The Shout (1978)

 

 

A traveler by the name of Crossley forces himself upon a musician and his wife in a lonely part of Devon, and uses the aboriginal magic he has learned to displace his host. 

Well-made semi-horror tale seems more surreal than actually frightening, but is intriguing enough to hold your attention.

Halliwell*: "Curiously gripping but ultimately pointless fable, very well done to little purpose."

Maltin**1/2: "Well-filmed but obscure yarn...Worth a look on a slow evening." 

Images (1972)

 

Schizophrenic housewife, engulfed by terrorizing apparitions, kills off each, unknowing if these demons are merely figments of her hallucinatory imagination or part of reality. 

Artsy psychological horror-drama with great Vilmos Zsigmond cinematography and a memorable performance by Susannah York overstretches its predictable doppelgänger motive and disappoints at the end.

Halliwell (no star): "Pretentious psycho-drama which might have made a good half-hour."

Maltin***1/2: "Difficult but fascinating film...images of reality and fantasy clash in a kind of continuous hallucination. Off-putting at first, but worth the effort to hang on." 

Superman II (1980)

Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.

From memory: Director Richard Lester adds some much-needed humor and speedy action, even breaking some taboos along the way, and Gene Hackman is fine as villain Lex Luthor.

Halliwell (no star): "Half the first episode was devoted to a creaky unnecessary setting up of plot and characters.  This sequel is all the better for diving straight into action, but a classic it isn't, even of the comic strip kind."

Maltin***: "Screw the Superman legend, forget logic, and full speed ahead: that's the attitude of this flashy sequel...Full of great effects and entertainingly played, but lacking the awe and wonder of the original film, adding cruelty and violence instead."

The Awakening (1980)

An archeologist discovers his daughter is possessed by the spirit of an Egyptian queen and, to save mankind, he must destroy her.

Tedious and lacklustre mummy nonsense; lots of talent wasted in this overlong B-movie with a budget.

Halliwell (no star): "Unpersuasive and humourless mumbo jumbo from the same intractably complex novel that provided the basis for Blood From the Mummy's Tomb."

Maltin*1/2

Michael Weldon/Psychotronic: "A fairly dull big-budget production..."