Directed by TOBE HOOPER Golan-Globus Surprisingly entertaining despite some significant drawbacks – chief among them the extremely subpar performance of the lead child actor and some pacing/editing issues – this remake of a 1950s film I haven’t seen showcases director Tobe Hooper’s flair for understated comedic touches, although as usual I have less than no … Continue reading Invaders From Mars (1986)
written and directed by david paulsen golan-globus productions/the cannon group, inc. Another epitomic Cannon film, this “thriller” meanders its way through a murky cityscape in pursuit of its victims, who – oh, wait, that’s what the villain or whatever does, in between the viewer’s visitations to group therapy sessions and glimpses into the fractured home … Continue reading Schizoid (1980)
directed by theodore gershuny cannon films/jeffrey konvitz productions/armor films inc. Mainly filmed in 1970 but not finished or released until 1972, this poorly constructed, many-titled movie shows the strain of its uncertain, prolonged creation. The editing is particularly touch-and-go, as scenes hopscotch abruptly. Plus, early on, plentiful stills and freeze-frame shots dominate, sorta like in … Continue reading Silent Night, Bloody Night aka Night of the Dark Full Moon aka Death House aka Deathouse (1972)
directed by tobe hooper cannon films/golan-globus productions Hey, a new competitor for worst movie on this site! For some reason turning one of the best and most impactful horror movies ever made into an extended bout of broadly drawn “humor,” aggravating characterizations, little plot and no point, TCM2 is a chore to endure. Insulting in … Continue reading The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
directed by emmett alston golan-globus productions Oh, man! In an earlier review I made a crack about Cannon Films, the purveyors of all sorts of cinematic treasures, and this masterpiece is from that very production studio’s defining era, when it was helmed by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus! Imagine my delight! All right, I’ll settle … Continue reading New Year’s Evil (1980)
directed by marcello avellone reteitalia/trio film Hahahahaha. Only tangentially a horror movie, this beaut is a “thriller” of the sort Cannon Films churned out for so many years, except without the finer qualities for which that studio was so widely admired. Set in “Mexico” (filmed largely in Venezuela), this cheerfully idiotic film is concerned with … Continue reading Maya (1989)
SPACE RATS From Outer Space 