Arachnophobia (1990)

Recorded on VHS tape from Channel 7, I repeatedly watched Arachnophobia (1990) as a child. Along with Tremors, these were horror comedies that worked best as ‘gateway horrors’ for me, at a time when I was petrified by the horror aisle in a video store due to the suggestive box covers. Both Arachnophobia and Tremors […]

Eyes Without A Face (1960)

I thought about transition scenes in movies and the greater power that some can have over others. In Eyes Without A Face (1960), a French horror movie about a plastic surgeon (Pierre Brasseur) who kidnaps women to provide a new face for his disfigured daughter (Edith Scob). There is a transitional scene where we see […]

Despiser (2002)

We look back on practical effects that might have been cheap, but they become appreciated for their aesthetic value and effort, in contrast to CGI now. So it will be with dated CGI, particularly as the decades pass and what was once the new thing becomes ossified into a time-stamped style. Directed by Phillip J. […]

Fascination (1979)

There’s something prototypical about a Jean Rollin film, in that it can be classified as what people would think of when it comes to ‘Euro-horror’ (nude women, vampires, castles). And yet, there’s something distinct, which probably helps when you’ve seen a few other 1970s exploitation movies. That there’s something slow and atmospheric, which feels very […]

Habit (1995)

First time I heard about Larry Fessenden’s Habit (1995) was through a glowing Roger Ebert review I remember reading. As a low budget indie with zero stars, it never received an Australian cinema release, or even a video release, or possibly I just missed out since I was in high school. There’s an indie movie […]