Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is a good chap. A good cop, if you must know, and one of the realm’s most dedicated men of principle. He’s the sort who will cite chapter and verse of the legal code, but only after bringing a congregation to its feet in what amounts to the isle’s most piously…

Though my previous in-depth takes on movies such as Little Monsters, Beethoven, and Baby’s Day Out have provoked responses ranging from “imaginative,” to “a bit of a stretch,” to “outright pants-shitting lunacy,” there is not a movie buff worth their salt who disagrees that A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge is the…

“Haunted Mansion” – Disney Scary. The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland was my favorite ride when I was a kid. I loved it so much that I would listen to my 78-rpm story-book record over and over until I fell asleep at night. And don’t think that I’ve grown out of it. I own Haunted…

Stephen King movies are such an institution at this point that it occurred to me to attempt this review in the style of the 80s Action reviews here at Ruthless, with many of the same questions applying to both. Corpse Count and Novelty Deaths obviously, and in the cheesiest ones (of which Sleepwalkers is certainly…

“The Boogeyman” – Reliving childhood fears. My first scary movie was the original Poltergeist. I was around eight years old at the time and my dad thought it would be a good idea to let me watch it. He was wrong. I distinctly remember being terrified by the scene where Robbie is dragged under the…

A hotel, bathed in blood, wrapped in a puzzle and stuffed up the keister of an enigma, The Shining relays the less-than-straightforward tale of a psychic boy helplessly trapped in a quagmire of perverted demons and murdered guests all wanting a fresh bite of whomever took the job of winter caretaker. That would be Jack…

Caan did much better than a lot of actors, but his lengthy career still manages to give off a whiff of disappointment. There was never any doubt about his ability, typified by an early performance as a brain-damaged ex-ball player in 1969’s The Rain People. Here he’s very good at doing what he can with…