[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Needful Things (1993)

Excellent adaptation of Stephen King's sprawling and brutally dark novel. There's both black comedy and bloody thrills and a standout performance from the late, great Max Von Sydow as Leland Gaunt, a mysterious man who opens his shop full of things that the people of Castle Rock find they can't live without and thus enter into vengeful pacts against one another as way of payment.

As the film goes on the acts turn from mere pranks to deadly situations culminating in a final showdown in the streets between Gaunt and Ed Harris' sheriff in a fiery finale.

The film plays out in almost episodic format to begin with but as events escalate (Some are genuinely horrific) the film grips you with it's icy cold clutches and doesn't let go.

As well as Harris, there are fine performances from Bonnie Bedelia, a repressed Amanda Plummer and a bonkers J.T. Walsh, but the film belongs to Von Sydow who captures his character (no spoilers) perfectly.

Scarecrow (2002)

A loner who is constantly bullied both at high school and home is eventually murdered by one of his mothers lovers in a cornfield but his tortured soul enters a scarecrow and returns to wreak his bloody revenge.

A disappointing low budget slasher which i've seen a few times over the years but probably not in the last ten and i can't see me hurrying back to. One of those films where the more interesting scenes come early on when things centre around school life and becomes less interesting when it goes all slasher movie. There are a few gory kills but it lacks any sort of tension and sadly even Tiffany Shepis can't save this one.