Picked Clean: Reviews from The Realm of The Carrion Crow

 By Stephen Pytak Some new plot twists and a dash of '80s excess give "The Shape" some new life here. But I think my favorite thing about this film is Donald Pleasence. His wide-eyed reactions to the madness surrounding him and ramblings about evil were always a treat. And this time out,  he gets the chance to escape from an exploding gas station, then talk about the forces of darkness while he drinks with a traveling preacher. The adventures of "Dr. Samuel Loomis" are a highlight in Halloween 4 , one of the best entries in this long-running series. Donald Pleasence as "Dr. Sam Loomis" in "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)." Copyright 1988 by Trancas International Films.  I saw Halloween 4 opening weekend at the former Cinemette East Theatre on Mall Boulevard at Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, the mall where Romero filmed Dawn of the Dead (1978). At the time, I was a freshman at Point Park College in Pittsburgh,...

  By Stephen Pytak Some aspects of Chris Stuckmann's Shelby Oaks  made me think a bit about this thriller from Wes Craven. So perhaps it's time for me to sit down and review Deadly Blessing (1981), a film I've always had a soft spot for.  I recently saw it on 35 mm at GAP Theatre in Wind Gap, Pennsylvania. So it's fresh in my mind. The screening was dedicated to the memory of actress Susan Buckner, who died in 2024.  I saw Shelby Oaks at a preview screening the other night. And if you want my thoughts on that film, you can check out my review on this blog. You can find it by clicking HERE . These films would make for an interesting double bill. If I were running that show, I'd start with Craven's film, then move onto Stuckmann's. If shown that way, I think you'd have a nice build up to the reveal of the main baddie in Shelby Oaks . Yes, there will be spoilers here. You have been warned. Lisa Hartman as "Faith" in Wes Craven's "Dead...

  By Stephen Pytak Chris Stuckmann's Shelby Oaks is a little better than I thought it would be. While his cinematic influences are clearly evident -- fans of The Blair Witch Project (1999) will spot a whole bunch -- there are enough twists, turns and genuine scares to make it worth your time. Shelby Oaks  isn't the best film I've seen this year, but it certainly isn't the worst. It has its issues. But when it works, it really works.  I support independent films. And I love the horror genre.  And I may try to catch an encore screening sometime next week. If you're looking for something to see during spooky season, give it a go. If you love nostalgia, the Blair Witch approach Stuckmann employs may work for you. And the ending may surprise you. Huh? What was the worst film I've seen this year? Probably Cleaner (2025). I think Daisy Ridley does what she can with the material, but it's just a lackluster Die Hard knockoff. She's a really good actress. But...

  By Stephen Pytak This is an okey-dokey sequel to The Black Phone (2021). But it can be viewed as an interesting remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).  Black Phone 2 (2025) is kind of fun I suppose, if you're just going out to see something spooky on an October night.  It's a dark and gritty flick about a child murderer who has somehow come back from the dead. And "The Grabber" has a great look! That mask is iconic. The story is set at a camp buried in tons of snow. The filmmaking isn't bad. The film is permeated by a feeling of dread. And there are some really cool moments. Not every set up works. But some do. After seeing the film, I wondered how hard-core horror fans would react.  Will it be celebrated for its homages to another classic horror film? Will it be criticized for its lack of originality? Would the fans be irked by its creative - or not so creative - choices? Honestly, I was hoping for something a little more original.  I think "The G...

 By Stephen Pytak Th ere are hundreds of slasher movies out there. And it’s hard to say which ones are going to win over fans of the genre and which ones will be criticized and left for dead.  I wasn’t a fan of The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024), so I wasn’t really looking forward to the second part of this planned trilogy. When The Strangers: Chapter 2 was released on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, the critics ravaged it, knocking it way down on the Tomatometer. As I type this, it's rotten at 17 percent. The New York Times called it "hackneyed and silly."   I’ve been having a rough week. I wasn’t rushing out to see Chapter 2 . And I actually thought about skipping it altogether. But I found some time to check it out a 1:20 pm screening today, Oct. 2, 2025, at the AMC Fairgrounds in Reading, Pennsylvania.  I plunked down $8.39 for a ticket. And I’m glad I did. Chapter 2 is relentless and clever. And  I’m going to give it four stars out of five. It includes some very...