Film Haven Reviews

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews and welcome to the now annual Special Episode where I list and rank the majority of 2024's Horror/Thriller movies!  Go listen to the episode for details but I'll list the movies and their rankings here!  Imaginary (5/10) Night Swimg (5/10) AfrAId (5.5/10) Trap (5.5/10) The  Substance (6/10) Tarot (6/10) Sting (6/10) The Strangers: Chapter 1 (6/10) The C...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are continuing our Walter Hill: Origins theme with the very cool and influential The Driver (1978).  While this was certainly a very stylistic film, it was also pretty boring and that weighed down the enjoyement for me. It is certainly influential but that doesn't always mean it holds up amazingly. I gave this film a 7.5/10 for giving some gr...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting the new "Walter Hill: Origins" theme with his directorial debut Hard Times (1975).  There are no surprises with this film, but it offers everything you could want from a psuedo-southern western involving Charles Bronson cage fighting increasingly difficualt opponents. I gave this film an 8/10 for haveing a great setting, won...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are concluding out "Ingrid Bergman" theme with the famous Alfred Hitchcock film Notorious (1946).  While I very much enjoyed this movie, I found myself a little surprised at how high the critical ratings are. On imdb this film has a 100 Metascore and that seems a little overblown to me. However, I still gave this movie a 7.5/10 for being...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reivews!!! This week we are continuing out Ingrid Bergman theme with the influential pychological thriller Gaslight (1944).  I really appreciated this film for its authenticity and its accuracy in portraying psychological abuse. The film's narrative trajectory was fascniating to watch and resulted in a very satisfying conclusion. I gave this film an 8.5/10 for great...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting a new "Ingrid Bergman" theme with the WWII contemporary classic Casablanca (1942).  I had heard this film was overrated but was pleasantly surprised to find that its actually a delightful film filled with incredible craft, convincing acting, and unique setting. I gave this film an 9/10 for its precendence and its ability to...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are finishing up our "Masters of Giallo" theme with the incredbily vibrant Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966) Bava has outdone himself again, with another beautifully shot, atmospheric masterpiece filled with mystery and witchcraft. I gave this film a 9/10 for bascially crafting the perfect October Spooker filled with foggy cemeteries, antiquated...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are continuing out "Masters of Giallo" theme with the enjoyable and mysterious Lucio Fulci film, The Psychic (1977). This film was much more enjoyable than last week's Deep Red, with a narrative that was consistently engaging and a score and cinematography that wasn't constantly taking me out of the film. I gave this movie a 7.5...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting a brand new theme called "Giallo Masters" or "Masters of Giallo" one of those! And we are starting off with the very famous Argento classic, Deep Red (1975).  A tale of two movies, this film both impressed me greatly and disappointed me deeply. The cinematography and kills were great, but the sound design and story...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are going to finishing up our "Slasher Satire" theme with the very "fun" film Vicious Fun (2020).  Very aptly named, this film is alot of fun and provides tons of laughs as well as a unique and engaging plot. I gave this film a 7.5/10 for giving great 80s vibes, making funny references to 80s horror and serial killers, and gene...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are continuing our "Slasher Satire" theme with the very well made Tragedy Girls (2017) This film felt much more natural than last week's episode on The Final Girls (2015). There was geniunely funny moments and the humor felt baked in. The commentary also felt more substantive and the acting was also really well done. I gave this fil...

Welcome back to Flim Haven Reviews!! This week we are starting a whole new theme of "Slasher Satire" with the Friday the 13th Parody film The Final Girls (2015).  I really appreciate this film's concept, being a sort of magic realist time loop movie where people get sucked into a movie, but unfortunatley the execution wasn't all the way there. I gave this film a 6/10 for not be...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are finishing out our "Obscure 80's Horror" theme with the cult classic Dead and Buried (1981)! This film was quite a plesant surprise for me as I loved the setting, the story, and the practical effects involved. It turns out that one of the biggest names in Practical effects and make-up worked on this film, Stan Winston, and it rea...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews! This week we are continuing out "Obscure 80s Horror" theme with the very interesting film Prison (1987). This one was a true mixed bag, with a great setting and a very unique concept, but an "execution" that was so hit or miss that it muddied the waters too much. I gave this film a 6/10 for providing some cool spectacle and great acting (from...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week I am giving you a special episode for the 5 year anniversary of Film Haven Reviews! For the occation, I have decided to dig deep into the Film Haven Vault and bring to you 5 films I would recommend you guys check out, and 5 films I think you should skip! Hope you guys enjoy!  Top 5 Disappointments  5. Black Sunday (1960) 4. The Funhouse (1981)  3. In...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week were are kicking off spooky season with a new theme of "Obscure 80s Horror" starting with The Gate (1987).  I really enjoyed this film, its nothing crazy and it sort of feels like a one-off Stranger Things story, but that's what I liked about it! I gave this film a 7.5/10 for some great effects, some cool spooks, and perfect 80s horror...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!! This week we are finishing up our "Seasons Change" theme with the film An Autumn Afternoon (1962).  This was Yosijiru Ozo's last film, and unfortunatley, its not really his best. It has all the halmark's of his unique style, but doesn't excell at any of them. I gave this film a 6.5/10 for being too similar to Ozo's older films, whi...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are continuing our "Seasons Change" theme with the much more anxiety inducing Early Spring (1956).  This film was about an extramartial affair and so there was markedly more conflict and drama held within its narrative, which was both a blessing and a curse. I was less calmed by this film than last week's Early Summer (1951), but I...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting a new theme called "Seasons Change" and we are kicking it off with the very pleasant Early Summer (1951).  This film was so sweet and nice, I felt enriched by its life lessons and calming atmosphere. I gave this film an 8/10 for telling a beatiful story that shows a very human story of how generations handle the changing of...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are finishing up our Cyberpunk 1995 theme with the aggresively middling Virtuosity (1995).  I had a fairly fun time with with this cop thriller made up to be a cyber thriller. Watching Russell Crowe play an "unhinged" AI amalgamtion of every serial killer known to man was a blast, it was just alot of the other parts that were a snooze. I...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are continuing our Cyberpuck 1995 theme with Hackers (1995).  This film was lots a fun and suprisingly based in reality. While lots of the "hacking" was not very realistic, it was obvious that the creators knew what real hacking was and so the concepts were authentic, even if the actions were cinematically embelished. I gave this film a...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting off our Cyberpunk 1995 theme with the cult classic Johnny Mnemonic (1995).  This film was a mixed bag for me. While providing some really fun and entertaining world building, it also delivered some terrible acting and generic plot elements that kept the film from reaching its full potential. I gave this film a 7/10 for still being hig...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reivews!!! This week we are concluding our Arctic Antics theme with the very detailed and well producted Scott of the Antarctic (1948).  This film is a feast for the eyes, and if anyone has ever wanted to see what an arctic expedition entails, this film will show you step by step what it is like. I gave this film a 8.5/10 for its near documentary styled authenticiy as we...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are continuing our "Arctic Antics" theme with the under the radar arctic survival adventure film The Red Tent (1969).  While it didn't start off great, it doesn't take too long for this film to come into its own and offer a thrilling adventure filled with lots of tension and a fair amount of commentary as well. This being the f...

Welcome back to Film Haven Reviews!!! This week we are starting a new theme of "Arctic Antics" with the aptly named well made survival film Arctic (2018). This film was very successful as far as survival films go. There was a very basic plot and almost no lines of dialogue, and yet somehow that made the film more engaging. I gave this film a 8/10 for its great pacing, interesting concept...