Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 25, 2019

(1987) Directed by Phil Joanou; Written by Richard Christian Matheson and Tom Szollosi; Starring: Casey Siemaszko, Annie Ryan, Richard Tyson, Stacey Glick, Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall and Mitch Pileggi; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “I was really working overti   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 17, 2019

“Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing or fighting, my friend.” – from “We Can Work It Out” – Lennon/McCartney (used slightly out of context) I typically go on a rant once a year (give or take a few months), so I figured I was overdue fo   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 2, 2019

(1961) Directed by Val Guest; Written by Wolf Mankowitz and Val Guest; Starring: Edward Judd, Janet Munro, Leo McKern, Michael Goodliffe, Bernard Braden and Arthur Christiansen; Available on Blu-ray (Region B) and DVD (Region 2) Rating: ****½ “When I had written the original treat   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 28, 2019

On the Beach (1959) Most post-apocalyptic films provide some glimmer of hope, however slight. Director Stanley Kramer gives the audience no quarter with this grim, star-studded depiction of a no-win situation following a nuclear war. Minus some dubious Australian accents, it’s a solid adaptati   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 22, 2019

(1977) Directed by Jack Smight; Written by: Lukas Heller and Alan Sharp; Based on the novella by Roger Zelazny; Starring: George Peppard, Jan Michael Vincent, Paul Winfield, Dominique Sanda and Jackie Earle Haley; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **½ “There used to be mor   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 12, 2019

(1975) Written and directed by L.Q. Jones; Based on a novella by Harlan Ellison; Starring: Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Jason Robards, Tim McIntire and Hal Baylor; Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Amazon Prime Rating: **** “I’m getting the hell out of here. I wanna see Blood a   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 1, 2019

(1957) Directed by Roger Corman; Written by: Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna; Starring: Paul Birch, Beverly Garland, Morgan Jones, William Roerick, Jonathan Haze and Dick Miller; Available on DVD (Out of print) Rating: ***½ “Throwing in some tongue-in-cheek humor paid of   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 29, 2019

The Haunted Palace (1963) Although the title is based on a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, it isn’t really a part of Corman’s Poe Cycle, but an adaptation (by Charles Beaumont) of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.” This slow-moving, atmospheric movie features   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 22, 2019

(1962) Directed by Roger Corman; Written by Charles Beaumont; Based on the novel by Charles Beaumont; Starring: William Shatner, Beverly Lunsford, Robert Emhardt, Leo Gordon, Charles Barnes and Jeanne Cooper; Available on DVD Rating: **** “While those first Poe films in CinemaS   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 9, 2019

(1963) Directed by Roger Corman; Written by Robert Dillon and Ray Russell; Story by Ray Russell; Starring: Ray Milland, Diana Van der Vlis, Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt and Don Rickles; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “I had numerous opportunities to join the Establishmen   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 1, 2019

(1973) Directed by Nicholas Roeg; Written by Allan Scott and Chris Bryant; Based on a story by Daphe du Maurier; Starring: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***½ “I love the very spine of the thing, the very   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 27, 2019

Seconds (1966) John Frankenheimer’s disturbing sci-fi thriller, based on a novel by John Ely, plays a bit like an extended Twilight Zone episode, with the central message that we must be careful of what we wish for. A jarring Saul Bass opening title sequence sets the stage for the tone...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 17, 2019

(1969) Directed by Roy Ward Baker; Written by Michael Carreras; Story by Gavin Lyall, Frank Hardman and Gavin Davison; Starring: James Olson, Catherina Von Schell, Warren Mitchell, Adrienne Corri, Ori Levy and Bernard Bresslaw; Available on DVD (Warner Archive) Rating **½ &#8   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 17, 2019

After months of planning, Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews and I have reached the end of The 2nd Great Hammer-Amicus Blogathon. Once again, I’m floored by the volume of outstanding contributions, ranging across a variety of films and subjects. As much as we love Hammer and Amicus horror, we   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 16, 2019

It’s Day Three of the 2nd Great Hammer-Amicus Blogathon, and this train isn’t showing any signs of stopping yet. My co-host with the most, Gill Jacob from Realweegiemidget Reviews and I have returned with another splendid assortment of posts for your perusal, with vampires, zombies, Fran   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 15, 2019

Welcome to Day Two of the 2nd Great Hammer-Amicus Blogathon, hosted by Gill Jacob from Realweegiemidget Reviews and me! We had a tremendously diverse crop of posts yesterday, and today continues that trend, with spy movies, monsters, and more! Watch this post for further updates. If you pla   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 14, 2019

Sequels typically up the stakes, and this year’s follow-up to the Great Hammer-Amicus Blogathon is no exception. I’m impressed with the diversity of posts, so far, covering a variety of subjects/films, including deep cuts from the respective Hammer and Amicus catalogs. I can’t wait   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 14, 2019

(1974) Directed by Kevin Connor; Written by James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock; Based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs; Starring: Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon, Keith Barron, Anthony Ainley and Bobby Parr; Available on Blu-ray and DVD (Out of print). Rating: ***   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 30, 2019

Captain Blood (1935) Errol Flynn kills it in the star-making title role of Michael Curtiz’s swashbuckling epic, based on the book by Rafael Sabatini. After he treats a patient from the wrong side, the young, brilliant Dr. Blood is sentenced to ten years as a slave on a British Colony...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 23, 2019

(1969) Directed by Ishirô Honda; Written by Ted Sherdeman; Story by Ted Sherdeman; Starring: Joseph Cotten, Cesar Romero, Akira Takarada, Masumi Okada, Richard Jaeckel, Patricia Medina and Linda Haynes; Available on DVD Rating: *** Dr. Okada (Tetsu Nakamura): “You’re a mo   read more