I don’t know why I never got around to seeing the THE CROW sequel from the director of SIX-STRING SAMURAI. Always was curious. Still took me 19 years. Lance Mungia’s THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER, just like the previous one, was meant for theaters, but I think it only played somewhere around here? Wiki(dprayer)pedia says its theatrical run was only in Seattle and only for one week, and I do remember seeing an ad for it and being confused, but I was thinking it was in Eastern Washington. Anyway, I didn’t go.
Two Halloweens ago we discussed Tobe Hooper’s first masterpiece. This is his second. He didn’t even want to direct it at first, sort of got pushed into it, but damn did he rally. In many ways THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 is the Tobe Hooperest movie ever made.
I don’t blame you if you’re skeptical during the opening scene where two obnoxious “senior boys at Wheeler High” calling themselves “Buzz and Rick the Prick” drunkenly drive a Porsche, fire guns, and harass the K-OKLA request line until they receive a drive-by chainsawing on a bridge that must’ve been built by the same people who made that endless runway from the climactic chase in FURIOUS 6. (read the rest of this shit…)
I gotta confess coming to this one from a place of cinematic ignorance. I’ve seen the original Godard movie, but I don’t remember jack shit about it. I thought it was pretty good, I believe. That’s about all I got. Still, I’m sure less people could tell you anything about the remake than everything about the original. So this makes me smart. (read the rest of this shit…)
These last couple weeks have been tough on my mental facilities. I reviewed that great new “ULTIMATE” edition of the original TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, I also revisited parts 3 and 4 in that original series, then on Thursday I reviewed the new prequel to the remake. So by that point I’d studied and written about pretty much every angle to the whole Texas Chainsaw deal. You’d think I’d be done with it by now, but there is one final chapter: the one spinoff of the original movie that achieves its own level of True Greatness. I am talking about Tobe Hooper’s 1986 sequel, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2. It’s been available on DVD for a couple years in a bare bones edition (get it, that is a pun because of all the skeletons they have) but Tuesday it comes out in a much deserved special edition with new commentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes. (read the rest of this shit…)
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Recent commentary and jibber-jabber
Gepard on Disclosure Day: “Vern hasn’t reviewed Close Encounters, has he? That feels like an oversight. Especially given it’s conceptual similarities to (as well…” Oct 27, 13:01
Mr. Subtlety on Blood Frenzy: “This plan isn’t worth much of a slasher, but it’s sure a horror movie for the field of psychiatry. Your…” Oct 27, 09:44
Bill Reed on Clayface: “I read another review which said the Depardieuy henchman was played by Corey Johnson. He’s an American actor based in…” Oct 27, 09:13
MJ on Blood Frenzy: “As slasher-type films go, I strongly suspect you would enjoy SCREAM BLOODY MURDER (1973). I watched it as part of…” Oct 27, 06:33
dreadguacamole on Blood Frenzy: “Wow, nice find. The one movie I thought might qualify was DEADLY MANOR, a pretty terrible 1990 American slasher from…” Oct 27, 03:17
Curt on Blood Frenzy: “How likely is it, do we think, that the character of Barbara Shelley was named after the British actress who…” Oct 26, 14:33
Mr. Majestyk on Blood Frenzy: “I am honored to have aided in the continuation of SLASHER SEARCH, yet another of our cherished institutions that is…” Oct 26, 13:28
Inspector Hammer Boudreaux on Blood Frenzy: “It took me most of this review to realize you weren’t talking about BLOOD HARVEST from north-central Wisconsin’s finest auteur…” Oct 26, 12:26
Johann Tor on Blood Frenzy: “Vern, since you are taking suggestions; I did a quick search on the website and couldn’t find any mention of…” Oct 26, 09:00
Bill Reed on Lee Cronin’s The Mummy: “Moved this up on my watchlist because it obtained the Vern Seal of Approval. It’s probably my favorite Lee Cronin…” Oct 26, 08:47
Bill Reed on Nickel Boys: “Just caught up with this– pretty good! I think the major point of the POV shots is about how black…” Oct 26, 08:21
PetrosMT on Street Fighter (2026): “Have not seen Street Fighter yet but I have to second (triple) the cinema etiquette gripes of KayKay and MaggieMayPie.…” Oct 26, 05:19
Casoolas on The Pool: “The swimming pool setting is probably the most interesting thing about this movie. It gives the chase scenes a different…” Oct 25, 21:52
Floris on The Killers (1946): “What makes this film so interesting is the contrast between that tense opening in the diner and the investigation that…” Oct 25, 21:42
KayKay on Street Fighter (2026): “MaggieMayPie: I commiserate with your plight Leaving aside how expensive the theatre going experience has become, what is so off…” Oct 24, 21:11