Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 30, 2022

The Spiral Staircase (1946) This superior gothic suspense film from director Robert Siodmak (based on the novel Some Must Watch, by Ethel Lina White) is short on plot but heavy on character, and dripping with atmosphere. Dorothy McGuire plays Helen, a young mute woman who might be next on a...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 26, 2022

(1975) Directed by John Schlesinger; Written by Waldo Salt; Based on the novel by Nathanael West; Starring: Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, William Atherton, Burgess Meredith, Geraldine Page, Richard Dysart and Billy Barty; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ****½ Big thanks to Paul fro   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 15, 2022

(1976) Written and directed by Don Coscarelli; Starring: Dan McCann, A. Michael Baldwin, Jeff Roth, Ralph Richmond and Reggie Bannister; Available on DVD (Out of print) Rating: **** Note: This is an expanded version of a capsule review that originally appeared in June 2011. “Sure, there w   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 1, 2022

Moon of the Wolf (1972) At times, this made-for-TV movie from director Daniel Petrie (based on a novel by Les Whitten) feels a bit like an extended Night Stalker episode. Set in rural Louisiana, the focus is on story, not effects. It starts as a murder mystery, which gradually shifts...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 28, 2022

When Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews asked me if I was interested in co-hosting a blogathon devoted to the one and only Donald Pleasence, how could I resist? Who else but Mr. Pleasence could be a Bond villain, a blind POW, a Soviet conspirator, William Hare (of the notorious duo Burke...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 25, 2022

“The goal was to create a werewolf movie that no one had seen before. It was to kind of take people’s expectations of the genre, and then… bend them and twist them, and really make it something that was a departure. I really wanted to strip the magic away from...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 8, 2022

(1981) Written and directed by Paul Naschy (as Jacinto Molina); Starring: Paul Naschy, Julia Saly, Silvia Aguilar, Azucena Hernández, Beatriz Elorrieta and Pilar Alcón; Available on Blu-ray (Part of the Paul Naschy Collection) and DVD (Out of Print) Rating: ***½ “The movies I was maki   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 27, 2022

The Aerial (aka: La Antena) (2007) If Guy Maddin took a wrong turn in Winnipeg and ended up in Buenos Aires, he might have concocted something like this. Writer/director Esteban Sapir’s whimsically dark fantasy recalls the style of the Canadian director, but has an energy all its own. The pre   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 15, 2022

(1986) Written and directed by Eliseo Subiela; Starring: Lorenzo Quinteros, Hugo Soto and Inés Vernengo; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating ****½ “I’m more rational than you. I respond rationally to stimulus. If someone suffers, I console him. If someone needs my help, I give   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 29, 2022

Filibus (1915) Demure Baroness Troixmonde moonlights as calculating master criminal Filibus. And if that’s not enough, she also appears as the dapper, mustachioed Count de la Brive. Valeria Creti’s triple-threat characters crosses genders and societal expectations as she stays one step a   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 13, 2022

(1977) Directed by William Girdler; Written by William W. Norton and Eleanor E. Norton; Story by Edward L. Montoro; Starring: Christopher George, Leslie Nielsen, Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, Michael Ansara, Ruth Roman, Jon Cedar and Paul Mantee; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ** Dani   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 5, 2022

(2000) Written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng; Starring: Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi, Supakorn Kitsuwon, Suwinit Panjamawat, Arawat Ruangvuth and Sombat Metanee; Available on DVD Rating: **** The following review is part of the Foreign Western Blogathon, hosted by Debbie V. from Moon i   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 1, 2022

Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) In this intriguing live-action venture from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson (of Supermarionation fame), scientists discover another planet on the opposite side of the sun, which has remained undetected until now. The U.S. and Europe launch an arduous joint mission   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 29, 2022

Whew! We’ve finally reached the end of the Corman-verse Blogathon, and what a blogathon it’s been. While no single event can capture the immensity of Corman’s impact on film and filmmakers, I think our contributors did a splendid job of spotlighting the wide range of eclectic film   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 28, 2022

Well, dear readers and writers, we’ve reached Day 3 of the Corman-verse Blogathon, and what a blogathon it’s been. Today, we have a bumper crop of posts, spanning the many decades and multiple facets of Corman’s career. I’m still catching up on reading all of the amazing pos   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 28, 2022

(1980) Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami; Written by John Sayles; Story by Anne Dyer; Starring: Richard Thomas, Darlanne Fluegel, John Saxon, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, Sybil Danning, Sam Jaffe and Morgan Woodward; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***½ This post is part of the Corman-ve   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 27, 2022

We’re back for Day 2 of the Corman-Verse Blogathon! Enjoy this small-but-mighty round of posts, from a couple of talented bloggers. If you’re planning to participate but not quite ready, never fear, we’ll incude your link for Day 3. Post a comment below, email me at barry_cinema   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 26, 2022

Welcome to the Corman-verse, a three-day blogging event, honoring legendary filmmaker Roger Corman! At age 96, Mr. Corman is still going strong, with more than 500 credits to his name, and a list of protégés longer than your arm. Yours Truly and my exceptional co-host, Gill Jacob of Realweegiemidge   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 22, 2022

(1983) Written and directed by Philip Kaufman; Based on the book The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe; Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Veronica Cartwright, Lance Henriksen, Harry Shearer and Jeff Goldblum; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: *****   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 11, 2022

(1983) Directed by John Carpenter; Written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon; Starring: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel and Robert Phalen; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “You are a strange species, not like any other, and you would be surprise   read more