Meridian (1990)

aka Meridian: Kiss of the Beast / Phantoms

An orphaned daughter, the lady of the castle, a weeping ghost in halls of diffused light and suitably gothic trappings all help give Meridian the feel of a picture-book fairytale romance painted in dark colours. It's the kind of thing that might appeal to a young, female audience, but the film isn't suitable for kids for reasons I won’t go into. It’s very much an adult spin on a Beauty and the Beast inspired tale. I'm a hopeless sucker for all things fairytale, so I watched it even though it wasn't very good. Most of the elements it needed to work are there, almost in place, but they never really gel.

2 inheritances out of 5

Robot Jox (1989)

In a post-WWIII society war is outlawed. Grievances between warring countries are instead settled by two men in giant fighting robots.
America made a Mecha movie 25 years ago?! The Japanese have nothing to fear, because it's terrible. It’s too graphic to be a children’s movie and too empty to be of interest to most adults. The one thing that makes it fun is the stop motion scenes that even at their worst shit on Bayformers.

2 differentials out of 5

Dolls (1987)

The cover art and the director’s name (Stuart Gordon) tell you all you need to know about this flick. The only real surprise is how funny it is. It takes a while for the murderous dolls to wake, but once they do there’s lightning, blood, stalker camera angles and Harryhausen-esqe stop motion. If the budget had allowed for it, more deadly Doll action would've been most welcome because it’s crazy good fun.

2½ little people out of 5

Don't Look Now (1973)

I'm not going to give a synopsis. It's better if I don't.
The first six minutes of Don't Look Now will stay with you forever; it's chilling and achingly unforgettable, containing some of the most masterful cross-cutting in the history of cinema. The remainder alienates a lot of people.
Nicolas Roeg crafts a puzzle that rests upon random chance and of corners that when turned lead to nowhere, and yet are familiar. The Venice setting echoes the same with its claustrophobic streets and characteristic canals. Stay for the duration and a number of recurring aesthetic and thematic triggers begin to emerge.

It's marred only by badly clipping audio that's painful to the ears at times.

4 unhelpful police inspectors out of 5