CategoryDocumentaries
True-crime and horror documentaries — real cases, real crimes, and the films that retell them.
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DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsShort FilmsThriller
New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival is renowned for showcasing incredible films from around the world, created by established filmmakers and new voices alike. Horror and related genre fare are always in strong supply at the fest, as evidenced by its presentation of two of my absolute favorite films of last year, The Seeding and You’ll Never Find Me, along with many other great features and short films. This year’s edition, which runs June 5–16, promises more incredible cinema of the fearful and the fantastic. I was privileged to get an early look at the following chillers and thrillers before the fest, and though I can’t publish reviews until after the films make their Tribeca premieres — watch for my thoughts here on Horror Fuel soon after that — I can, at this time, highly recommend them to fright-fare aficionados as must-see viewing! Read on for press release descriptions for each film — in alphabetical order, by genre — with
Continue reading →
DocumentariesForeignIndieMoviesReviews
There’s nothing that hits quite like Italian horror cinema of the ’80s to mid-’90s. It is often outrageous, spectacularly gore-drenched, surreal and completely one-of-a-kind (even when it lifts elements from Hollywood fright flick blockbusters)… and just as it was rockin’ and rollin’, the wheels came off the cart shortly after the release of Michele Soavi’s kinda-sorta Dylan Dog adaptation, Cemetery Man in 1994. How did this occur? Well, that is precisely what Nocturno magazine’s Davide Pulici aims to decipher in Claudio Lattanzi’s (1988’s Zombi 5: The Killing Birds) documentary Il Tempo del Sogna. Following the journey from Lamberto Bava’s 1985 monsterpiece Demons, with a special focus given to the troubled production of it’s second sequel (which would eventually be retooled into Soavi’s The Church in 1989), on through late-era Fulci, and to late in the game stragglers such as 1997’s The Wax Mask (directed by effects maestro Sergio Stivaletti) we hear first-hand accounts of both the production of beloved fright
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesNewsThriller
Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival brings a drool-worthy feast of genre cinema to Montreal every year, and the first wave announcement for the fest’s 2024 edition — set for July 18 through August 4 — boasts a buffet of amazing features. Following is the official press announcement. The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 28th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning yet again at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. The festival’s full lineup will be announced on July 3, but this past Thursday, Fantasia exclusively revealed its first seventeen titles and a first look at its 2024 poster art. Please find the information below. The festival’s 2024 poster art, created by Montreal visual artist Donald Caron, brings back two of the festival’s most-beloved characters from earlier editions, returning
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesReviews
Goodbye Uncle Tom, the subject of today’s revoltin’ review, is brought to us by the demented documentarians Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi… the men behind legendary Italian doc Mondo Cane, who just so happened to have faced accusations of racisim after 1966’s Africa Addio (which detailed the continent’s decolonization). What did the duo do to set the record straight? Make a Mondo documentary all about slavery in America… I’m sure absolutely nothing will go wrong here… In a move as baffling as it is jaw-dropping, Jacopetti and Prosperi seemingly travel back in time and arrive on a Southern Plantation via helicopter after we hear a little history lesson on race relations in the U.S. (and a piece on hippies because it gets more naked bodies on screen)… don’t worry, it gets weirder, more wrong, and absolutely unhinged… Once there they are treated to a fancy dinner in their honor, during which we see (and hear) historical figures espouse their feelings
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesParanormalReviews
Director John MacLaverty’s terrific documentary Loch Ness: They Created a Monster looks at the personalities involved in the search for Nessie, the legendary monster of Scotland’s Loch Ness, during the heyday of that searching, the 1970s and early 1980s. It’s a fascinating look at the men and women who devoted large parts of their lives to try and discover solid proof of the famous cryptid’s existence. The documentary illustrates the difference in attitudes between then and now, when scientific researchers, businesspeople, photographers, and other professionals had a more open-minded view toward high strangeness including the probability of a large, undiscovered beast living in the lake than today. That was a time when imagination felt stronger than cynicism, and skepticism was not quite as prevalent as it is now. Among the personalities featured in Loch Ness: They Created a Monster — through archival footage and interviews, and modern interviews with family members and colleagues, as well as surviving explorers — are
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers
Small Town Monsters, behind captivating documentaries like Werewolves Unearthed and On the Trail of Bigfoot, is back with The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2. A Deeper Look at a Haunting Legend This documentary delves deeper into the enduring legend of the “Skinwalker” – a shapeshifting creature whispered about within Indigenous communities for generations. True to their signature style, filmmaker Seth Breedlove and his team take a first-person approach, interviewing individuals who claim to have encountered this enigmatic entity. Personal Accounts Fuel the Mystery Through these firsthand narratives, viewers get a glimpse into the unique perspectives and chilling experiences surrounding the Skinwalker phenomenon. The documentary allows viewers to form their own conclusions about this complex and fascinating legend. Is the Skinwalker a terrifying myth, or is there a basis in reality for these centuries-old stories? Beyond Legends and Lore The merging of various canid legends and lore from different cultures has always fascinated me,” says Seth Breedlove. “This time, we delve into
Continue reading →
DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsShort FilmsThriller
Horror buffs and genre-film fans of all stripes: The Calgary Underground Film Festival has just released its lineup for its 2024 edition! There’s fright fare galore, from slashers (In a Violent Place; The Last Video Store) to monster movies (Kryptic; Infested) to supernatural chillers (Oddity; The Vourdalak), and beyond. Following is the official press announcement. The Calgary Underground Film Festival has announced the full lineup of films playing the 21st Festival, from April 18-28, 2024 at Globe Cinema. On-scale with the expanded programming of last year’s 20th Anniversary Festival, the largest in the organization’s history, CUFF 2024 will show 41 feature films, 37 shorts, and host 8 special events over 11 days. From horror and sci-fi to indie comedies and music docs, the festival showcases diverse programming of films that defy convention. CUFF is Western Canada’s largest genre film festival, internationally recognized as a top horror film festival on the circuit, and one of the most anticipated events for local
Continue reading →
DocumentariesHBO MaxMoviesNetflixNewsPeacockStreaming TVYouTube
Do you want to explore the darker side of life? We’ve got a list of documentaries that expose the darkness of the human soul, films that will leave you with chills and heartbreak and will leave you questioning humanity’s capacity for horrific true horror. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple This 2006 film explores the lives and deaths of over 900 people who committed suicide in a tragic event at the command of preacher Jim Jones. Director Stanley Nelson captures the tragedy and what led to the event. Where to Watch: Apple TV The Act of Killing Joshua Oppenheimer’s disturbing documentary centers on the life of a former Indonesian Death Squad leader, Anwar Congo, who committed both murder and mass killings. What makes this doc so unnerving is that Congo recreates some of his most infamous murders on film. Where to Watch: Plex, Peacock, and Vudu Night and Fog Filmed in 1956, Night and Fog delves into the
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsParanormalTrailers
Small Town Monsters is renowned for its captivating documentaries like Werewolves Unearthed and On the Trail of Bigfoot. They are back and set to unleash their with their highly anticipated The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2. Debuting this March, the film will be available across major VOD platforms nationwide. Blu-ray and DVDs will be available exclusively from the Small Town Monsters online shop. Delving Deeper into the Skinwalker Legend This sequel to their acclaimed 2022 documentary American Werewolves delves into the enduring legend of the “Skinwalker.” Within Indigenous communities, both historically and in the present day, there are tales of this shapeshifting creature. Following their signature approach, Seth Breedlove and his team interview individuals directly impacted by the phenomenon. They share their personal experiences, unique perspectives, and fears. By placing these firsthand accounts at the forefront, The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 allows viewers to form their own conclusions about the complex and fascinating phenomenon. Is the skinwalker simply a terrifying legend,
Continue reading →
DocumentariesForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Jess Franco made himself an adaption of Bram Stoker’s classic fang bang terror tome Dracula back in 1970 (refresh your memory on that release, the Christopher Lee starring Count Dracula, right here) and hired Spanish filmmaker Pere Portabella to film a lil’ behind-the-scenes action for what was supposed to be turned into a documentary concerning the film’s creation… but it wasn’t and here we are… Instead, Portabella conjured forth 1971’s Cuadecuc, Vampir; a black and white, hour-and-change, nearly silent (there is ambient (frequently not very) musical accompaniment, and closing remarks from Lee however) experimental film that certainly does present a fly-on-the-wall glimpse (no matter how impressionistic) into the film’s production along with it’s own loosey-goosey narrative. To that end we get a visual tone-poem showcasing cast and crew toiling away… and it is a fascinating, if unconventional viewing experience. Additionally, viewing Franco’s footage in stark, crisp (sometimes purposefully over-exposed) chiaroscuro gives it that classic Universal monster movie vibe! But wait,
Continue reading →
More from Documentaries
DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsShort FilmsThriller
New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival is renowned for showcasing incredible films from around the world, created by established filmmakers and new voices alike. Horror and related genre fare are always in strong supply at the fest, as evidenced by its presentation of two of my absolute favorite films of last year, The Seeding and You’ll Never Find Me, along with many other great features and short films. This year’s edition, which runs June 5–16, promises more incredible cinema of the fearful and the fantastic. I was privileged to get an early look at the following chillers and thrillers before the fest, and though I can’t publish reviews until after the films make their Tribeca premieres — watch for my thoughts here on Horror Fuel soon after that — I can, at this time, highly recommend them to fright-fare aficionados as must-see viewing! Read on for press release descriptions for each film — in alphabetical order, by genre — with
Continue reading →
DocumentariesForeignIndieMoviesReviews
There’s nothing that hits quite like Italian horror cinema of the ’80s to mid-’90s. It is often outrageous, spectacularly gore-drenched, surreal and completely one-of-a-kind (even when it lifts elements from Hollywood fright flick blockbusters)… and just as it was rockin’ and rollin’, the wheels came off the cart shortly after the release of Michele Soavi’s kinda-sorta Dylan Dog adaptation, Cemetery Man in 1994. How did this occur? Well, that is precisely what Nocturno magazine’s Davide Pulici aims to decipher in Claudio Lattanzi’s (1988’s Zombi 5: The Killing Birds) documentary Il Tempo del Sogna. Following the journey from Lamberto Bava’s 1985 monsterpiece Demons, with a special focus given to the troubled production of it’s second sequel (which would eventually be retooled into Soavi’s The Church in 1989), on through late-era Fulci, and to late in the game stragglers such as 1997’s The Wax Mask (directed by effects maestro Sergio Stivaletti) we hear first-hand accounts of both the production of beloved fright
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesNewsThriller
Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival brings a drool-worthy feast of genre cinema to Montreal every year, and the first wave announcement for the fest’s 2024 edition — set for July 18 through August 4 — boasts a buffet of amazing features. Following is the official press announcement. The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 28th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning yet again at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. The festival’s full lineup will be announced on July 3, but this past Thursday, Fantasia exclusively revealed its first seventeen titles and a first look at its 2024 poster art. Please find the information below. The festival’s 2024 poster art, created by Montreal visual artist Donald Caron, brings back two of the festival’s most-beloved characters from earlier editions, returning
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesReviews
Goodbye Uncle Tom, the subject of today’s revoltin’ review, is brought to us by the demented documentarians Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi… the men behind legendary Italian doc Mondo Cane, who just so happened to have faced accusations of racisim after 1966’s Africa Addio (which detailed the continent’s decolonization). What did the duo do to set the record straight? Make a Mondo documentary all about slavery in America… I’m sure absolutely nothing will go wrong here… In a move as baffling as it is jaw-dropping, Jacopetti and Prosperi seemingly travel back in time and arrive on a Southern Plantation via helicopter after we hear a little history lesson on race relations in the U.S. (and a piece on hippies because it gets more naked bodies on screen)… don’t worry, it gets weirder, more wrong, and absolutely unhinged… Once there they are treated to a fancy dinner in their honor, during which we see (and hear) historical figures espouse their feelings
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesParanormalReviews
Director John MacLaverty’s terrific documentary Loch Ness: They Created a Monster looks at the personalities involved in the search for Nessie, the legendary monster of Scotland’s Loch Ness, during the heyday of that searching, the 1970s and early 1980s. It’s a fascinating look at the men and women who devoted large parts of their lives to try and discover solid proof of the famous cryptid’s existence. The documentary illustrates the difference in attitudes between then and now, when scientific researchers, businesspeople, photographers, and other professionals had a more open-minded view toward high strangeness including the probability of a large, undiscovered beast living in the lake than today. That was a time when imagination felt stronger than cynicism, and skepticism was not quite as prevalent as it is now. Among the personalities featured in Loch Ness: They Created a Monster — through archival footage and interviews, and modern interviews with family members and colleagues, as well as surviving explorers — are
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsTrailers
Small Town Monsters, behind captivating documentaries like Werewolves Unearthed and On the Trail of Bigfoot, is back with The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2. A Deeper Look at a Haunting Legend This documentary delves deeper into the enduring legend of the “Skinwalker” – a shapeshifting creature whispered about within Indigenous communities for generations. True to their signature style, filmmaker Seth Breedlove and his team take a first-person approach, interviewing individuals who claim to have encountered this enigmatic entity. Personal Accounts Fuel the Mystery Through these firsthand narratives, viewers get a glimpse into the unique perspectives and chilling experiences surrounding the Skinwalker phenomenon. The documentary allows viewers to form their own conclusions about this complex and fascinating legend. Is the Skinwalker a terrifying myth, or is there a basis in reality for these centuries-old stories? Beyond Legends and Lore The merging of various canid legends and lore from different cultures has always fascinated me,” says Seth Breedlove. “This time, we delve into
Continue reading →
DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsShort FilmsThriller
Horror buffs and genre-film fans of all stripes: The Calgary Underground Film Festival has just released its lineup for its 2024 edition! There’s fright fare galore, from slashers (In a Violent Place; The Last Video Store) to monster movies (Kryptic; Infested) to supernatural chillers (Oddity; The Vourdalak), and beyond. Following is the official press announcement. The Calgary Underground Film Festival has announced the full lineup of films playing the 21st Festival, from April 18-28, 2024 at Globe Cinema. On-scale with the expanded programming of last year’s 20th Anniversary Festival, the largest in the organization’s history, CUFF 2024 will show 41 feature films, 37 shorts, and host 8 special events over 11 days. From horror and sci-fi to indie comedies and music docs, the festival showcases diverse programming of films that defy convention. CUFF is Western Canada’s largest genre film festival, internationally recognized as a top horror film festival on the circuit, and one of the most anticipated events for local
Continue reading →
DocumentariesHBO MaxMoviesNetflixNewsPeacockStreaming TVYouTube
Do you want to explore the darker side of life? We’ve got a list of documentaries that expose the darkness of the human soul, films that will leave you with chills and heartbreak and will leave you questioning humanity’s capacity for horrific true horror. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple This 2006 film explores the lives and deaths of over 900 people who committed suicide in a tragic event at the command of preacher Jim Jones. Director Stanley Nelson captures the tragedy and what led to the event. Where to Watch: Apple TV The Act of Killing Joshua Oppenheimer’s disturbing documentary centers on the life of a former Indonesian Death Squad leader, Anwar Congo, who committed both murder and mass killings. What makes this doc so unnerving is that Congo recreates some of his most infamous murders on film. Where to Watch: Plex, Peacock, and Vudu Night and Fog Filmed in 1956, Night and Fog delves into the
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsParanormalTrailers
Small Town Monsters is renowned for its captivating documentaries like Werewolves Unearthed and On the Trail of Bigfoot. They are back and set to unleash their with their highly anticipated The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2. Debuting this March, the film will be available across major VOD platforms nationwide. Blu-ray and DVDs will be available exclusively from the Small Town Monsters online shop. Delving Deeper into the Skinwalker Legend This sequel to their acclaimed 2022 documentary American Werewolves delves into the enduring legend of the “Skinwalker.” Within Indigenous communities, both historically and in the present day, there are tales of this shapeshifting creature. Following their signature approach, Seth Breedlove and his team interview individuals directly impacted by the phenomenon. They share their personal experiences, unique perspectives, and fears. By placing these firsthand accounts at the forefront, The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 allows viewers to form their own conclusions about the complex and fascinating phenomenon. Is the skinwalker simply a terrifying legend,
Continue reading →
DocumentariesForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Jess Franco made himself an adaption of Bram Stoker’s classic fang bang terror tome Dracula back in 1970 (refresh your memory on that release, the Christopher Lee starring Count Dracula, right here) and hired Spanish filmmaker Pere Portabella to film a lil’ behind-the-scenes action for what was supposed to be turned into a documentary concerning the film’s creation… but it wasn’t and here we are… Instead, Portabella conjured forth 1971’s Cuadecuc, Vampir; a black and white, hour-and-change, nearly silent (there is ambient (frequently not very) musical accompaniment, and closing remarks from Lee however) experimental film that certainly does present a fly-on-the-wall glimpse (no matter how impressionistic) into the film’s production along with it’s own loosey-goosey narrative. To that end we get a visual tone-poem showcasing cast and crew toiling away… and it is a fascinating, if unconventional viewing experience. Additionally, viewing Franco’s footage in stark, crisp (sometimes purposefully over-exposed) chiaroscuro gives it that classic Universal monster movie vibe! But wait,
Continue reading →
