Le Spectre Rouge (1907) aka The Red Spectre

4.5 / 5  Jun '11
Tagline:  N/A
Directed by:  Segundo de Chomón, Ferdinand Zecca
Written by:  Segundo de Chomón
Actors include:  N/A
Genre:  Horror, Short, Fantasy
Length:  9 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:  
I can't say how impressed I am with this short French film, it's insanely pretty and engrossing.  The red tint to the film just emits such a fantastic atmosphere, and the amount of detail put into this is impressive.  The film is so well reserved, it's remarkable not to mention the fact that it's nearly nonstop filled with tricks (even if they are rather obvious remember this was 1907!) and flashes of fire.  The plot is about a coffin that sinks into the bowels of earth which contains a Demon Magician (that looks like a horned skeleton).  Out comes the Demon and we watch him perform a few tricks.  He then takes two girls, wrap them in tarps, causes them to levitate and lights them on fire!  Later a Good Spirit shows up to oppose this action and to try to stop the Demon.  It's only a little over nine minutes long and it's available here on youtube to watch.  I highly suggest you hit "play" on this one.

Availability:  I don't believe it's on DVD

Rubber (2010)

4 / 5 May '11
Tagline: Are You Tired of the Expected?
Directed by: Quentin Dupieux
Written by: Quentin Dupieux
Actors include: Stephen Spinella, Wings Hauser, Roxane Mesquida
Genre: Black Comedy, Horror
Length: 82 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I found this to be instantly engaging and the surrealism was quite charming. The very fact that they managed to make a movie about a tire and made it interesting deserves applause. The tire in question seems to learn that it enjoys running things over, but it has even more fun once it starts exploding heads through some sort of telepathy (seriously). The tire also becomes obsessed with a woman as our story goes on. Don't focus too much on what it's about because it just is and it makes no bones about that. It's a very strange format in that there is a side story with the audience who happens to be watching the tire. It's sort of like an essay or commentary that is going on while the actual story is too, it really adds a unique perspective. The odd thing is, that it is effective as a black comedy, it is effective as a horror film (lots of red stuff) and yet it feels like an art film too. Definitely an inventive and entertaining horror film, thanks so much to Happywax (Doomgoryums Horror Emporium) for the recommendation.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Calvaire (2004), aka The Ordeal

3.5 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: Some people would kill for company.
Directed by: Fabrice Du Welz
Written by: Fabrice Du Welz, Romain Protat
Actors include: Laurent Lucas, Brigitte Lahaie, Gigi Coursigny
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 88 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
The plot will sound familiar to this French flick, a fellow (called Marc) is stuck in a remote swampy area in the rain when his vehicle breaks down. A weird Man looking for a missing dog ushers him to a bizarre Inn where he takes a room for the night. The Inn keeper promises to fix Marc's broken van but is very insistent that he not go into the nearby town. Let's just say things get very insane from there, and Marc isn't exactly free to leave. It boasts a strange ambiance considering that the film was actually shot with only natural settings, no studio fixings. Sure it's not the most disturbing film of it's kind but the black comedy touches keep things a bit lighter. At least it does boast a bit 'o blood and some horror gratuity and tension. It definitely kept my attention, although I'd hoped for a tad more originality yet still worthy of a gander. Oh and be on the look out for Euro sleaze actress Brigitte Lahaie, definitely the newest film I've seen her in...and yes she is still taking her top off.

Availability:  On DVD

La Nuit De La Mort aka The Night Of Death aka Les Griffes De La Mort aka The Lady of Death (1980)

3.5 / 5 Apr '11

Tagline: You Are What They Eat!

Directed by: Raphaël Delpard

Written by: Raphaël Delpard, Richard Joffo

Actors include: Isabelle Goguey, Betty Beckers, Charlotte de Turckheim

Genre: Horror, Black Comedy

Length: 94 minutes

Banned: Nope

Review:

A strangely obscure French horror film from the '80s that finally has a proper DVD release from Synapse films. The plot is about a girl who decides to work for this strange retirement home as a Caregiver. All of the patients are oddly vegetarians, the rules of the house are very strict and she's told her predecessor quit without even saying goodbye. There is also a creepy little song that the Headmistress of the house likes to play on the piano and sing, and fellow in the home who is extremely hungry. Soon it becomes clear that something else is going on and she has to make a run for it. The story is filled with many colorful characters and little blackly comedic jokes which I liked. It's also surprisingly gory (now the effects aren't great but not bad) relatively well acted and entertaining enough that it's easy watch. It's just that the mystery is quite obvious and the film treats the viewer like they are stupid in places. Still I really find it odd that this is such a rarity, it's not the greatest thing ever but certainly worth watching for horror fans.

Availability:  On DVD

The Fall Of The House Of Usher (1928) aka La Chute De La Maison Usher

3.5 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: James Sibley Watson, Melville Webber
Written by: Edgar Allan Poe
Actors include: Herbert Stern, Hildegarde Watson, Melville Webber
Genre: Horror, Surrealism
Length: 14 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Even though I've seen other versions of this tale, I've got to say that this was incomprehensible. Maybe I'm a moron, or maybe it's just entirely unclear, and they got carried away with surrealism. It's spectacular as far as the visuals go, the interplay of light and dark and shadows and movement are impressive. The technics used with the layering and reverse cinematography and so forth are also very notable for the time. It's elegant and even creepy, perhaps the not knowing helps this. Still I couldn't help but want more from the actual story, even for a short film. It's something to see on an artistic level most definitely but I thought it was lacking in some departments.

Availability:  On DVD as part of this set:

The Whip And The Body (1963) aka La Frusta E Il Corpo

3.5 / 5 Mar '11
Tagline: The most deliriously romantic horror picture ever made!
Directed by: Mario Bava
Written by: Ernesto Gastaldi, Ugo Guerra
Actors include: Christopher Lee, Daliah Lavi, Tony Kendall
Genre: Horror, Drama, Romance
Length: 85 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well it is at least lovingly filmed and very elegant in nature. It's a shame the version I saw was dubbed (why couldn't Christopher Lee dub his own voice I wonder) as it was a little distracting. Lee plays sadist Kurt Menleiff who loves torturing and whipping and sexing. Kurt has come home after being away for a while to find his Father is less than happy to see him and his little brother Christian is married to Nevenka (his former lover and cousin). Christian just happens to be in love with another and Kurt still wants Nevenka. When Kurt turns up dead from being stabbed in the throat things get more interesting as fingers get pointed and Nevenka starts seeing the ghost of Kurt. His muddy footprints adorn her floor and he reaches out and scares her regularly but nobody believes her it seems. It's a rather interesting film as parts were cut out from nearly every release but finally it's been put together again for an uncut Euro version (which luckily is the version I saw). It's rather slow moving but it does become rather interesting as the plot thickens and the characters are rather memorable and the S&M is unusual too.

Availability:  On DVD

Fascination (1979)

2 / 5 Mar '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Jean Rollin
Written by: Jean Rollin
Actors include: Franca Mai, Brigitte Lahaie, Jean-Marie Lemaire
Genre: Horror, Porn
Length: 80 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I'm shocked how terrible I thought this was, I mean it has a pretty stellar reputation! This is very much focused on being an "erotic" film and the horror/vampire bits seem rather an after thought. Even for eroticism it's poorly done, it's so darned wooden that it's hard to believe Brigitte Lahaie had an actual porn career. On the plus side, it's nicely filmed with a decent camera but I think that's about all I can say. The plot is about a thief who barges in on a castle for refuge that contains two Lesbians. The Women tease him and warn him of their upcoming group activities involving many Women coming over. Of course he ignores the warning and suddenly finds himself much in demand. It's just so gosh darned boring and sex filled that I didn't care about any minor plot details they bothered to give us. I actually hated this, it just seemed so gosh darned pointless but since it is so well liked by others I guess you'll need to find out for yourself...but don't say I didn't warn you.

Availability:  On DVD

The Fall Of The House Of Usher (1928) aka La Chute De La Maison Usher

4.5 / 5 Feb '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Jean Epstein
Written by: Edgar Allan Poe, Luis Buñuel
Actors include: Jean Debucourt, Marguerite Gance, Charles Lamy
Genre: Horror
Length: 63 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is insanely imaginative, and lovely to look at, it's very much art in the form of a film. Great care seems to have been taken to ensure that just about every shot looks amazing, even the experimental technics are fascinating. To add to this Jean Debucourt and Marguerite Gance were spectacularly creepy and both were brilliant in their portrayals. The plot is about a fellow named Allan who is a friend of a fellow named Usher who people seem to be terrified of. Usher lives with a Doctor, and his sickly wife Madeline. Usher is obsessed with painting Madeline's portrait, but with every portrait she gets sicker. The story as it goes on becomes a little less clear, but it was rather gripping regardless. It's hard to believe it's only 63 minutes long as a lot is packed into this film. Definitely worth watching for fans of early cinema, it was beautiful and haunting...it just could have used a bit of tightening towards the end.

Availability:  On DVD

Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902) aka A Trip To The Moon

4.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Written by: Georges Méliès
Actors include: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Length: 14 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
What a marvelously creative and well made little sci-fi film, in fact it is one of the first of it's genre. Georges Méliès is such a gifted director that I expected greatness of this film, but still I was impressed at how well he did. It's about a group of Men who wish to travel to the moon. They work with tradesmen to build what looks like a bullet (but is actually their spaceship) that gets shot out of a large cannon. The land in the eye of the moon (love the face in the moon, every detail really was seen to) and get out only to encounter a strange world of giant mushrooms and aliens. It is just so iconic and the story is very well told and easy to follow, although it is merely 14 minutes long, it's very complete. Highly imaginative and definitely recommended, a really fun little film to watch that. It's just a shame that Georges Méliès apparently didn't receive money for this film because Edison copied it and reaped the rewards.

Availability:  On DVD

Le Diable Noir (1905) aka The Black Imp

4.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Written by: Georges Méliès
Actors include: Georges Méliès
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Length: 4 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really enjoyed this one, it's hilarious and the effects are very impressive for the time. This time Georges Méliès treats us to a 4 minute comedy/horror romp involving a black imp. He flips about in a room and lies on the bed before flipping into the mirror (neat trick). Then a traveler shows up to rest in the room for the night, but as he tries to put away his belongings the Imp has a few menacing surprises waiting for him. I'm really amazed that he pulled this off so well and it was so darned fun to watch, highly recommended for anyone really. I wish all early cinema was this entertaining!

Availability:  On DVD

Le Chaudron Infernal (1903) aka The Infernal Boiling Pot

4 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Written by: Georges Méliès
Actors include: Georges Méliès
Genre: Horror
Length: 2 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I actually thought this was a pretty visually interesting little film with a few tricks up it's sleeve. This one features green demons (the film is hand painted) who are throwing helpless people into a flaming cauldron. Then they summons their spirits to come out and fly about. The effects are pretty cool honestly, and the film has held up very well as far as preservation goes. I like that it is rather evil in nature, and it's very to the point and easy to understand. Definitely a likeable early horror picture from the very creative director Georges Méliès.

Availability:  On DVD

Le Château Hanté (1897) aka The Devil's Castle

3 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Written by: Georges Méliès
Actors include: Georges Méliès
Genre:  Horror
Length: 1 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Wow having just watched Le manoir du diable [The Haunted Castle] (which came out a year earlier) I can say that they are nearly the same film, only this one is the lesser of the two. This version is 1/3 the length, and colorized which actually detracts from the visuals in the case I think, it's not awful but a bit blurred. Mephistopheles is back at it, zapping supernatural beings (one of which is a skeleton) and watching them transform. It's a bit confusing but I guess it's rather basic so I'll just go with what I think it is. It's kinda neat, but honestly I'd say watch the other one instead or at least first.

Availabilty:  On DVD

Le Manoir Du Diable (1896) aka The House Of The Devil

3.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Written by: Georges Méliès
Actors include: Georges Méliès, Jeanne d'Alcy
Genre: Horror, Short, Comedy
Length: 3 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Sort of an odd little film that is maybe less preserved than expected, but you can still see what's happening (perhaps it was just the copy I watched). Mephistopheles flies in as a bat (he's a vampire), then he transforms into a human. He manages to conjure up various supernatural creatures that seem to bother or surprise him. It's a bit herky jerky, but I imagine these effects were quite ahead of their time. Georges Méliès has created an interesting scenario once again at least, though it seems a little more would have went a long way. It is considered to be an early horror film although comedy would also fit here I think. Either way it's worth a viewing for early cinema fans.

Availability:  On DVD

Un Nuit Terribles (1896) aka A Terrible Night

3 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Georges Méliès
Written by: Georges Méliès
Actors include: Georges Méliès
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Short
Length: 1 minute
Banned: Nope

Review:
Kind of a cute little one minute early film about a man who is trying to catch a good night's sleep. He snuffs out his candle and suddenly a giant spider comes out to annoy him. This is an insanely early film and honestly it's quite well preserved, I was impressed. The effects are also a tad better than I was expecting, although hardly amazing. This was my first exposure to Georges Méliès's work, but it certainly won't be my last. A fun little flick that should amuse early film fans with a touch of comedy.

Availability:  On DVD

Le Femme Qui Se Poudre (1972) aka The Woman Who Powders Herself

3.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Patrick Bokanowski
Written by: Patrick Bokanowski
Actors include: Jean-Jacques Choul, Jacques Delbosc d'Auzon, Claus-Dieter Reents
Genre: Horror, Experimental
Length: 18 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well sort of hard to rate, perhaps I'm an idiot (which could very well be true) but I didn't get any sort of story for this. I'm very greatful that others have been able to provide the plot for this, for I sure couldn't find one. It's apparently about a witch who transforms people and tortures others. All I got was a bunch of blurry nightmarish imagery, sort of like an industrial music video. It's an interesting art project, and the combination of blurry shots and gray scale and masks and whatnot do make for some creepy visuals. The soundtrack is very appropriate too, it sounds like primitive industrial music which very much suits what is going on. Though my eyes were glued to the tv I wouldn't say I was afraid or anything, curious yes but that is about it. Let's face it, there aren't many films like this, definitely points for being innovative, many should see this, the style is quite something. Just at the end of it all I kinda felt like "what did I just watch"? If I were rating this as an art project I'd gladly award higher marks, but as a short film...not so rewarding I felt.

Availability:  Not on DVD

Martyrs (2008)

4.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: They did not finish to be alive...
Directed by: Pascal Laugier
Written by: Pascal Laugier
Actors include: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 99 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Yikes, well this is a different breed of horror film, and an effective one. We meet a young girl named Lucie who we see escaping some sort of torture area, she is bleeding, malnourished and had clearly been suffering. We learn that Lucie has a best friend Anna who has also had a rough go of things, the two are pretty inseperable. Flash forward a few years and we see Lucie go out for revenge against the family that kidnapped her and tortured her. I don't want to give more away but it really takes some demented twists and turns here. The story is graphically bloody, it's very serious in tone and it's very bleak and hard to watch in places. I can see why some might be divided on this, but I thought it was really well made, and actresses Morjana Alaoui and Mylène Jampanoï did a fantastic job. The first part is far more intense then the last, but the whole thing I thought was rather gripping. In a way it's treated like a mystery as parts of the tale don't unfold until later and that is what was so compelling. Now I think it would have been beneficial to let us in a little more on the bigger picture of what was going on but at the same time it wrapped up well enough. Definitely one of the best horror films from the last ten years that I've come across, recommended fo rthose looking for something disturbingly different.

Availability:  On DVD

Antichrist (2009)

3.5 / 5 Dec '10
Tagline: When nature turns evil, true terror awaits.
Directed by: Lars von Trier
Written by: Lars von Trier
Actors include: Willem DaFoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
For me this was a rather hit and miss film, the ending I quite enjoyed...okay well maybe "enjoyed" isn't the word...it made me uncomfortable. The beginning I found to be rather dry and up it's own ass (although very well acted) it was rather boring. It begins with the death of a couple's infant while they are having sex (I was shocked at how much we see here honestly), from there it's a downward spiral of guilt, shame and despair. It's a depressing film, and some of the creepy imagery is quite well created (especially the woods and dead animals). The ending was surprisingly demented and entertaining though people watching this as an art film will be disappointed, I thought it had good payoff. It does "cross the line" a few times into silly territory...I mean a talking fox? What was up with that? Oh well it's a strange hybrid of art film, disturbing gross out fest and well acted drama....it was worth watching but not something I'd probably watch again.

Availability:  On Blu-Ray & DVD

Inside (2007) aka À l'intérieur

3.5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury
Written by: Alexandre Bustillo
Actors include: Béatrice Dalle, Alysson Paradis, Nathalie Roussel
Genre: Horror
Length: 83 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Unfortunately the version of this I watched was dubbed, and I can only assume that the subtitled version has less idiotic dialogue. The reason I'm complaining is that I think it was a much better film then they way it was presented to me. It's as bloody as hell, I mean I'd heard there was a resurgence in excessive French horror films but this is one of the bloodiest films I've seen. It's about a pregnant Woman named Sarah who is in a car crash, her boyfriend (or is it husband?) dies in the crash and she's left alone. Though a bit banged up she seems to be okay and even goes back home to rest before her baby's due date on Christmas. Then Sarah gets a knock on the door on Christmas Eve, when she won't open up she's shocked to find this angry woman has nearly punched her window in. It's a story of home invasion of the worst sort, a cruel vicious woman who is after one thing and one thing only...Sarah's unborn baby. It has quite a body count, several gross scenes with scissors and many other disgusting things that happen here that were fun to watch. My major problem (aside from the dubbing) was the stupid cgi unborn baby shots (really was that necessary?), and the fact that out of nowhere one person acts like a zombie (huh?). You'll have to watch to find out what I mean, but if you like graphic violence and gore galore this is something you'll just have to see. I know I'll watch this again when I get a subtitled version, if you get the choice watch it that way.

Availability:  On DVD

Orphan (2009)

3.5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: Can you keep a secret?
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Written by: David Johnson
Actors include: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 123 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well, having just seen the wretched film Case 39, I was expecting this to be basically the exact same idea. It was, however this one is far superior, it's not as predictable (though it's not exactly surprising) and they actually bothered to explain what was happening which I appreciated. At any rate, a couple who have a deaf little girl and a little boy are having a hard time after a stillborn comes there way. They decide to adopt, so they go to an Orphanage and find Esther, a particularly unusual and bright 9 year old girl sitting off by herself. They fall for her and take her home and adopt her, and at first everything seems perfect. From there it basically goes into a retread of The Bad Seed only there is something different about this tale. It's not the most horrific film ever, in fact yes it's more of a thriller but I have to give it credit, it's over 2 hours long but it held my attention. That being said, in no way did it need to be that long but just the same probably worth a viewing on a rainy day.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray