Books of Blood (2020)

Director: Brannon Braga
Starring: Britt Robertson, Freda Foh Shen, Nicholas Campbell, Anna Friel, Rafi Gavron, Yul Vazquez, Andy McQueen .USA. 1h 47m

It’s been a while since we had a “proper” Clive Barker story ripped from it’s pages and cast on the silver screen. The first handful of movies really blew audiences away, as Clive’s ever watchful eye was able to help redefine his torturous visions from paper to, over the years his involvement dropped off as he was almost excluded from helping future directors and the interest in his adaptations dropped (who would have guessed?) as the unique Barkeresque touch was lost and the films began in blend in with everything else.

I’ve never understood how having the author’s input would ever be cast aside, but Clive is back and writing new material resulting in an extremely better adaptation of the Books of Blood that put the earlier 2009 version to great shame.

Deep Rising (1998)

Director: Stephen Sommers.
Starring. Treat Williams, Kevin J O’Connor, Wes Studi, Anthony Heald, Djimon Hounsou, Jason Flemyng, Cliff Curtis, Derek O;Connor, Famke Jassen. USA. 1h 46m.

The 90’s was a great era for cool action flicks with questionable levels of bravado and badassness , everyone was hot with a weapon, spitting corny one liners, and pulling hot chicks is nothing but a hobby. This era was owned by a few huge names, Arnie, Stallone and Gibson to name a few but at the back end of the 90’s there was a few toys to play with, the addition of advanced computer enhanced effects really ignited something in a lot of directors who tried to break through old limitations and create groundbreaking horror sci fi action flicks just like this and despite there being a few holes in the plot and physical side to story, Stephen Sommers was certainly building his craft into something quite spectacular, only a year later he returns with The Mummy (1999) and a host of other big popcorn titles were to follow.