CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,432 stories
MoviesNewsReviewsThrillerTrailers
First announced in 2017, director Adam Randall’s intense thriller I See You has just made its debut on Netflix, and people are loving it! In the 2019 film, “A policeman and his doctor wife have marriage problems, and the son blames the mother. For his job, the policeman investigates a case of a missing boy. The possible kidnapping looks like some cases from a few years ago. When two phroggers enter the house, things go off the rails. “Phrogging is the act of secretly living in someone’s home or property without their knowledge and/or consent. The person who does the phrogging is called a phrogger, typically one who has nowhere else to live.” I See You is filled with multiple twists and realizations that will shock you. This movie, written by Devon Graye, is clever, dark, and twisted, just the way we like our films. Without spoiling too much, there are two major twists, one involving the identity of one
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Did you dig on Skinemax and The Playboy Channel in the early ’80s? Well, if you answered “yes” then you will surely recognize a few of the flicks contained in Three Between the Sheets; the new collection from Severin showcasing softcore shenanigans from such material’s cable television Golden Age! First up in the collection comes 1984’s Ecstasy: Director Peter Binnes (Franc Luz) and his actress wife Val (Kingdom of the Spiders’ Tiffany Bolling, who also posed in the pages of Playboy, who produced this film) have just won the ultimate prize; the “Film Critics Award”, which is definitely given to a movie by people… perhaps “critics” even. Anyway, never one to sit idle, ol’ Pete decides to get a new picture rollin’ with a script courtesy of ex-thespian Belinda (Julie Newmar,best known for playing one of three Catwomen to face off with Adam West’s Batman on TV screens in the mid to late ‘60s)… but no one is willing to
Continue reading →
Amazon Prime VideoNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
After a nearly four-year wait, season two of Prime Video’s “Carnival Row,” created by Travis Beacham and Rene Echevarria, recently premiered. I was thrilled when I heard the news because season one was fantastic. “Carnival Row” features a Victorian fantasy world filled with mythological immigrant creatures whose rich homelands were invaded by the empires of man. This growing immigrant population struggles to coexist with humans in the grimiest section of the city, forbidden to live, love, or fly with freedom. But even in darkness, hope lives, as a human detective, Rycroft Philostrate, and a refugee faerie named Vignette Stonemoss rekindle a dangerous affair despite an increasingly-intolerant society. Vignette harbors a secret that endangers Philo’s standing during his most important case yet: a string of gruesome murders threatening the uneasy peace of the Row. As Philo investigates, he reveals an unimaginable monster. In the first season, we were introduced to both the human and the fae characters, with Orlando Bloom’s half-human
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsReviewsShort Films
Eyestring If eye trauma gives you the heebie jeebies, director Javier Devitt’s short horror film Eyestring is certain to press a few buttons. There’s no Un Chien Andalou-level of sudden shock; rather, Eyestring deals more with lingering, building psychological and body horror. Alena Chinault, who cowrote the screenplay with Devitt, stars as Veronica, a young woman who finds a hair growing out of one of her tear ducts one day. The mental health phone service she uses to discuss her obsessive compulsive disorder is of no help in her new situation, and matters escalate as attempts to cut the hair do anything but solve the problem. Could an alternative eye treatment clinic be of help? Devitt and Chinault have crafted a gripping, thought-provoking slice of fear-fare cinema that addresses mental health care while delivering a chilling story. Chinault’s fine performance and Devitt’s solid work at the helm lead toward a jaw-dropping final shot. The Mundanes Meet the Mundanes, a suburban
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
What’s the movie everyone is talking about? That would be actress-turned-director Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear, based on a true story (kind of). The movie finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood. The movie has a pretty impressive cast, including Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ray Liotta in his last role (rest in peace). This action-packed insane flick was written by Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen), and let me tell you, it’s bloody awesome! The movie kicks off with a coked-up drug smuggler throwing kilo after kilo off a plane. Then we find out a black bear is getting high off the stash that now litters the forest, and all hell breaks loose. The bear takes a teen; somehow, she is unhurt,
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
For those that have previously missed out on one of the greatest fright flicks ever created: After a series of grizzly news accounts, and an opening narration courtesy of Night Court‘s John Larroquette, set the scene we are introduced to a group of groovy teens including Sally Hardesty ( Marilyn Burns) and her far less groovy, uber-annoying, wheel-chair bound brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain), who are on a road trip across Texas. Along the way the gang picks up a deranged hitchhiker, who’s hobbies include self-harm and photography, and after (eventually) kicking his ass the fuck out of their van they discover that they are low on gas. Unfortunately for them, the local station is plum out so off they go to explore a nearby abandoned house (which is a shitty idea in the best of times… let alone when there are creepy locals and a spate of grave-robbing going down)… a house that’s unfortunately home to a cannibal clan
Continue reading →
GamingProductReviews
In 2005, dare I say, the gaming world changed as one of the biggest franchises, Resident Evil, took their iconic game in a new direction after three massive hit games. Resident Evil 4 took the fixed camera view and made it over-the-shoulder allowing players to see the world differently and feel like they’re in the middle of the terror along with the characters. The game also set the bar for the rest of the franchise and sparked a massive cult following full of memes that only those who’ve experienced the game would know. Eighteen years later, Capcom revisited the beloved game… I want to thank Capcom for the privilege of getting an early look at Resident Evil 4! When it comes to the controls for Resident Evil 4, veteran Resident Evil players will have no problem picking up the controller and jumping right into the action thanks to a great and simple tutorial system. When it comes to the game’s
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
Body horror and creature feature combine in writer/director Anna Zlokovic’s feature Appendage. Fueled by solid direction, fine performances, and fun special effects work, the film comes highly recommended for horror fans. Hannah (Hadley Robinson) is a fashion designer hoping to make it into the upcoming seasonal collection of her ill-mannered boss. She receives a great deal of support from her friend and colleague Esther (Kausar Mohammed) and her boyfriend Kaelin (Brandon Mychal Smith), but none from her own parents, who hold an incident from her high school years against her. As Hannah’s insecurities mount, she develops a growth in her side, springing from a birthmark — a growth with a face, that enjoys needling her about the things that already trouble her. As the appendage grows, Hannah seeks support from a group of others sharing her affliction, including Claudia (Emily Hamphsire), who has seemingly tamed her own appendage into a more submissive role. Appendage features some humorous moments but more
Continue reading →
GamingIndieParanormalProductReviews
The name Rachel Carson probably means nothing to you, what about Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane? Well in Whitethorn Games’ The Forest Cathedral players will learn them. The Forest Cathedral is a fictitious telling of real-life marine biologist Rachel Carson and her research into the harmful effects of the bug pesticide DDT was having on the environment. I would like to thank Whitethorn Games for the reviewing opportunity! Onto the game itself! When it comes to the controls, The Forest Cathedral‘s controls are limited so there are not a lot of buttons to worry about, most of the game’s action seems to come from the “Little Man” mechanic (a platforming computer game within the game that acts as a terminal to operate machines). The visuals for the game are stunning and beautiful for the most part, you have to keep an eye out for some unnerving things happening in the background. When it comes to the sound, the voice acting is good, but the
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Have you ever watched a film… let’s say Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 avian-terror based suspense masterpiece The Birds for instance…and say to yourself “Shit, I could have made that.”? Here’s a cautionary tale on why that may be fucking dumb as shit. Severin’s (via their Intervision label) new box-set; Wings Of Disaster: The Birdemic Trilogy deals with the output of writer/director James Nguyen who definitely thought “Shit, I could have made that.” or some variation thereof… and he did, three times over… but of course his level of success varies slightly than Hitchcock… Kicking off the set is 2010’s Birdemic: Shock and Terror which is indeed about killer birds, but equally it’s about driving around town as a sweeping score you may find in a heartfelt ’80s drama serenades your eerie earholes. It’s also about how not to mic your film as the sound quality is all over the map… oh and what is a light meter used for again? Anyway,
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
MoviesNewsReviewsThrillerTrailers
First announced in 2017, director Adam Randall’s intense thriller I See You has just made its debut on Netflix, and people are loving it! In the 2019 film, “A policeman and his doctor wife have marriage problems, and the son blames the mother. For his job, the policeman investigates a case of a missing boy. The possible kidnapping looks like some cases from a few years ago. When two phroggers enter the house, things go off the rails. “Phrogging is the act of secretly living in someone’s home or property without their knowledge and/or consent. The person who does the phrogging is called a phrogger, typically one who has nowhere else to live.” I See You is filled with multiple twists and realizations that will shock you. This movie, written by Devon Graye, is clever, dark, and twisted, just the way we like our films. Without spoiling too much, there are two major twists, one involving the identity of one
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Did you dig on Skinemax and The Playboy Channel in the early ’80s? Well, if you answered “yes” then you will surely recognize a few of the flicks contained in Three Between the Sheets; the new collection from Severin showcasing softcore shenanigans from such material’s cable television Golden Age! First up in the collection comes 1984’s Ecstasy: Director Peter Binnes (Franc Luz) and his actress wife Val (Kingdom of the Spiders’ Tiffany Bolling, who also posed in the pages of Playboy, who produced this film) have just won the ultimate prize; the “Film Critics Award”, which is definitely given to a movie by people… perhaps “critics” even. Anyway, never one to sit idle, ol’ Pete decides to get a new picture rollin’ with a script courtesy of ex-thespian Belinda (Julie Newmar,best known for playing one of three Catwomen to face off with Adam West’s Batman on TV screens in the mid to late ‘60s)… but no one is willing to
Continue reading →
Amazon Prime VideoNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
After a nearly four-year wait, season two of Prime Video’s “Carnival Row,” created by Travis Beacham and Rene Echevarria, recently premiered. I was thrilled when I heard the news because season one was fantastic. “Carnival Row” features a Victorian fantasy world filled with mythological immigrant creatures whose rich homelands were invaded by the empires of man. This growing immigrant population struggles to coexist with humans in the grimiest section of the city, forbidden to live, love, or fly with freedom. But even in darkness, hope lives, as a human detective, Rycroft Philostrate, and a refugee faerie named Vignette Stonemoss rekindle a dangerous affair despite an increasingly-intolerant society. Vignette harbors a secret that endangers Philo’s standing during his most important case yet: a string of gruesome murders threatening the uneasy peace of the Row. As Philo investigates, he reveals an unimaginable monster. In the first season, we were introduced to both the human and the fae characters, with Orlando Bloom’s half-human
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsReviewsShort Films
Eyestring If eye trauma gives you the heebie jeebies, director Javier Devitt’s short horror film Eyestring is certain to press a few buttons. There’s no Un Chien Andalou-level of sudden shock; rather, Eyestring deals more with lingering, building psychological and body horror. Alena Chinault, who cowrote the screenplay with Devitt, stars as Veronica, a young woman who finds a hair growing out of one of her tear ducts one day. The mental health phone service she uses to discuss her obsessive compulsive disorder is of no help in her new situation, and matters escalate as attempts to cut the hair do anything but solve the problem. Could an alternative eye treatment clinic be of help? Devitt and Chinault have crafted a gripping, thought-provoking slice of fear-fare cinema that addresses mental health care while delivering a chilling story. Chinault’s fine performance and Devitt’s solid work at the helm lead toward a jaw-dropping final shot. The Mundanes Meet the Mundanes, a suburban
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
What’s the movie everyone is talking about? That would be actress-turned-director Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear, based on a true story (kind of). The movie finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood. The movie has a pretty impressive cast, including Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ray Liotta in his last role (rest in peace). This action-packed insane flick was written by Jimmy Warden (The Babysitter: Killer Queen), and let me tell you, it’s bloody awesome! The movie kicks off with a coked-up drug smuggler throwing kilo after kilo off a plane. Then we find out a black bear is getting high off the stash that now litters the forest, and all hell breaks loose. The bear takes a teen; somehow, she is unhurt,
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
For those that have previously missed out on one of the greatest fright flicks ever created: After a series of grizzly news accounts, and an opening narration courtesy of Night Court‘s John Larroquette, set the scene we are introduced to a group of groovy teens including Sally Hardesty ( Marilyn Burns) and her far less groovy, uber-annoying, wheel-chair bound brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain), who are on a road trip across Texas. Along the way the gang picks up a deranged hitchhiker, who’s hobbies include self-harm and photography, and after (eventually) kicking his ass the fuck out of their van they discover that they are low on gas. Unfortunately for them, the local station is plum out so off they go to explore a nearby abandoned house (which is a shitty idea in the best of times… let alone when there are creepy locals and a spate of grave-robbing going down)… a house that’s unfortunately home to a cannibal clan
Continue reading →
GamingProductReviews
In 2005, dare I say, the gaming world changed as one of the biggest franchises, Resident Evil, took their iconic game in a new direction after three massive hit games. Resident Evil 4 took the fixed camera view and made it over-the-shoulder allowing players to see the world differently and feel like they’re in the middle of the terror along with the characters. The game also set the bar for the rest of the franchise and sparked a massive cult following full of memes that only those who’ve experienced the game would know. Eighteen years later, Capcom revisited the beloved game… I want to thank Capcom for the privilege of getting an early look at Resident Evil 4! When it comes to the controls for Resident Evil 4, veteran Resident Evil players will have no problem picking up the controller and jumping right into the action thanks to a great and simple tutorial system. When it comes to the game’s
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
Body horror and creature feature combine in writer/director Anna Zlokovic’s feature Appendage. Fueled by solid direction, fine performances, and fun special effects work, the film comes highly recommended for horror fans. Hannah (Hadley Robinson) is a fashion designer hoping to make it into the upcoming seasonal collection of her ill-mannered boss. She receives a great deal of support from her friend and colleague Esther (Kausar Mohammed) and her boyfriend Kaelin (Brandon Mychal Smith), but none from her own parents, who hold an incident from her high school years against her. As Hannah’s insecurities mount, she develops a growth in her side, springing from a birthmark — a growth with a face, that enjoys needling her about the things that already trouble her. As the appendage grows, Hannah seeks support from a group of others sharing her affliction, including Claudia (Emily Hamphsire), who has seemingly tamed her own appendage into a more submissive role. Appendage features some humorous moments but more
Continue reading →
GamingIndieParanormalProductReviews
The name Rachel Carson probably means nothing to you, what about Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane? Well in Whitethorn Games’ The Forest Cathedral players will learn them. The Forest Cathedral is a fictitious telling of real-life marine biologist Rachel Carson and her research into the harmful effects of the bug pesticide DDT was having on the environment. I would like to thank Whitethorn Games for the reviewing opportunity! Onto the game itself! When it comes to the controls, The Forest Cathedral‘s controls are limited so there are not a lot of buttons to worry about, most of the game’s action seems to come from the “Little Man” mechanic (a platforming computer game within the game that acts as a terminal to operate machines). The visuals for the game are stunning and beautiful for the most part, you have to keep an eye out for some unnerving things happening in the background. When it comes to the sound, the voice acting is good, but the
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Have you ever watched a film… let’s say Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 avian-terror based suspense masterpiece The Birds for instance…and say to yourself “Shit, I could have made that.”? Here’s a cautionary tale on why that may be fucking dumb as shit. Severin’s (via their Intervision label) new box-set; Wings Of Disaster: The Birdemic Trilogy deals with the output of writer/director James Nguyen who definitely thought “Shit, I could have made that.” or some variation thereof… and he did, three times over… but of course his level of success varies slightly than Hitchcock… Kicking off the set is 2010’s Birdemic: Shock and Terror which is indeed about killer birds, but equally it’s about driving around town as a sweeping score you may find in a heartfelt ’80s drama serenades your eerie earholes. It’s also about how not to mic your film as the sound quality is all over the map… oh and what is a light meter used for again? Anyway,
Continue reading →
