Revived Witches/Disney Filmhocus-pocus-19931993A Disney live-action film that engenders no believability in its basic premise. Much of the show is regarded as an opportunity for Bette Midler to steal the limelight and play to over-the-top excess
Children's Sword and Sorcerygalgameth-19961996Passable children's fantasy film where the young deposed prince of a kingdom gains the aid of a magical creature that grows bigger each time it eats metal
Killer Mutant Snowmanjack-frost-2-revenge-of-the-mutant-killer-snowman-20002000Jack Frost, not to be confused with the Michael Keaton film of the same name, was an amusing horror comedy about a killer mutant snowman. This is a sequel that takes Jack to a beach resort in Hawaii
Demon Superhero/Comic-Book Adaptationhellboy-20042004The first of Guillermo Del Toro's adaptations of Mike Mignola's comic-book about a demon superhero. Not as good as the sequel, the film's ace in the hole is Ron Perlman in the title role
German Expressionism Remakecabinet-of-dr-caligari-20052005A remake of the silent German Expressionist classic that replicates the unique look and sets. Interesting, although it now emerges more like a film noir with artistic pretensions than the avant garde work the original was
Girl Discovers Magical Realmpans-labyrinth-20062006Critically acclaimed Guillermo Del Toro film set during the Spanish Civil War where a young girl finds the entrance to a dark realm. This plays like a very dark version of the Narnia films
Demon Superhero/Animationhellboy-animated-sword-of-storms-20062006The first of two animated Hellboy spinoffs with the live-action actors returning to voice their parts. This is the better of the two animated films, developing a weirdness as it takes Hellboy inside a Japanese spirit realm
Demon Superhero/Animationhellboy-animated-blood-and-iron-20072007The second of two animated Hellboy spinoffs, this renders what might have been impressive superheroics had they been conducted in live-action down at the level of children’s animation
Comic-Book Superheroesfantastic-four-rise-of-the-silver-surfer-20072007The 2005 Fantastic Four was an amiable entry among the Marvel Comics adaptations of the 2000s. This sequel substitutes lowbrow comedy and renders the great character of the Silver Surfer as a CGI cartoon
Demon Superhero/Comic-Book Adaptationhellboy-ii-the-golden-army-20082008In the second and the best of his two Hellboy films, Guillermo Del Toro expands the first out with an amazing menagerie of eccentric and offbeat creatures, while Ron Perlman is again on winning form in the title role
Zombie Found Footage Filmquarantine-20082008English-language remake of the Spanish Found Footage film [Rec]. A lesser work but in the hands of John Erick Dowdle one of the few English-language horror remakes that stands up to the original
War Between Angelslegion-20102010An absurd film where angels conduct a war on Earth, which comes amid much in the way of gunfire and creature effects. Directed by a former visual effects supervisor.
Possible Creatures That Abduct Peopleabsentia-20112011The first genre film of Mike Flanagan. A fascinating film about creatures that may be abducting people. The film sits on an ambiguous line that leaves much in doubt, while achieving some strikingly subtle, understated directorial effects
Nov 13, 2012Reality-Expanding Drugs/Gonzo Supernatural Investigators
Reality-Expanding Drugs/Gonzo Supernatural Investigatorsjohn-dies-at-the-end-20122012Phantasm series director Don Coscarelli makes a mind-expanding effort that seems a conceptual collision between Donnie Darko, Limitless, a slacker version of Supernatural and Dr Strange
Aug 3, 2012Neighbourhood Watch vs Alien Invaders Comedy
Neighbourhood Watch vs Alien Invaders Comedywatch-20122012An uninspired comedy about a neighbourhood watch encountering alien invaders that falls somewhere between Ghostbusters and The ‘Burbs. The film's virtues lie less in the weak premise than in the director allowing the stars to freely improvise with occasionally funny results
Apr 24, 2015Abducted Girls Forced to Fight to the Death
Abducted Girls Forced to Fight to the Deathraze-20132013Fifty girls have been abducted and are paired off and forced to fight to the death with their bare hands in an arena – essentially Saw by way of Girlfight. A tautly streamlined and grittily effective effort that succeeds modestly well at everything it sets out to do
Enigmatic Journey Across a Wastelandweve-forgotten-more-than-we-ever-knew-20162016Cryptic film about a couple wandering a post-apocalyptic terrain who discover an untouched and still working apartment tower. Less a work of SF than one of baffling surrealism
Comic-Book Documentarycomix-beyond-the-comic-book-pages-20162016Documentary about the comic-book that ends up trying to address everything and being so hopelessly watered down it feels like an attempt to explain everything to someone who has never read a comic-book before
Nov 12, 2016Ouija Board Unleashes Malevolent Spirits
Ouija Board Unleashes Malevolent Spiritsouija-origin-of-evil-20162016Blumhouse's Ouija didn't get many good reviews but they proceeded with a prequel here. This is automatically the better film from the outset by employing Mike Flanagan, behind amazing works like Absentia, Hush and The Haunting of Hill House, as director, even if it comes out as one of Flanagan's lesser works
Boogeymanbye-bye-man-20172017Film based on an urban legend film about a boogeyman that kills everybody that speaks its name. Director Stacy Title creates one or two haunting and unusual scenes but in every other aspect this emerges as exceedingly generic
Romance with an Amphibian Manshape-of-water-20172017Guillermo Del Toro makes monster movies with sympathy for the monster. This is his take onThe Creature from the Black Lagoon where the romance between creature and heroine is brought out to centre stage
Revived Witches/Disney Filmhocus-pocus-2-20222022As part of their attempt to sell everything including the family silver, Disney make a sequel to their witch comedy, bringing back the three original actresses who are now looking a lot longer in the tooth