Reviews

Marvelous fun based upon Julian Barnes' amazing novel with the wonderful Martin Clunes in superb form as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Ed Whitmore's screenplay captures the magic and pathos of the book while dramatizing it with imagination and flair. As the great author endeavors to solve the mystery surrounding the unjust conviction of a solicitor, there is suspense, humor, and drama throughout the proceedings. Filmed beautifully and with careful attention to period detail, it is nothing less than fascinating to see Doyle brought to life and given such humanity by Clunes. Fans of Holmes will indeed find this a rewarding series and will revel in the exciting and riveting story of the creator of their hero and one of the true icons of English literature. Don't miss, especially if you know little of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's real life.

Jewel Staite gives one of her finest performances in this exciting horror film from visionary director Sheldon Wilson. With an intelligent and insightful script by gifted screenwriters Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh, Mothman brings a fresh and creative energy to the notorious legend. Amazing special effects highlight the film and Wilson uses the skillful depiction of the red-eyed creature spectacularly. The dialog is smart and clever and the characterizations have depth and humanity. It is refreshing in a horror film to see people behaving like human beings rather than cardboard cutouts simply running for their lives and screaming. Overall, this is an extraordinary motion picture of unusual power that succeeds beautifully as a horror film and brilliantly as a study of individual courage in crisis.

High octane horror film that takes place on the hellish frozen landscape the ice road truckers travel. Loaded with mining explosives, the drivers are challenged by much more than the ice beneath them when a prehistoric creature rises from the frozen waters to threaten their very existence. As they fight for their own lives and those of their comrades, they must find a way to survive both the brutal cold and the monster that stalks them. Director Terry Ingram does exceptional work with an intelligent screenplay by Keith Shaw in depicting not only the incredible heroism of these adventurers but their humanity and zest for life. A superb cast gives incredibly effective performances and as the story progresses, we grow to care for these flawed but magnificent individuals. The on location shooting is beautifully done and the intense suspense and excitement builds to a fever pitch of intensity. A rewarding motion picture indeed.

From gifted director Paul Ziller comes a starkly horrific motion picture that depicts a college football team fighting for survival against an abominable snow creature on the landscape of a frozen hell. Working from a superb screenplay by Mark L. Lester Rafael Jordan, Ziller captures the individual struggle of each group member and the personal dynamics between the characters in some sensitively observed sequences that will have audiences asking themselves, "what would I do?" Are personal integrity and human values surrendered when the fundamentals of basic survival are at stake? Profound questions indeed and this film does not shy away from asking them. The special effects are stunning, the suspense incredibly intense, and the horror unrelenting as these fragile individuals are tested to the limits of endurance, facing a terror of unimaginable power.

Hilarious spoof of horror movies that manages to tackle the funny bone with merciless gusto! From the inspired opening, you won't be able to control your gut wrenching laughter and the screen comes alive with comedy. Directed with incredible insight into the nature of comedic films and many nods to the classics of the past, there is hardly a modern horror movie that emerges from this outrageous satire whole. All the familiar tropes and imagery are ripped to shreds and their destruction will leave you drenched in tears of hysteria. Certainly the most original and creative horror comedy ever made, this is almost riotous in conception and superbly outrageous in realization. Don't miss it!

Under the direction of gifted film maker Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta gives what is arguably one of his finest performances, one that is indeed more polished than that given in the original Saturday Night Fever. In this underrated sequel, Travolta's character has more depth and humanity and stunning realism. The look of the film is truly splendid and Stallone captures an environment of incredible sexual tension as well as artistic mystery. The Manhattan locations are glamorous yet stark, threatening and inviting, and photographed stylishly. Staying Alive is much more than a sequel and is a magnificent stand alone story of a young man challenging himself to succeed and to make his dreams come true through dance.

Every so often a motion picture touches your heart and enriches your life. This is the case with this humble science fiction film and the magnificent story of human survival it tells. Beautifully directed and with a script that sensitively observes humanity at its most vulnerable, a powerful saga of endurance and courage unfolds before a rapt audience. One can not help but be moved and perhaps even changed by what we witness. With a superb cast and stunning special effects, Ice Quake is so much more than a sci-fi extravaganza. It is an intimate tale of everyday people struggling for existence upon a landscape of overwhelming brutality, before a formless and unforgiving act of nature. In the end, it is one of the finest stories of mankind being tested to its limits and ultimately its triumph.

Brilliant satire of horror films and a stunning horror movie in its own right. The atmosphere is incredibly thick with terror as a ghost hunter group investigates whether an abandoned mansion is indeed haunted. The writing is sharp and funny but there are still plenty of startling moment and sequences of pure fright. At times things get pretty intense but the film never loses its sense of humor nor its way. The cast is wonderful with Ashley Rae Spillers (Last Vegas; The Love Inside Me) giving a delightful performance as the leader of the group. Spillers is a young talent surely destined for big things in the near future. Anyone who enjoys scary movies with clever plot twists and funny moments will certainly love Saturday Morning Mystery.

Visionary director Eric Weston, working from his own script, brings this powerful story of human survival to the screen with stunning style and haunting imagery. The cinematography is incredibly striking and the special effects absolutely breath taking. A fine cast is aided immensely by the wonderful Meshach Taylor in the role of Crazy Briggs. It is a magnificent performance by Taylor and a suiting epitaph to a truly great actor as this would be his last film. The suspense builds to the point that it all becomes almost more than one can bear, with one intense scene following another. Unrelenting horror and overwhelming terror makes for one of the more rewarding cinematic experiences in some time.

An epic saga of survival when humanity is threatened by rampaging seas rising after a gigantic tectonic shift in the earth. Gifted director Peter Geiger has brought this to the screen with vision and magnificent style, utilizing breathtaking special effects and incorporating stunning imagery. Geiger's inspired camera pans a vast landscape of devastation and roiling oceans, with never-ending vistas of a planet virtually drowning. Scientists and technicians build a awe-inspiring ark on which to save the DNA of life on Earth and to rebuild civilization in the future. The suspense and terror are intense and at times the plight of these survivors is overwhelming. A superb cast supports this first-class production, with Monica Keena, always reliable in every role, a particular standout in this film. An intelligent script, incredible science fiction adventure elements, and a prophetic message for our time, this is a motion picture of fantastic grandeur.

The breathtakingly beautiful and talented Alexandra Daddario sets the motion picture screen ablaze in this fantastic entry in the Texas Chainsaw saga. The excitement and thrills, the terror and horror are absolutely unrelenting in this film and the intensity is almost overwhelming. Daddario has never been more superb than she is in this movie and every scene she is in is virtually, undeniably unforgettable. When she isn't on screen, the film suffers for her absence. The camera obviously loves the woman and the director is wise enough to allow the focus to linger upon her visage. There have been few actresses in cinema history who have entranced movie goers the way Alexandra Daddario has and those who have been touched by her screen presence in the past will find this movie very satisfying indeed.

Beautifully directed and photographed on location in Arkansas, Resurrection County is an electric horror movie that is original, creative, and finely crafted. The story of city people hiking in the woods and being pursued and violated by back country lunatics could well be clichéd. Not in this remarkable film. The characters are deeply developed and fresh. Even the villains are much more than murderous beasts out for blood. The humanity of all involved is explored and the extent civilized individuals are willing to go in order to live is wonderfully observed. The suspense never lets up and the thrills come one after another. An Award winning film of unusual quality.

That this horrific film has a rating above zero is outrageous. The absolute sickness of this motion picture is beyond description and the disgust one feels in having it assault the senses is beyond any possible expression. A repugnant, ugly, repulsive, and overwhelming terrible movie. Few films have nothing at all redeeming in them but this is one of them magnified 100 times. The supremely untalented director, Tom Six, is almost criminal in his abuse of the audience. His imagery is unholy in its intense perversion and crushing in its utter depravity. Six should never be allowed near a camera or any other medium of expression. The people of Holland must be ashamed to have such a corrupt film director associated with them and vandalizing their cinematic legacy.

A powerful cautionary film about the high expectations of the holidays and the inevitable disappointment that follows. Director Tom Shankland's profoundly disturbing film demonstrates an insight and understanding of the true nature of a child's mind and is an important glimpse into the dark corners therein. The unrelenting suspense in this motion picture is almost unendurable and the intensity of the horror is sometimes overwhelming. Anyone who has spent a Christmas vacation with a house full of kids like this will recognize the terror and may have to turn away. A superb cast give remarkable performances, especially the young actors who portray the demonic tykes. See this film before planning any Christmas vacation in the country with more than one child.

Jore Olguin, visionary director and auteur, has taken a quite minimal budget and fashioned a masterpiece from it. With haunting imagery and surrealistic cinematographic effects, Olguin's saga of children surviving a post-apocalyptic landscape populated by zombies and killer soldiers unlike anything filmed before. The zombie genre has been overused and is a tired but this is a return to Romero's original concept and it is a stunning accomplishment. The unrelenting horror can sometimes be overwhelming and while it may be necessary to turn away and regain one's composure, this is ultimate a very satisfactory film experience indeed. The Chilean locations heightens the feeling of other worldliness and the sense of an out-of- kilter existence beautifully. An artistic metaphor for how humanity collectively fears the outsider, this is an important and memorable film.

A futuristic nightmare comes to life in director Alessandro Capone's incredibly imaginative 2047: Sights of Death. Capone uses the camera as an surrealist artist uses the brush and creates a horrific landscape depicting a world too terrible for words. Beyond the constraints of contemporary cinema, he attempts to essay a vision consisting of beautifully photographed, haunting imagery and vast vistas of desolation. The cast assembled for this production is outstanding and every performance is flawless. Michael Madsen does a wondrous job here in the role of Lobo and it is a part he was born to play. Certainly some of his finest work in years and even superior to his landmark role in Reservoir Dogs. This is one of the most thoughtful and artistic post-apocalyptic motion pictures ever made and must not be missed.

A disgusting film with no value at all. Why the fine actor Courtney B. Vance is in this piece of trash is a real mystery because it is so beneath his talent. The director has no sense of decency and the script is garbage. Not only that, it is badly made and the acting is purely an amateur hour affair. Never in the history of cinema has a motion picture been so ugly and unpleasant. There is no reason at all for this kind of junk being put on film let alone released to the general public without proper warning. Everything about it is beneath contempt. Vance is badly used and sorely misplaced in such a catastrophe. He should fire his agent and never talk to producers of this filth again.

Totally despicable television program that depicts most couples' nightmare of what marriage counseling might be. In real life, such counseling is built upon a foundation of trust and honesty. To build this, the therapist creates an environment of trust. This horrible train wreck uses betrayal, stunts, lie detectors(!), and intruding in-laws to bring marriages down in flames. The "therapists" (unlicensed sadists) commit malpractice and engage constantly in unethical and immoral practices. What is done during the course of this disgusting fiasco is a nothing short of criminal. No reputable, trained counselor outside the Soviet Union would ever use the methods incorporated into this hellish assault on relationships. The human damage is heartbreaking.

Powerful science fiction film from gifted director Ayton Davis, this is not the usual SyFy production. With careful attention to period detail and the creation of strong characters, Davis brings both the era and atmosphere of the Second World War to life. The special effects are extraordinary and some sequences are absolutely haunting in their imagery. The scene where an ME-109 is challenged with only a mortar is one of the most exciting ever filmed. Joe Penny gives one of his most effective performances in years as the battle hardened Gus, a man who has seen far too much combat but still answers the call of duty. The Germans are depicted as more than an enemy in this motion picture and it is made clear they regret deeply they have unleashed and uncontrollable and ultimately unholy evil.

From director Stephen R. Monroe, Ice Twisters is that rare science fiction television movie that is both intelligent and extraordinarily well done. The production values are above average and the special effects quite good in this film. The script is sharp and insightful, focusing as much on characterizations as it does on horrific disaster. Some sequences are particularly unrelenting in their horror and may deeply disturb those unaccustomed to such intense realism. Mark Moses shines in the role of Charlie and it's truly some of his best work in years. Camille Sullivan is a standout in the supporting cast and her performance is nothing less than superb. This is an unusually stunning film in this genre and is ultimately quite satisfying indeed.

Director Joe Berlinger does an exemplary job of creating a truly terrifying environment in this film and he keeps the suspense level high from beginning to the very end shot. This is an intense film and the thrills are unrelenting. Haunting imagery and some truly horrific sequences are likely to stay with audiences for many years. The cast is exceptionally good and give some very powerful individual performances. It is, however, Kim Director who stands out and gives the film something very special. She is absolutely mesmerizing in the movie and when she is on screen no one can avert their eyes. She is a magnetic screen presence and the camera loves her. When she isn't in a scene, her absence is sorely missed and upon her return the movie catches fire again. Her role here is essential and casting her was a stroke of genius.

Visionary director Jim Wynorski has taken what might have been a boring monster fest and created a truly extraordinary science fiction film. With a creature that is amazingly horrifying, this motion picture is made even more frightening by Wynorski's stunning skill in building suspense and creating an environment of breathtaking fear. Filmed beautifully in the spectacular scenery of Hawaii, the lovely locale is a perfect contrast to the living hell it becomes as the characters fight for their very lives. Michael Madsen is superb in his role and it is some of his finest work in years, perhaps since Reservoir Dogs. While the film can be intense at times, the blood and gore never become gratuitous but still have tremendous shock value. Unrelenting in its horror and overwhelmingly terrifying, this is a film that is refreshingly unique and satisfying.

Stunning science fiction film that intriguingly proposes a sinister plot may be the cause of global warming. Richard Manning's screenplay is a fresh and unique one, full of thrills as well as deeply intelligent. The direction by the visionary Andrew Prowse is both highly skillful and high-octane. He expertly keeps the thrills coming but still allows time to develop characters and lets the intricate plot unfold. D.B. Sweeney (Fire In the Sky) is superb as a tough military man focused on investigating the conspiracy by alien beings and exposing it to the world before it's too late. His intensity and machismo is perfect and it stands as some of his finest work in years. The special effects are breathtaking and the creatures designed for the film are amazingly original and exquisitely realized. While this is of the science fiction genre, it's also a relevant statement on issues current to our time and vital to our planet.

A spectacular science fiction adventure based upon the classic characters and premise of esteemed author H.G. Wells. Talented director Matt Codd has managed to do some wondrous things with a limited budget and the production values in this motion picture are stunning. The special effects, set design, and creatures are breathtaking. A completely original and creatively unique elaboration of The Time Machine, this is a story of the Morlocks invading our time through a breach the fabric of time itself. An exciting idea beautifully realized by director Codd and full of excitement, thrills, and haunting imagery. A gifted cast give superb performances and really bring their fascinating characters to life. A tremendous cinematic accomplishment.

Stunning visual effects and scenes of intense adventure highlight Sheldon Wilson's Killer Mountain. An exciting saga of mountain climbing and brutal survival, this is horror film with strong characters and a magnificent story to tell. Among the stunning vistas of mighty mountains stand a group of individuals called upon to meet the greatest challenges any group of intrepid explorers may have ever faced. Their skills and character are truly put to the test, especially when it becomes quite clear that it is not the mountain alone they are confronting. Haunting scenes of an icy hell, veiled in mystery and a dark terror, will keep audiences spellbound in this sterling adventure. Fine performances from a terrific cast add to the cinematic quality and give us people we really care about as they struggle to conquer the unknown. The influence of Everest and Howard Hawks' original The Thing are clearly seen throughout and the director's reverence for these sources is well integrated in the experience.