CategoryIndie
Independent horror: micro-budget features, short films and first-time filmmakers doing more with less — and often doing it better.
2,258 stories
IndieMoviesReviews
A gaggle gathers in a mall to test and and potentially win a brand new, state of the art drum machine. Among those competing is Josh (Michael Maclane) who’s attempts are no bueno. Enter Alexis (Kelli Jordan) a pro sound engineer that helps our man win the day…except, the beat triggers an unbelievably violent surprise that ends up being music to someone’s ears…but I’m keeping that under wraps! Writer/director Alex Noyer has done one hell of a job with Conductor. The film is unique, stylish, and unexpectedly filled to the brim with top notch practical gore effects that will warm the heart of any grue lovin’ horror hound! There is also an interesting bit of world building present in a flick that runs around five minutes or so, and many questions are left unanswered…which is a good thing, because your’s cruelly wouldn’t mind one damn bit if this was expanded into feature (or returned to in future shorts). Bottom line,
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IndieMoviesReviews
In the future the sun has had enough of this world, and decides to go batshit and wipe out all humanity…that’s a bit much; it’s just dying out actually. Of course the people of Earth will not go down with out a fight so they send five mercenaries to a remote planet to obtain a mineral known as “stardust” to fix up the star. Of course the ship, containing our heroes crashes on the planet, and a murderous alien creature begins hunting our mercs post-haste! As the carnage rages on, it becomes a question of just how many of our protagonists will make it back to Earth alive! First thing is fucking first; I have no idea what was spent on The Dawnseeker, but the film looks absolutely rad ass awesome!! There are futuristic city vistas, cool costumes, spaceships, robots, excellent lighting and shot composition…the whole thing is a visual feast, and makes the world presented spring to vibrant, visceral
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Dwarves and humans are at odds due to the mining of the dwarves ancestral home. In the thick of the struggle, three dwarven miners become trapped deep within the titular mountain. As time passes, the situation takes it’s toll both mentally and physically as starvation sets in and a mysterious creature begins stalking our heroes. Will they see the light of day again, or will the subterranean hell claim it’s victims? The greatest strength of Dragon Mountain is doubtless the acting present therein…which is good, since we are trapped with the three leads for ninety minutes. John Hutton, Brent Bateman, and Robert Morgan all deliver solid performances, and are interesting to watch as they sink deeper and deeper into despair. The film also possesses a unique quality in that writers Zachary Amundson and Chris Raney (who also directed) have given us an intimate character study with steampunk and traditional fantasy trappings instead of going the normal spectacle and bombast route
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Young Jacob (Luke Prael) is a bed wettin’ teen dude in a night terrors mood…a condition that is driving his already off-kilter mother (Samantha Mathis) even more insane, adding to the “fun” of our hero’s life are a cadre of abusive peers and the fact that he is slowly taking on the persona of his recently deceased grand mother…right down to dressing like her. This doesn’t really go over to well, so off he goes to a rural boarding school far from his New York City home. Once there he gets a room mate, a pint sized Richard Lynch clone named Phil (Nadia Alexander…yeah, you read right, this part is played by a female, and her “trying to sound like a boy” voice is a super big distraction even though her acting is pretty damn solid)…but our burnt buddy isn’t the only surprise waiting for Jacob, as every student in the school has a behavioral problem or disability, and the
Continue reading →
ForeignGamingIndieNewsParanormalProductReviews
Not long ago I talked about the upcoming surreal sci-fi game “Elea”. The game’s developers, Kyodai and Sodesco were kind enough to allow me the chance to review the game early before its September 6th release. The game itself is an episodic adventure telling the story of Elea, who’s on a journey through space to find her husband who’s gone missing along with his crewmates on a mission to find a new planet to colonize and now his ship was found but is mysteriously going through a quarantine procedure. After completing the first chapter it should be noted that the story I’ve played will be updated on launch day with a different beginning since I don’t know exactly how much of a change there will be, I’ll forgo focusing too much on the narrative I encountered in my playthrough. The main thing that blew me away was the graphics! Nicely detailed and textured, the colors are amazing and fit well
Continue reading →
GamingIndieNewsProduct
Flux Game Studio’s fighting game splattering the PC gaming scene “GUTS” is now being developed for consoles this fall, this comes in light of some major updates to the PC version as well. The game is a lot (and not) like traditional fighting arcade games, with the exception that under its cartoonish appearance it’s ultra-bloody. “GUTS” is a game show (not to be confused with the 90’s Nickelodeon game show!) where fighters fight to the bloody end using unique fighting styles leading up to using your GUTS finisher. As the characters fight, they’ll lose limbs which won’t stop them as there are unique fighting moves associated with missing limbs! The comedic animations along with the outlandish violence confirm the developers claim that the game is a “Tarantino-style” game. Keep an eye out this fall as “GUTS” comes to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesParanormalReviews
Adam (Riley Egan) is kind of shit at being a career artist when he finally finds his muse…like literally; the dude finds the Celtic version of a muse and she’s all magical and shit. So he becomes a great artist thanks to her witchy ways, but it all comes with a price; namely she’s a tad over protective of our hero and turns into a murder machine whenever her place in Adam’s life is threatened. So what is A-man going to do; turn a blind eye to the psychotic episodes and just ride high on his new found fortune n’ glory, or will he end her wicked reign? Not going to lie; Muse is one straight up beautiful motion picture to behold; cinematographer Damian Horan along with writer/director John Burr know how to frame a scene for maximum aesthetic impact, that’s for sure; and that helped the finished fright flick look much more expensive than it actually was. Also of
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Arthur (Simon Merrells) has a few things to be proud of; he’s the first astronaut to orbit Pluto, he survives a rather shit crash landing back on Earth, and he grows alien eyes on his hands that present to him monstrous visions and cause him to not only believe he has murdered, but to believe he is the conduit (or doorway if you like) for an alien invasion. I Am the Doorway is one hell of a somber, grim, and ultimately intriguing sci-fi yarn. Based on a short story by some dude I’ve never heard of named Stephen King (I sincerely hope you boils n’ ghouls know I’m assing around here), this is a moody, darkly atmospheric affair that details one man’s descent into madness facilitated by cosmic interference (let’s just say this is King at his most Lovecraftian); and everything from the muted color palette, to the locations, to the grizzled appearance of Merrells as our protagonist adds to
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Brandon (Grayson Low) is a classic ‘momma’s boy’ sans said momma, ‘cuz her ass is defunct thanks to a suicide. This sends his world into a desperate tailspin, because everything he has found comforting in life has been suddenly, violently, taken away…hell, he can’t even afford a decent funeral for the lady. Enter Fiona (Nicole Elizabeth Olson), who becomes enamored with our hero upon hearing his hard luck case…and wouldn’t you know it, her sister Caterina (Kate Linder), and her husband Lassiter (Bob Buckley) run a funeral pallor! Everyone seems overjoyed that Brandon has arrived in the scene, and are more than ready to accept him as the chosen one to receive the knowledge of their dark secret…but just what is that secret, and how will it effect our hero? Dead Love is a stylishly shot film, for sure, and Brandon’s near catatonic state as a result of the loss of his beloved mother is believable (at least at first)…but
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Look obsessed bitches on wheels give our meek androgynous heroine Cassie (Bianca Sanchez) a veritable shit ton of static in the Girl’s Room because she doesn’t fit their idea of how a female should look. Back at home, Cassie’s occultist mother hears her daughter’s story and decides to venture to an unholy landmark and attempt to call up a troll to get even with those who wronged Cassie. Unbelievably (or maybe believably since this is a fright flick) this works, and those girls are in for a world of ass beatings…but Cassie is none to comfortable with the vengeance handed out. Can she stop the troll before things go too far? The biggest plus Bathroom Troll has going for it is Sanchez in the role of Cassie (but make no mistake, everyone involved plays their roles to the hilt)…she’s such a fragile, emotional mess that you can’t help but root for her in the terrible situations she finds herself in,
Continue reading →
More from Indie
IndieMoviesReviews
A gaggle gathers in a mall to test and and potentially win a brand new, state of the art drum machine. Among those competing is Josh (Michael Maclane) who’s attempts are no bueno. Enter Alexis (Kelli Jordan) a pro sound engineer that helps our man win the day…except, the beat triggers an unbelievably violent surprise that ends up being music to someone’s ears…but I’m keeping that under wraps! Writer/director Alex Noyer has done one hell of a job with Conductor. The film is unique, stylish, and unexpectedly filled to the brim with top notch practical gore effects that will warm the heart of any grue lovin’ horror hound! There is also an interesting bit of world building present in a flick that runs around five minutes or so, and many questions are left unanswered…which is a good thing, because your’s cruelly wouldn’t mind one damn bit if this was expanded into feature (or returned to in future shorts). Bottom line,
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
In the future the sun has had enough of this world, and decides to go batshit and wipe out all humanity…that’s a bit much; it’s just dying out actually. Of course the people of Earth will not go down with out a fight so they send five mercenaries to a remote planet to obtain a mineral known as “stardust” to fix up the star. Of course the ship, containing our heroes crashes on the planet, and a murderous alien creature begins hunting our mercs post-haste! As the carnage rages on, it becomes a question of just how many of our protagonists will make it back to Earth alive! First thing is fucking first; I have no idea what was spent on The Dawnseeker, but the film looks absolutely rad ass awesome!! There are futuristic city vistas, cool costumes, spaceships, robots, excellent lighting and shot composition…the whole thing is a visual feast, and makes the world presented spring to vibrant, visceral
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Dwarves and humans are at odds due to the mining of the dwarves ancestral home. In the thick of the struggle, three dwarven miners become trapped deep within the titular mountain. As time passes, the situation takes it’s toll both mentally and physically as starvation sets in and a mysterious creature begins stalking our heroes. Will they see the light of day again, or will the subterranean hell claim it’s victims? The greatest strength of Dragon Mountain is doubtless the acting present therein…which is good, since we are trapped with the three leads for ninety minutes. John Hutton, Brent Bateman, and Robert Morgan all deliver solid performances, and are interesting to watch as they sink deeper and deeper into despair. The film also possesses a unique quality in that writers Zachary Amundson and Chris Raney (who also directed) have given us an intimate character study with steampunk and traditional fantasy trappings instead of going the normal spectacle and bombast route
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Young Jacob (Luke Prael) is a bed wettin’ teen dude in a night terrors mood…a condition that is driving his already off-kilter mother (Samantha Mathis) even more insane, adding to the “fun” of our hero’s life are a cadre of abusive peers and the fact that he is slowly taking on the persona of his recently deceased grand mother…right down to dressing like her. This doesn’t really go over to well, so off he goes to a rural boarding school far from his New York City home. Once there he gets a room mate, a pint sized Richard Lynch clone named Phil (Nadia Alexander…yeah, you read right, this part is played by a female, and her “trying to sound like a boy” voice is a super big distraction even though her acting is pretty damn solid)…but our burnt buddy isn’t the only surprise waiting for Jacob, as every student in the school has a behavioral problem or disability, and the
Continue reading →
ForeignGamingIndieNewsParanormalProductReviews
Not long ago I talked about the upcoming surreal sci-fi game “Elea”. The game’s developers, Kyodai and Sodesco were kind enough to allow me the chance to review the game early before its September 6th release. The game itself is an episodic adventure telling the story of Elea, who’s on a journey through space to find her husband who’s gone missing along with his crewmates on a mission to find a new planet to colonize and now his ship was found but is mysteriously going through a quarantine procedure. After completing the first chapter it should be noted that the story I’ve played will be updated on launch day with a different beginning since I don’t know exactly how much of a change there will be, I’ll forgo focusing too much on the narrative I encountered in my playthrough. The main thing that blew me away was the graphics! Nicely detailed and textured, the colors are amazing and fit well
Continue reading →
GamingIndieNewsProduct
Flux Game Studio’s fighting game splattering the PC gaming scene “GUTS” is now being developed for consoles this fall, this comes in light of some major updates to the PC version as well. The game is a lot (and not) like traditional fighting arcade games, with the exception that under its cartoonish appearance it’s ultra-bloody. “GUTS” is a game show (not to be confused with the 90’s Nickelodeon game show!) where fighters fight to the bloody end using unique fighting styles leading up to using your GUTS finisher. As the characters fight, they’ll lose limbs which won’t stop them as there are unique fighting moves associated with missing limbs! The comedic animations along with the outlandish violence confirm the developers claim that the game is a “Tarantino-style” game. Keep an eye out this fall as “GUTS” comes to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesParanormalReviews
Adam (Riley Egan) is kind of shit at being a career artist when he finally finds his muse…like literally; the dude finds the Celtic version of a muse and she’s all magical and shit. So he becomes a great artist thanks to her witchy ways, but it all comes with a price; namely she’s a tad over protective of our hero and turns into a murder machine whenever her place in Adam’s life is threatened. So what is A-man going to do; turn a blind eye to the psychotic episodes and just ride high on his new found fortune n’ glory, or will he end her wicked reign? Not going to lie; Muse is one straight up beautiful motion picture to behold; cinematographer Damian Horan along with writer/director John Burr know how to frame a scene for maximum aesthetic impact, that’s for sure; and that helped the finished fright flick look much more expensive than it actually was. Also of
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Arthur (Simon Merrells) has a few things to be proud of; he’s the first astronaut to orbit Pluto, he survives a rather shit crash landing back on Earth, and he grows alien eyes on his hands that present to him monstrous visions and cause him to not only believe he has murdered, but to believe he is the conduit (or doorway if you like) for an alien invasion. I Am the Doorway is one hell of a somber, grim, and ultimately intriguing sci-fi yarn. Based on a short story by some dude I’ve never heard of named Stephen King (I sincerely hope you boils n’ ghouls know I’m assing around here), this is a moody, darkly atmospheric affair that details one man’s descent into madness facilitated by cosmic interference (let’s just say this is King at his most Lovecraftian); and everything from the muted color palette, to the locations, to the grizzled appearance of Merrells as our protagonist adds to
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Brandon (Grayson Low) is a classic ‘momma’s boy’ sans said momma, ‘cuz her ass is defunct thanks to a suicide. This sends his world into a desperate tailspin, because everything he has found comforting in life has been suddenly, violently, taken away…hell, he can’t even afford a decent funeral for the lady. Enter Fiona (Nicole Elizabeth Olson), who becomes enamored with our hero upon hearing his hard luck case…and wouldn’t you know it, her sister Caterina (Kate Linder), and her husband Lassiter (Bob Buckley) run a funeral pallor! Everyone seems overjoyed that Brandon has arrived in the scene, and are more than ready to accept him as the chosen one to receive the knowledge of their dark secret…but just what is that secret, and how will it effect our hero? Dead Love is a stylishly shot film, for sure, and Brandon’s near catatonic state as a result of the loss of his beloved mother is believable (at least at first)…but
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Look obsessed bitches on wheels give our meek androgynous heroine Cassie (Bianca Sanchez) a veritable shit ton of static in the Girl’s Room because she doesn’t fit their idea of how a female should look. Back at home, Cassie’s occultist mother hears her daughter’s story and decides to venture to an unholy landmark and attempt to call up a troll to get even with those who wronged Cassie. Unbelievably (or maybe believably since this is a fright flick) this works, and those girls are in for a world of ass beatings…but Cassie is none to comfortable with the vengeance handed out. Can she stop the troll before things go too far? The biggest plus Bathroom Troll has going for it is Sanchez in the role of Cassie (but make no mistake, everyone involved plays their roles to the hilt)…she’s such a fragile, emotional mess that you can’t help but root for her in the terrible situations she finds herself in,
Continue reading →
