ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 5, 2011 By Steve Newton There was some talk floating around the Georgia Straight editorial department recently about the latest Planet of the Apes film, and the talk was: “Hey, it’s gotta be better than the last one!” The good news is that, as expected, Rise of the Planet of the Apes puts Tim Burton’s crummy … Continue reading Horror review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Horror review: The Tunnel
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 3, 2011 By Steve Newton Remember the last part of The Blair Witch Project, where the supposed real-life documentary makers are freaking out and running around in that decrepit house in the woods and the chaotic camerawork has reached its jiggly apex and you’re wondering what the fuck is going on … Continue reading Horror review: The Tunnel
Horror review: Cell 213
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 8, 2011 By Steve Newton There's a scene near the beginning of Cell 213 where one of the inmates at the dilapidated South River State Penitentiary is performing his duties as an embalmer—yes, the murderers here moonlight as undertakers—and making small talk with a guard. While draining the blood from a corpse, … Continue reading Horror review: Cell 213
Horror review: Super 8
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 8, 2011 By Steve Newton Super 8 is a Steven Spielberg–produced sci-fi thriller about a group of horror-loving Ohio kids in 1979 who, while shooting an amateur zombie flick, inadvertently film a train wreck that unleashes something terrifying on their small town. Sounds worth seeing, right? Wrong-o, bucko. This Spielbergian misstep by … Continue reading Horror review: Super 8
Horror review: Priest
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 13, 2011 By Steve Newton You’d think after the disaster that was last year’s biblical action-horror flick Legion that star Paul Bettany and director Scott Charles Stewart might have moved on from religion-themed splatterfests, but no such luck. Bettany is back to kick more ass for God, only this time instead … Continue reading Horror review: Priest
Horror review: Scream 4
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 13, 2011 By Steve Newton Compared to director Wes Craven’s previous horror outing, last year’s unforgivably awful My Soul to Take, Scream 4 is one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Compared to anything halfway decent, it doesn’t come off as quite so special, but it’s still a fun, fast-paced homage … Continue reading Horror review: Scream 4
Horror review: Insidious
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 30, 2011 By Steve Newton I’m a sucker for horror flicks that shred perceived notions of the safety of home, that haul their terrors right through your front door and leave them sprawled and bloody on the family-room floor. A prime example of that was Paranormal Activity 2, which earned … Continue reading Horror review: Insidious
Horror review: Red Riding Hood
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 11, 2011 By Steve Newton You may have seen the recent episode of Conan where Conan O’Brien proposed that the U.S.’s color-coded “terror alert” system be replaced by one that uses varying degrees of Nicolas Cage’s overacting to show Americans when to panic. If this new system ever got to the stage … Continue reading Horror review: Red Riding Hood
Horror review: Drive Angry 3D
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 23, 2011 By Steve Newton Fifteen minutes into Drive Angry 3D, I was pretty impressed, thinking it might actually be Nicolas Cage’s coolest movie since 1997’s Face/Off. It starts off with a rip-roaring car chase and some expertly choreographed ultraviolence, plus some eye-popping use of 3-D effects. Too bad that kinetic ferocity … Continue reading Horror review: Drive Angry 3D
Classic horror inspires Drive Angry director Patrick Lussier
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 23, 2011 By Steve Newton Vancouver native Patrick Lussier has made quite a name for himself in the Hollywood horror scene, having edited all three of Wes Craven’s Scream films before taking on the slasher genre himself with the 2009 remake of My Bloody Valentine. He also helped kick-start the past decade’s … Continue reading Classic horror inspires Drive Angry director Patrick Lussier
Horror review: The Roommate
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 7, 2011 By Steve Newton I make a point of not watching trailers for movies I intend to review, hoping to save a few surprises for the theatre itself. If one comes on the TV at home, I look away and plug my ears, and if my wife is in … Continue reading Horror review: The Roommate
Horror review: The Rite
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 26, 2011 By Steve Newton The Rite is a horror movie about a seminary student who teams up with a seasoned exorcist to vanquish demons in Rome. Its plot hinges on the doubts that both the novice and the expert have about demonic possession, and by the time it’s over, you’ll … Continue reading Horror review: The Rite
The Rite’s Anthony Hopkins betters the devil you know
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 21, 2011 By Steve Newton LOS ANGELES—Anthony Hopkins is one scary guy. He can be, at least. Just ask anyone who has seen him play cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. Forget Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees—Hopkins took cinematic evil to ghastly new heights … Continue reading The Rite’s Anthony Hopkins betters the devil you know