Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 24, 2012

(1997) Directed by Vincenzo Natali; Written by André Bijelic, Vincenzo Natali and Graeme Manson; Starring: Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint and David Hewlett; Available on DVD Rating: **** Cube is a beguiling mixture of science fiction, horror and brooding drama that challenges our assumption   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 24, 2012

(1997) Directed by Vincenzo Natali; Written by André Bijelic, Vincenzo Natali and Graeme Manson; Starring: Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint and David Hewlett; Available on DVD Rating: **** Cube is a beguiling mixture of science fiction, horror and brooding drama that challenges our assumption   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 17, 2012

“…there’s no way you can keep from sleeping, either. You can fight it off for a time, but finally…you’ll have to sleep.” – from The Body Snatchers, by Jack Finney What if the people you’ve always known and loved have suddenly become someone differe   read more

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

(1981) Directed by James Cameron and Ovidio G. Assonitis (uncredited) ; Written by Ovidio G. Assonitis, James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee; Starring: Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen and Ricky Paull Goldin; Available on DVD. Rating: ** Is Piranha Part Two: The Spawning as bad as   read more

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

(1981) Directed by James Cameron and Ovidio G. Assonitis (uncredited) ; Written by Ovidio G. Assonitis, James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee; Starring: Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen and Ricky Paull Goldin; Available on DVD. Rating: ** Is Piranha Part Two: The Spawning as bad as   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 3, 2012

(1988) Written and directed by Frank Henenlotter; Starring: Rick Hearst, Gordon MacDonald and Jennifer Lowry; Available on DVD Rating: *** Writer/director Frank Henenlotter described the relationship between man and monster in Brain Damage as a “Faustian bargain with drugs.” A   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 3, 2012

(1988) Written and directed by Frank Henenlotter; Starring: Rick Hearst, Gordon MacDonald and Jennifer Lowry; Available on DVD Rating: *** Writer/director Frank Henenlotter described the relationship between man and monster in Brain Damage as a “Faustian bargain with drugs.” A   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 22, 2012

“One of the things I've always tried to do is to inject myself as much as possible into the movie, so I feel like it's mine.” – Joe Dante (excerpt from 2007 Noel Murray A.V. Club interview) Words like “underrated” and “underappreciated” immediately sp   read more

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

(1920) Directed by Wallace Worsley; Written by Charles Kenyon; Based on the novel The Penalty, by Gouverneur Morris; Starring: Lon Chaney, Ethel Grey Terry, Claire Adams, Charles Clary, Doris Pawn and Jim Mason; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ “When Satan fell from Heaven, he loo   read more

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

(1920) Directed by Wallace Worsley; Written by Charles Kenyon; Based on the novel The Penalty, by Gouverneur Morris; Starring: Lon Chaney, Ethel Grey Terry, Claire Adams, Charles Clary, Doris Pawn and Jim Mason; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ “When Satan fell from Heaven, he loo   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 12, 2012

I’d like to start out by apologizing to NASA and Neil Armstrong for that terrible pun, and give a much-deserved shout out to Michaël Parent from Le Mot du Cinephiliaque for selecting me for my second Liebster Award! This new incarnation of the Liebster Award has been making the rounds,...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 12, 2012

I’d like to start out by apologizing to NASA and Neil Armstrong for that terrible pun, and give a much-deserved shout out to Michaël Parent from Le Mot du Cinephiliaque for selecting me for my second Liebster Award! This new incarnation of the Liebster Award has been making the rounds,...   read more

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

The late great George Carlin once posited, “Did you ever notice that their stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff?” While I don’t believe Carlin was specifically referring to guilty pleasures, his statement certainly fits the bill here. It’s all a matter of taste. Following   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 31, 2012

(1965) Directed by Seth Holt; Written by Jimmy Sangster; Based on the novel The Nanny by Marryam Modell (writing as Evelyn Piper); Starring: Bette Davis, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett, James Villiers and William Dix; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ One of the attributes of a good psychologic   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 31, 2012

(1965) Directed by Seth Holt; Written by Jimmy Sangster; Based on the novel The Nanny by Marryam Modell (writing as Evelyn Piper); Starring: Bette Davis, Wendy Craig, Jill Bennett, James Villiers and William Dix; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ One of the attributes of a good psychologic   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 18, 2012

(1955) Directed by Charles Laughton; Written by James Agee; Based on the novel by Davis Grubb; Starring: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish and Billy Chapin; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** “It’s a hard world for little things” – Rachel Cooper   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 18, 2012

(1955) Directed by Charles Laughton; Written by James Agee; Based on the novel by Davis Grubb; Starring: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish and Billy Chapin; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** “It’s a hard world for little things” – Rachel Cooper   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 12, 2012

(1979) Written and directed by David Cronenberg; Starring: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar and Art Hindle; Available on DVD Rating: **** Perhaps no other director can depict being uncomfortable in one’s own skin as effectively as David Cronenberg. In Cronenberg’s case, this isn’   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 12, 2012

(1979) Written and directed by David Cronenberg; Starring: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar and Art Hindle; Available on DVD Rating: **** Perhaps no other director can depict being uncomfortable in one’s own skin as effectively as David Cronenberg. In Cronenberg’s case, this isn’   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 8, 2012

(1984) Written and directed by Alex Cox; Starring: Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Sy Richardson, Fox Harris and Tracey Walter; Available on DVD. Rating: **** “A repo man is always intense.” – Bud Maybe it’s my L.A. roots, or my affection for punk rock, or the qu   read more