Mini-review: The Haunting (1963)

The Haunting
Directed by Robert Wise

A creepy haunted house movie that still stands as not only one of the very best horror films of the '60s, but of all-time. Amazingly-shot and well-acted, this is the subtle, reserved type of horror I love. Instead of having things flying at you, Wise chooses to build atmospheric tension without needing to show the audience almost anything. The result is one of the most creepy and awesome horror movies of its time. Even over 50 years after its release, it still manages to make my hair stand on end. A great ghost story and an absolutely unmissable horror classic.

Mini-review: Madhouse (1974)

Madhouse
Directed by Jim Clark

A fairly forgettable horror mystery with a decent setup marred by an uninspired twist ending and an unfortunate misuse of horror icons Vincent Price and Peter Cushing. When given the right material, both of these actors can be compelling, entertaining, and even quite chilling; but with what they were given here, neither of them shine at all, and the whole movie fails because of it. Price is given a mopey, uninvolved character, whereas Cushing isn't given much to do at all (until near the end, which is where the movie starts to pick up, despite being relatively predictable). No, this isn't a bad movie. It's decent. But it could have been much more, which is really its biggest problem.

Mini-review: Twins Of Evil (1971)

Twins Of Evil
Directed by John Hough

A beautiful-looking gothic vampire film from Hammer, and one of my personal favorites of their selection. Very dark and menacing, this movie is one of the most daring efforts from the horror studio, and an odd showcase for the two lead performances by Playboy centerfold twins Mary and Madeleine Collins -- who actually give a surprisingly strong pair of performances. Filled with multi-dimensional characters, awesome costume and set designs, great suspense and build-up, and yet another fantastic performance by Peter Cushing (notice a trend yet?). Incredibly underrated, and one of the best vampire movies out there.

Mini-review: Tales From The Crypt (1972)

Tales From The Crypt
Directed by Freddie Francis

Fun, spooky, and one of the better horror anthologies of its time, this movie switches from segment to segment without any weak spots. It's the right balance of creepy and silly that makes for a very entertaining watch. Some of the performances are over-the-top, but never in a way that's distracting or uneven with the tone of the whole movie, and some of the performances are actually really compelling. Peter Cushing's small role is a prime example of that (which is basically a no-brainer, because he's always awesome). I'm surprised more people haven't seen this movie -- I'd call it one of the most underrated horror films of the '70s.