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
NewsParamount+ReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
The season 3 premiere of the supernatural horror series “Evil” is only days away. I had a chance to check out the new season and let me tell you, it’s like fine wine, the series only gets better with time. This season begins “moments after the end of season two: when a newly ordained David (Mike Colter) and Kristen (Kristen Bouchard,) kiss. In season three, the two not only have to navigate this fraught new reality but contend with David’s involvement with “the entity,” an espionage unit within the Catholic church. Meanwhile, Ben (Aasif Mandvi) finds his brain breaking from their unsolved cases and turns to his sister for help.” Father David struggles with doubts and questions, while Ben is questioning everything, and Kristen continues to face off against Leland (Michael Emerson ) but also struggles to protect her family. I will say this, Kristen’s got bigger balls this season, she’s tired of the bullshit and is ready to put
Continue reading →
BooksComic Books/Graphic NovelsGamingMoviesProductReviews
When it comes to pop culture memorabilia, it’s hard to find something unique to add to your collection that’s made by just anyone, massed produced, and sold pretty much everywhere. Well, I just discovered Insight Editions, a publisher of both books and collectibles that are known for their cookbooks based on popular shows, movies, and video games. Some of the more unique items they have in stock are Tarot Cards based on movies and shows, the most intriguing being the Tarot del Toro! I want to thank Insight Editions for helping to make this review possible! As you probably already guessed, the Tarot del Toro is a tarot deck based on the works of Guillermo del Toro. The deck comes with a guidebook on the meaning of all the cards as well as how to read them which is good if you intend to use them. The cards themselves are sturdy and amazingly detailed thanks to the talents of Tomás
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
If you have been hankering for the resurrection of a cult horror film that has been dormant for a few years and that is a tongue-in-cheek love letter to low-budget fright-fare of the past, look no further than All About Evil. This verve-filled gorefest had a limited release in 2010 but is about to find its widest audience ever. Written and directed by Joshua Grannell — AKA drag performer Peaches Christ, who makes a cameo in the film — All About Evil finds Deborah Tennis (Natasha Lyonne in a grand, deliberate demonstration of chewing more scenery than there is in the sets), a frustrated child actor cum shy librarian, taking over the reigns of San Francisco’s Victoria Theater after her father dies. Her evil stepmother (Julie Caitlin Brown) threatens to sell the venue that Deborah’s dad worked so hard to build, and in a moment of temporary insanity that unlocks the door to a more permanent case, Deborah kills her
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
A balding middle-aged dude bangs a woman way out of his league before dying with Shrek’s wife’s name on his lips. So begins José Ramón Larraz (Vampyres… and credited here as Joseph Braunstein) 1982 erotic occult shocker Black Candles, or as it’s also known; Los ritos sexuales del diablo… but the blu-ray refers to it as Hot Fantasies, so who the fuck knows… Anyhow, Carol (Vanessa Hidalgo) arrives in London to stay with the aforementioned Fiona (Helga Liné) upon the death of her brother (ol’ mid-life crisis referenced up yonder), and upon arrival sees evidence of all manner of occult-biz and groovy art, which wasn’t like her bro at all… except apparently it was! See this dread dwelling is packed to the terror tits with a Satanic cult lead by local (un)holy man Reverend Hübner (Manuel Gómez-Álvarez) and before long, our heroine begins fucking and having fucking nightmares (but mostly nightmares about fucking) and believe you me shit is going
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
LGBTQ horror is having a strong year, from the film festival success of Hypochondriac to the upcoming Kevin Bacon vehicle They/Them to the resurrected release this month of the 2010 cult film All About Evil. Writer/director Carter Smith (The Ruins) delivers a squirm-inducing entry into the subgenre with Swallowed, which uses both body horror and survival horror in its nerve-wracking tale of plans gone awry among two friends. Benjamin (Cooper Koch) is celebrating his last night in town before moving to Los Angeles to become a gay porn actor. His straight best friend Dom (Jose Colon) is concerned about Benjamin’s future, so he has a plan to make some fast cash for his buddy. What Dom believes is a simple drug run turns out to be much worse than that, as the pair are held at gunpoint by deal go-between Alice (Jena Malone) and forced to swallow bags of illicit goods. When they go to a specified rest stop to
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Director John Pogue’s (The Quiet Ones, Deep Blue Sea 3) reboot Eraser: Reborn is set to be released this week. I had the chance to check it out in advance and review it. Before we dive into it, I confess that I’ve never seen the original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. With the1996 original having such a star-studded cast, I feel that it is almost unfair to compare the two, so I’m going to judge Reborn on its own merits. In the movie, U.S. Marshal Mason Pollard specializes in “erasing” people – faking the deaths of high-risk witnesses. With the technological advances of the last 25 years, the game has upgraded, and it’s just another day at the office when he’s assigned to Rina Kimura, a crime boss’ wife who’s decided to turn state’s evidence. As the two flee to Cape Town, South Africa, Pollard discoveruthlesseen sets up with a team of merciless assassins on their trail. Double-crossed and fueled by adrenaline,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Director Chloe Okuno, who first came to the attention of this reviewer and many a horror fan with her terrific 2014 short film Slut, delivers one of this year’s finest, most gripping horror thrillers with her debut feature Watcher. Elegantly shot, eerie, and suspenseful, the film boasts a fantastic lead performance from Maika Monroe, building on the strong work she has already shown in The Guest, It Follows, and other films. Julia (Monroe) moves from the U.S. to Bucharest with her husband Francis (Karl Glusman) after he is transferred there as a work promotion. He speaks the language, while she is trying to learn it. He works long days, while she mostly remains in their plush apartment. She notices a man (Burn Gorman of Crimson Peak) in the next building who is seemingly watching her at all hours. With a serial killer called The Spider roaming the streets, Julia naturally becomes suspicious when she sees someone who she believes is
Continue reading →
NetflixNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
A few days ago, Netflix unleashed the first half of season 4 of its hit supernatural series “Stranger Things.” So let’s dive right in. The season begins with Eleven living in a new town under the name Jane. Things aren’t going well for her. She is being bullied terribly by the popular kids. Things come to a head when Mike comes to visit, and she loses it and hits the lead girl in the face, triggering a fight between different government factions to find her. After a man from her past convinces her to go with him, she finds herself back in the clutches of Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine), aka Papa, the man who made her what she is. The rest of the kids aren’t doing any better. Half are on a mission to find Eleven, while the rest are in Hawkins facing a new menace from the Upside Down while trying to save their new friend who is being
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
From director Sean King O’Grady (Dinner In America) comes the horror film We Need To Do Something, headed to Blu-ray this June. In the film, a dysfunctional family retreats to a bathroom during a storm, not knowing the hell that awaits them when they find themselves trapped with the walls closing in. Sierra McCormick stars as Melissa, a teen with a history of mental illness and a girlfriend who is a witch. John James Cronin plays the role of Melissa’s sheltered, babied little brother. Vinessa Shaw plays the role of a loving mother who puts up with too much shit from their severely alcoholic, verbally abusive father, played by Pat Healy. Being locked in a room with him is enough to drive anyone crazy. As the film unfolds, we see real-life horrors, supernatural ones, and a monster, voiced by Ozzy Osbourne. There are many witchy themes and unseen horrors, but the real story, the real horrors, is what unfolds in
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsThrillerTrailers
If you’re like me you’ve been eagerly awaiting brilliant writer-director Robert Egger’s latest film, The Northman. Well, there’s good news, it’s now available on VOD. Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, and Anya Taylor-Joy, the film follows young prince Amleth, whose father, the king (Hawke) is killed by his uncle and his throne stolen along with his mother. Amleth swears to avenge his father and save his mother. Hidden amongst a berserker tribe, he grows into a strong, fighter who kills like it’s an everyday mundane activity. After a raid, a vision sends him on a quest for revenge and he brings death to anyone who stands in his way. Entwined with the story are the old legends of the north, worship of gods Odin and Freyja, ceremonies, and sacrifice. Mystics trigger otherworldly visions as men crawl on all fours like dogs and Valcaries carry the fortunate off to Valhalla. From beginning to end, The Northman is simply stunning.
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
NewsParamount+ReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
The season 3 premiere of the supernatural horror series “Evil” is only days away. I had a chance to check out the new season and let me tell you, it’s like fine wine, the series only gets better with time. This season begins “moments after the end of season two: when a newly ordained David (Mike Colter) and Kristen (Kristen Bouchard,) kiss. In season three, the two not only have to navigate this fraught new reality but contend with David’s involvement with “the entity,” an espionage unit within the Catholic church. Meanwhile, Ben (Aasif Mandvi) finds his brain breaking from their unsolved cases and turns to his sister for help.” Father David struggles with doubts and questions, while Ben is questioning everything, and Kristen continues to face off against Leland (Michael Emerson ) but also struggles to protect her family. I will say this, Kristen’s got bigger balls this season, she’s tired of the bullshit and is ready to put
Continue reading →
BooksComic Books/Graphic NovelsGamingMoviesProductReviews
When it comes to pop culture memorabilia, it’s hard to find something unique to add to your collection that’s made by just anyone, massed produced, and sold pretty much everywhere. Well, I just discovered Insight Editions, a publisher of both books and collectibles that are known for their cookbooks based on popular shows, movies, and video games. Some of the more unique items they have in stock are Tarot Cards based on movies and shows, the most intriguing being the Tarot del Toro! I want to thank Insight Editions for helping to make this review possible! As you probably already guessed, the Tarot del Toro is a tarot deck based on the works of Guillermo del Toro. The deck comes with a guidebook on the meaning of all the cards as well as how to read them which is good if you intend to use them. The cards themselves are sturdy and amazingly detailed thanks to the talents of Tomás
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
If you have been hankering for the resurrection of a cult horror film that has been dormant for a few years and that is a tongue-in-cheek love letter to low-budget fright-fare of the past, look no further than All About Evil. This verve-filled gorefest had a limited release in 2010 but is about to find its widest audience ever. Written and directed by Joshua Grannell — AKA drag performer Peaches Christ, who makes a cameo in the film — All About Evil finds Deborah Tennis (Natasha Lyonne in a grand, deliberate demonstration of chewing more scenery than there is in the sets), a frustrated child actor cum shy librarian, taking over the reigns of San Francisco’s Victoria Theater after her father dies. Her evil stepmother (Julie Caitlin Brown) threatens to sell the venue that Deborah’s dad worked so hard to build, and in a moment of temporary insanity that unlocks the door to a more permanent case, Deborah kills her
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
A balding middle-aged dude bangs a woman way out of his league before dying with Shrek’s wife’s name on his lips. So begins José Ramón Larraz (Vampyres… and credited here as Joseph Braunstein) 1982 erotic occult shocker Black Candles, or as it’s also known; Los ritos sexuales del diablo… but the blu-ray refers to it as Hot Fantasies, so who the fuck knows… Anyhow, Carol (Vanessa Hidalgo) arrives in London to stay with the aforementioned Fiona (Helga Liné) upon the death of her brother (ol’ mid-life crisis referenced up yonder), and upon arrival sees evidence of all manner of occult-biz and groovy art, which wasn’t like her bro at all… except apparently it was! See this dread dwelling is packed to the terror tits with a Satanic cult lead by local (un)holy man Reverend Hübner (Manuel Gómez-Álvarez) and before long, our heroine begins fucking and having fucking nightmares (but mostly nightmares about fucking) and believe you me shit is going
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
LGBTQ horror is having a strong year, from the film festival success of Hypochondriac to the upcoming Kevin Bacon vehicle They/Them to the resurrected release this month of the 2010 cult film All About Evil. Writer/director Carter Smith (The Ruins) delivers a squirm-inducing entry into the subgenre with Swallowed, which uses both body horror and survival horror in its nerve-wracking tale of plans gone awry among two friends. Benjamin (Cooper Koch) is celebrating his last night in town before moving to Los Angeles to become a gay porn actor. His straight best friend Dom (Jose Colon) is concerned about Benjamin’s future, so he has a plan to make some fast cash for his buddy. What Dom believes is a simple drug run turns out to be much worse than that, as the pair are held at gunpoint by deal go-between Alice (Jena Malone) and forced to swallow bags of illicit goods. When they go to a specified rest stop to
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Director John Pogue’s (The Quiet Ones, Deep Blue Sea 3) reboot Eraser: Reborn is set to be released this week. I had the chance to check it out in advance and review it. Before we dive into it, I confess that I’ve never seen the original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. With the1996 original having such a star-studded cast, I feel that it is almost unfair to compare the two, so I’m going to judge Reborn on its own merits. In the movie, U.S. Marshal Mason Pollard specializes in “erasing” people – faking the deaths of high-risk witnesses. With the technological advances of the last 25 years, the game has upgraded, and it’s just another day at the office when he’s assigned to Rina Kimura, a crime boss’ wife who’s decided to turn state’s evidence. As the two flee to Cape Town, South Africa, Pollard discoveruthlesseen sets up with a team of merciless assassins on their trail. Double-crossed and fueled by adrenaline,
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Director Chloe Okuno, who first came to the attention of this reviewer and many a horror fan with her terrific 2014 short film Slut, delivers one of this year’s finest, most gripping horror thrillers with her debut feature Watcher. Elegantly shot, eerie, and suspenseful, the film boasts a fantastic lead performance from Maika Monroe, building on the strong work she has already shown in The Guest, It Follows, and other films. Julia (Monroe) moves from the U.S. to Bucharest with her husband Francis (Karl Glusman) after he is transferred there as a work promotion. He speaks the language, while she is trying to learn it. He works long days, while she mostly remains in their plush apartment. She notices a man (Burn Gorman of Crimson Peak) in the next building who is seemingly watching her at all hours. With a serial killer called The Spider roaming the streets, Julia naturally becomes suspicious when she sees someone who she believes is
Continue reading →
NetflixNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
A few days ago, Netflix unleashed the first half of season 4 of its hit supernatural series “Stranger Things.” So let’s dive right in. The season begins with Eleven living in a new town under the name Jane. Things aren’t going well for her. She is being bullied terribly by the popular kids. Things come to a head when Mike comes to visit, and she loses it and hits the lead girl in the face, triggering a fight between different government factions to find her. After a man from her past convinces her to go with him, she finds herself back in the clutches of Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine), aka Papa, the man who made her what she is. The rest of the kids aren’t doing any better. Half are on a mission to find Eleven, while the rest are in Hawkins facing a new menace from the Upside Down while trying to save their new friend who is being
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
From director Sean King O’Grady (Dinner In America) comes the horror film We Need To Do Something, headed to Blu-ray this June. In the film, a dysfunctional family retreats to a bathroom during a storm, not knowing the hell that awaits them when they find themselves trapped with the walls closing in. Sierra McCormick stars as Melissa, a teen with a history of mental illness and a girlfriend who is a witch. John James Cronin plays the role of Melissa’s sheltered, babied little brother. Vinessa Shaw plays the role of a loving mother who puts up with too much shit from their severely alcoholic, verbally abusive father, played by Pat Healy. Being locked in a room with him is enough to drive anyone crazy. As the film unfolds, we see real-life horrors, supernatural ones, and a monster, voiced by Ozzy Osbourne. There are many witchy themes and unseen horrors, but the real story, the real horrors, is what unfolds in
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsThrillerTrailers
If you’re like me you’ve been eagerly awaiting brilliant writer-director Robert Egger’s latest film, The Northman. Well, there’s good news, it’s now available on VOD. Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, and Anya Taylor-Joy, the film follows young prince Amleth, whose father, the king (Hawke) is killed by his uncle and his throne stolen along with his mother. Amleth swears to avenge his father and save his mother. Hidden amongst a berserker tribe, he grows into a strong, fighter who kills like it’s an everyday mundane activity. After a raid, a vision sends him on a quest for revenge and he brings death to anyone who stands in his way. Entwined with the story are the old legends of the north, worship of gods Odin and Freyja, ceremonies, and sacrifice. Mystics trigger otherworldly visions as men crawl on all fours like dogs and Valcaries carry the fortunate off to Valhalla. From beginning to end, The Northman is simply stunning.
Continue reading →
