Leviathan Review

 "Leviathan," a 1989 science fiction horror film directed by George P. Cosmatos, nestles into the depths of underwater terror alongside other genre fixtures of the era. While it might not achieve the cult status of its peers, such as "The Abyss" or "Alien," "Leviathan" offers a unique concoction of suspense, horror, and the claustrophobic fear of being trapped underwater with an unknown entity.

The film stars Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, and Ernie Hudson, among others, as a crew working on an underwater mining facility. The ensemble cast delivers performances that oscillate between serious drama and the occasionally campy tone that characterizes many late 80s horror films. Weller, as the stoic leader, grounds the narrative, providing a central pivot around which the chaos and horror unfold.

"Leviathan" delves into the familiar theme of human greed and the relentless pursuit of progress, regardless of the ethical or environmental cost. The crew discovers a sunken Soviet vessel, the Leviathan, and retrieves a safe containing documents and a flask of vodka. The decision to consume the vodka leads to a horrific transformation in one of the crew members, kickstarting a series of events that escalate into a fight for survival against a mutating creature.

The creature's design, a combination of practical effects and limited CGI, reflects the era's limitations and ingenuity. While it may not hold up against the high-definition monsters of contemporary cinema, there's a tactile realism to the creature that CGI often struggles to replicate. The design borrows elements from both aquatic life and human anatomy, creating a grotesque amalgamation that is both alien and disturbingly familiar. This visual choice amplifies the horror of the creature, making it a tangible manifestation of the crew's fears and the consequences of their intrusion into the depths.

George P. Cosmatos directs "Leviathan" with a keen eye for tension and atmosphere. The claustrophobic environment of the underwater facility and the omnipresent danger of the deep sea serve as a backdrop to the unfolding horror, making the setting itself a character. The director uses shadows and confined spaces to great effect, building suspense and a sense of impending doom. However, the film occasionally succumbs to genre clichés, with some characters making predictably poor decisions that serve the plot but detract from the realism of their predicament.

The screenplay, penned by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart, weaves themes of corporate negligence and the expendability of workers in pursuit of profit. The mining corporation's indifference to the crew's plight and their decision to abandon them reflects broader societal concerns about the dehumanization of workers and the moral vacuity of corporate entities. This theme resonates with contemporary audiences, making "Leviathan" more than just a creature feature; it's a critique of capitalism's darker facets.

One of the film's strengths is its score, composed by Jerry Goldsmith. The music enhances the atmosphere, adding layers of tension and emotional depth to the narrative. Goldsmith's use of synthesizers alongside traditional orchestration creates a sound that is both of its time and timeless, underlining the film's suspenseful moments and the isolation of the underwater setting.

"Leviathan" is not without its flaws. The pacing can feel uneven, with some stretches of the film lingering on character interactions at the expense of advancing the plot. Additionally, the final act feels rushed, with a resolution that seems both convenient and underdeveloped. These shortcomings, however, do not entirely detract from the film's ability to entertain and horrify.

In retrospect, "Leviathan" can be seen as a product of its time, reflecting the late 80s fascination with underwater exploration and the unknown depths of the ocean. It captures the zeitgeist of an era that stood on the precipice of the digital revolution, clinging to the practical effects and storytelling techniques that defined a generation of horror films.

Comparatively, "Leviathan" may not stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants of its genre, but it offers a compelling narrative, memorable performances, and a glimpse into the fears and hopes of its time. For fans of sci-fi horror, it remains a worthy dive into the depths of underwater terror, a reminder of the genre's capacity to explore the unknown and reflect the anxieties of the human condition.

In conclusion, "Leviathan" is a testament to the enduring appeal of sci-fi horror. It combines the fear of the unknown with the terror of man-made horrors, encapsulating a moment in cinema where the depths of the ocean were the final frontier. While it may not redefine the genre, it remains a noteworthy entry, a piece of cinematic history that continues to entertain and provoke thought about the cost of human ambition and the mysteries that lie beneath the waves.

The Shining Review

“The Shining” is one of my favorite books. I loved the characters that Stephen King put together, and the flow of the novel, and ending was great. There’s a lot of tension built into the book, and it is not like the movie. In fact, from what I’ve read, King though the movie was not as good as the book and took too many liberties. That caused friction to the point where King had a mini-series made that was closer to the books more dramatic moments.

There’s not much more that can be said about the movie that hasn’t been said already, but then again, the point of blogging about cinema is not always so cut and dry. I am well aware that there’s plenty of reviews of this movie, so what my thoughts are, well, are my own and therefore worth posting right? I don’t know, I’m rambling.

The plot is very simple for The Shining. A hotel requires someone to keep watch over the winter months, and so a family moves in. The movie follows Jack Torrance and his family in a peaceful, serene, isolated location. He’s a writer and he is looking forward to getting to work on his novel, and getting time away from the big city. Through the course of the movie however, he begins to go mad. The hotel has a history, and a tragic past, leading to the hotel to be haunted with the past. This causes Jack to go nuts, and try to kill his family.

Jack Nicholson puts on one hell of a performance in this movie, making it one hell of a visual throughout. He really resonates on screen, and Shelley Duvall does great as Wendy. I found myself glued to the screen, even though I’ve seen this movie many times over. Stanley Kubrick’s direction is great too, pushing the cinematic scope to the limits, making every shot, and visual design flow look perfect. There’s great cinematography on this one, and it has stellar sound to boot.

“The Shining” can be a little slow for some, but the way that it is presented, and the overall story captures the imagination and doesn’t let go. It’s a solid movie that deserves the praise it gets, and is definitely worth your time if you haven’t seen it in a while. I highly recommend it.

Check out The Shining on Blu Ray by clicking here, or stream it, I don’t care. 

Splatter University Review

We return to the 1980s and this time around we are going to take a look at a Troma Entertainment release. The budget on this was very low, and it shows, but hey, that doesn’t necessarily mean the movie is bad, right? “Splatter University” is a low budget slasher film, and it has a lot to offer, even with a limited budget, and it is a surprise I didn’t see it sooner than I did.

The plot revolves around an escaped insane asylum patient that goes on a killing spree. Through the movie, however, you don’t see where he lands and when the body count starts to rise, things get hectic and fingers start getting pointed. There’s a sense of “Giallo” in this one, as you only see the knife that kills, and nothing else. It’s interesting to see  how that works, but it’s an effective way to slash. After the body count starts to rise, there’s a reveal of the killer and you start to root for the final girl, even though this breaks tradition.

The pacing of the movie is a little slow at times. I found myself wondering when the next victim was going to take a fall. However, whenever I started to think that, something would happen and things would definitely ramp up. The music is good, the shots are ok, and the kills are creatively done in first person view. There’s a sense of suspense throughout and there’s even a misdirection with who the killer could be, making this an above average slasher if you ask me.

“Splatter University” is not going to win any awards, and of course it didn’t. It’s a movie that diehard horror fans are going to love, and casual viewers will watch once and move on. I for one think it’s not half bad, and would rate it a 3 out of 5, with some good overall action, and interesting premise. It’s straight to the point, gives you a good deal of shock, and well, I won’t ruin it, just watch the movie and see if it’s up your alley, I know it was up mine for sure.

Slumber Party Massacre 2 Review

Once again, I’m drawn to a movie with the poster in mind. I reviewed the original Slumber Party Massacre before, and I finally sit down to watch the sequel. The poster features a greaser with a drill guitar and it’s the ultimate weapon in slasher films if you ask me. The movie follows the events of the first, and you even get a little bit of a flash back to start things. We move forward with the final girl from the past, and we are moving forward to a new day, putting the past behind us. 

The plot of the movie seems simple enough, a group of teenagers have a sleepover, and are stalked by a greaser with a killer guitar, no pun intended. The movie is a slice from the 1980s and it shows, with musical queues that are very specific, and of course the wardrobe that screams the date out a bit. In a way you will have to put yourself back into the past, and watch this as someone who’s not living in modern times, but rather in the 1980s or 90s, as there are moments that throw you back into the era. 

The majority of the plot comes through with simplicity, pacing being fast, and going through the motions of setting up the rest of the film. Courtney, our main hero, starts having bad dreams and the killer shows up without much of a forewarning. As with many sequels, the killer shows up and terrorizes the group without much of a backstory, considering the first movie already did that. That way the slasher runs through and starts to cause a shake up for the teens. Of course cliches abound, including those that are having sex and get killed, and of course a wrench is thrown into things with the third act, as well as the final act. I won’t spoil the movie, but suffice to say there is a psychological twist to the movie that definitely makes me mad as a reviewer. Long time readers will know what I mean when they get to the end, knowing how much I loath certain aspects of horror. 

There is some insane rockabilly moments, including a song and dance that you're going to laugh at. There's a mix of horror, gore, comedy, and more, and honestly, I can appreciate that overall. The movie takes a few weird turns, and you can't take it too seriously. 

Visually the movie isn’t going to win any awards, it is straightforward, with some blood splatter here and there. It’s definitely a slasher flick, so you don’t have to worry about it being tame in that regard. It follows the original film trope with slashing, the guitar, and the evil greaser. It’s a fun movie that really doesn’t cause you think too much and honestly, what do you expect from a late 1980s slasher? I found it to be good, and definitely worth checking out as part of the series. The poster, however, is what really sold it for me, and will probably sell it for you too. It’s within that poster framework that makes this movie interesting for me, as I’m a sucker for a good poster. Check out “Slumber Party Massacre 2” on dvd while you can. 

Angel Review

Angel (1984) Poster

I was first exposed to the movie "Angel" when I saw the poster at a video store in Inglewood, California. I was a kid, but the poster looked like a porno movie, and I always had a fascination with porno posters. This movie came out in 1984, and it is an exploitation movie, that has a tinge of horror, but mostly it's a thriller with notes of sexploitation. This is a grindhouse picture that would play in theaters alongside other B-movies, but it has some good moments. The movie was directed by Robert O'Neill, and stars Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn, and Donna Wilkes.

The plot of this movie features an underage girl who is just an average prep school teenager by day, but at night, she becomes a hooker. She walks the streets with her friends, and they are all part of the sex trade, or performing on Hollywood Blvd. After you are introduced to both sides of her world, you start to meet her friends, and they are all performers, or prostitutes. Once the introductions are done, a serial killer strikes, killing prostitutes in brutal fashion. A rogue detective comes on board and talks to the ladies and men of the night and tells them to work in pairs and to keep an eye out, and that he's not going to bust them, he wants to get the killer. Well, the movie progresses and we see the killer stalking Angel and her friends, even her transgender friend, and things get way out of hand. When Angel has enough, she gets found out, her life starts crashing down, and she gets even, with a revolve and street justice.

This is the same kind of movie that you would expect from Charles Bronson and others at Cannon. It's a good movie, in the sense that it has the tropes of a grindhouse movie, with bad acting, illicit elements of sex, and of course vigilante justice. That alone makes this movie one of the many standouts that you'll get to see when it comes to the world of cinema. It's the start of a 4 movie picture series, and it features the same premise nearly every time, with a woman that is working the streets by night, but by day is a normal school girl.

I'm not sure if this is a true to life tail, but it has a bit of sex, violence, and mostly drawn out dramatic moments. It's nonsensical at times, that's for sure. There's a bit of film grit to the movie, and at times I think it's similar to a porno movie that would star Ginger Lynn from the same time frame. In fact, some of the sets even looked like one of her movies that I reviewed online before.

"Angel" is a movie that walks the line between sexploitation and horror. It's not quite horror, it's more exploitation and grindhouse than anything else. It's a stellar ride, and it's something that many people will enjoy, but it's definitely not purely horror. It's a sign of the times, and something that wouldn't get made today. I love the plot, the killing fields, and the idea of the main character being a prostitute trying to make ends meet. She makes the choice, she's not being exploited.

You can order Angel from 1984 by clicking here, and getting the trilogy in one box set. Or you can order below: