HCF Review - The Curse

THREE (2002)

While there are a lot of horror anthologies out there none are as exciting as those in this collection; each with a selection of international directors from different regions. First is 2002’s Three (sometimes marketed as a sequel to Three Extremes) which includes stories from South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong. While the perfect format for a film like this should be at least five stories, to allow for more variety and some bookend segments, the tales of terror on offer here are no less intriguing. Curses, hauntings, and of course sudden deaths, are depicted differently in each. Does the trio of film-makers deliver a series of chilling yarns or are there pacing issues stemming from each being part of a feature which is over two hours long?

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Review Roundup - The Island

28 YEARS LATER (2025)

Time for a legacy sequel, or what seems to be one the surface. While the previous two films in this series were five years apart this one comes much later, suggesting a pretty cynical motive. The titular time jump isn't quite the amount of time which has elapsed, however, there have been various rights issues between studios over the years. Is this just a way of reanimating a long dead franchise in a financial sense or does it have something to say? The original director and writer have returned; do they have any new ideas or is this a collection of all too familiar tropes? 

Horror Bites - The Village

THE WITCHES (1966)

1966 was a pretty good year for Hammer (and their reused sets and actors) with Christopher Lee playing both Dracula and Rasputin, and a couple of adventures on the moors in The Reptile and Plague of the Zombies. The latter is probably their essential voodoo thriller, but what of this other tale of black magic and folk horror out in the English countryside? The distributor of an older Hammer movie collection used the music from this film for all their DVD menus so someone must have been a fan. But does it hold up or is it all just a bit too slow and frustrating? 

Monster Bites - The Devil's Whistle

GAMERA VS. JIGER (1970)

Time for a final look at the Showa era Gamera films, and the last double feature before heading to the later series. At least in the main run before the reboot; I don't think the clips show from 1980 counts. So let's check off all the usual ingredients. Another submarine used by two children? Yes. Another flying saucer, and another undersea monster? Correct. However, at least when it comes to Gamera vs. Jiger someone said 'hey what if we make a monster movie?' So there are actual kaiju attacks and the pacing is almost tolerable. Let's see how the rest of the film stacks up.

Review Roundup - Super Friends

SUPERMAN (2025)

Superman has a lot to answer for. The 1978 film directed by Richard Donner that is. Over the years that same origin story formula has been done to death; in comic book movies beyond. That classic three act structure that often runs out of steam when it needs to reach an action filled resolution. But what happens when that formula, and in turn the backstory, is jettisoned entirely? Of course, you know the story of Krypton, everyone knows it. Is it a refreshing way to reboot the whole thing, again, for a new era? Or does it result in pacing issues for everything that follows?