To quote Roger Ebert: This is the first horror movie where the chainsaw is actually used on a tree.

EVERY video store in the 90's had a cardboard cutout of "The Guardian". Ah....it was a great time be a kid. Friday nights, pizza, sleepovers....cheesy action films. Great memories.

For those of you who aren't brits (or are brits under the age of 40); Barkpuss was a play on Bagpuss, who was a kid's animation about a cloth toy cat that comes to life.

"The horror movie for adults is too scary, leave the fantasy in." These people were just going in circles the whole time with the script rewrites.

This used to play on the Sci Fi channel and was cut off before the end when the dad goes to chainsaw the tree. It boggles my mind how they do not show that awesome scene cause well I love that part as a kid. The wife fighting off the Druid while the dad fighting the tree to me was the best showcase of parents defending their child.

I just finished watching this, and I honestly really enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece, but it just has such a unique flair and creativity to it I don't really see in today's horror movies, that I just couldn't hate it. (And that ending was amazing as well) In other words, I enjoyed it for the same reason I liked The Lair of The White Worm.

Had no idea Stephen Volk had written for movies. He’s known over here in the UK for the massively controversial TV show Ghost Watch.

Miguel Ferrer R.I.P

They should've kept the title 'The Nanny' and had Fran Drescher play as the druid. Just imagine the chase scene with her laughing maniacally.

The scaled back look for the Nanny with wood was perfect, the 3rd just feels like a "sexy" Halloween costume

I'd love to see a video on To Live and Die in L.A. It's an often overlooked crime-thriller classic that deserves more recognition.

It didn't need the supernatural element removed. It needed people involved that wanted to do supernatural horror

I HATE it when people who make great horror films then act ashamed of the genre or hate it. Like when Friedkin called "The Exorcist" a "supernatural detective story" instead of a horror film. Own it! Own that shit!

i hate it when movies with potential get ruined by people who doesn't understand what the movies vision is

The Guardin deserves more love than just being and obscure Friedkin film!!! Grea as usual!!! Thanks, Cecil!!!

I really liked this movie, and I couldn't help but root for Camilla the whole time. Great acting, great effects.

How awesome is Jenny Seagrove.

You should explore Michael Mann's "The Keep". potential that crumbled when it came to production and limitations.

What's that?? A horror film that Roger Ebert hated?!??! SHOCKED! =O

Long time subscriber here, just wanted to thank you for releasing EXCELLENT reviews on a regular basis. I watch plenty of reviewers on YT and you are by far THE BEST! Short, concise, fact based reporting with rapier wit. Keep them coming!

"Where's my cocaine" must have been heard a lot on the set

Thank you!!! I had been racking my BRAIN trying to remember what the name of the film was!! I hadn’t seen it since I was 8 ( I was a REAL horror junkie as a kid) and had the itch to watch it again! XD

I'm so glad I found your channel. I've been watching everything you put up back to back. Keep up the good work!

Love Seagrove's sense of humour about her part and the make-up for it.

I love your Exploring series! It's my favorite of yours! :)

they should have kept the second design of Camilla 😕😞

I love this movie as well. I remember seeing an extended cut that ramps up the supernatural aspects a bit more than what had been shown in the theaters and later on HBO.

I saw this sitting on the video store shelves sooo many times but never picked it up. While I don't think I made the wrong choice after watching this video- I thought your exploration was fantastic... as usual. My favorite youtube channel!

Cool exploring video you did on the film The Guardian and your videos are really great and your channel is really awesome.

I agree with you Cecil, while the film has it's moments, it's definitely not scary. This is one of my 'guilty pleasure' horror movies.

Ridiculous, hysterical camp! Which is exactly why I love it. It's also a freakin' hoot to see effects as hilariously bad as that tree in a movie that cost that much. It's almost as if Friedkin was aping John Frankenheimer's "Prophecy".

I lost it at the bicycle crash

the best movie review channel on KZfaq by far, documentation, insight, humor, trivia, everything is just great

Love your show man very informative

Hay would you do a video on 13 Ghosts from 2001 please?

Great video! Haven't seen this one in ages.

i love these reviews, they are so well made. The outing would be a good one to make one on!

5:46 that make-up is awesome

Fun fact: Friedkin was a fan of the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". He and Tobe Hopper almost worked together.

so happy you did this one

Top notch review, as usual! I am going to queue this movie up so I can watch it

I saw this in the theater when I was in high school. I enjoyed it but had pretty much forgotten about it. I’ll make a point to watch it again.

Best yet, well done!

It's pleasing to find a film you have reviewed that for some reason fell off my radar. I look forward to watching this one in full. Great review - and I do agree it would have been a better vehicle for Raimi to direct - but Darkman was still awesome so whatever.

That Tree Attack Scene....good god that was brutal as hell. Although if Sam Raimi did it, we would have another tree rape scene.

Once again, yet another great _Exploring_ video on a movie made by too many cooks in the kitchen, Cecil. I had just gotten around to stumbling upon this film when looking for other supernatural horror films to view in the future, but now having seen your video, now I'm looking further into it, thanks man. ;D

Thank you so much for this review, now I am very intrigued about the movie!

Great Video!

Cecil. this film & that damn tree terrified me as a child. The ending got me everytime.

I remember that movie! Used to play a lot on cable in the 90's!!!

Solid horror movie. Of course, not one of the best of the 90's and all, but not that bad at all as some people say it is. Great job with this new exploring video Cecil. Although i don't comment on every single of your videos, i just wanted to say that you always do a great job. I wish you lot more luck with your future videos and most of all, with your personal life, and of course, enjoy the movies!

amazing! was thinking about this film recently. haven't seen it since I was a kid. now im guna buy it. thanks!

Love your "Exploring" vids.

"Barkpuss"?-I'm in! Wait, that was old me talking. Now me says 'I'll climb her like a tree.'

Wow, you just brought back memories of watching this when I was 10

after your review I tracked down a copy and... it's actually pretty good. violent as hell too. I really have no idea how I never heard of this until now.

Wang Chung u say?!? Boooyaaa! I'm In Babyyyy!

that button at the end of this video. freaking brilliant

Another great entry into your exploring series. I was wondering how do you choose which movies to do?

could you make Exploring The Frightners ??? Plz~^^;;😙

Darkman was awesome

That's one of my childhood movies alongside ET and Fright Night

I have never heard of this film, but I must seek this out & watch it, after seeing this review! It looks & sounds like a darker version of Troll, a film that I love!

I didn't like Darkman but it does have my favorite movie line EVER. "If you aren't going to kill me.... I have things to do."

Rest in peace William Friedkin, you will forever live on as one of our most influential directors.

My best friend and I were obsessed with this movie when we were about 10.

I love this channel.

Great review as always Cecil! Loved the ending of the movie when he goes after the tree with he chainsaw. Very gory.

Tales from the hood, 13 ghost 2001*, Spookies, the gate, don't be afraid of the dark. These would be so awesome for you to cover. Anyways, great video Cecil :)

Watched this for the first time last night, had to go back and watch your video on it! Not sure how I missed this one. This is such a fuckin wild little flick and I'm not surprised at all that the behind the scenes are just as chaotic. HI I'M BARK PUSS! XD

I love the fact that they asked to remove the supernatural aspects and where denied. Then Hand that rocks comes out not that many years later and makes so much more money.

Totally thought this was gonna be about the Kevin Costner movie about coast guards.

lol that outro clip

Can You do The Sentinel (1977)?

I love your videos. You are the best.

I honestly adore this film!

Love the 'blow off' line.

Are you going to review The Void?

the second design of Camilla should should have been used....just my opinion.

Say what you want, babyfaces on trees are very disturbing.

Could you do an exploring the machinist? It's a really great movie.

I totally agree , Darkman IS Awesome !!!

Yeesh. All those rewrites. The original novel's premise was lost in the mix. And it seems a lot of people all had different ideas on what kind of movie they were making.

I remember watching this when I was trying to stay up late at age 6. I never finished it due to blood excess. Wonder how it is now that I am more into movies??

surprisingly I've never seen this movie. gonna have to watch it....

In my opinion, I would consider this as one of William Friedkin's most highly underrated films. If they ever remake, even though I'm against remakes, I think Guillermo Del Toro should do it.

Camilla's original woody appearance looks like a discarded Muppet from Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

You should take a closer look at Bug as well. It is one of the most uncomfortable movies ever made. I loved it. =)

Wait, why haven't you done Dark Man??? That's like right up your alley

Sam Raimi's "The Guardian" would have been good... but I'm not sure a William Friedkin'-directed version of "Darkman" would have worked at all.

A lot of people stated throughout production that the supernatural element should've been removed, but between The Guardian and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, The Guardian sounds more interesting to me. Maybe it's because the story structure of THTRTC has been done to death at this point, maybe it's the fantastical horror fan in me, I don't know. But without seeing either and having both films presented to me in this video, the idea of an ancient druid sacrificing a newborn child to an ancient tree sounds way cooler than generic abduction. Maybe that's just me.

This movie scared the shit out of me as a kid.

I remember watching this in theaters when I was a kid. Wow. Had Raimi directed it, they should've kept all the supernatural elements & even ramped them up so that they're extra-camp.

OH! I remember seeing this haha. I didn't think it was that great tbh :x

Needs more subs.

Why not explore the movie "The Hearse" from 1980?

They should have let Friedkin cut out the supernatural element. He’s best at being realistic. I think he wanted a B horror feel to it and he did a decent job. Even Friedkin’s bad flicks are better than average.

I remember my parents renting this movie at Blockbuster can't believe it scared me back then it seems so laughable now. That scene with the wolves stalking that guy and following him back to his house was scary when I saw it as a kid most likely now I would laugh at it. However for scaring me as a child I want to see this movie again but it is never streaming on one of the major streaming services hell it isn't even on Tubi.

An imperfect film with some truly startling images & effects throughout. The editing lets it down, but that's entirely down to the studio. Friedkin tried hard to make sense of an ever changing script & even if the end result was disappointing it's still a better watch than anything that Blumhouse has shat out this century! But for all Friedkin's efforts I still feel that this should have stayed in the hands of original film maker Sam Raimi. This was definetly more up his street than Friedkin's & I think that Raimi would have made it work better even for him. I could totally see Bruce Campbell in the male lead role as well, but you could say that about Raimi's own 1990 film, Darkman as well 😂

It's like everyone involved was afraid of horror and unwilling to make a horror flick. I wonder if some of that reticence came from the mythos surrounding the horror genre by that time from what happened on the sets of Poltergeist and Exorcist, and to the actors afterwards, and then the whole crusade against Heavy Metal music and related things.