Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 18, 2011

(1980) Directed by John Carpenter; Written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill; Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook and Tom Atkins; Available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Rating: **** Many of John Carpenter’s films seemed to be ahead of their time, gaining more acceptan   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 13, 2011

(1979) Written and Directed by Don Coscarelli; Starring: A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister and Angus Scrimm; Available on DVD Rating: **** What’s It About? The term “classic” often gets thrown around arbitrarily, applied to anything that’s aged sufficiently   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 13, 2011

(1979) Written and Directed by Don Coscarelli; Starring: A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister and Angus Scrimm; Available on DVD Rating: **** What’s It About? The term “classic” often gets thrown around arbitrarily, applied to anything that’s aged sufficiently   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 8, 2011

If it looks like a Hammer film, then it must be a Hammer film, right? Not if it came from Amicus. The films of Amicus have frequently been confused with Hammer, exploring similar gothic themes, and even employing some of the same actors, including such Hammer stalwarts as Peter Cushing,...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 8, 2011

If it looks like a Hammer film, then it must be a Hammer film, right? Not if it came from Amicus. The films of Amicus have frequently been confused with Hammer, exploring similar gothic themes, and even employing some of the same actors, including such Hammer stalwarts as Peter Cushing,...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 18, 2011

(1940) Directed by Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan, Alexander Korda (Uncredited), Zoltan Korda (Uncredited) and William Cameron Menzies (Uncredited); Written by Miles Malleson; Scenario by Lajos Biró; Starring: Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez and John Justin; Available on DVD. Rating: ****   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 18, 2011

(1940) Directed by Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan, Alexander Korda (Uncredited), Zoltan Korda (Uncredited) and William Cameron Menzies (Uncredited); Written by Miles Malleson; Scenario by Lajos Biró; Starring: Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez and John Justin; Available on DVD. Rating: ****   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 13, 2011

(1985) Directed by Barry Levinson; Written by Chris Columbus; Starring: Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox and Sophie Ward; Available on DVD. Rating: **** Young Sherlock Holmes tells a story that was never envisioned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but feels like it could have been. Instead of the familiar first   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 13, 2011

(1985) Directed by Barry Levinson; Written by Chris Columbus; Starring: Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox and Sophie Ward; Available on DVD. Rating: **** Young Sherlock Holmes tells a story that was never envisioned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but feels like it could have been. Instead of the familiar first   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 5, 2011

(1989) Written and Directed by Don Coscarelli; Starring: Lance Henriksen, Mark Rolston and Steve Antin; Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: ** ½ Writer/Director Don Coscarelli is primarily known for his horror and fantasy films, but he’s proved to be adept at working in other   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 5, 2011

(1989) Written and Directed by Don Coscarelli; Starring: Lance Henriksen, Mark Rolston and Steve Antin; Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: ** ½ Writer/Director Don Coscarelli is primarily known for his horror and fantasy films, but he’s proved to be adept at working in other   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 1, 2011

(1959) Directed by Spencer G. Bennet; Written by Orville H. Hampton; Starring: Arthur Franz, Dick Foran, Brett Halsey and Tom Conway; Available on DVD Rating: *** Confession time again! I’m a sucker for virtually any movie that deals with undersea adventure and/or submarines (see my Atragon r   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 1, 2011

(1959) Directed by Spencer G. Bennet; Written by Orville H. Hampton; Starring: Arthur Franz, Dick Foran, Brett Halsey and Tom Conway; Available on DVD Rating: *** Confession time again! I’m a sucker for virtually any movie that deals with undersea adventure and/or submarines (see my Atragon r   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 27, 2011

(1982) Directed by Derek Burbidge; Starring: Various Artists; Available on DVD (Warner Archive Collection). Rating: **** Democracy has spoken! Based on my recent poll, blog readers have voted for me to explore underrated films as a new semi-regular feature. Okay, we’re only talking three vot   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 27, 2011

(1982) Directed by Derek Burbidge; Starring: Various Artists; Available on DVD (Warner Archive Collection). Rating: **** Democracy has spoken! Based on my recent poll, blog readers have voted for me to explore underrated films as a new semi-regular feature. Okay, we’re only talking three vot   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 19, 2011

(1961) Directed by Joseph Losey; Written by Evan Jones; Based on The Children of Light by H.L. Lawrence; Starring: Macdonald Carey, Shirley Anne Field, Oliver Reed, Alexander Knox and Viveca Lindfors; Available on DVD Rating: **** ½ Hammer Films produced some of its most memorable (and profitab   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 19, 2011

(1961) Directed by Joseph Losey; Written by Evan Jones; Based on The Children of Light by H.L. Lawrence; Starring: Macdonald Carey, Shirley Anne Field, Oliver Reed, Alexander Knox and Viveca Lindfors; Available on DVD Rating: **** ½ Hammer Films produced some of its most memorable (and pr   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 13, 2011

(1963) Directed by Robert Wise; Written by Nelson Gidding; Based on The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson; Starring: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn; Available on DVD. Rating: ***** “…it had stood for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. &#8   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 13, 2011

(1963) Directed by Robert Wise; Written by Nelson Gidding; Based on The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson; Starring: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn; Available on DVD. Rating: ***** “…it had stood for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. &#8   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 29, 2011

(1957) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by: Jimmy Sangster; Based on the Novel by Mary Shelley; Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Hazel Court and Robert Urquhart.Available on DVD. Rating: **** ½ Starting with Thomas Edison’s version of Frankenstein in 1910, there have been num   read more