The Ricochet Reviewer: Books, Movies, and Comics

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2025 Director: Wes Craven Writer: Kevin Williamson Stars: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Jada Pinkett, Liev Schreiber Just as they did in the first film, director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson have some witty, metacognitive fun with horror genre conventions in this tale of survivors from the original "Scream" facing off against a copycat.  Points made include how African Americans are thought to have more realistic responses to horror situations yet are always among the first characters to die, the need for sequels to be gorier than originals, and the commercialization and packaging of spectacular cases of real-world violence.   Unfortunately, the rule most effectively dramatized is the one that tells us that sequels are never as good as the original.  All of the wit is packed into the first 40% of the film.  By the time we get to the end, it h...

  HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2025 Director: Douglas Hickox Writers: Anthony Greville-Bell, from an idea by Stanley Mann and John Kohn, plays by William Shakespeare Cast: Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Robert Morley A hammy Shakespearean actor (Vincent Price), thought to be dead, avenges his perceived humiliation by London critics (Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Michael Horndern, Dennis Price, Arthur Lowe, Robert Coote, Coral Browne, and the unforgettable Robert Morley) by subjecting them, one by one, to murders inspired by the plays of the Bard.   This was reportedly Price’s favorite among his own films, and it’s not hard to see why that might be.  He is required to deliver a performance that ranges from Shakespearean roles to campy British mod references, by turns menacing and humorous, and he succeeds magnificently.  Price’s own reputation as a somewhat heightened performer adds ...

 HALLOWEEN REVIEWS 2025 Director: Erle C. Kenton Writers: W. Scott Darling, story by Eric Taylor Stars: Lon Chaney Jr., Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, Janet Ann Gallow, Barton Yarborough, Doris Lloyd "Ghost of Frankenstein" totally coasts on the strength of the Frankenstein magic.  If you're like me, you'll be entertained just because it's an old Universal Frankenstein movie, but it really does very little on its own to deliver that entertainment value.  Lugosi is still great as Ygor, but Lon Chaney, Jr. projects none of the personality and pathos of Karloff--although, admittedly, the screenplay gives him little opportunity to do so.  The plot is too busy, full of dull characters running in and out of secret passages with torches and ending with the obligatory explosion while the obligatory boring young lovers sigh in each other's arms. Spoiler alert!!! The end of the film!!