CategoryEvents
Horror events, screenings and experiences — premieres, festivals and one-night-only shows.
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Film FestivalsMoviesNews
Austin’s Fantastic Fest offers chillers, thrillers, serial killers, and all other sorts of cinematic horror, along with a wide range of other genre films, too. Have a gander at what’s in store with the following official press announcement. Step right up for the greatest show on Earth! That’s right, Fantastic Fest is back for its 19th edition, bringing you a cavalcade of cinematic wonders from around the globe. Featuring 28 World Premieres, 23 International and North American Premieres, and 15 U.S. Premieres that are guaranteed to delight and surprise you, complemented by jaw-dropping events and spectacular special guests. Join us under the big top at the world-famous Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, from September 19th- 26th. Badges are available now at FantasticFest.com. “The Fantastic Fest team is absolutely elated about this year’s festival. We can’t wait to share the very best new films from around the world and enjoy our sensational events together this September,” says Festival Director
Continue reading →
ConventionsNews
The San Deigo Comic-Con offers attendees many fantastic opportunities to meet actors, directors, and other fans. They can witness panels for films and series and so much more. This makes it easy to forget the dark reality and danger that lurks below the surface: human trafficking. USA Today reports that a three-day human trafficking sting was conducted during the Comic-Con. It resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals and the rescue of 10 victims, including a 16-year-old girl. The operation, led by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, targeted traffickers who often exploit large-scale events like Comic-Con to profit. Undercover officers posed as sex buyers to identify and apprehend the criminals while also working to locate and rescue victims. The operation involved posting advertisements soliciting sex and conducting surveillance to identify potential victims and their exploiters. California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
I hesitate to call Pedro Kos’s feature In Our Blood a found footage film because although it does use some of the trappings of that subgenre, I feel his tale of a young woman’s search for her missing mother has more of a cinéma vérité feel to it, with a bit of “behind the scenes” sensibilities at play, too. Kos has made documentary films before helming In Our Blood, and he brings a sense of reality to the film. The story concerns Emily (Brittany O’Grady), who travels with cinematographer Danny (E.J. Bonilla) to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she plans to film her reunion with her estranged mother Sam (Alanna Ubach), who she hasn’t seen since she was 13 years old and taken out of Sam’s custody because of the mother’s drug addiction. The reunion is difficult for both women but offers some hope, with Sam inviting Emily to visit her at the shelter where she works the next day.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsSci-FiShort Films
Electrophilia (Los Impactados) Argentinian feature Electrophilia touches on body horror and eroticism involving electricity but never goes full-on with these themes, instead feeling more like a character study of its protagonist, veterinarian Amanda (Mariana Di Girólamo). The young woman is struck by lightning and after she recovers from a six-week coma, she begins to feel changes that have happened to her mind and now-scarred body. She falls in with a group of lightning-strike survivors under the care of Juan (Germán Palacios), a doctor who uses unorthodox methods to treat those under his care, and begins an affair with him. Amanda develops sexual kinks related to electrical charges and shocks, worrying her significant other Jano (Guillermo Pfening). Director Lucía Puenzo, who cowrote the screenplay with Lorean Ventimigila, leaves viewers hanging with plot points that seem to have no resolution, such as Jano secretly going into Juan’s office and finding the doctor’s file on Amanda but then that scene not being addressed
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Darkest Miriam Canadian feature Darkest Miriam is a slow-burn thriller that follows thirtysomething librarian Miriam (Britt Lower), who is grieving over the loss of her father. She spends her days at work following routine— including dealing with an eccentric clientele — until an accident while she rides her bicycle jolts her out of the ordinary. She begins a relationship with foreign taxi driver Janko (Tom Mercier) but also starts receiving mysterious, ominous letters written in the voice of Italian opera character Rigoletto — who sheltered his daughter from the outside world until she was killed. Director Naomi Jaye has fashioned an intriguing character study that deals in genre elements while exploring themes of love and loss. A dreamlike feel pervades the film. Lower is fantastic as the complex title character, and Jank offers fine work in his costarring role. There’s an eccentricity to Darkest Miriam, but it is by no means an inaccessible one. Jaye ultimately aims to inspire, and
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
The Cursed Land Thai horror The Cursed Land is an ambitious work that perhaps takes on too much in its attempt to deliver a fear-fare tale involving djinn while addressing issues involving the largely Muslim Malay community in Thailand. Mit (Ananda Everingham) is wracked by guilt over not being able to save his wife, who died in an accident. He moves with his teen daughter (Jennis Oprasert) to a large house — in disrepair and with talismans placed around it — in a Muslim residential area near Bangkok. Mit removes the talismans and diabolical supernatural events ensue. In trying to find solutions to his newfound bedevilment, Mit learns about the tragic past of the region. Director Panu Aree, who cowrote the screenplay with Kong Rithdee, offers much in the way of eerie atmosphere and is assisted by strong performances from his cast members. The pacing is often slow, sometimes because of plentiful flashbacks, and the running time of 131 minutes
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsK-HorrorMoviesReviewsThriller
The Unrighteous Pseudoreligious cults are prevalent in some Asian countries. Shin’ichirô Ueda took a humorous approach at exposing the ways that such cults can sway people into their fold with his 2019 Japanese comedy Special Actors, and now Korean writer/director Kim Seon-kuk takes a more serious thriller/horror approach about such tactics with his engrossing The Unrighteous. Revolving around the residents of an aging apartment complex named Villa Wonjung and their desire to eventually profit from rising property values to move into fancier, more modern apartments, the story finds young head of household Joo-hyun (Lee Hyun-woo) pitted against neighbor Shin-hye (Moon Jeong-hee) whose sudden devoted involvement in a cult begins the recruitment of the other residents, including his mother. Aided by a young woman (Bang Min-ah) looking to expose the cult, Joo-hyun tries to use reason to stop the cult’s powerful influence while the residents’ fervor grows, and the cult’s underhanded ambitions grow increasingly dangerous. The committed performances by the three
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignK-HorrorMoviesReviews
Idiot Girls and School Ghost: School Anniversary South Korea’s ultracompetitive education system is world-renowned. Students spend years studying for an exam so important that it has the potential to determine their entire future. Imagine being such a hopeless student that your parents and teachers urge you to guess the answers, believing you have a better chance of stumbling upon the correct choice than through any logical reasoning. This is the predicament faced by the protagonists of KIM Min-ha’s horror comedy Idiot Girls and School Ghost: School Anniversary. We meet Jiyeon (played by Son Joo-yeon), an aspiring film director and avid cinephile; her devoted camerawoman Hyun-jung (Kim Do-yeon), and the budding actress Eun-byul (Jung Da-eun) — three high school seniors with big dreams but an even bigger problem: their abysmal grades and test scores. Success hinges on gaining admission to a prestigious university, which, in turn, requires stellar test scores. However, with the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) fast approaching, these
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
Following an impressive festival run, Spanish director F. Javier Gutierrez’s chilling film The Wait (aka La Espera) has found a home in North America with Film Movement. This folk horror thriller features a stellar cast, including Victor Clavijo (Before the Fall), Ruth Diaz, Manuel Moron, and Pedro Casablanc (Strange Way of Life). The Wait follows Eladio (Clavijo), a groundskeeper on a powerful landowner’s estate in the Andalusian countryside. A fateful decision involving a bribe from a hunter unravels Eladio’s life, plunging him into a spiral of guilt, hatred, and a thirst for revenge. The film is from Gutierrez’s Unfiled Films, Nostromo Pictures (“Penny Dreadful”), and Spal Films ( Gutierrez’s previous film Before the Fall). The film premiered at Fantastic Fest and garnered accolades at festivals worldwide, including Sitges, Shanghai, Vancouver, and Oldenburg. It won over critics, with HorrorFuel’s Joseph Perry calling it “gripping” and “directed superbly” in his festival review. Critics have lauded the film’s intensity. The Wait has been
Continue reading →
DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsThriller
Whether you’re into horror, thrillers, science fiction, or other genre cinema, Popcorn Frights — Florida’s premiere film festival destination for such fare — has something for you. Running August 8–18, 2024, with both in-person and virtual programming options, you can even join in on the movie madness from the comfort of your own couch! Following is the official press release. Popcorn Frights celebrates its 10th anniversary with a first wave announcement headlined by 24 boundary-pushing and mind-enhancing feature films, including eleven world premieres as well as a stacked cult classics lineup that pays homage to horror’s titans, and with many more screams, surprises, delights, and film premieres, yet to come! To add to the pure mayhem of its anniversary celebration, Popcorn Frights’ in-theater experience will be offered free and open to the public, as a gift back to the community for ten years of their dedicated support and moviegoing love. Popcorn Frights’ free festival is made possible by the generous
Continue reading →
More from Events
Film FestivalsMoviesNews
Austin’s Fantastic Fest offers chillers, thrillers, serial killers, and all other sorts of cinematic horror, along with a wide range of other genre films, too. Have a gander at what’s in store with the following official press announcement. Step right up for the greatest show on Earth! That’s right, Fantastic Fest is back for its 19th edition, bringing you a cavalcade of cinematic wonders from around the globe. Featuring 28 World Premieres, 23 International and North American Premieres, and 15 U.S. Premieres that are guaranteed to delight and surprise you, complemented by jaw-dropping events and spectacular special guests. Join us under the big top at the world-famous Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, from September 19th- 26th. Badges are available now at FantasticFest.com. “The Fantastic Fest team is absolutely elated about this year’s festival. We can’t wait to share the very best new films from around the world and enjoy our sensational events together this September,” says Festival Director
Continue reading →
ConventionsNews
The San Deigo Comic-Con offers attendees many fantastic opportunities to meet actors, directors, and other fans. They can witness panels for films and series and so much more. This makes it easy to forget the dark reality and danger that lurks below the surface: human trafficking. USA Today reports that a three-day human trafficking sting was conducted during the Comic-Con. It resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals and the rescue of 10 victims, including a 16-year-old girl. The operation, led by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, targeted traffickers who often exploit large-scale events like Comic-Con to profit. Undercover officers posed as sex buyers to identify and apprehend the criminals while also working to locate and rescue victims. The operation involved posting advertisements soliciting sex and conducting surveillance to identify potential victims and their exploiters. California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
I hesitate to call Pedro Kos’s feature In Our Blood a found footage film because although it does use some of the trappings of that subgenre, I feel his tale of a young woman’s search for her missing mother has more of a cinéma vérité feel to it, with a bit of “behind the scenes” sensibilities at play, too. Kos has made documentary films before helming In Our Blood, and he brings a sense of reality to the film. The story concerns Emily (Brittany O’Grady), who travels with cinematographer Danny (E.J. Bonilla) to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she plans to film her reunion with her estranged mother Sam (Alanna Ubach), who she hasn’t seen since she was 13 years old and taken out of Sam’s custody because of the mother’s drug addiction. The reunion is difficult for both women but offers some hope, with Sam inviting Emily to visit her at the shelter where she works the next day.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsSci-FiShort Films
Electrophilia (Los Impactados) Argentinian feature Electrophilia touches on body horror and eroticism involving electricity but never goes full-on with these themes, instead feeling more like a character study of its protagonist, veterinarian Amanda (Mariana Di Girólamo). The young woman is struck by lightning and after she recovers from a six-week coma, she begins to feel changes that have happened to her mind and now-scarred body. She falls in with a group of lightning-strike survivors under the care of Juan (Germán Palacios), a doctor who uses unorthodox methods to treat those under his care, and begins an affair with him. Amanda develops sexual kinks related to electrical charges and shocks, worrying her significant other Jano (Guillermo Pfening). Director Lucía Puenzo, who cowrote the screenplay with Lorean Ventimigila, leaves viewers hanging with plot points that seem to have no resolution, such as Jano secretly going into Juan’s office and finding the doctor’s file on Amanda but then that scene not being addressed
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Darkest Miriam Canadian feature Darkest Miriam is a slow-burn thriller that follows thirtysomething librarian Miriam (Britt Lower), who is grieving over the loss of her father. She spends her days at work following routine— including dealing with an eccentric clientele — until an accident while she rides her bicycle jolts her out of the ordinary. She begins a relationship with foreign taxi driver Janko (Tom Mercier) but also starts receiving mysterious, ominous letters written in the voice of Italian opera character Rigoletto — who sheltered his daughter from the outside world until she was killed. Director Naomi Jaye has fashioned an intriguing character study that deals in genre elements while exploring themes of love and loss. A dreamlike feel pervades the film. Lower is fantastic as the complex title character, and Jank offers fine work in his costarring role. There’s an eccentricity to Darkest Miriam, but it is by no means an inaccessible one. Jaye ultimately aims to inspire, and
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
The Cursed Land Thai horror The Cursed Land is an ambitious work that perhaps takes on too much in its attempt to deliver a fear-fare tale involving djinn while addressing issues involving the largely Muslim Malay community in Thailand. Mit (Ananda Everingham) is wracked by guilt over not being able to save his wife, who died in an accident. He moves with his teen daughter (Jennis Oprasert) to a large house — in disrepair and with talismans placed around it — in a Muslim residential area near Bangkok. Mit removes the talismans and diabolical supernatural events ensue. In trying to find solutions to his newfound bedevilment, Mit learns about the tragic past of the region. Director Panu Aree, who cowrote the screenplay with Kong Rithdee, offers much in the way of eerie atmosphere and is assisted by strong performances from his cast members. The pacing is often slow, sometimes because of plentiful flashbacks, and the running time of 131 minutes
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsK-HorrorMoviesReviewsThriller
The Unrighteous Pseudoreligious cults are prevalent in some Asian countries. Shin’ichirô Ueda took a humorous approach at exposing the ways that such cults can sway people into their fold with his 2019 Japanese comedy Special Actors, and now Korean writer/director Kim Seon-kuk takes a more serious thriller/horror approach about such tactics with his engrossing The Unrighteous. Revolving around the residents of an aging apartment complex named Villa Wonjung and their desire to eventually profit from rising property values to move into fancier, more modern apartments, the story finds young head of household Joo-hyun (Lee Hyun-woo) pitted against neighbor Shin-hye (Moon Jeong-hee) whose sudden devoted involvement in a cult begins the recruitment of the other residents, including his mother. Aided by a young woman (Bang Min-ah) looking to expose the cult, Joo-hyun tries to use reason to stop the cult’s powerful influence while the residents’ fervor grows, and the cult’s underhanded ambitions grow increasingly dangerous. The committed performances by the three
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignK-HorrorMoviesReviews
Idiot Girls and School Ghost: School Anniversary South Korea’s ultracompetitive education system is world-renowned. Students spend years studying for an exam so important that it has the potential to determine their entire future. Imagine being such a hopeless student that your parents and teachers urge you to guess the answers, believing you have a better chance of stumbling upon the correct choice than through any logical reasoning. This is the predicament faced by the protagonists of KIM Min-ha’s horror comedy Idiot Girls and School Ghost: School Anniversary. We meet Jiyeon (played by Son Joo-yeon), an aspiring film director and avid cinephile; her devoted camerawoman Hyun-jung (Kim Do-yeon), and the budding actress Eun-byul (Jung Da-eun) — three high school seniors with big dreams but an even bigger problem: their abysmal grades and test scores. Success hinges on gaining admission to a prestigious university, which, in turn, requires stellar test scores. However, with the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) fast approaching, these
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
Following an impressive festival run, Spanish director F. Javier Gutierrez’s chilling film The Wait (aka La Espera) has found a home in North America with Film Movement. This folk horror thriller features a stellar cast, including Victor Clavijo (Before the Fall), Ruth Diaz, Manuel Moron, and Pedro Casablanc (Strange Way of Life). The Wait follows Eladio (Clavijo), a groundskeeper on a powerful landowner’s estate in the Andalusian countryside. A fateful decision involving a bribe from a hunter unravels Eladio’s life, plunging him into a spiral of guilt, hatred, and a thirst for revenge. The film is from Gutierrez’s Unfiled Films, Nostromo Pictures (“Penny Dreadful”), and Spal Films ( Gutierrez’s previous film Before the Fall). The film premiered at Fantastic Fest and garnered accolades at festivals worldwide, including Sitges, Shanghai, Vancouver, and Oldenburg. It won over critics, with HorrorFuel’s Joseph Perry calling it “gripping” and “directed superbly” in his festival review. Critics have lauded the film’s intensity. The Wait has been
Continue reading →
DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsThriller
Whether you’re into horror, thrillers, science fiction, or other genre cinema, Popcorn Frights — Florida’s premiere film festival destination for such fare — has something for you. Running August 8–18, 2024, with both in-person and virtual programming options, you can even join in on the movie madness from the comfort of your own couch! Following is the official press release. Popcorn Frights celebrates its 10th anniversary with a first wave announcement headlined by 24 boundary-pushing and mind-enhancing feature films, including eleven world premieres as well as a stacked cult classics lineup that pays homage to horror’s titans, and with many more screams, surprises, delights, and film premieres, yet to come! To add to the pure mayhem of its anniversary celebration, Popcorn Frights’ in-theater experience will be offered free and open to the public, as a gift back to the community for ten years of their dedicated support and moviegoing love. Popcorn Frights’ free festival is made possible by the generous
Continue reading →
