Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 16, 2012

(2012) Directed by Elias; Written by Elias; Starring: Jason Vail, Nicholas Wilder and Sarah Schoofs; Available on Amazon Instant Video Rating: ** ½ At one point or another, we’ve all probably watched something that we wished we hadn’t. Wouldn’t it be great if we cou   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 9, 2012

(1984) Directed by W.D. Richter; Written by Earl Mac Rauch; Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Robert Ito; Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** ½ “…no matter where you go, there you are.” &#   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on December 9, 2012

(1984) Directed by W.D. Richter; Written by Earl Mac Rauch; Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Robert Ito; Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** ½ “…no matter where you go, there you are.” &#   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 20, 2012

(1986) Directed by Willard Huyck; Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz; Starring: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins; Available on DVD. Rating: * ½ “It always looked like a midget in a duck suit. You couldn’t get around it.” –Willard Huyck (from Geor   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 20, 2012

(1986) Directed by Willard Huyck; Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz; Starring: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins; Available on DVD. Rating: * ½ “It always looked like a midget in a duck suit. You couldn’t get around it.” –Willard Huyck (from Geor   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 15, 2012

(2004) Directed by Álex de la Iglesia; Written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Álex de la Iglesia; Starring: Guillermo Toledo, Mónica Cervera, Enrique Villén and Luis Varela; Available on DVD Rating: **** “Characters facing the abyss is something that is attractive to us.” &#8211   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 15, 2012

(2004) Directed by Álex de la Iglesia; Written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Álex de la Iglesia; Starring: Guillermo Toledo, Mónica Cervera, Enrique Villén and Luis Varela; Available on DVD Rating: **** “Characters facing the abyss is something that is attractive to us.” &#8211   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 7, 2012

(1981) Directed by: Terry Gilliam; Written by: Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam; Starring: Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, John Cleese, Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson, David Warner, David Rappaport, Michael Palin and Craig Warnock; Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** &#189   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 7, 2012

(1981) Directed by: Terry Gilliam; Written by: Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam; Starring: Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, John Cleese, Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson, David Warner, David Rappaport, Michael Palin and Craig Warnock; Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** &#189   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 4, 2012

Ho-hum. It’s always hard to shake that melancholic feeling that follows the realization that another Halloween has come and gone. Although my blog isn’t exclusively confined to the Horror, it’s always fun to devote an entire month to one of my favorite genres. As I think of upco   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on November 4, 2012

Ho-hum. It’s always hard to shake that melancholic feeling that follows the realization that another Halloween has come and gone. Although my blog isn’t exclusively confined to the Horror, it’s always fun to devote an entire month to one of my favorite genres. As I think of upco   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 30, 2012

Dead of Night (1945) Two decades before Amicus ushered in the era of the portmanteau horror film, Ealing studios produced this wonderful anthology of five creepy stories. In the framing narrative, an architect visits a country home, and encounters five individuals that are manifestations of his   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 25, 2012

(1985) Directed by Lamberto Bava; Written by Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Ferrini; Starring: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Karl Zinny and Fiore Argento; Available on DVD Rating: *** I wanted to start off by expressing my sincerest thanks to Kevin J. Olson at   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 25, 2012

(1985) Directed by Lamberto Bava; Written by Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Dardano Sacchetti and Franco Ferrini; Starring: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Karl Zinny and Fiore Argento; Available on DVD Rating: *** I wanted to start off by expressing my sincerest thanks to Kevin J. Olson at   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 16, 2012

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) Directed by Robert Fuest; Written by James Whiton and William Goldstein; Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton, Hugh Griffith and Virginia North; Available on DVD. Rating: **** “Nine killed her; nine shall die!” – Dr. Anton Phibes So far,   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 16, 2012

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) Directed by Robert Fuest; Written by James Whiton and William Goldstein; Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton, Hugh Griffith and Virginia North; Available on DVD. Rating: **** “Nine killed her; nine shall die!” – Dr. Anton Phibes So far,   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 9, 2012

(1966) Directed by William Beaudine; Written by Carl K. Hittleman; Starring: John Lupton, Narda Onyx, Cal Bolder and Estelita Rodriguez Available on DVD. Rating: * ½ Imagine, if you will, the following conversation between Jesse James vs. Frankenstein’s Daughter’s writer   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 9, 2012

(1966) Directed by William Beaudine; Written by Carl K. Hittleman; Starring: John Lupton, Narda Onyx, Cal Bolder and Estelita Rodriguez Available on DVD. Rating: * ½ Imagine, if you will, the following conversation between Jesse James vs. Frankenstein’s Daughter’s writer   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 6, 2012

(1959) Directed by Georges Franju; Written by Jean Redon, Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac and Claude Sautet; Based on the novel by Jean Redon; Starring: Pierre Brasseur, Edith Scob, Alida Valli and Juliette Mayniel; Available on DVD Rating: **** “The fantastic is created, but the bizarre   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 6, 2012

(1959) Directed by Georges Franju; Written by Jean Redon, Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac and Claude Sautet; Based on the novel by Jean Redon; Starring: Pierre Brasseur, Edith Scob, Alida Valli and Juliette Mayniel; Available on DVD Rating: **** “The fantastic is created, but the bizarre   read more