2023: Bedlam in Print
Looking back over last year’s books!
2023: The Year in Bedlam
The latest installment of my annual overview of the previous year’s noteworthy film releases
RED ROOMS
All the bad things we’ve heard about the dark web are confirmed in this Quebecois thriller that, in direct contrast to most Quebec made films, was strong enough to interest distributors outside Canada
MISERY
A highly skilled, if somewhat bland, Stephen King adaptation
THE NAUGHTY GIRLS
Not actually a horror novel, but a mainstreamy thriller about a most evil little girl
LET ME GO (THE RIGHT WAY)
From Steven Spielberg’s daughter, Stephen King’s son and Sean Penn’s son–Hollywood meritocracy at its best!
HITCHER IN THE DARK
Gender-swapped Italian rip-offs can be fun, but this HITCHER-inspired Umberto Lenzi thriller isn’t.
THE VANISHING
The first and only English translation of Tim Krabbe’s 1984 Dutch language masterwork THE GOLDEN EGG, a.k.a. THE VANISHING
ESME, MY LOVE
A powerful two-character indie that combines superbly rendered imagery with innovative sound design
RAMPAGE (1987/92)
From the sometimes-great William Friedkin, a so-so serial killer drama