Movie reviews of Evan Popplestone

Lilith is a fascinating watch but also inherently depressing and arguably a trifle pretentious.

The psychology is also decidedly dated and the Hollywood-style happy ending feels forced. Nonetheless, the overall effect is compelling in a uniquely discomfiting way.

Dragonwyck is a dark, tragic gothic gem...

Cujo is one of the better Stephen King adaptations.

One, Two, Three is a great, underrated Billy Wilder comedy.

The Song of Bernadette is a classic piece of Hollywood filmmaking magic.

Black Moon Rising isn’t the most noteworthy entry in John Carpenter’s filmography but it has its moments.

Immaculate Conception isn’t entirely successful as a drama but is redeemed somewhat by its unique atmosphere.

Even with its short runtime, The White Reindeer does sometimes feel repetitious, especially in its excessively numerous scenes of herders marshalling hundreds of reindeer across snowy vistas. Nonetheless, the overall effect is one of an undeniable and rare cinematic magic. Well worth a watch.

The Virgin Soldiers is somewhat underrated and, despite its ribald comedic elements, is more memorable for its hard-hitting anti-war message than anything else.

A Dandy in Aspic may not be the finest epitaph that Anthony Mann could have had but it still amounts to intriguing and atmospheric fare.

The Triple Echo is an interesting, well-acted drama and well worth a look even if some of the details aren’t entirely convincing.

Irma La Douce may be on the overlong and overelaborate side but it’s certainly more interesting and entertaining than its dismissive reputation suggests.

It is all for naught because there’s very little actually going on for the most part. When the characters aren’t shagging, they’re doing little apart from bickering endlessly or watching lengthy flamenco dance sequences.

Vampyres is an underrated, low-budget horror gem with its own distinctive take on the vampire mythos.

While it is evident here that Larraz possessed some talent for filmmaking even at this early stage, it’s still a hard one to recommend to anybody who isn’t a connoisseur of the more sordid end of the cinematic scale.

There’s so much of a richness to Us in terms of both symbolism and superbly-crafted sequences that it almost offers too much for just one film. Indeed, the fact that Jordan Peele was able to corral them in so effectively is a real feat in itself.

While Wheels on Meals isn’t necessarily the finest hour for any of the three leads, it’s still a decent entry and a very worthwhile addition to any fan’s collection.

Dhogs is an engrossing and distinctive take on the story-within-a-story subgenre which will keep you pondering for days afterwards.

Sink the Bismarck! remains a fairly solid account of a significant WWII battle.

While Class of 1999 isn’t a particularly great film, it is enjoyable if taken in the right spirit.

It’s of some interest mainly because it at least offers a genuine change of pace after three very similar efforts.

The set design and cinematography are somewhat slicker, the action sequences are better assembled and, while the runtime is about eight minutes shorter, it feels like a modicum of extra effort was devoted to developing the characters.

To be fair, despite my criticisms above, it still delivers the requisite chopsocky action in spades. It’s just that it doesn’t quite have the same charm or invention as the first one did.