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Game Review: ‘INDIKA’

Russian game developer Odd Meter had to leave their home country or face prosecution or worse, as their recent release INDIKA questions societal norms and points out the hypocrisy of the Russian Orthodox Church. I thank Odd Meter and 11 Bit Studios for this reviewing opportunity. INDIKA follows our titled character, a young Nun who is sent by her convent to deliver a letter, but her journey will be that of self-discovery as she begins to question her faith, along with dealing with the voice of the devil in her head. Now, onto the game itself! When it comes to the game’s controls, INDIKA is minimal as the gameplay is that of environmental puzzle-solving to allow Indika to proceed on her mission. A mechanic of the game that is confusing me at this time of writing, is the retro pixulated point system. Collecting items and interacting with the environment (like lighting candles) earns Indika points that will allow her to

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
May 16, 2024

Game Review: ‘Crow Country’

Nothing hits you in the nostalgia bone more than survival horror games on the first PlayStation. Still, as gamers, we’ve evolved from the low-poly 3D graphics, synth soundtracks, and voiceless dialogues. Now, you can experience that feeling with SFB Games’ PS1 survival horror-inspired Crow Country. Crow Country takes players to the abandoned Crow Country amusement park as Mara Forest and investigates the mysterious reasons behind the park’s abrupt closure as well as the disappearance of its owner Edward Crow. Now, onto the game itself! The controls are minimal and easy to learn and modify for your playthrough. A nice touch the devs put in Crow Country is the ability to rotate the camera, allowing you to see objects from different directions! The soundtrack is reminiscent of the old-school horror games I played on PS1 growing up. The lack of dialogue is OK in this game as the written dialogue is to the point and short. The game’s graphics are a

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
May 14, 2024

Unsettling Viral Horror Hit ‘Amanda The Adventurer’ Set to Launch on all Consoles & Mobile This Year

MANGLEDmaw Games and DreadXP shared the news today that the short indie horror game, Amanda The Adventurer, which came out a year ago and has since taken YouTube by storm racking up billions of views, will be coming to Consoles and mobile devices this year. This escape room first-person horror puts players in the shoes of Riley Park, who has recently inherited their late aunt’s home. Riley finds a VCR and an old VHS tape with episodes from an early 2000s children’s show. The show is not the highest-budget production from the looks of it. It appears to have been made locally and features a little girl named Amanda and her loyal yet shy best friend, Wooly the Sheep. While the episode appears charming and simple on the surface, an uneasiness settles in as Riley realizes that Amanda and Wooly seem to be communicating directly through the television set. A gnawing feeling in their mind presses them to stop, but

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
May 8, 2024

Spoiler-Free Review: “Department of Paranormal Affairs” (Calgary Underground Film Festival)

If you’re in the mood for a brisk supernatural comedy, you need look no further than the new Canadian six-part episodic short-form series Department of Paranormal Affairs. The series boasts highly likable characters in decidedly irregular situations. In the world of Department of Paranormal Affairs, ghosts, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night are real. This branch of the government deals with them in a different way than usual in series and movies. Rather than hunting them down to dispose of such entities, this agency looks to help them fit in positively with human society. The department’s civil servants consist of Director Greg LeGrow (Donovan Workun), who does as little as possible; Scott Power (David Feehan), the straight-laced rule follower of the bunch; and new hire Jenny Hicks (Nancy Ngo), who initially would rather punch a ghost than read a book about how to properly deal with one. Series creator Feehan, who shares screenwriting credits with Jessy

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Apr 29, 2024

Movie Review: Cathy’s Curse (1977) – Severin 4K/Blu-ray combo

Years past, a man and his daughter experience a fatal auto accident after the man’s wife hauled ass with the couple’s son George. It is then that we get down to the meat n’ poutine of Eddy Matalon’s Canadian-lensed supernatural shocker Cathy’s Curse, as a grown-ass George (Alan Scarfe) returns to the family home with his wife, Vivian (Beverly Murray and her awesome eyes) and daughter Cathy (Randi Allen in her only film role), after Viv suffers a nervous breakdown. Offering assistance are handyman Paul (Roy Witham, who appears to be one highball away from starring in a Mick Fleetwood biopic) and maid Mary (Dorothy Davis)… and the family will need it as Cathy begins acting downright strange after finding a creepy doll in the domicile’s attic. To wit; Cathy begins to show signs that she is possessed by the spirit of George’s deceased sister… like making naked statues explode, controlling objects through telekinesis, making animals do her bidding, killing

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Apr 25, 2024

Spoiler-Free Review: “Loch Ness: They Created a Monster” (Calgary Underground Film Festival)

Director John MacLaverty’s terrific documentary Loch Ness: They Created a Monster looks at the personalities involved in the search for Nessie, the legendary monster of Scotland’s Loch Ness, during the heyday of that searching, the 1970s and early 1980s. It’s a fascinating look at the men and women who devoted large parts of their lives to try and discover solid proof of the famous cryptid’s existence. The documentary illustrates the difference in attitudes between then and now, when scientific researchers, businesspeople, photographers, and other professionals had a more open-minded view toward high strangeness including the probability of a large, undiscovered beast living in the lake than today. That was a time when imagination felt stronger than cynicism, and skepticism was not quite as prevalent as it is now. Among the personalities featured in Loch Ness: They Created a Monster — through archival footage and interviews, and modern interviews with family members and colleagues, as well as surviving explorers — are

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Apr 25, 2024

“Ghost Adventures” Returns: Brace Yourself for Spine-Tingling New Season

Calling all believers and paranormal enthusiasts! Get ready for a chilling new “Ghost Adventures” season premiering Wednesday, May 15th at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel and streaming on Discovery+. This season promises to be the most bone-chilling yet, featuring the team’s most haunting encounters. Skinwalkers and Beyond A Season Packed with Frights Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley, the fearless Ghost Adventures crew, are back on their quest to document the afterlife. This season, they visit a variety of haunted locations across America, each steeped in its own unique brand of spookiness. Season Premiere: A Battle with Skinwalkers The season starts with a bang – a two-hour special focusing on a remote Utah town plagued by terrifying Skinwalker sightings. The team, with the help of Native American practitioners, delves deep into the town’s history and investigates the source of these disturbing encounters. Are these shape-shifting creatures the result of misused artifacts or something more ancient and

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 19, 2024

Game Review: ‘Outer Terror’

Salt & Pixel and VoxPop Games have created a bullet hell that combines 80s and 90s comics with cosmic horror elements. This is Outer Terror, a bullet hell rogue-lite game that can be played solo or with a friend as you face hoards of otherworldly terror. When it comes to the game’s controls, they’re limited as the attacks by the characters are automatic and all you pretty much have to do is aim the crosshairs where you want to attack. It strikes me as a callback to old arcade games you played on PC (if you know you know). The sound is a bit annoying as it’s repetitive at times and depending on what weapons you are using you may end up wanting to either lower the sound volume or mute it completely. When it comes to the game’s art, it’s a bit rough. I really like the comic book look when it’s used in cinematic moments and dialogue, but

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Apr 12, 2024

‘Witch’ Will Cast a Spell on You This April (Trailer)

Unveil a chilling tale of love, injustice, and the perils of blind faith, with the historical horror film Witch arriving on digital platforms and VOD later this month. Terror Grips a Small Town The year is 1575. Fear tightens its icy grip in the desolate English village of Willow Creek. Accusations of witchcraft ignite a frenzy of paranoia, and an innocent woman named Twyla finds herself targeted by the mob’s fury. A Husband’s Desperation William, Twyla’s devoted husband, refuses to surrender to his wife’s fate. Consumed by love and an unwavering desire for justice, he embarks on a dangerous quest. His mission is to expose the true culprit behind the allegations and clear Twyla’s name before it’s too late. William’s pursuit of the truth leads him down a shadowy path. He must navigate a world ruled by superstition, where reason crumbles before the overwhelming power of fear. Witch transcends the fight for one woman’s life; it’s a desperate struggle against

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 12, 2024

A Killer Stalks the Season Two Trailer for Prime Video’s “Them: The Scare”

Get ready for another chilling chapter in the “Them” horror anthology series, whose first season “hits you like a sledgehammer” (review). Prime Video has unveiled the official trailer for “Them: The Scare,” the highly anticipated second season premiering this April. A New Threat Emerges Following the unsettling events of season one of “Them” set in 1950s Compton, the series ventures forward to a new decade and location. Los Angeles in 1991 serves as the backdrop for a fresh wave of terror. The story centers on LAPD Detective Dawn Reeve (Deborah Ayorinde), a hardened investigator tasked with solving the brutal murder of a foster home mother. A Descent into Darkness As Dawn delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers a terrifying truth. The city, already on the brink of chaos, harbors a sinister undercurrent. As she gets closer to the killer, a malevolent force threatens to engulf not just the case but Dawn and her family as well. A Star-Studded Cast

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Mar 29, 2024

More from Paranormal

Game Review: ‘INDIKA’

Russian game developer Odd Meter had to leave their home country or face prosecution or worse, as their recent release INDIKA questions societal norms and points out the hypocrisy of the Russian Orthodox Church. I thank Odd Meter and 11 Bit Studios for this reviewing opportunity. INDIKA follows our titled character, a young Nun who is sent by her convent to deliver a letter, but her journey will be that of self-discovery as she begins to question her faith, along with dealing with the voice of the devil in her head. Now, onto the game itself! When it comes to the game’s controls, INDIKA is minimal as the gameplay is that of environmental puzzle-solving to allow Indika to proceed on her mission. A mechanic of the game that is confusing me at this time of writing, is the retro pixulated point system. Collecting items and interacting with the environment (like lighting candles) earns Indika points that will allow her to

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
May 16, 2024

Game Review: ‘Crow Country’

Nothing hits you in the nostalgia bone more than survival horror games on the first PlayStation. Still, as gamers, we’ve evolved from the low-poly 3D graphics, synth soundtracks, and voiceless dialogues. Now, you can experience that feeling with SFB Games’ PS1 survival horror-inspired Crow Country. Crow Country takes players to the abandoned Crow Country amusement park as Mara Forest and investigates the mysterious reasons behind the park’s abrupt closure as well as the disappearance of its owner Edward Crow. Now, onto the game itself! The controls are minimal and easy to learn and modify for your playthrough. A nice touch the devs put in Crow Country is the ability to rotate the camera, allowing you to see objects from different directions! The soundtrack is reminiscent of the old-school horror games I played on PS1 growing up. The lack of dialogue is OK in this game as the written dialogue is to the point and short. The game’s graphics are a

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
May 14, 2024

Unsettling Viral Horror Hit ‘Amanda The Adventurer’ Set to Launch on all Consoles & Mobile This Year

MANGLEDmaw Games and DreadXP shared the news today that the short indie horror game, Amanda The Adventurer, which came out a year ago and has since taken YouTube by storm racking up billions of views, will be coming to Consoles and mobile devices this year. This escape room first-person horror puts players in the shoes of Riley Park, who has recently inherited their late aunt’s home. Riley finds a VCR and an old VHS tape with episodes from an early 2000s children’s show. The show is not the highest-budget production from the looks of it. It appears to have been made locally and features a little girl named Amanda and her loyal yet shy best friend, Wooly the Sheep. While the episode appears charming and simple on the surface, an uneasiness settles in as Riley realizes that Amanda and Wooly seem to be communicating directly through the television set. A gnawing feeling in their mind presses them to stop, but

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
May 8, 2024

Spoiler-Free Review: “Department of Paranormal Affairs” (Calgary Underground Film Festival)

If you’re in the mood for a brisk supernatural comedy, you need look no further than the new Canadian six-part episodic short-form series Department of Paranormal Affairs. The series boasts highly likable characters in decidedly irregular situations. In the world of Department of Paranormal Affairs, ghosts, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night are real. This branch of the government deals with them in a different way than usual in series and movies. Rather than hunting them down to dispose of such entities, this agency looks to help them fit in positively with human society. The department’s civil servants consist of Director Greg LeGrow (Donovan Workun), who does as little as possible; Scott Power (David Feehan), the straight-laced rule follower of the bunch; and new hire Jenny Hicks (Nancy Ngo), who initially would rather punch a ghost than read a book about how to properly deal with one. Series creator Feehan, who shares screenwriting credits with Jessy

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Apr 29, 2024

Movie Review: Cathy’s Curse (1977) – Severin 4K/Blu-ray combo

Years past, a man and his daughter experience a fatal auto accident after the man’s wife hauled ass with the couple’s son George. It is then that we get down to the meat n’ poutine of Eddy Matalon’s Canadian-lensed supernatural shocker Cathy’s Curse, as a grown-ass George (Alan Scarfe) returns to the family home with his wife, Vivian (Beverly Murray and her awesome eyes) and daughter Cathy (Randi Allen in her only film role), after Viv suffers a nervous breakdown. Offering assistance are handyman Paul (Roy Witham, who appears to be one highball away from starring in a Mick Fleetwood biopic) and maid Mary (Dorothy Davis)… and the family will need it as Cathy begins acting downright strange after finding a creepy doll in the domicile’s attic. To wit; Cathy begins to show signs that she is possessed by the spirit of George’s deceased sister… like making naked statues explode, controlling objects through telekinesis, making animals do her bidding, killing

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Apr 25, 2024

Spoiler-Free Review: “Loch Ness: They Created a Monster” (Calgary Underground Film Festival)

Director John MacLaverty’s terrific documentary Loch Ness: They Created a Monster looks at the personalities involved in the search for Nessie, the legendary monster of Scotland’s Loch Ness, during the heyday of that searching, the 1970s and early 1980s. It’s a fascinating look at the men and women who devoted large parts of their lives to try and discover solid proof of the famous cryptid’s existence. The documentary illustrates the difference in attitudes between then and now, when scientific researchers, businesspeople, photographers, and other professionals had a more open-minded view toward high strangeness including the probability of a large, undiscovered beast living in the lake than today. That was a time when imagination felt stronger than cynicism, and skepticism was not quite as prevalent as it is now. Among the personalities featured in Loch Ness: They Created a Monster — through archival footage and interviews, and modern interviews with family members and colleagues, as well as surviving explorers — are

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Apr 25, 2024

“Ghost Adventures” Returns: Brace Yourself for Spine-Tingling New Season

Calling all believers and paranormal enthusiasts! Get ready for a chilling new “Ghost Adventures” season premiering Wednesday, May 15th at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel and streaming on Discovery+. This season promises to be the most bone-chilling yet, featuring the team’s most haunting encounters. Skinwalkers and Beyond A Season Packed with Frights Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley, the fearless Ghost Adventures crew, are back on their quest to document the afterlife. This season, they visit a variety of haunted locations across America, each steeped in its own unique brand of spookiness. Season Premiere: A Battle with Skinwalkers The season starts with a bang – a two-hour special focusing on a remote Utah town plagued by terrifying Skinwalker sightings. The team, with the help of Native American practitioners, delves deep into the town’s history and investigates the source of these disturbing encounters. Are these shape-shifting creatures the result of misused artifacts or something more ancient and

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 19, 2024

Game Review: ‘Outer Terror’

Salt & Pixel and VoxPop Games have created a bullet hell that combines 80s and 90s comics with cosmic horror elements. This is Outer Terror, a bullet hell rogue-lite game that can be played solo or with a friend as you face hoards of otherworldly terror. When it comes to the game’s controls, they’re limited as the attacks by the characters are automatic and all you pretty much have to do is aim the crosshairs where you want to attack. It strikes me as a callback to old arcade games you played on PC (if you know you know). The sound is a bit annoying as it’s repetitive at times and depending on what weapons you are using you may end up wanting to either lower the sound volume or mute it completely. When it comes to the game’s art, it’s a bit rough. I really like the comic book look when it’s used in cinematic moments and dialogue, but

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Apr 12, 2024

‘Witch’ Will Cast a Spell on You This April (Trailer)

Unveil a chilling tale of love, injustice, and the perils of blind faith, with the historical horror film Witch arriving on digital platforms and VOD later this month. Terror Grips a Small Town The year is 1575. Fear tightens its icy grip in the desolate English village of Willow Creek. Accusations of witchcraft ignite a frenzy of paranoia, and an innocent woman named Twyla finds herself targeted by the mob’s fury. A Husband’s Desperation William, Twyla’s devoted husband, refuses to surrender to his wife’s fate. Consumed by love and an unwavering desire for justice, he embarks on a dangerous quest. His mission is to expose the true culprit behind the allegations and clear Twyla’s name before it’s too late. William’s pursuit of the truth leads him down a shadowy path. He must navigate a world ruled by superstition, where reason crumbles before the overwhelming power of fear. Witch transcends the fight for one woman’s life; it’s a desperate struggle against

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Apr 12, 2024

A Killer Stalks the Season Two Trailer for Prime Video’s “Them: The Scare”

Get ready for another chilling chapter in the “Them” horror anthology series, whose first season “hits you like a sledgehammer” (review). Prime Video has unveiled the official trailer for “Them: The Scare,” the highly anticipated second season premiering this April. A New Threat Emerges Following the unsettling events of season one of “Them” set in 1950s Compton, the series ventures forward to a new decade and location. Los Angeles in 1991 serves as the backdrop for a fresh wave of terror. The story centers on LAPD Detective Dawn Reeve (Deborah Ayorinde), a hardened investigator tasked with solving the brutal murder of a foster home mother. A Descent into Darkness As Dawn delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers a terrifying truth. The city, already on the brink of chaos, harbors a sinister undercurrent. As she gets closer to the killer, a malevolent force threatens to engulf not just the case but Dawn and her family as well. A Star-Studded Cast

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Mar 29, 2024
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