Classic Horror Month Quick Picks and Pans
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Nov 1, 2026
Man Made Monster (1941) Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Dan McCormick,
a carnival performer whose act involves working with electricity. His continued
exposure to electric shocks has made him partially immune to the effects of
electrocution. When he survives a bus accident that kills the rest of his
fellow read more
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Oct 26, 2026
(1974) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by John Elder
(aka: Anthony Hinds); Starring: Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith,
David Prowse and John Stratton Available on Blu-Ray and DVD
Rating: ****
“You’ve had so many monsters by then that at last you say
where thi read more
The Leopard Man
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Oct 14, 2026
(1943) Directed by Jacques Tourneur;
Written by Ardel Wray and Edward Dein; Based on the novel, Black Alibi,
by Cornell Woolrich; Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks, Isabell
Jewell, James Bell, Margaret Landry, Abner Biberman, Tuulikki Paananen, and Ben
Bard; Available on Blu-r read more
Space Month III Quick Picks and Pans
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Oct 1, 2026
The Terrornauts (1967) Scientists make contact with an alien
outpost stationed on a nearby asteroid. Before you can say, “plot complication,”
the scientists (along with a meek accountant and an outspoken lunch lady) are
whisked away to the asteroid, where they’re confronted w read more
Short Take: Galaxy of Terror
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Sep 28, 2026
(1981) Directed by Bruce D. Clark; Written by Marc Siegler
and Bruce D. Clark; Starring: Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Grace
Zabriskie, Zalman King, Robert Englund, and Sid Haig; Available on Blu-ray and DVD
Rating: ***
“…I came up with the idea of the monster, but each read more
Planet of the Vampires
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Sep 20, 2026
(1965) Directed by Mario Bava; Written by Ib Melchior,
Alberto Bevilacqua, Callisto Cosulich, Mario Bava, Antonio Roman, Rafael J.
Salvia, and Louis M. Heyward (English version); Screen Story by Ib Melchior Based
on the short story “One Night of 21 Hours”: by Renato Pestriniero; Starring read more
In the Dust of the Stars
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Sep 12, 2026
(1976) Directed by Gottfried Kolditz; Written by Joachim Hellwig and Gottfried Kolditz; Starring: Jana Brejchová, Alfred Struwe, Ekkehard Schall, Milan Beli, Silvia Popovici, Violeta Andrei and Leon Niemczyk; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***½ Akala (Jana Brejchová): “Our read more
Viva Mexico Month II Quick Picks and Pans
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Aug 31, 2026
Rapiña (1975) Porfirio (Ignacio López Tarso), a poor woodcutter, witnesses an airplane crash in the mountains near his home. He picks through the bodies and wreckage for valuables, hording his collection in a nearby cave. He brings his brother-in-law, Evodio (Germán Robles), to the crash site, read more
Cronos
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Aug 26, 2026
(1993) Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro; Starring:
Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel and Tamara Xanath;
Available on Blu-ray and DVD
Rating: ****
“The first movie articulates your universe. To me, Cronos
contains the essence of what I wa read more
Santo vs. the Riders of Terror
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Aug 10, 2026
(1970) Directed by René Cardona; Written by René Cardona and Jesús Murcielago Velázquez; Starring: Santo, Armando Silvestre, Julio Aldama, Mary Montiel, Gregorio Casal, Ivonne Govea and Carlos Agostí; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: *** “Being locked up in there was read more
July Quick Picks and Pans (11)
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Jul 30, 2026
Brewster McCloud (1971) But Cort stars in the
title role, as an odd, reclusive young man who lives in the basement of the
Houston Astrodome, and dreams of flying like a bird. Sally Kellerman is
Brewster’s guardian angel Louise, with wings tattooed on her back. Shelley
Duvall (in her firs read more
Dead Ringers
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Jul 9, 2026
(1988) Directed by David Cronenberg; Written by David
Cronenberg and Norman Snider; Based on the novel, Twins, by Bari Wood
and Jack Geasland; Starring: Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske,
Barbara Gordon and Stephen Lack; Available on Blu-ray and DVD
Rating: ****
“When read more
Medical Nightmares Month Quick Picks and Pans
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Jun 29, 2026
Horror Hospital (1973) Michael Gough stars as the
unscrupulous Dr. Christian Storm, who runs a sanitorium for young adults. The
sanitorium is only a ruse, however, to provide a steady supply of unwilling test
subjects for his experimental brain surgery (as a deterrent for potential
escapees, the doc read more
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Jun 11, 2026
(1959) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by Jimmy Sangster; Based on the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon; Starring: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Arnold Marlé, and Delphi Lawrence; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***½ “I must insist in saying that read more
Musical May Quick Picks and Pans (2)
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 31, 2026
True Stories (1986) Writer/director David Byrne is our
guide to the fictional town of Virgil, Texas, where they’re about to hold their
sesquicentennial celebration. He introduces us to an assortment of Virgil’s
eccentric residents, including: Kay and Earl Culver (Annie McEnroe and read more
Rock ‘n Roll High School
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 25, 2026
(1979) Directed by Alan Arkush; Written by Richard Whitley, Russ
Dvonch, and Joseph McBride; Story by Alan Arkush and Joe Dante; Starring: P.J.
Soles, Clint Howard, Vincent Van Patten, Mary Woronov, Paul Bartel, Dey Young,
The Ramones, and Dick Miller; Available on Blu-ray and DVD
Ratin read more
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on May 8, 2026
(1978) Directed by Eric Idle and Gary Weis; Written by Eric
Idle; Starring: Eric Idle, Neil Innes, John Halsey, Ricky Fataar, Michael
Palin, George Harrison, and Mick Jagger; Available on DVD
Rating: ****½
Side Note: The “cinematic” in Cinematic Catharsis implies
that read more
Prehistory Month Quick Picks and Pans
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Apr 27, 2026
Iceman (1984) An arctic surveying team finds the discovery
of the century, a perfectly preserved Neanderthal (John Lone) in an ice cave. Back
at the base, a group of doctors somehow manage to revive the frozen caveman. Now
the big question becomes what to do with him. Dr. Stanley Shephard (Tim read more
Quest for Fire
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Apr 20, 2026
(1981) Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud; Written by Gérard Brach; Based on the novel by J.H. Rosny Sr.; Starring: Everett McGill, Rae Dawn Chong, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi, and Naseer El-Kadi; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ****½ “I thought I was making this crap read more
Puppet Month Quick Picks and Pans
Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on Mar 31, 2026
Shari and Lamb Chop (2023) Lisa D'Apolito’s documentary
is an affectionate ode to the career of pioneering children’s television host
and ventriloquist Shari Lewis from her early days through her twilight years. Encouraged
at a young age by her magician father and musician mother, read more