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Reviews
American Gothic (1987)
A Strange One
Rod Steiger and Yvonne DeCarlo star as the religious parents of three overgrown 50 year old children who kill anyone who steps foot on their private island. The madness builds impressively to a bizarre and unforgettable finale.
The Exorcist (1973)
It's Still Scary
What makes The Exorcist so effective is not the spinning heads and green pea soup being vomited onto everyone, but the human element of a mother trying to come to terms with what's happening to her child and trying desperately to get her back. Still one of the scariest movies ever made!
Psycho (1960)
We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes
Janet Leigh plays a bank teller who goes missing after she steals money. Her sister and boyfriend have to find out what happened to her which leads them to the Bates Motel which is run by a strange mother and son who have a few secrets of their own. A mid-film twist still packs a punch and Bernard Hermann's string heavy score will jangle your nerves.
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Very Haunting
Gloria Swanson chews up the scenery as a spoiled and mentally disturbed former silent film queen who sees her big comeback coming closer when she sinks her claws into William Holden's desperate screenwriter. Both sad and darkly humorous and filled with tons of memorable lines.
American Beauty (1999)
Great Performances
American Beauty doesn't have much else to say about the decay of suburbia, but the performances make up for it. Spacey and Bening have never been better and commit to their somewhat unlikable characters. Thomas Newman's moving score is also very memorable.
Mama (2013)
Lacks Stakes and Chills
Mama makes the big horror movie mistake of showing too much of its monster too early in the film, killing a lot of the tension and build up. It also doesn't help that the monster itself is an unconvincing blend of live action actor (which is effective) and CGI (which isn't). Jessica Chastain is given very little to do except look concerned,
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Scary In Its Own Way
It wisely avoids many direct comparisons with The Exorcist by focusing less on swirling heads and pea soup and more on performances and psychological terror. It pays off and ends up being one of the few Exorcist-inspired films that's able to stand on its own two feet.
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Entertaining Southern Horror
Kate Hudson gets to try on the title of scream queen as she explores the dark corners and attics of a mysterious southern mansion where she's taking care of a bedridden elderly man convinced that something evil is going on. Gena Rowlands also gets a decent role as the not-as-sweet-as-she-looks wife of the man Hudson has come to take care of. Wonderful twists and turns!
Dark Water (2005)
Eerie Drama
What Dark Water lacks in thrills, it does make up for in mood and wonderful performances, especially from Jennifer Connelly as the stressed out single mother trying to keep her wits about her after learning her apartment is haunted by a child's ghost. Expect less of a horror film and more of a drama and you'll be in the right headspace.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Terrifying
Scarier than any horror film in recent memory. It's hard to imagine anyone still wanting to do hard drugs after sitting through this movie. While all the performances are excellent, Ellen Burstyn will devastate you.
Gone Girl (2014)
Excellent Thriller
A twisty and turny thriller about the dangers of marriage featuring a career best performance from Ben Affleck and a cold as ice performance by Rosamund Pike as his less than perfect wife. A must see for thriller fans!