CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,430 stories
BooksHalloweenProductReviews
It’s that time of year when it’s getting cooler outside, rainy nights are becoming more frequent, and Halloween is on our minds. Two things that collide head-on this time of year are being cozy and getting spooky, and there’s no better way to experience this than reading spooky stories… by candlelight. Reading by candlelight is a fun experience, especially if you like reading classic horror like I do, but it can come with some drawbacks. The main issue is you’re dealing with an open flame, and sometimes fire is not our friend. This is where Levenger comes in with the Wick LED Candle. I want to first thank Levenger for sending over one of these candles for me to try! Levenger keeps readers, writers, and those who like to do a bit of thinking in mind with a wide range of products, the Wick LED Candle being one of their best sellers, and after trying it out, I can see
Continue reading →
GamingHalloweenParanormalProductReviews
Back during its 1982 golden age, Atari released an adventure game that changed gaming by becoming one of, if not the first survival horror games created, Haunted House. Atari and Orbit Studio have reimagined the legendary game for modern audiences in time for Halloween! I want to thank Atari and Orbit Studio for allowing me to check out this revamped legend! Haunted House follows Lyn Graves and her friends as they go to a haunted house her exploring uncle disappeared in. After arriving at the spooky location, Lyn is separated from her friends and must now find them too as well as put a curse to bed, and end the hauntings. Now, on to the game itself! Haunted House‘s controls seem a bit complicated for a relatively simple story and game with so many mechanics being thrown at you right off the bat! When it comes to sound for Haunted House, the soundtrack, though good, needs more variety. The game
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
In 2017, Buzz Feed artist Adam Ellis made the first tweet about the ghost child with a crushed head haunting him. The tweets referred to the child as “Dear David,” and quickly, it went viral as he updated his followers regularly about the spooky events. It didn’t take long for Buzz Feed and Lionsgate to acquire the right to his story and adapted it for a movie set to be released this October. As someone who followed the original “Dear David” thread as the story unfolded, I already had prejudice towards the movie. I believed it couldn’t hold up against the spookiness of Adam’s tale. Plus, a recent poster made me lose some interest in the movie because, frankly, it looked super cheesy, making me assume the movie would be too. Well, you know what they say about assuming, “It makes an ass out of you and me.” I decided to watch it anyway, prepared to write a scathing review.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Gods of the Deep (U.K., 2023) Last year, prolific director Charlie Steeds’s Freeze played Portland’s H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and this year his new film Gods of the Deep had its world premiere there. Steeds makes practically all manner of horror films, and his recent one-two punch of Lovecraftian horror is some of his strongest work yet. Gods of the Deep finds Jim Peters (Derek Nelson of Freeze) carrying on the research of his father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He is invited by a corporation that he mistrusts to join a crew that will take the highest-tech submersible ever developed to the depths of the ocean to explore what looks like an ancient man-made structure. Subterfuge, action, cosmic horror mayhem, and creature-feature creepiness abound as the crew makes a discovery of unexpected life deep in the ocean. Steeds works miracles with his budgets, and though the special effects in Gods of the Deep sometimes show that the budget might
Continue reading →
HalloweenNewsProductReviews
Halloween is nearly upon us, and you know what that means: it is time to put up decorations. You know what they say, “Go big or go home,” well, this spooky season, I’m going big, real big. I snagged one of HalloweenCostumes.com‘s new, exclusive, twenty-five-foot-tall Michael Myers inflatables. The inflatable has excellent details from the blood on his knife, shading in his hair and on his clothing, down to his fingers, which are not one piece but individually represented. This thing is awesome from the tips of his toes to the top of his head! You may be wondering how easy the inflatable is to put up. It’s actually really easy. One person can do it, but two are recommended. The hardest part is getting him to stand up, but even that is relatively easy. The whole process took about 30 minutes, and fifteen minutes of that was waiting for it to inflate. Some inflatables have obnoxiously loud air pumps;
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
Mother Tongue (Australia, 2023) Jade (Amelia Foxton, who wrote the screenplay) and Alex (Chiara Gizzi) want to have a baby together, and Alex desperately wants to have it herself rather than adopting, but the couple has run out of almost all options. Almost all, because director Glen Fraser’s Mother Tongue being a horror comedy, the couple can always turn to the dark arts as a last resort. For their journey into the diabolical, they seek the assistance of Brian (Stephen Hunter), who seems to be on the flighty side but proves that he is indeed an occult practitioner. In another classic horror-comedy case of “Be careful what you wish for,” the trio finds itself in quite a gruesome mess. Foxton’s screenplay is rich with both dramatic and comedic looks at parenting and expectations surrounding pregnancy and its difficulties, and delivers the goods in the occult department, too. Foxton and Gizzi are terrific in their portrayals of the frustrated couple, and
Continue reading →
Amazon Prime VideoMoviesNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
Prime Video has now released the time-traveling slasher Totally Killer. I watched it, and I have some thoughts about the movie, directed by Nahnatchka Khan (Always Be My Maybe, “Young Rock”) and starring Kiernan Shipka (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” ). Totally Killer follows Jamie (Shipka), whose mom, Pam (Bowen), is terrorized by the resurgence of the Sweet Sixteen Killer—a masked maniac who slaughtered a group of teenage girls in the ‘80s. With the help of her friend Amelia (Kelcey Mawema), she travels back in time to 1987 and teams up with the teen version of her mom (Holt) to try and stop the killer. Equal parts horror and comedy, the movie sets out to capture the unique charm of the 1980s. And as someone who was there, I can definitely say they nailed it. It was a time when social sensitivity was lacking; there was no such thing as getting “triggered,” and nobody cared if you chained-smoked in the car
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsFrom the CryptMoviesReviews
Alan Scott Neal delivers an outstanding slice of genre cinema with his feature-length directorial debut Last Straw. Combining home invasion horror with siege thriller elements, the film takes viewers on a wild, blood-soaked ride reminiscent of now-classic 1970s and 1980s drive-in fare with a decidedly modern approach. Nancy (Jessica Belkin) is a fast-living, foul-mouthed young woman worried about turning 20 years old soon — and courtesy of a roadside pregnancy test, she has some new things weighing on her mind, as well. Living in a small town, she is the manager of a roadside diner, the employees of which point out is only because she is the owner’s (Jeremey Sisto) daughter. After Nancy stands up to four masked ruffians who threaten to come back later after she kicks them out of the place, she wields her managerial power and fires long-standing cook Jake (Taylor Kowalski, who also serves as a producer on the film). Jake takes the other three members
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsProductReviews
I’m a sucker for anything horror, so when I learned that Shoe Palace is releasing three new horror collections, I had to get my hands on some of the collections that feature shirts, hoodies, and joggers from the horror franchises, Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. . Some pieces, like the hoodies, feature embroidered logos, which is a nice touch. Most of the hoodies feature images and posters from the franchises and feature rich colors. They aren’t going to fade. I’m most fond of the red Friday the 13th hoodie with the original poster on the back. It’s a good-looking piece. It also may have something to do with the fact that the 1980 original was the first horror movie I saw. It’s the movie that began my love of the genre. Some of the joggers have the movie’s titles in a raised form down the legs, which I really like. The art on the front of
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
Baatar Batsukh is a cinematographer making his directorial debut with the Mongolian horror film Aberrance, which he also lensed. The movie is rich in beautifully framed shots and loaded with visual style, bolstering a plot that tries at times to be a bit too surprising. Selenge (Selenge Chadraabal) and Erkhmee (Erkhembayar Ganbat) are a couple who take a break from city life to spend time at — where else but? — a remote cabin in the woods. Something is off between the pair, though, as Erkhmee seems dominant and possibly abusive, which doesn’t go unnoticed by their lone neighbor (Yalalt Namsrai). Meanwhile, Selenge is obviously suffering from trauma, and the claustrophobic environment is only making matters worse. Batsukh, working from a screenplay that he cowrote with Byambasuren Ganbat and Erdene Orosoo, has a keen visual eye, and incorporates everything from cameras attached to actors (with bobbing motion not unlike what you would get using selfie sticks) to unique angles to
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
BooksHalloweenProductReviews
It’s that time of year when it’s getting cooler outside, rainy nights are becoming more frequent, and Halloween is on our minds. Two things that collide head-on this time of year are being cozy and getting spooky, and there’s no better way to experience this than reading spooky stories… by candlelight. Reading by candlelight is a fun experience, especially if you like reading classic horror like I do, but it can come with some drawbacks. The main issue is you’re dealing with an open flame, and sometimes fire is not our friend. This is where Levenger comes in with the Wick LED Candle. I want to first thank Levenger for sending over one of these candles for me to try! Levenger keeps readers, writers, and those who like to do a bit of thinking in mind with a wide range of products, the Wick LED Candle being one of their best sellers, and after trying it out, I can see
Continue reading →
GamingHalloweenParanormalProductReviews
Back during its 1982 golden age, Atari released an adventure game that changed gaming by becoming one of, if not the first survival horror games created, Haunted House. Atari and Orbit Studio have reimagined the legendary game for modern audiences in time for Halloween! I want to thank Atari and Orbit Studio for allowing me to check out this revamped legend! Haunted House follows Lyn Graves and her friends as they go to a haunted house her exploring uncle disappeared in. After arriving at the spooky location, Lyn is separated from her friends and must now find them too as well as put a curse to bed, and end the hauntings. Now, on to the game itself! Haunted House‘s controls seem a bit complicated for a relatively simple story and game with so many mechanics being thrown at you right off the bat! When it comes to sound for Haunted House, the soundtrack, though good, needs more variety. The game
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
In 2017, Buzz Feed artist Adam Ellis made the first tweet about the ghost child with a crushed head haunting him. The tweets referred to the child as “Dear David,” and quickly, it went viral as he updated his followers regularly about the spooky events. It didn’t take long for Buzz Feed and Lionsgate to acquire the right to his story and adapted it for a movie set to be released this October. As someone who followed the original “Dear David” thread as the story unfolded, I already had prejudice towards the movie. I believed it couldn’t hold up against the spookiness of Adam’s tale. Plus, a recent poster made me lose some interest in the movie because, frankly, it looked super cheesy, making me assume the movie would be too. Well, you know what they say about assuming, “It makes an ass out of you and me.” I decided to watch it anyway, prepared to write a scathing review.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Gods of the Deep (U.K., 2023) Last year, prolific director Charlie Steeds’s Freeze played Portland’s H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and this year his new film Gods of the Deep had its world premiere there. Steeds makes practically all manner of horror films, and his recent one-two punch of Lovecraftian horror is some of his strongest work yet. Gods of the Deep finds Jim Peters (Derek Nelson of Freeze) carrying on the research of his father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He is invited by a corporation that he mistrusts to join a crew that will take the highest-tech submersible ever developed to the depths of the ocean to explore what looks like an ancient man-made structure. Subterfuge, action, cosmic horror mayhem, and creature-feature creepiness abound as the crew makes a discovery of unexpected life deep in the ocean. Steeds works miracles with his budgets, and though the special effects in Gods of the Deep sometimes show that the budget might
Continue reading →
HalloweenNewsProductReviews
Halloween is nearly upon us, and you know what that means: it is time to put up decorations. You know what they say, “Go big or go home,” well, this spooky season, I’m going big, real big. I snagged one of HalloweenCostumes.com‘s new, exclusive, twenty-five-foot-tall Michael Myers inflatables. The inflatable has excellent details from the blood on his knife, shading in his hair and on his clothing, down to his fingers, which are not one piece but individually represented. This thing is awesome from the tips of his toes to the top of his head! You may be wondering how easy the inflatable is to put up. It’s actually really easy. One person can do it, but two are recommended. The hardest part is getting him to stand up, but even that is relatively easy. The whole process took about 30 minutes, and fifteen minutes of that was waiting for it to inflate. Some inflatables have obnoxiously loud air pumps;
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
Mother Tongue (Australia, 2023) Jade (Amelia Foxton, who wrote the screenplay) and Alex (Chiara Gizzi) want to have a baby together, and Alex desperately wants to have it herself rather than adopting, but the couple has run out of almost all options. Almost all, because director Glen Fraser’s Mother Tongue being a horror comedy, the couple can always turn to the dark arts as a last resort. For their journey into the diabolical, they seek the assistance of Brian (Stephen Hunter), who seems to be on the flighty side but proves that he is indeed an occult practitioner. In another classic horror-comedy case of “Be careful what you wish for,” the trio finds itself in quite a gruesome mess. Foxton’s screenplay is rich with both dramatic and comedic looks at parenting and expectations surrounding pregnancy and its difficulties, and delivers the goods in the occult department, too. Foxton and Gizzi are terrific in their portrayals of the frustrated couple, and
Continue reading →
Amazon Prime VideoMoviesNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
Prime Video has now released the time-traveling slasher Totally Killer. I watched it, and I have some thoughts about the movie, directed by Nahnatchka Khan (Always Be My Maybe, “Young Rock”) and starring Kiernan Shipka (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” ). Totally Killer follows Jamie (Shipka), whose mom, Pam (Bowen), is terrorized by the resurgence of the Sweet Sixteen Killer—a masked maniac who slaughtered a group of teenage girls in the ‘80s. With the help of her friend Amelia (Kelcey Mawema), she travels back in time to 1987 and teams up with the teen version of her mom (Holt) to try and stop the killer. Equal parts horror and comedy, the movie sets out to capture the unique charm of the 1980s. And as someone who was there, I can definitely say they nailed it. It was a time when social sensitivity was lacking; there was no such thing as getting “triggered,” and nobody cared if you chained-smoked in the car
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsFrom the CryptMoviesReviews
Alan Scott Neal delivers an outstanding slice of genre cinema with his feature-length directorial debut Last Straw. Combining home invasion horror with siege thriller elements, the film takes viewers on a wild, blood-soaked ride reminiscent of now-classic 1970s and 1980s drive-in fare with a decidedly modern approach. Nancy (Jessica Belkin) is a fast-living, foul-mouthed young woman worried about turning 20 years old soon — and courtesy of a roadside pregnancy test, she has some new things weighing on her mind, as well. Living in a small town, she is the manager of a roadside diner, the employees of which point out is only because she is the owner’s (Jeremey Sisto) daughter. After Nancy stands up to four masked ruffians who threaten to come back later after she kicks them out of the place, she wields her managerial power and fires long-standing cook Jake (Taylor Kowalski, who also serves as a producer on the film). Jake takes the other three members
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsProductReviews
I’m a sucker for anything horror, so when I learned that Shoe Palace is releasing three new horror collections, I had to get my hands on some of the collections that feature shirts, hoodies, and joggers from the horror franchises, Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. . Some pieces, like the hoodies, feature embroidered logos, which is a nice touch. Most of the hoodies feature images and posters from the franchises and feature rich colors. They aren’t going to fade. I’m most fond of the red Friday the 13th hoodie with the original poster on the back. It’s a good-looking piece. It also may have something to do with the fact that the 1980 original was the first horror movie I saw. It’s the movie that began my love of the genre. Some of the joggers have the movie’s titles in a raised form down the legs, which I really like. The art on the front of
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
Baatar Batsukh is a cinematographer making his directorial debut with the Mongolian horror film Aberrance, which he also lensed. The movie is rich in beautifully framed shots and loaded with visual style, bolstering a plot that tries at times to be a bit too surprising. Selenge (Selenge Chadraabal) and Erkhmee (Erkhembayar Ganbat) are a couple who take a break from city life to spend time at — where else but? — a remote cabin in the woods. Something is off between the pair, though, as Erkhmee seems dominant and possibly abusive, which doesn’t go unnoticed by their lone neighbor (Yalalt Namsrai). Meanwhile, Selenge is obviously suffering from trauma, and the claustrophobic environment is only making matters worse. Batsukh, working from a screenplay that he cowrote with Byambasuren Ganbat and Erdene Orosoo, has a keen visual eye, and incorporates everything from cameras attached to actors (with bobbing motion not unlike what you would get using selfie sticks) to unique angles to
Continue reading →
