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Rose Red, a review by addicted2dvd

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Rose Red
The chilling tale of Dr. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis), an obsessed psychology professor who commissions a team of psychics and a gifted 15-year-old autistic girl, Annie Wheaton, to literally wake up a supposedly dormant haunted mansion -- Rose Red. Their efforts unleash myriad spirits and uncover horrifying secrets of the generations who have lived and died there.

My Thoughts:
Not only is this one of my favorite Stephen King miniseries... it is also one of my favorite ghost/haunting movies. I missed this one when it originally aired on TV... but a friend of mine gave the DVD release to me for Christmas when it was released. Since then I have watched it every year during my annual Month Long Halloween/Horror Marathon. If you have never seen this marathon I would highly recommend checking it out!

Well... I think this is where I will call my Stephen King Marathon to an end. I really enjoyed watching all these this past week. Of course I didn't watch anywhere near my entire Stephen King collection... but that is ok... leaves something for the next time I want to do this marathon!

(From Stephen King Marathon... on July 15th, 2007)

Island of Lost Souls, a review by Danae Cassandra

Island of Lost Souls
Year of Release:  1932
Directed By:  Erle C. Kenton
Starring:  Charles Laughton, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams, Bela Lugosi, Kathleen Burke, Arthur Hohl
Rating: Not Rated

Overview:Island of Lost SoulsThe Island of Dr. Moreau. In one of his first major movie roles, Charles Laughton is a mad doctor conducting ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked sailor (Richard Arlen) who finds himself trapped there. This touchstone of movie terror, directed by Erle C. Kenton, features expressionistic photography by Karl Struss, groundbreaking makeup effects that inspired generations of monster-movie artists, and the legendary Bela Lugosi in one his most gruesome roles.

My Thoughts:
What a great film!  Great source material, of course, but also well adapted.  The performances are really what carry the film, most especially Charles Laughton's magnificent turn as Dr. Moreau.  He is so arrogant, so sociopathic, and so creepy - a perfect mad scientist!  I was also impressed by how well Kathleen Burke channels a cat's body language as Lota.  Everyone else was also great.  The technical aspects are just as impressive as the performances.  The makeup is extraordinary, especially when you consider what they had to work with in 1932.  It really exposes the dual nature of the beast-men, their innate animal nature; their innate human nature.  The lighting and camera work are equally well done.  Truly horrific in its ideas and implications, with more than a little to say about what it means to be human, I would highly recommend the movie for anyone who enjoys old films and classic horror.

Bechtel Test:  Fail

Overall: 4.5/5

(From Danae's 2012 Horror on October 2nd, 2012)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

9. The Trial
Original Air Date: 11/28/2000
Angel is still haunted by flashbacks of his 150-year love affair with Darla and has Gunn help track her down, but he soon discovers that he is faced with an impossible choice: watch her die from a terminal illness or use his dark powers to turn her back into a vampire and give her eternal life.

Guest Stars:
Christian Kane
Sam Anderson
Julie Benz
Juliet Landau

My Thoughts:
Another very good episode. I really liked the story. I of course enjoyed the flashbacks. And thought the ending was great. I also thought the test that Angel had to go through was entertaining as well.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 3rd, 2010)