It’s confounding the lengths people will go to denigrate or dismiss the horror genre in favor of more populist genres like action, drama, or comedy. For generations, horror stories have been used as social warnings, explorations of loss, and even… Read More ›
thriller
Despite being smart and compelling on its own merits, there’s little original within “No One Gets Out Alive.”
As a writer, you have to have some insane measure of confidence to title a horror novel No One Gets Out Alive and still purport to have something up your sleeve as a storyteller. Adam Nevill’s 2014 novel seemingly did… Read More ›
A riveting thriller from start to finish comes down to “The Execution.” [Fantastic Fest]
Between 1978 – 1990, a series of brutal murders were committed by Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, totaling more than 50 women and children before he was captured, convicted, and executed via firing-squad. This absolute horror serves as the narrative… Read More ›
Arrow Video releases a fourth Yasuzô Masumura remaster, 1969’s “Blind Beast.”
As with previously reviewed films Giants and Toys (1958) and Irezumi (1966), Arrow Video is restoring and offering up to audiences outside of Japan another Yasuzô Masumura film: Blind Beast. Arrow Video provides an opportunity to expand what viewers may… Read More ›
“The Last Matinee” satisfies with thrills and kills.
The great debate of the importance of the “theatrical experience” has been run into the ground as streaming services continue to expand and movie theater attendance becomes increasingly inconsistent. The industry was headed in this direction even before March 2020,… Read More ›
Director Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” recontextualizes the mythos in a way that’ll excite some and frustrate others.
The stories we tell matter. They carry weight with every word. They are derived from their individual meanings as well as the histories accompanying them. Stories keep people and events alive long after their physical forms are gone, enabling those… Read More ›
Zom-com “Brain Freeze” has its heart in the right place, yet still arrives DOA. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Fine, let’s just get it out of the way: I am not a very big fan of zombie films on the base level. There are many other things that can make a zombie film good, that I can identify with… Read More ›
Undeniable cast chemistry shines bright against the dark forces at play in “When I Consume You.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Do your worst childhood fears ever come back to haunt you? Does it feel like the monsters in your closet never left? Most of us outgrow our fear of shadows, monsters, and the dark, and we can now keep the… Read More ›
“Be careful what you wish for, be certain what you pray for:” Religious intentions are put on trial in “The Righteous.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
If you’re into Southern Gothic literature, you’ll go nuts over Mark O’Brien’s feature directorial debut, The Righteous, which screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival earlier this month. Granted, it was filmed in Canada and not the American South, but… Read More ›
“The Protégé” provides fun escapism and maybe kicks-off a new franchise.
What do you get when you utilize the talents of the director of Casino Royale (2006), the writer of the modern Equalizer films, Nick Fury his ownself, and the star of the Nikita live-action series? Some super-slick spy-like mayhem amid… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “The Protégé” actor Maggie Q.
Maggie Q has worked on franchises like Mission: Impossible, Die Hard, and the Divergent trilogy. She’s also played lead roles in NIkita, Designated Survivor, and more. On this episode of Open Dialogue, Noel T. Manning II interviews Maggie Q about… Read More ›
“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” Blu-ray Giveaway
Did you get the chance to check out the third Conjuring film when it hit theaters and HBO Max at the start of June 2021? Want to own it forever? Thanks to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment you can win a… Read More ›
Dramatic thriller “Glasshouse” is a stunning feature-length debut which challenges our trust of memory. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
There are many ways to view identity. Some define themselves by their faith, by their location, by their profession, or by their hobbies, their fandoms. Some define themselves by their sex, their gender, or their sexual preference. One thing that… Read More ›
You may want to leave a few lights on to watch “The Last Thing Mary Saw,” a visually petrifying feature debut from writer/director Edoardo Vitaletti. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
You don’t necessarily need complex characters or ingenious plot twists to write an engaging story. With strong imagery and a clear, palpable tone that physically affects your audience, you can transform the most overdone plot into a memorable tale. Writer/director… Read More ›
A study of depression and mourning, David Bruckner’s “The Night House” uses familiar notes to craft a hell of a horror drama.
The Night House, directed by David Bruckner, with a script from Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, originally had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020. Now we find ourselves in August 2021, after a wild 18 months… Read More ›
Q-Bits with the “The Night House” actor Rebecca Hall.
EoM contributor Thomas Manning recently had the opportunity to submit a few questions in a virtual Q&A with actress Rebecca Hall in anticipation of the upcoming release of the horror drama The Night House, directed by David Bruckner. Hall discusses… Read More ›
Action thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead” is the odd whiff from an otherwise great mixture of talent.
On paper, the adaptation of Michael Koryta’s 2014 novel Those Who Wish Me Dead sounds like an absolute cinematic slam dunk. It has Hell or High Water writer Taylor Sheridan as one of the screenwriters on the adaption, as well… Read More ›
Actors Donnie Yen and Nicholas Tse bring their dazzling fists of fury to writer/director Benny Chan’s final film: action thriller “Raging Fire.”
Which would you rather do: the hard right thing or the easy wrong thing? A decision like this is simple when the stakes are low, like what’s for dinner: cooking it yourself when you have all the ingredients but are… Read More ›
Join Fistful of Features as it returns to the “House of Wax” via Shout! Factory’s Collector’s Edition Blu-ray.
Welcome to Fistful of Features, a celebration of film preservation through physical media and the discussion of cinematic treasures to maintain their relevance in the cultural lexicon. Today we’ll be discussing the fifth film from Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis’s Dark… Read More ›
Identity and moral responsibility are at the heart of Lee Yong-ju’s sci-fi thriller “Seobok.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
What defines “personhood”? This is a complex question that gets debated quite a bit, specifically in regard to pre-birth healthcare. Is it from the moment of cell division, the presence of a heartbeat, or the moment a life reaches prime… Read More ›