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horror review 2015

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Horror Fuel

A Review Of Pay The Ghost Starring Nicolas Cage

Director Uli Edel’s latest feature Pay the Ghost, starring Nicholas Cage, is now out on DVD. This weekend I put on PJs, got comfy and turned on the film, not knowing exactly what to expect. I mean, let’s be honest, Nicholas Cage’s films have a hit or miss reputation these days. The Walking Dead‘s Sarah Wayne Callies plays the role of Mike Lawford’s (Cage) in the film about a couple’s young son who goes missing on Halloween. Cage plays the role of Mike, a collage professor, who seems to miss most of his young son’s moments. On Halloween he’s to late to take his son trick ‘r treating. He manages to convince his wife to let him take his son to the Halloween carnival down the street. Just after the boy asks if he can “Pay the Ghost”, Mike turns his back for moment and his son disappears. Fast forward to a year later when he starts seeing visions of

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 26, 2015
Horror Fuel

A Brother Must Sacrifice Everything To Save His Sister In The Chosen

Terror Films’ first horror feature, The Chosen, will be co-distributed with Supergravity Pictures. The Chosen has already been released on several platforms as of December 1st, including iTunes, where it spent eight weeks in the top 100 horror films. It is now available on Netflix. The film stars Kian Lawley, Elizabeth Keener, Angelica Chitwood, Mykayla Sohn, Barbara Goodson, Chris Gann, Casey James Knight, Emily Killian, Dayna Devon, Harv Popick, Penelope Richards and Stefanie Estes. The Chosen centers on a young girl who has become the focus of the demon Lilith. To save her, her brother Cameron must sacrifice six of their family members before six days are up. But can he? At a time when many horror films are going overboard with too complex plots and over the top special effects, The Chosen was breath of fresh air. Both the plot and the special effects were simple and straight forward, in a very good way. Kian Lawley’s role as the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 7, 2015
Movie Review: Last Shift (2014)

Movie Review: Last Shift (2014)

A rookie cop’s first shift happens to be on the last night of operation of the old police department. Officer Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) is all alone, or is she? Her first shift is about to turn into a nightmare. When a 911 call comes in from a girl being held captive, the officer is unaware that the voice on the other line is much more than that of a woman in need. The Officer’s shift is filled with horrifying sites and visitations from those who passed. The question is, will she make it out alive? Director Anthony DiBlasi also wrote the film along with Scott Poiley and did a fantastic job. It’s creepy and leaves you guessing and questioning what actually happened. Juliana Harkavy really got into her role as Officer Loren, who is trying to be brave but comes across as somewhat delicate and terrified. The film is fast-paced, and the back story ties everything together nicely. As

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 17, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: The Vatican Tapes (2015)

I’ve been looking forward to seeing ‘The Vatican Tapes’ for a while now. Last night I finally go to see it via VOD. The film from Lionsgate was directed by Mark Neveldine and stars Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michael Pena, Dougray Scott, John Patrick Amedori, Djimon Hounsou and Peter Andersson. In ‘The Vatican Tapes’ Angela (Dudley), a young woman, is celebrating her birthday when she cuts her finger badly, while cutting her cake. After getting stitches she and her boyfriend Pete (Amedori) are riding on a bus when a crow crashes through the window. She moves in to take a look at the bird, which then bites her. Over the next few days she becomes sick and is carried to the hospital, where she falls into a coma. Her father is forced to make the decision to remove her from life support, she dies, only to come back after a few minutes. Her sanity comes into question, but a priest (Pena)

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 26, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Unfriended

Levan Gabriadze’s 2014 film ‘Unfriended’ is completely filmed from the perspective of a computer scene where a group of friends are chatting as a mysterious guest begins to kill off the friends one by one. It all begins when a girl, and member of the group of friends, kills herself after a video of her at party is uploaded and goes viral. Now the friends are having to pay the ultimate price for betrayal67. ‘Unfriended’ stars Heather Sossaman, Mathew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Will Peltz and Renee Olstead. Let me start by saying I respect Gabriadze’s attempt to make a movie that is different and up to date, especially when the world has such an obsession with technology. Unfortunately that’s the only remotely positive thing I can say about this movie. I mean, if I wanted to spend an hour and a half reading small print, I would have picked up a book. When there is action,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 9, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Dark Was The Night Starring Kevin Durand

Director Jack Heller’s 2014 film ‘Dark Was the Night’ has now been released on DVD and is currently available on Netflix. This dark film stars ‘The Strain’ star Kevin Durand, Steve Agee (The New Girl), Nick Damici (Late Phases), Lukas Haas (Inception), Bianca Kajlich (Vanished), Ethan Khusidman (The Cobbler), Joe Pallister (Idol Hands) and Billy Paterson (Refuge), among others. In ‘Dark Was the Night’ Durand plays the role of Sheriff Shields, a man mourning the death of one of his young sons. While separated from his wife and son the Sheriff struggles to keep it together while his small town falls under attack from an unkown creature that comes from the woods. After a logging operation begins animals and pets begin to disappear, then something leaves strange tracks through the town. The tracks are like nothing they have seen before. When hunters are attacked the Sheriff and his deputy find their bodies high up a tree adding more mystery to

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 6, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Did Poltergeist (2015) Stand Up To The Original ?

When I first heard that the 1982 classic horror film ‘Poltergeist’ was being remade I was in disbelief. I could not understand (and still don’t) why people insist on remaking classic movies. Last night I finally sat down and watched the remake. The 2015 version of ‘Poltergeist’ was written by David Lindsat-Abaire and directed by Gil Kenan(Monster House). The cast includes Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Saxon Sharbino, Kyle Catlett, Kennedi Clements, Jared Harris, Jane Adams, Susan Heyward and Nicholas Braun. Sam Rockwell plays the role of Eric Bowen, an unemployed father of three. Rosemarie DeWitt plays Amy Bowen, a writer-housewife who’s children Kendra (Sharbino), Griffin (Catlett) and Madison (Clements). The family have moved into a new home in a large subdivision, not knowing that the home was built on top of a grave yard. There are several things that remake has in common with the original, but it also has several differences. The focus of the original film was a

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 3, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review Of The Supernatural Thriller Exeter (2015)

Marcus Nispel’s 2015 possession film, ‘Exeter‘, stars veteran actor Stephen Lang (Avatar, Salem), Kelly Blatz (Prom Night (2008)), Brittany Curren (Chicago Fire), Brett Dier (Grace), Nick Nicotera (Cavemen), Gage Golightly (Teen Wolf), Nick Nordella (Greeenanberg) and Michael Ormsby (The Brothers Solomon). Patrick (Blatz) is helping Father Conway (Lang) restore a mental hospital that was closed in the 70’s after a fire gutted most of the building. When Patrick’s friends find out they think it’s the perfect place to throw a party. Teenagers, drugs, alcohol, and place filled with bad mojo, what could go wrong? After the teens play a game of “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board ” things begin to go very bad. Patrick’s little brother, Rory (Ormsby), begins to show signs of possession. After the building’s lockdown mode is triggered, the teens are trapped with an evil entity pulling the strings. ‘Exeter’ is a non-stop thrill ride into the world of the supernatural. This movie has

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 29, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Cooties (2015)

We can all remember a time when we were kids that catching the cooties was a serious concern. The 2015 film ‘Cooties’ combines that past fear with the new trend of zombie like creatures and they do it well. Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion made great choice when it came to casting Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Jack McBrayer (The Jack and Triumph Show), Leigh Whannell (Insidious) and Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live) as the teachers fighting to survive the horde of blood thirsty students in ‘Cooties’. ‘Cooties’ begins on chicken farm. The chickens are infected with a strange virus, the chickens are being made into chicken nuggets, which are in turn sold to schools. A little girl eats an infected nugget and spreads the virus by first biting a little boy, who is a bit of a jerk. The virus mutates quickly and the boy spreads the virus

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 19, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: ‘Burying The Ex’ (2015)

Last night I watched Joe Dante’s new zombie flick ‘Burying the Ex’. It was exactly what I was expecting, funny, slightly gory and great. ‘Burying the Ex’ stars Anton Yelchin as Max. Max wants out of his relationship with Evelyn (Ashley Greene) who is over barring, bossy, jealous, high maintenance and condescending about Max’s dream of owning his own horror shop and Travis, his half brother. After she moves in and destroys Max’s mint condition horror poster collection during a surprise redecorating of the apartment, he realizes that it’s not going to work out, and who could blame him. He tells Evelyn to meet him at the park so he can end things, but when she arrives she is struck by a truck and killed. You would think that would be the end of it, but you would be wrong. Time passes and he’s falling for Olivia (Alexandra Daddario), but things get complicated when Evelyn returns from the dead, as

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 11, 2015

More from horror review 2015

Horror Fuel

A Review Of Pay The Ghost Starring Nicolas Cage

Director Uli Edel’s latest feature Pay the Ghost, starring Nicholas Cage, is now out on DVD. This weekend I put on PJs, got comfy and turned on the film, not knowing exactly what to expect. I mean, let’s be honest, Nicholas Cage’s films have a hit or miss reputation these days. The Walking Dead‘s Sarah Wayne Callies plays the role of Mike Lawford’s (Cage) in the film about a couple’s young son who goes missing on Halloween. Cage plays the role of Mike, a collage professor, who seems to miss most of his young son’s moments. On Halloween he’s to late to take his son trick ‘r treating. He manages to convince his wife to let him take his son to the Halloween carnival down the street. Just after the boy asks if he can “Pay the Ghost”, Mike turns his back for moment and his son disappears. Fast forward to a year later when he starts seeing visions of

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 26, 2015
Horror Fuel

A Brother Must Sacrifice Everything To Save His Sister In The Chosen

Terror Films’ first horror feature, The Chosen, will be co-distributed with Supergravity Pictures. The Chosen has already been released on several platforms as of December 1st, including iTunes, where it spent eight weeks in the top 100 horror films. It is now available on Netflix. The film stars Kian Lawley, Elizabeth Keener, Angelica Chitwood, Mykayla Sohn, Barbara Goodson, Chris Gann, Casey James Knight, Emily Killian, Dayna Devon, Harv Popick, Penelope Richards and Stefanie Estes. The Chosen centers on a young girl who has become the focus of the demon Lilith. To save her, her brother Cameron must sacrifice six of their family members before six days are up. But can he? At a time when many horror films are going overboard with too complex plots and over the top special effects, The Chosen was breath of fresh air. Both the plot and the special effects were simple and straight forward, in a very good way. Kian Lawley’s role as the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 7, 2015
Movie Review: Last Shift (2014)

Movie Review: Last Shift (2014)

A rookie cop’s first shift happens to be on the last night of operation of the old police department. Officer Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) is all alone, or is she? Her first shift is about to turn into a nightmare. When a 911 call comes in from a girl being held captive, the officer is unaware that the voice on the other line is much more than that of a woman in need. The Officer’s shift is filled with horrifying sites and visitations from those who passed. The question is, will she make it out alive? Director Anthony DiBlasi also wrote the film along with Scott Poiley and did a fantastic job. It’s creepy and leaves you guessing and questioning what actually happened. Juliana Harkavy really got into her role as Officer Loren, who is trying to be brave but comes across as somewhat delicate and terrified. The film is fast-paced, and the back story ties everything together nicely. As

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Nov 17, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: The Vatican Tapes (2015)

I’ve been looking forward to seeing ‘The Vatican Tapes’ for a while now. Last night I finally go to see it via VOD. The film from Lionsgate was directed by Mark Neveldine and stars Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michael Pena, Dougray Scott, John Patrick Amedori, Djimon Hounsou and Peter Andersson. In ‘The Vatican Tapes’ Angela (Dudley), a young woman, is celebrating her birthday when she cuts her finger badly, while cutting her cake. After getting stitches she and her boyfriend Pete (Amedori) are riding on a bus when a crow crashes through the window. She moves in to take a look at the bird, which then bites her. Over the next few days she becomes sick and is carried to the hospital, where she falls into a coma. Her father is forced to make the decision to remove her from life support, she dies, only to come back after a few minutes. Her sanity comes into question, but a priest (Pena)

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 26, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Unfriended

Levan Gabriadze’s 2014 film ‘Unfriended’ is completely filmed from the perspective of a computer scene where a group of friends are chatting as a mysterious guest begins to kill off the friends one by one. It all begins when a girl, and member of the group of friends, kills herself after a video of her at party is uploaded and goes viral. Now the friends are having to pay the ultimate price for betrayal67. ‘Unfriended’ stars Heather Sossaman, Mathew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Will Peltz and Renee Olstead. Let me start by saying I respect Gabriadze’s attempt to make a movie that is different and up to date, especially when the world has such an obsession with technology. Unfortunately that’s the only remotely positive thing I can say about this movie. I mean, if I wanted to spend an hour and a half reading small print, I would have picked up a book. When there is action,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 9, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Dark Was The Night Starring Kevin Durand

Director Jack Heller’s 2014 film ‘Dark Was the Night’ has now been released on DVD and is currently available on Netflix. This dark film stars ‘The Strain’ star Kevin Durand, Steve Agee (The New Girl), Nick Damici (Late Phases), Lukas Haas (Inception), Bianca Kajlich (Vanished), Ethan Khusidman (The Cobbler), Joe Pallister (Idol Hands) and Billy Paterson (Refuge), among others. In ‘Dark Was the Night’ Durand plays the role of Sheriff Shields, a man mourning the death of one of his young sons. While separated from his wife and son the Sheriff struggles to keep it together while his small town falls under attack from an unkown creature that comes from the woods. After a logging operation begins animals and pets begin to disappear, then something leaves strange tracks through the town. The tracks are like nothing they have seen before. When hunters are attacked the Sheriff and his deputy find their bodies high up a tree adding more mystery to

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 6, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Did Poltergeist (2015) Stand Up To The Original ?

When I first heard that the 1982 classic horror film ‘Poltergeist’ was being remade I was in disbelief. I could not understand (and still don’t) why people insist on remaking classic movies. Last night I finally sat down and watched the remake. The 2015 version of ‘Poltergeist’ was written by David Lindsat-Abaire and directed by Gil Kenan(Monster House). The cast includes Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Saxon Sharbino, Kyle Catlett, Kennedi Clements, Jared Harris, Jane Adams, Susan Heyward and Nicholas Braun. Sam Rockwell plays the role of Eric Bowen, an unemployed father of three. Rosemarie DeWitt plays Amy Bowen, a writer-housewife who’s children Kendra (Sharbino), Griffin (Catlett) and Madison (Clements). The family have moved into a new home in a large subdivision, not knowing that the home was built on top of a grave yard. There are several things that remake has in common with the original, but it also has several differences. The focus of the original film was a

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 3, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review Of The Supernatural Thriller Exeter (2015)

Marcus Nispel’s 2015 possession film, ‘Exeter‘, stars veteran actor Stephen Lang (Avatar, Salem), Kelly Blatz (Prom Night (2008)), Brittany Curren (Chicago Fire), Brett Dier (Grace), Nick Nicotera (Cavemen), Gage Golightly (Teen Wolf), Nick Nordella (Greeenanberg) and Michael Ormsby (The Brothers Solomon). Patrick (Blatz) is helping Father Conway (Lang) restore a mental hospital that was closed in the 70’s after a fire gutted most of the building. When Patrick’s friends find out they think it’s the perfect place to throw a party. Teenagers, drugs, alcohol, and place filled with bad mojo, what could go wrong? After the teens play a game of “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board ” things begin to go very bad. Patrick’s little brother, Rory (Ormsby), begins to show signs of possession. After the building’s lockdown mode is triggered, the teens are trapped with an evil entity pulling the strings. ‘Exeter’ is a non-stop thrill ride into the world of the supernatural. This movie has

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 29, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Cooties (2015)

We can all remember a time when we were kids that catching the cooties was a serious concern. The 2015 film ‘Cooties’ combines that past fear with the new trend of zombie like creatures and they do it well. Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion made great choice when it came to casting Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Jack McBrayer (The Jack and Triumph Show), Leigh Whannell (Insidious) and Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live) as the teachers fighting to survive the horde of blood thirsty students in ‘Cooties’. ‘Cooties’ begins on chicken farm. The chickens are infected with a strange virus, the chickens are being made into chicken nuggets, which are in turn sold to schools. A little girl eats an infected nugget and spreads the virus by first biting a little boy, who is a bit of a jerk. The virus mutates quickly and the boy spreads the virus

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 19, 2015
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: ‘Burying The Ex’ (2015)

Last night I watched Joe Dante’s new zombie flick ‘Burying the Ex’. It was exactly what I was expecting, funny, slightly gory and great. ‘Burying the Ex’ stars Anton Yelchin as Max. Max wants out of his relationship with Evelyn (Ashley Greene) who is over barring, bossy, jealous, high maintenance and condescending about Max’s dream of owning his own horror shop and Travis, his half brother. After she moves in and destroys Max’s mint condition horror poster collection during a surprise redecorating of the apartment, he realizes that it’s not going to work out, and who could blame him. He tells Evelyn to meet him at the park so he can end things, but when she arrives she is struck by a truck and killed. You would think that would be the end of it, but you would be wrong. Time passes and he’s falling for Olivia (Alexandra Daddario), but things get complicated when Evelyn returns from the dead, as

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 11, 2015
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