The Tell-Tale Heart (1953)

4 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Ted Parmelee
Written by: Edgar Allan Poe, Bill Scott
Actors include: James Mason
Genre: Animation, Short, Crime, Horror
Length: 8 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I didn't really know this story before watching this, I knew something about the floorboards but nothing else. Pretty neat really, it's about a crazy Man who is obsessed with his old Man Landlord's eye. I love the style of animation used here, it's so very gothic and dark yet claustrophobic in a way. It does a fantastic job of building the tension and sort of putting us in the mind of the crazy Man. It's only 8 minutes long so it's definitely to the point, and the story is told through narration. It manages to be a bit creepy, and interesting definitely worth a viewing, I wish there were more like this one but alas I haven't seen any.

Availability:  not on DVD I believe

Salem's Lot (1979)

4.5 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline: The ultimate in terror!
Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Written by: Stephen King, Paul Monash
Actors include: David Soul, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia
Genre: Horror
Length: 183 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Definitely one of the better King adaptations, this one manages to actually be creepy, have an interesting story and keep quite true to the novel so just about anyone should be able to enjoy this. As the story goes the creepy Renfield appears in a small little town opening an antique shop in a haunted house. Also former inhabitant (an now famous author) Ben Mears returns home to write a book but is fascinated with the haunted house being taken over by Renfield. Our other main character is teenager Mark who just happens to know be a horror addict with extensive knowledge about monsters (convenient). Of course the two skeptics must come together to solve the Renfield mystery before the town is doomed! The atmosphere is great, the fact that it is 183 minutes long (the DVD version anyhow) and it never slows or becomes dull speaks volumes about how great this film is. It even has some rather surprising parts considering this was a made-for-tv movie! Extremely effective and one of the best vampire films I've encountered, I wish there were more like this 'un!

Availability:  On DVD