What I Watched in May 2026

Damian McCarthy’s most recent film HOKUM (2026) is an excellent supernatural tale and as a follow up to ODDITY (2024) seems the perfect continuation of themes that he is addressing through horror. Both films use grief as the catalyst for actions taken by the main characters. In each story this grief leads to violence but in HOKUM the focus is not on revenge but on how grief can stunt the ability to move forward, twisting emotions into their darkest forms.

 

In the film successful author Ohm Bauman is dealing with writer’s block and decides to take his parent’s ashes to Ireland to spread them in a place they loved. Adam Scott’s phenomenal lead performance brings a cynical, layered desperation to the film that allows for shifts in tone a few times. When we get to know the character in the first act he is an offensive, unlikeable bastard with a pitch-black worldview. We are shown a visualization of the story he is currently working on and its darkness is clearly born of deep misanthropy. We follow him into the second act because the mysterious old inn with its tale of a haunted honeymoon suite is fascinating, not because we find him appealing. The folklore of the place and the odd individuals working there are interesting enough to keep us watching even as we have doubts about our main character’s personality. Slowly we become aware of his feelings of grief which mitigate some of the harsher judgements we are tempted to ascribe to him but we’re then distracted by odd occurrences with his place as an avatar for our curiosity  sufficient to stay engaged. Then the corpse shows up and all bets are off! Luckily, as the story unspools, we learn more about Ohm’s tragic history with his parents making him less of a jerk while never completely softening him. This is a smart, gorgeously photographed tale of the evil that we are capable of laced with enough hope to make its ending satisfying. I eagerly await McCarthy’s next film. 

 The List

SPECTERS (1987) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

HOKUM (2026) – 8

 

MOONLIGHT SWORD & JADE LION (1977) – 6 (Angela Mao searches for her master’s brother)

HELL HAS NO BOUNDARIES (1982) – 7 (well played Hong Kong horror)

ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE (2023) – 9 (excellent documentary)

DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID (1982) – 7 (should have watched this years ago)

DJANGO STRIKES AGAIN (1987) – 7 (rewatch)

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026) – 8 (heartwarming, funny and a good mystery as well)

MALOMBRA (1984) – 5 (dull Spanish softcore gothic)

ANTIVIRAL (2012) – 8 (Brandon Cronenberg’s futuristic thriller)

IN THE GREY (2026) – 7 (another well made action film from Guy Ritchie) 

OBSESSION (2026) – 8 (disturbing analogy for mental illness in romantic relationships)

THE SNOW WOMAN (1968) – 8 (excellent Japanese supernatural tale)

THE SLIME PEOPLE (1963) – 3 (rewatch on Blu) 

MALOMBRA (1942) – 8 (Italian gothic novel adaptation)

THE CRAWLING HAND (1963) – 4 (rewatch on Blu)

THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (2026) – 7

 

TEX AND THE LORD OF THE DEEP (1985) – 5 (fumetti adaptation that should be better)

What I Watched in January 2025

I love it when a horror film is able to hide what it is doing from me long enough for me to start to be concerned that it doesn’t have an actual destination. Such is CUCKOO (2024) which bends its narrative into something I could not predict from the first half of the story. This might be off-putting for some but I found it an intriguing change of pace. The film begins with an American family arriving in the German Alps for the parents to begin a new job. Teenager Gretchen has been brought along by her father but she has a strained relationship with her step-mother and mute step-sister. The recent death of Gretchen’s mother hangs over her and this grief is clearly making the transition to her new surroundings very difficult. After taking a part time hotel clerk job offered by her father’s new employer, she gradually becomes aware that there are strange things happening in this isolated location. First is a lurking, cloaked person that seems to only come out of the woods at night and second is a creepy man that checks into the hotel. Gretchen begins to investigate the odd events she witnesses and folk horror and mad science rear their unlikely heads. The film has a great cast and a fascinating, oblique approach to its unfolding secrets that kept me curious the entire time. I suspect this won’t be everyone’s idea of a good time but I loved it. 

The List

DEPORTED (1950) – 7 (criminal is sent to Italy but will he reform)

NAKED EVIL (1966) – 6 (British tale of voodoo)

I HATE MY BODY (1974) – 7 (rewatch)

NAKED ALIBI (1954) – 8 (blistering noir)

WICKED (2024) – 7

RINGU (1998) – 8 (rewatch)

TERROR CREATURE FROM THE GRAVE (1965) – 7 (rewatch)

THE GENTLEMEN (2020) – 8 (rewatch)

KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954) – 3 (I thought I’d seen this boring sucker)

BEHIND THE MASK (1932) – 6 (chiller with Jack Holt and Karloff)

STAR TREK IV: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991) – 9 (rewatch)

THE THREAT (1949) – 7 (tight B-noir tale)

KRAVEN (2024) – 5 (a lot works but it never becomes what it was trying to be)

CUCKOO (2024) – 8 (fascinating modern folk horror)

FAST CHARLIE (2023) – 6 (Brosnan is good but the story is mostly a retread)

MIND FIELD (1989) – 4 (muddled Canadian thriller)

REBEL RIDGE (2024) – 8 (excellent action film)

THE KEEP (1983) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

THE BLACK DUKE (1963) – 7 (Cameron Mitchell as Cesare Borgia)

WOLF MAN (2025) – 4 (never really works)

FEMALE PRISONER: CAGED (1983) – 6 (good roman porno)

THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN (1973) – 6 (ghost story TV movie)

THE EXECUTIONER (1974) – 7 (Sonny Chiba action film)

RINGU 2 (1999) – 6 (pretty good follow up)

TERROR OF THE RED MASK (1960) – 7 (Lex Barker adventure tale)

THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS (1989) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

PRESENCE (2025) – 7 (Soderberg chiller)

What in Watched in February 2022

I love a good werewolf tale, especially one that isn’t afraid to sling a bit of gore around. But if you fear that THE CURSED (2022) is going to be some mindless splatter fest you will be surprised. Written, directed, and shot by Sean Ellis this film is much more interested in mood and a sense of place than in shock value. The film is best described as a slow-burn that rewards patience with excellent creature effects and a creative twist on werewolf mythology. Indeed, the vision of what happens to the people transformed into the beasts after being bitten is a glorious horror to behold.

I’ll admit that the middle section does meander a little as the characters learn what we are already aware of but the creepy atmosphere remains enthralling the entire time. The feeling evoked is of a bit of classic folklore brought to life and that is a wonder to see. THE CURSED is an exciting, fascinating work of horror that will no doubt be one of the year’s best genre releases. It’s an R-rated monster film that is merciless in how it treats its characters and sometimes shocking in its violence. Good stuff!

 

THE LIST 

THE NAUGHTY NINETIES (1945) – 5 (spotty Abbot & Costello effort buoyed by the Who’s On First routine)

BEYOND DARKNESS (1990) – 4 (jumbled Euro-horror)

THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T DIE (1942) – 6 (OK Shayne mystery)

SLEEPERS WEST (1941) – 8 (rewatch) (very good Michael Shayne film)

THE PLOT THINKENS (1936) – 7 (well done Hildegard Withers murder mystery)

MARK OF THE GORILLA (1950) – 5 (juvenile and silly but it moves)

NOBODY (2021) – 8 (excellent action film)

DON’T LOOK UP (2021) – 5 (not as funny or clever as it should be – excellent performances though)

BLUE, WHITE AND PERFECT (1942) – 7 (another good Michael Shayne mystery)

BLOOD CURSE (2006) – 6 (a.k.a. Bad Blood) (Portuguese haunted house story)

THE WEREWOLF AND THE YETI (1975) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

DELUGE (1933) – 7 (fascinating disaster and aftermath Pre-Code film)

BACK PAGE (1934) – 6 (small town newspaper intrigue)

CREATURE FEATURE: 60 YEARS OF THE GILL-MAN (2015) – 7

THE MAD DOCTOR (1940) – 7 (Rathbone is superb in this thriller)

HAIL, CAESAR! (2016) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

THE BRAIN EATERS (1958) – 3 (rewatch on Blu)

DEATH ON THE NILE (2022) – 8 (excellent)

MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER (1946) – 6 (another dark, bleak Whistler noir)

BLUE MOVIE BLACKMAIL (1973) – 7 (rewatch) (Italian crime)

THE CURSED (2022) – 7 (excellent slow burn monster film)

 

 

What I Watched In July

Even if I wasn’t fascinated by the Folk Horror sub-genre, I would have been interested in MIDSOMMAR (2019). Writer/director Ari Aster’s previous film HEREDITARY (2018) was an incredible debut feature and signaled that a significant talent was on the scene. As a follow up he has chosen to play in THE WICKER MAN (1973) fields and has devised a smart, fascinating horror tale that uses classic tropes to examine interpersonal fears. At its core the film is about a breakup and the personal horror of the white-hot emotions of that universal moment. The film is steeped in feelings of loss, grief and disconnectedness so much so that they bubble underneath the surface at all times. Even the supposedly close collegial bonds between the male characters is shown to be discard-able in search of self-satisfaction. The casual cruelty and self-centeredness of the American characters (of course) lead to their downfall because, unlike their rural Swedish hosts, they do not see each other as a cohesive ‘family’. The film’s central romantic relationship is on the verge of collapse from the opening minutes of the film because the boyfriend feels overburdened by the emotional needs of his mate. He hasn’t the moral courage to end things so makes things worse for both people by dragging out the pain. There is never any doubt he will stumble but the details are the important part of the journey the film takes us on. How could his false face hide him in the constant, bright midsummer sunlight? This tale gives its audience much to chew on and discuss afterward which is far more than most efforts in the genre.

Finally, the producers of Spider-Man films have branched out beyond the same four or five villains! Since the 1960’s the character has had one of the most interesting rogues’ galleries of any superhero and the movies have concentrated on Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, The Lizard, a shortchanged Sandman and a lame version of Electro. I was thrilled when Marvel’s previous movie used The Vulture and now, we finally get a version of Mysterio in SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019). I say ‘a version’ because this is a very different character from the original illusion creating criminal first seen back in Spider Man #13 fifty-five years ago. But the MCU wisely uses this character as part of its ongoing story crafting another very good part in the larger tapestry they are weaving. As usually, my favorite elements are the smaller details off to the side of the main plot. Also, I love that Mary Jane is clever enough to figure out Peter’s identity and the byplay with the Ned is a joy. The expansion of Happy Hogan’s role in the story is well played and the casting of Marisa Tomei as May was a brilliant choice as she continues to bring the right touch to every scene. There are nits to pick with some details but overall, I can hardly wait to see which of Spider-Man’s huge roster of bad guys makes it to the big screen next.

I’ve enjoyed Tarantino’s films in general and his latest is another cinematic joy. Much virtual ink is being spilled over the pros and cons of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) but I’ll just say that, near the end, when a certain actress’ voice came out of that driveway intercom I actually teared up. That’s how it should have happened. That’s what would have been right. 

The film could have been slightly shorter but I loved every minute of this visual feast. Rumors say that QT might have a four-hour cut up his sleeve and, if so, I’ll be happy to check that out as well. 

THE LIST

SILVER BLAZE (1937) – 7 (not bad riff on this classic Sherlock tale)

SPIRIT OF ’76 (1990) – 6 (rewatch)

LAS VAMPIRAS (1969) – 6 (Mil Mascaras vs female vamps and John Carradine)

MIDSOMMAR (2019) – 8

ALIEN FROM THE DEEP (1989) – 4 (rewatch)

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019) – 7

THE GIANT SPIDER (2013) – 6

THAT GUY DICK MILLER (2015) – 9

THE GUMBALL RALLY (1976) – 6 (rewatch for the first time in 30 years!)

THE BLACK CAT (1941) – 6 (rewatch)

THE SEVEN FROM TEXAS (a.k.a. HOUR OF DEATH (1964) – 7 (solid early Euro-Western)

GODZILLA 1984 (1984) – 8 (rewatch)

THE SPIDER WOMAN STRIKES BACK! (1946) – 6 (interesting chiller from Universal)

COSMIC MONSTERS (1958) – 5 (rewatch)

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) – 8

FRANKENSTEIN, THE VAMPIRE AND CO. (1962) – 4 (Mexican version of A & C MEET FRANKENSTEIN)

MONTANA (1950) - 6 (Errol Flynn western)

THE SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947) – 7 (the last of the series)