Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on April 4, 2016

(1980) Directed by John Hough; Written by Brian Clemens, Rosemary Anne Sisson and Harry Spalding; Based on the novel by Florence Engel Randall; Starring: Bette Davis, David McCallum, Carroll Baker, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards and Benedict Taylor; Available on DVD Rating: *** &#82   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on March 30, 2016

Turbo Kid (2015) Whenever I see too much buzz about an indie genre flick on Twitter, I get suspicious, but here’s a little gem that lives up to the hype. Turbo Kid exceeds your RDA of fun by a substantial margin. This Canadian-New Zealand co-production from co-writer/directors François Simard,   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on March 24, 2016

(1965) Written and directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis; Starring: Gordon Oas-Heim, Candi Conder, Elyn Warner, Pat Finn-Lee and Scott H. Hall; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: *½ “These things really were almost hatched in a mutual brain. Dave (Friedman) and I might be rid   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on March 17, 2016

(1992) Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait; Starring: Bobcat Goldthwait, Julie Brown, Tom Kenny, Blake Clark, Adam Sandler, Kathy Griffin and Robin Williams; Available on DVD Rating: *** "I remember going on the `Today' show and debating a clown… I couldn't care less about   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on March 13, 2016

(1988) Directed by John Carpenter; Written by Frank Armitage (aka: John Carpenter); Based on the short story “Eight O’Clock in the Morning,” by Ray Faraday Nelson; Starring: Roddy Piper; Keith David, Meg Foster, Peter Jason and George “Buck” Flower; Available on DVD and   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on March 3, 2016

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been a year and half since I hosted my first blogathon, the Goldblumathon. Call it inspiration, insanity or self-masochism, but I decided I was long overdue for another go-round. Behold… What: The Nature’s Fury Blogathon Who: Hosted by   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on February 29, 2016

Shock Treatment (1981) This lesser-known semi-sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show brings back some of the cast, along with the two main characters, Brad and Janet (now played by Cliff De Young and Jessica Harper). Jim Sharman returned to direct, and co-wrote the script with Richard O’Brien   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on February 24, 2016

(1986) Written and directed by Savage Steve Holland; Starring: John Cusack, Demi Moore, Joel Murray, Bobcat Goldthwait, Tom Villard, Curtis Armstrong and Joe Flaherty; Available on DVD Rating: ***½ “I was there a couple of summers ago, and they had movies to rent about Nant   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on February 17, 2016

(1982) Written and directed by Larry Cohen; Starring: Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, Richard Roundtree and David Carradine; Available on DVD Rating: ***½ “I think the Chrysler Building is a lot more attractive than the Empire State Building, by far. And I thought that the Ch   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on February 11, 2016

(1986) Directed by Robert Harmon; Written by: Eric Red; Starring: C. Thomas Howell, Rutger Hauer, and Jennifer Jason Leigh; Available on DVD. Rating: *** “…I cut off his legs, and his arms, and his head, and I’m gonna do the same to you.” – John Ryder   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on February 4, 2016

(1987) Directed by Tibor Takács; Written by: Michael Nankin; Starring: Stephen Dorff, Christa Denton and Louis Tripp; Available on DVD Rating: *** “It was competing with Freddy and Friday the 13th, but it was never intended to do that.” – Tibor Takács “…I, o   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on January 31, 2016

When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Mânî) (2014) Probably because it wasn’t a Takahata or Miyazaki Studio Ghibli film, When Marnie Was There arrived and departed with little fanfare. But this film only proved the veteran animators aren’t the only formidable talents at the studio. Director H   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on January 26, 2016

(2000) Directed by: Higuchinsky; Written by: Kengo Kaji, Takao Nitta and Chika Yasuo; Based on the manga by: Junji Ito; Starring: Eriko Hatsune, Fhi Fan, Hinako Saeki, Keiko Takahashi and Ren Ôsugi; Available on DVD. Rating: **** “…to those of you who felt lost while watchi   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on January 20, 2016

(1964) Written and directed by Kaneto Shindô; Starring: Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satô; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ “The smallness of human existence within the world is explored. Though we are small, we have to live, so how we survive when faced with difficulty is t   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 3, 2015

(1969) Directed by Peter Hunt; Written by: Richard Maibaum and Simon Raven; Based on the novel by Ian Fleming; Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Lois Maxwell, Bernard Lee and Desmond Llewelyn; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***½ “&   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 28, 2015

High and Low (aka: Tengoku to Jigoku) (1963) High and Low is film noir Akira Kurosawa style, employing many of the familiar tropes of the genre to explore the darker side of success and fortune. Toshirô Mifune stars as wealthy shoe company executive Kingo Gondo. On the eve of Gondo...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 18, 2015

(1955) Directed by Robert Aldrich; Written by A.I. Bezzerides; Based on the novel by Mickey Spillane; Starring: Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Gaby Rodgers and Cloris Leachman; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating ****½ “You’re one of those s   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 14, 2015

(1950) Directed by Joseph H. Lewis; Written by MacKinlay Kantor and Millard Kaufman (aka: Dalton Trumbo); Based on a story originally published in The Saturday Evening Post by MacKinlay Kantor; Starring: John Dall, Peggy Cummins, Berry Kroeger, Harry Lewis, Nedrick Young and Russ Tamblyn; Available   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 8, 2015

(1947) Directed by Jacques Tourneur; Written by Geoffrey Homes (aka: Daniel Mainwaring); Based on the novel Build My Gallows High by Geoffrey Homes; Starring: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, and Virginia Huston; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating ****½   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 26, 2015

(1924) Directed by: Robert Wiene; Written by Louis Nerz; Based on the novel Les Mains d’Orlac by Maurice Renard; Starring: Conrad Veidt, Alexandra Sorina, Fritz Kortner, and Carmen Cartellieri; Available on DVD Rating: *** “I feel like it comes from you, along the arms,   read more