CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,465 stories
GamingParanormalProductReviews
Inti Creates has been in the game of making games since 1996 making 2D games for old, current, and new gamers that give the look and feel of old-school action Metroidvania games. Inti Creates was awesome enough to give me the opportunity to give their latest entry in their game library a try, this is Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. Grim Guardians: Demon Purge follows sister demon hunters Shinobu and Maya Kamizono as they’re going to school only to find that their high school has been turned into a demonic castle, the sisters then go into demon-hunting mode and enter the school to save their fellow students as well as unraveling the mystery as to why the demon Kurona has attacked their school. Now onto the game itself! Grim Guardians: Demon Purge‘s controls will have to take some getting used to, especially if you’re not familiar with these kinds of 2d action games (which I’ll admit I’m VERY rusty at playing).
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Reviews
In Waking Karma, Sunny (Kim Alexander) has been hiding her teenaged daughter Karma (Hannah Christine Shetler) from Karma’s father, cult leader and murderer Paul (Michael Madsen). That Paul is her father is no secret, which has led to a life of being talked about and shunned by her classmates. Thought to be on the run and hiding in Mexico, Paul finds Sunny and Karma — who have gone into hiding themselves after receiving a note from him — and he means to have a relationship with his daughter . . . and not a healthy one. Codirectors Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Werner — the latter also wrote the screenplay — have crafted an indie film that boasts an earnest performance from Shetler as a confused teen but that offers little in the way of originality. Also, Madsen basically walks through his performance of a cult leader portrayed as something of a cross between Charles Manson and The Night of
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GamingIndieProductReviewsSci-Fi
SOLEIL, the makers of Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker and Ninjala, along with publisher 110 Industries, has produced a game that promises to be Ninja Gaiden meets Cyberpunk, two games with two very different experiences. This is Wanted: Dead was hyped up to combine swordplay with the John Wick style of “Gun-Fu.” SOLEIL and 110 were awesome enough to let me try Wanted: Dead; I wish to thank them first before I disappoint them with my thoughts on this game… Wanted: Dead takes place in an alternate timeline where we follow the Zombie Unit, a branch of the Hong Kong Police made up of a rag-tag group of war criminals who were given their freedom in exchange for their services. Players take on the role of Hannah Stone, a half-augmented (former) war criminal who is a master swordswoman struggling with her new law-enforcing role who must play by the rules while trying to uncover a corporate conspiracy. Now, onto the
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IndieMoviesReviews
Things are mega-shitty for two teenage brothers (Brady and Carter O’Donnell) in rural Pennsylvania. How so you may (or may not) ask? Well, their beloved mother has flown the coop, and Daddy Dearest is an abusive dick second to none. It’s that last point that inspires our heroes to beat feet out of the cabin the family calls home, and begin a trek into the wicked woods that surround their abode. As they trek through the verdant forests in search of their mother they begin to realize there is something sinister among the trees and streams… namely a pagan cult that may be worse than the home-based horrors they faced previous! Writer/directors Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis do a lot right with The Long Dark Trail. For starters, the story is a deft blend of Stand By Me-style dark childhood journey mixed with folk horror cult goodness that works incredibly well from a narrative stand point. This story is helped
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AdaptationIndieMoviesReviews
Bubba Ho-Tep is a straight up classic in our beloved horror biz, and I simply refuse to believe that any of you fine fiends haven’t seen this flick; but before I get down to brass tacks and tell you if this latest release of the film is worth your hard earned dough, I’ll do the standard sub-standard sinister synopsis for ya… Elvis (Campbell) is alive and (un)well and residing in a nursing home (his “death” involved him changing places with an impersonator with a bad heart decades ago). While dealing with a life rapidly in decline and a defective pecker; ol’ E. also has to cope with soul eating, ancient Egyptian mummy that is stalking the halls of the facility he calls home. In order to end the menace, he teams up with a man that claims he is JFK (Davis), and together they embark on an epic, if arthritic, battle with evil incarnate in cowboy boots. Funny, surreal, and
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Supernatural hospital horror meets psychological thriller in writer/director Michael Winnick’s (Malicious; Shadow Puppets) new feature Disquiet. The result is an interesting but uneven effort that ultimately warrants a watch. Winnick kicks things off with a nice amount of suspense and mystery as a man named Sam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) wakes up disoriented in a hospital room and is attacked by an elderly patient who shares the room. Surviving the attack and trying to find help, Sam finds the hospital mostly deserted. Meanwhile, a young woman named Monica (Elyse Levesque) is about to undergo breast enhancement surgery when the faces of the hospital staff turn monstrous. The two meet and try to navigate a way out of the hospital, meeting physician Lily (Rachelle Goulding) and wheelchair-bound Virgil (Garry Chalk), among others, along the way as seemingly dark forces block potential exits. Winnick infuses Disquiet with a good deal of intrigue as characters meet and try to determine who they can trust,
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MoviesReviews
The lines of good and evil are blurred in U.K./U.S coproduction Consecration, the latest from director Christopher Smith (Triangle, Severance). It’s a religious-horror film that unfortunately doesn’t offer much new, but has enough redeeming qualities to recommend it, especially to aficionados of the subgenre. Agnostic eye doctor Grace (Jena Malone) travels to a convent in Scotland when she learns that her brother, a priest, died on the grounds there in a suspected murder/suicide event that also claimed the life of another priest. Convinced that her brother’s death was not at his own hand, she stays to investigate and uncovers dark secrets about both the convent and her own life. Malone, who was great in last year’s queer horror Swallowed, gives something of a distant performance here, which is probably partly down to working with what she has been given by cowriters Smith and Laurie Cook. She has good chemistry with Janet Suzman as the convent’s Mother Superior-with-a-secret, and their scenes
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ConventionsEventsGamingHalloweenMusicNewsProductReviews
The Buried is an apparel shop that caters to those who attend festivals and live music events with clothing that can be described as wearable art. But if you’re a bit more of a homebody like me OR someone who attends different kinds of events, would these products still be worth a look? The short answer is yes, but keep reading on to learn how you can save 10% off from The Buried’s store! I want to give a big thank you to the awesome folks over at The Buried for sending over The Future Shawl that made this review possible, as well as for the discount code for you the reader! One of the featured products in The Buried’s store is the Future Shawls. These unisex one-size-fits-all shawls add a bit of fun to your experience at music festivals and shows, The Buried now offers new fleece versions of some of their shawls to help you get cozy, the
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Sorcery Blending elements of dark folklore and revenge horror, Chilean-set Sorcery (Brujeria; Mexico/Germany/Chile, 2023) finds 13-year-old indigenous girl Rosa Rain (Valentina Véliz Caileo) seeking justice after her father is savagely killed when the head of the German colonist family for which she has been working has his dogs attack him. Bonding with elderly Mateo Parancán (Daniel Antivilo), who is accused of being the leader of a group of local sorcerers, Rosa seeks to learn the mystical secrets of the members. When the two young sons of the German family go missing — having possibly been either killed or turned into dogs — Rosa, Mateo, and the group members find themselves accused of murder. Director Christopher Murray, who cowrote the screenplay with Pablo Paredes, bases the film on actual historical events from the late 19th century. He addresses political and cultural elements in this atmospheric chiller, which is a slow burner that offers plenty of mystery and symbolism — such as
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MoviesNewsReviews
Gerard Johnstone’s latest film, M3GAN, has already made a name for itself with horror fans. After hearing all the buzz, I had to see it for myself. In the movie, which has earned itself the title of “Certified Fresh,” “Gemma, a brilliant roboticist at a toy company, uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to be a kid’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. After unexpectedly gaining custody of her orphaned niece, Gemma enlists the help of the M3GAN prototype — a decision that has unimaginable consequences.” Of course, it doesn’t take long in the movie for M3GAN to begin killing, but let’s be honest; we all saw that coming. In all honesty, while the film is very entertaining, sadly, it is also very predictable. Young actress Violet McGraw performs far beyond her years. She is an excellent combination with Get Out actress Allison Williams, who plays a robotics genius Gemma who completely lacks the motherly
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
GamingParanormalProductReviews
Inti Creates has been in the game of making games since 1996 making 2D games for old, current, and new gamers that give the look and feel of old-school action Metroidvania games. Inti Creates was awesome enough to give me the opportunity to give their latest entry in their game library a try, this is Grim Guardians: Demon Purge. Grim Guardians: Demon Purge follows sister demon hunters Shinobu and Maya Kamizono as they’re going to school only to find that their high school has been turned into a demonic castle, the sisters then go into demon-hunting mode and enter the school to save their fellow students as well as unraveling the mystery as to why the demon Kurona has attacked their school. Now onto the game itself! Grim Guardians: Demon Purge‘s controls will have to take some getting used to, especially if you’re not familiar with these kinds of 2d action games (which I’ll admit I’m VERY rusty at playing).
Continue reading →
Reviews
In Waking Karma, Sunny (Kim Alexander) has been hiding her teenaged daughter Karma (Hannah Christine Shetler) from Karma’s father, cult leader and murderer Paul (Michael Madsen). That Paul is her father is no secret, which has led to a life of being talked about and shunned by her classmates. Thought to be on the run and hiding in Mexico, Paul finds Sunny and Karma — who have gone into hiding themselves after receiving a note from him — and he means to have a relationship with his daughter . . . and not a healthy one. Codirectors Carlos Montaner and Liz Fania Werner — the latter also wrote the screenplay — have crafted an indie film that boasts an earnest performance from Shetler as a confused teen but that offers little in the way of originality. Also, Madsen basically walks through his performance of a cult leader portrayed as something of a cross between Charles Manson and The Night of
Continue reading →
GamingIndieProductReviewsSci-Fi
SOLEIL, the makers of Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker and Ninjala, along with publisher 110 Industries, has produced a game that promises to be Ninja Gaiden meets Cyberpunk, two games with two very different experiences. This is Wanted: Dead was hyped up to combine swordplay with the John Wick style of “Gun-Fu.” SOLEIL and 110 were awesome enough to let me try Wanted: Dead; I wish to thank them first before I disappoint them with my thoughts on this game… Wanted: Dead takes place in an alternate timeline where we follow the Zombie Unit, a branch of the Hong Kong Police made up of a rag-tag group of war criminals who were given their freedom in exchange for their services. Players take on the role of Hannah Stone, a half-augmented (former) war criminal who is a master swordswoman struggling with her new law-enforcing role who must play by the rules while trying to uncover a corporate conspiracy. Now, onto the
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Things are mega-shitty for two teenage brothers (Brady and Carter O’Donnell) in rural Pennsylvania. How so you may (or may not) ask? Well, their beloved mother has flown the coop, and Daddy Dearest is an abusive dick second to none. It’s that last point that inspires our heroes to beat feet out of the cabin the family calls home, and begin a trek into the wicked woods that surround their abode. As they trek through the verdant forests in search of their mother they begin to realize there is something sinister among the trees and streams… namely a pagan cult that may be worse than the home-based horrors they faced previous! Writer/directors Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis do a lot right with The Long Dark Trail. For starters, the story is a deft blend of Stand By Me-style dark childhood journey mixed with folk horror cult goodness that works incredibly well from a narrative stand point. This story is helped
Continue reading →
AdaptationIndieMoviesReviews
Bubba Ho-Tep is a straight up classic in our beloved horror biz, and I simply refuse to believe that any of you fine fiends haven’t seen this flick; but before I get down to brass tacks and tell you if this latest release of the film is worth your hard earned dough, I’ll do the standard sub-standard sinister synopsis for ya… Elvis (Campbell) is alive and (un)well and residing in a nursing home (his “death” involved him changing places with an impersonator with a bad heart decades ago). While dealing with a life rapidly in decline and a defective pecker; ol’ E. also has to cope with soul eating, ancient Egyptian mummy that is stalking the halls of the facility he calls home. In order to end the menace, he teams up with a man that claims he is JFK (Davis), and together they embark on an epic, if arthritic, battle with evil incarnate in cowboy boots. Funny, surreal, and
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Supernatural hospital horror meets psychological thriller in writer/director Michael Winnick’s (Malicious; Shadow Puppets) new feature Disquiet. The result is an interesting but uneven effort that ultimately warrants a watch. Winnick kicks things off with a nice amount of suspense and mystery as a man named Sam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) wakes up disoriented in a hospital room and is attacked by an elderly patient who shares the room. Surviving the attack and trying to find help, Sam finds the hospital mostly deserted. Meanwhile, a young woman named Monica (Elyse Levesque) is about to undergo breast enhancement surgery when the faces of the hospital staff turn monstrous. The two meet and try to navigate a way out of the hospital, meeting physician Lily (Rachelle Goulding) and wheelchair-bound Virgil (Garry Chalk), among others, along the way as seemingly dark forces block potential exits. Winnick infuses Disquiet with a good deal of intrigue as characters meet and try to determine who they can trust,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
The lines of good and evil are blurred in U.K./U.S coproduction Consecration, the latest from director Christopher Smith (Triangle, Severance). It’s a religious-horror film that unfortunately doesn’t offer much new, but has enough redeeming qualities to recommend it, especially to aficionados of the subgenre. Agnostic eye doctor Grace (Jena Malone) travels to a convent in Scotland when she learns that her brother, a priest, died on the grounds there in a suspected murder/suicide event that also claimed the life of another priest. Convinced that her brother’s death was not at his own hand, she stays to investigate and uncovers dark secrets about both the convent and her own life. Malone, who was great in last year’s queer horror Swallowed, gives something of a distant performance here, which is probably partly down to working with what she has been given by cowriters Smith and Laurie Cook. She has good chemistry with Janet Suzman as the convent’s Mother Superior-with-a-secret, and their scenes
Continue reading →
ConventionsEventsGamingHalloweenMusicNewsProductReviews
The Buried is an apparel shop that caters to those who attend festivals and live music events with clothing that can be described as wearable art. But if you’re a bit more of a homebody like me OR someone who attends different kinds of events, would these products still be worth a look? The short answer is yes, but keep reading on to learn how you can save 10% off from The Buried’s store! I want to give a big thank you to the awesome folks over at The Buried for sending over The Future Shawl that made this review possible, as well as for the discount code for you the reader! One of the featured products in The Buried’s store is the Future Shawls. These unisex one-size-fits-all shawls add a bit of fun to your experience at music festivals and shows, The Buried now offers new fleece versions of some of their shawls to help you get cozy, the
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Sorcery Blending elements of dark folklore and revenge horror, Chilean-set Sorcery (Brujeria; Mexico/Germany/Chile, 2023) finds 13-year-old indigenous girl Rosa Rain (Valentina Véliz Caileo) seeking justice after her father is savagely killed when the head of the German colonist family for which she has been working has his dogs attack him. Bonding with elderly Mateo Parancán (Daniel Antivilo), who is accused of being the leader of a group of local sorcerers, Rosa seeks to learn the mystical secrets of the members. When the two young sons of the German family go missing — having possibly been either killed or turned into dogs — Rosa, Mateo, and the group members find themselves accused of murder. Director Christopher Murray, who cowrote the screenplay with Pablo Paredes, bases the film on actual historical events from the late 19th century. He addresses political and cultural elements in this atmospheric chiller, which is a slow burner that offers plenty of mystery and symbolism — such as
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviews
Gerard Johnstone’s latest film, M3GAN, has already made a name for itself with horror fans. After hearing all the buzz, I had to see it for myself. In the movie, which has earned itself the title of “Certified Fresh,” “Gemma, a brilliant roboticist at a toy company, uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to be a kid’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. After unexpectedly gaining custody of her orphaned niece, Gemma enlists the help of the M3GAN prototype — a decision that has unimaginable consequences.” Of course, it doesn’t take long in the movie for M3GAN to begin killing, but let’s be honest; we all saw that coming. In all honesty, while the film is very entertaining, sadly, it is also very predictable. Young actress Violet McGraw performs far beyond her years. She is an excellent combination with Get Out actress Allison Williams, who plays a robotics genius Gemma who completely lacks the motherly
Continue reading →
