Category: Eyes Pried Open
SXSW 2012: ‘Sinister’ is skillfully shot and truly chilling
Sinister Directed by Scott Derrickson Screenplay by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill USA, 2012 Four figures stand under a tree limb, hooded and noosed. Each figure’s noose rounds the limb and attaches to another branch which is slowly breaking … [Read the Rest]
SXSW 2012: ‘Cabin In The Woods’ a flashy, good-natured display of shock, scares and comedy
Cabin In The Woods Directed by Drew Goddard Screenplay by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard 2012, USA If you’re familiar with the writing style and general playfulness of Joss Whedon, you already know whether you will like this film. Not … [Read the Rest]
‘Silent House’: The last 10 minutes ruin an effective start
Silent House Directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau Written by Laura Lau USA, 2012 Silent House is the sort of movie that actresses would like and critics would hate. The actresses would love it because it’s almost a one-woman … [Read the Rest]
Glasgow Film Festival 2012: ‘The Raid’ is an excellent action thriller, alternately graceful and brutal
The Raid Written and directed by Gareth Evans Indonesia/USA, 2011 The Raid is an action thriller with unmistakable, specific influences, but one that combines them with its own unique qualities to provide a particularly potent collection of thrills. Made in … [Read the Rest]
Ricky D’s Favourite Cult Films of All Time, #16: Lucio Fulci’s ‘The Beyond’ one of the finest of Italian genre cinema
The Beyond Directed by Lucio Fulci Screenplay by Dardano Sacchetti 1981, Italy Sometimes labeled “Fulci’s masterpiece”, The Beyond is loaded with more than enough graphic gore to please the most jaded genre enthusiast: We’re talking acid face-lifts, killer tarantulas. There … [Read the Rest]
Ricky D’s Favourite Cult Films of All Time, #15: ‘The Wicker Man’ boasts one of the greatest endings of all time
Wicker Man Directed by Robin Hardy Screenplay by Anthony Shaffer 1974, UK There is no denying that this early ’70s British export cries-crosses genres as easily as it defies audience expectations; even today, for first time viewers. Robin Hardy’s The … [Read the Rest]
‘The Innkeepers’ is a rare gem
The Innkeepers Directed and Written by Ti West USA, 2011 Fantasia imdb Chuck Jones directed a trilogy of horror cartoons (Scaredy Cat, 1948, Claws for Alarm, 1954 and Jumpin’ Jupiter, 1955) featuring Porky Pig blissfully unaware that his life is … [Read the Rest]
‘Kill List’ – a uniquely cerebral and rich horror movie
Kill List Directed by Ben Wheatley Written by Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump 2011, UK A detailed discussion of Kill List risks spoiling a singular and thrilling adventure. But if you are the type that relishes the feeling of leaving … [Read the Rest]
‘Theatre Bizarre’ resurrects the horror omnibus
The Theatre Bizarre Directed by Richard Stanley, Buddy Giovinazzo, Douglas Buck, Karim Hussain, David Gregory, Tom Savini and Jeremy Kasten USA/France, 2011 A horror anthology in seven parts, The Theatre Bizarre is a throwback to the tradition of the port-manteaux … [Read the Rest]
‘The Wicker Tree’ successfully reimagines Hardy’s masterpiece
The Wicker Tree Written by Robin Hardy Directed by Robin Hardy UK, 2011 Made nearly 40 years ago, Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man has become so engrained in the public imagination that spiritual and religious beliefs have actually sprung from … [Read the Rest]
‘Beneath The Darkness’ a painfully earnest thriller that falls into every bad-movie trap
Beneath the Darkness Directed by Martin Guigui Screenplay by Bruce Wilkinson 2011, USA In the post-Scream era, it should be impossible to make a thriller or horror film that does not comment on the conventions of the genre. The only … [Read the Rest]
‘Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame’ a Sherlock-Holmes-like martial arts extravaganza
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Directed by Hark Tsui China, 2011 More Sherlock Holmes than Guy Ritchie’s current slow-motion brawler, Detective Dee (Andy Lau) is a 7th century Chinese sleuth with a faithful bird for a … [Read the Rest]
‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ reinvents bad-seed horror as a beautifully rendered hell
We Need To Talk About Kevin Written by Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear Directed by Lynne Ramsay UK, 2011 Based on the book by Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin paints an evocative portrait of Eva, who’s suffering … [Read the Rest]
St. Louis International Film Festival 2011: Gripping thriller ‘Headhunters’ is the surprise of the fest
Headhunters (Hodejegerne) Directed by Morten Tyldum Written by Lars Gudmestad, Jo Nesbø, and Ulf Ryberg Norway, 2011 Adapted from a novel by the acclaimed Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø, Headhunters is an original thriller filled with surprises. Initially disguised as a … [Read the Rest]
SOS Staff’s Gateway Films: Ricky D, ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’
Throughout November, SOS staffers will be discussing the movies that made them into film fanatics. (click here for the full list) A Nightmare on Elm Street has a special place in my heart. It was not only the first … [Read the Rest]
