Hack-O-Lantern (1988)

Directed by Jag Mundhra
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Massacre Video)

Satanist Hy Pyke looks forward to initiating his grandson Gregory Scott Cummins into his local coven on Halloween night. Cummins lives in his mom's garage and listens to bad heavy metal music. His do-good brother is a local cop, who has duty at a party also being thrown on Halloween night. A killer (or killers) in a devil costume starts murdering people around town with a pitchfork and shows up at the party to kill more people. The killer's identity will only be a mild surprise. Slasher/satanism genre blend doesn't help this very bad but very entertaining movie. The acting is the pits, with Pyke hilariously awful as the devil  horn flashing grandpa with a bad southern accent. There is a break for an 80s style music video featuring a Motley Crue ripoff band and a dancing girl who shoots lasers from her eyes. Another bad metal band, The Mercenaries, plays at the party. I might watch it every Halloween from now on. 

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2013)

Clarius Entertainment
Directed by Will Finn and Dan St. Pierre
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, 20th Century Fox)

Dorothy is summoned back to Oz via rainbow to save it from an evil jester. He is the brother of the wicked witch of the west and wields her broomstick for power. Dorothy makes another trek across Oz, picking up a trio of new friends along the way: a wise but overweight owl; Marshal Mallow from Candy Country; and a dainty princess made of china named China Princess. They battle the flying evil monkeys and eventually the jester to wrest control of Oz.  Wizard of Oz sequels almost never succeed because of they fail to live up to the immense shadow cast by the original 1939 classic. While this much-maligned film has unmemorable songs, it is otherwise quite imaginative and entertaining.

The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff (1973)

Directed by Jesus Franco
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Dorado Films)

Wheelchair-bound Montserrat Prous is plagued by nightmares of her father's murder. A concerned uncle consults a psychiatrist, who turns out to have his own connections to her troubled family history. As his revelations start to turn more sinister, her uncle disappears on a hunting trip and her family tries to get her declared insane. Maybe the folk singing hippie next door can help? Franco thriller has a modicum of atmosphere due to Spanish and Canary Islands locations, but is mostly a boring talk fest. 

Silence of the Tomb (1976)

Renfilms (Spain)
Directed by Jesus Franco
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Dorado Films)

While a film crew on a remote island sit around talking, the young child of the leading actress is kidnapped. Her sister, who spends most of her time watching the child, receives a ransom note. While the arrange to get the money, she speculates on who the kidnapper might be, since it has to be one of the people on the island. Before long, people start turning up dead. The kidnapper/murderer is eventually revealed, but there is no way to have guessed it beforehand. Boring thriller from Franco is just another rehash of the familiar Agatha Christie plot from Ten Little Indians. 

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

Bounty Films
Directed by Tom Six
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, IFC Films)

After their car breaks down in the woods during a rain storm, two American tourists seek refuge at a nearby house. Unluckily for them, the resident is a retired surgeon who drugs and kidnaps them to use in his latest experiment. They end up surgically united with another victim, a Japanese tourist, and unable to talk or walk, much less escape. Eventually the police show up looking for the missing tourists, but the surgeon has plans for them as well. Essentially a one-joke plot, that has nowhere to go once its grotesque idea is revealed. German actor Dieter Laser is quite convincing as the surgeon, however. 

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by George Mihalka
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Paramount/Lionsgate)

Teens in a rural Canadian mining town plan to reinstate a Valentine's Day dance that had been stopped due to murders that occurred twenty years ago. When body parts start showing up in candy boxes, the sheriff tries to stop it. The teens carry on with a dance at the local mine instead, releasing the rage of the same killer from decades earlier. The new uncut version reinstates all of the censored violence, which is particularly nasty. I can't say it improves the film. It still wallows in a love triangle, is poorly acted and lacks any kind of atmosphere.

The Final Terror (1983)

Comworld Pictures
Directed by Andrew Davis
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Scream Factory)

A group of teens volunteer to help search for two missing park rangers in a California redwood forest. The leaders of the group soon turn up missing after they venture off to have sex. Their bodies, or parts thereof, are found sending the group into a terrified frenzy. They are picked off one by one by a killer whom we only get a glance of and whose identity could be their driver who bullied and threatened them. Of course it turns out to be someone completely different. Very atmospheric rural slasher shot entirely on location in a redwoods state park. The tension is palpable in the group of young actors and even the final reveal of the killer manages to surprise. 

The Old Dark House (1932)

Universal Pictures
Directed by James Whale
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Cohen Media Group)

A group of travelers get caught in a heavy storm and seek refuge at a nearby country mansion. They are greeted by the deformed face of Boris Karloff, then reluctantly let in by a nervous butler who turns out to own the house along with his older sister. They allow them to stay the night, but have no beds to offer them. During dinner, more stranded guests arrive and they gather around the fireplace for the night. Karloff gets drunk and attacks one of the girls. Another guest goes upstairs and finds a hundred year old man lying in a bed who warns them about a crazed son locked away upstairs. Karloff lets him loose and it is up to the guests to stop the chaos. The impact of the film fades after repeated viewings, and at times I found it unintentionally funny. Karloff is imposing but his character is underdeveloped, while a budding romance between two of the guests takes up too much time. 

Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

Electric Pictures
Directed by Anthony Hickox
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Vestron Video Collector's Series)

The story takes up right where it ended in the first film, with the disembodied zombie hand following the boy and girl home (she is played by a different actress), where it murders her stepfather with a hammer. She manages to catch and destroy it, but is arrested for the murder. No one believes her story of the hand, so together they go in search of proof. They acquire a compass which guides them through the time portals to various historical and cinematic eras, ranging from Jack the Ripper to Godzilla. They eventually get another zombie hand and present it at her trial as proof of her innocence, but he gets trapped in time. I think. A very confusing story with very poor effects. 

Rosso Sangue (1981)

Cinema 80
Directed by Joe D'Amato
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Mya Communication)

While being pursued by a priest, George Eastman impales himself on a fence. Despite his grave injury, he recovers quickly in a hospital due to the ability of his blood to coagulate more quickly than normal. After killing his nurse for no good reason, he escapes from the hospital and is almost run over by a hit and run driver. He survives, of course, but turns up at the driver's house to kill his family in various gruesome ways. Gore is the name of the game here, as there is almost no plot, or suspense, or acting for that matter. Eastman, wearing jeans and a t shirt, is just boring, and has little to no dialogue. His last victim, a young girl in traction, gets the last laugh though, leading to a memorable final image. 

Horror (1963)

Titanus (Italy)
Directed by Alberto De Martino
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Retromedia)

Girl returns home from college where her brother has replaced all of the servants and her father, whom she thought dead, is actually locked up in a tower. His big return as a burned, scarred menacing monster is the big denouement, if you can make it that far. Despite atmosphere to burn in a Gothic setting, it just gets bogged down in talk, talk, talk. Should have been better. 

Quest for Camelot (1998)

Academy Awards, USA 1999

Nominee Oscar

Best Music, Original Song Carole Bayer Sager (music/lyrics) David Foster (music/lyrics) Tony Renis (lyrics) Alberto Testa (lyrics) For the song "The Prayer".

Warner Bros.
Directed by Frederik Du Chau
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

After her father, a knight of the Round Table, is killed, a young girl grows up wanting to be just like him. Ten years later a Griffin steals the sword Excalibur and a rogue knight breaks into her home and takes her mother hostage, hoping to gain entrance to Camelot and murder King Arthur. The young girls embarks on a journey to find the sword and defeat the knight. She gets help from a young blind man in the forest and a wisecracking, two-headed dragon. Pleasant animated film is buoyed by strong vocal performances by Andrea Corr and songs by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster. 

Waxwork (1988)

Vestron Pictures
Directed by Anthony Hickox
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Vestron Video Collector's Series)

A group of teens venture into a wax museum run by David Warner. They discover that crossing the ropes of the various displays sends them through some kind of portal leading to the real scenes depicted in the museum. So, one teen ends up fighting a werewolf, another encounters vampires, and so forth. Some teens escape to tell the police, who reluctantly investigate only to end up trapped as well. Eventually a couple of the smarter teens figure out what Warner is up to and try to stop him by burning down the museum. Potentially interesting story done in by poor acting and poor effects. 

Brother Bear (2003)

Academy Awards, USA 2004

Nominee Oscar

Best Animated Feature Aaron Blaise Robert Walker

Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Disney)

The youngest of three brothers in an Alaskan tribe receives his totem, a bear representing love, which causes him much embarrassment. However, when his eldest brother is killed shortly afterwards in a fight with a bear he rejects his totem entirely and sets out to kill the bear. He does so, but the spirits change him into the bear instead. The last remaining brother sets out to avenge his death, little realizing the bear is actually his brother. As a bear, he befriends an orphaned cub and they make a long trek to a river where other bears are feeding on salmon. There is a surprising revelation about the cub, then his human brother shows up to kill him, leading to more soul searching. He eventually must choose between life as a bear or a human. Vivid animation, one of the last by Disney in the traditional style, is let down by a confusing story and unnecessary comic relief by a couple of Canadian moose (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas).

Blood Diner (1987)

Lightning Pictures
Directed by Jackie Kong
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Vestron Video Collector's Series)

Two brothers follow the commands of their deceased uncle, now a disembodied brain in a jar with eyes, to kill women and use their body parts to summon an ancient goddess. What follows is an hour and a half of extreme gore and goofy comedy. It's all an homage to Herschell Gorndon Lewis and a sort of remake of his infamous Blood Feast film from the late 1960s filtered through the lens of 1980s horror. It's both terrible and terribly entertaining. 

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

Academy Awards, USA 2003

Nominee Oscar

Best Animated Feature Jeffrey Katzenberg

DreamWorks Pictures
Directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, DreamWorks)

A wild horse named Spirit is captured by the Cavalry in the old west near the Grand Canyon. He refuses to be broken, even by a determined officer, who almost kills the horse if not for the last second actions of an Indian also held prisoner. Horse and Indian soon escape, but Spirit, now fearful of all humans, still refuses to be broken. He does, however, begin to fall for the Indian's other horse, a female named Rain, but cannot convince her to return to the wild. Soon, the Cavalry returns and this time it is the horse that saves the Indian's life, but he gets captured in the process. He is put with a team that is hauling a massive locomotive over a mountain, which he manages to sabotage. The old west setting is occasionally gorgeous, well at least by early CGI terms, but the anthropomorphism of the horse characters is a hard pill to swallow. 

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

DreamWorks Pictures
Directed by Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, DreamWorks)

Pirate Sinbad makes a bargain with goddess Eris to retrieve a magical book. When he doesn't, she impersonates him and steals the book herself, leading Sinbad to be sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. He must overcome a series of obstacles to get the book back or be executed. He gets plenty of help from the pretty fiance of his best friend, who loves the sea as much as he does. They fall in love, get the book and save the kingdom. Somewhat maligned animated film blends traditional animation with CGI, and manages to be quite entertaining despite some weak voice work, particularly from Brad Pitt as Sinbad, who is completely forgettable. 

Chopping Mall (1986)

Concorde Pictures

Directed by Jim Wynorski

My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4

IMDb Wikipedia

(Blu-ray, Vestron Video Collector's Series)

Teen employees at a mall stay after hours to have a part in one of the stores. A lightning strike causes the mall's security robots to go haywire, seeking out and killing the teens in various grisly ways. Can the lone surviving girl figure out how to escape? Will she be reunited with the cute boy she just met? If you want to know the answers, you will have to sit through this predictable mess. About the most fun I had was spotting posters for other Jim Wynorski films in the background. 

The Iron Giant (1999)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Brad Bird
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

A nine-year-old boy finds a giant robot in the woods trying to eat an electrical station. After some uneasy moments, they eventually become friends, but the robots insatiable appetite for metal becomes a problem and attracts the attention of the government. A suspicious agent follows the clues to the boy's house and takes a room there. When the boy accidentally activates the robot's self-defense mechanism, more destruction ensues and the government agent calls in the military. When they fire a nuclear missile the robot emulates his favorite superhero to save the town with an act of self sacrifice. Don't worry, there is a happy ending, that conveniently sets up a sequel if so desired. Better than the average animated 90s film, but the military stereotypes are predictable and it can be loud and annoying during the action scenes. 

Murder by Music (1969)

Fida Cinematografica (Italy)
Directed by Julio Buchs
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb

When a young woman in London apparently commits suicide by jumping out of a window, her brother and roommate get together to investigate. The police write it off as just another suicide in the drug infested hippie subculture, despite the fact that another man killed himself under similar circumstances. They eventually stumble onto the possibility that an ancient piece of music, when heard under the influence of a particular drug, may be responsible. Intriguing premise takes place in the vivid atmosphere of mod London, including a psychedelic basement club. Romina Power (daughter of Tyrone) is memorable as a spurned hippie chick. 

Macabre (1969)

Delta Films (Spain)
Directed by Javier Setó
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb

An unhappily married wife of a pharmacist is having an affair with his twin brother. They scheme to drive him crazy by secretly injecting him with a drug that keeps him awake for days at a time. They frame him for the murder of his own mistress by having the twin brother pose as the other one. Her ex-lover also gets involved in the plot. It's overly complicated, to be sure, but seems to be air tight, with the action set on the gritty streets and apartments of a suburban city in Spain.

Chicken Little (2005)

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Directed by Mark Dindal
My rating: 1.5 star out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Disney)

Chicken Little thinks the sky is falling and sends his town into a panic. However, when he can't find the piece that fell he is ostracized by the citizens and embarrasses his father. The piece of sky turns out to be part of an alien spacecraft that blends into its surroundings. A year later the aliens attack and it is up to Chicken Little to save them by returning an abandoned alien child to its parents. Loud, over the top action sequences and cloying story line relegates this one to the barnyard of computer animated Disney films. 

Interrabang (1969)

Panta Cinematografica (Italy)
Directed by Giuliano Biagetti
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

A fashion photographer sails to a remote island with his wife, her sister and a model for a shoot. Relationships are unclear, since he flirts with all the women and they seem to return his affections. One of the girls sees another man on the island, who may or may not be one of the escaped convicts talked about on the radio. The girls are intrigued by the other man and make excuses to be alone with him. All but one ends up dead, and his relationship to her is only revealed in the last few scenes, but even that has one final twist. Complex, ethereal giallo reminiscent of Antonioni's L'Avventura in both the setting and mood. Beautifully photographed in sun-soaked color by Antonio Borghesi.