Ali Teske is a writer for Collider focusing on movies and television. She also writes for The Daily Reporter and Wisconsin Law Journal.
In a genre where it's arguably easier to earn a bad review, horror movies face a different level of criticism, especially from respected critic Roger Ebert. A fan of the genre, Ebert appreciated good horror movies, saying, "They can exorcise our demons.
Halloween III continues the fall from the greatness of the original John Carpenter film, this time an even further departure, forgetting the movie monster that made it so iconic. Ebert decides the film is "assembled out of familiar parts from other, better movies" that include obligatory shots and scenes standard and expected with bad horror movies.
Its dependency on standard horror applications, like investigating eerie sounds that lead to jump scares revealing it's only a cat, didn't do much to elevate the film or indulge audiences in something they hadn't seen before. Adding to his disappointment, Ebert points out a missed opportunity by making the film entirely English-speaking instead of emphasizing dynamic cultural differences set against a horror movie.
For Ebert, the screenplay and post-production are where theThir13een Ghosts failed. The inescapable sound design was an attack on the ears while the fumbling dialogue and poor editing targeted weary eyes. Compared to some of Ebert's other worst-rated horror flicks, this remake lacks the violence and scare tactics of its counterparts, earning it a higher rating than most.
Release Date April 13, 1984 Director Joseph Zito Cast Kimberly Beck , Peter Barton , Crispin Glover , Corey Feldman , E. Erich Anderson , Barbara Howard , Ted White 6 'The Hitcher' Directed by Robert Harmon While it's a zero-star horror movie for Ebert, The Hitcher earned a positive consensus from critics and audiences. The movie stars C. Thomas Howell as a young driver named Jim Halsey who unknowingly picks up a serial killer hitchhiker John Ryder .
While formulaic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre blandly reintroduces the same horror tropes without originality or skillful execution, many of which Ebert dutifully examples in his review. It's a grim, gore-fueled 98 minutes that the acclaimed critic believed "was made by and for those with no attention span.
In his review , Ebert prefaces with his appreciation for horror films while acknowledging that when done skillfully, they are driven by purposeful violence and scare tactics. With Wolf Creek, Ebert writes, "There is a line and this movie crosses it...There is a role for violence in film, but what the hell is the purpose of this sadistic celebration of pain and cruelty?"Securing a zero-star review and a thumbs down, Wolf Creek is one of the worst horror movies according to Ebert.
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