CategoryDocumentaries
True-crime and horror documentaries — real cases, real crimes, and the films that retell them.
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Documentaries
Few films have been more terrifying than William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. Recently, Friedkin set out to make a document the real rites of exorcism, similar to those we witnessed in his terrifying, ground-breaking, 1973 film. In the documentary, The Devil and Father Amorth, we will witness the real exorcism of an Italian woman performed by Father Gabriel Amorth. Yes, I said real. In the early 1970s when I directed The Exorcist, I had not witnessed an exorcism but I wondered how close I had come to portraying reality,” Friedkin said. “I had been curious to meet Father Amorth for many years and when he granted permission to meet and film him in Rome last May, it was the opportunity to complete the circle and see how close that film came to reality.” Last year during an interview with Variety he said, “I had to shoot it alone, obviously. The conditions were that I come along with no crew and no
Continue reading →
Documentaries
Back in 1989, director Mary Lambert collaborated with legendary author Stephen King to bring his best-selling book Pet Semetary to life. Two New England filmmakers, John Campopiano and Justin White have spent 5 years uncovering the story of Pet Sematary’s journey from book to film. For the first time, fans of King and the film can go behind the scenes in HD on the upcoming Blu-ray. Unearthed and Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary is both an in-depth independent documentary and a celebration of King’s classic, told by the cast and crew from the 1989 undead hit, as well as locals from Maine – the place it all started. The documentary contains interviews heard for the first time, tours of the iconic film locations, never-before-seen photographs and videos from the set. The interviews are with people such as director Mary Lambert, cast members Denise Crosby, Dale Midkiff, Miko Hughes, Brad Greenquist, Andrew Hubatsek, Susan Blommaert, the Berdahl twins, Michael Lombard
Continue reading →
Documentaries
From the world of the long-running hit series, ‘Doctor Who’ comes ‘The Doctors: Monsters!’. For the first time, ‘Doctor Who’ fans can learn more about the men and women who brought to life the monsters of the series. The 2-disc DVD is a compilation of one documentary special, ‘I Was A Doctor Who Monster!’, along with five titles from the Reeltime Pictures acclaimed ‘Myth Makers’ series. ‘I Was A Doctor Who Monster!’ is hosted by Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Doctor. ‘Myth Makers’ is presented by Nicholas Briggs, the voice of the Daleks on ‘Doctor Who’, who interviews the stars and the production staff to uncover the story behind the sci-fi television series. Nicholas Briggs and Producer/Director Keith Barnfather provide the introduction. Koch Media Presents ‘The Doctors: Monsters!’ on DVD March 5, 2018. You can pre-order your copy now.
Continue reading →
Documentaries
What could be more terrifying than William Friedkin’s The Exorcist? How about a real exorcism caught on tape? Recently, Friedkin set out to make a documentary of the real rites of exorcism, similar to those we witnessed in his terrifying, ground-breaking, 1973 film. In Friedkin’s The Devil and Father Amorth, we will witness the real exorcism of an Italian woman performed by Father Gabriel Amorth. Yes, I said real. In the early 1970s when I directed The Exorcist, I had not witnessed an exorcism but I wondered how close I had come to portraying reality,” Friedkin said. “I had been curious to meet Father Amorth for many years and when he granted permission to meet and film him in Rome last May, it was the opportunity to complete the circle and see how close that film came to reality.” Last year during an interview with Variety he said, “I had to shoot it alone, obviously. The conditions were that I
Continue reading →
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Terror Films has once again teamed up with filmmaker Seth Breedlove for the release of his documentary ‘Invasion on Chestnut Ridge’ (review), which arrived today on VOD. The documentary, part of the “Small Town Monsters” series, examines the history and continuation of unusual happenings on and around Chestnut Ridge, a mountain range located in Southwest Pennsylvania. The unexplained phenomenon in this region includes the Kecksburg UFO crash in 1965, the Uniontown Bigfoot and UFO sightings, terrifying encounters with an enormous prehistoric bird in Keystone State Park and much more. ‘Invasion on Chestnut Ridge’ was written, edited and directed by Breedlove as part of his “Small Town Monsters” series, which premiered on Amazon in October 2017 – to positive acclaim. The official synopsis: In southwestern Pennsylvania lies an expansive mountain range called the Chestnut Ridge. Though a home for unusual activity since the 1800s, the area has been largely overlooked…until now! ‘The Small Town Monsters” documentary films series also includes ‘The
Continue reading →
Documentaries
Freestyle Digital Media has announced that they have acquired Zak Bagans’ paranor5mal documentary Demon House which follows the “Ghost Adventure” crew through the reportedly haunted house he purchased in Gary, Indiana. The house has been referred to be “…overwhelmed by a demon possession case some have called the next Amityville.” I destroyed the house because I do not want anyone to ever live there again,” Bagans has stated. “I saw too many things, and there was something inside the house that affected everyone. The police, clergy, children, my production crew. Everyone. I am delighted that Freestyle will now be making Demon House available to North American viewers soon!” Written, directed and produced by Bagans, the documentary features crew members Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, and Nick Groff, along with Father Michael Maginot, Dr. Barry Taff, and Captain Charles Austin. Demon House was produced also by Joseph Taglieri and Mike Dorsey, and Jay Wasley. After the ‘Ghost Adventures’ investigation, the house was demolished
Continue reading →
DocumentariesIndieMoviesParanormal
The Devil’s Well concerns the misadventures of a husband and wife paranormal investigation team that arrive in a small town to investigate a hotspot called The Devil’s Well (‘natch). Well the wife of the duo, Karla, goes missing, and the chief suspect is of course her husband Bryan is suspecto numero uno (I’m a cunning linguist my fiends). Presented in documentary format (with a nice variety of interviews, camera footage, news reports etc.), we get to learn all the facts of the case including that the victim’s family was morally opposed to Karla’s work with the supernatural. Soon we learn that the well, located in a basement of all places, is a rumored portal to hell with a long and sordid past, and our heroes begin an investigation which leads to Karla’s disappearance. Flash forward a year, and a new party, including Bryan, return to the arcane abode to attempt to find ol’ Karla…and of course they find so much
Continue reading →
DocumentariesInterviewsTrailers
Filmmaker Nick Hunt has several projects on his plate, including his film Safe Place, his anthology film Wander Tales, and his documentary ‘The Dark Heart of Jason Voorhees: The Making Of the Final Friday‘. He was willing to tell us about them during our interview. Horror Fuel: “You’ve been busy. You’re getting ready to shoot one Feature film, and prepping to shoot a feature-length documentary, a short film and a Feature length Anthology can you tell us about it?” Nick Hunt: “Safe Place’ is about six students who attend a party to celebrate their friend’s successful art show opening. Their presence triggers a memory in the host’s past. He resolves to positively influence the course of their lives by ending them.” Horror Fuel: “Is it true that Bill Oberst Jr. has signed on to co-star?” Nick Hunt: “Yes, yes. Oberst is great. He will have a role and we are completely honored to have the Emmy-winner on board. His character
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesParanormalTrue Story
It’s a rare occurrence when your’s cruelly is sent a documentary to review; but today I have two for ya (I feel so F’n fancy); Invasion on Chestnut Ridge and The Mothman of Point Pleasant; two deep dives into cryptids, creeps, and catastrophe from the fine fiends at Small Town Monsters! So, without further arcane adieu let’s dip our freaky feet into some good ol’ monstrous mayhem! Invasion on Chestnut Ridge concerns a series of incidents that were mostly unknown to me (and believe me, I am always pleased as poison punch to learn about new paranormal occurrences). Chestnut Ridge sits in southern Pennsylvania; a rural area dotted with bucolic small towns; most of which have had brushes with U.F.O.’s, Sasquatch, hauntings, or some unholy combination of them all. Starting with a brief overview of the location’s history, the film begins in earnest with the story of a crashed U.F.O. in Kecksburg County in the mid 1960’s, commented on by
Continue reading →
DocumentariesTrailersTrue Story
Next year a new documentary will investigate the fabled “Flatwoods Monster” of West Virginia. The documentary will be released by the award-winning, Small Town Monsters production company, who are responsible for last Spring’s, “The Mothman of Point Pleasant”; another documentary centered around a well-known West Virginia legend. The film is directed and written by Seth Breedlove, the director of the award-winning film Boggy Creek Monster. The film features an original score composed by Brandon Dalo and cinematography by Zachary Palmisano with special FX by Santino Vitale and fully animated sequences by Chris Scalf. The tale goes like this: “In 1952 five children were playing football in a small town called Flatwoods, WV when a strange object appeared above them. Streaking across the sky, they watched it crest a nearby hill, slow and then descend just over the top of the ridge. What followed after their sighting has become one of the most infamous local legends ever recorded. That night, seven
Continue reading →
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Documentaries
Few films have been more terrifying than William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. Recently, Friedkin set out to make a document the real rites of exorcism, similar to those we witnessed in his terrifying, ground-breaking, 1973 film. In the documentary, The Devil and Father Amorth, we will witness the real exorcism of an Italian woman performed by Father Gabriel Amorth. Yes, I said real. In the early 1970s when I directed The Exorcist, I had not witnessed an exorcism but I wondered how close I had come to portraying reality,” Friedkin said. “I had been curious to meet Father Amorth for many years and when he granted permission to meet and film him in Rome last May, it was the opportunity to complete the circle and see how close that film came to reality.” Last year during an interview with Variety he said, “I had to shoot it alone, obviously. The conditions were that I come along with no crew and no
Continue reading →
Documentaries
Back in 1989, director Mary Lambert collaborated with legendary author Stephen King to bring his best-selling book Pet Semetary to life. Two New England filmmakers, John Campopiano and Justin White have spent 5 years uncovering the story of Pet Sematary’s journey from book to film. For the first time, fans of King and the film can go behind the scenes in HD on the upcoming Blu-ray. Unearthed and Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary is both an in-depth independent documentary and a celebration of King’s classic, told by the cast and crew from the 1989 undead hit, as well as locals from Maine – the place it all started. The documentary contains interviews heard for the first time, tours of the iconic film locations, never-before-seen photographs and videos from the set. The interviews are with people such as director Mary Lambert, cast members Denise Crosby, Dale Midkiff, Miko Hughes, Brad Greenquist, Andrew Hubatsek, Susan Blommaert, the Berdahl twins, Michael Lombard
Continue reading →
Documentaries
From the world of the long-running hit series, ‘Doctor Who’ comes ‘The Doctors: Monsters!’. For the first time, ‘Doctor Who’ fans can learn more about the men and women who brought to life the monsters of the series. The 2-disc DVD is a compilation of one documentary special, ‘I Was A Doctor Who Monster!’, along with five titles from the Reeltime Pictures acclaimed ‘Myth Makers’ series. ‘I Was A Doctor Who Monster!’ is hosted by Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Doctor. ‘Myth Makers’ is presented by Nicholas Briggs, the voice of the Daleks on ‘Doctor Who’, who interviews the stars and the production staff to uncover the story behind the sci-fi television series. Nicholas Briggs and Producer/Director Keith Barnfather provide the introduction. Koch Media Presents ‘The Doctors: Monsters!’ on DVD March 5, 2018. You can pre-order your copy now.
Continue reading →
Documentaries
What could be more terrifying than William Friedkin’s The Exorcist? How about a real exorcism caught on tape? Recently, Friedkin set out to make a documentary of the real rites of exorcism, similar to those we witnessed in his terrifying, ground-breaking, 1973 film. In Friedkin’s The Devil and Father Amorth, we will witness the real exorcism of an Italian woman performed by Father Gabriel Amorth. Yes, I said real. In the early 1970s when I directed The Exorcist, I had not witnessed an exorcism but I wondered how close I had come to portraying reality,” Friedkin said. “I had been curious to meet Father Amorth for many years and when he granted permission to meet and film him in Rome last May, it was the opportunity to complete the circle and see how close that film came to reality.” Last year during an interview with Variety he said, “I had to shoot it alone, obviously. The conditions were that I
Continue reading →
DocumentariesTrailers
Terror Films has once again teamed up with filmmaker Seth Breedlove for the release of his documentary ‘Invasion on Chestnut Ridge’ (review), which arrived today on VOD. The documentary, part of the “Small Town Monsters” series, examines the history and continuation of unusual happenings on and around Chestnut Ridge, a mountain range located in Southwest Pennsylvania. The unexplained phenomenon in this region includes the Kecksburg UFO crash in 1965, the Uniontown Bigfoot and UFO sightings, terrifying encounters with an enormous prehistoric bird in Keystone State Park and much more. ‘Invasion on Chestnut Ridge’ was written, edited and directed by Breedlove as part of his “Small Town Monsters” series, which premiered on Amazon in October 2017 – to positive acclaim. The official synopsis: In southwestern Pennsylvania lies an expansive mountain range called the Chestnut Ridge. Though a home for unusual activity since the 1800s, the area has been largely overlooked…until now! ‘The Small Town Monsters” documentary films series also includes ‘The
Continue reading →
Documentaries
Freestyle Digital Media has announced that they have acquired Zak Bagans’ paranor5mal documentary Demon House which follows the “Ghost Adventure” crew through the reportedly haunted house he purchased in Gary, Indiana. The house has been referred to be “…overwhelmed by a demon possession case some have called the next Amityville.” I destroyed the house because I do not want anyone to ever live there again,” Bagans has stated. “I saw too many things, and there was something inside the house that affected everyone. The police, clergy, children, my production crew. Everyone. I am delighted that Freestyle will now be making Demon House available to North American viewers soon!” Written, directed and produced by Bagans, the documentary features crew members Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, and Nick Groff, along with Father Michael Maginot, Dr. Barry Taff, and Captain Charles Austin. Demon House was produced also by Joseph Taglieri and Mike Dorsey, and Jay Wasley. After the ‘Ghost Adventures’ investigation, the house was demolished
Continue reading →
DocumentariesIndieMoviesParanormal
The Devil’s Well concerns the misadventures of a husband and wife paranormal investigation team that arrive in a small town to investigate a hotspot called The Devil’s Well (‘natch). Well the wife of the duo, Karla, goes missing, and the chief suspect is of course her husband Bryan is suspecto numero uno (I’m a cunning linguist my fiends). Presented in documentary format (with a nice variety of interviews, camera footage, news reports etc.), we get to learn all the facts of the case including that the victim’s family was morally opposed to Karla’s work with the supernatural. Soon we learn that the well, located in a basement of all places, is a rumored portal to hell with a long and sordid past, and our heroes begin an investigation which leads to Karla’s disappearance. Flash forward a year, and a new party, including Bryan, return to the arcane abode to attempt to find ol’ Karla…and of course they find so much
Continue reading →
DocumentariesInterviewsTrailers
Filmmaker Nick Hunt has several projects on his plate, including his film Safe Place, his anthology film Wander Tales, and his documentary ‘The Dark Heart of Jason Voorhees: The Making Of the Final Friday‘. He was willing to tell us about them during our interview. Horror Fuel: “You’ve been busy. You’re getting ready to shoot one Feature film, and prepping to shoot a feature-length documentary, a short film and a Feature length Anthology can you tell us about it?” Nick Hunt: “Safe Place’ is about six students who attend a party to celebrate their friend’s successful art show opening. Their presence triggers a memory in the host’s past. He resolves to positively influence the course of their lives by ending them.” Horror Fuel: “Is it true that Bill Oberst Jr. has signed on to co-star?” Nick Hunt: “Yes, yes. Oberst is great. He will have a role and we are completely honored to have the Emmy-winner on board. His character
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesParanormalTrue Story
It’s a rare occurrence when your’s cruelly is sent a documentary to review; but today I have two for ya (I feel so F’n fancy); Invasion on Chestnut Ridge and The Mothman of Point Pleasant; two deep dives into cryptids, creeps, and catastrophe from the fine fiends at Small Town Monsters! So, without further arcane adieu let’s dip our freaky feet into some good ol’ monstrous mayhem! Invasion on Chestnut Ridge concerns a series of incidents that were mostly unknown to me (and believe me, I am always pleased as poison punch to learn about new paranormal occurrences). Chestnut Ridge sits in southern Pennsylvania; a rural area dotted with bucolic small towns; most of which have had brushes with U.F.O.’s, Sasquatch, hauntings, or some unholy combination of them all. Starting with a brief overview of the location’s history, the film begins in earnest with the story of a crashed U.F.O. in Kecksburg County in the mid 1960’s, commented on by
Continue reading →
DocumentariesTrailersTrue Story
Next year a new documentary will investigate the fabled “Flatwoods Monster” of West Virginia. The documentary will be released by the award-winning, Small Town Monsters production company, who are responsible for last Spring’s, “The Mothman of Point Pleasant”; another documentary centered around a well-known West Virginia legend. The film is directed and written by Seth Breedlove, the director of the award-winning film Boggy Creek Monster. The film features an original score composed by Brandon Dalo and cinematography by Zachary Palmisano with special FX by Santino Vitale and fully animated sequences by Chris Scalf. The tale goes like this: “In 1952 five children were playing football in a small town called Flatwoods, WV when a strange object appeared above them. Streaking across the sky, they watched it crest a nearby hill, slow and then descend just over the top of the ridge. What followed after their sighting has become one of the most infamous local legends ever recorded. That night, seven
Continue reading →
