I began the Reely Bernie Horror Fest on Sept. 15th, and I've been overjoyed by the response. There is a remarkable group of people out there who enjoy and embrace the spooks of October like I do, and the dialogue about horror movies – old and new – has been insightful, hilarious, and downright nostalgic. I am so grateful. What a chance to escape through the dark forest for a bit, or open that creaky door to the abandoned house…
Origin/Director: Japan/Kiyoshi Kurosawa Viewings Tally: I’ve seen it twice! No horror marathon list should be without a Japanese horror entry, and this is one of my favorites! Synopsis: “Do you want to meet a ghost?” In the immense city of Tokyo, the darkness of the afterlife lurks some of its inhabitants who are desperately trying... Continue Reading →
Origin/Director: USA/Ti West Viewings Tally: This is my second viewing! I loved it when it first came out nine years ago! Synopsis: “Some guests never checked out.” During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel’s haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in... Continue Reading →
Origin/Director: Canada/Adam MacDonald Viewings Tally: This was my first viewing, and I have no idea why or how I added it to this year’s lineup. In fact, most of my Letterboxd friends didn’t like it. The mystery of how it got on my list made me wanted to see it more. And, what the heck... Continue Reading →
Origin/Director: France/Georges Franju Viewings Tally: This was my first viewing! I wanted to include at least one black and white classic that also happened to be an international hit. Synopsis: Dr. Genessier is riddled with guilt after an accident that he caused disfigures the face of his daughter, the once beautiful Christiane, who outsiders believe... Continue Reading →
Origin/Director: Australia/Joel Anderson Viewings Tally: This was my second viewing! It had been five years since, and I wanted this to fulfill my found footage subgenre in my horror lineup. Synopsis: After 16-year-old Alice Palmer drowns in a local dam, her family experiences a series of strange, inexplicable events centered in and around their home.... Continue Reading →
Origin/Director: Australia, USA/Natalie Erika James Viewings Tally: This is my first viewing! I figured I should add a recent horror release to my list, and this one received above average reviews last summer. Synopsis: When Edna – the elderly and widowed matriarch of the family – goes missing, her daughter and granddaughter travel to their... Continue Reading →
It all starts with this leaf. For me, this fallen amber-hued leaf represents the promise of the upcoming autumn season, which is undoubtedly my favorite season of the year. Radiant colors begin appearing on trees and end up on the ground to a crackling sound that brings you back to younger days. This is the... Continue Reading →
Back to the movie theatre, back to the popcorn (we ended up just getting Twizzlers to be safe), back to the big screen in the dark, and Back to the Future. For me, Back to the Future (1985) is more innate than nostalgic, but nothing beats watching it in the most nostalgic of places. I’m... Continue Reading →
No CGI-infested, Jack Nicholson-spectacled, comic book-possessed entry of the Batman filmography can ever top the mastery behind Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008). When it was first released, this masterpiece with wings had three audiences: One for the sequel of Nolan's Batman Begins (2005), one for another interpretation of what was the sixth Batman-related... Continue Reading →
Quarantine. Lockdown. Shelter in place. No one would have guessed such dystopian, sci-fi concepts would become a reality for the last three months of our lives. L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies could empathize. He broke his leg and has been wheelchair-ridden in his small, quaint New York City apartment for six weeks. The once renowned freelance photojournalist... Continue Reading →
I love my unique first name. Even with its immediate connection to the presidential race dropout, Senator Bernie Sanders, I find my Bernie identity special. Heck, I’m the second youngest Bernie I know! Before Sanders, people used to associate my name to the comedy, Weekend at Bernie’s (1989), in which the titular character’s murdered body... Continue Reading →
