CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,430 stories
Reviews
I’ll be honest, when I first heard about Patrick Rea’s ‘Arbor Demon‘ I didn’t expect very much. I wondered how entertaining a film could be that takes place almost entirely in a tent. I finally got to watch ‘Arbor Demon’ and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s filled with tension, drama, and horror, everything a horror film should have. Not only was it an interesting movie, it has a unique plot which goes a long way in my book. I even jumped a few times and that’s pretty rare. ‘Arbor demon’ stars Fiona Dourif as Dana, a women hiding her pregnancy from her husband (Kevin Ryan) because he has made it perfectly clear that he has no desire to have kids. The couple heads off on a camping trip to spend their last days together before he leaves for a six month tour with his band unaware of the horrors they will soon face. After arriving at
Continue reading →
Reviews
It is truly rare these days to come across a film that is truly unique. Not just unique, but brilliant. To find a film that also shines a light on a social subject that needs to be explored, to be discussed, is something bigger than just a scary movie. Writer-director Jordan Peele has created a film that is all of those things, ‘Get Out’. And I have no doubt that it is going to be an instant classic. For that reason, I will NOT spoil it for you. Besides being brilliantly written, it has all of the hallmarks of the great genre films before it. It is incredibly creepy. The expressions, movements, and tone were perfectly executed by the cast which includes Daniel Kaluuy and Allison Williams who star in the lead roles, Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Milton “LilRel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Keith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).
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HalloweenMoviesReviews
Halloween night is approaching and three young women, Alyson, Chloe and Jess. have decided that a night out among scores of people is not something they’re interested in. Instead they would rather have their own girls night in, enjoying food and drink, and each others company. As Alyson is preparing for this intimate gathering, a creepy masked stranger startles her while intrusively snooping around the kitchen window. Despite dropping and breaking a plate out of surprise, she will at least have an interesting story to share later. But as the evening wears on, and win is consumed, andtales of Bloody Mary are bandied about, the trio may find there is still more to the story where the masked stranger is concerned. The story behind David Teixeira’s short film has a familiar tone, but is lacking some elements to drive the narrative and build suspense or fear. Also the concept of a horror story featuring a masked stranger and urban legends,
Continue reading →
Reviews
I usually try to be pretty kind with movie reviews and I am fairly easy to please, but I have been racking my brain to find the pros outweighing the cons for Armand Petri’s Reel Nightmare. I watched the movie in a couple of sittings and absolutely couldn’t get hooked. I could see where the film was going and what Petri was trying to do, but it just fell absolutely flat. Not only was the acting blah, but the story was lost in the absolute cluelessness of the characters. Little things like not even mentioning the blacked out eyes of one of their friends after being possessed. Madeleine Heil, who plays the lead Sophie, was actually pretty good. But other than that, I’m sorry. Over the top stereotypes of horror tropes, homosexuality, machismo, and damsel in distress were laughable if not offensive. On the positive side, the plot was tried and true and the effects (both makeup and paranormal) really
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
“Want to get away?” Most of you probably remember that line from the Southwest Airlines commercials that showed people in awkward or embarrassing situations who desperately seemed to need a break from their lives. In fact, that’s all a vacation really is…a break. Whether it’s a week or a month, taking a holiday is not the equivalent of a total escape from ones problems. It’s a lesson that Dani will quickly learn when she amscrays from her home in New Orleans to visit her cousin Stacy in LA. Her plan is to use this time away from home as an escape from the drama of a nasty and painful breakup with a man she had no idea was still married the entire time they were dating. But wait, there’s more. The man she was dating just happened to be married to a crazy voodoo priestess. And while the common concept of female fury is scary enough, it becomes quite diminished
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
“Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions and fears” – Hunter S. Thompson It’s business as usual in the Antarctic, at The National Science Institute research station, U.S. Outpost 31, that is until a sled dog arrives in the camp being frantically pursued by two Norwegians in a helicopter. The chopper lands and the Norwegian pilot haphazardly tries to throw an explosive charge into the camp to destroy the dog, but drops it in the snow blowing up himself and the chopper. The other Norwegian starts trying to shoot the dog, injuring one of the members of the outpost’s crew. The outpost chief shoots and kills him, thus eliminating any further threat. Such an odd occurrence begs an explanation, but the only one left alive that has a clue is the dog…and he’s not talking. The only available answers can now be found
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
“Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.” – Charles M. Schulz Let’s face it, unrequited love is a real son-of-a-bitch! It’s like being stabbed in the heart with a dagger, made of pure love and emotion, all the way to the hilt and broken off in your chest…or something like that. It may be different for some, but I digress. James is an unorthodox young man, who takes care of his loony old grandmother. He also likes photography and hanging out in the cemetery, while sometimes singing little ditties about a “cheesecake of love”. He’s also a young man who fully understands the aforementioned concept of unrequited love, because he too is afflicted. The object of his desires is a beautiful young woman named Jane. And while James hasn’t directly expressed this to her, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether Jane is privy to his feelings for her or how deeply said feelings run. However,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Common courtesy is a concept that is…well, less than common nowadays. In fact it’s practically extinct. Now the mature thing to do in the face of rudeness, they say (whoever THEY are), is to turn the other cheek. BUT, on the other hand, how satisfying would it be to penalize someone for their rude behavior? Not whining about it on Facebook or Tweeting about it, or leaving a negative review on Yelp. I mean truly letting somebody have it in the manner you see fit. Two brothers, Gordon and Martha, completely agree that the whole forgive and forget notion is not a viable option. Feeling that they have experienced a higher level of discourtesy, whilst dining out, than any two people should have to endure. These two believe that the time has come to teach these ill-mannered perpetrators a lesson…with coleslaw. Yes, you read that right, COLESLAW. Each of the impolite individuals responsible has been selected to “play a game”,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
When someone says the word Sasquatch, for most people it brings to mind the Patterson–Gimlin film footage of Bigfoot striding along Bluff Creek back in October of 1967. Many, including myself, believe that cryptid creatures exist in our world despite the fact that we may never have seen them. Of course if there was a chance to actually see a cryptid, certainly most would prefer a passive encounter at a safe distance. But if you wander into their territory, there are no guarantees of hospitality. This is a lesson that a group of men are about to learn the hard way. Tragedy has struck leaving Michael Crew motherless and Roger Crew a widower. They are at rock bottom having no money and no home except for an old ramshackle cabin located deep in the woods of northern Washington State. This is a situation that will push an already strained relationship between this father and son, to its absolute breaking point.
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
For some people making a real connection with others can be, at best, an arduous task. Even once said connection is made there are no guarantees on how deeply one person will feel it in relation to another. Such would be the case where Thomas and Teresa are concerned. Thomas is awkward, in appearance and demeanor and Teresa is beautiful, but at odds with her sense of personal identity. The pair have been longtime friends and able to confide in each other, but unbeknownst to Teresa, she has long been the object of Thomas’s unrequited affection. Part of Teresa’s inner struggle is her inability to form a romantic bond with anyone unless they can help her to make a truly profound discovery about who she is on an existential level. Obsessed as he is with Teresa, Thomas will take it upon himself to be the man who helps her plumb the depths of her soul – no matter how emotionally
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
Reviews
I’ll be honest, when I first heard about Patrick Rea’s ‘Arbor Demon‘ I didn’t expect very much. I wondered how entertaining a film could be that takes place almost entirely in a tent. I finally got to watch ‘Arbor Demon’ and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s filled with tension, drama, and horror, everything a horror film should have. Not only was it an interesting movie, it has a unique plot which goes a long way in my book. I even jumped a few times and that’s pretty rare. ‘Arbor demon’ stars Fiona Dourif as Dana, a women hiding her pregnancy from her husband (Kevin Ryan) because he has made it perfectly clear that he has no desire to have kids. The couple heads off on a camping trip to spend their last days together before he leaves for a six month tour with his band unaware of the horrors they will soon face. After arriving at
Continue reading →
Reviews
It is truly rare these days to come across a film that is truly unique. Not just unique, but brilliant. To find a film that also shines a light on a social subject that needs to be explored, to be discussed, is something bigger than just a scary movie. Writer-director Jordan Peele has created a film that is all of those things, ‘Get Out’. And I have no doubt that it is going to be an instant classic. For that reason, I will NOT spoil it for you. Besides being brilliantly written, it has all of the hallmarks of the great genre films before it. It is incredibly creepy. The expressions, movements, and tone were perfectly executed by the cast which includes Daniel Kaluuy and Allison Williams who star in the lead roles, Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Milton “LilRel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Keith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).
Continue reading →
HalloweenMoviesReviews
Halloween night is approaching and three young women, Alyson, Chloe and Jess. have decided that a night out among scores of people is not something they’re interested in. Instead they would rather have their own girls night in, enjoying food and drink, and each others company. As Alyson is preparing for this intimate gathering, a creepy masked stranger startles her while intrusively snooping around the kitchen window. Despite dropping and breaking a plate out of surprise, she will at least have an interesting story to share later. But as the evening wears on, and win is consumed, andtales of Bloody Mary are bandied about, the trio may find there is still more to the story where the masked stranger is concerned. The story behind David Teixeira’s short film has a familiar tone, but is lacking some elements to drive the narrative and build suspense or fear. Also the concept of a horror story featuring a masked stranger and urban legends,
Continue reading →
Reviews
I usually try to be pretty kind with movie reviews and I am fairly easy to please, but I have been racking my brain to find the pros outweighing the cons for Armand Petri’s Reel Nightmare. I watched the movie in a couple of sittings and absolutely couldn’t get hooked. I could see where the film was going and what Petri was trying to do, but it just fell absolutely flat. Not only was the acting blah, but the story was lost in the absolute cluelessness of the characters. Little things like not even mentioning the blacked out eyes of one of their friends after being possessed. Madeleine Heil, who plays the lead Sophie, was actually pretty good. But other than that, I’m sorry. Over the top stereotypes of horror tropes, homosexuality, machismo, and damsel in distress were laughable if not offensive. On the positive side, the plot was tried and true and the effects (both makeup and paranormal) really
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
“Want to get away?” Most of you probably remember that line from the Southwest Airlines commercials that showed people in awkward or embarrassing situations who desperately seemed to need a break from their lives. In fact, that’s all a vacation really is…a break. Whether it’s a week or a month, taking a holiday is not the equivalent of a total escape from ones problems. It’s a lesson that Dani will quickly learn when she amscrays from her home in New Orleans to visit her cousin Stacy in LA. Her plan is to use this time away from home as an escape from the drama of a nasty and painful breakup with a man she had no idea was still married the entire time they were dating. But wait, there’s more. The man she was dating just happened to be married to a crazy voodoo priestess. And while the common concept of female fury is scary enough, it becomes quite diminished
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
“Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions and fears” – Hunter S. Thompson It’s business as usual in the Antarctic, at The National Science Institute research station, U.S. Outpost 31, that is until a sled dog arrives in the camp being frantically pursued by two Norwegians in a helicopter. The chopper lands and the Norwegian pilot haphazardly tries to throw an explosive charge into the camp to destroy the dog, but drops it in the snow blowing up himself and the chopper. The other Norwegian starts trying to shoot the dog, injuring one of the members of the outpost’s crew. The outpost chief shoots and kills him, thus eliminating any further threat. Such an odd occurrence begs an explanation, but the only one left alive that has a clue is the dog…and he’s not talking. The only available answers can now be found
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
“Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.” – Charles M. Schulz Let’s face it, unrequited love is a real son-of-a-bitch! It’s like being stabbed in the heart with a dagger, made of pure love and emotion, all the way to the hilt and broken off in your chest…or something like that. It may be different for some, but I digress. James is an unorthodox young man, who takes care of his loony old grandmother. He also likes photography and hanging out in the cemetery, while sometimes singing little ditties about a “cheesecake of love”. He’s also a young man who fully understands the aforementioned concept of unrequited love, because he too is afflicted. The object of his desires is a beautiful young woman named Jane. And while James hasn’t directly expressed this to her, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether Jane is privy to his feelings for her or how deeply said feelings run. However,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Common courtesy is a concept that is…well, less than common nowadays. In fact it’s practically extinct. Now the mature thing to do in the face of rudeness, they say (whoever THEY are), is to turn the other cheek. BUT, on the other hand, how satisfying would it be to penalize someone for their rude behavior? Not whining about it on Facebook or Tweeting about it, or leaving a negative review on Yelp. I mean truly letting somebody have it in the manner you see fit. Two brothers, Gordon and Martha, completely agree that the whole forgive and forget notion is not a viable option. Feeling that they have experienced a higher level of discourtesy, whilst dining out, than any two people should have to endure. These two believe that the time has come to teach these ill-mannered perpetrators a lesson…with coleslaw. Yes, you read that right, COLESLAW. Each of the impolite individuals responsible has been selected to “play a game”,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
When someone says the word Sasquatch, for most people it brings to mind the Patterson–Gimlin film footage of Bigfoot striding along Bluff Creek back in October of 1967. Many, including myself, believe that cryptid creatures exist in our world despite the fact that we may never have seen them. Of course if there was a chance to actually see a cryptid, certainly most would prefer a passive encounter at a safe distance. But if you wander into their territory, there are no guarantees of hospitality. This is a lesson that a group of men are about to learn the hard way. Tragedy has struck leaving Michael Crew motherless and Roger Crew a widower. They are at rock bottom having no money and no home except for an old ramshackle cabin located deep in the woods of northern Washington State. This is a situation that will push an already strained relationship between this father and son, to its absolute breaking point.
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
For some people making a real connection with others can be, at best, an arduous task. Even once said connection is made there are no guarantees on how deeply one person will feel it in relation to another. Such would be the case where Thomas and Teresa are concerned. Thomas is awkward, in appearance and demeanor and Teresa is beautiful, but at odds with her sense of personal identity. The pair have been longtime friends and able to confide in each other, but unbeknownst to Teresa, she has long been the object of Thomas’s unrequited affection. Part of Teresa’s inner struggle is her inability to form a romantic bond with anyone unless they can help her to make a truly profound discovery about who she is on an existential level. Obsessed as he is with Teresa, Thomas will take it upon himself to be the man who helps her plumb the depths of her soul – no matter how emotionally
Continue reading →
