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Independent horror: micro-budget features, short films and first-time filmmakers doing more with less — and often doing it better.

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Unwrap The Holiday Horror 'The Leech' This December (Trailer)

Unwrap The Holiday Horror ‘The Leech’ This December (Trailer)

This December, Arrow Films is gifting viewers with Eric Pennycoff’s indie Christmas horror-comedy The Leech. In the film, Father David (Graham Skipper, Dementia: Part II, Sequence Break), a catholic priest struggling to grow his congregation, encounters a stranger by the name of Terry (Jeremy Gardner, Bliss, Offseason) asleep one morning after Mass. Terry is without a home after a fight with his girlfriend Lexi (Taylor Gardner, Sadistic Intentions), and with Christmas, less than a week away; David offers him a place to stay for the night. What begins as a simple act of kindness quickly turns complicated as Lexi arrives shortly after with news of being evicted from her house. David allows both her and Terry to stay with him through the holidays on the condition that they open themselves to the healing power of God’s love. The harder David tries to reform the lives of these seemingly innocent strangers, the more he falls victim to their toxic ways, leading

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 24, 2022
Vamps Bare Their Fangs In New Trailer For Holiday Horror 'The Last Slay Ride'

Vamps Bare Their Fangs In New Trailer For Holiday Horror ‘The Last Slay Ride’

Christmas will soon be here which means it’s time for holiday horror films to arrive, including the horror-comedy The Last Slay Ride starring Elissa Dowling (Girl on The Third Floor) and Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist). In the film, “When a group of indie filmmakers are ripped off by a crooked distributor, they set out on a mission of revenge, but quickly find themselves facing off against literal bloodsuckers in what becomes the ultimate battle of good vs evil featuring filmmakers, vampires, loan sharks and more!” The Last Slay Ride, written and directed by Jason Hawkins, comes out on Bay-ray on December 13, 2022, from VIPCO & Bayview Entertainment. You can pre-order your copy now.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 23, 2022
Game Review: 'Saint Kotar'

Game Review: ‘Saint Kotar’

When it comes to faith people either have it, don’t, or are unsure. In Saint Kotar, the faith of our heroes is tested as modern faith and old traditions collide. I want to thank SOEDESCO and Red Martyer Entertainment for the reviewing opportunity! Saint Kotar takes players to a remote town in Croatia where the people practice modern and pagan beliefs while under the watchful eyes of the town’s leaders who rule with fear. The village is also plagued by kidnappings and murders carried out by the “Moon Ghouls”, a group of cannibal cultists. Players take on the roles of Benedek, a monk, and staunch Catholic, and Nikolay, a Deacon and Benedek’s brother-in-law. The two find themselves waking up in a living nightmare as Benedek’s estranged sister (and Nikolay’s wife) has gone missing and is somehow involved in events that just took place in the town. Now onto the game itself. Saint Kotar is a point-and-click game, which becomes obvious

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Nov 22, 2022
Horror Western 'Night Of The Tommyknockers' Is Now Free To Watch

Deadly Creatures In The Old West: ‘Night Of The Tommyknockers’ Unleashes Trailer

From director Michael Su comes the horror film The Night of the Tommyknockers, written by Rolfe Kanefsky, Michael Mahal, Sonny Mahal, and Adrian Milnes. Set in the 1870s, the film centers on a group of miners blasting for gold when they accidentally release ancient creatures known as “Tommyknockers.” The Town of Deer Creek, Nevada is soon under siege with only a handful of survivors held up in the local saloon. The film stars Richard Grieco, Tom Sizemore, Robert LaSardo, Jessica Morris, Angela Cole, and many more! The action-packed horror is from Mahal Empire Productions, Mezek Films, FilmCore, and Alien Donut Films. Night of the Tommyknockers is out on VOD, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 25, 2022, from Gravitas Ventures. Check out the trailer below.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 22, 2022
It’s All Systems Go for Another Hole in the Head Film Festival’s 19th Edition 

It’s All Systems Go for Another Hole in the Head Film Festival’s 19th Edition 

If you are a cinephile interested in the weird, the wild, the woolly, and the wonderful, San Francisco’s Another Hole in the Head Film has you covered. This year’s version, the 19th edition, takes place from December 1st–December 18th, 2022 with screenings and performances set to take place at the historic Roxie Cinema, 4 Star Theatre, and Stage Werx in San Francisco, California. It will also take place On Demand on Eventive and live on Zoom for those who can not attend the live screenings. Horror Fuel can already vouch for several of this year’s Another Hole in the Head Film features, with spoiler-free reviews of Satanic Hispanics, Swallowed, Extraneous Matter Complete Edition, HeBGB TV, and A Life on the Farm. Following is the official festival announcement. The 19th Another Hole in the Head Film Festival is an 18-day cinematic excursion through the realms of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and assorted other genre fare. Under the auspices of SF IndieFest,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Nov 18, 2022
'Hellbilly Hollow' Makes Its World Premiere At The New York Horror Film Festival

‘Hellbilly Hollow’ Makes Its World Premiere At The New York Horror Film Festival

After wowing fans with clips and guest speakers at Burbank’s Son of Monsterpalooza convention in October, the horror film Hellbilly Hollow will now make its World Premiere on Sunday, December 4th at the New York City Horror Film Festival, attended by director/actor Kevin Wayne and producer/actor Kurt Deimer (2018’s Halloween). In Hellbilly Hollow, Deimer and Wayne play horribly scarred—and seriously twisted —brothers Bull and Tickles. The demented siblings run the titular haunted attraction, weaving in real murders and mayhem into their staged shenanigans. A team of YouTube paranormal activity seekers visits Bull’s backwoods attraction in search of a supernatural scoop, only to find more terror than they bargained for!” It was produced by Andy Gould, who previously produced Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, 31, Lords of Salem, and Zombie’s two Halloween films, among others. Hellbilly Hollow co-stars McKalin Hand (Black Lightning), Megan Weaver, and Hallie Shepherd (The Werewolf Diaries). The film’s gruesome makeups FX were created by Jonathan Thornton (Oculus,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 18, 2022
From The Director OF 'Annabelle' Comes A New Tale Of Terror, 'Lullaby'

From The Director OF ‘Annabelle’ Comes A New Tale Of Terror, ‘Lullaby’

From the director of Annabelle, John R. Leonetti comes a new tale of terror this December, Lullaby. “The film follows a new mother who discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and soon regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby brings forth the ancient demon Lilith.” Written by Alex Greenfield and Ben Powell, Lullaby stars Oona Chaplin (Avatar, “Game of Thrones”), Rámon Rodríguez (The Affair), Liane Balaban (You Can Live Forever), Kira Guloien (Women Talking), and Moni Ogunsuyi (“The Umbrella Academy”). Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Lee Nelson, and David Tish&nbsp produce with Carl Rogers, Scott Parish, Markus Goerg, Mikhail Nayfeld, Dick Hillenbrand, Jeff Bowler, John Lewis, Bret Saxon, and Mark Holder executive producing. Vertical will unleash Lullaby in theaters and on On Demand on December 16, 2022.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 17, 2022
Watch The Exclusive New Clip From Found Footage Horror 'The Death Of April"

Watch The Exclusive New Clip From Found Footage Horror ‘The Death Of April”

Ruben Rodriguez’s new found footage horror film The Death of April, based on a true story, is set for a December Digital release. Ahead of its premiere, we have a creepy exclusive clip that asks “What is She Looking At?” The film follows Amy Rutledge as Meagan Mullen, who has freshly moved into her East coast home, keeping in touch with her friends and family through a video blog. As her entries (and her life) become more complex and emotional, strange things begin to happen in her apartment and the camera captures all of it. Witness The Death of April on Digital on December 9, 2022, from Terror Films.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 16, 2022
Watch The New Trailer For '#FLOAT' - From The Producer Of Black Christmas

Watch The New Trailer For ‘#FLOAT’ – From The Producer Of Black Christmas

XYZ Films has just announced the premiere date and unveiled the trailer for the new supernatural slasher film #FLOAT, from the producer of Black Christmas. Writer-director Zac Locke, a producer whose long list of credits includes the 2018 sorority-killings shocker Black Christmas, the comedy-fantasy Country Gold, Vengeance, and The Voyeurs starring Sydney Sweeney, is making his directorial debut. In #FLOAT, the “Young, beautiful, and full-of-life, vlogger Kali and her friends are heading to the river for their annual float, but it’s the first time since their friend overdosed and drowned last year. Their partying turns deadly as a sinister paranormal force plunges them into a life-and-death struggle forcing them to face their own fears as they turn on each other – and proceed to die one by one.” #FLOAT skillfully plays on classic tropes of ’80s slasher films – beautiful young, selfish people blithely ignore warnings about the dangers awaiting them and then get gruesomely killed off – while employing

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 15, 2022
Sisters Search For Answers In The Post-Apocalyptic Thriller 'Shadows' (Trailer)

Sisters Search For Answers In The Post-Apocalyptic Thriller ‘Shadows’ (Trailer)

Red Water Entertainment has just announced the North American VOD debut of Carlo Lavagna‘s Shadows, the Irish-Italian psychological thriller that marks the second feature from director Carlo Lavagna. The film, written by Fabio Mollo, Damiano Bruè, Vanessa Pucciarelli, and Tiziana Triana, stars Mia Threapleton, Lola Petticrew, and Saskia Reeves. The film centers on Alma and Alex, two teenage sisters, who are survivors of a catastrophic event. They live deep in the woods with their Mother, a strict, overprotective woman who has sheltered them from ominous presences, the Shadows, which live in the daylight and infest the world beyond the river. When they follow Mother out for hunting, Alma and Alex start a series of events that will lead them to discover the truth about the Shadows and their own reality. Threapleton made her screen debut alongside her mother Kate Winslet in A Little Chaos and will next appear in Starz’s adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons. Shadows debuts on VOD on November

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 15, 2022

More from Indie

Unwrap The Holiday Horror 'The Leech' This December (Trailer)

Unwrap The Holiday Horror ‘The Leech’ This December (Trailer)

This December, Arrow Films is gifting viewers with Eric Pennycoff’s indie Christmas horror-comedy The Leech. In the film, Father David (Graham Skipper, Dementia: Part II, Sequence Break), a catholic priest struggling to grow his congregation, encounters a stranger by the name of Terry (Jeremy Gardner, Bliss, Offseason) asleep one morning after Mass. Terry is without a home after a fight with his girlfriend Lexi (Taylor Gardner, Sadistic Intentions), and with Christmas, less than a week away; David offers him a place to stay for the night. What begins as a simple act of kindness quickly turns complicated as Lexi arrives shortly after with news of being evicted from her house. David allows both her and Terry to stay with him through the holidays on the condition that they open themselves to the healing power of God’s love. The harder David tries to reform the lives of these seemingly innocent strangers, the more he falls victim to their toxic ways, leading

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 24, 2022
Vamps Bare Their Fangs In New Trailer For Holiday Horror 'The Last Slay Ride'

Vamps Bare Their Fangs In New Trailer For Holiday Horror ‘The Last Slay Ride’

Christmas will soon be here which means it’s time for holiday horror films to arrive, including the horror-comedy The Last Slay Ride starring Elissa Dowling (Girl on The Third Floor) and Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist). In the film, “When a group of indie filmmakers are ripped off by a crooked distributor, they set out on a mission of revenge, but quickly find themselves facing off against literal bloodsuckers in what becomes the ultimate battle of good vs evil featuring filmmakers, vampires, loan sharks and more!” The Last Slay Ride, written and directed by Jason Hawkins, comes out on Bay-ray on December 13, 2022, from VIPCO & Bayview Entertainment. You can pre-order your copy now.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 23, 2022
Game Review: 'Saint Kotar'

Game Review: ‘Saint Kotar’

When it comes to faith people either have it, don’t, or are unsure. In Saint Kotar, the faith of our heroes is tested as modern faith and old traditions collide. I want to thank SOEDESCO and Red Martyer Entertainment for the reviewing opportunity! Saint Kotar takes players to a remote town in Croatia where the people practice modern and pagan beliefs while under the watchful eyes of the town’s leaders who rule with fear. The village is also plagued by kidnappings and murders carried out by the “Moon Ghouls”, a group of cannibal cultists. Players take on the roles of Benedek, a monk, and staunch Catholic, and Nikolay, a Deacon and Benedek’s brother-in-law. The two find themselves waking up in a living nightmare as Benedek’s estranged sister (and Nikolay’s wife) has gone missing and is somehow involved in events that just took place in the town. Now onto the game itself. Saint Kotar is a point-and-click game, which becomes obvious

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Nov 22, 2022
Horror Western 'Night Of The Tommyknockers' Is Now Free To Watch

Deadly Creatures In The Old West: ‘Night Of The Tommyknockers’ Unleashes Trailer

From director Michael Su comes the horror film The Night of the Tommyknockers, written by Rolfe Kanefsky, Michael Mahal, Sonny Mahal, and Adrian Milnes. Set in the 1870s, the film centers on a group of miners blasting for gold when they accidentally release ancient creatures known as “Tommyknockers.” The Town of Deer Creek, Nevada is soon under siege with only a handful of survivors held up in the local saloon. The film stars Richard Grieco, Tom Sizemore, Robert LaSardo, Jessica Morris, Angela Cole, and many more! The action-packed horror is from Mahal Empire Productions, Mezek Films, FilmCore, and Alien Donut Films. Night of the Tommyknockers is out on VOD, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 25, 2022, from Gravitas Ventures. Check out the trailer below.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 22, 2022
It’s All Systems Go for Another Hole in the Head Film Festival’s 19th Edition 

It’s All Systems Go for Another Hole in the Head Film Festival’s 19th Edition 

If you are a cinephile interested in the weird, the wild, the woolly, and the wonderful, San Francisco’s Another Hole in the Head Film has you covered. This year’s version, the 19th edition, takes place from December 1st–December 18th, 2022 with screenings and performances set to take place at the historic Roxie Cinema, 4 Star Theatre, and Stage Werx in San Francisco, California. It will also take place On Demand on Eventive and live on Zoom for those who can not attend the live screenings. Horror Fuel can already vouch for several of this year’s Another Hole in the Head Film features, with spoiler-free reviews of Satanic Hispanics, Swallowed, Extraneous Matter Complete Edition, HeBGB TV, and A Life on the Farm. Following is the official festival announcement. The 19th Another Hole in the Head Film Festival is an 18-day cinematic excursion through the realms of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and assorted other genre fare. Under the auspices of SF IndieFest,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Nov 18, 2022
'Hellbilly Hollow' Makes Its World Premiere At The New York Horror Film Festival

‘Hellbilly Hollow’ Makes Its World Premiere At The New York Horror Film Festival

After wowing fans with clips and guest speakers at Burbank’s Son of Monsterpalooza convention in October, the horror film Hellbilly Hollow will now make its World Premiere on Sunday, December 4th at the New York City Horror Film Festival, attended by director/actor Kevin Wayne and producer/actor Kurt Deimer (2018’s Halloween). In Hellbilly Hollow, Deimer and Wayne play horribly scarred—and seriously twisted —brothers Bull and Tickles. The demented siblings run the titular haunted attraction, weaving in real murders and mayhem into their staged shenanigans. A team of YouTube paranormal activity seekers visits Bull’s backwoods attraction in search of a supernatural scoop, only to find more terror than they bargained for!” It was produced by Andy Gould, who previously produced Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects, 31, Lords of Salem, and Zombie’s two Halloween films, among others. Hellbilly Hollow co-stars McKalin Hand (Black Lightning), Megan Weaver, and Hallie Shepherd (The Werewolf Diaries). The film’s gruesome makeups FX were created by Jonathan Thornton (Oculus,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 18, 2022
From The Director OF 'Annabelle' Comes A New Tale Of Terror, 'Lullaby'

From The Director OF ‘Annabelle’ Comes A New Tale Of Terror, ‘Lullaby’

From the director of Annabelle, John R. Leonetti comes a new tale of terror this December, Lullaby. “The film follows a new mother who discovers a lullaby in an ancient book and soon regards the song as a blessing. But her world transforms into a nightmare when the lullaby brings forth the ancient demon Lilith.” Written by Alex Greenfield and Ben Powell, Lullaby stars Oona Chaplin (Avatar, “Game of Thrones”), Rámon Rodríguez (The Affair), Liane Balaban (You Can Live Forever), Kira Guloien (Women Talking), and Moni Ogunsuyi (“The Umbrella Academy”). Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Lee Nelson, and David Tish&nbsp produce with Carl Rogers, Scott Parish, Markus Goerg, Mikhail Nayfeld, Dick Hillenbrand, Jeff Bowler, John Lewis, Bret Saxon, and Mark Holder executive producing. Vertical will unleash Lullaby in theaters and on On Demand on December 16, 2022.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 17, 2022
Watch The Exclusive New Clip From Found Footage Horror 'The Death Of April"

Watch The Exclusive New Clip From Found Footage Horror ‘The Death Of April”

Ruben Rodriguez’s new found footage horror film The Death of April, based on a true story, is set for a December Digital release. Ahead of its premiere, we have a creepy exclusive clip that asks “What is She Looking At?” The film follows Amy Rutledge as Meagan Mullen, who has freshly moved into her East coast home, keeping in touch with her friends and family through a video blog. As her entries (and her life) become more complex and emotional, strange things begin to happen in her apartment and the camera captures all of it. Witness The Death of April on Digital on December 9, 2022, from Terror Films.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 16, 2022
Watch The New Trailer For '#FLOAT' - From The Producer Of Black Christmas

Watch The New Trailer For ‘#FLOAT’ – From The Producer Of Black Christmas

XYZ Films has just announced the premiere date and unveiled the trailer for the new supernatural slasher film #FLOAT, from the producer of Black Christmas. Writer-director Zac Locke, a producer whose long list of credits includes the 2018 sorority-killings shocker Black Christmas, the comedy-fantasy Country Gold, Vengeance, and The Voyeurs starring Sydney Sweeney, is making his directorial debut. In #FLOAT, the “Young, beautiful, and full-of-life, vlogger Kali and her friends are heading to the river for their annual float, but it’s the first time since their friend overdosed and drowned last year. Their partying turns deadly as a sinister paranormal force plunges them into a life-and-death struggle forcing them to face their own fears as they turn on each other – and proceed to die one by one.” #FLOAT skillfully plays on classic tropes of ’80s slasher films – beautiful young, selfish people blithely ignore warnings about the dangers awaiting them and then get gruesomely killed off – while employing

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 15, 2022
Sisters Search For Answers In The Post-Apocalyptic Thriller 'Shadows' (Trailer)

Sisters Search For Answers In The Post-Apocalyptic Thriller ‘Shadows’ (Trailer)

Red Water Entertainment has just announced the North American VOD debut of Carlo Lavagna‘s Shadows, the Irish-Italian psychological thriller that marks the second feature from director Carlo Lavagna. The film, written by Fabio Mollo, Damiano Bruè, Vanessa Pucciarelli, and Tiziana Triana, stars Mia Threapleton, Lola Petticrew, and Saskia Reeves. The film centers on Alma and Alex, two teenage sisters, who are survivors of a catastrophic event. They live deep in the woods with their Mother, a strict, overprotective woman who has sheltered them from ominous presences, the Shadows, which live in the daylight and infest the world beyond the river. When they follow Mother out for hunting, Alma and Alex start a series of events that will lead them to discover the truth about the Shadows and their own reality. Threapleton made her screen debut alongside her mother Kate Winslet in A Little Chaos and will next appear in Starz’s adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons. Shadows debuts on VOD on November

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 15, 2022
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