Latest Articles
Arrow Video FrightFest Announces Its Short Film Showcases
Arrow Video FrightFest has already announced the incredible feature film lineup for its August 2020 digital edition, and now the festival has revealed its intriguing short film program. The shorts are available to watch on demand for U.K. viewers from 6:00 pm August 27th to 9:00 pm August 31st. Following is the fest’s official press release regarding the short film showcases. The films may be short, but there is no shortage of scares as Arrow Video FrightFest 2020 showcases the best new short films from the UK and around the world, with six countries representing three continents. From under-the-bed monsters to monsters in front of your eyes, from the sinister and the creepy to the wickedly human and the not-so-human, this year’s selection shines a spotlight on upcoming filmmakers. The UK is represented with a record 11 entries. There are world premiere screenings for WEREWOLF, where game night just got dangerous, A BIT OF FUN, where a girls’ night in
Continue reading →
Indie Revenge Horror ‘Serena Waits’ Premiering On Kings Of Horror Channel
Genre distributor Terror Films has teamed with Kings of Horror for the World Premiere of 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 exclusively
Continue reading →
DVD Review: ‘Are You Afraid Of The Dark: The Limited Series Event’
I was nine when I watched my first episode of “Are You Afraid the Dark?” Even as a kid I loved all things dark and spooky. That hasn’t changed since I became an adult. When I heard the news that the series was coming back as a limited series event I was eager to recapture a bit of nostalgia. So, how does the new limited series event stack up? I am happy to report that I am more than pleased. Even as an adult, I truly enjoyed all three episodes that make up the DVD. The story follows a new girl at school who is invited into the mysterious Midnight Society but to join she has to create a truly terrifying tale. And boy does she succeed. However, after joining the group her story comes to life bringing the dark carnival she sees in her nightmare to light. The group finds themselves on a mission to save a school mate
Continue reading →
Movie Review: Uncle Peckerhead (2020)
Judy (Chet Siegel), along with her pals Max (Jeff Riddle) and Mel (Ruby McCollister) simply want to solicit a van for the first tour of their punk band, DUH, when they encounter one strange mother fucker what goes by the handle Peckerhead (David Littleton). This chance meeting is fortuitous for our heroes, as ol’ Pecker is willing to let them use his van cum home as a means to haul their asses from gig to gig for a few bucks and gas money… hell, he even volunteers to act as their roadie! Really the only negative to the deal is that Peckerhead turns into a flesh-eating monster every night at midnight for thirteen minutes… as one does. Now our heroes aren’t ones to let some fucked-up arcane shenanigans get in the way of their dreams, so they soon form an uneasy alliance with Pecker in order to continue the tour… now let’s see if they can pull that off without
Continue reading →
Movie Review: Max Reload and the Nether Blasters (2020)
Max Jenkins (Tom Plumley) and his pals Reggie (Joey Morgan) and Liz (Hassie Harrison) spend most of their time, free and otherwise, playin’ a Warcraft-esque MMORPG, but those fabricated adventures are about to become all to real… You see, Max works at a video game store… in fact all of his pals do; and it’s within those confines that our hero discovers a long lost Colecovision game, Nether Dungeon by name, that when conquered unleashes an ancient curse upon the small town our protagonists call home. Soon Max, Reggie, and Liz must face the Nether, along with the help of one of the game’s creators, Eugene Wylder (Greg Grunberg), and their level of success will determine the fate of the entire world! One of the greatest assets to Max Reload and the Nether Blasters is the mythology the flick conjures up around the fictitious video game that causes so much trouble for Max n’ friends. There’s a brief television documentary
Continue reading →
Fantasia 2020 Reveals Final Round of Features and Lifetime Achievement Award for John Carpenter in Massive Third Wave Announcement
As if Fantasia Film Festival’s first and second wave announcements about its 24th edition weren’t jaw-dropping enough, today the Montreal-based fest announced a huge new assortment of feature films, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, and special events. Following is the official press release from Fantasia, which presents its digital edition from August 20–September 2, 2020. JOHN CARPENTER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND MASTERCLASS Fantasia attendees lovingly recall that the Kentucky-raised writer/director/musician was one of the first major international guests to attend Fantasia for the fest’s third edition in 1998, when it launched the International Premiere of VAMPIRES. In conjunction with awarding him a Fantasia Lifetime Achievement Award, the festival will also present a masterclass from Carpenter, where he’ll discuss everything from his own festival origin story to his awe-inspiring career, touching on HALLOWEEN, THE FOG, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, THE THING, STARMAN, THEY LIVE, and many more. In addition, the fest will explore his recent resurgence as a
Continue reading →
Book Review: ‘The Captivating Flames of Madness’
I recently received a copy of the book The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons. This collection of 22 short stores is published by HellBound Books and a magnificent journey into darkness and horror! “We’re all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever. What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?” Characters The characters in Parson’s stories are deep. They are layered and full of life and experiences that go far beyond the frame of the stories. Each character that I came across I each story, regardless of age, gender, race, time period, mortal or supernatural, good or bad…I was intrigued. This is a very impressive thing to do especially in a short story where you have to set up a character in a few words or sentences
Continue reading →
Movie Review: Shifter (2020)
Writer/director Jacob Leighton Burns delivers an engaging character study of a socially awkward young woman who is self-taught well enough to build a time machine in the science fiction/horror feature Shifter. A microbudget independent feature, the film relies on the lead performance of Nicole Fancher and the story behind her character Theresa Chaney rather than elaborate special effects. Theresa sacrificed much of her life, including going to university, to take care of her now deceased father on their rural homestead. She is well versed enough in science to create the aforementioned time machine, and after experimenting successfully with her pet cat, she experiments with it herself. The good news is that the time travel works well enough for her to get revenge on a pompous date, but the bad news is that it takes a physical toll on her body that gets worse each time she uses the device. The time machine and its effects also affect Theresa’s job performance
Continue reading →
Blu-ray Review: Universal Horror Collection: Volume 6 (1952 – 1961)
The last five Universal Horror Collections brought to us courtesy of those delightful devils over at Scream Factory have been creepy cornucopias containing a beastly bevy of fiendishly fun fright flicks (Don’t believe me? Head here, here, here, here and lastly here, to read my thoughts for your own sinister self)! Let’s see if Volume 6 lives up to it’s preternatural predecessors! Starting things off we have The Black Castle from 1952: Sir Ronald Burton (Richard Greene) is playin’ sleuth and diving into the disappearance of a few of his pals… pals that payed a visit to the ornate Austrian estate of Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally). You see, ol’ Bruno is pissed as all get-out at the leaders of a British military force that got the native population of colonial occupied Africa to hand Big B his ass. So that explains where those friends of Burton’s got off to… but Burton was part of that action, and soon finds
Continue reading →
Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Shifter’ Unleashed Today On VOD And On Demand
An experiment goes terribly wrong in director Jacob Burns‘ indie sci-fi thriller Shifter, which he co-wrote with Zach Burns. Nicole Fancher (Unchained Love), Ashley Mandanas (Golden Arm), Paul T. Taylor (Hellraiser: Judgment), and Jamie Brewster (The Adventures of Jurassic Pet: Chapter 1) star. In Shifter, “a young woman experiences painful and gruesome side effects after an experiment with time travel goes wrong.” Shifter made its world premiere at this year’s DeadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City, where it won Best Oklahoma Feature. The film is produced by Jacob Burns, Zach Burns, and Vinnie Hogan. The Horror Collective is releasing Planet Thunder’s bold and fascinating sci-fi body horror film Shifter on August 6th on VOD and On Demand platforms.
Continue reading →More latest articles
Arrow Video FrightFest Announces Its Short Film Showcases
Arrow Video FrightFest has already announced the incredible feature film lineup for its August 2020 digital edition, and now the festival has revealed its intriguing short film program. The shorts are available to watch on demand for U.K. viewers from 6:00 pm August 27th to 9:00 pm August 31st. Following is the fest’s official press release regarding the short film showcases. The films may be short, but there is no shortage of scares as Arrow Video FrightFest 2020 showcases the best new short films from the UK and around the world, with six countries representing three continents. From under-the-bed monsters to monsters in front of your eyes, from the sinister and the creepy to the wickedly human and the not-so-human, this year’s selection shines a spotlight on upcoming filmmakers. The UK is represented with a record 11 entries. There are world premiere screenings for WEREWOLF, where game night just got dangerous, A BIT OF FUN, where a girls’ night in
Continue reading →
Indie Revenge Horror ‘Serena Waits’ Premiering On Kings Of Horror Channel
Genre distributor Terror Films has teamed with Kings of Horror for the World Premiere of 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 exclusively
Continue reading →
DVD Review: ‘Are You Afraid Of The Dark: The Limited Series Event’
I was nine when I watched my first episode of “Are You Afraid the Dark?” Even as a kid I loved all things dark and spooky. That hasn’t changed since I became an adult. When I heard the news that the series was coming back as a limited series event I was eager to recapture a bit of nostalgia. So, how does the new limited series event stack up? I am happy to report that I am more than pleased. Even as an adult, I truly enjoyed all three episodes that make up the DVD. The story follows a new girl at school who is invited into the mysterious Midnight Society but to join she has to create a truly terrifying tale. And boy does she succeed. However, after joining the group her story comes to life bringing the dark carnival she sees in her nightmare to light. The group finds themselves on a mission to save a school mate
Continue reading →
Movie Review: Uncle Peckerhead (2020)
Judy (Chet Siegel), along with her pals Max (Jeff Riddle) and Mel (Ruby McCollister) simply want to solicit a van for the first tour of their punk band, DUH, when they encounter one strange mother fucker what goes by the handle Peckerhead (David Littleton). This chance meeting is fortuitous for our heroes, as ol’ Pecker is willing to let them use his van cum home as a means to haul their asses from gig to gig for a few bucks and gas money… hell, he even volunteers to act as their roadie! Really the only negative to the deal is that Peckerhead turns into a flesh-eating monster every night at midnight for thirteen minutes… as one does. Now our heroes aren’t ones to let some fucked-up arcane shenanigans get in the way of their dreams, so they soon form an uneasy alliance with Pecker in order to continue the tour… now let’s see if they can pull that off without
Continue reading →
Movie Review: Max Reload and the Nether Blasters (2020)
Max Jenkins (Tom Plumley) and his pals Reggie (Joey Morgan) and Liz (Hassie Harrison) spend most of their time, free and otherwise, playin’ a Warcraft-esque MMORPG, but those fabricated adventures are about to become all to real… You see, Max works at a video game store… in fact all of his pals do; and it’s within those confines that our hero discovers a long lost Colecovision game, Nether Dungeon by name, that when conquered unleashes an ancient curse upon the small town our protagonists call home. Soon Max, Reggie, and Liz must face the Nether, along with the help of one of the game’s creators, Eugene Wylder (Greg Grunberg), and their level of success will determine the fate of the entire world! One of the greatest assets to Max Reload and the Nether Blasters is the mythology the flick conjures up around the fictitious video game that causes so much trouble for Max n’ friends. There’s a brief television documentary
Continue reading →
Fantasia 2020 Reveals Final Round of Features and Lifetime Achievement Award for John Carpenter in Massive Third Wave Announcement
As if Fantasia Film Festival’s first and second wave announcements about its 24th edition weren’t jaw-dropping enough, today the Montreal-based fest announced a huge new assortment of feature films, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, and special events. Following is the official press release from Fantasia, which presents its digital edition from August 20–September 2, 2020. JOHN CARPENTER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND MASTERCLASS Fantasia attendees lovingly recall that the Kentucky-raised writer/director/musician was one of the first major international guests to attend Fantasia for the fest’s third edition in 1998, when it launched the International Premiere of VAMPIRES. In conjunction with awarding him a Fantasia Lifetime Achievement Award, the festival will also present a masterclass from Carpenter, where he’ll discuss everything from his own festival origin story to his awe-inspiring career, touching on HALLOWEEN, THE FOG, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, THE THING, STARMAN, THEY LIVE, and many more. In addition, the fest will explore his recent resurgence as a
Continue reading →
Book Review: ‘The Captivating Flames of Madness’
I recently received a copy of the book The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons. This collection of 22 short stores is published by HellBound Books and a magnificent journey into darkness and horror! “We’re all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever. What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?” Characters The characters in Parson’s stories are deep. They are layered and full of life and experiences that go far beyond the frame of the stories. Each character that I came across I each story, regardless of age, gender, race, time period, mortal or supernatural, good or bad…I was intrigued. This is a very impressive thing to do especially in a short story where you have to set up a character in a few words or sentences
Continue reading →
Movie Review: Shifter (2020)
Writer/director Jacob Leighton Burns delivers an engaging character study of a socially awkward young woman who is self-taught well enough to build a time machine in the science fiction/horror feature Shifter. A microbudget independent feature, the film relies on the lead performance of Nicole Fancher and the story behind her character Theresa Chaney rather than elaborate special effects. Theresa sacrificed much of her life, including going to university, to take care of her now deceased father on their rural homestead. She is well versed enough in science to create the aforementioned time machine, and after experimenting successfully with her pet cat, she experiments with it herself. The good news is that the time travel works well enough for her to get revenge on a pompous date, but the bad news is that it takes a physical toll on her body that gets worse each time she uses the device. The time machine and its effects also affect Theresa’s job performance
Continue reading →
Blu-ray Review: Universal Horror Collection: Volume 6 (1952 – 1961)
The last five Universal Horror Collections brought to us courtesy of those delightful devils over at Scream Factory have been creepy cornucopias containing a beastly bevy of fiendishly fun fright flicks (Don’t believe me? Head here, here, here, here and lastly here, to read my thoughts for your own sinister self)! Let’s see if Volume 6 lives up to it’s preternatural predecessors! Starting things off we have The Black Castle from 1952: Sir Ronald Burton (Richard Greene) is playin’ sleuth and diving into the disappearance of a few of his pals… pals that payed a visit to the ornate Austrian estate of Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally). You see, ol’ Bruno is pissed as all get-out at the leaders of a British military force that got the native population of colonial occupied Africa to hand Big B his ass. So that explains where those friends of Burton’s got off to… but Burton was part of that action, and soon finds
Continue reading →
Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Shifter’ Unleashed Today On VOD And On Demand
An experiment goes terribly wrong in director Jacob Burns‘ indie sci-fi thriller Shifter, which he co-wrote with Zach Burns. Nicole Fancher (Unchained Love), Ashley Mandanas (Golden Arm), Paul T. Taylor (Hellraiser: Judgment), and Jamie Brewster (The Adventures of Jurassic Pet: Chapter 1) star. In Shifter, “a young woman experiences painful and gruesome side effects after an experiment with time travel goes wrong.” Shifter made its world premiere at this year’s DeadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City, where it won Best Oklahoma Feature. The film is produced by Jacob Burns, Zach Burns, and Vinnie Hogan. The Horror Collective is releasing Planet Thunder’s bold and fascinating sci-fi body horror film Shifter on August 6th on VOD and On Demand platforms.
Continue reading →