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The Cleanse (2016), a strikingly sincere creature feature about facing your...
MY CALL: Equal parts comedy, drama, fantasy and light horror, this film isn’t exciting or riveting or hilarious or tense. It’s sincere! I was constantly engaged by the characters’ self-realization and...
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John’s Horror Corner: Planet of the Vampires (1965; aka Terrore nello...
MY CALL: A plot-heavy Sci-Horror mixture of pre-Romero smart zombies and Star Trek with some concepts so specifically duplicated but subsequent films that Bava’s powerful influence is undeniable. But...
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John’s Horror Corner: Embodiment of Evil (2008; aka Encarnação do Demônio),...
MY CALL: This was really, really, REALLY disappointing. I like boobs and blood as much as the next guy, and this film has a lot of both… still, I hated this drivel. MORE MOVIES LIKE Embodiment of...
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John’s Horror Corner: Maniac (1980), a sick, brutal, ultra-violent (for its...
MY CALL: Perhaps the most brutal slasher movie at the time of its release (in 1980), this was also the most exploratory portrait of a killer to date as well (perhaps in honor of Psycho’s Norman...
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John’s Horror Corner: Friday the 13th (2009), a remake/requel love letter to...
MY CALL: This remake gets a lot of flack but, you know what? I like it! I like it a lot. In fact, loaded with familiar scenes and kills, it’s a blast that serves as a death scene love letter to the...
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John’s Horror Corner: Pumpkinhead III: Ashes to Ashes (2006), a bad creature...
MY CALL: I’m sure you weren’t expecting much, but this was just plain terrible. MORE MOVIES LIKE Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes: Pumpkinhead (1988) and Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1993) were both much...
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Bad Movie Tuesday: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990),...
MY CALL: This sequel was so… incredibly… not good at all. I mean, what did you like about either of the first two Texas Chainsaw movies? Doesn’t matter. Nothing you liked will be found here. MORE...
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John’s Horror Corner: Maniac (2012), a brutal remake of a slasher classic,...
MY CALL: Clearly this was an ambitious and stylized approach to this remake. And whereas it impressed me in many ways it lacks the lasting impact of the 1980 original. Still a solid film and a great...
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John’s Horror Corner: Child’s Play (2019), the fun reboot of the 1988 classic...
MY CALL: This is so much better than we deserve in an era saturated with phoned-in remakes. I loved it. And if you’re worried about the new approach to Chucky’s psychopathy—stop worrying and just give...
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John’s Horror Corner: Child’s Play (1988), the classic evil doll movie...
MY CALL: This is a classic that holds up splendidly due to great filmmaking, thoughtfully written characters, and enduring practical special effects. Strongest recommendations whether you want an 80s...
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Bad Movie Tuesday: Evil Spawn (1987; aka, The Alien Within), another schlocky...
MY CALL: This was a laughably bad movie loaded with nudity but not overly raunchy, and it at least makes an effort with the creature effects and horror/attack scenes. Still, I wouldn’t dare recommend...
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John’s Horror Corner: Mutant (1984; aka Night Shadows), a toxic waste zombie...
MY CALL: This B-movie movie isn’t particularly good or bad—very middle of the road. If you’re patient with weak special effects backed by an enthusiastic filmmaker, then it’s serviceable. The more of...
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John’s Horror Corner: Extinction (2015), a pleasant surprise of a...
MY CALL: This film heavily derivative, borrowing a lot from The Walking Dead (2010-2019), I Am Legend (2007) and The Descent (2005). But I don’t really care. This film makes a great effort, it’s a...
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John’s Horror Corner: Midsommar (2019), Ari Aster’s emotionally heavy folk...
MY CALL: Emotionally challenging, this was the bold follow-up to the already brazen Hereditary (2018). Great art and great filmmaking; but the film will leave you feeling hollow despite its punctuated...
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John’s Horror Corner: Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993), a Lovecraftian...
MY CALL: An awesome Lovecraftian anthology delivered by excellent directors and loaded with gruesome practical effects and monsters. This was a blast! MORE HORROR ANTHOLOGIES: Dead of Night (1945),...
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John’s Horror Corner: Annabelle Comes Home (2019), an entertaining but...
MY CALL: Overall a fun popcorn flick that falls somewhere between Annabelle (for which I didn’t really care) and Annabelle: Creation (which was loads of fun). I have criticisms, but not really any...
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John’s Horror Corner: Warlock 3: The End of Innocence (1999), the only...
MY CALL: Just plain terrible and completely unworthy of following up parts 1-2. MORE MOVIES LIKE Warlock 3: Well, of course, Warlock (1989) and Warlock 2: The Armageddon (1993). Some other “part 3s”...
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John’s Horror Corner: The Final Destination (2009), the worst of the...
MY CALL: If Final Destination (2000) is a great horror film, Final Destination 2 (2003) is a great horror movie, and Final Destination 3 (2006) is just a fun “flick,” then this fourth film falls into...
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John’s Horror Corner: Child’s Play 2 (1990), an inferior evil doll sequel...
MY CALL: While distinctly inferior to Child’s Play (1988), this sequel remains perfectly entertaining when not directly compared to its predecessor. It does a good job continuing the story of Chucky’s...
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John’s Horror Corner: Child’s Play 3 (1991), Chucky goes to military school...
MY CALL: After the original Child’s Play (1988), these sequels definitely aren’t getting any better. Its victory is in continuing the story of Chucky’s pursuit of Andy without replaying itself, and it...
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