Documentaries

True-crime and horror documentaries — real cases, real crimes, and the films that retell them.

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Blu-ray Review: Life After Flash (2017)

Before I begin discussing Life After Flash, I feel it appropriate to share some thoughts on Flash Gordon. If you aren’t interested in such things…or having your’s cruelly uncharacteristically lay his soul bare, just skip down to the next paragraph. Anyway, back in December of 1980, my desire to see Flash Gordon was at an almost unbelievable level…and my parents blew my mind and agreed to drive me, and the prettiest girl in the second grade who agreed to be my date, many towns over (yes, I grew up in the literal middle of nowhere) to see the film…but mother nature had other plans; and a nor’easter (to those not in the know; Upstate New York has about 14 months of winter per year…at least it did back then) kept us in town, and Altman’s Popeye was what it had to be (and for the record, that is a charming film and a ton of fun…but it sure as hell

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DanXIII

Apr 17, 2019

DocumentariesGamingIndieMoviesReviews

Movie Review: Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons (2019)

Dungeon & Dragons; you can bet your arcane asses that a young Dan XIII spent many a lonely, female-less…I mean fun-packed afternoon consuming mass quantities of junk and battling all manner of monsters and maniacs with my erstwhile companions, and even though it’s been decades since I tossed the ol’ dice, I still have an infinity for the game and it’s associated imagery. Speaking of that imagery, you can bet demons to donuts that it was breathtaking, and sparked the imagination of player’s world wide (and let’s be honest, a Dungeonmaster’s job is a titch easier with visual aids)…and Eye of the Beholder explores it’s creation and history in impressive detail! Through ninety minutes we journey from the genesis of the game itself, through it’s earliest utilization of pen and ink illustrations, on to TSR’s (the company that published the game for those of you not in the know) creation of a full-time art department. We witness the growth of

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DanXIII

Apr 15, 2019

DocumentariesMoviesNewsStreaming TVTrailers

Documentary Series “On The Trail Of Bigfoot” Delves Into The History Of The Legendary Beast

Bigfoot has been a thing of legend for centuries and the hunt for the beast with huge feet still continues to this day. Seth Breedlove‘s documentary “On the Trail of Bigfoot” delves into the mythology surrounding the beast and the science used to search for him. The six-episode series was filmed in fourteen U.S. states and features over twenty interviews with witnesses, investigators, historians, and researchers on the American legend. “On the Trail of Bigfoot” walks viewers through the history of the Bigfoot phenomenon, starting with the earliest known reports of apelike creatures in the 1800s and bringing them all the way up to the modern day. During the filming of the nearly three-hour series, Breedlove experienced numerous unusual incidents and even managed to capture some mysterious eyeshine watching his camp from a nearby hillside. Along the way, he was joined by skeptics, Bigfoot enthusiasts and those intent on solving the mystery once and for all. Over the course of

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Apr 13, 2019

BooksDocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers

‘Scary Stories’ Documentary Will Take Us Inside The World Of The Books That Scared Us As Children

Scary Stories, the highly anticipated documentary about Alvin Schwartz’ iconic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series, will debut in select theaters this April. The documentary explores the history of one of the most controversial works of modern children’s literature: The best selling teen classic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, which scared a generation of young readers and became one of the most banned books of modern times. Scary Stories creates both the ultimate celebration and dissertation of this iconic piece of horror literature. Cody Meirick’s documentary features more than 40 interviews, from family members of author Alvin Schwartz to fellow children’s book horror authors like R.L Stine (Goosebumps) and Q.L. Pearce, to folklorists, artists and fans discussing the impact that the books have had on both themselves as well as the culture at large. The documentary also explores the various times in which the books were banned or targeted by parent and religious groups as

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Apr 10, 2019

DocumentariesMoviesParanormalReviews

Movie Review: Master of Dark Shadows (2019)

Beginning with a brief history of series creator/producer/director Dan Curtis from his start producing golf programs to his bull in a China shop techniques to getting more and more productions on the air to finally arriving at his desire to create a soap opera…and a Gothic thriller infused one at that…Master of Dark Shadows presents a fascinating character study of a man that brought a veritable arcane avalanche of amazing material to our beloved horror biz (Trilogy of Terror and Burnt Offerings are but a few examples besides the subject of this here diabolical doc)! Of course the subject matter soon turns to focus on Dark Shadows itself, in all of it’s outre, horror-show grandeur! We get a deep-dive into the show’s production featuring interviews those that were there (including cast and crew, as well as members of Curtis’ family) and follow along from the shows rocky start to it’s eventual explosion into the pop culture zeitgeist that occurred with

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DanXIII

Apr 5, 2019

DocumentariesMovies

Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons fights onto the Screen May 14th!

If you love Dungeons & Dragons and monsters, we have a great bit of news! Feast your eerie eyeballs on this rundown: Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons, the definitive documentary chronicling the history, legends, and inspirations behind, and the building of, the realms and characters behind the game, is out May 14th via The Nacelle Company on iTunes, Google, Xbox, Vimeo, Amazon, Vudu, Comcast, Cox, Spectrum, and more. A deep-dive into the monsters, heroes, and adventures that the game brings to life, the film features more than forty interviews with D&D and fantasy illustration heavyweights including Larry Elmore, Jeff Easly, Clyde Caldwell, Brom, Tony DiTerlizzi, Todd Lockwood, Erol Otus, Margaret Weiss, and many more.

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DanXIII

Mar 13, 2019

DocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers

Enter The World Of Barnabas Collins With The Documentary ‘Master Of Dark Shadows’

MPI Media Group has just announced the release date and revealed the trailer for Master of Dark Shadows, directed by David Gregory, a comprehensive celebration of the legendary Gothic daytime series Dark Shadows and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. Filmed in New York, LA and London, the documentary features interviews with key actors and filmmakers involved in the popular story of vampire Barnabas Collins and all the eerie goings-on at the gloomy Maine mansion Collinwood. Narrated by Ian McShane (Deadwood), Master of Dark Shadows offers insights from Curtis himself in addition to Oscar-winning writer-producer Alan Ball (True Blood), screenwriter William F. Nolan (Trilogy of Terror), author Herman Wouk (The Winds Of War), veteran actors Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost), Barbara Steele (Black Sunday)and Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire), Dark Shadows stars Jonathan Frid, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lara Parker, John Karlen, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, Marie Wallace, Chris Pennock and James Storm, plus other colleagues and family members. In

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Mar 2, 2019

DocumentariesMoviesNews

Documentary ’21 Years: Quentin Tarantino’ Finally Headed To Release

Director Tara Wood has finally successfully reclaimed the rights to the authorized Quentin Tarantino documentary feature, 21 Years: Quentin Tarantino, celebrating the life and works of the incredible filmmaker. The film, which explores Tarantino’s work-to-date, looks at the passion behind the worldwide box office dominator. The lightning rod that is Tarantino’s career illuminates the discussion of changes in the industry. In 2017, Wood, co-director of 2014’s acclaimed 21 Years: Richard Linklater, asked The Weinstein Co. to release the documentary following the onslaught of sexual harassment allegations against company founder Harvey Weinstein. TWC should respectfully release us from our deal,” Wood said in a statement at the time, “To allow the project to be handled with the care and consideration it, Mr. Tarantino, and all the participants deserve.” The company refused, and Wood embarked on a prolonged legal battle. Now, Wood is proud to announce that the film has returned to the creative team at Wood Entertainment, and is ready to

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Feb 15, 2019

DocumentariesMoviesNewsShudder

Shudder Announces Documentary ‘Cursed Films’

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers, and the supernatural, announced today the next project in its expanding slate of high-quality, critically-acclaimed original programming: Cursed Films, a high-end documentary series examining the facts, myths and mysteries around iconic films and franchises whose casts and crew have been struck by misfortune and tragedy, including The Exorcist, Poltergeist, and The Omen, among others. Cursed Films will reveal the events that haunted these productions through interviews with experts, witnesses and the cast, directors, and producers who lived through the real-life events. Were these films really cursed, as many believe, or just the victims of bad luck and bizarre circumstances? Cursed Films takes a fascinating look at why these iconic horror movies have gained such an outsized reputation for being the focus of bizarre tragedies and strange coincidences that seemingly defy explanation,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager. The documentary is written, directed and edited by Jay Cheel (How to Build a

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Feb 11, 2019

DocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers

Flying Monsters Take To The Air In Small Town Monster’s Documentary ‘Terror In The Skies’

Small Town Monsters continues to explore the myths and reality of the most frightening legends. This time they take to the air with Terror in the Skies, whose trailer has just been unveiled. Director Seth Breedlove explores hundreds of years of terrifying reports of encounters with massive, winged creatures around the land of Lincoln. From Alton’s man-eating Piasa Bird legends to recent sightings in Chicago of a creature said to resemble Point Pleasant, West Virginia’s infamous Mothman, Terror in the Skies unlocks a centuries-old mystery. The first trailer for Terror in the Skies promises to open viewers’ minds to the possibility that such a thing could exist by way of believable witnesses and fascinating photographic, video and audio evidence. Small Town Monsters made waves in 2017 with their documentary The Mothman of Point Pleasant, which Terror in the Skies acts as a “spiritual sequel” to and one that will be concluded in 2020 by the final film in their Mothman

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Feb 7, 2019

Documentaries

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