CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,463 stories
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Austrian horror film Family Dinner serves up characters and situations that haunt long after the ending credits roll. Wonderfully acted, grim, and unsettling, writer/director Peter Hengl’s debut big-screen feature does a fine job of getting under the skin of viewers. Simi (Nina Katlein) is an overweight teenager who visits her Aunt Claudia (Pia Hierzegger), a published cookbook author and authority on nutrition, in the hopes of losing some weight. Her visit is met with a cool welcome, and she is told that she must leave in a few days, before Claudia, her new husband Stefan (Michael Pink), and Claudia’s son from her first marriage, Filipp (Alexander Sledik), celebrate Easter. Simi must room with Filipp, and his despisal of her is clear from the beginning. He taunts her by showing off his torso, and his relationship with his mother and new stepfather is also highly strained. Claudia seems to be either skirting around information or outright lying when she is not
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsReviewsTrailersTrue Crime
Can you imagine being sentenced to death, having it commuted, only to spend 39 years facing the brutality and real horrors of prison and knowing that you are completely innocent? That was the reality for Rickey Jackson, prisoner A144-061. In the new documentary Lovely Jackson, we are introduced to Rickey and the hardships he experienced for many decades. Lovely Jackson is not your average true crime film. We rarely see through the eyes of someone who has experienced so much suffering at the hands of a failed justice system. You may be wondering how an innocent man found himself in such a situation, the state’s entire case hinged on a statement made b12-year-old-old, and it was a complete lie. Rickey waited for thirty-nine years for him to tell the truth. You would think Rickey would be bitter, but no. Somehow he remains kind and found forgiveness for the man who almost put him in the electric chair. I wasn’t sure
Continue reading →
GamingProductReviews
In 2015, the horror gaming world was changed with Until Dawn, a horror game that was more like an interactive movie where the players directed where the story goes either purposely or completely by accident. The team behind the hit, Supermassive Games has gone on to work on the critically acclaimed “Dark Pictures Anthology” series that took the mechanics of Until Dawn and made individual games with unique stories. Supermassive is back with its own tale to tell in the 80s slasher-inspired interactive narrative, The Quarry. The Quarry follows a group of “Teenage” camp counselors who have to stay the night at the campgrounds after their ride out is disabled. Ignoring advice about staying indoors, the “Kids” throw themselves a party that attracts the attention of someone…or something, in the woods resulting in them fighting to survive till morning. Now onto the game itself but first I want to give 2K and Supermassive Games a big thank you for making
Continue reading →
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 →
Advertisement
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 →
More from Reviews
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Austrian horror film Family Dinner serves up characters and situations that haunt long after the ending credits roll. Wonderfully acted, grim, and unsettling, writer/director Peter Hengl’s debut big-screen feature does a fine job of getting under the skin of viewers. Simi (Nina Katlein) is an overweight teenager who visits her Aunt Claudia (Pia Hierzegger), a published cookbook author and authority on nutrition, in the hopes of losing some weight. Her visit is met with a cool welcome, and she is told that she must leave in a few days, before Claudia, her new husband Stefan (Michael Pink), and Claudia’s son from her first marriage, Filipp (Alexander Sledik), celebrate Easter. Simi must room with Filipp, and his despisal of her is clear from the beginning. He taunts her by showing off his torso, and his relationship with his mother and new stepfather is also highly strained. Claudia seems to be either skirting around information or outright lying when she is not
Continue reading →
DocumentariesMoviesNewsReviewsTrailersTrue Crime
Can you imagine being sentenced to death, having it commuted, only to spend 39 years facing the brutality and real horrors of prison and knowing that you are completely innocent? That was the reality for Rickey Jackson, prisoner A144-061. In the new documentary Lovely Jackson, we are introduced to Rickey and the hardships he experienced for many decades. Lovely Jackson is not your average true crime film. We rarely see through the eyes of someone who has experienced so much suffering at the hands of a failed justice system. You may be wondering how an innocent man found himself in such a situation, the state’s entire case hinged on a statement made b12-year-old-old, and it was a complete lie. Rickey waited for thirty-nine years for him to tell the truth. You would think Rickey would be bitter, but no. Somehow he remains kind and found forgiveness for the man who almost put him in the electric chair. I wasn’t sure
Continue reading →
GamingProductReviews
In 2015, the horror gaming world was changed with Until Dawn, a horror game that was more like an interactive movie where the players directed where the story goes either purposely or completely by accident. The team behind the hit, Supermassive Games has gone on to work on the critically acclaimed “Dark Pictures Anthology” series that took the mechanics of Until Dawn and made individual games with unique stories. Supermassive is back with its own tale to tell in the 80s slasher-inspired interactive narrative, The Quarry. The Quarry follows a group of “Teenage” camp counselors who have to stay the night at the campgrounds after their ride out is disabled. Ignoring advice about staying indoors, the “Kids” throw themselves a party that attracts the attention of someone…or something, in the woods resulting in them fighting to survive till morning. Now onto the game itself but first I want to give 2K and Supermassive Games a big thank you for making
Continue reading →
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 →
