The Horror, the Horror

A complex, intense and rewarding piece of cinema. Maybe my favorite Lynch film.

In spite of all the hype, what impressed me the most was the deep loneliness of all the characters.

Stunning, ageless and scary as hell.

Mr. Shindô's stunning images haunted my imagination for weeks on end.

A specialist in the art of confining paranoid protagonists inside their own apartments, Polanski delivers one of the creepiest films ever made. The "mummy in the bathroom" sequence damaged my poor little mind forever.

I've always been fond of mixing horror with other genres, especially when these genres are pushed to their limit. This and more make "Beloved" one of my absolute favorites of all time: heavy drama, deep character study and, Jeez, a freakin' nightmare. If you haven't read the Morrison novel and watch it without knowing a thing about it, it'll compromise your sleep. I never understood why it wasn't a hit, but what the heck, taste can be an elusive thing.

Places Neil Jordan as one of today's most solid filmmakers.

A haunting masterpiece to be watched over and over.

Proves that good scares begin with a solid script.

What doesn't kill you makes you kill them.

Perhaps Spike Lee's finest work.

Even if you are not into teen horror, you don't wanna miss this one. McKee's perfectly woven references include "Frankenstein", "Carrie", "Repulsion" and giallo, and the precise script allows Angela Bettis to make full use of her impressive acting resources.

In a film in which there is so much to praise, Catherine Keener's humanistic approach to a character who would otherwise be qualified as a monster stands out as one of the best I've seen in recent years. But it's based on a true story, and the taste that lingers is very, very bitter.

The cinematography alone would justify this weird little film, but the acting is pretty good, too!

Bizarre is art!

What a brat!

Highly recommended.

A small film with great moments. If the little girl haunted by her dead mother doesn't scare you, nothing else will.

The film has at least two merits: its unusual approach to horror and a jaw-dropping performance by Jennifer Carpenter.

The bad quality of the sound work does not diminish the impact of this interesting Spanish thriller.

Its main worth lies in the thorough exploration of the film's weird theme: a city obsessed with spirals. Flaws and absurdities end up being a detail for the horror enthusiast.

Technically excellent, though the script shows certain instability.

Half horror flick, half innocent romance, the film, based on Lindqvist´s novel, oozes dedication from every shot. This Tomas Alfredson dude must have been really in the mood to direct this picture, and you almost feel happy for him for getting the job.

Among the few truly good slashers I have been lucky enough to stumble upon.

This marvelous horror short won the prestigious Clemont-Ferrand festival and is available on YouTube. No excuses to miss it!

A visceral dive into the mind of a rapist. Truly essential, but incredibly painful to watch.

An absolute MUST for horror fans. Period.

Everyone is entitled to a guilty peasure once in a while. Unintentionally hilarious!!

Having watched the original film a few years back, I approached this one with caution. Though the casting was absolutely right, I wondered why the hell would a filmmaker want to remake one of his best works shot by shot in a U.S. setting. But it blew be away. The material is just perfect to comment on that country's perception of violence as a form of entertainment, their lack of involvement with one another (notice how the woman in the boat sees something is wrong, but doesn't wish to know more), their inner solitude (in the so criticized and little understood 10 minute shot of the woman trying to release herself). For those who expect the movie to deliver answers, it will certainly turn out to be frustrating. But for those who want to do their own reflecting as they suffer along with the characters ("A Clockwork Orange", "Elephant" and "A History of Violence" come to mind), it's one great rent.

This highly enjoyable Japanese horror is successful not only in avoiding everything you'd expect to see in the genre, but also in making good use of ideas that destroyed other flicks. I'd develop this idea further, but the less you know about the plot, the better.

Very watchable and well made Canadian horror which forms a respectable pair with teen wolf flick "Ginger Snaps". Modernizing old legends with unpretentious budgets is one tough challenge, and that's something in which both pictures succeed.

I have to confess that it's hard for me to judge this film properly - the sentimental connection is way too strong. I spent years of my childhood watching this thing on a loop, and even today I couldn't care less about the poor special effects or any other flaws it may have. This one owns a special place in my heart.

I'm neither a French cinema buff nor an enthusiast of gore for gore's sake, but "Martyrs", "Haute Tension" and "À L'intérieur" share more than the mere power to disturb: they add a certain sense of transgression to modern horror, taking it to new extremes.

That said, "Martyrs" is certainly the most accomplished of the three. Watch it without prejudice and your nightmares are guaranteed.

It takes a very intelligent director to find a proper place for an actor as overwhelmingly intense as Sergi López. I mention this because this film is so much more than a hitchcockian thriller - it is rather what Hitchcock would be watching these days. Harry is as obsessed as Bruno Anthony in "Strangers in a Train", and predictability is an illusion in this ironic portrait of the benefits of inaction.

Laughable at times, but often gruesome, you shouldn't approach "H" with too many expectations. Its reputation of being a Frankenstein of other films has been widely confirmed by fellow reviewers, but the film often finds interesting visual ways to reveal what the many leaks in the script have already told us.

Worth a look, though.

What took me so long to watch this one?

Creeeeeepy!!!

One of those rare moments in horror film making when the project overcomes the boundaries of its sub-genre and heads for the peak of its terrifying possibilities.

Don't miss it for the world.

No subtitles needed in this action-packed horror film in which the visuals tell it all.

For the psychological thriller fan, this is a jewel urging to be found: solid script, great atmosphere, engaged directing and some of the best dialog I've seen in ages make plenty of room for the cast to shine bright, really bright.

Before moving on to major blockbusters, Peter Jackson delivered what could easily be considered the best movie of his career.

Years ago, when I saw Marc Foster's "Everything Put Together", I was more intellectually impressed by the points it was trying to make than cinematically satisfied. "Grace" criticizes all the bizarreness that revolves around motherhood in a much more concise - and perhaps more radical way. Apart from small script issues, the simple story, the great acting and a really well built atmosphere make this subtle, sneaky thingie a must-see for blood-thirsty perverts. Recommended!

Fearless in its innovative approach to mixing genres.

Dark, profound and utterly scary. Ignore the American remake and dive deep into this disturbing essay on human isolation.

Pretty decent horror entertainment that is being hyped for its simplicity. And you know what? Good job...

Got deep to my nerves, this one...

First things first: to me, this is the horror film of the year, and I mean that in more than one sense.

Zabattini says every content must find its own technique. Von Trier takes this statement to a completely different level by mixing all kinds of cinematic techniques, switching from Dogma to Hollywood not only from scene to scene, but sometimes within the same shot. And it's not a mannerism. It serves to create one of the most unsettling atmospheres I've seen since Roman Polanski.

Gainsbourg is superb. Often swallowed by stronger actresses other films (Charlotte Rampling in "Lemming" would be an example), she now finds the role she needed to make them look like puppy dogs. And Dafoe never ceases to astound me with his capacity to imply six lines of dialog with a look that lasts half a second. It's been a while I've been this impressed by a film.

Oh, and please don't come to me saying this movie is about how evil women are. Evil is triggered by human nature when confronting something we perceive as a weakness. In other words, this isn't a flick for those who live in the shell of political correctness, or for those who wish to discuss the limits of what art can or cannot show. Real life is beyond that, human evil is beyond that, and so is this film.

Absolutely brilliant! My favorite Bergman so far...

Too much CGI. Tons of wide-angle lenses. Lots of mannerisms. Two hundred plot twists. No character development whatsoever (not that anyone cares). And some of the most stunning horror shots you'll get to see out there.

Excess at its best!

There's no such thing as "enough films about the Holocaust".