CategoryForeign
International horror: J-horror, European extremity, Latin American shocks and the films Hollywood keeps remaking.
902 stories
ForeignMoviesReviews
Cannibal Holocaust’s maestro of mayhem Ruggero Deodato is back baby! Well, he was in 2016, and after a decades long hiatus from fright flicks and sleaze he just went right the fuck ahead and dove into the deep end of the putrid pool… and let me assure you, the old chap hasn’t lost a single beastly beat! Based (loosely) on the true life 2007 murder case of Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher, Ballad in Blood begins with a sex fueled Halloween night party/drug-fueled orgy with bonus naked crucifixion hybrid (ain’t they always cats n’ creeps) and slips greasily into the aftermath of said event, where pals Duke (Edward Williams), a drug dealer by trade, and Jacopo (Gabriele Rossi) wake up in the apartment of Jacopo’s girlfriend Lenka (Carlotta Morelli) to find their friend Elizabeth (Noemi Smorra) decidedly not full of life… probably due to the rather large wound on her neck. Anyway, ol’ Elizabeth was recording a whole light of the previous
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
In ye olden times, muscle-bound, hooded, scarlet aficionado the Crimson Executioner is thrown in the iron maiden (so fuckin’ metal!) for operating a personal torture dungeon where he passed judgment on anyone that stuck in his crazy craw! Flash forward to the fantastic modern year of 1965, where a gaggle of goofs arrive at a remote castle to shoot some hot pics for an upcoming horror photo-novel to be written by a dude named Rick (Walter Brandi). The only problem with that is, said dread domicile is inhabited by ex-actor/full-time psycho Travis Anderson (Mickey Hargitay), as well as his tight-pants wearing man-servant. You know what else, Anderson believes he actually is the Crimson Executioner, so it’s really little fuckin’ surprise when the casts numbers begin to dwindle thanks to all manner of tricky traps! Speaking of said “traps”, the reason Bloody Pit of Horror is so much damn fun is because of those exact set-pieces… well those and a bit
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
Dark Sky Films announced today the release date for the multi-award-winning Gothic German thriller Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. In the film, “Margo, who comes from a noble family, inherited a castle that she inspects with her ill-tempered husband Dieter. When they arrive at the run-down keep, their relationship is put to a test as their sanity slowly deteriorates. This opens up a new world. As time and space begin to shift around them, a reality that only exists within the walls of the eerie building is exposed – a reality full of warmth and excess.” Things aren’t as they seem in this genre-bending film, which shifts between different story layers in unpredictable ways. It is a love letter to European cinema of the sixties and seventies that will leave viewers guessing what will happen next. Directed by Kevin Kopacka (Hades), and written and produced by Lili Villányi and Kevin Kopacka, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes stars Anna Platen (Para
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
Gambir (Fachry Albar) is a fashionable mother fucker, all art galleries and high times… but all isn’t as it seems with our hero. See, awhile back, he and his girlfriend (later wife) Talyda (Marsha Timothy) went and made a baby out of wedlock, and since her parents would never approve, it’s soon abortion o’ clock, and the resulting fallout from that leaves Gambir weak in the crotch… permanently. None of this puts a damper on his art career however, and soon Gambir’s life casts of pregnant women contain extra baggage, namely aborted fetuses… for fuck’s sake dude… Anyway, the meteoric rise in Gambir’s career is matched only by his descent into rather poor mental health, and with the looming threat of his dark secret being revealed, he becomes caught up in the sick goings-on centered around the Herosase building… a structure who’s walls hide the viewing displeasure of multiple television screens that “treat” the viewers to scenes of extreme violence
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Talisman One person’s belief system is another person’s superstition, and director Reangsei Phos’ Talisman (Canada) finds school-age Yi (Sean Lu) torn between those two schools of thought. His family has just moved into a new house, and as his mother (Qingqing Yang) tries to protect the home against ghosts, his father (Danny Liang) admonishes her not to fill the young boy’s head full of nonsense. Strange things are indeed happening inside the house, which leads to shocking acts of violence. Phos balances solid family drama with well-paced suspense, including some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it occurrences which should keep viewers’ eyes glued to the proceedings. The cast members, including Pascale Behrman, all turn in solid performances. Wendigo The animated short Wendigo (Ireland, 2021) is an intriguing take on the North American First Nations mythological creature combined with other eldritch occurrences. Charlie (voiced by Marc-Ivan O’Gorman) is an inquisitive young man who wants to investigate first-hand what remains of the Olsen manor, site of some
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNews
After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 virus, Athens, Greece’s Horrorant Film Festival is set to welcome audiences back to its shiver-inducing in-person cinema experience. This May, the fest will serve up 63 delightfully dark features and shorts. Following is the official press announcement. During its first 6 years of life, Horrorant Film Festival has been acknowledged as one of Europe’s most up’n’coming genre fests, and the ever-growing and hungry for exciting cinematic experiences for which fans respond more and more enthusiastically. Unfortunately, that was when Covid-19 hit and everything froze up. For two years, entertainment was considered almost banned and movie theaters paid a hard price. The “easy” solution of online screenings was never an option for us, due to our belief that movies belong in the cinemas. At last, the nightmare seems to be reaching its end, and — carefully but confidently — Fright Nights are ready to return. This two-year hiatus was an opportunity to reconsider
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNews
After announcing its first wave of chillers and thrillers earlier this month, Vienna’s SLASH ½ Film Festival now presents its final selection for this year’s edition — Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon — and schedule. Following is the official press announcement. Resistance, empowerment, upheaval: This is the motto of this year’s SLASH ½ Film Festival. The last film to be added to our lineup fits this mold perfectly, and we’d be remiss to keep it from you any longer: MONA LISA AND THE BLOOD MOON is a somewhat quieter affair than director Ana Lily Amirpour’s previous feature THE BAD BATCH, but to no detriment to its bizarre whimsy. Her “adventure fairy-tale” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 and wowed audiences not only with its deeply bizarre yet heartwarming story of a misfit but also its 1980s and ’90s neon look.Together with other highlights like Ti West’s sex-and-blood–drenched slasher gem X, Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s long-awaited tour
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Upurga Director Ulges Ote blends blends folk horror, eco horror, surrealism, and absurdism to mystifying, eerie effect in his Latvian narrative feature debut Upurga. Andrejs (Igors Selegovskis) is a river rafting guide haunted by his inability to save a young woman from drowning. When his sister Mara (Elvita Ragovska) and her boyfriend Matiaas (Rihaard Sniegs) plan a trip to the wilds to shoot a vegan sausage commercial — along with videographer Oskars (Reinis Boters) and director/project manager Eva (Inga Tropa) — Andrejs insists on coming along to ensure everyone’s safety, though the others are far less concerned about that and more intent on having a good time and creating a worthy advertisement. Inspector Salins (Morten Traavik), the local park ranger, warns the group to respect nature and leave his jurisdiction within 30 minutes, but naturally the group members ignore his warnings. That turns out to be a poor decision, as exposure to the local flora makes them act in aggressive
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesNews
Wolf Manor, the latest horror feature from director Dominic Brunt (Attack of the Adult Babies; Before Dawn) has entered post-production, and Horror Fuel has first-look stills of the U.K. werewolf horror thriller. Following is the official press information. Directed by Dominic Brunt, Wolf Manor is a full-throttle, gore-filled tale of a film crew caught in the claws of a manor house’s resident werewolf. It was shot in three weeks in locations in Shropshire. Brunt’s U.K.-produced film, which was written by Pete Wild and Joel Ferrari, stars James Fleet, (Bridgerton, Operation Mincemeat) Jay Taylor (Donkey Punch, Misfits), Thaila Zucchi (Evie, Attack of the Adult Babies), Rupert Procter (Luther, Ripper Street)) and John Henshaw (The Keeper, Looking For Eric). Wolf Manor’s creature design was created by renowned special make-up effects artist Shaune Harrison (Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Age of Ultron). Make-up design is by Katie Wrigley and Costume Design is by Lance Milligan. Synopsis: Shooting a vampire flick in an
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
A young writer, traumatized by the death of his family, struggles with reality in, Presagio, a dark psychological thriller from Argentina. Winner of the “Best Latin American Fantasy Film” at Nocturna, the film centers on Camilo, a young writer traumatized by the death of his wife and child, describes his disturbing experiences to a psychiatrist skilled in hypnosis. Meanwhile, in his waking life, there’s a mysterious “umbrella” man, who wants him to finish his painfully autobiographical novel, regardless of the consequences. Part thriller, part experimental horror film, director Matias Salins has crafted a gritty psychological voyage into the inner turmoil behind one man’s dark despair and creativity. Painterly cinematography blends hi-def imagery with early digital video camerawork and a brilliant score in this dark Argentinian thriller, an official selection at dozens of genre festivals the world over including Mexico’s Morbido Film festival, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre and the South African Horrorfest, captured the Best Latin America Fantasy Film at Madrid’s
Continue reading →
More from Foreign
ForeignMoviesReviews
Cannibal Holocaust’s maestro of mayhem Ruggero Deodato is back baby! Well, he was in 2016, and after a decades long hiatus from fright flicks and sleaze he just went right the fuck ahead and dove into the deep end of the putrid pool… and let me assure you, the old chap hasn’t lost a single beastly beat! Based (loosely) on the true life 2007 murder case of Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher, Ballad in Blood begins with a sex fueled Halloween night party/drug-fueled orgy with bonus naked crucifixion hybrid (ain’t they always cats n’ creeps) and slips greasily into the aftermath of said event, where pals Duke (Edward Williams), a drug dealer by trade, and Jacopo (Gabriele Rossi) wake up in the apartment of Jacopo’s girlfriend Lenka (Carlotta Morelli) to find their friend Elizabeth (Noemi Smorra) decidedly not full of life… probably due to the rather large wound on her neck. Anyway, ol’ Elizabeth was recording a whole light of the previous
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
In ye olden times, muscle-bound, hooded, scarlet aficionado the Crimson Executioner is thrown in the iron maiden (so fuckin’ metal!) for operating a personal torture dungeon where he passed judgment on anyone that stuck in his crazy craw! Flash forward to the fantastic modern year of 1965, where a gaggle of goofs arrive at a remote castle to shoot some hot pics for an upcoming horror photo-novel to be written by a dude named Rick (Walter Brandi). The only problem with that is, said dread domicile is inhabited by ex-actor/full-time psycho Travis Anderson (Mickey Hargitay), as well as his tight-pants wearing man-servant. You know what else, Anderson believes he actually is the Crimson Executioner, so it’s really little fuckin’ surprise when the casts numbers begin to dwindle thanks to all manner of tricky traps! Speaking of said “traps”, the reason Bloody Pit of Horror is so much damn fun is because of those exact set-pieces… well those and a bit
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
Dark Sky Films announced today the release date for the multi-award-winning Gothic German thriller Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. In the film, “Margo, who comes from a noble family, inherited a castle that she inspects with her ill-tempered husband Dieter. When they arrive at the run-down keep, their relationship is put to a test as their sanity slowly deteriorates. This opens up a new world. As time and space begin to shift around them, a reality that only exists within the walls of the eerie building is exposed – a reality full of warmth and excess.” Things aren’t as they seem in this genre-bending film, which shifts between different story layers in unpredictable ways. It is a love letter to European cinema of the sixties and seventies that will leave viewers guessing what will happen next. Directed by Kevin Kopacka (Hades), and written and produced by Lili Villányi and Kevin Kopacka, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes stars Anna Platen (Para
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
Gambir (Fachry Albar) is a fashionable mother fucker, all art galleries and high times… but all isn’t as it seems with our hero. See, awhile back, he and his girlfriend (later wife) Talyda (Marsha Timothy) went and made a baby out of wedlock, and since her parents would never approve, it’s soon abortion o’ clock, and the resulting fallout from that leaves Gambir weak in the crotch… permanently. None of this puts a damper on his art career however, and soon Gambir’s life casts of pregnant women contain extra baggage, namely aborted fetuses… for fuck’s sake dude… Anyway, the meteoric rise in Gambir’s career is matched only by his descent into rather poor mental health, and with the looming threat of his dark secret being revealed, he becomes caught up in the sick goings-on centered around the Herosase building… a structure who’s walls hide the viewing displeasure of multiple television screens that “treat” the viewers to scenes of extreme violence
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Talisman One person’s belief system is another person’s superstition, and director Reangsei Phos’ Talisman (Canada) finds school-age Yi (Sean Lu) torn between those two schools of thought. His family has just moved into a new house, and as his mother (Qingqing Yang) tries to protect the home against ghosts, his father (Danny Liang) admonishes her not to fill the young boy’s head full of nonsense. Strange things are indeed happening inside the house, which leads to shocking acts of violence. Phos balances solid family drama with well-paced suspense, including some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it occurrences which should keep viewers’ eyes glued to the proceedings. The cast members, including Pascale Behrman, all turn in solid performances. Wendigo The animated short Wendigo (Ireland, 2021) is an intriguing take on the North American First Nations mythological creature combined with other eldritch occurrences. Charlie (voiced by Marc-Ivan O’Gorman) is an inquisitive young man who wants to investigate first-hand what remains of the Olsen manor, site of some
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNews
After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 virus, Athens, Greece’s Horrorant Film Festival is set to welcome audiences back to its shiver-inducing in-person cinema experience. This May, the fest will serve up 63 delightfully dark features and shorts. Following is the official press announcement. During its first 6 years of life, Horrorant Film Festival has been acknowledged as one of Europe’s most up’n’coming genre fests, and the ever-growing and hungry for exciting cinematic experiences for which fans respond more and more enthusiastically. Unfortunately, that was when Covid-19 hit and everything froze up. For two years, entertainment was considered almost banned and movie theaters paid a hard price. The “easy” solution of online screenings was never an option for us, due to our belief that movies belong in the cinemas. At last, the nightmare seems to be reaching its end, and — carefully but confidently — Fright Nights are ready to return. This two-year hiatus was an opportunity to reconsider
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNews
After announcing its first wave of chillers and thrillers earlier this month, Vienna’s SLASH ½ Film Festival now presents its final selection for this year’s edition — Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon — and schedule. Following is the official press announcement. Resistance, empowerment, upheaval: This is the motto of this year’s SLASH ½ Film Festival. The last film to be added to our lineup fits this mold perfectly, and we’d be remiss to keep it from you any longer: MONA LISA AND THE BLOOD MOON is a somewhat quieter affair than director Ana Lily Amirpour’s previous feature THE BAD BATCH, but to no detriment to its bizarre whimsy. Her “adventure fairy-tale” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 and wowed audiences not only with its deeply bizarre yet heartwarming story of a misfit but also its 1980s and ’90s neon look.Together with other highlights like Ti West’s sex-and-blood–drenched slasher gem X, Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s long-awaited tour
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Upurga Director Ulges Ote blends blends folk horror, eco horror, surrealism, and absurdism to mystifying, eerie effect in his Latvian narrative feature debut Upurga. Andrejs (Igors Selegovskis) is a river rafting guide haunted by his inability to save a young woman from drowning. When his sister Mara (Elvita Ragovska) and her boyfriend Matiaas (Rihaard Sniegs) plan a trip to the wilds to shoot a vegan sausage commercial — along with videographer Oskars (Reinis Boters) and director/project manager Eva (Inga Tropa) — Andrejs insists on coming along to ensure everyone’s safety, though the others are far less concerned about that and more intent on having a good time and creating a worthy advertisement. Inspector Salins (Morten Traavik), the local park ranger, warns the group to respect nature and leave his jurisdiction within 30 minutes, but naturally the group members ignore his warnings. That turns out to be a poor decision, as exposure to the local flora makes them act in aggressive
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesNews
Wolf Manor, the latest horror feature from director Dominic Brunt (Attack of the Adult Babies; Before Dawn) has entered post-production, and Horror Fuel has first-look stills of the U.K. werewolf horror thriller. Following is the official press information. Directed by Dominic Brunt, Wolf Manor is a full-throttle, gore-filled tale of a film crew caught in the claws of a manor house’s resident werewolf. It was shot in three weeks in locations in Shropshire. Brunt’s U.K.-produced film, which was written by Pete Wild and Joel Ferrari, stars James Fleet, (Bridgerton, Operation Mincemeat) Jay Taylor (Donkey Punch, Misfits), Thaila Zucchi (Evie, Attack of the Adult Babies), Rupert Procter (Luther, Ripper Street)) and John Henshaw (The Keeper, Looking For Eric). Wolf Manor’s creature design was created by renowned special make-up effects artist Shaune Harrison (Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Age of Ultron). Make-up design is by Katie Wrigley and Costume Design is by Lance Milligan. Synopsis: Shooting a vampire flick in an
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
A young writer, traumatized by the death of his family, struggles with reality in, Presagio, a dark psychological thriller from Argentina. Winner of the “Best Latin American Fantasy Film” at Nocturna, the film centers on Camilo, a young writer traumatized by the death of his wife and child, describes his disturbing experiences to a psychiatrist skilled in hypnosis. Meanwhile, in his waking life, there’s a mysterious “umbrella” man, who wants him to finish his painfully autobiographical novel, regardless of the consequences. Part thriller, part experimental horror film, director Matias Salins has crafted a gritty psychological voyage into the inner turmoil behind one man’s dark despair and creativity. Painterly cinematography blends hi-def imagery with early digital video camerawork and a brilliant score in this dark Argentinian thriller, an official selection at dozens of genre festivals the world over including Mexico’s Morbido Film festival, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre and the South African Horrorfest, captured the Best Latin America Fantasy Film at Madrid’s
Continue reading →
