Mini-review: The Fog (1980)

The Fog
Directed by John Carpenter

Slow, atmospheric and unique, this ghost story from John Carpenter does a great job at building tension using a strange scare device without ever seeming silly or gimmicky. Though it doesn't match the quality or effectiveness of his other horror classics, Halloween or The Thing, I find that an unfair comparison seeing as how both of those movies are absolutely amazing. But for a simple '80s ghost story, this movie delivers some chills and, as a rarity for horror, actually improves on repeat viewings -- at least, it did in my case.

Mini-review: The Vanishing (1988)

The Vanishing
Directed by George Sluizer

Perhaps a little too dry for its own good, but just tense enough to keep things interesting. Often hailed as a masterpiece, and though I personally don't feel that way about it, I can understand the appeal. This is not a typical horror movie -- in fact, one could argue it's not even a horror movie at all. Slow, tense, gritty, and disturbingly cold, this is the kind of movie that won't scare you, but what it does do is get under your skin and stay there long after the ending credits roll.

Mini-review: Demons (1985)

Demons
Directed by Lamberto Bava

An exceedingly entertaining piece of Italian horror, this Argento-produced bit of schlock is funny, gory, and just about everything you could ask for from a cheesy '80s horror movie. I was fortunate enough to experience this movie for the first time in a crowded room full of horror enthusiasts, and the experience alone was enough to make me enjoy it. Corny, gory, ridiculous, a great movie to watch with a bunch of people, and one of the most entertaining and intriguing Italian horror films I've ever seen.

Mini-review: House (1986)

House
Directed by Steve Miner

Mildly creepy and entirely silly, this movie is bizarrely original and totally unpredictable. Taking a far more literal approach to PTSD than just about anything I've ever seen, this challenges your perception of what to believe and delivers a few decent jump-scares along the way. Some parts are creepy, others are funny, but most of it is just plain weird. The ending is somewhat unexpected, but when the entire movie is at least slightly confusing, that's not necessarily much of a surprise. Overall, worth a watch, and I'll be sure to check out the sequel to see what it might have to offer.