The shadow of war, from the prehistoric days to the ultra-modern, technologically-advanced warfare of the present, has loomed large over the entirety of humanity. One could argue that war is the one thing seen consistently throughout history, seemingly touching every… Read More ›
Shudder
To destroy the systems that keep us in place, we may need “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster.” [SXSW]
Content Warning: The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster feature several scenes involving flashing lights. Photosensitive audiences should take precautions before viewing. Those who proclaim that America isn’t racist or isn’t built upon racist structures is either profiting from it… Read More ›
“Attachment” boasts engaging performances over a less engaging script.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am an advocate for directors who want to express their vision and take a swing for the fences. Gabriel Bier Gislason has jumped ship from shorts to features with Attachment, and while exploring… Read More ›
Come for the blood, stay for the sinister humor in “Consecration.”
Consecration is following in the footsteps of Watcher, Resurrection, and Skinamarink with IFC Films’s and Shudder’s distribution partnership, putting indie horror that would usually not get a chance for theatrical distribution out to the masses. Particularly with Skinamarink’s recent success… Read More ›
Adolescent horror-comedy “Kids vs. Aliens” is wild and rebellious, though not as gnarly as audiences may want.
**Content Warning: Photosensitive audiences may want to avoid this picture due to high frequency of strobing and flashing lights.** Director Jason Eisener’s career is a collection of short and feature-length stories, either made as a standalone or part of an… Read More ›
Noah Segan’s directorial debut “Blood Relatives” explores the taboo subject of the reluctant parent via the metaphor of vampirism.
Parenthood changes you. It’s not for everyone and there’s good reason for people wanting to avoid it ever happening to them, but, for those who do become parents (by birth, by adoption, however), there’s a palatable shift in how one… Read More ›
Lorcan Finnegan’s “Nocebo” plays on expectations, twisting what you think you know to present a disquieting, rage-inducing thriller.
Sometimes it only takes one film to make an impression on an audience. With his 2019 film Vivarium, writer/director Lorcan Finnegan did exactly that via a tale that takes a dark view of the life cycle, trapping a couple in… Read More ›
“This Is GWAR” Blu-ray Giveaway
No one does it like thrash metal band Gwar. No one. There are imitators, there are impressionists, and there are copycats, but none can hold a candle to the band that’s been “spilling blood” on stage since 1984. Thanks to… Read More ›
Writer/director Andrew Semans’s psychological thriller “Resurrection” is a powerhouse of a film, holding the potential to devastate its audience.
There are a lot of things about parenthood that are kept from the general public. Most talk about the wonderful things that come from being a parent, like getting to see a first-time reaction to something or sharing an experience,… Read More ›
“They Live in the Grey” DVD Giveaway
Writer/director team The Vang Brothers follow up their 2016 horror film Bedeviled with supernatural thriller They Live in the Grey. After releasing on Shudder in February of 2022 and in partnership with RLJE Films, They Live in the Grey is coming… Read More ›
You’ve heard of the restaurant at the end of the world. How about the rest stop at the end of existence? It’s “Glorious.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
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 ›
“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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
Aisha Dee slays in Australian horror comedy “Sissy.” [SXSW Film Festival]
We’ve all had our experiences with bullies. Some more than others, certainly, but looking back on the pitfalls of adolescence in the light of adulthood, there’s always that nagging voice in the back of your head telling you “If you… Read More ›
Lovecraftian “The Cellar” wastes an interesting concept on a poorly constructed foundation. [SXSW Film Festival]
At some point in your life you’ve had the hair on your neck stand on end with the feeling of not being alone. It could be in the comfort of your living room, full lights on, or on a midnight… Read More ›
Danish horror “Speak No Evil (Gæsterne)” is pure nightmare fuel, powered by interpersonal tension and full-fledged dread. [Sundance Film Festival]
“I don’t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I’m not enjoying myself” – Kim Cattrall I like to believe I’m a pretty friendly person. My mother raised me that way. I’m inclined to view the… Read More ›
“Superhost” DVD Giveaway
Horror is a prime genre in which we can explore our fears, from the things that go bump in the night to the odd-vibe someone gives off pushed to 11. In our ever-increasing digitally-shared world, likes and reviews are the… Read More ›
“An Unquiet Grave” DVD Giveaway
In the mood for a little dark terror in the woods? After a streaming release on Shudder in June of 2021, supernatural horror An Unquiet Grave is receiving a physical releases thanks to a partnership between the streamer and RLJE… Read More ›
Sion Sono’s odd and beautiful “Prisoners of the Ghostland” arrives in four flavors: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it countless times: revisiting a film is always bound to reveal something new. We have to be willing — correction — open to that newness because, whether a film is a longtime favorite… Read More ›