Nosferatu

Werner Herzog's late 70s sound and colour remake of the classic silent horror Nosferatu.

Starring well known thespian lunatic Klaus Kinski as the hideous vampire and lord of the rats, this is an arty take on vampiric lore that might at first alienate straight ahead horror fans but stick with it...it's a moody atmospheric piece with some vivid imagery. One scene that springs to mind is of a formerly well to do family trying to enjoy an alfresco meal while all around people die of the plague borne by Nosferatu's infestation of disease carrying rats.

Kinski is superb, pulling off a disciplined, dignified performance as the accursed count, a change from some of the eye bulging, eardrum perforating roles he's played. This is a true rarity, a remake that doesn't better the original maybe, but stands up as film in it's own right. A refreshing change in the current horror scene where rehashing 70s movies rules supreme!






Anthony Hopkins stars in this intensely creepy tale about a failing stage magician who finally finds stardom by using a foul-mouthed ventriloquists dummy to voice all the wicked banter he was always too shy to say himself. Rocky star Burgess Meredith is on hand in a superb turn as a flashy showbiz manager who turns Hopkins into a sensation. But our magician hero isn't the full ticket and years of mental problems are coming to the fore...

The dummy is coming to life, driving him to violence and madness. Is the wooden puppet really alive or are we guests in the fractured psyche of a very sick man. Hopkins excels in this underrated psychological horror movie.