There have been many films conceived, shot, and released since COVID-19 quarantines more or less stopped the world. Some of them put the virus front-and-center (The End of Us), while others used the period as an opportunity to tell a… Read More ›
horror
“Dark Nature” contains big ideas that are underserved by putting most of its secrets up front. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Folklore is easily the earliest form of storytelling we have. Some folklore is intended to serve as lessons in morality or ethics, designed to push a people into certain behaviors, while others are merely stories passed down through the generations… Read More ›
Jamie Hooper’s “The Creeping” is good scary fun. [Chattanooga Film Festival]
“Dad, can you tell me a scary story?” This is not how most children ask to be put to bed, but brave young Anna (Taliyah Blair) isn’t afraid of a few ghosts and goblins. Plus, her dad, Harry (Jonathan Nyati),… Read More ›
Somewhere between myth and reality, there is “A Pure Place.” [Chattanooga Film Festival]
One of the scariest things about cults is that they can form right under our noses. Cult leaders need to psychologically isolate their followers in order to maintain control, but they don’t have to keep everyone on a remote island… Read More ›
The Pizza Poppa comes home now that “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” does too.
The 28th entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, hit theaters May 2022 with audiences excited at the immeasurable possibilities of a Sam Raimi-directed MCU film that includes the much teased multiverse. Especially coming… Read More ›
Part expressionist melodrama and part campy horror, “The Attachment Diaries (El Apego)” sends mixed messages about trauma and mental health issues. [Chattanooga Film Festival]
Content/trigger warning: The Attachment Diaries deals with sexual assault, self-harm, mental illness, and abortion. These subjects are also briefly discussed in the review below. The Attachment Diaries is a difficult movie for two reasons. First, it focuses on a handful… Read More ›
“The Black Phone” rings, you answer.
Scott Derrickson almost directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but left the project over “creative differences,” leading Sam Raimi to take over the franchise. While that may seem like a bit of a career setback for Derrickson, losing… Read More ›
“The Cellar” Blu-ray Giveaway
Thrills and chills come from all kinds of places. In the case of Brendan Muldowney’s The Cellar, he drew inspiration from the supernatural, the scientific, and the downright human to develop his story that debuted at SXSW 2022 before it was… Read More ›
When one realizes that there’s always a “Next Exit,” life becomes an unending journey, not a quest with a hard stop. [Tribeca Film Festival]
**Trigger Warning: Next Exit explores concepts of life and death, which involves discussion/examination of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and euthanasia.** “On this bridge,” Lorca warns, “life is not a dream. Beware. And beware. And beware.” And so many think because Then… Read More ›
Phil Tippett’s “Mad God” is a gem…an oozing, ugly, horrid gem.
As much as I find amazement in the animation work of studios like Pixar and DreamWorks and feel the warmth of a hug in the hand-drawn animation of Studio Ghibli and Folimage, stop-motion always has felt like the pinnacle of… Read More ›
Horror comedy “Keeping Company” delivers in both genres.
First time feature director, Josh Wallace joins co-writer Devin Das, who also wrote this as his first feature, in a devilishly delicious horror comedy in the newest movie, Keeping Company. The movie is anything but ordinary and it delivers some… Read More ›
“Unhuman” Digital Code Giveaway
Who says that horror has a season? Certainly not Blumhouse Television and Epix who are releasing Marcus Dunstan’s new flick Unhuman on digital June 3rd via Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment. Courtesy of Blumhouse Television, Epix, and Paramount Pictures, EoM is giving… Read More ›
Russian horror-thriller “Row 19” is a bumpy, albeit clever, ride.
More than any other form of storytelling, horror provides an opportunity of self-discovery through exploration of the darkest parts of ourselves. Sometimes this takes the form of a wordless, unstoppable shape, sometimes a clown with an acidic tongue, and other… Read More ›
Abuse takes on many forms in writer/director Jeremiah Kipp’s “Slapface.”
Actions have consequences. We may not know what they are in the instant that we make a choice, but they come eventually. Sometimes the consequence is something joyful, bringing light and life to you and those around you. Other times,… Read More ›
Sandra Oh-led horror film, “Umma (엄마),” is available on home video now.
In a world of more opportunity for those who don’t all fit the same straight white male checklist, there are a plethora of new and exciting perspectives being shown by budding new filmmakers, making the film world a more interesting… Read More ›
“X” Blu-ray Giveaway
SXSW 2022 saw a number of A24 films premiere, including the Ti West-directed X. This horror/slasher throwback to the Seventies put a group of young filmmakers (and the audience) through a ringer, leaving everyone feeling frightful but ready for West’s upcoming X… Read More ›
“Night Caller” has anything and everything for horror fans.
There is something so deeply satisfying about a film that defies all expectations and becomes something more than ever anticipated. While watching the trailer for Chad Ferrin’s Night Caller (don’t watch the trailer, go in as blind as possible, it… Read More ›
The kids are so incredibly not alright in Eskil Vogt’s “The Innocents (De uskyldige).”
“I believe the children are our future Teach them well and let them lead the way” – Whitney Houston Is there anything more innocent than the joy of a child’s summer vacation? Playing with friends in the sun all day… Read More ›
Paranoia seeps through every frame of surrealist, absurdist sci-fi thriller “Friend of the World.”
These are wild times we’re living in. We’ve got wars for land in Ukraine and Israel bordering on genocide, racial strife and religion tied too closely with politics in the U.S. and U.K., a cult of personality seizing the good… Read More ›
Delightfully shocking and surprisingly gruesome, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is decidedly a Sam Raimi MCU movie.
After 27 films, there exists roughly three factions of people: those who are stupid excited for any new Marvel project, those who are exhausted, and those who don’t particularly care. Some of the malaise stems from the fact that, like… Read More ›