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War of the Worlds: The True Story (2012)

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  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2026 Director: Timothy Hines Writer: based on the novel by H.G. Wells Stars: Jack Clay, Jim Cissell, Susan Goforth, Floyd Reichman, Anthony Piana, James Lathrop, John Kaufmann, Darlene Sellers, Jamie Lynn Sease This docudrama purports to tell the true story of the War of the Worlds through a combination of re-enactments, “authentic” footage, and interviews with the last survivor of the event (Floyd Reichman).  Clearly made on a budget, this film is nevertheless a clever and faithful take on H.G. Wells’s oft-adapted material.  The tripods look great, and the aliens are more frightening and horrific than in any other film version I have seen.  This material was reportedly repurposed from an unendurable three-hour version that was a more conventional adaptation. That makes director Timothy Hines’s film a prime example of making lemonade out of lemons, and it deserves a wider audience.
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Inferno (1980)

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  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2026 Writer/Director: Dario Argento Stars: Leigh McCloskey, Irene Miracle, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, Sacha Pitoeff, Alida Valli, Veronica Lazar, Gabriele Lavia, Feodor Chaliapin, Jr. Various characters converge on an old hotel in New York, which may be the abode of one of a trio of witches who exert tremendous influence over the world.  I’m trying to give Dario Argento a chance, but I’m finding that his aesthetic is just not for me.  Even his masterpiece, “Suspiria,” struck me as an overwrought, confused, dull exercise in storytelling (albeit with a good climax), but “Inferno” is no “Suspiria.”  I’ve read what his admirers say about his brilliant palette of colors, and yes, it is very pretty to look at.  They also applaud his sense of dream logic, which just strikes me as a lack of logic.  His characters always seem to be wandering through labyrinthine buildings and crawling through glass.  I am also struck by his affini...
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Snow Death! (Marvel Team-Up #37) (1975)

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  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2026 Author: Gerry Conway Artists: Sal Buscema-Vinnie Colletta  Spider-Man, the Frankenstein Monster, and Agent Klemmer have walked in on Baron von Shtupf with his new pet. Man-Wolf escapes through a window with Agent Klemmer, and the distraction leaves Spidey and Frankie vulnerable. But though they’ve been restrained and prepped for the Baron’s dissecting laser, there’s obviously still time for a long gloating speech. Meanwhile, Man Wolf and Agent Klemmer get acquainted and fight wolves and cower.   Klemmer manages to escape while her captor is hunting food, and a Man Wolf’s heart is broken. Spidey and Frankie escape their trap, and the Monster Maker comes to a rather anticlimactic end. Then it’s off to track the Man Wolf and his captive. They’ve been making a love connection, 70s-style. All misunderstandings are cleared up. Did I say all misunderstandings? Read the room, guys. This story plays with who is a monster vs. who is human; Man-Wolf’s dual n...
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