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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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Horror Fuel

AI, Action, And Horror Combine For ‘Monsters OF Man’

I don’t know about you, but I have a real fear of AI going terribly wrong. That happens to be the premise of the sci-fi thriller Monsters of Man, which is currently running an Indiegogo campaign. In his stunning directorial debut, Mark Toia combines non-stop action with powerful special effects to explore AI, corruption, and the terrifying possibilities of future warfare. The movie “reveals the consequences of unchecked power and robots who have advanced beyond human control. When a corrupt CIA agent (Neil McDonough) teams up with a robotics company to deploy an illegal, unsanctioned military operation, the plan is to drop four prototype robots into a suspected drug manufacturing camp in the Golden Triangle that no one will miss. The mission is to prove the robotics company is worthy of winning a lucrative military contract but all goes horribly awry when six American volunteer doctors witness the brutal slaughter of an innocent village and are forced into a deadly

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 16, 2020
Horror Fuel

Director Joaquin Montalvan Talks Cannibal Corpse Killers

Writer-director Joaquin Montalvan, best known for his 2014 indie horror Legend of the Hillbilly Butcher, sat down with me for an interview in which we discussed his new supernatural horror western Cannibal Corpse Killers, out August 18th on DVD and Digital. Cannibal Corpse Killers follows Pike (Dennis Haggard, Hole) and a group of survivors as they endure a long, treacherous mission to Jawbone, a hotbed for cannibals in post-apocalyptic America. Now that a deadly virus has wiped out the nation, the group must cope with the recurring memories of those who died before them and defend themselves against cannibal demons. As they migrate anxiously through the desert, endless trouble surrounds the group once they learn of The Magistrate (Ron Jason, Legend of the Hillbilly Butcher), a man with a dark agenda to build an army of his own cannibal corpse killers. Now, Pike and the group must fight for survival as they work together to retrieve the answers they need

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 15, 2020
Horror Fuel

Come Face To Face With ‘The Faceless Man’ This Summer

Freedom Cinema and director James Di Martino come face to face with The Faceless Man this summer. The Australian horror film took home 6 major awards at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival including Best Director and Best Film. Emily is a recovering cancer survivor of three years. Faced with her fear of getting sick again, her best friend Nina plans a weekend away. Six friends venture out to a country holiday house to party over a weekend. Cut off from the rest of the world they soon learn the inhabitants are unsettling red neck individuals who terrorize and humiliate travelers. At the same time, a paranormal monster seen as the faceless man haunts the house pushing the friends to their limits. From writer-director James Di Martino, and featuring Wolf Creek‘s Andy McPhee, Roger Ward (Mad Max), Lucas Pittaway (Snowtown), and Sophie Thurling (“Counter Play”), The Faceless Man haunts digital from August 28, 2020.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 14, 2020
Horror Fuel

Bring Home The Horror Anthology ‘Faces Of Fear’ This September

Vestra Pictures in co-operation with Trash Arts presents the new horror anthology The Faces of Fear, arriving next month. A chilling omnibus of terror tales from the cutting edge of the horror underground, featuring short but devilishly sweet bites of blood-soaked stories. The film features the work of Kim Sønderholm (Craig, Little Big Boy), Luc Bernier (2 Die For, Home Videos 3), Jason Figgis (Children of a Darker Dawn, The Ecstasy of Isabel Mann), and Martin Sonntag (60 Seconds To Die, Escaping the Dead). Lynn Raferty, Kim Sønderholm, Lone Fleming, Slavko Labovic, Siff Andersson, Michael James Daley, Donna Hamblin star alongside others. The anthology will feature several exciting stories, titled Harvest, Facing Face, See Attachment, The Ties That Bind, Cooking with Human Blood, Red Rubber, Callous, and Dream. Wild Eye Releasing will unleash The Faces of Fear on September 9, 2020.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 14, 2020
Horror Fuel

Exclusive New Clip From Revenge Horror ‘Serena Waits’

We’ve got our hands on a brand new exclusive clip to share with our readers from Hunter Johnson’s indie revenge thriller Serena Waits! Written by Johnson, the film centers around Serena (Brialynn Massie, Must Love Horror), who attends a college frat party. When an alcohol-fueled hookup takes a violent and horrifying turn, Serena becomes the victim of a violent and deadly encounter with three college athletes (Colton Wheeler, Charles Chudabala, and David Marlowe). Soon after discarding Serena’s body, the guys find themselves haunted by her presence. Is it all in their heads or has Serena returned for revenge? Produced by Johnson, Chudabala, Emily Dahm, and Paul Davila, the cast also includes Lara Jean (Space), Emily Dahm (From Jennifer), Jennifer Clarke, and Gregory Blair. The film will premiere on the Kings of Horror YouTube channel on Friday, August 14th at 2pm PST. The premiere will also include a live stream with Johnson and Chudabala. As well, Serena Waits will be available

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 13, 2020
Horror Fuel

A Kafka Bug’s Life: Game Review Of ‘Metamorphosis’

All In! Games and Ovid Works sent me down the Kakfkaesque rabbit hole with their first-person platforming game, Metamorphosis. In Metamorphosis you play as Gregor Samsa who woke up one morning and realized that he turned into a bug and is now employed at a company called Tower who holds all the answers as to why this happened to Gregor and how he can turn human again. Along his journey, Gregor sees the world of insects and meets interesting individuals. Now onto the game itself! Mastering the controls is easy thanks to a tutorial in the beginning plus being made not complicated, to begin with. The movement of Gregor as an insect is fun as the movements are quick and mechanical much like a bug. Gregor can crawl up walls with the help of yellow goo that he finds piles of in certain places. The sound is amazing and I suggest wearing headphones for it so you won’t miss the

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

Game Review: ‘Darkestville Castle’

It’s getting to that point in summer where I’m tired of the heat and ready for the cool airs of autumn which only means one thing…HALLOWEEN IS COMING! Alas, it’s only August and that means I have to wait… that’s until the awesome ghouls at Epic Llama, and Buka Entertainment brought a little bit of Halloween early with their point and click adventure Darkestville Castle. In Darkestville Castle players take on the role of a demon named Cid who lives in the village of Darkestville. Being the only demon in town, Cid goes around the terrorizes the locals every night for his amusement till one night he inadvertently released a hoard of demons onto the village and in the process lost his castle. Now onto the game itself! The controls in Darkestville Castle is pretty basic, you move the cursor around with the joystick on your controller and press the button that usually acts as your action button. You can

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

Danny Trejo Stars In Slasher Flick, “Murder In The Woods”

From REZINATE Entertainment and Yel Productions, the award-winning slasher film Murder in the Woods is headed your way later this week. Directed and produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Iga Garza (The Call) and written and produced by Yelyna De León (Will and Grace, A Better Life), the fun yet frightening thriller stars a multicultural cast in non-stereotypical roles, including José Julián (A Better Life, “Shameless”), Jeanette Samano (ISA, Female Fight Squad), Chelsea Rendon (Vida, Bright), Catherine Toribio (“Jane the Virgin”), Jordan Diambrini (The Outfield) and Kade Wise (“Empire”). It also features Danny Trejo (Machete), Soledad St. Hilaire (Beatriz at Dinner), Kurt Caceres (“Better Call Saul”, “Dexter”), and Rolando Molina (“American Dad!”Next Friday). Murder in the Woods centers on a group of college friends who plan a getaway to celebrate a birthday party at a desolate cabin in the woods. Against his grandmother’s (Soledad St. Hilaire) demands, Jesse (José Julián), a loner-type decides to go on a trip with his friends.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

A Serial Killer Stalks The New ‘Open 24 Hours’ Trailer

Ahead of it release this August, we’ve got the new trailer for writer-director Padraig Reynolds‘ serial killer thriller Open 24 Hours. In the film, “a paranoid delusional woman, Mary White, has just been released from a mental hospital for setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire. Mary suffers from severe paranoia and hallucinations. Her boyfriend, James Lincoln Fields, is a brutal serial killer known as The Rain Ripper. He enjoyed murdering people and making Mary watch. After being released from the Hospital, Mary’s vulnerable demeanor aids her in obtaining employment at an all-night gas station. However, left alone to her own devices, her paranoia and hallucinations return with furious consequences. Things take a gruesome turn when customers and friends suddenly start turning up dead and mutilated all around her… Vanessa Grasse (Mary), Brendan Fletcher (Bobby), Cole Vigue (The Rain Ripper), Emily Tennant (Debbie), and Daniel O’Meara (Tom Doogan) star in the film produced by Shibani Kapur and R.P. Khemanand. Open

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

Men Become ‘The Prey’ In New Red Band Trailer For Indie Horror

Writer-director Jimmy Henderson‘s (Jailbreak) The Prey is ready to supply pulse-pounding action in a new thrilling tale of a man fighting to survive human hunters. Check out the Red Band trailer! Loosely based on Richard Connell’s story of survival The Most Dangerous Game, The Prey, hails from the team behind the festival hit Jailbreak. “Undercover Chinese cop Xin (newcomer Gu Shangwei), is on a secret international mission when a surprise raid puts him in a remote Cambodian jungle prison that plays by its own rules. Ruthless warden (Vithaya Pansringarm of Only God Forgives ) sells prisoners as human prey for rich hunters looking for thrills in the jungle. After years of hunting down ruthless criminals, Xin suddenly finds himself running for his life. If Xin manages to survive this sadistic game, he’ll walk out of the jungle the same way he came in: as a free man. If Xin fails, he’s just another hunting trophy.” Byron Bishop, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nophand

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 10, 2020

More from Indie

Horror Fuel

AI, Action, And Horror Combine For ‘Monsters OF Man’

I don’t know about you, but I have a real fear of AI going terribly wrong. That happens to be the premise of the sci-fi thriller Monsters of Man, which is currently running an Indiegogo campaign. In his stunning directorial debut, Mark Toia combines non-stop action with powerful special effects to explore AI, corruption, and the terrifying possibilities of future warfare. The movie “reveals the consequences of unchecked power and robots who have advanced beyond human control. When a corrupt CIA agent (Neil McDonough) teams up with a robotics company to deploy an illegal, unsanctioned military operation, the plan is to drop four prototype robots into a suspected drug manufacturing camp in the Golden Triangle that no one will miss. The mission is to prove the robotics company is worthy of winning a lucrative military contract but all goes horribly awry when six American volunteer doctors witness the brutal slaughter of an innocent village and are forced into a deadly

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 16, 2020
Horror Fuel

Director Joaquin Montalvan Talks Cannibal Corpse Killers

Writer-director Joaquin Montalvan, best known for his 2014 indie horror Legend of the Hillbilly Butcher, sat down with me for an interview in which we discussed his new supernatural horror western Cannibal Corpse Killers, out August 18th on DVD and Digital. Cannibal Corpse Killers follows Pike (Dennis Haggard, Hole) and a group of survivors as they endure a long, treacherous mission to Jawbone, a hotbed for cannibals in post-apocalyptic America. Now that a deadly virus has wiped out the nation, the group must cope with the recurring memories of those who died before them and defend themselves against cannibal demons. As they migrate anxiously through the desert, endless trouble surrounds the group once they learn of The Magistrate (Ron Jason, Legend of the Hillbilly Butcher), a man with a dark agenda to build an army of his own cannibal corpse killers. Now, Pike and the group must fight for survival as they work together to retrieve the answers they need

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 15, 2020
Horror Fuel

Come Face To Face With ‘The Faceless Man’ This Summer

Freedom Cinema and director James Di Martino come face to face with The Faceless Man this summer. The Australian horror film took home 6 major awards at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival including Best Director and Best Film. Emily is a recovering cancer survivor of three years. Faced with her fear of getting sick again, her best friend Nina plans a weekend away. Six friends venture out to a country holiday house to party over a weekend. Cut off from the rest of the world they soon learn the inhabitants are unsettling red neck individuals who terrorize and humiliate travelers. At the same time, a paranormal monster seen as the faceless man haunts the house pushing the friends to their limits. From writer-director James Di Martino, and featuring Wolf Creek‘s Andy McPhee, Roger Ward (Mad Max), Lucas Pittaway (Snowtown), and Sophie Thurling (“Counter Play”), The Faceless Man haunts digital from August 28, 2020.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 14, 2020
Horror Fuel

Bring Home The Horror Anthology ‘Faces Of Fear’ This September

Vestra Pictures in co-operation with Trash Arts presents the new horror anthology The Faces of Fear, arriving next month. A chilling omnibus of terror tales from the cutting edge of the horror underground, featuring short but devilishly sweet bites of blood-soaked stories. The film features the work of Kim Sønderholm (Craig, Little Big Boy), Luc Bernier (2 Die For, Home Videos 3), Jason Figgis (Children of a Darker Dawn, The Ecstasy of Isabel Mann), and Martin Sonntag (60 Seconds To Die, Escaping the Dead). Lynn Raferty, Kim Sønderholm, Lone Fleming, Slavko Labovic, Siff Andersson, Michael James Daley, Donna Hamblin star alongside others. The anthology will feature several exciting stories, titled Harvest, Facing Face, See Attachment, The Ties That Bind, Cooking with Human Blood, Red Rubber, Callous, and Dream. Wild Eye Releasing will unleash The Faces of Fear on September 9, 2020.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 14, 2020
Horror Fuel

Exclusive New Clip From Revenge Horror ‘Serena Waits’

We’ve got our hands on a brand new exclusive clip to share with our readers from Hunter Johnson’s indie revenge thriller Serena Waits! Written by Johnson, the film centers around Serena (Brialynn Massie, Must Love Horror), who attends a college frat party. When an alcohol-fueled hookup takes a violent and horrifying turn, Serena becomes the victim of a violent and deadly encounter with three college athletes (Colton Wheeler, Charles Chudabala, and David Marlowe). Soon after discarding Serena’s body, the guys find themselves haunted by her presence. Is it all in their heads or has Serena returned for revenge? Produced by Johnson, Chudabala, Emily Dahm, and Paul Davila, the cast also includes Lara Jean (Space), Emily Dahm (From Jennifer), Jennifer Clarke, and Gregory Blair. The film will premiere on the Kings of Horror YouTube channel on Friday, August 14th at 2pm PST. The premiere will also include a live stream with Johnson and Chudabala. As well, Serena Waits will be available

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 13, 2020
Horror Fuel

A Kafka Bug’s Life: Game Review Of ‘Metamorphosis’

All In! Games and Ovid Works sent me down the Kakfkaesque rabbit hole with their first-person platforming game, Metamorphosis. In Metamorphosis you play as Gregor Samsa who woke up one morning and realized that he turned into a bug and is now employed at a company called Tower who holds all the answers as to why this happened to Gregor and how he can turn human again. Along his journey, Gregor sees the world of insects and meets interesting individuals. Now onto the game itself! Mastering the controls is easy thanks to a tutorial in the beginning plus being made not complicated, to begin with. The movement of Gregor as an insect is fun as the movements are quick and mechanical much like a bug. Gregor can crawl up walls with the help of yellow goo that he finds piles of in certain places. The sound is amazing and I suggest wearing headphones for it so you won’t miss the

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

Game Review: ‘Darkestville Castle’

It’s getting to that point in summer where I’m tired of the heat and ready for the cool airs of autumn which only means one thing…HALLOWEEN IS COMING! Alas, it’s only August and that means I have to wait… that’s until the awesome ghouls at Epic Llama, and Buka Entertainment brought a little bit of Halloween early with their point and click adventure Darkestville Castle. In Darkestville Castle players take on the role of a demon named Cid who lives in the village of Darkestville. Being the only demon in town, Cid goes around the terrorizes the locals every night for his amusement till one night he inadvertently released a hoard of demons onto the village and in the process lost his castle. Now onto the game itself! The controls in Darkestville Castle is pretty basic, you move the cursor around with the joystick on your controller and press the button that usually acts as your action button. You can

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

Danny Trejo Stars In Slasher Flick, “Murder In The Woods”

From REZINATE Entertainment and Yel Productions, the award-winning slasher film Murder in the Woods is headed your way later this week. Directed and produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Iga Garza (The Call) and written and produced by Yelyna De León (Will and Grace, A Better Life), the fun yet frightening thriller stars a multicultural cast in non-stereotypical roles, including José Julián (A Better Life, “Shameless”), Jeanette Samano (ISA, Female Fight Squad), Chelsea Rendon (Vida, Bright), Catherine Toribio (“Jane the Virgin”), Jordan Diambrini (The Outfield) and Kade Wise (“Empire”). It also features Danny Trejo (Machete), Soledad St. Hilaire (Beatriz at Dinner), Kurt Caceres (“Better Call Saul”, “Dexter”), and Rolando Molina (“American Dad!”Next Friday). Murder in the Woods centers on a group of college friends who plan a getaway to celebrate a birthday party at a desolate cabin in the woods. Against his grandmother’s (Soledad St. Hilaire) demands, Jesse (José Julián), a loner-type decides to go on a trip with his friends.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

A Serial Killer Stalks The New ‘Open 24 Hours’ Trailer

Ahead of it release this August, we’ve got the new trailer for writer-director Padraig Reynolds‘ serial killer thriller Open 24 Hours. In the film, “a paranoid delusional woman, Mary White, has just been released from a mental hospital for setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire. Mary suffers from severe paranoia and hallucinations. Her boyfriend, James Lincoln Fields, is a brutal serial killer known as The Rain Ripper. He enjoyed murdering people and making Mary watch. After being released from the Hospital, Mary’s vulnerable demeanor aids her in obtaining employment at an all-night gas station. However, left alone to her own devices, her paranoia and hallucinations return with furious consequences. Things take a gruesome turn when customers and friends suddenly start turning up dead and mutilated all around her… Vanessa Grasse (Mary), Brendan Fletcher (Bobby), Cole Vigue (The Rain Ripper), Emily Tennant (Debbie), and Daniel O’Meara (Tom Doogan) star in the film produced by Shibani Kapur and R.P. Khemanand. Open

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 12, 2020
Horror Fuel

Men Become ‘The Prey’ In New Red Band Trailer For Indie Horror

Writer-director Jimmy Henderson‘s (Jailbreak) The Prey is ready to supply pulse-pounding action in a new thrilling tale of a man fighting to survive human hunters. Check out the Red Band trailer! Loosely based on Richard Connell’s story of survival The Most Dangerous Game, The Prey, hails from the team behind the festival hit Jailbreak. “Undercover Chinese cop Xin (newcomer Gu Shangwei), is on a secret international mission when a surprise raid puts him in a remote Cambodian jungle prison that plays by its own rules. Ruthless warden (Vithaya Pansringarm of Only God Forgives ) sells prisoners as human prey for rich hunters looking for thrills in the jungle. After years of hunting down ruthless criminals, Xin suddenly finds himself running for his life. If Xin manages to survive this sadistic game, he’ll walk out of the jungle the same way he came in: as a free man. If Xin fails, he’s just another hunting trophy.” Byron Bishop, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nophand

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 10, 2020
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