After I got to 1,000 capsule reviews, I started working on a Kindle book for them. I finished it but I’ve been waiting over a month for an introduction. And I’ve been sidetracked. The bold films below are really great. I especially recommend Winterbeast. In fact, I’m planning to do a whole review of the excellent Blu-ray release of it.

January 2022

1. Alison’s Birthday (1981)
2. The Astrologer (1975)
3. Blade (1998)
4. Blade II (2002)
5. Blade: Trinity (2004)
6. Camp Wedding (2019)
7. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
8. Death Valley (2021)
9. Eraserhead (1977)
10. From Beyond (1986)
11. Girl on the Third Floor (2019)
12. Grizzly (1976)
13. Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood (1973)
14. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
15. Pet Sematary (2019)
16. The Premonition (1976)
17. Robot Jox (1990)
18. The Unholy (2021)
19. Viy (1967)
20. The Watch (2012)
21. Winterbeast (1992)

See you next month!

We reached 1,000 reviews this month so I’ve been working on the ebook for it. As a result, this got away from me. Sorry!

As you can see, there wasn’t too much that I considered essential viewing. You should definitely watch The Old Dark House because it’s a classic and it’s also a lot of fun. Repo Man probably falls into the classic category at this point. Invasion of the Saucer Men is just a fun and silly film. Braid is one that stays with you. That’s quite an intense one. Look for it.

Most of the rest is pretty good. In particular, the two Bad News Bears films are always worth a look. They are both equally good. I saw I Was a Teenage Werewolf when I was a kid. My opinion hasn’t changed much. It’s not as much fun as it ought to be. It could be that I just don’t much like Landon in the lead. Or it could be that I never much care for these kinds of films.

Magic is surprisingly good. It’s no Devil Doll but what is? The Night of the Hunter is visually delightful. The two Pet Sematary films are fine. I have the recent remake sitting around here waiting to watch. Santo vs las Mujeres Vampiro was fun enough but you can do better in a Santo film.

I might have to rethink Troll. that was a lot of fun!

November 2021 Films

1. The Bad News Bears (1976)
2. Bad News Bears (2005)
3. Braid (2018)
4. Con Air (1997)
5. The Devil’s Rain (1975)
6. The Food of the Gods (1976)
7. Highway to Hell (1992)
8. I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
9. Innerspace (1987)
10. Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
11. The Longest Yard (1974)
12. Magic (1978)
13. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
14. The Old Dark House (1932)
15. One Dark Night (1983)
16. Pet Sematary (1989)
17. Pet Sematary Two (1992)
18. Repo Man (1984)
19. Santo vs las Mujeres Vampiro (1962)
20. Space Truckers (1996)
21. Troll (1986)
22. Venom (1981)
23. Waterworld (1995)

See you next month!

I didn’t do much this month because I’ve been putting together the Short Takes on Great Films: Capsule Reviews of Lesser-Known Films. Or whatever the final title is. This will be version 1.0. The idea is to correct the error of Michael J Weldon, who I quietly curse every time I guess wrong and open the wrong of his two books. Anyway, I did write about a few films.

The main thing to note here is that The Night of the Virgin is a fantastic horror-comedy out of Spain. Yet more evidence that this is a golden age of international horror. It does have a couple of gag-inducing scenes. But if I can make it through them, anyone can.

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is, of course, a classic. And I think everyone should watch it just for Clint Howard. But at this time, it isn’t essential viewing. It is, however, a whole lot of fun.

And then we get to the Tremors franchise. I just loved the first four films. Not that they are essential viewing either. They are just silly horror-comedies. But they are irresistible. And I’d encourage everyone to watch them. In fact, I think the second, third, and fourth films are better than the first!

The problem comes with Tremors 5. The whole franchise is under new ownership and the films become typical action films. Sure, there’s comedy! But it’s of the one-liner variety that we know so well of dozens of forgettable action films of the past. All the charm is gone.

Stop at the fourth film. You’ll be glad you did!

December 2021 Films

1. The Night of the Virgin (2016)
2. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
3. Tremors (1990)
4. Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)
5. Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)
6. Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)
7. Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)
8. Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)

See you next month!

Pretty good month for films. The standout was Benny Loves You, the best killer-puppet film I’ve ever seen. And, you know, I’m seen a lot of them. They are kind of my thing. I love puppets and I love gore. It’s my subgenre.

Also of note is the BBC production Ghostwatch. It’s very effective but it’s mostly interesting in that it was presented as a regular show and apparently terrified the people of UK.

Another great one is The People Under the Stairs. Even when Wes Craven is bad he’s good. And this one is tremendous fun. It’s an interesting contrast to The Goonies, which is hard to sit through.

Sugar Hill is also a whole lot of fun — the lighter side of Blaxploitation. And I revisited Silent Hill, which is as good as I remember.

Finally, if you’ve never seen it, you really must see Them! It is the first and best of the giant bug films.

October 2021 Films

1. The Alligator People (1959)
2. Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)
3. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
4. Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
5. Benny Loves You (2019)
6. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
7. Daniel Isn’t Real (2019)
8. Dave Made a Maze (2017)
9. Fade to Black (1980)
10. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
11. Ghostwatch (1992)
12. The Goonies (1985)
13. Gunslinger (1956)
14. Harold and Maude (1971)
15. Horror Express (1972)
16. The Lighthouse (2019)
17. The Mortuary Collection (2019)
18. Motel Hell (1980)
19. The Negotiator (1998)
20. Oasis of the Zombies (1982)
21. The People Under the Stairs (1991)
22. Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
23. Silent Hill (2006)
24. Slither (2006)
25. Sugar Hill (1974)
26. Terror Train (1980)
27. Them! (1954)
28. Tormented (1960)

See you next month!

What this month lacked in total movies it made up for in quality. Some surprised include Curse of the Fly, the third in the series and probably the best. We also did the first two Blind Zombie films. The next two will be on next month’s list. And then there was a delightful newer film Vicious Fun. Of course, that kind of film is clearly made with people like me in mind.

June 2021 Films

1. Bad Teacher (2011)
2. Beetlejuice (1988)
3. Curse of the Fly (1965)
4. Dolores Claiborne (1995)
5. The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982)
6. George of the Jungle 2 (2003)
7. The Ghost Galleon (1974)
8. Gremlins (1984)
9. Host (2020)
10. Jaws (1975)
11. Jaws 2 (1978)
12. Killer Sofa (2019)
13. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
14. Macon County Line (1974)
15. Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)
16. Mystery Men (1999)
17. Night of the Seagulls (1975)
18. The Osterman Weekend (1983)
19. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
20. The Psychic (1977)
21. Return of the Blind Dead (1973)
22. Rock’n’Roll Wolf (1976)
23. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
24. Shock Waves (1977)
25. Spinning Man (2018)
26. Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)
27. Vicious Fun (2020)
28. White Fang (1973)
29. Wizards (1977)

See you next month!

All and all, it was a weak month for films. But there were some highlights. Get Out, of course, is a wonderful film. I haven’t seen anything else from Jordan Peele but I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Martyrs Lane is just a fantastic film that I loved when I saw it and has only gotten better as I look back on it. The Tenant is a really slow film but it builds well and really leaves an impact. Zombi 3 is a fairly typical Fulci film, but of course, that’s great.

The Spirits of Jupiter and Spookies are the kinds of films this site is all about. They are both weird and brilliant. Find them both!

June 2021 Films

1. Biohazard (1985)
2. Cellar Dweller (1987)
3. Cool World (1992)
4. Creepshow 2 (1987)
5. The Dunwich Horror (1970)
6. Extra Terrestrial Visitors (1983)
7. Get Out (2017)
8. Hackers (1995)
9. I See You (2019)
10. A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971)
11. Love and Monsters (2020)
12. Martyrs Lane (2021)
13. Popcorn (1991)
14. Primeval (2007)
15. Saturday the 14th (1981)
16. The Spirits of Jupiter (1984)
17. Spookies (1986)
18. The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh (1971)
19. Superhost (2021)
20. The Tenant (1976)
21. Tomb of the Pistolero (1964)
22. WarGames (1983)
23. Zombi 3 (1988)

See you next month!

Maybe I’m getting pickier but there weren’t as many outstanding films this month. But the ones there made up for it.

The Babadook is an exceptional haunted house film with a very interesting evil character. I do wish the film didn’t have such a clear theme. But I just force myself not to think about it.

Demonic Toys is one of those great Full Moon kind of films. It’s just a whole lot of fun. Although the plot is awfully complicated. But that kid is just so creepy. How do you not love this?

Four of the Apocalypse may well be my favorite Lucio Fulci film. It’s certainly my favorite of his westerns — and possibly my favorite western ever. If you like McCabe & Mrs Miller, you should like this.

Godzilla vs Hedorah is one of the best Godzilla films. It’s just visually more interesting than they usually are. But note that I’m not a huge Godzilla fan.

Tammy and the T-Rex is a wonderfully silly and sweet film. It could so easily have missed the mark but it’s perfect and loads of fun. It’s the kind of film that Fred Olen Ray would have ruined.

Andrea told me An Unquiet Grave (only available on Shudder) was terrible so maybe my expectations were low. I kept watching it wondering when it would get bad. Instead, it just got better and better. It’s a wonderful film!

If you’ve ever wondered what a Nicolas Cage film would be like if he never spoke, you must watch Willy’s Wonderland. It’s a wonderful, funny, gory romp. The first half is particularly good.

Yor, the Hunter from the Future is a very creative film that pretends to be sword and sandals but is a lot more. It features some great practical effect.

June 2021 Films

1. Assignment: Terror (1970)
2. The Babadook (2014)
3. Contraband (1980)
4. The Dead Want Women (2012)
5. Demonic Toys (1992)
6. Devil’s Express (1976)
7. Evil Bong (2006)
8. Four of the Apocalypse (1975)
9. Gilda (1946)
10. Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971)
11. Hang ’em High (1968)
12. Hobgoblins (1988)
13. John Wick (2014)
14. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
15. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
16. The Last Unicorn (1982)
17. Massacre Time (1966)
18. Munster, Go Home! (1966)
19. The Private Eyes (1980)
20. Raising Arizona (1987)
21. Shrunken Heads (1994)
22. Signs (2002)
23. Tammy and the T-Rex (1994)
24. An Unquiet Grave (2020)
25. Vice Academy (1989)
26. Willy’s Wonderland (2021)
27. Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983)

See you next month!

You know how this goes. All the links go to the capsule review. The ones in bold typeface are what I consider must-see for psychotronic fans. I see that Dirty Harry is not bold. It’s just that the film hasn’t aged well. In fact, it’s hard to see what the fuss was about other than people reacting to what was (falsely) seen as an overly kind criminal justice system.

The real stand-out here is the George Romero film The Amusement Park. It’s shocking that he managed to get money for it. Amazing film with is kind of a documentary and kind of a horror film — but also not either.

June 2021 Films

1. Aenigma (1988)
2. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
3. The Amusement Park (1973)
4. Beaks: The Movie (1987)
5. Beyond Re-Animator (2003)
6. Black Roses (1988)
7. Black Sunday (1960)
8. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1973)
9. Burn, Witch, Burn! (1962)
10. Circus of Horrors (1960)
11. Conquest (1983)
12. Count Dracula (1970)
13. Dead of Night (1977)
14. Demonia (1990)
15. Dirty Harry (1971)
16. Dr Terror’s House of Horrors (1965)
17. Evilspeak (1981)
18. Eye of the Needle (1981)
19. A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012)
20. Frankenstein 1970 (1958)
21. Ghosthouse (1988)
22. The Gorgon (1964)
23. High Plains Drifter (1973)
24. Housebound (2014)
25. Lifeforce (1985)
26. Lust in the Dust (1985)
27. Manhattan Baby (1982)
28. The Manster (1959)
29. My Favorite Year (1982)
30. Nightfall (1988)
31. Pale Rider (1985)
32. Pieces (1982)
33. Piranhaconda (2012)
34. The Playgirls and the Vampire (1960)
35. Puzzle (1974)
36. The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)
37. Shane (1953)
38. Silver Saddle (1978)
39. Slaughter High (1986)
40. The Sting (1973)
41. Toxic Zombies (1980)
42. The Woman in the Window (2021)
43. Zombie Nightmare (1987)

See you next month!

Somehow, the Oblivion films got placed in two different months. So let me be clear just how much I like them. Sam Irvin is one of those great directors who’s quietly built up quite the collection of films. These two films were made back-to-back in Romania — something Full Moon did a lot but rarely with this much success. You should see them!

Carnival of Souls is a classic. Everyone who loves horror should see it. But I do understand that it’s my kind of film. I prefer films that don’t bother to explain themselves because the explanations usually just trivialize things. This one might be even better if it didn’t feature the final reveal, even though it is very cool.

I featured two Russ Meyer films this month. I don’t think he gets enough credit. Everyone thinks of him as a sex filmmaker. But despite some notable exceptions, I think he is primarily a comedic filmmaker. He’s also very talented as a visual storyteller — a lot more talented than some “great” filmmakers I could mention.

And then we have Bride of Re-Animator. Watching it made me think that Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive was kind of a rip-off. Clearly, Bride is not as good as the original, but it’s still a damned fine film. Brian Yuzna is really good. I’ve been meaning to watch his Dentist films.

As usual, the films in bold are ones I think all genre fans should watch. Click on the links to go to the capsule reviews. Otherwise, I take no blame for you sitting through Blackenstein.

May 2021 Films

1. American Mary (2012)
2. Black Magic (1949)
3. Blackenstein (1973)
4. Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
5. Carnival of Souls (1962)
6. ClownTown (2016)
7. Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961)
8. Cujo (1983)
9. Def by Temptation (1990)
10. Eat My Dust! (1976)
11. Eve and the Handyman (1961)
12. The Fifth Element (1997)
13. Firecracker (1981)
14. Forbidden World (1982)
15. The Funeral Home (2020)
16. Goin’ South (1978)
17. The Happening (2008)
18. Hidalgo (2004)
19. The Immoral Mr Teas (1959)
20. Knightriders (1981)
21. The Machine (2013)
22. Motorama (1991)
23. Oblivion 2: Backlash (1996)
24. The Ruins (2008)
25. Swordfish (2001)
26. Time Lapse (2014)
27. Trancers (1984)
28. Trancers II (1991)
29. Trouble in Mind (1985)
30. Zombieland (2009)
31. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

See you next month!

We managed to write 45 capsule reviews last month. That involved watching all of the Mad Max films. I was pleased to see that only Beyond Thunderdome didn’t hold up. And I doubt seriously it was any better at the time of its release. It really comes off as a parody of the other films.

As usual, in the list below, the films in bold are particularly good and worth seeking out. There’s still a lot of worthy stuff outside of that, but there are too many films and not enough time…

March 2021 Films

1. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
2. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
3. A Bay of Blood (1971)
4. Born to Win (1971)
5. Boys from County Hell (2020)
6. Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
7. Color Me Dead (1969)
8. Crash (1996)
9. Crash and Burn (1990)
10. Cyberzone (1995)
11. The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
12. Dinosaur Island (2014)
13. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
14. DOA (1950)
15. DOA (1988)
16. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
17. Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
18. The Fog (1980)
19. Galaxy of Terror (1981)
20. The Howling (1981)
21. Hancock (2008)
22. The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
23. The Haunting of Julia (1977)
24. Haunting of the Mary Celeste (2020)
25. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
26. Kiss of the Damned (2012)
27. Leprechaun (1993)
28. Mad Max (1979)
29. Mad Max 2 (1981)
30. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
31. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
32. The Mighty Ducks (1992)
33. Mother’s Day (1980)
34. Necessary Roughness (1991)
35. Night of the Lepus (1972)
36. Ouija Blood Ritual (2020)
37. Piranha (1978)
38. Ratched (2020)
39. Robot Wars (1993)
40. Saturn 3 (1980)
41. Shanghai Noon (2000)
42. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
43. Starcrash (1978)
44. The Stepfather (1987)
45. Thunder Force (2021)

See you next month!