Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on January 3, 2014

(1954) Directed by Akira Kurosawa; Written by: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni; Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Isao Kimura and Keiko Tsushima; Available on Blu-ray and DVD. Rating: ***** “To tell you the truth, I can only make films that I care about   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 27, 2013

No Blade of Grass (1970) Cornel Wilde’s cautionary, unflinching eco-disaster tale seems as plausible now as it did 40-plus years ago. Wilde produced, co-wrote and directed this bleak vision (adapted from a novel by John Christopher) of a world that has collapsed upon itself, due to global fam   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 27, 2013

No Blade of Grass (1970) Cornel Wilde’s cautionary, unflinching eco-disaster tale seems as plausible now as it did 40-plus years ago. Wilde produced, co-wrote and directed this bleak vision (adapted from a novel by John Christopher) of a world that has collapsed upon itself, due to global fam   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 22, 2013

(1986) Written and directed by Fred Dekker; Starring: Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** Detective Cameron: I got good news and bad news, girls. The good news is your dates are here. Sorority Sister: What's the bad ne   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 22, 2013

(1986) Written and directed by Fred Dekker; Starring: Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** Detective Cameron: I got good news and bad news, girls. The good news is your dates are here. Sorority Sister: What's the bad ne   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 16, 2013

You might have noticed the content on my blog has slowed down a bit. Chalk it off to holiday blues, watching a slew of mediocre flicks that defy critique, a general malaise, or what have you, but things are about to pick up in a hurry. You see, there’s one...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 16, 2013

You might have noticed the content on my blog has slowed down a bit. Chalk it off to holiday blues, watching a slew of mediocre flicks that defy critique, a general malaise, or what have you, but things are about to pick up in a hurry. You see, there’s one...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 7, 2013

(1966) Directed by Don Sharp; Written by: Anthony Hinds; Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco and Francis Matthews; Available on DVD. Rating: *** ½ “Healer and rapist, peasant and seer, Rasputin was a legendary enigma, a real actor’s part, one of t   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 7, 2013

(1966) Directed by Don Sharp; Written by: Anthony Hinds; Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco and Francis Matthews; Available on DVD. Rating: *** ½ “Healer and rapist, peasant and seer, Rasputin was a legendary enigma, a real actor’s part, one of t   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 21, 2013

Somebody out there likes me (well, my blog at least)! Vern, owner and evil mastermind of the blogs VideoVanguard and Video Vortex, has honored me with the coveted Sunshine Award. I’m awed and amazed that anyone would take time out of their day to read my little ‘ol blog, and...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 21, 2013

Somebody out there likes me (well, my blog at least)! Vern, owner and evil mastermind of the blogs VideoVanguard and Video Vortex, has honored me with the coveted Sunshine Award. I’m awed and amazed that anyone would take time out of their day to read my little ‘ol blog, and...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 17, 2013

(1928) Directed by: Tod Browning; Written by Elliott J. Clawson; Titles by Joseph Farnham; Based on the play Kongo, by Chester De Vonde and Kilbourn Gordon; Starring: Lon Chaney, Lionel Barrymore, Mary Nolan and Warner Baxter Available on DVD Rating: **** “There is somethi   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 17, 2013

(1928) Directed by: Tod Browning; Written by Elliott J. Clawson; Titles by Joseph Farnham; Based on the play Kongo, by Chester De Vonde and Kilbourn Gordon; Starring: Lon Chaney, Lionel Barrymore, Mary Nolan and Warner Baxter Available on DVD Rating: **** “There is somethi   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 10, 2013

“I really never got excited about the size of a part. I didn’t realize the staying power of stars, when you got top billing, and then you’ve got to go a little lower, a little lower. But maybe that’s why I’ve been around so long.” – Dick Miller (excerpt fr   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 10, 2013

“I really never got excited about the size of a part. I didn’t realize the staying power of stars, when you got top billing, and then you’ve got to go a little lower, a little lower. But maybe that’s why I’ve been around so long.” – Dick Miller (excerpt fr   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 31, 2013

Psycho (1960) Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock; Written by Joseph Stefano; Based on the novel by Robert Bloch; Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** Psycho II (1982) Directed by: Richard Fr   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 31, 2013

Psycho (1960) Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock; Written by Joseph Stefano; Based on the novel by Robert Bloch; Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** Psycho II (1982) Directed by: Richard Fr   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 25, 2013

(1970) Directed by Peter Sasdy; Written by: Anthony Hinds; Based on the character created by Bram Stoker; Starring: Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Gwen Watford, Peter Sallis, Roy Kinnear and Ralph Bates; Available on DVD. Rating: *** ½ “The tasteful title is Taste the Blood   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 25, 2013

(1970) Directed by Peter Sasdy; Written by: Anthony Hinds; Based on the character created by Bram Stoker; Starring: Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Gwen Watford, Peter Sallis, Roy Kinnear and Ralph Bates; Available on DVD. Rating: *** ½ “The tasteful title is Taste the Blood   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 12, 2013

(1988) Directed by Stephen Chiodo; Written by Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo and Stephen Chiodo; Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon; Available on Blu-Ray and DVD Rating: *** ½ “…we tried to take every circus motif, every clown gag,   read more