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The Haunted Palace, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Haunted Palace
Year of Release: 1963
Directed By: Roger Corman
Starring: Vincent Price, Debra Paget, Lon Chaney Jr, Frank Maxwell
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Based on an Edgar Allan Poe poem, this Roger Corman chiller starring Vincent Price is "filled with terror and macabre events [and] guaranteed to bring shudders" (Boxoffice)! A perversely evil 18th-century warlock is burned at the stake. A century after the human barbecue, the warlock's great-great-grandson returns to the family castle where he falls under Gramps' ghost's spell...beginning the evil all over again.

My Thoughts:
Vincent Price meets H.P. Lovecraft.  Two great things that go great together!  What more could I ask for?  I adore Price, and Lovecraft has long been a favorite as well.  Sure, AIP markets this as a Poe picture, but it's actually based in Lovecraft's story with Poe's poem tacked on to market his name.  I suppose Poe was much more commercially known in 63 than Lovecraft.

This is a really good interpretation of Lovecraft's story.  The atmosphere is great.  Loads and loads of props to art director Daniel Haller, whom Corman says in an interview deliberately tried to make the exteriors seem claustrophobic and the interiors unnaturally spacious.  Haller's work really sets the tone of the film, and Lovecraft's atmosphere over gore aesthetic really shines.  Price, of course, is great, as is horror icon Lon Chaney Jr. in a supporting role.  The ambivalent ending only makes the film better, as you leave uncertain that evil has been destroyed.  Price plays it perfectly.

If you love Vincent Price like I do, this is a must see.  Highly recommended.  On a note to the blu-ray, this is as beautiful as the other two films I've watched from the Price sets, and the PBS intro/exit is in the best shape for this film thus far.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

2015 Horror Movie Count: 5

(From Horror/Halloween Marathon 2015 on October 10th, 2015)

The Hurt Locker, a review by samuelrichardscott

The Hurt Locker (2008) United Kingdom Blu-ray (rental)

Overview:
From visionary filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker is an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When renegade Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner - 28 Weeks Later, The Assassination of Jesse James) takes command of a highly trained bomb disposal unit, he frequently risks the lives of himself and those around him with his suicidal methods and a complete disregard for danger. Caught in the middle are his subordinates Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie - Half Nelson, We Are Marshall) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty - We Are Marshall, Jarhead), who can only watch as their leader descends further into addiction: an addiction to war.

My Thoughts:
I was a little skeptical of this one because my old man said that he didn't like it as much as he thought he would. Usually this wouldn't mean anything to me, but he was a bomb disposal technician for his full Army service of over twenty years serving in the Gulf for over a year and Northern Ireland during some etchy times. Thankfully, he completed his full service just before the current war started and he now works for a private defence company. Despite this, I'm glad I did watch it because I enjoyed it. Not working in the field, I don't notice some of the technical stuff he was banging on about and instead I focused on the story which had me gripped. Bigelow manages to make the movie tense and suspenseful in all the right parts with a perfect spraying of both drama and action. Great stuff. 4.5/5

(From Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews) on May 29th, 2010)

Miracles Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

4. Little Girl Lost
A little girl keeps appearing to Paul Callan just before several disasters occur, causing him to wonder if she is responsible for them and, if so, why?

Guest Stars:
Gloria Stuart
Allisyn Ashley Arm
James Greene
Melinda Page Hamilton

My Thoughts:
This is one of my favorite episodes. I was glued to the screen watching this episode. There is something extra eerie about a ghost story when it is about the ghost of a young child. And I must admit... they got a good effect with little effort. just a little bit of a couple different shades of gray makeup on the face of a good child actress. This kid must of been good at taking direction as you could just see the pain and sorrow in her face. I just loved this episode... everyone did an excellent job!

My Rating:

(From Miracles Marathon on December 23rd, 2009)