“You’ll Float, too.” Three innocuous words infused with horrible terror thanks to Stephen King’s 1986 novel It. Then, in 1990, a television mini-series adapted from the book shifted the way the average person looks at clowns, thanks in large part… Read More ›
horror
Just keep telling yourself “Daniel Isn’t Real.”
For as big as the waves that SpectreVision is making in the indie horror scene with cult hits like The Greasy Strangler and Mandy, it’s a real wonder why a major distributor hasn’t taken a bigger chance putting their films… Read More ›
Peter Strickland’s Giallo-inspired “In Fabric” crafts an inspired modern tale out of vintage filmmaking. [Film Fest 919]
It’s no secret that Suspiria is one of my favorite films of all time, with the 2018 remake just ever so slightly edging out the 1977 original thanks to its expansion on the film’s themes and plot to make something… Read More ›
Director Mike Flanagan makes “Doctor Sleep” his own while keeping pace with Kubrick and King.
Doctor Sleep marks the fifth major adaption of a Stephen King work in 2019 alone, joining the theatrically released Pet Sematary and It: Chapter Two, Netflix’s In the Tall Grass, and Hulu’s original series Castle Rock. Adapting King novels and… Read More ›
Feeling brave? You can welcome “Annabelle Comes Home” into your own now.
When you hit the seventh installment of a series, you’re either scraping the bottom of the barrel or hitting your stride. What began with co-writers Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes and director James Wan in 2013’s The Conjuring is… Read More ›
Can you solve the Faun’s three challenges? With the new 4K UHD home release of “Pan’s Labyrinth” you can.
Though Oscar-winning writer/director Guillermo del Toro’s been working since the mid-’80s, the majority of audiences know him as the director of either Hellboy (2004), Pacific Rim (2013), and The Shape of Water (2017). In cinema-focused circles, however, del Toro’s more… Read More ›
“Artik” is gritty, over the top, and available on home video now.
When it comes to horror films, serial killer horror is often the easiest entry into the genre. With a decent prosthetics team and some creativity, a good horror film can be made on the cheap with some pretty chilling effects… Read More ›
Planning to check out “Bloodline”? Go in with an open mind and a stomach of steel.
The unrelenting, brutally realistic, and “Hard-R” feature, Bloodline, from director Henry Jacobson, examines the atrocities of a serial killer from a unique perspective. Rather than the stereotypical villain who inhumanely preys on the weak and helpless out of sheer wickedness,… Read More ›
Techno-thriller “Empathy, Inc.” puts the question of identity up for examination.
The things we want out of life don’t often go the way we planned. Sometimes it feels like planning is just a way people go about trying to control an outcome. Even now, with apps, gadgets, and tech of all… Read More ›
Be careful when you peel back the layers in “Freaks,” what looks back may frighten.
After spending some time on the festival circuit in 2018, and providing a fan screening during 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con, genre-bending Freaks finally gets the theatrical treatment. Freaks relies far more on character work than action and writing/directing team Zack… Read More ›
“It: Chapter Two” ends where It begins.
No matter how much we want it to, the past rarely stays behind. A song, a story, a face, anything which might elicit the slightly remembrance, and we’re right back in that moment like it’s yesterday. Of the many themes… Read More ›
Don’t Romjin Calm! Join the “Satanic Panic”!
Horror is one of those genres that never goes out of style. It draws inspiration from the things which we fear collectively and gives it form. 1978’s Halloween was born out of the move from city centers to suburbia. 1954’s… Read More ›
Generational conflicts play out as bloody mayhem in Richard Bates Jr.’s “Tone-Deaf”.
Probably for as long as there have been parents and children, there’s been a war waging between generations. Parents tend to think that the ones coming up have no regard for way things used to be and children think it’s… Read More ›
“Ready Or Not,” here comes the bride.
Every family has their traditions, the little things that they do in order to carry forward to the future the notions of the past. Where things tend to get tricky is when someone marries in. Suddenly it’s not about one… Read More ›
Mitch McLeod’s “Silhouette” packs big budget tension in a small budget film.
No matter the genre, the most compelling stories are the ones which tap into something primal in the audience. Fear, delight, rage, and joy are ingrained in us as a means of survival in an uncontrollable cosmos. A good writer… Read More ›
Horror film “D-Railed” would be stronger if it stayed on the tracks.
A private party train for a Halloween murder mystery is unexpectedly derailed when a group of thieves board the train looking to steal something a little more valuable than costume jewelry. The Conductor (Jack Betts) does his best to keep… Read More ›
“The Night Sitter” knows how silly it is, making for an entertaining watch.
The Night Sitter is the latest Christmas-set venture from directing team Abiel Bruhn and John Rocco. The pair have previously worked within short films and always seem to find a way to include the festive period within their work. With… Read More ›
Mystery thriller “8 Remains” is a strong tale of feminine empowerment, if frustratingly uneven.
The act of creating is a cathartic experience for most. That feeling of something welling up inside which must be written, crafted, or molded or else the creator will burst. Sometimes this results in an extremely personal work which resonates… Read More ›
“Luz” is a strong first-go for director Tilman Singer, keeping audiences anticipating every move.
When you think of horror films, what names come to mind? If you’re going old school, you’ll get John Carpenter, Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Mary Lambert, Sam Raimi, Tobe Hooper, Takashi, Miike, Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento, and David Cronenberg…. Read More ›
Now available on home video, director Neil Marshall’s “Hellboy” has freshman growing pains and potential for a great sophomore outing.
During ” The Forever Warriors: Story and Characters”, part one of the three-part documentary “Tales of the Wild Hunt: Hellboy Reborn,” lead actor David Harbour acknowledges that audiences are weary of anything seeming like a reboot or a remake. In… Read More ›