006. Jurassic Park III

006. (06 Jan) /Jurassic Park III/ (2001, Joe Johnston) 30



As dopey as The Lost World: Jurassic Park may be, it's never remotely as stupid as this is at every turn. There are a couple scares that work, like when Tea Leoni dangles from a tree while raptors try to eat her, but for the most part it's so conceptually unsound that this is always more baffling than entertaining. Funniest moments include Sam Neill dreaming about a talking raptor, Leoni channeling her best Kate Capshaw when she's face to face with a skeleton, and the happy ending that comes out of nowhere and defies all logic. Poor Laura Dern at least avoids being trapped on-screen for long.

163. Snow White: A Tale of Terror

163. (20 Aug) Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997, Michael Cohn) 34



More fun in concept than in execution, this so-called tale of terror offers next to nothing in the way of thrills or scares. Sigourney Weaver is devious fun as the wicked stepmother, taking a commendably over-the-top approach. Otherwise, the cast is completely unremarkable and even the most basic plot points are tackled with utter clumsiness. John Ottman's score is the sole technical accomplishment.

142. In the Mouth of Madness

142. (27 Jul) /In the Mouth of Madness/ (1994, John Carpenter) 73



It's remarkable just how disorienting and engrossing In the Mouth of Madness is from the first frame. Its jumbled structure just serves to make a film that's genuinely upsetting more than terrifying. Carpenter regularly approaches Lynchian territory with his lengthy shots of dark highways, but much of the scarier imagery here is thoroughly original in its creepiness.