CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
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Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
HERD (2023) I’m admittedly a hard sell on zombie fare, but am open to seeing if new releases have something different to offer. Although director Stephen Pierce’s Herd follows many of the subgenre’s familiar beats and tropes, it does serve up some novel takes along with surprises near the end that provide food for thought. Despite news reports of a pandemic outbreak, Jamie Miller (Ellen Adair) and her girlfriend Alex Kanai (Mitzi Akaha) set out on a canoe trip in an attempt to save their fractured relationship. During their travels, the outbreak results in the infected becoming covered in boils, suffering headaches, and becoming aggressive — the latter only when provoked, though. Scratches from the infected result in spreading the outbreak. Alex makes an unwise impulsive decision that results in a broken leg for her and that puts the couple in peril not only with the “heps,” as the infected are called here, but also with a cult-like community —
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
THE BANALITY (2023) The Banality (AKA Death Letter Blues) is a moving meditation on the mysteries of life peppered with supernatural elements, set in rural Mississippi and rich in southern gothic atmosphere. A young feral boy is found in the area and town priest Father Moss (Sherman Augustus) persuades a childless couple to adopt him. Eleven years later, the boy has adapted well to life in the small town but is harassed by some of his classmates. When he turns up dead after a nighttime outdoor party, Father Moss, the parents, and practically every other local in the small community is affected by his demise one way or another. Gorgeous looking and wonderfully acted, this unique offering from cowriters/codirectors Strack Azar and Michael Stevantoni is contemplative, existential horror on the quiet side that asks viewers to consider how dark choices can lead to consequences years later, and even how such actions may affect people after their passing, whether or not
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
BIBI (2023) A gorgeous looking meditation on grief and loss, writer/director Christopher Beatty’s atmospheric thriller Bibi uses gothic elements in its story of a woman named Vivan (Elizabeth Paige in a riveting lead performance) and the troubled relationship she has with her teen daughter Bibi (Judith Ann DiMinni). Vivian has suffered psychological issues since childhood, when her father caused her sister’s death. Now plagued further by Bibi’s troubling behavior and the threat of danger from a constant intruder, Vivian is spiraling further downward. Seasoned viewers of psychological shockers may sometimes find themselves a step or so ahead of some of the proceedings, but the journey to the end of the film is one well worth taking thanks to gorgeous set design by Melissa Edmond and art direction by Alec Addalia, sumptuous cinematography by John W. Rutland, a compelling story and assured direction from Beatty, and a terrific performance from Paige with fine support from DiMinni. WINTERTIDE (2023) Director John Barnard’s
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
The Haunting of the Queen Mary is out now in theaters. I watched it, and I have some thoughts. This horror, directed by Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), explores the mysterious and violent events surrounding one family’s voyage on Halloween night in1938 with their story interwoven with the destiny of another family onboard the infamous ocean liner in the present day. The film also integrates the characters of the ship’s crew, both past and present, giving us three stories to follow. The film required a large cast of characters, and that led to a flaw. We didn’t get to know a lot of the characters intimately, leaving many feeling a bit hollow. The main characters played by Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness, Belgravia), Joel Fry (Cruella, Game of Thrones), and Nell Hudson (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) had their flaws as well. Most of the characters aren’t very likable. They often lack the emotion the story should have required, especially the mother. She’s
Continue reading →
BooksGamingProductReviews
Candles really set the mood for anything, a relaxing bath, reading a good book in the dark, summoning an eldritch demigod in order to earn your admission into an esoteric order, OR setting the mood for you and your friends for a dungeon crawl. At Candle Qwest, that’s exactly what you get, and more! I want to give a big thank you to Wyl and the other Wizards over at Candle Qwest for making this review happen! My olfactory adventure has brought me to the land of the undead with the Zombie Survival Candle. what sets this candle apart is that it’s a game of chance all on its own! How? Inside each candle, there are three layers with a unique treasure waiting for you to pull from the molten wax, the first layer there’s a weapon (I got a cleaver), the second has a unique character pin, and finally, the third layer will reveal your fate with either a
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Writer/director/producer/actor Fred Vogel’s 2001 found-footage free-for-all August Underground (co-written by Allen Peters) is light on story… in fact the entirety of the film’s 70 minute run-time can be summed up thusly: two serial killers on a spree of mayhem and murder film their exploits… but it’s in building that world… that depraved, disgusting world that this film shines. Our two main madmen are played by those aforementioned fellas… Vogel in front of the lens, and Allen behind it (and I’m sure plenty can be made of the psychological meaning behind the artist becoming one with their art)… and both uncredited for their performances… and the feature holds nothing back showing what these two rollicking rascals are up to, and what they are up to results in hard-to-watch, unflinching degradation and violence… so much so that you’ll swear you’re watching a real-deal snuff picture… and therein lies the genius of the piece. Along the way we are also “treated” to some
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Subject (2023) Australian shocker Subject centers on Willem (Stephen Phillips), who we meet when he is under arrest and in a police van, only to be taken away by mysterious agent Dalesky (director Tristan Barr), who offers him an alternative to prison. Willem, who proclaims innocence of any crime, accepts the offer, which involves observing a monster in the room next to his while being denied contact with any other human other than Dalesky, who conducts occasional question-and-answer sessions involving electrical shocks. Memories reminiscent of home movies cloud Willem’s mind, bringing back thoughts of his late wife Carrie (Cecilia Low) and their two daughters, most of which are unpleasant. Barr, working from a screenplay by Vincent Befi, builds the mystery and suspense terrifically, leaving open to viewer interpretation exactly what is happening to the highly troubled Willem. Phillips is on screen for the majority of the film, and he gives a fine performance depicting his complex character. Challenging, intriguing, and
Continue reading →
GamingParanormalProductReviews
It takes a village to raise a child they say, but what about one person to raise a village? That’s what awaits players in Covenant and Team 17’s adventure strategy Gord. Inspired by Slavic Folklore, how did this strategy game with horror elements fair? I would like to thank Team 17 and Covenant for the reviewing opportunity. Gord casts players in the role of the Steward representing the King as they help a group of nomadic villagers called the Tribe of the Dawn, led by the elder Boghdan, and establish Gords in the untamed wilds where dark forces, wildmen, and unknown horrors await. Along on your journey are the king’s emissary and a mysterious witch named Lynx. Now onto the game itself. Gord‘s controls at first may be a bit odd to players using controllers but after a while, you get pretty used to them, at the time of writing this I have not discovered a hotkey that will allow
Continue reading →
GamingParanormalProductReviewsSci-Fi
Focus Entertainment and its studio Deck13 Interactive have released their action RPG Atlas Fallen and were awesome enough to send over a copy for me to check out, a massive thank you to them for that as well as a thank you for being OK with the review coming out a bit late, so let’s check out Atlas Fallen! Atlas Fallen takes players to a fantasy world covered in sand and with corrupt gods. Players take on the role of the “Unnamed” a person whose station in society is so low, they have no name, who becomes the unlikely wielder of a special gauntlet that grants them powers to fight the monsters stalking the lands. The controls for Atlas Fallen are surprisingly easy to remember and handle with good response which is great for the hack-and-slash style combat (which I love). The soundtrack is pretty good and fits well with this twist on a fantasy world we find ourselves in.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviewsSci-Fi
Why does The Abomination begin with a sizzle reel of the best bits of what’s about to come in the following 90 minutes? Fucked if I know presently, but it does… but they try and claim it’s a nightmare our hero Cody (Scott Davis) is experiencing… Following that we dive into the story proper… hahaha, just kidding… this time it’s another non sequitur (a lil’ stalk n’ slay number here featuring some of the footage we just experienced) as Cody details his grizzly actions to his doctor while quoting the bible and claiming to be controlled by a monster he dubs “The Abomination”. Okay, now we start the story, as we learn Cody’s ailing, televangelist-addicted mother, Sarah (Jude Johnson) is suffering from a nasty lil’ tumor… which she barfs up. Well, that “tumor” goes right ahead and crawls inside of our hero… which makes his workday and non-stop country-fried fuckin’ around come to a full, and phlegmy, stop. So after
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
HERD (2023) I’m admittedly a hard sell on zombie fare, but am open to seeing if new releases have something different to offer. Although director Stephen Pierce’s Herd follows many of the subgenre’s familiar beats and tropes, it does serve up some novel takes along with surprises near the end that provide food for thought. Despite news reports of a pandemic outbreak, Jamie Miller (Ellen Adair) and her girlfriend Alex Kanai (Mitzi Akaha) set out on a canoe trip in an attempt to save their fractured relationship. During their travels, the outbreak results in the infected becoming covered in boils, suffering headaches, and becoming aggressive — the latter only when provoked, though. Scratches from the infected result in spreading the outbreak. Alex makes an unwise impulsive decision that results in a broken leg for her and that puts the couple in peril not only with the “heps,” as the infected are called here, but also with a cult-like community —
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
THE BANALITY (2023) The Banality (AKA Death Letter Blues) is a moving meditation on the mysteries of life peppered with supernatural elements, set in rural Mississippi and rich in southern gothic atmosphere. A young feral boy is found in the area and town priest Father Moss (Sherman Augustus) persuades a childless couple to adopt him. Eleven years later, the boy has adapted well to life in the small town but is harassed by some of his classmates. When he turns up dead after a nighttime outdoor party, Father Moss, the parents, and practically every other local in the small community is affected by his demise one way or another. Gorgeous looking and wonderfully acted, this unique offering from cowriters/codirectors Strack Azar and Michael Stevantoni is contemplative, existential horror on the quiet side that asks viewers to consider how dark choices can lead to consequences years later, and even how such actions may affect people after their passing, whether or not
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
BIBI (2023) A gorgeous looking meditation on grief and loss, writer/director Christopher Beatty’s atmospheric thriller Bibi uses gothic elements in its story of a woman named Vivan (Elizabeth Paige in a riveting lead performance) and the troubled relationship she has with her teen daughter Bibi (Judith Ann DiMinni). Vivian has suffered psychological issues since childhood, when her father caused her sister’s death. Now plagued further by Bibi’s troubling behavior and the threat of danger from a constant intruder, Vivian is spiraling further downward. Seasoned viewers of psychological shockers may sometimes find themselves a step or so ahead of some of the proceedings, but the journey to the end of the film is one well worth taking thanks to gorgeous set design by Melissa Edmond and art direction by Alec Addalia, sumptuous cinematography by John W. Rutland, a compelling story and assured direction from Beatty, and a terrific performance from Paige with fine support from DiMinni. WINTERTIDE (2023) Director John Barnard’s
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
The Haunting of the Queen Mary is out now in theaters. I watched it, and I have some thoughts. This horror, directed by Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), explores the mysterious and violent events surrounding one family’s voyage on Halloween night in1938 with their story interwoven with the destiny of another family onboard the infamous ocean liner in the present day. The film also integrates the characters of the ship’s crew, both past and present, giving us three stories to follow. The film required a large cast of characters, and that led to a flaw. We didn’t get to know a lot of the characters intimately, leaving many feeling a bit hollow. The main characters played by Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness, Belgravia), Joel Fry (Cruella, Game of Thrones), and Nell Hudson (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) had their flaws as well. Most of the characters aren’t very likable. They often lack the emotion the story should have required, especially the mother. She’s
Continue reading →
BooksGamingProductReviews
Candles really set the mood for anything, a relaxing bath, reading a good book in the dark, summoning an eldritch demigod in order to earn your admission into an esoteric order, OR setting the mood for you and your friends for a dungeon crawl. At Candle Qwest, that’s exactly what you get, and more! I want to give a big thank you to Wyl and the other Wizards over at Candle Qwest for making this review happen! My olfactory adventure has brought me to the land of the undead with the Zombie Survival Candle. what sets this candle apart is that it’s a game of chance all on its own! How? Inside each candle, there are three layers with a unique treasure waiting for you to pull from the molten wax, the first layer there’s a weapon (I got a cleaver), the second has a unique character pin, and finally, the third layer will reveal your fate with either a
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Writer/director/producer/actor Fred Vogel’s 2001 found-footage free-for-all August Underground (co-written by Allen Peters) is light on story… in fact the entirety of the film’s 70 minute run-time can be summed up thusly: two serial killers on a spree of mayhem and murder film their exploits… but it’s in building that world… that depraved, disgusting world that this film shines. Our two main madmen are played by those aforementioned fellas… Vogel in front of the lens, and Allen behind it (and I’m sure plenty can be made of the psychological meaning behind the artist becoming one with their art)… and both uncredited for their performances… and the feature holds nothing back showing what these two rollicking rascals are up to, and what they are up to results in hard-to-watch, unflinching degradation and violence… so much so that you’ll swear you’re watching a real-deal snuff picture… and therein lies the genius of the piece. Along the way we are also “treated” to some
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Subject (2023) Australian shocker Subject centers on Willem (Stephen Phillips), who we meet when he is under arrest and in a police van, only to be taken away by mysterious agent Dalesky (director Tristan Barr), who offers him an alternative to prison. Willem, who proclaims innocence of any crime, accepts the offer, which involves observing a monster in the room next to his while being denied contact with any other human other than Dalesky, who conducts occasional question-and-answer sessions involving electrical shocks. Memories reminiscent of home movies cloud Willem’s mind, bringing back thoughts of his late wife Carrie (Cecilia Low) and their two daughters, most of which are unpleasant. Barr, working from a screenplay by Vincent Befi, builds the mystery and suspense terrifically, leaving open to viewer interpretation exactly what is happening to the highly troubled Willem. Phillips is on screen for the majority of the film, and he gives a fine performance depicting his complex character. Challenging, intriguing, and
Continue reading →
GamingParanormalProductReviews
It takes a village to raise a child they say, but what about one person to raise a village? That’s what awaits players in Covenant and Team 17’s adventure strategy Gord. Inspired by Slavic Folklore, how did this strategy game with horror elements fair? I would like to thank Team 17 and Covenant for the reviewing opportunity. Gord casts players in the role of the Steward representing the King as they help a group of nomadic villagers called the Tribe of the Dawn, led by the elder Boghdan, and establish Gords in the untamed wilds where dark forces, wildmen, and unknown horrors await. Along on your journey are the king’s emissary and a mysterious witch named Lynx. Now onto the game itself. Gord‘s controls at first may be a bit odd to players using controllers but after a while, you get pretty used to them, at the time of writing this I have not discovered a hotkey that will allow
Continue reading →
GamingParanormalProductReviewsSci-Fi
Focus Entertainment and its studio Deck13 Interactive have released their action RPG Atlas Fallen and were awesome enough to send over a copy for me to check out, a massive thank you to them for that as well as a thank you for being OK with the review coming out a bit late, so let’s check out Atlas Fallen! Atlas Fallen takes players to a fantasy world covered in sand and with corrupt gods. Players take on the role of the “Unnamed” a person whose station in society is so low, they have no name, who becomes the unlikely wielder of a special gauntlet that grants them powers to fight the monsters stalking the lands. The controls for Atlas Fallen are surprisingly easy to remember and handle with good response which is great for the hack-and-slash style combat (which I love). The soundtrack is pretty good and fits well with this twist on a fantasy world we find ourselves in.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviewsSci-Fi
Why does The Abomination begin with a sizzle reel of the best bits of what’s about to come in the following 90 minutes? Fucked if I know presently, but it does… but they try and claim it’s a nightmare our hero Cody (Scott Davis) is experiencing… Following that we dive into the story proper… hahaha, just kidding… this time it’s another non sequitur (a lil’ stalk n’ slay number here featuring some of the footage we just experienced) as Cody details his grizzly actions to his doctor while quoting the bible and claiming to be controlled by a monster he dubs “The Abomination”. Okay, now we start the story, as we learn Cody’s ailing, televangelist-addicted mother, Sarah (Jude Johnson) is suffering from a nasty lil’ tumor… which she barfs up. Well, that “tumor” goes right ahead and crawls inside of our hero… which makes his workday and non-stop country-fried fuckin’ around come to a full, and phlegmy, stop. So after
Continue reading →
