Haunter (2013) This
ghost story with a twist stars Abigail Breslin as Lisa, a teenage girl stuck in
an interminable loop. She keeps
experiencing the same day over and over, repeating the eve of her 16th
birthday. The rest of her family remains
oblivious to the fact that she continually approaches but never reaches that
milestone. Meanwhile, Lisa endeavors to
pick up something new about her situation, hoping to break the cycle and escape
this existential prison. Vincenzo
Natali’s supernatural thriller borrows liberally from such disparate sources as
Groundhog Day, The Others, and Nightmare on
Elm Street, but somehow manages to be original in its execution. Although we’re aware of Lisa’s fate early in
the film, our knowledge doesn’t diminish the film’s pervasive sense of dread
and claustrophobic feel.
Rating: *** ½.
Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Netflix Streaming
Dead End (2003) This
supernatural suspense film plays a bit like an overwrought Twilight Zone episode, with characters on a road trip to nowhere. On a Christmas Eve drive to visit the
in-laws, the Harrington family (led by Ray Wise) takes a detour, and ends up on
a road in the middle of an endless forest.
They encounter a woman in white and an old hearse, which seem linked to
their destiny. Writer/directors Jean-Baptiste
Andrea and Fabrice Canepa maintain an unsettling tone, and have a good eye for
visuals, with some nice overhead shots that convey the family’s isolation. Unfortunately, the film is hampered by unlikable
characters (who have an annoying tendency to get out of the car and stand
around in the middle of the street) and a predictable story.
Rating: ** ½.
Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming
Vamp (1986) Director/co-writer
Richard Wenk’s vampire comedy is all style, with little substance. A couple of clueless fraternity pledges played
by Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler go to a seedy, out of the way club in an
attempt to hire a stripper (wouldn’t it have been easier to use the yellow
pages for that sort of thing?), but the exotic dancers are more than they seem
to be. This bit of ‘80s fluff also
features Gedde Watanabe as an obnoxious college student who’s just along for
the ride. By far, the best part of the
movie is Grace Jones as the enigmatic head mistress of the establishment. Jones creates a true presence with her regal
demeanor, painted skin and mysterious eyes, but her character is underdeveloped. Vamp
isn’t nearly as bad as its reputation suggests, but it’s not particularly good
either.
Rating: ** ½.
Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Netflix Streaming
The Dunwich Horror
(1970) On paper, at least, The Dunwich
Horror sounds exciting, based on a H.P. Lovecraft short story of the same
name. Dean Stockwell stars as disturbed recluse
Wilbur Whateley, a young man in an old house with a terrible secret behind a
locked door. He courts university
library worker Nancy Wagner (Sandra Dee), but it’s all part of his scheme to
get his hands on an ancient book of evil, the Necronomicon, and perform a
ritual that will bring back the Old Ones.
Too bad the movie’s a snoozer.
The results feel like a short film stretched to feature length, padded with
multiple sequences tinted in psychedelic colors (a product of its time). If you stay awake long enough for the climax,
you might just catch a glimpse of an unconvincing rubber tentacle monster, but
blink and you’ll miss it. For die-hard
Lovecraft devotees only.
Rating: **.
Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming
