CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,434 stories
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Visual Vengeance have collected a duo of ninja films and put them out on Blu-ray, the first of which, Commando the Ninja (1988), was produced and co-created by Godfrey Ho (we are just going to go with the gloriously mentally unstable Cynthia Rothrock martial arts experience, Undefeatable… but he has been associated with…sometimes in a rather bullshit way… bananas cinematic fried gold on any number of other features such as Ninja Terminator)… Anyway, a dude named Tanaka went and developed a form of germ warfare during World War II, and nowadays plenty of folks are hot on his ass to obtain that formula right quick! Vying for possession of said formula are evil businessman Martin who desires the formula to sell at a tidy profit… there’s also a ninja named David involved… as well as Brenda, a woman in a bedazzled all-denim outfit who kicks a rather outrageous amount of ass… for instance she pounds another character in a scene
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsIndieMoviesReviews
My Love for You Is Deep But the Devil Loves Me Deeper (U.S., 2026) Official synopsis Alice, a young woman shattered by heartbreak after being dumped from her nebbish boyfriend Ryan, encounters the Devil and makes a deal for “all the love in the world.” Review If you have memories of encountering light-night cable TV movies involving “sex from out of nowhere” scenarios and the occasional erotic thriller or offbeat horror outing, you’ll have a decent idea of the vibe that director Casey Donahue has conjured up for My Love for You Is Deep But the Devil Loves Me Deeper. Alice (Emily Whittemore) has had it with her noncommittal ex, and somewhat unknowingly enters a Faustian pact with a stranger in a bar. Poor choice for her but a good one for viewers, as we are treated to her escalating descent into the realm of the demonic. Donahue delivers on his vision, from the opening cable TV announcement to
Continue reading →
GamingProductReviews
GUNNAR has always been there to ensure gamers and anyone else who stares at screens for long periods gets the best protection while staying stylish, but what about when it’s time to relax? Yes, you can just turn off the lights and close your eyes, but what about treating your eyes to a spa-like treatment from the comfort of your own home? The answer is GUNNAR’s Ojai, a new vision recovery system designed to help you and your eyes to relax after looking at a screen for hours! I want to give a massive thank you to GUNNAR for sending over the Ojai for me to try for myself! Out of the box, the Ojai Vision Recovery System is ready for use. It fits snugly over your eyes and blocks out all light. The system has five massage modes; I tried out mode 5, which has maximum pressure and a full experience designed for intensive recovery. The air-compressed massage tool
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviewsSci-Fi
Long thought lost, Mexican-produced animated feature Roy del espacio (1983) begins as only it… and Flash Gordon… could. Evil space emperor Alome (Rubén Moya) gets a wild hair up his space-ass to put a threat upon the Earth. To counter this, Roy (Salvador Nájar), Dr. Faz (Esteban Siller), and comely psychologist Helena (Rommy Mendoza) launch themselves into the cosmos to battle the threat! While that synopsis won’t exactly start a blaze based on it’s red-hot originality, Rafael Angel Gil and Hector Lopez Carmona’s Roy del espacio (which the duo co-wrote with Ulises Pérez Aguirre) instead offers a ton of heart… if not technical razzle-dazzle. Boasting an animation style that could best be described as a lil’ bit Sport Billy with a dash of Chargeman Ken and all of the jank and animation-whoopsies those pieces contained (including limited movement, costume inaccuracies, and uses of perspective that’ll have you think you snorted a fistful of premium Moon Dust)… but here
Continue reading →
BooksNewsProductReviews
Earlier this week, a mysterious box arrived right on my doorstep. When I saw the package was from The Folio Society, my excitement grew instantly. A week ago, I reported on the launch of the stunning volume Japanese Ghost Stories, and I hoped it was a copy. It was. The book’s online promotional images looked absolutely mesmerizing. Therefore, I decided to film a complete unboxing video for readers to enjoy. Classical Folklore Tales Come Alive This new edition compiles twenty haunting tales translated by nineteenth-century writer Lafcadio Hearn. The deluxe release also features breathtaking original artwork by award-winning artist Yuko Shimizu. Novelist Yoko Ogawa also contributed a thoughtful new introduction. As a result, the collection captures ancient Japan’s haunted atmosphere through classic supernatural folklore. Readers will encounter vengeful phantoms along with flesh-devouring priests. Iconic monsters like flying heads and faceless stalkers also lurk within these pages. Notable stories include The Story of Aoyagi, Oshidori, The Dream of Akinosuké, and Rokuro-Kubi.
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviewsSci-FiThriller
Official synopsis Czech director Otakar Vávra’s astonishing fever dream of a movie that mixes 1940s film noir, paranoid thriller, and speculative atomic-bomb sci-fi in the story of a chemist named Prokop who hallucinates fragments of how he’s invented a proto-nuclear weapon. OVID Exclusive Directed by Otakar Vávra Deaf Crocodile, Drama, 1948, 110 mins Czechoslovakia Review Krakatit is a seminal science fiction/film noir hybrid that finds a scientist named Prokop (Karel Höger) on a wild odyssey involving the titular dangerous explosive that he invented. He encounters a former classmate, a mysterious veiled lady, an arms dealer, a princess interested in marrying him, and others, many of whom are intent on getting the secret formula for krakatit from the desperate man. There is also a nameless man in a hospital in dire straits, but no spoilers here. Director Otakar Vávra crafts a genre film carrying a message about the need for world peace, with paranoia and double-dealings galore. The mystery unwraps slowly
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
When She Sings (U.K., 2026) Official synopsis In a dreary, British seaside town, a talented artist is haunted by a sinister mermaid, and terrorized by a coven of strange locals. Review When She Sings is a classic example of fine folk horror cinema. Director Paul Holbrook invests his short film with a sense of dread throughout as artist Fay Corr (Laura Bayston, who cowrote the screenplay with Holbrook) is harassed by local townsfolk speaking in mysterious short bursts as she grieves over the death of her sister. Cinematographer James Oldham wonderfully captures the beauty of the coastal setting and the bleakness of Fay’s world, with Composers Hannah Cartwright and Ross Tones aiding greatly with the short’s mood. Moryow (U.K., 2026) Official synopsis A recovering addict, desperate to escape her past, finds herself on a cursed fishing boat headed into a Lovecraftian nightmare where the depths of the ocean feed on her darkest sins. Review Writer/director Ted Wilkes weaves
Continue reading →
GamingIndieParanormalProductReviews
Well, this was a short one, so the review is…well…short. This is Psalm 5:9-13, possibly the creepiest game I’ve reviewed in months! There’s really no backstory to Psalm 5:9-13; you literally wake up in the dark and explore different rooms to get answers. The controls are extremely limited, as this is a walking sim. You use one button to zoom in the camera and another to interact when prompted; other than that, that’s it for controls. The sound design of the game is well done; the ambiance is creepy and makes you paranoid as you play, as some sounds seem to be designed to distract you in order to build up to a scare. The graphics are great but hidden behind a VHS filter, unfortunately. I know people like that look, but sometimes it can be a tad much; in this case, it both works for and against the game. Gameplay-wise, the game is quite simple.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
Matapanki (Chile, 2026) Official synopsis A punk kid gets superpowers from alcohol and tries to reshape society, but a violent error sparks global tensions with him at the center. Review “Punk’s not dead!” goes the battle cry, and writer/director Diego Fuentes follows that spirit with his action comedy/fantasy feature Matapanki. Punk rock fan Ricardo (Ramón Gálvez) accidentally discovers a bottle of the titular fictitious drink and finds that ingesting the beverage gives him superpowers. With nods to Spider-Man, the film takes him on an origin-story journey where he is reluctant to use his powers despite his friends’ encouragement. Naturally, nefarious forces are at work, which Fuentes uses to skewer local and international political figures and movements. He also uses colorful animation and drawing effects to complement Cinematographer Vicente Correa’s impressive black-and-white work. Fueled with punk soul, a driving soundtrack, and all-in performances, Matapanki is a unique slice of genre-cinema fare. The Thing Inside Her (Canada, 2026) Official synopsis After removing
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Animator Ralph Bakshi has never been afraid to dip his toes… or any other body part… into the realms of fantasy (see 1977’s Wizards and 1978’s Tolkein adaptation, Lord of the Rings if your ass doubts me) but his magnum opus of the genre is 1983’s Fire and Ice. Young warrior Larn (William Ostrander, Christine) is caught in a war between the noble King Jarol (Leo Gordon, Alienator) of the volcano kingdom of Firekeep, and Wolf Queen Juliana (Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker, the Angel franchise) and her ice wizard son Nekron (animator Sean Hannon) after his village is destroyed by Nekron’s glaciers (which he appears to summon via orgasm apparently). Soon Larn sets out to rescue Jarol’s daughter Teegra (Maggie Roswell, The Simpsons) who is kidnapped by Nekron’s Neanderthal troops, the Subhumans in order to provide the wizard an heir… at least that’s what Juliana desires, but Nekron apparently runs “cold” when it comes to mating with voluptuous prisoners. As
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Visual Vengeance have collected a duo of ninja films and put them out on Blu-ray, the first of which, Commando the Ninja (1988), was produced and co-created by Godfrey Ho (we are just going to go with the gloriously mentally unstable Cynthia Rothrock martial arts experience, Undefeatable… but he has been associated with…sometimes in a rather bullshit way… bananas cinematic fried gold on any number of other features such as Ninja Terminator)… Anyway, a dude named Tanaka went and developed a form of germ warfare during World War II, and nowadays plenty of folks are hot on his ass to obtain that formula right quick! Vying for possession of said formula are evil businessman Martin who desires the formula to sell at a tidy profit… there’s also a ninja named David involved… as well as Brenda, a woman in a bedazzled all-denim outfit who kicks a rather outrageous amount of ass… for instance she pounds another character in a scene
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsIndieMoviesReviews
My Love for You Is Deep But the Devil Loves Me Deeper (U.S., 2026) Official synopsis Alice, a young woman shattered by heartbreak after being dumped from her nebbish boyfriend Ryan, encounters the Devil and makes a deal for “all the love in the world.” Review If you have memories of encountering light-night cable TV movies involving “sex from out of nowhere” scenarios and the occasional erotic thriller or offbeat horror outing, you’ll have a decent idea of the vibe that director Casey Donahue has conjured up for My Love for You Is Deep But the Devil Loves Me Deeper. Alice (Emily Whittemore) has had it with her noncommittal ex, and somewhat unknowingly enters a Faustian pact with a stranger in a bar. Poor choice for her but a good one for viewers, as we are treated to her escalating descent into the realm of the demonic. Donahue delivers on his vision, from the opening cable TV announcement to
Continue reading →
GamingProductReviews
GUNNAR has always been there to ensure gamers and anyone else who stares at screens for long periods gets the best protection while staying stylish, but what about when it’s time to relax? Yes, you can just turn off the lights and close your eyes, but what about treating your eyes to a spa-like treatment from the comfort of your own home? The answer is GUNNAR’s Ojai, a new vision recovery system designed to help you and your eyes to relax after looking at a screen for hours! I want to give a massive thank you to GUNNAR for sending over the Ojai for me to try for myself! Out of the box, the Ojai Vision Recovery System is ready for use. It fits snugly over your eyes and blocks out all light. The system has five massage modes; I tried out mode 5, which has maximum pressure and a full experience designed for intensive recovery. The air-compressed massage tool
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviewsSci-Fi
Long thought lost, Mexican-produced animated feature Roy del espacio (1983) begins as only it… and Flash Gordon… could. Evil space emperor Alome (Rubén Moya) gets a wild hair up his space-ass to put a threat upon the Earth. To counter this, Roy (Salvador Nájar), Dr. Faz (Esteban Siller), and comely psychologist Helena (Rommy Mendoza) launch themselves into the cosmos to battle the threat! While that synopsis won’t exactly start a blaze based on it’s red-hot originality, Rafael Angel Gil and Hector Lopez Carmona’s Roy del espacio (which the duo co-wrote with Ulises Pérez Aguirre) instead offers a ton of heart… if not technical razzle-dazzle. Boasting an animation style that could best be described as a lil’ bit Sport Billy with a dash of Chargeman Ken and all of the jank and animation-whoopsies those pieces contained (including limited movement, costume inaccuracies, and uses of perspective that’ll have you think you snorted a fistful of premium Moon Dust)… but here
Continue reading →
BooksNewsProductReviews
Earlier this week, a mysterious box arrived right on my doorstep. When I saw the package was from The Folio Society, my excitement grew instantly. A week ago, I reported on the launch of the stunning volume Japanese Ghost Stories, and I hoped it was a copy. It was. The book’s online promotional images looked absolutely mesmerizing. Therefore, I decided to film a complete unboxing video for readers to enjoy. Classical Folklore Tales Come Alive This new edition compiles twenty haunting tales translated by nineteenth-century writer Lafcadio Hearn. The deluxe release also features breathtaking original artwork by award-winning artist Yuko Shimizu. Novelist Yoko Ogawa also contributed a thoughtful new introduction. As a result, the collection captures ancient Japan’s haunted atmosphere through classic supernatural folklore. Readers will encounter vengeful phantoms along with flesh-devouring priests. Iconic monsters like flying heads and faceless stalkers also lurk within these pages. Notable stories include The Story of Aoyagi, Oshidori, The Dream of Akinosuké, and Rokuro-Kubi.
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviewsSci-FiThriller
Official synopsis Czech director Otakar Vávra’s astonishing fever dream of a movie that mixes 1940s film noir, paranoid thriller, and speculative atomic-bomb sci-fi in the story of a chemist named Prokop who hallucinates fragments of how he’s invented a proto-nuclear weapon. OVID Exclusive Directed by Otakar Vávra Deaf Crocodile, Drama, 1948, 110 mins Czechoslovakia Review Krakatit is a seminal science fiction/film noir hybrid that finds a scientist named Prokop (Karel Höger) on a wild odyssey involving the titular dangerous explosive that he invented. He encounters a former classmate, a mysterious veiled lady, an arms dealer, a princess interested in marrying him, and others, many of whom are intent on getting the secret formula for krakatit from the desperate man. There is also a nameless man in a hospital in dire straits, but no spoilers here. Director Otakar Vávra crafts a genre film carrying a message about the need for world peace, with paranoia and double-dealings galore. The mystery unwraps slowly
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
When She Sings (U.K., 2026) Official synopsis In a dreary, British seaside town, a talented artist is haunted by a sinister mermaid, and terrorized by a coven of strange locals. Review When She Sings is a classic example of fine folk horror cinema. Director Paul Holbrook invests his short film with a sense of dread throughout as artist Fay Corr (Laura Bayston, who cowrote the screenplay with Holbrook) is harassed by local townsfolk speaking in mysterious short bursts as she grieves over the death of her sister. Cinematographer James Oldham wonderfully captures the beauty of the coastal setting and the bleakness of Fay’s world, with Composers Hannah Cartwright and Ross Tones aiding greatly with the short’s mood. Moryow (U.K., 2026) Official synopsis A recovering addict, desperate to escape her past, finds herself on a cursed fishing boat headed into a Lovecraftian nightmare where the depths of the ocean feed on her darkest sins. Review Writer/director Ted Wilkes weaves
Continue reading →
GamingIndieParanormalProductReviews
Well, this was a short one, so the review is…well…short. This is Psalm 5:9-13, possibly the creepiest game I’ve reviewed in months! There’s really no backstory to Psalm 5:9-13; you literally wake up in the dark and explore different rooms to get answers. The controls are extremely limited, as this is a walking sim. You use one button to zoom in the camera and another to interact when prompted; other than that, that’s it for controls. The sound design of the game is well done; the ambiance is creepy and makes you paranoid as you play, as some sounds seem to be designed to distract you in order to build up to a scare. The graphics are great but hidden behind a VHS filter, unfortunately. I know people like that look, but sometimes it can be a tad much; in this case, it both works for and against the game. Gameplay-wise, the game is quite simple.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
Matapanki (Chile, 2026) Official synopsis A punk kid gets superpowers from alcohol and tries to reshape society, but a violent error sparks global tensions with him at the center. Review “Punk’s not dead!” goes the battle cry, and writer/director Diego Fuentes follows that spirit with his action comedy/fantasy feature Matapanki. Punk rock fan Ricardo (Ramón Gálvez) accidentally discovers a bottle of the titular fictitious drink and finds that ingesting the beverage gives him superpowers. With nods to Spider-Man, the film takes him on an origin-story journey where he is reluctant to use his powers despite his friends’ encouragement. Naturally, nefarious forces are at work, which Fuentes uses to skewer local and international political figures and movements. He also uses colorful animation and drawing effects to complement Cinematographer Vicente Correa’s impressive black-and-white work. Fueled with punk soul, a driving soundtrack, and all-in performances, Matapanki is a unique slice of genre-cinema fare. The Thing Inside Her (Canada, 2026) Official synopsis After removing
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Animator Ralph Bakshi has never been afraid to dip his toes… or any other body part… into the realms of fantasy (see 1977’s Wizards and 1978’s Tolkein adaptation, Lord of the Rings if your ass doubts me) but his magnum opus of the genre is 1983’s Fire and Ice. Young warrior Larn (William Ostrander, Christine) is caught in a war between the noble King Jarol (Leo Gordon, Alienator) of the volcano kingdom of Firekeep, and Wolf Queen Juliana (Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker, the Angel franchise) and her ice wizard son Nekron (animator Sean Hannon) after his village is destroyed by Nekron’s glaciers (which he appears to summon via orgasm apparently). Soon Larn sets out to rescue Jarol’s daughter Teegra (Maggie Roswell, The Simpsons) who is kidnapped by Nekron’s Neanderthal troops, the Subhumans in order to provide the wizard an heir… at least that’s what Juliana desires, but Nekron apparently runs “cold” when it comes to mating with voluptuous prisoners. As
Continue reading →
