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Posted on August 18, 2015

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) Review

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer | 98 min | 1986 | John McNaughton | X[i]

Synopsis: Henry is an unrepentant serial killer who forms a murderous bond with another man.

Review: Michael Rooker’s chilling tour de force performance is perhaps the greatest serial killer characterization ever committed to film.

Grade: A

Viewing Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is not for the faint of heart. Stark and unyielding, the film is a deeply unsettling look into the mind of an unrepentant murderer. The film centers on pathological murderer Henry, who discovers a kindred spirit in his roommate, Otis. The two engage in vicious murders as Henry schools Otis on the finer points of evading capture. Their relationship is tested when Otis’ sister Becky comes to visit and becomes enamored of Henry. Based on the life of Henry Lee Lucas, the film is both a psychological exploration as well as an explicit foray into gore.

Posted on July 18, 2015

Top Ten Horror Film Hotties – Female Edition

Gwen

This motley crew has the horror trifecta of beauty, power, and resilience. These villainesses and final females used their brains, their gaze, and some pretty amazing one-liners to thwart the enemy and hold audiences captive. While they are all aesthetically pleasing, their beauty is enhanced by their character’s persona. You won’t find these women in the horror trope category because they always fight back and they certainly persevere both on the screen and in our minds.

Posted on June 9, 2015

Insidious 3 Film Review: Darkness, Depression & Disease

Gwen

Review: Insidious 3 sheds light on darkness, depression, and disease.

Synopsis: A prequel to the series, this installment provides insight into Elise Rainier and the use of her abilities to help others. She teaches the audience about her talent and about The Further. When you call upon one person they all hear you…and when you go into the darkness, things come back with you.

Like the recent film, Unfriended, Insidious 3 places suicide as a main actor in the film.[i] In Unfriended the actions of others lead to the darkness that befell Laura Barnes which later justified the haunting of her assailants. However, Insidious 3 delves deeper into the psyche by exposing the levels of despair like Dante’s nine circles of hell. Insidious 3 illuminates depression, despair and despondency, and then sprinkles it with the uniquely horrific experience of losing a life to suicide or through disease. Both of these are often inexplicable ends which leave the living with unanswered questions that might push them to stick their head down the rabbit hole of depression. Each of the characters is touched by tragedy, sickness, and suicide. How they cope with such tragedy determines if they become a victim of the darkness.