Reviews

Review: Island of the Fishmen Island of the Fishmen is a 1979 Italian action /horror flick about a boat of survivors from a sunken prison ship who land on an isolated an island and encounter violent fishmen. Apparently, they find out someone on the island is turning humans into the vicious amphibious creatures.

I'd never seen it (which is why I opted for the less expensive newly remastered DVD rather than a pricey Blu Ray) but I've read about it for years. It was difficult to find for a while in its original form, having been heavily re-edited and released stateside under the title Screamers, so the recent release was a pleasant surprise. Presumably, the original version is the superior edit.

To my surprise, this a really good remaster - with upscaling it looks terrific. I was equally surprised to discover it's actually a pretty solid B movie creature feature/adventure. The budget is low, but the Fishmen are realized effectively, even if they are just rubber suited monsters. There's a real 1950's vibe to the design that works well. The cast is solid too. It helps that the film shows the first Fishmen attack in the opening scene, so it wastes no time getting to the action.

It doesn't rely on gore - in fact, if it were rated today I think this would probably get by with a PG 13 - and it's a pretty wild mix of elements. You have mad scientists, a hero who escapes volcanic eruptions, collapsing caves, a shipwreck, Fishmen attacks and even being trapped on a chamber meant to drown him, the lovely Barbara Bach in an unexpectedly likable role that doesn't necessitate her getting naked and even the underwater remnants of Atlantis. Think Treasure of the Four Crowns by way of The Island of Doctor Moreau with a slight sprinkling of Humanoids from the Deep ( with 100% less rape) and you're in the ballpark.

Sure it's a European b movie from the late 70's, but it's fun, the story is more interesting than the sort of plot movies like this usually bother with, the protagonists are legitimately likable, the villain is appropriately corrupt and cruel and the titular Fishmen are actually pretty cool for low budget creations.

**** out of ***** I'm glad I have the original version that strips away the hardcore gore New World inserted for the Screamers edit and returns the film to its adventure/horror roots. Island of the Fishmen is a fun little exploitation throwback of its era that's above average of its type. I'd put this on the shelf next to cult gems like Super Infra Man as an example of the sort of cinema we sadly don't really see anymore.

Movie review: Final Summer

The new independent horror film Final Summer aspires to nothing more than recapturing the old school feel of mid to late 80's slashers. In this it succeeds.

Unfortunately, it taps into the vibe of the wrong slashers. Final Summer isn't at all reminiscent of the really fun slice and dice flicks of the 80's, such as Friday the 13th, the Halloween sequels or beloved cult one shots like Madman and My Bloody Valentine.

Instead, this movie lands with a thud in the same camp as the dozens of watered down, lifeless clones that were churned out by studios every other week. Dull, forgettable fare like Final Exam or Graduation Day that not only weren't particularly scary, but so oversaturated the market they eventually killed audience interest in the subgenre until Scream revived it in the mid 90's.

The story is set at Camp Silver Lake in 1991, some five years after a prologue that ends with two people being murdered near a campfire by a sinister figure wearing a skull mask. As the story proper opens we learn it's the final day of camp , which is being closed as a result of a tragedy that has just happened under the watch of a couple of counselors while on a hike in the woods with some of their young charges.

After the local police investigate the incident and leave, it's up to the remaining staff on hand to close the place down before they go home for what they are informed will apparently be the final time. Over the course of the night, the figure in the skull mask seen in the prologue reappears and hunts the counselors, coming after them with a large axe.

That's all the story there is and, honestly, I was fully onboard with that. That's all I need.

They botched it.

Moving ahead there will be SPOILERS:

If I had to sum this movie up in one word, it would be "inept". I hate using that word, because it sounds really mean and I do understand the limitations of a low to no budget production, but the problems with this movie are too large to ignore or excuse. Moreover, I look at films like the excellent indie slow burn The Invitation - which is literally nothing more than people at an increasingly tense dinner party - and it tells me a lot can go right, even when a production is forced to work within the confines of a limited budget.

My focus here is going to be on the actual storytelling and visual filmmaking and not the cast, The cast is average and largely forgettable. Basically, they're typical slasher movie characters.

Let's begin with the script. It feels like a really rough first draft. There are ideas introduced (such as the final girl having a tragic past of her own) and they're handled so sloppily, they either seem to have come out of nowhere or I was confused as to what actually going on.

Case in point: The owner of the camp explains there have been accidents at the site for years and everyone knows who is responsible, yet based on the events of the previous scene I actually had no idea who she was talking about. I assume it was the guy in the skull mask, but it's never made clear any of the counselors are even aware of his existence before he shows up to kill them.

Then there's the cinematography, which is some of the ugliest I've ever seen. Everything seems slightly out of focus around the edges, as if the film were shot in standard definition and unsuccessfully upscaled to HD. On top of that, it's visually boring. There's no imagination or particular creativity with the way the film is shot. It's filmed and edited in a flat, plodding manner.

The kill scenes lack gore for the most part and there's no sense of genuine danger during the chase scenes. One sequence inexplicably transitions to a wide shot during a murder, filmed a fair distance from the action. Let me tell you, a few gory close ups of a body being hacked to pieces would definitely have benefitted this movie.

Plus, the killer isn't all that imposing. He has an average build and there's no specific body language exuding a sense of menace the way The Shape or Jason project. All I could think during the chase scenes in this film was a good, solid baseball bat to the head would lay this clown in the skull mask right out and then everyone could go home.

Then there's the climax, where the true villain is revealed. The killer is dispatched by being knocked into a swimming pool (which looks weirdly polluted the entire film) and having a stereo thrown in after them. We see the stereo go into the water, but at no point do we ever actually see the villain onscreen being electrocuted, nor do we ever see a shot of their corpse. There are some interesting and creative approaches a filmmaker could adopt to depict an electrocution, but not actually showing the death of the villain and instead implying their offscreen demise isn't one of them.

The movie ends on strange note, suggesting the true killer is still out there. It says something that the motivations behind what characters do in this film are so badly explained, I had no idea who the other killer was supposed to be or how the police figured out there was even a second one. Chalk up another casualty of this flick's tendency to introduce ideas that are half baked into the plot.

Final Summer has middling performances, poorly staged action, almost no real gore, it isn't at any point scary and it's ugly to look at. Were it not for Jeepers Creepers reborn, this would land squarely as the worst film I've seen in 2023. I can't recommend this.

Cool skull mask though.

Yet another wonderful entry in Aardman Animation Studios filmography, Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie is unique in that it was both their first theatrical motion picture to premiere stateside on Netflix and not in theaters and their first theatrical feature film sequel.

A follow up to the Shaun the Sheep Movie from 2015, Farmageddon has Shaun and the rest of his flock involved when a curious extra terrestrial lands near their farm in Mossy Bottom. Farmageddon was made for theaters and it was in fact a major cinematic release in the UK.

However, with their deal with DreamWorks having collapsed after several films hadn't performed as expected in American theaters, Aardman was offered a huge payday from Netflix for the rights to just bypass theaters and debut it on the streaming service. It was a success, earning both professional critical raves and accolades from audiences and Shaun fans.

The film itself is among Aardman's best. As was the case with the previous Shaun movie, there's no real dialogue in Farmageddon, just grunts, growls,bleats and other noises which convey a sense of communication. That in and of itself lends to the film being inherently funny.

The animation is as spectacular as always and Aardman once again demonstrates their uncanny skill for pacing and editing - none of their movies have any padding.

But where they outdo themselves is the writing. This is a genuinely funny movie, sharper at times than even its brilliant predecessor. Once again , it's elevated by all the little things characters are doing in the corners of the screen. It's also a love letter to science fiction movies, with nods to genre classics sprinkled throughout, such as an auto shop by the name of H. G. Wheels or a supermarket seen in the background bearing the name Milliways, something fans of the late Douglas Adams will appreciate. Even the studio logo gets into the act, introduced pre opening titles by one of Shaun's fellow sheep using a riff on the iconic Close Encounters musical lights/tone arrangement.

I believe this is permanently on Netflix. For those who are fans and don't want Netflix, I recommend the superb Shout! Factory Blu Ray + DVD combo . Like all the Aardman movies, you don't have to be a child or even in the company of children to enjoy this one. It's a blast for science fiction comedy fans of any age.

Definitely a ***** out of ***** for this one.

I binge watched the entire series The Power on Amazon Prime last night. Based on the popular novel by Naomi Alderman, it depicts a world where women develop an ability to generate and hurl electrical power, changing the political and social dynamics worldwide as they realize they are now the more powerful sex.

The adaptation follows the beginning of the phenomenon and examines what happens as humanity figures out what's happening, reacts and eventually begins to transform as women use their power to turn the tables.

It's a fascinating idea, which is why I watched it to begin with. There's something be said for allegorical fiction that forces men to see the painful, destructive inequality between our sexes that has plagued all of human history through the eyes of women who suddenly find themselves liberated and in a position to be themselves, make choices and participate in society without fear of humiliation, rape or death for the first time.

It's not entirely successful. In fact, I'd rate it a dead even 50% out of 100% . There are elements of the series that work VERY well and others that tank hard..

Pros:

The cast is solid. Toni Collette steals the screen as a politician who learns what's happening and decides to buck the planned cover up by her state's governor and reveal the phenomenon (known as EOD) to the world, making her the defacto face of the movement. John Leguizamo is on hand as her stay at home husband who loves and supports her but has very , very reasonable concerns about what's happening to his family ( they have two daughters and a son ) and his wife. The rest of the ensemble - which populates the entire globe in places like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and London as well as the US- is equally effective.

The themes: Surprisingly, for a project that is specifically designed to not care about the male gaze and was written for women, The Power is remarkably even handed and honest in its depiction of women who obtain this power. Anyone who expects a full blown "all men are terrible, let's gleefully depict them being humiliated, tortured, castrated and killed" murder fest under a banner of girl power will be sorely disappointed. Plenty of men are murdered and tortured and broken into submission depending on where and who they are ( one scumbag deservedly has an electric bolt zapped right into his crotch and I gave the series credit for taking as long as it did to get to that inevitable image) but the series cleverly demonstrates that women are no less capable of or willing to engage in hate driven cruelty and violence when given unchecked power. There are moments within the story where some women decide they don't want the EOD (it happens naturally in teens, but can be passed on to older women by touch) and others are open about opposing killing anyone, as they believe it's wrong no matter their sex.

Cons:

The pacing: Good lord this series takes forever to get going. By episode four of a nine episode season the narrative is still building to the larger worldwide impact of this evolutionary leap. I understand world building, but the pace here is glacial and along the way the same narrative beats are repeated a lot. Not for nothing, but the original 1980's miniseries V managed to depict the arrival of an extraterrestrial species to Earth, their Nazi like occupation of our entire global civilization and the birth of the resistance to it in four hours, on network television without the freedom of uncensored streaming.

The science: This threw me. Apparently, the cause of the power is a new gland discovered in the breast of young women. In and of itself that's pretty nifty...but it's introduced as if scientists are just seeing it for the first time. So a generation of women worldwide were born with a new gland in their chest and not one physician on the planet or medical practitioner doing an x-ray or MRI paused and asked "What the hell is that?" That's.....not how evolution or medical science work.

The writing: Aside from the gland plot point, the writing is badly uneven in The Power..One storyline - which is where the entire series actually begins - is about a young black foster child named Allie who hears a mysterious voice in her head guiding her to use the power and then lead women into a new future. As the series progresses, she's depicted as a messianic figure, eventually being given and adapting the name Eve.

Here's the rub: This storyline is the least interesting thing about The Power. Allie/Eve is a bland, one note, unlikable character who plods through sequences of predictability that reiterate the same ideas over and over until she reaches a point where she comes across as something of a sociopath. For a character we are told can grant the gift of life and healing, she spends a substantial amount of time on the death and revenge side of things. When one of her ever increasing flock finally calls her out for her willingness to kill and maim those who oppose her, the girl is shunned, with Eve telling her she'll be damned for doubting her. If they were going for a Christ parallel there, they dropped the ball big time, because Jesus was historically very understanding about the disbelief of his followers and tried to help them with it through love and grace, not spiteful threats. It says a lot that during her scenes, I thought the mysterious disembodied voice in her head was a far more interesting character.

And that's the biggest problem with The Power. It has good ideas and there's an allegorical quality about how the historic treatment of women by the patriarchy would likely result in some of the attitudes and reactions seen here if this scenario ever actually played out . I think every man who is serious about supporting equality between the sexes should pay attention to that.

But then the series ends on a note of the new female messiah and her flock preparing to go into the world with an attitude that anyone who doesn't agree with her is an enemy and will be disposed of. That murder is okay if they decide it is. That men can either submit and accept it or die badly.

Swap the sexes and that sounds a lot like the world women occupy right now and have for years - and that's the failure of The Power. It takes us on this long journey, shows the struggles and growth of both male and female characters within the context of the flipped power dynamic and begins to suggest maybe there could be a healthy reckoning that developed into a less violent, more productive future ... only to crash and burn in its final scenes by landing on the note that, nah, women with this power would be just as violent and controlling as men. My thoughts as the end credits of the final episode flash were "What was the point?"

The takeaway from this is apparently human beings of any sex who have power over others are basically monsters. I didn't need to sit through nine hours of needlessly padded material to understand that. I already knew that going in.

**1/2 out of ***** stars. I am dead split on The Power. The cast is good, some themes are well handled and there are some interesting ideas, but ultimately I found this to be an unevenly written disappointment , delivering the depressing , dispiriting message that ALL human beings essentially suck and will inevitably abuse their power, justifying their cruelty based on their own experiences.

James Gunn returns one final time to round off his Guardians movies with a third film that opens some time after the events of Avengers Endgame. The GotG are attacked at Knowhere by a golden super being named Adam Warlock, who it turns out is after Rocket Raccoon at the command of a superpowered scientist known as the High Evolutionary. Rocket is gravely injured in the attack and the team must come together to find the technology that can save their friend, leading them into an adventure during which we will learn about Rocket's tragic past.

From an opening scene that wastes no time in throwing us headlong into the action to the mid credits scene that ends the trilogy by circling back to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone ( the song that opened the original Guardians) to a funny little moment post credits, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is an absolute master class in how to combine science fiction, adventure, humor and action into a mix with brilliantly realized characters, razor sharp writing and a startlingly effective undercurrent of well earned emotional beats that had this viewer crying his eyes out. If the sight of Nebula bursting into a sob of relief when she hears Rocket's voice doesn't crack your heart wide open, you're dead inside...and that's just one of countless moments that have this final chapter of James Gunn's take on the Marvel characters hitting harder than any MCU film to date....all set to a brilliant soundtrack.

Not only do I think this is James Gunn's best movie to date, not only do I definitely think it's the best Guardians of the Galaxy film, I think - and I can't believe I'm actually typing this - this actually tops Spider-Man No Way Home as my pick for best Marvel Comics adaptation.

I've enjoyed a lot of comic book adaptations, but outside of that absolutely shattering moment in No Way Home when Peter watches Aunt May die and realizes he can't save her, I've never had one get to me so deeply the way this one did. I hated the villain in this movie. I don't mean I disliked the character. Quite the contrary, the High Evolutionary is the best Marvel live action villain I've seen since Michael Keaton's terrifyingly plausible portrayal of the Vulture. I mean I actively wanted to reach through the screen and beat the hell out of him. He's a genuinely loathsome bad guy, specifically because in his madness he believes he's actually justified in his unbelievable cruelty.

And yet for all the tears and anger this movie so magnificently provoked in me, it had me laughing out loud time and again, most notably in what might be the single funniest exchange I think I've witnessed in a comic book film when Quill compliments Nebula on her eyes and she replies by coldly informing him that her father replaced them as a form of torture.

I loved this. It's a perfect send off for this iteration of the team and caps one of the few contained film trilogies that got better with each movie. Bravo.

***** out of ***** Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a very, very good dog indeed.

Review: X (SPOILERS)

Ti West delivers a solid but familiar horror outing with X, a clear homage to 70's horror set in rural America and Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in particular.

The story - set in Texas - involves a group of people out to make an adult film who rent a barn from an elderly couple in the middle of nowhere circa 1979 .

As filming gets underway, the film crew runs afoul of the couple, particularly the wife, a deranged, sexually repressed psychopath named Pearl. Before long, the ground is painted with blood and gore as the couple stalk and kill the filmmakers over the course of one insane night.

I'll cut to the chase and break down the pros and cons here:

The Good:

Ti West again demonstrates his skills as a filmmaker and ability to homage horror subgenres while capturing the feel of the decade which produced them (the 70's here, the 80's for House of the Devil) with strong direction and a decent script. He also manages some really terrific set pieces, including a masterful nail biter involving a woman swimming in a lake, unaware a large alligator is nearby, watching her.

He's aided by a terrific cast of legitimately likeable, if somewhat sleazy, characters. The MVP here is easily Mia Goth, who does double time as aspiring star Maxine and the maniacal killer Pearl, the latter of whom is the breakout character of the film, proving herself both deliciously creepy and startlingly capable of laying down brutal murders.

When the red stuff starts flowing the kills are outstanding. Gorehounds won't be disappointed. Kudos as well to the soundtrack, which actually has the film ending with "Bad Case of Loving You" by Robert Palmer, a decision for which it earns an entire star on my rating.

The not so good:

For all the raves this film received, I was surprised at how formulaic it actually proved to be. If you've seen movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or most rural set horror flicks about city people getting in over their heads with folks who live outside the edges of society, you'll see this entire movie coming.

The pacing is problematic as well..I appreciate a good slow burn and for a movie like House of the Devil it works particularly well. But at some point you have to get to the gruesome parts in a movie like this and that doesn't happen until some forty five minutes into a one hour and forty six minute movie.

And that's another thing: X didn't need to be this long. West could have trimmed ten minutes easily and ended up with a tighter, better paced film. A lot of the same character beats are repeated before we get to the first murder. Even the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre had the sense to kill a couple of characters in the first half hour.

Which brings me to a specific moment I thought didn't work..and to discuss that, I have to warn you: ****MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD*****

Jenna Ortega appears as Lorraine, a production crew member apparently dating the screenwriter who decides she wants to be in the film and have a sex scene, over the horrified objections of her boyfriend. The boyfriend is so upset, he actually decides to leave with the van in the middle of the night after the scene is filmed, setting up his murder.

This could have been a relatively interesting spin on giving a female character agency and self empowerment ( of a sort...it IS a porno shoot) , but the movie follows on this by having her character be lured into a cellar where she discovers a dead body, get locked in and be all but forgotten until the final few minutes when another character frees her and, in a fit of anger, she screams at the person that she's sorry she got involved in any of this and she hates all of them. Lorraine then follows this by stupidly running out the front door where she is immediately killed with a shotgun blast by Pearl's husband.

So not only did she do a complete character turnaround (remember, she wasn't originally in the film, just on the crew, and her filming a sex scene was her own idea) , but she dies because she does something utterly stupid. Her storyline goes nowhere and this turn of events left me regarding her choice to be in the porno movie as nothing more than a plot device to get RJ outside in the van after. It's a pointless scene that bears no impact on the outcome of the film and seems awkward and unnecessary.

****"END SPOILERS*****

Overall, I did enjoy X quite a bit and in no way consider it a bad film. But I don't think it's the modem classic reviews made it out to be. It takes too long to get going and it's a pretty by the numbers backwoods/rural horror flick, one with at least one completely useless character beat the movie spends too much time on.

***1/2 out of ***** I enjoyed X and I recommend horror fans watch it at least once, but I doubt I'll ever watch it again.

Bloodlust : Subspecies III is a strong, well crafted continuation of the franchise that only suffers in comparison to its predecessors due to the inevitability of familiarity. By now, we know Michelle - the college student villainous Radu has transformed into a burgeoning vampire - will struggle against her increasingly insatiable bloodlust. Because this film follows the pattern of part II and picks up immediately after the events of the film prior, we know her sister Rebecca and US Embassy agent Mel Thompson will try to rescue her from the undead. And we're pretty sure it's going to end with Radu suffering some manner of gruesome death.

What elevates Bloodlust is a shift in focus that cleverly sidesteps the tendency for trilogy chapters to go on autopilot and just repeat the same beats. Even better, it manages this while moving the story forward.

This time around, the focus is on Radu attempting to teach Michelle his ways and the bizarre, unnatural bond that begins to form between them as he draws her further in.

In this film we learn about the violent history behind the relationship between Radu's father and his sorceress mother, the now mummified walking corpse guiding his quest for power. As Michelle finds herself further under his sway ( while his mother urges him to destroy her) , Rebecca and Mel join with the local chief of police and attempt to get her away from Radu and destroy the evil of Castle Vladislas once and for all.

Once again, Ted Nicolaou delivers the goods directing. He's clearly in his element by this point in the franchise and keeps the pace moving while also finding new and intriguing ways to keep things fresh. Indeed, one of the best sequences of the entire franchise unfolds in this film as Radu and Michelle take to the streets of a Romanian town, where he shows her how to hunt.

Anders Hove is as compelling as always as Radu, but he also manages to invest the character with a little more personality this time around. There are moments when this unspeakably monstrous spectre is unexpectedly vulnerable.

Denice Duff continues to invest Michelle with the humanity and angst that makes the character so sympathetic and both Melanie Shatner and Kevin Spirtas are as engaging as before returning in their roles as, respectively Rebecca and Mel. Special mention should also be made of Pamela Gordon, who returns as Radu's ancient mother and does an incredible job investing the character with malice and vanity in an expanded role.

As is is always the case with the Subspecies films, III benefits from fantastic location shooting. In particular, the aforementioned night time hunt takes place in the streets of a city and it's a marvel to behold. There's a visual consistency to these movies their bigger budgeted contemporaries cannot equal. They're just plain terrific to look at.

Bloodlust isn't the best of the franchise - I hold II in that spot - but it's a creative and accomplished sequel in its own right. As I did with Bloodstone, I found myself enjoying this a little bit more than the original. It's a fun movie and a satisfying conclusion to what was then a trilogy.

**** 1/2 out of *****.

One of the great joys of being a movie buff is discovering a sequel that not only effectively continues the story begun in the original film of a franchise , but in some ways improves upon it.

It's a pleasant experience if it's a later sequel - A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a terrific example - but there's something particularly magical about a direct sequel that aces it. If one were to look at the list of most beloved continuations of film franchises, they'd find the most lauded chapters are usually the second film. The Godfather II, Aliens, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman II, Spider-Man 2.... all blockbuster examples.

This is largely, I suspect, due to conditioning. As a rule, sequels are by their nature a generally inferior product by virtue of the fact they are not the original and therefore are adding to a story that was already in progress.

This is particularly true of the horror genre, which is where the poor reputation of sequels was pretty much fashioned. There were a few notable exceptions over the decades ( Bride of Frankenstein comes to mind), but for the most part , horror sequels - particularly the second film in a franchise - tend to fall into two categories: Poor attempts to continue the story or less effective rehashes of what we've already seen.

That's why it's particularly rewarding when , as a life long horror fan, I discover a low budget sequel that manages to outshine its predecessor.

Which brings me to Bloodstone: Subspecies II.

Picking up hours after the final moments of Subspecies , Bloodstone hits the ground running with a terrific practical f/x driven sequence where the subspecies demons reattach Radu's head to his body, restoring him to his full, evil form again.

Radu immediately murders his sleeping half brother Stefan , but before he can settle with Michelle ( survivor of the original, here portrayed by the talented Denice Duff, assuming the role from Lauren Tate for the remainder of the franchise, save for the spin off film Vampire Journals) the sun rises, forcing his retreat.

Michelle awakens , discovers what's happened and flees with the bloodstone, the life giving artifact from which Radu draws his power.

Michelle finds herself on the streets of Romania and contacts her sister Rebecca for help, all the while struggling to control the vampiric urges threatening to overwhelm her after her transformation at the climax of the previous movie. As she battles to resist her growing bloodlust, the tormented woman is relentlessly pursued by Radu and his undead, mummified mother.

Anders Hove is again superb as the monstrous Radu, establishing the character as one of the great cinematic horror villains . After the performance he delivers here, it's no wonder Hove's Radu became iconic to fans of vampire movies.

Denice Duff is a terrific addition as Michelle and makes the role her own. Likewise, Melanie Shatner is entertaining as sister Rebecca and Kevin Spirtas ( who most horror fans will recognize from his starring role in Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood) does solid work as an agent of the US Embassy who finds himself involved in Michelle's terrifying story.

Ted Nicolau once again directs with a sure hand, confidently guiding his cast to a story told with lean efficiency. One thing I admire about Nicolau is his ability to tell a complete story in under 90 minutes, avoiding the bloat that compromises the vision of his more mainstream contemporaries. Bloodstone has plenty of meat on its bones, but everything is in service to moving the story forward.

Continuing to film on location in Romania, Nicolau turns the setting into a character itself, lending the film an authenticity no set - no matter how lavish - could ever replicate. He's aided by some excellent special f/x work, a joyously gruesome combination of puppets, make-up effects and animation. There's more of the red stuff flowing onscreen this time around.

Bloodstone Subspecies II is one of those hidden gems one hopes new generations of horror fans unearth. It has a polished feel and overcomes its budgetary limitations to deliver slick, compelling entertainment. It deepens the lore of the original and manages to improve on the storytelling, which is saying something. It's a treasure of the horror genre, the best film in the Subspecies saga and one of the best in the entire Full Moon library.

***** out of ***** Highly recommended.

The Omen: 1976

Starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick and David Warner.

Directed by Richard Donner

For a great many people, the peace and love movement launched in earnest in 1967 with the Summer of Love - and, in a larger, ideological sense, the innocence of the 1960's - came to an ugly end on an eerily silent August night in 1969, when Charles Manson sent his followers into the Hollywood hills on a mission of murder. Even the success of the Woodstock festival several weeks later couldn't quell the tide of rising tensions.

This may seem an odd note on which to launch a review of what's essentially a mainstream occult horror flick about the Antichrist, but bear with me.

Between 1967 and 1974, the mood in the United States had undergone a dramatic shift away from the sensibilities distinguishing the early days of the Hippie movement. There was the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the aforementioned Manson cult crimes, the Kent State shootings, Watergate and the eventual resignation of Richard Nixon.

All of these events were underscored by the escalating violence in Vietnam, with American combat troops being deployed in earnest by 1965 and reaching an all time high by April of 1969. The voices of the flower children were being drowned out by an increased chorus of disillusionment with the status quo. Everything from our government to class division to the patriarchy was viewed through an increasingly conspiratorial filter.

Small wonder then that, in 1968, Roman Polanski delivered such an impressive cultural touchstone with his film adaptation of Ira Levin's novel Rosemary's Baby. Here was a film with definite sociopolitical undertones, as young wife and expectant parent Rosemary Woodhouse finds herself increasingly paranoid as the target of a conspiracy, one which proves to be all too real. A husband offering her as a vessel to further his own career, a satanic society which assigns her the role of mother, whether she wants it or not, forcing her to eventually accept on her own terms. The politics were there. Clearly the times they were a' changing, as Dylan crooned.

By the time Richard Donner's The Omen arrived in theaters in post-Watergate 1976, there was fertile ground to plow. Aside from the quality of the finished film, I think that had as much to do with why this attempt to cash in on the rising interest in occult stories begun by Polanski's film (and pushed to new heights by the brilliant The Exorcist several years earlier) ultimately earned a place as a horror classic. The message of The Omen is both direct and brilliant, delivered with perfect timing: The son of the devil is among us and he's going to be a politician.

The story: American politico Robert Thorn (A superb Gregory Peck, who embraces the material without a shred of condescension), finds himself awaiting the birth of his child in a Catholic-run Roman hospital on June 6th, at 6am. He is informed by the head priest his son was stillborn. Wracked with grief and concerned how this news will effect his wife Kathy's mental state, Thorn is at a loss about what to do.

The priest offers a solution: Another child -born in the same moment to a mother who died as a result- could be adopted in secret. It is observed the child even bears a striking resemblance to Thorn. His wife would never need to know. Desperate to protect her and have a family, Thorn agrees.

Everyone reading this likely knows the rest of the story by now. Three sequels (including a made for television movie that stands as one of history's greatest mistakes), a 2006 remake and a short lived TV series later, it's practically impossible for a horror fan over the age of ten to not be familiar with The Omen.

The kid - who they name Damien- grows up. For the first few years, the Thorns enjoy an idyllic existence. Robert is promoted to Ambassador to Great Britain (where the majority of the film is set). They purchase a beautiful mansion there and settle in. Kathy appears none the wiser regarding her husband's deception.

Beginning with his fifth birthday, a series of increasingly gruesome accidents seemingly centered around young Damien begin to occur, setting the lives of the family on a course of violence and tragedy. As death begins to intrude more prominently and the nature of the evil surrounding the child encroaches, forces conspiring to eliminate the parents and allow Damien to inherit their power begin to reveal themselves.

The cast is excellent, much better than exploitation material like this usually boasts. Lee Remick is engaging and ultimately someone the audience deeply sympathizes with as Kathy, Robert's doomed wife, who suspects there's something not right about her son. As already noted, Gregory Peck brings every bit of his regal, commanding presence to the screen, investing Robert with both a sense of authority and a deep humanity rare for this sub-genre. There's a moment late in the film when he weeps for his wife that, to this day, is one of the most heart wrenching scenes I've ever watched. The grief he essays is tangible.

Billie Whitelaw shows up in the second act as a new nanny - Ms. Baylock- who the audience quickly comes to understand is well aware of Damien's origins. She's there's to protect and nurture him, with her life if necessary. Whitelaw is a formidable, terrifying presence, providing the film with some of its more unsettling moments.

But the MVP of the film has to be marvelous British character actor David Warner. It's because of this role that I became a fan of his work in the first place. Here he inhabits the role of Jennings, a photographer who begins to unravel the dark mystery surrounding the birth of Damien, prompted by bizarre blemishes in his photographs which seem to predict each new death. Warner's dry delivery and energy are infectious. The best sequences in the film are those where he and Peck are paired up, traveling Europe to track down the truth about the boy.

The score is phenomenal. The late, great Jerry Goldsmith was tapped to provide the music and his work here earned him a thoroughly deserved Academy Award win. The opening theme - "Ave Satani" - has since transcended mere commercial success to become a familiar, often copied musical motif that's instantly recognizable in the present.

Director Richard Donner - who I list alongside John Badham as an under-appreciated genius - does a fantastic job weaving his visual narrative along with David Seltzer's intelligent screenplay, drawing top notch performances out of his cast. I think modern audiences may tend to overlook how remarkable a career Donner has had. His next film was Superman the Movie and he went on to direct all four Lethal Weapon films. Never is his ability behind the camera more evident than with The Omen. With this film, Donner efficiently continued the brand of mainstream, blockbuster horror ushered in with Jaws the previous year.

An astonishing quality The Omen possesses is an uncanny ability to successfully balance spectacular set pieces with mood and atmosphere. The deaths in this film are successively more brutal, usually depicted as the consequence a series of events the audience knows are diabolical in origin but appear to be unfortunate accidents to the unaware. Possibly the best example of this is the now famous, tone-defining sequence where a sudden lightning storm abruptly develops on a clear afternoon, terrorizing an errant priest who had attempted to warn Robert Thorn about Damien. As an unseen, malevolent force hurls deliberately aimed lighting bolts at him, the terrified man scrambles frantically to find sanctuary in a local church, only to set up a shocking impalement moments later.

Yet, that isn't why the scene works. What powers it is everything that came before. The gradual introduction of the priest, the sinister undertones carried by his cryptic remarks as he stalks Thorn, the electrifying moment when people entering Thorn's office drown out his admission that Damien's mother was a jackal. The groundwork is carefully laid. This is how it goes the entire film. By the time the special effects kick in and the ghastly deaths are happening, we're already invested and unnerved.

Compare that to a more modern film series like Final Destination (which one hundred percent owes its approach to elaborate onscreen kills to The Omen franchise). Those are fun films to watch, but they work in a superficial, "how-can-we-top-the-last-death" capacity. With The Omen, Donner is far more interested in telling a very scary story about inexplicable, supernatural events and populating it with believable human beings. The violence is a natural outgrowth of that, not the reason for the film to exist in the first place.

There are countless movies which employ the devil as the heavy. Few of them match the class, power and effectiveness of The Omen. Not only did it expertly tap into the collective wariness regarding politics in the mid 1970's (while simultaneously capitalizing on a cultural surge in religious themes. DePalma's terrific adaptation of Carrie would also effectively show faith leading to dark directions via a breathtaking performance from Piper Laurie the same year), if anything it's even more relevant in the current political climate. That's the defining quality of a true classic- it stands the test of time.

The Omen is a movie every horror fan should have in their collection.

***** out of ***** of five stars.

Legion: The Exorcist III 1990 Starring George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Nicol Williamson.

Written and Directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel Legion.

I have a list I've compiled over the years consisting of movies I feel were grotesquely underappreciated in their initial release. Not too long ago, readers read an earlier piece I wrote about one such title - the late Tobe Hooper's fantastic science fiction horror opus Lifeforce.

The film I'm discussing today isn't merely on that list, it holds the top spot. The Exorcist III (originally titled Legion: The Exorcist III after the novel it's based on, but shortened to just The Exorcist III on screen and in later promotional materials) is the definitive example of a sequel hampered by both the poor reputation of an immediate predecessor (which this film thankfully ignores entirely) and a cinematic climate that didn't really have much room for this sort of film at the time. In a bit, I'll break down some of the specific reasons why I regard this film not only as an equal to the original but a masterpiece in its own right.

First, a brief synopsis: Some seventeen years have elapsed since Father Damian Karras tumbled to his death down the unforgiving concrete steps behind the McNeil home at the climax of The Exorcist. As the story opens, it's the anniversary of his passing. Damian's surviving friends Detective Kinderman (George C. Scott, inheriting the role from the late J. Lee Cobb and making it entirely his own) and Father Dyer (Ed Flanders, taking over from William O' Malley, the sad eyed priest who we last saw watching the McNeil's drive away before taking a look look down those fateful steps in the final moments of 1973 film) mark the occasion by meeting for their annual tradition of seeing a movie and cheering one another up.

While the plot thread about the friendship between the detective and priest is introduced, we also learn a series of gruesome, ritualistic slayings are occurring in Georgetown. Kinderman recognizes the style of the killings as the work of a long-since executed psychopath known as the Gemini Killer, a case he personally worked on. Even more baffling, fingerprints at the crime scenes reveal different people committed each murder.

After Father Dyer falls ill and is hospitalized, he is targeted by the killer(s). This leads a devastated Kinderman to investigate the hospital. While there, he is approached by one of the doctors, who explains to the detective an unidentified patient -who was found wandering in a catatonic state seventeen years earlier- has recently awoken from his stupor, reacting violently and claiming to be the Gemini Killer.

Kinderman meets with the man (referred to only as "Patient X") and makes a horrifying discovery: By all outward appearances, the stranger is the presumably dead Damian Karras.

As if all of that weren't enough plot for at least two films, there's yet another sub-plot involving another priest with the same diocese as Karras and Dyer (Nicol Williamson), who receives a series of supernatural warnings indicating he will soon be tasked with battling the forces of evil.

This sounds like the film is overstuffed and, on paper, one can see where Legion would appear to be biting off more than it can chew. Except it doesn't. Blatty does a terrific job crafting a tightly wound, measured screenplay that's equal parts dramatic tension and terrifying supernatural horror. The same goes for his direction, which is on a par with the work William Friedkin put in behind the camera on the first movie. Every one of those plot points come together, delivering a conclusion that's as intellectually satisfying as it is emotionally rewarding.

The cast is sensational from top to bottom, with everyone treating the material with respect, allowing their performances to carry a necessary degree of gravitas. Scott and Flanders in particular do a fine job of conveying a sense that these are indeed the same men, only with seventeen more years of life experience since we last saw them. Jason Miller - who reprises his role as Karras- does a tremendous job of investing his character with a sense of anguish while avoiding an overstep into caricature.

That's important, because Legion isn't some teen-oriented slasher flick or an exploitation piece splashed with gore. I suspect that's part of why it initially received mixed reviews and only performed modestly at the box office. In 1990, horror was coming off the slasher boom and, in many circles, was regarded as something of an embarrassment. Movies like Silence of the Lambs (which, let's be honest, is clearly a horror film) were released with marketing that presented them more as psychological thrillers. Horror had become disreputable. Late entry horror sequels - particularly one following the dumpster fire that was the awful Exorcist II: The Heretic - were seen as a particular waste of time.

And therein lies the problem. Legion is so much more than that, but most moviegoers of the time didn't give it a chance and dismissive critics sank it before it could find a broader audience. The truth is, this is a perceptive, deliberately paced, absolutely terrifying adult horror film exploring the concepts of God, the devil, faith and human nature. It's both a clever detective thriller (as Kinderman uncovers the motivation behind the murders, the direct connection to the events of the original film becomes much more obvious and it is thoroughly chilling) and a top notch fright flick.

Blatty had been involved with several film productions by the time this was made (other film credits he boasted were screenwriting work on A Shot in the Dark and The Ninth Configuration) and his understanding of how to cultivate atmosphere is evident in every scene. There's an eerie, ominous quality to much of this film. In one brilliant sequence (which has in the years since been singled out as as setting up one of the greatest scares in horror film history), Blatty uses the general unease most people feel towards hospitals combined with an extended scene shot in almost complete silence to put the audience on edge. This is a lot more sophisticated than that III in the title suggests.

Not everything in the movie is a bulls-eye. The sub plot with Father Morning (the aforementioned priest receiving the dire visions of the evil to come) seems thrown together to fulfill the exorcism promise of the title (indeed, this is precisely what Blatty claimed the studio did when discussing the film years later). Although Nicol Williamson does the best he can, he really isn't given much to do besides walk through fairly standard exorcism flick cliches. I didn't find his story line nearly as absorbing as those of Kinderman and Patient X/Karras.

And that leads me to the greatest joy this movie delivers. Some of you reading this are already fans of this movie and I'm guessing you've been waiting for me to address the performance of one actor in particular. Of course I'm referring to Brad Dourif.

Yes, that Brad Dourif. The voice of Chucky. He delivers a terrifying, utterly mesmerizing turn as The Gemini Killer, who - we're told - Kinderman can see in his true form instead of Karras if he looks with the eyes of belief. This leads to the most compelling moments of the film, a series of emotionally charged conversations between the men where the Gemini- now graced with a young Dourif's face- confronts Kinderman and taunts the detective in regards to his disbelief.

I consider it to be one of the most egregious oversights in the movie industry that Dourif received no award recognition of any kind for this role (though Blatty did win a Saturn award for his work on the film). His presence works in the same capacity as Anthony Hopkins in the Silence of the Lambs - with limited screen time, Dourif manages to create the most memorable character in the movie. His acting in these scenes operates on such a higher tier than anyone could reasonably have expected that I'm willing to point at his complete lack of specific recognition as proof there has been a long-simmering bias toward horror on the part of mainstream Hollywood. In a fair and equitable industry, Dourif would at the very least have been awarded a Golden Globe. No, that isn't hyperbole because, yes, he really is that damned good in the part.

Don't take my word for it. Rent or buy a copy of the film and see for yourself. I recommend the terrific Scream Factory Blu Ray release from a few years back. That includes an alternate extended directors cut as well (for the record, I prefer the theatrical version).

Legion had a long and difficult road to the big screen. It went through several potential directors (at one point both William Friedkin and John Carpenter were considered for directorial duties) before Blatty stepped in. Conceived by the author early in the 1980's first as a screenplay, then developed by him into a novel which he again adapted into a screenplay, it was sadly met with relative indifference at the time of its initial release.

The film has developed a strong and well-deserved fan base in the years since. This is not some cash grab, lackluster, throwaway sequel. What we have here is a smart, scary movie honoring the legacy of the original while carving out its own identity. Of all the films to carry the name, this is the one that operates as a true equal to the 1973 classic. Horror fans in search of a frightening experience in solid cinematic storytelling should make it a priority to check this one out.

****1/2 stars out of *****

Lifeforce Released: 1985 Directed by: Tobe Hooper Written by: Dan O' Bannon and Don Jakoby Starring: Steve Railsback; Peter Firth; Aubrey Morris; Mathilda May; Patrick Stewart

After Poltergeist was released to critical and box office success in 1982, director Tobe Hooper was a hot commodity.* Having already established himself as a genre master with his debut film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the twisted backwoods horror Eaten Alive (which featured an early appearance by a very young Robert Englund), a superb television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot and the underappreciated (and unnervingly creepy) classic The Funhouse, his collaboration with Steven Spielberg seemed to set Hooper on a much deserved and long overdue transition into the mainstream spotlight.

So it's small wonder he set his sights on directing a film adaptation of Colin Wilson's 1976 Sci-Fi/Horror novel Space Vampires. Hooper inked a multi-picture deal with then-rising film studio Cannon Pictures, who poured into the project what was likely the most money they had allotted to a single production at that time. Alien co-creator Dan O'Bannon was hired to write the screenplay with Don Jakoby. With an established horror director in place, a genre-favorite screenwriter on board and a solid budget, it appeared as if the so re-named Lifeforce couldn't lose.

It did. Big time. At the time a critical and box office failure, there persists to this day rumors the poor reception to Lifeforce was part of why Hooper eventually agreed to film the sequel to Texas Chainsaw for Cannon. Despite his best efforts to stay in the game, the director never quite reached the heights he had in the seventies and early eighties, with only the early 21st century remake The Toolbox Murders earning Hooper the level of recognition and praise he'd received in his earlier years.

In a similar manner, Cannon fell into disrepair.** Lifeforce was one of several flops (another was the ill-fated 1986 remake of Invaders from Mars, which Hooper also directed) draining the resources of the company. Eventually reduced to producing grade C film franchises like American Ninja and the late entry Death Wish sequels to stay afloat, they inevitably declared bankruptcy.

I consider this to be an absolute travesty, in no small measure due to my love for Hooper as an artisan. I have no clue as to what was keeping audiences away from Lifeforce in 1985, but I'm thrilled a loyal and ever-increasing fan base has emerged surrounding the film in the decades since, because it is- and always was- an amazing motion picture.

The story finds Commander Carlsen (a terrific Steve Railsback, who most fans will recognize from his chilling performance as Charles Manson in the superb 1976 miniseries Helter Skelter) of the of space shuttle Churchill leading a joint American/ British mission to explore Halley's Comet.

Upon approaching the comet, the crew detects an extraterrestrial ship one hundred and fifty miles long inside the comma. They disembark to explore the craft and discover thousands of fossilized corpses floating inside, all of which resemble giant bats.

Even more unsettling is the discovery of what appear to be three humans- a female and two males- perfectly preserved and encased in some sort of crystallized force fields. The crew takes the three humanoids back to the Churchill, along with one of the bat-like extraterrestrials.

Events then slip forward to a month later, with the Churchill (long since having fallen out of communication with Earth) appearing in orbit. The ship comes in on a pre-programmed course and another shuttle is sent up to investigate. It's revealed a fire has gutted the Churchill, killing everyone on board. Eerily intact are the three humanoids from the alien spacecraft.

The three bodies are taken to London for examination. There, while under watch in the early morning hours, the female awakens and sucks the life out of a security guard. Energized by the life force she has stolen, she powers her way out of the building and steals into the night.

Meanwhile, the murdered security guard comes back to life. In a spectacular sequence, his emaciated corpse sits upright, grabs a doctor performing an autopsy on him and - with a brilliant display of light and sound- sucks the man dry until all that remains is a withered husk.

As the British scientists begin to realize each successive victim will awaken after two hours and claim other victims - who will themselves awakenand drain the life from fresh victims- word arrives the escape pod from the Churchill has touched down in Texas. It's sole occupant? Commander Carlsen.

The British government brings Carlsen in and fills him in on what's transpired. Teaming with Colin Caine of British Intelligence ( Peter Firth, who essays his character with an unwavering conviction and diligence), Carlsen races against the clock in an effort to deduce what the female space vampire will do next and how to stop her. Along the way, secrets are revealed concerning what really happened on board the Churchill after it lost contact with Earth as the depth of the horror facing humankind becomes terrifyingly clear.

It reads as if I've given away the movie. Trust me, I haven't. There's a lot going on here and one thing I admired a great deal about Lifeforce is how skillfully the writers and Hooper were able to balance the various plot threads, eventually bringing them together for an epic, apocalyptic finale. There's no padding in the film- everything goes somewhere and, in the end, it all pays off.

The cast is excellent. Railsback is convincing as a tormented, tortured soul who somehow needs this alien monster while being aware of the threat she poses. As mentioned earlier, Firth is full of steel as the intelligence officer, investing his character with believable authority. There's excellent supporting work from British favorite Aubrey Morris as a liason to the Prime Minister and a wonderful early turn from none other than Sir Patrick Stewart as the director of an asylum.

Equally impressive is how the movie handles the presence of Mathilda May, who occupies the role of the female space creature. May is an absolute beauty and the screenplay requires her to spend much of her time fully nude. There's no part of her naked body we do not see on multiple occasions.

Yet, there's no sense of eroticism. While overpowering sexuality is addressed directly in the film as the force which she uses to control human beings, Hooper manages to put this frankly breathtakingly beautiful woman on screen without having the film leer at her. She is presented as something both dangerous and entirely inhuman. In the hands of a less talented director , this could have come off almost as soft core. Here, it's simply something the viewer accepts as part of the story.

I confess I've never read Wilson's novel, but as a work of cinema the screenplay is an absolute blast. O'Bannon and Jakoby deliver a movie which has the hard science fiction and cosmic horror sophistication of Alien, the chilling sense of losing ground to a pervasive enemy force of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and - by the third act- the full on nightmare of a zombie apocalypse as seen in films like Romero's Dawn of the Dead.

The visual effects are top notch- if there was a better looking genre film released in 1985, I didn't see it. John Dykstra of Star Wars fame brought his "A" game to this project and the result is easily the most polished, high-end production to ever to be released by Cannon. The practical effects here are outstanding and haven't dated after over three decades.

I'd also like to take a moment to address the fantastic music composed by Henry Mancini. If that name sounds familiar, it's likely because he was best known for his instantly recognizable theme to The Pink Panther. The score to Lifeforce is majestic in its sweep and scope, adding an extra layer to an already sensational experience. It invests the film with an epic quality, suiting it perfectly. To this day, I hold this to be Mancini's best film work.

It's a damned shame Lifeforce couldn't find a wider audience and more respect at the time of its release. This is a smart, original, exciting, at times scary and incredibly entertaining movie. Perhaps it was the wrong project at the wrong time. 1985 saw movies like Back to the Future, Cocoon, Rambo:First Blood Part II and Out of Africa released to tremendous success. Maybe the public was no longer interested in a dark, Sci-Fi-/Horror epic at a time when comedy, action and drama were dominating cinemas.

In any event, this film has earned a much deserved re-evaluation since then. Many genre fans who had never seen it are discovering its chilling pleasures for the first time (thanks in no small part to the outstanding Blu Ray package Scream Factory released in 2013) and recognizing the genius in Hooper's work.

Not me, though. I was a fan from the beginning. I'm a fan still.

* For decades there has been controversy over just how much of Poltergeist Tobe Hooper directed. In recent years, some people behind the scenes of the production came out and claimed it was Spielberg's film. Adversely, Spielberg himself - while acknowledging he had a lot of input- has repeatedly stated Tobe Hooper directed Poltergeist.

My take is the proof is in the pudding. Take one look at Lifeforce and you will see clear and unmistakable stylistic similarities to Poltergeist. In my opinion, there's nothing to discuss- both films were clearly guided by the hand of the same talented man, Tobe Hooper. I'd like to see that controversy laid to rest, because it detracts from an amazing talent we lost far too soon.

** The setback to Tobe Hooper's career wasn't the only tragedy inherent in the failure of Lifeforce. That movie serves as a clear indicator Cannon was ready to launch into the mainstream and contend with Universal, 20th Century Fox and Paramount as one of the main.

Dracula Release year: 1979 Starring Frank Langella; Laurence Olivier; Donald Pleasance and Kate Nelligan.

Directed by John Badham

Whether or not an adaptation of Dracula succeeds - and there have been many - comes down to the actor playing Bram Stoker's legendary Count. Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee each put their own, definitive stamp on the character, as did Gary Oldman in later years. Even Jack Palance delivered a memorable turn as the vampire in a terrific 70's- era television movie.

In John Badham's 1979 film, the role goes to actor Frank Langella. Like Lugosi before him, Langella had originally occupied the role in a revival of the stage production which was adapted into the 1931 Universal classic. He was a superb choice. Langella, who is an imposingly tall figure in real life, commands every scene with a hypnotic authority, investing even classically dark lines such as "I never drink...wine" with a dignity lesser artists would be incapable of.

The film - like the play - deviates somewhat from the Stoker novel. Here, asylum director John Steward ( Donald Pleasance, at his British best) and his independent, strong willed daughter Lucy ( a terrific Kate Nelligan) play host to friend Mina Van Helsing (Jan Francis).

In this version, Mina is presented as an already sickly woman, frail and given to exhaustion, and solicitor Johnathan Harker (Trevor Eve) is betrothed to Lucy. Into their lives sails Count Dracula, whose ship crashes onto the shores of England, not far from the asylum. Mina witnesses the shipwreck from her bedroom and races to the Count's aide.

The following evening, having revived from his ordeal, Dracula pays a visit to the Seward home. There he makes a proper introduction and finally meets Johnathan, who we have learned had earlier arranged the sale of nearby Carfax Abbey to the Count.

From there, Dracula begins to exert his diabolical influence, first effecting Mina, then turning his attention to Lucy. When Mina dies unexpectedly several days later, her father Abraham Van Helsing (Laurence Olivier) arrives to find out what happened, setting in motion events which will bring him into direct conflict with his Undead arch nemesis.

This could easily have been a cookie cutter approach to the material, with nothing much to distinguish it from any other adaptation, but there's a genuine respect for the material evident in the film. Badham - who would go on to direct several of my favorite movies of the following decade, including Wargames, Blue Thunder and the original Short Circuit - clearly approached this as a passion project . That affection for the story shines through in every scene.

The cast is terrific across the board. Not only do Langella and Olivier sell their dangerous relationship ( a scene where Olivier openly weeps over his dead daughter is absolutely heart wrenching), there's also a creepy, scene stealing turn from Tony Haygarth as insect devouring Milo Renfield. Here the character is depicted as being too cowardly to resist Dracula, yet too frightened not to plead for help from others in escaping the influence of the vampire. Everyone seems entirely invested in their characters and approaches their roles with the same energy Badham demonstrates behind the camera.

The production design is sumptuous**. Beginning with an opening sequence set aboard Dracula's ill-fated ship ( a violent, ghoulish scene informing viewers early on this will be an R rated, adult telling of the story) the film is imagined with an epic, Gothic vibe which would feel at home in the classic Universal horror movies. Carfax Abbey in particular is a marvel of set design, with its long, ascending staircase and chambers draped in decades of cobwebs. The same can be said for the asylum Dr. Seward runs and the ship on which the final confrontation occurs.

The special effects work is commendable as well. In this day of more advanced animatronics and CGI, the bat effects come off as a bit dated, but for the most part it all holds up. The Count's ability to transform into animals is used to excellent ends here, as are his other inherent supernatural capabilities. With swirls of mist dancing about him like a shroud, there's no denying the chilling quality of watching Langella's Dracula scale a sheer wall like a cloaked spider.

The score by maestro John Williams (yes, that John Williams) adds elegance and power throughout. This is never more evident than in the scene where Dracula seduces Lucy. Maurice Binder -who famously designed the opening titles of the Bond movies for several decades- was responsible for the visual design in this scene. It could all easily have played like high camp. Instead, the sequence is endowed with a majestic quality thanks to William's evocative themes.

I'm reminded of something the late Desmond Llewelyn (who portrayed Q in the Bond films as late as the Brosnan era) once said. When asked who was the best Bond, Llewelyn answered it was whoever the viewer saw in the role first. He reasoned that's the incarnation who had the most impact and against whom all future characterizations would be judged.

I mention this because I believe Dracula works in the same way. I was nine when I saw John Badham's film and it was my first experience with the story. The movie - which was sold as a love story as much as a horror film- deftly plays up the romantic qualities of the character, while at the same time driving home the underlying ghoulishness which powers the tale: Behind the culture and charisma, there's an evil, life draining, Undead thing. Count Dracula is a beast pretending to be human. He wants to dominate and take what he desires and will destroy anything - or anyone - standing in his way. This film captures that essence in a way other adaptations, in my opinion, do not. Subsequently, it remains my favorite screen version of the story to this day.

Sadly overlooked at the time of its release (The success of the comedy Love at First Bite, which was released only a few months earlier, didn't help the marketing for a traditionally serious take on the material), I strongly recommend this for fans of classy, classic horror.

**John Badham famously wanted to film Dracula in black and white , but Universal balked, feeling the format would turn off too many viewers in 1979. They mandated the movie be shot in warm, Technicolor hues and so it was. Years later, when the home video re-release came about, Badham had the final say and ordered the colors de-saturated, to bring it closer to his original vision. That's the version generally available today. Curious upon learning about this bit of backstory, I tried an experiment and changed the television settings while viewing the DVD, so I was watching the film in black and white. It worked remarkably well. For the curious, I suggest giving it a try.

With the new **Subspecies prequel arriving next week, I thought I'd revisit my Blu Rays of the first three films and my DVD of the fourth ( sorry, but that Blu Ray of the fourth is out of print at the moment and copies are way too expensive..They did a good job with the DVD release,though) in what is arguably the best franchise Full Moon Features ever released.

Note I didn't say "most popular", I said "best". I doubt there's an argument against Puppetmaster being the grand champ for Full Moon brand recognition, but in terms of sheer quality of filmmaking, I gotta give this to Subspecies.

What's ironic on a personal note is I actually avoided these movies for years. With the exception of standouts like Fright Night (1985), Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot and the superb 1979 version of Dracula directed by John Badham and starring Frank Langella as the Count, I'm not really into vampires. I've always been more of a Lycanthrope guy.

But one day I was bored and one of my streaming services was carrying the original, so I gave it a watch....and I loved it.

Directed by Ted Nicolau ( who has directed every chapter of the franchise, including the excellent spin off Vampire Journals and the new film , making this the only Full Moon series to have the same director for every film) , Subspecies tells the story of three college students traveling in Romania who are there to study the culture and the people. One of them, Michelle, makes the acquaintance of a young man named Stefan and soon finds herself locked in a power struggle between Stefan and his half brother Radu . It turns out, they're vampires and are seeking a powerful artifact known as the bloodstone.

Anders Hove is the distinguished gentleman who appears as Radu and a more terrifying apparition I have never seen outside of Max Shreck's iconic turn as Count Orlock in Nosferatu.

With impossibly long fingers, inhuman features and an ability to transform into a living shadow and travel incredible distances in mere minutes, Radu is one of the most memorable of the modern screen vampires. As portrayed by Hove ( in every film save for Vampire Journals, in which Radu does not appear)., this unholy creature is a being of pure malice and hunger, the ultimate alpha ready to consume all and demanding to be served by all . A arrogant as he is human, Radu is a surprisingly potent character and stands as one of my favorite movie villains of the past thirty years.

Outside of boasting better than average casting, Subspecies and its sequels/spinoff have gained a strong reputation for using incredible location shooting rather than building elaborate sets. The films are largely set in Romania and filmed in real local villages, towns and castles. The result is a series of low budget series of direct to video movies that not only do not look like they were released direct to video, they actually have a more convincing feel than most of their bigger budgeted, wide release counterparts.

Nicolau does a terrific job at the helm and you have to applaud B movie legend Charles Band for making these films happen with a consistent degree of quality time and again.

To my knowledge, this movie ( and, I believe the others) is available on Tubi. For any vampire fans who've never seen these and are okay with a low budget as long as the movie is actually a pretty good one , I highly recommend this series and this original 1991 gem is the place to start. All the expected exploitation elements are there, but their in service to an unexpectedly engaging - and enduring - story. These stand apart from the rest of the Full Moon line and really have a different feel from what the studio usually produces.

** The title of Subspecies is really interesting in that it references some short stop motion demon creatures who show up from time to time in service of Radu. These things are in fact the subspecies....but they're just supporting figures. They don't have a lot to do with the plot and they're not even seen all that often as the franchise continues. I've always found it odd that the series was named after them, but whatever.

Subspecies rates a strong **** out of *****. It's a great start and a solid movie, but the franchise really hits its stride with the first sequel.

I've always approached the Death Wish franchise with reasonable expectations. I like Charles Bronson and think he was one of the few late career action heroes who managed to be convincingly formidable as he aged, but I also understand that while the original is a classic that set the standard for vigilante films, most of these are B movie exploitation at best and absolute dreck (looking at you, Death Wish V: The Face of Death) at worst. That's due to Cannon Films purchasing the rights beginning with the second film.

Considering Death Wish II was really nothing more than a competently executed rehash of the original ( with more violence) and Death Wish 3 was so thoroughly ridiculous one could conceivably believe it was a satire of the previous films and 80's action movies in general, I had zero expectations for the fourth film. Those expectations weren't exactly boosted by the subtitle "The Crackdown" , which is one of those 80's sequel titles that mean we're about to watch one guy with miraculously perfect aim no matter what angle he's shooting from or how much light there is in the area hit every target - moving or otherwise - while the fifty guys shooting back don't come near him. If the hero does miss, it's usually just a set up for a brief chase that ends with the escaping thug being gunned down in such a way as to convey the hero's steely eyed resolve in getting the punks who terrorize the public.

To be fair, Death Wish IV has moments like that ( at this point in the franchise, I'd have been disappointed if it didn't) , but this one managed to disarm me by being the only sequel of the bunch to actually understand the character of Paul Kersey as he was depicted in the original.

Where 2, 3 and 5 fail is by not comprehending what the original Death Wish and IV do: Paul Kersey never set out to be a killer. He was a happily married architect who sat out Vietnam as a conscientious objector save for some experience as a field medic. The entire point of Death Wish - both Brian Garfield's original novel and the first film adaptation - was that a broken justice system drove a decent man to become a monster of his own, feeling so empowered by the brand of comeuppance he's finally able to mete out that, by the end of the story, he's deliberately going out and placing himself in harm's way in the hopes some thug will attack him so he can shoot them dead. The vigilantism was as much a problem as a solution.

In the opening scenes of IV, we see that Paul Kersey is haunted by his experiences as a vigilante, waking up from terrifying nightmares in a cold sweat over a decade after first slipping into the New York night with his gun.

We see he's back to architecture, having quietly rebuilt his life after the whatever-the-hell was going on in the previous movie ( aside from passing references to the fact he was a vigilante by some detectives in the know, there's no real acknowledgement of the previous films) and involved in a happy relationship with a successful local journalist who has a teenage daughter Kersey regards as practically his own. Yet we see more evidence he's still haunted by his past: His girlfriend would like a permanent commitment after two years together and though he loves her, Paul carries emotional scars from loved one's he's seen murdered and is reluctant to get that close.

The daughter overdoses on a bad batch of coke and dies. This sends Paul after her boyfriend and through him he hunts down and kills the drug dealers who sold her the drugs. Though he manages to evade arrest, Kersey is sought by a local tabloid owner who recognizes the vigilante's handiwork. The man claims he himself has lost a child to drugs and wants to give Paul the resources he needs to go after the root of the problem: The crime bosses supplying the drugs.

Paul accepts and goes on a mission to turn the two biggest rival crime syndicates in the city against one another. As usual, there are double crosses, tragedies and lots of dead people, most of whom are lowlifes and murderers themselves. But not all.

Let's be clear about this: Death Wish IV: The Crackdown is one hundred percent a relatively low budget B movie action exploitation effort. It's not going to win any awards and it's not particularly plausible.

But it has a better than average cast, there are actual stakes for Kersey and it's the only sequel of the Bronson run (the excellent Bruce Willis film was a remake of the original) that actually depicts the character in a way that makes sense as a continuation from the first Death Wish without being a copy of that film.

It's also worth mentioning that J. Lee Thompson - who had directed Bronson in several non Death Wish films prior - took over behind the camera from Michael Winner, who directed the first three. Not only is Thompson better with the material - I think stylistically he's a superior fit- it's clear Bronson was happier working with Thompson, because he's noticably more enthusiastic and present in this movie than he was in the third.

It's never going to be mistaken for a classic of American action cinema, but Death Wish IV: The Crackdown - despite being a late sequel in a series already long in the tooth and having a title that screams direct to DVD trash (it was a theatrical release) - is a hell of a lot better than I ever had any right to expect.

**** out of ***** bottles of wine that turned out to be a VERY bad year..

An excellent 1961 British entry into the Kaiju genre, Gorgo follows the exploits of two salvage divers operating off the coast of Ireland who end up on a small island for repairs, only to discover a giant sea creature is attacking the locals.

They manage to subdue and capture the beast, bringing it back to London where they strike it rich putting it on display in a specially designed zoo enclosure.

However, all is not as it seems and it turns out Gorgo (so named as a reference to Medusa the Gorgon) is actually an infant ... and his pissed off, 300 ft tall Mama comes looking for her child. If that plot sounds familiar , it's because it was the inspiration for another movie I'll be watching this week, Jaws III (Which also borrowed liberally from Revenge of the Creature).

What distinguishes Gorgo from the majority of its contemporaries of the era is that it was shot in rich Technicolor and boasts special effects involving the destruction of London that are to this day unexpectedly convincing, giving the climactic rampage more intensity than most giant monster flicks manage. Even the rubber monster suit is provided with some animatronic highlights, including fin like "ears" that at times wiggle.

The film moves pretty quickly - it's under 90 minutes - so it doesn't wear out its welcome.

A standalone of its type that's one of the better examples of this sort of movie, Gorgo is a long time personal favorite.

****1/2 out of *****

I can understand why Mirrors wasn't as well received as some of Alexandre Aja's other films.

The story is good - the horror elements are handled very well ( this movie does with mirrors what Poltergeist III tried to do, only the execution is a lot more effective here) and - in the unrated edition at least - Aja's gift for spectacular gore sequences is ever present. Kiefer Sutherland delivers a really terrific central performance.

The problems come anytime the film swerves into dramatic territory and we see Sutherland's broken family. Mirrors trots out every single cliche you'd expect with a subplot like this and it doesn't even handle them well. I didn't sense any chemistry between the characters and all of the wife's dialogue was trite. I also felt the actress was a bad fit. I didn't find her convincing as an estranged wife and given how good Sutherland is in his role, the frequent shift in the quality of the performances in the same scene is jarring to say to least.

But the biggest issue I have is with the nature of Sutherland's character in regards to the plot. We're supposed to believe he's a recovering alcoholic and former detective who has anger issues after shooting and killing someone in the line of duty, yet in this movie he repeatedly behaves in a manner that would have anyone taken into custody and placed under psychiatric observation , all without anyone calling the police.

The most we get is his estranged wife telling him how unstable he seems, but she never really does anything about it . Consider the scene where he shows up freaking out, forces himself into their kids' rooms and paints over the mirrors because he knows whatever is in them is a threat. Then after that, he tries to prove something evil is in the mirrors by firing his gun into one of them. The scene ends with him driving off in a huff leaving his wife and kids shaken when it's entirely implausible he wasn't carted off in a straight jacket by large men in white uniforms. And the reason this happens is painfully obvious: The plot requires him to be free so it can proceed. You know the writing has taken a hit when the willing suspension of disbelief isn't challenged by the demonic activity going on in the mirrors, but rather the fact no one had this guy committed.

A good horror movie unfortunately intertwined with a badly written plot about a failing marriage, Mirrors is definitely on the low end of Aja's filmography. Props to Kiefer Sutherland, who owns the entire film with a committed, remarkably effective performance that at least partially savages some of the more uneven scenes with his family.

**1/2 out of ***** stars.

Today's next movie

Full disclosure: Scanners falls into the same category as the original Saw for me in that it's an original franchise starter I don't revere on the same level as other fans.

I think overall Scanners is David Cronenberg's weakest film as a director and although it has a terrific premise, solid practical effects and a good performance by Michael Ironside, it suffers from an uneven tone , serious pacing issues, a bad performance by the actor portraying the protagonist and a plot that ends on an unsatisfying note.

The low budget sequel - which I did not see until it arrived on VHS - surprised me by delivering a better story with steadier pacing, a consistent tone and a far superior performance from David Hewlett (Cube) as the hero.

The story this time finds young veterinarian student David Kellum discovering he's a scanner when his latent telekinetic abilities begin to manifest , resulting in an incident where he unintentionally kills some violent thugs during a convenience store robbery.

He comes to the attention of the local Chief of Police, who recognizes the young man as a scanner because he's secretly been working with a scientist to create an army of scanner assassins in an attempt to establish a new world order.

Naturally David resists, ending up at odds with the chief and on the run after he's hunted down to his family home where his mother is murdered by some of the corrupt lawman's scanner goons , who also leave his father for dead.

David's father tells him he's actually adopted and he has an older sister named Julie. He tracks her down and discovers she's a scanner as well, also learning that the reason he and Julie are so powerful is their abilities were passed down by their parents, the two scanners at the center of the original film.

From their David and Julie embark on an effort to stop the evil police chief and free the scanners under his control, who have lost their will due to a drug he keeps them on.

The sequel - which arrived without fanfare a decade later - is definitely a low budget b movie. No one is going to regard this as a classic of the genre.

But director Christian Duguay ( who directed this and it's sequel Scanners III : The Takeover, which I didn't enjoy nearly as much as this one) has a good handle on the material and he gets solid performances out of the cast, particularly Hewlett as David. Unlike Cameron Vale, the central character of the original, David is genuinely likable and Hewlett invests him with a winning charm and inherent decency.

The film features outstanding practical effects, with a head bursting scene early on that rivals the infamous moment from the original in sheer brutality.

It also helps that we actually get to see some creative practical applications of the scanning powers in this sequel. My favorite is a scene where David uses his gifts to track down and expose a psychopath who's been poisoning the milk local schoolchildren drink , but I was equally entertained by the opening scene where this films "evil" scanner Drax has a bit of fun and entertains himself by making one of those western shooting games in a video arcade go haywire.

This one gets overlooked, but honestly I think it's the best of the Scanners films. Recommended.

**** out of *****