the deeply religious police sergeant is exposed to the islands deep and somewhat disturbing Pagan beliefs and rituals. Questioning religion, Christianity and demonstrating actual Pagan practises for the first time, this is a really interesting and original film. With a history that has seen it heavily cut, lack cinema distribution and the eventual loss of the original print its definatley shrowded in mystery. With an almost musical quality, this early british thriller/horror is definatly worth a watch.
7/10

Possession (1981)

Surrouded by a desperate and hysterical feeling of being watched and set in early 80s Berlin where the divisions of the Belin wall are a constant and significant presence, Mark returns home from a prelonged period of work to his wife Anna and son Bob. However things between them have changed as Anna has been unfaithful and Ben embarks on an agonising journey to discover who or what Annas new love is. Intensly hysterical, yet layered with horror and sometimes humour 'Possession' on the ground level documents the destruction and colaypse of a relationship. Dig deeper and it portrays the slow metamorphisis of all the characters involved and maybe our ability to create something from our desires that comforts us when were at our loneliest?? Directed by Andrzej Zulawski and with devasting performances by Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill this ranks highly as one of my favourite horrors of all time. Amazing settings, an exeptional soundtrack, beautiful camera work and thought prevoking with every watch, this once deemed 'video nasty' packs a punch of genuine intensity. Simply a must watch...
10/10

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Been in a Wes Craven mood lately so I thought as with 'Last House On The Left' I'd dig out the classics and see how they bare up today. In the 80s this scared me to death, and again with so many films by Wes intelligently reinvented the genre for the decade. Serial child murderer Freddy Krueger sets upon haunting the children of Elm Street for the crimes of their parents. The only difference being he reaches them in their dreams, where they cant escape! Expertly played by Robert Englund and featuring a very young Johnny Depp amongst others the films still great... Maybe because it was just so original for its time, but it still has genuine scares and a nice pace that never drags. A genuine genre classic and always worth a watch.
8/10

Rec 3 Genesis (2012)

Paco Plaza directs the third installment of the brilliant Rec series, but theres no doubt this is a little dissapointing. I get they wanted to do something compleyely different with the third film but the humorous touches really dont sit well and only contribute in reducing the tension that the first two films capture so well. Let it be said Rec 2 is all out action and is terrifying! Basically Rec 3 shows a young couple on their wedding day when guess what... one of the guests starts acting strangley. You know how this plays out! The trouble is the plots as simple as that, falling into some really cheesey 'fan boy festival' moments and some horrible genre cliches. A brave move into something different, but in no way captures the genuine fear of the first two films. That said, its beautifully shot. I mean seriously, the colours and cinematography are amazing. Some great special effects and make up too. Just not scary... Bit of a shame. We'll see where the last film takes us...
4.5/10

Juan Of The Dead (2011)

Set in Havana Cuba, this zombie comedy like 'Shaun' and 'Zombieland' tells the story of a group of petty criminals and layabouts who embark on capitalising on the zombie apocalypse by killing and disposing of your infected love ones.... For a fee of course! Like all good zombie films the undead plague are very much the background plot for a more subtle political and social story of Cuba and the proud people that live there. The zombie hoard at first are reported to be mercenary dissidents from a once propoganderous Cuban media! The comedy is fast and well thought out, the characters are great and the film overall is enjoyable from start to finish. A real triumph from writer and director Alejandro Brugues. Definately worth a watch.
7/10

Scream (1996)

Written by Keith Williamson and directed by Wes Craven this is the film that reinvented the long dead teen slasher genre for the 90s. All to aware of the genres conventions over the years, the films 'ghost face' killer plays with his victims on the phone, quizing them on their favourite horror movies, before brutally killing them! With a big budget cast and crew that included Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell and Couteney Cox, I shyed away from this in the 90s, but reflecting on it now, its a real triumph that a big Hollywood movie reinvented a genre so well and got it bang on the money. I always get the feeling from Cravens films that lurking underneath is a feeling of a disfunctional America... This is no different. A real classic that has already stood the test of time.
8/10

Detention (2011)

One of last years Frightfest' late screenings this fast paced, witty teen horror from Joseph Kahn definately needs the audience to be alert and on point! The humours comes thick and fast and the plot takes you through more strange and random turns than you can think off. In its simplest form it tells the story of a serial killer who starts bumping off tthe kids at Grizzly High... Our group of teens try and work out who the killer is on a Saturday Detention... Trust me though theres alot more to it than that! Great acting and script... Beautifully shot indie slasher. My critisms lie in it being too fast paced at times, not allowing for any real payoffs... The heavy graphics at the begining are slightly overcooked, but dont get me wrong its a great watch... Reminds me alittle of Donnie Darko. Repeat viewings will only help conquor the ellaborate and unconventional plot. Good fun though!
7/10