TagHigh Octane Pictures
15 stories
MoviesReviewsThriller
The long and the short of Bloodhound is rather simple: Private dick Abel Walker (Ed Ackerman) is looking for a dame that has pulled a disappearing act, and he’s brought along his cameraman, Jim (David Foy), to document the whole sordid affair. As the plot sickens, our dudes find themselves balls deep in a swirling miasma of twists, turns, and murder. While that plot sounds straightforward, the actual picture is anything but. Writer/director Jason Richard Miller has created a unique animal in our ol’ horror biz; a heady mix of film noir (including the omnipresent narration the genre utilizes), found footage, and faux documentary. These techniques make the audience feel that we are actually a part of Walker’s high stakes investigation, and it all works pretty damn well. Adding to that is Ackerman’s dependable “everyman” performance that really gets us invested in our hero’s plight… one which may be way beyond his scope to contend with. Another element I enjoyed
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ForeignMoviesReviews
Look, there’s a shit ton of alternate dimensions out there, and our dude Kiril Maksimov (Nikita Volkov) is in charge of customs to those travelling between universes, although truth be told he misses his life on Earth. It wouldn’t do him much good to go back though as the former shit-hot game designer has had all traces of his existence expunged from those that knew him, and if he ever did venture back he’d be in hot water as the powers that be that control his new position have made sure to frame him for murder on as well. Among all the multiverses (that run the gamut from beachfront paradises to grim gulags), there is one where access is denied (due to revolutionaries looking to create a coup); Arkan, a place a few steps ahead of our own, and a potential learning tool to fix Earth’s various fuck-ups. Naturally Maksimov’s shadow bosses want “in” to Arkan, and soon task our
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Tracy (Makenna Guyler) and Petra (Marta Tananyan) are two free wheelin’ college co-eds down Turin way. Tracy is b.d. into being a photog, and the one thing that makes her pants tighter as far as subjects go are moldy-oldie abodes. Well, our heroines find just such a structure, break in, and soon find they are trapped inside. Well at least the home isn’t the den of a bloodthirsty creature that hunts Tracy and Petra, ever-lusting for their demise. Oh, wait… it is! Man, these ladies are done for… The first thing you may notice about Blood Bags is that it has style to spare. Emiliano Ranzani directed and shot the film to perfection, and there are moments that truly evoke the golden age of Italian horror cinema which is Ranzani’s chief source of inspiration… though I would wager both he and co-writer Davide Mela are at least aware of the basics of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Lurking Fear. As far as
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
An unpopular farmer (Terry Wood) with a rather disconcerting pumpkin fetish, meets his end thanks to being scared to death by two hooligans (Dale Hooley and Nathan Jordie Keers), but he won’t stay dead for long, as the unhallowed ground he is buried in resurrects his ass as Pumpkin Man (Will Metheringham), a monstrous mountain of a man with a pumpkin visage that goes all in on the murder biz along with some living pumpkins (wait… what the fuck now?)! That’s all well and good, but in order to have a slasher opus you need victims… and along comes Lance (Roland Martial) and Denise (Sarah Jayne Curry); guides employed by a group of survival nuts to lead them to remote territory, which of course is directly on Pumpkin Man’s land. Naturally stalk n’ slay ghoulish goodness ensues, and our hapless heroes run afoul of not only our outre orange antagonist, but his naughty niece (played by the film’s director Maria
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IndieMoviesReviews
A drunken dad tells his sleep derived son one one hell of an inappropriate whopper and thus begins Devil’s Acid… a drug-fueled journey through our beloved horror biz. The story proper concerns douchey Johnny (Drew Rin Varick), who invites a group of comely ladies (Ashley Dulaney, Jessica Lynn Parsons, Misty and Kim Ormiston, and Betty Jeune) along with his bro Luke (Eric Gibson) to a derelict jailhouse for a night of debased debauchery; all enhanced by the ingestion of the eponymous Devil’s acid that is rumored to provide one hell of a trip… literally. The gang goes apeshit off that arcane acid and believe they see ol’ Scratch himself (Finch Nissen) which is kinda prosaic given the evil babies, cults, and snogging with deer heads that also surround them. Given the above sinister synopsis above, you’d imagine you were in for one hell of an off-kilter and bizarre fright flick, and you’d be right… but Devil’s Acid is nothing if
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IndieMoviesReviewsThriller
Ol’ Emma (Mhairi Calvey) is well and truly in the sinister soup! She’s been kidnapped and chucked into an abandoned bunker with a dude named Ben (Tyron Ricketts), a real shit-heel who sexually assaulted our heroine 15 years prior… along with her old school chum Jamie (Martin Kaps). Soon this gaggle finds themselves b.d. in the stalk n’ slay bag as they strive to keep alive when the psychos that abducted them begin chasing them through the wicked woods. 3 Lives has it’s ups and downs. Co-Writer (along with Wolf-Peter Arand)/Director Juliane Block presents Emma as a character shattered by the damage Ben inflicted on her, and Calvey certainly has the acting chops to make that believable…but unfortunately the situation she finds herself in is cliche and predictable for anyone that is a fan of the slasher genre. Fortunately the tension is kept relatively high and effective so the goings-on remain mostly watchable throughout. See how I said “mostly” up
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ForeignMoviesReviews
A group of techie-types, Mike (Lee Ravitz), Phil (Franck Assi), Ann (Emma Bown) and Georgie (Victoire Vecchierini) to be specific, are tasked with fixin’ up a downed satellite transmitter. Sounds as thrilling as watching paint dry. Thankfully there’s more to this terror tale, as soon our heroes run afoul of some shady sorts when they are detoured to partake in a rescue mission involving a downed plane…a plane that has crashed next to a lake that is releasing transmissions that affect the mind and time itself. But all is not as it seems, as who…or what…ever is sending those sinister signals has a ghoulish game to play, and the stakes…and reward may well tear those involved apart! Looking for a nice, straight forward fright flick that makes perfect sense? Well, fuck you, because Landing Lake, the debut film from writer/director Cesare P. Libardi di K (who also produced and edited the film) has an insane-o aesthetic that is easily on
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Better buckle up for this one boils n’ ghouls ‘cuz ol’ XIII has just had a lousy time in front of the boob tube and he’s going to bring you along on his pain parade! Before I lose my shit; let me briefly tell you the plot to the upcoming film Loophole. Mankind has discovered the Hamanaro Strand, a piece of the genetic code that makes those that possess it violent criminals. This leads to mandatory testing for the gene, and the removal of those that have it from the society of decent folk…there’s also a conspiracy involving the UN and Satan. Okay, fair enough. Enter college student Lexi Smith (Chloe Lukasiak) and her friend Emma (Gabrielle Valladares). These young ladies are tested and found to have an unusual genetic profile that may link them to Judas Iscariot. They are then caught up in a war between an angel Riley (Deven Bromme) and Satan’s pal Asael (Mark Shrader)…they are also
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IndieMoviesNewsTrailers
From director Jenni Ivers (The Cabin) comes the sci-fi thrill-ride Loophole, in the tradition of “Dominion” and The Mortal Instruments. The gene for violence is discovered, setting off a demand for worldwide testing, promoting the belief that these people will commit a violent crime. College student Lexi Smith finds herself in the middle of a collision between science and religion where all of humanity hangs in the balance. Chloe Lukasiak (Center Stage: On Pointe), Kera O’Bryon and Bubba Ho-Tep’s Timothy E. Goodwin star. Loophole premieres on VOD January 8, 2019, from High Octane Pictures.
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IndieMoviesReviews
Alex (Tara Macken) earns some scratch by being the live-in nurse for an elderly woman named Claire (Leslie Easterbrook); and it seems like a rather cake assignment minus changin’ an adult diaper or two. Meanwhile Claire’s estranged, and constantly down on his luck, grandson Danny (Jai Rodriguez) has reunited with Seth and Rudy (played to the hilt by Kevin Sizemore and Jose Rosete respectively), a duo of no-good-nik townies he fucked over in the past, and the trio decide to rob the old bat, with the dastardly duo doing the deed while Danny takes Alex out on a date (plus distraction sex…Danny really suffers for his machinations, eh creeps? It’s like “You dudes get dolled up in spooky masks and struggle to open that safe…I’ll take the heat off of you by getting down and dirty with this outrageously attractive woman!” That ol’ rugged cross is a hard one to bear…). As is often the case, things go south, and
Continue reading →
More from High Octane Pictures
MoviesReviewsThriller
The long and the short of Bloodhound is rather simple: Private dick Abel Walker (Ed Ackerman) is looking for a dame that has pulled a disappearing act, and he’s brought along his cameraman, Jim (David Foy), to document the whole sordid affair. As the plot sickens, our dudes find themselves balls deep in a swirling miasma of twists, turns, and murder. While that plot sounds straightforward, the actual picture is anything but. Writer/director Jason Richard Miller has created a unique animal in our ol’ horror biz; a heady mix of film noir (including the omnipresent narration the genre utilizes), found footage, and faux documentary. These techniques make the audience feel that we are actually a part of Walker’s high stakes investigation, and it all works pretty damn well. Adding to that is Ackerman’s dependable “everyman” performance that really gets us invested in our hero’s plight… one which may be way beyond his scope to contend with. Another element I enjoyed
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
Look, there’s a shit ton of alternate dimensions out there, and our dude Kiril Maksimov (Nikita Volkov) is in charge of customs to those travelling between universes, although truth be told he misses his life on Earth. It wouldn’t do him much good to go back though as the former shit-hot game designer has had all traces of his existence expunged from those that knew him, and if he ever did venture back he’d be in hot water as the powers that be that control his new position have made sure to frame him for murder on as well. Among all the multiverses (that run the gamut from beachfront paradises to grim gulags), there is one where access is denied (due to revolutionaries looking to create a coup); Arkan, a place a few steps ahead of our own, and a potential learning tool to fix Earth’s various fuck-ups. Naturally Maksimov’s shadow bosses want “in” to Arkan, and soon task our
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Tracy (Makenna Guyler) and Petra (Marta Tananyan) are two free wheelin’ college co-eds down Turin way. Tracy is b.d. into being a photog, and the one thing that makes her pants tighter as far as subjects go are moldy-oldie abodes. Well, our heroines find just such a structure, break in, and soon find they are trapped inside. Well at least the home isn’t the den of a bloodthirsty creature that hunts Tracy and Petra, ever-lusting for their demise. Oh, wait… it is! Man, these ladies are done for… The first thing you may notice about Blood Bags is that it has style to spare. Emiliano Ranzani directed and shot the film to perfection, and there are moments that truly evoke the golden age of Italian horror cinema which is Ranzani’s chief source of inspiration… though I would wager both he and co-writer Davide Mela are at least aware of the basics of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Lurking Fear. As far as
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
An unpopular farmer (Terry Wood) with a rather disconcerting pumpkin fetish, meets his end thanks to being scared to death by two hooligans (Dale Hooley and Nathan Jordie Keers), but he won’t stay dead for long, as the unhallowed ground he is buried in resurrects his ass as Pumpkin Man (Will Metheringham), a monstrous mountain of a man with a pumpkin visage that goes all in on the murder biz along with some living pumpkins (wait… what the fuck now?)! That’s all well and good, but in order to have a slasher opus you need victims… and along comes Lance (Roland Martial) and Denise (Sarah Jayne Curry); guides employed by a group of survival nuts to lead them to remote territory, which of course is directly on Pumpkin Man’s land. Naturally stalk n’ slay ghoulish goodness ensues, and our hapless heroes run afoul of not only our outre orange antagonist, but his naughty niece (played by the film’s director Maria
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
A drunken dad tells his sleep derived son one one hell of an inappropriate whopper and thus begins Devil’s Acid… a drug-fueled journey through our beloved horror biz. The story proper concerns douchey Johnny (Drew Rin Varick), who invites a group of comely ladies (Ashley Dulaney, Jessica Lynn Parsons, Misty and Kim Ormiston, and Betty Jeune) along with his bro Luke (Eric Gibson) to a derelict jailhouse for a night of debased debauchery; all enhanced by the ingestion of the eponymous Devil’s acid that is rumored to provide one hell of a trip… literally. The gang goes apeshit off that arcane acid and believe they see ol’ Scratch himself (Finch Nissen) which is kinda prosaic given the evil babies, cults, and snogging with deer heads that also surround them. Given the above sinister synopsis above, you’d imagine you were in for one hell of an off-kilter and bizarre fright flick, and you’d be right… but Devil’s Acid is nothing if
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviewsThriller
Ol’ Emma (Mhairi Calvey) is well and truly in the sinister soup! She’s been kidnapped and chucked into an abandoned bunker with a dude named Ben (Tyron Ricketts), a real shit-heel who sexually assaulted our heroine 15 years prior… along with her old school chum Jamie (Martin Kaps). Soon this gaggle finds themselves b.d. in the stalk n’ slay bag as they strive to keep alive when the psychos that abducted them begin chasing them through the wicked woods. 3 Lives has it’s ups and downs. Co-Writer (along with Wolf-Peter Arand)/Director Juliane Block presents Emma as a character shattered by the damage Ben inflicted on her, and Calvey certainly has the acting chops to make that believable…but unfortunately the situation she finds herself in is cliche and predictable for anyone that is a fan of the slasher genre. Fortunately the tension is kept relatively high and effective so the goings-on remain mostly watchable throughout. See how I said “mostly” up
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
A group of techie-types, Mike (Lee Ravitz), Phil (Franck Assi), Ann (Emma Bown) and Georgie (Victoire Vecchierini) to be specific, are tasked with fixin’ up a downed satellite transmitter. Sounds as thrilling as watching paint dry. Thankfully there’s more to this terror tale, as soon our heroes run afoul of some shady sorts when they are detoured to partake in a rescue mission involving a downed plane…a plane that has crashed next to a lake that is releasing transmissions that affect the mind and time itself. But all is not as it seems, as who…or what…ever is sending those sinister signals has a ghoulish game to play, and the stakes…and reward may well tear those involved apart! Looking for a nice, straight forward fright flick that makes perfect sense? Well, fuck you, because Landing Lake, the debut film from writer/director Cesare P. Libardi di K (who also produced and edited the film) has an insane-o aesthetic that is easily on
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Better buckle up for this one boils n’ ghouls ‘cuz ol’ XIII has just had a lousy time in front of the boob tube and he’s going to bring you along on his pain parade! Before I lose my shit; let me briefly tell you the plot to the upcoming film Loophole. Mankind has discovered the Hamanaro Strand, a piece of the genetic code that makes those that possess it violent criminals. This leads to mandatory testing for the gene, and the removal of those that have it from the society of decent folk…there’s also a conspiracy involving the UN and Satan. Okay, fair enough. Enter college student Lexi Smith (Chloe Lukasiak) and her friend Emma (Gabrielle Valladares). These young ladies are tested and found to have an unusual genetic profile that may link them to Judas Iscariot. They are then caught up in a war between an angel Riley (Deven Bromme) and Satan’s pal Asael (Mark Shrader)…they are also
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesNewsTrailers
From director Jenni Ivers (The Cabin) comes the sci-fi thrill-ride Loophole, in the tradition of “Dominion” and The Mortal Instruments. The gene for violence is discovered, setting off a demand for worldwide testing, promoting the belief that these people will commit a violent crime. College student Lexi Smith finds herself in the middle of a collision between science and religion where all of humanity hangs in the balance. Chloe Lukasiak (Center Stage: On Pointe), Kera O’Bryon and Bubba Ho-Tep’s Timothy E. Goodwin star. Loophole premieres on VOD January 8, 2019, from High Octane Pictures.
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Alex (Tara Macken) earns some scratch by being the live-in nurse for an elderly woman named Claire (Leslie Easterbrook); and it seems like a rather cake assignment minus changin’ an adult diaper or two. Meanwhile Claire’s estranged, and constantly down on his luck, grandson Danny (Jai Rodriguez) has reunited with Seth and Rudy (played to the hilt by Kevin Sizemore and Jose Rosete respectively), a duo of no-good-nik townies he fucked over in the past, and the trio decide to rob the old bat, with the dastardly duo doing the deed while Danny takes Alex out on a date (plus distraction sex…Danny really suffers for his machinations, eh creeps? It’s like “You dudes get dolled up in spooky masks and struggle to open that safe…I’ll take the heat off of you by getting down and dirty with this outrageously attractive woman!” That ol’ rugged cross is a hard one to bear…). As is often the case, things go south, and
Continue reading →
