LIAR’S POKER ** USA 1999 Dir: Jeff Santo. 93 mins I am a Film Noir aficionado and have been for a very long time. An avid viewer of TCM’s Noir Alley and follower of the many things of its Host Eddie Muller. Read pulp/ thriller novels and enjoy Giallo in all its forms. So when I come to Liar’s Poker (1999) which is classed as neo-noir as modern noir is called or a crime film, I am at a bit of a loss until the last fifteen or so minutes. The narrative opens with clipped dialogue and moody expressions of…
Author: Terry Sherwood
Terry Sherwood
Terry Sherwood Born in Ottawa Ontario, Canada; Terry is a "Monster kid ', film fan and popular culture person. Once worked in television as a commercial writer/ Director. Writer of the SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET site covering aspects of the Horror Genre from Books, Comics, to Film old and new. He has previously written for WE BELONG DEAD and MONSTERMANIA magazines, The Spooky Isle UK website, Horror hound and Turner Classic Movies. Published Book of own writings titled SCREEN AND SCREEN AGAIN: ESSAYS ON THE HORROR FILM on amazon world wide plus contributed to other genre books. Chaired numerous convention panel discussions on Horror and Comics Terry is member of The Horror Writers Association and Dracula Society in U.K.
ON THE TRAIL OF BIGFOOT: LAND OF THE MISSING *** USA 2023 Dir: Seth Breedlove. 77 mins Bigfoot in the title of the film makes me think of the ‘Bionic Bigfoot’ episode of The Six Million Dollar Man television series. Oddly enough that story dealt with Government conspiracies as does one part of this On The Trail Of Bigfoot: Land Of The Missing by Seth Breedlove. Apparently, this film is a sequel to last year’s On The Trail Of Bigfoot: Last Frontier which concentrated on Bigfoot or sasquatch sightings in Alaska. I don’t want to put my Bigfoot in my…
GALE: STAY AWAY FROM OZ **** UK 2023 Dir: Daniel Alexander. 28 mins Everyone has ventured into the world of the MGM musical THE WIZARD OF OZ, the Judy Garland film was not without its own real-life horror stories during production. The picture always had a sinister tinge to its makeup even with the bright songs, dancing, and the wicked witch screaming as she melts. The flying monkeys swarm all brought the flavor of the original opium-tinged books by L. Frank Baum to life or death. Daniel Alexander’s short film explores the cumulated effect of venturing into a fantastic world,…
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER *** USA / UK / Malta / Italy / Germany 2023 Dir: André Øvredal. 119 mins One of the things I think one must realize when viewing a ‘Dracula’ film is that it is based on characters created by Bram Stoker. Dracula and the story itself have become Shakespearean in nature going through various interpretations and portrayals we all know so very well, and we all have our favourites. One of my intense dislikes is what Francis Ford Coppola did a few years back that I will not name. This brings me to the…
WEREWOLF CASTLE ** UK 2021 Dir: Charlie Steeds. 92 mins I would like to open by saying when I saw the first frames of this film, I thought this is like something from Tyburn films or Amicus. Dull down the colour palette, punch up the music and you would have the late Hammer Films look around the time of Scars Of Dracula (1970) or Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974). This could be fun, and it is if your brain is disembodied in a jar, lived the fiction of Piers Anthony or you have played quest video computer games. Writer/Director Charlie…