When it comes to classy horror, everything looks better in black in white. See "Dr. Caligari." "Psycho." "Vampyr." "Night of the Living Dead." "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." ... And "Eyes Without a Face." Georges Franju, director of that French horror classic, once was asked why he preferred his chills in black and white. He pointed to … [Read more...]
‘Jaws’ emerges from deep Blu sea
Reports surface now and then that the original "Jaws" is being remade. A modern production, perhaps even directed by Steven Spielberg, would take advantage of the huge advances in film special effects since the mid-1970s. But computer graphics would ruin the fun, the director says on Universal Home Entertainment's Blu-ray edition of "Jaws." … [Read more...]
‘The Fades’: Adolescent vs. apocalypse
They're hot, sexy and dead -- and they want to eat your flesh. The apocalypse looms, but fortunately the world has a savior -- a 17-year-old bed-wetter who cowers before his twin sister. The title of the BBC teen horror series "The Fades" refers to ghosts who can't quite cross over the other side. Despairing of the limbo, they start to chomp on … [Read more...]
‘Blue Velvet’ a stunner on Blu-ray
Those lost and deleted scenes from "Blue Velvet" have been found, and for better or worse they're on display as extra features on MGM's Blu-ray debut of this touchstone of American surrealism. While mostly interesting, the 50 minutes of deleted scenes reveal no artistic oversights, no need for the fabled 4-hour director's cut. David Lynch's … [Read more...]
Ghostly images: ‘Carriage,’ ‘Kuroneko’
Death can't catch a break in Hollywood. That's Death with a capital "D," the entity in black wielding a scythe. Aside from the "Final Destination" series (no screen time), "Meet Joe Black" (ugh) and "Harry Potter" (cameo), Death has been passed over in favor of the flesh-eating zombies, stylish vampires and demented serial killers of … [Read more...]
