Reviews

This show isn't actually based on the comic of the same name. i'm guessing what happened is the writers were commissioned to write a show based on the comic but got bored reading the first issue and decided to remake The Tomorrow People instead but with monsters. The dialogue is pretty awful and hard to follow at times, but the actors have done a good job with what they were given to work with. There's more story in the show than there was in volume one of the comic series, and it's decently entertaining on the whole, if you like monsters. i don't regret watching this, but i'm also not disappointed that it was canceled after the first season

I personally did not have high expectations for this movie when i learned early on that it would be part of The Conjuring Universe. i know the first in the franchise is a very popular film for its portrayal of Ed and Lorraine Warren, icons of paranormal investigation, but i have difficulty suspending disbelief enough to enjoy anything steeped too deeply in Christian mythology and rather disliked it when it debuted in 2013

the narrative of The Curse of La Llorona is depicted through a very Christian perspective as well, but with more focus on Christianised Latin American folk magic tradition, which i find fascinating from an anthropological point of view. i can't speak to the accuracy of its portrayal here, but the story of La Llorona at least stays true to the folklore, specifically the Mexican boogeyman version involving a young woman named Maria who drowned her children and herself after learning of her lover's infidelity, and wonders the Earth as a spirit, searching for her lost children and doomed endlessly to repeat her desperate acts of filicide. i first read this story around twenty years ago in Ghost Stories of Old Texas (1983) by Zinita Fowler; it's stuck with me through the years, and this movie's got me looking for a copy to re-read

The Curse is a very character-driven film with excellent cinematography and notable performances from Roman Christou, who makes his acting debut in this film as the protagonist's young son, and Raymond Cruz as Rafael, the curandero they turn to for help in their crisis. i actually liked and feared for the characters throughout, and there are plenty of really creepy scenes that don't rely on jump scares to startle audiences, although there's a tasteful amount of that as well

while it performed very well in the box office, critics who are Conjuring fans appear relatively disappointed, so i'd recommend adjusting your expectations accordingly and judging The Curse on its own merit. All-in-all it's an entertaining movie that does its inspiration justice imo and made me want to turn the lights on while watching it at various points; i wouldn't mind owning this one on blu-ray

This is a great movie despite its thirty thousand dollar budget, a huge step up from director Jordan Downey's debut feature length film, ThanksKilling, which i was unable to sit through in its entirety

Head Hunter is like watching a graphic novel in motion, with lingering, panoramic shots of carefully crafted sets and beautiful forest and mountain landscapes, presumably in Norway. Spoken lines are minimal, and the story unfolds slowly, frame by frame, but is not a tedious watch at only 72 minutes long

the medieval theme is relatively unique -- the only other horror movie with a similar setting that comes to mind is more comedy than creature feature. And the creature design is revealed piecemeal and really creepy, in part because the background story is largely left to the imagination

the experimental soundtrack is worth listening to on its own but would have been perfect if it included some metal given the visual and thematic nature of the film. That's my only gripe though; there's really nothing else i'd change about this movie, so check it out if the trailer looks interesting to you

I first watched this movie with my high schule girlfriend thirteen years ago, and it's just as enjoyable now as it was then. Nostalgia notwithstanding, it's a very well-made film, most likely Lucky McKee's best work to date

Angela Bettis's performance in the lead role is outstanding. The characters are distinct in personality, likeable and relatable, and there are cameos from James Duvall (Donnie Darko's Frank) and Lucky McKee (as the 'Guy Making Out in Elevator')

the dialogue is clever, or at least it meshes well with my sense of humor. The indie rock soundtrack is perfect for the movie, and the costumes and props (doll parts, artwork in the sets, etc.) are also worthy of note. The title character makes her own clothes and comes up with some interesting designs

as the debut solo project of its writer/director, May has all the experimental uniqueness of an artist exploring and discovering his style. It's weird, highly memorable, and i wouldn't change a thing about it

After seeing writer/director Damien Leone's short film of the same name, my hopes for this movie were a lot higher than my expectations. Thankfully, the feature film version abandons the ridiculous, appearing-suddently-out-of-nowhere, Droopy Dog shtick and significantly dials down the grainy, flickering, old-vhs effect that distracted and irritated me in its prototype

there's not much in the way of story here. Audiences aren't provided with any backstory for the slasher or his victims; if you have any questions, they won't be answered. Just sit back and enjoy the character design, make-up, gore and splatter for what it is. Art the Clown lives up to his name through performance art that leaves his victims terrified before he hacks, slashes and sculpts their bodies into twisted works of art for your sadistic viewing pleasure

This film's trailer had me intrigued, with its sequences of what appeared to be a gender-nonconforming child being sent to an 'exclusive school, especially designed for unique young people like yourself'. Written and directed by, of all people, Boaz Yakin of Remember the Titans notoriety, Boarding School depicts a journey of self-discovery of its adolescent protagonist who, it's -strongly- hinted at, struggles with repressed feelings and uncertainty about their gender

others apparently considered unique enough to be sent to the eponymous school are a child with Tourette's, a semi-verbal autistic child in need of a caregiver, and a male burn survivor named Phil, who incidentally is played by a female actor. None of the characters' 'uniquenesses' are ever identified by name, an interesting choice among many that lends itself to analysis and reflection

the acting is really good all around, with a particularly outstanding performance by Luke Prael, assisted by a brilliant script and dialogue. The cinematography is masterfully executed and artistic, though not to the point of perplexing audiences, and every scene furthers the narrative. It's not bogged down with filler, and the pacing is consistent

the horror element is layered: there's the physical violence depicted in the trailer, and the metaphorically portrayed systemic violence affecting its variegated cast of marginalised characters, which makes it profoundly relatable as both a transgender and autistic viewer

after the movie ended, i wanted to watch it again immediately. It's an instant 10/10 from me, and i expect it will be my favorite film of 2018

Joel Shumacher's vampire-comedy-horror, released two months before Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark, shares the latter's erotic tone and storyline of an unsuspecting, manly protagonist being drawn by the allure of a sexy vampire vixen into a rugged gang of outlaw vampires, to which he's expected to prove his mettle and integrate into the fold

unlike the vampires in Near Dark though, The Lost Boys don't have much in the way of personality. The young Kiefer Sutherland does give a good performance, but the rest of the tribe are essentially props, present to look cool and menacing, and barely have any speaking lines. That's not a complaint though, because the focus of this film is more on the protagonist Michael and his family, in tandem with its stylized cinematography and rock 'n' roll/goth visual aesthetic and musical accompaniment

ultimately it's a well-made, Hollywood production with plenty of memorable scenes, on par with Near Dark and Shumacher's Flatliners, and immeasurably better than the Taxi-Driver-inspired fascist propaganda film he would go on to direct in 1993

A Canadian budget film from 2017 that used kickstarter to fund itself. Positives include the synth-pop soundtrack and beautiful set location. i'm not sure where this was filmed, but there are some really gorgeous shots of a pine forest in Autumn or Winter. Unfortunately, these aspects aren't enough to redeem the film's flaws

The make-up and effects that apparently cost $12,000 are pretty generic. The dialogue tries to be funny, but feels awkward and misses the mark by a mile, although your mileage may vary. The characters are all very one-dimensional, and there aren't really any standout performances (though that might be more a fault of the script than the actors). i can't help but wonder how different this film might have been if Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things, who featured in the proof of concept trailer for this movie's kickstarter campaign, had remained part of the cast in the final product. as it is, there's enough violence and gore to entertain an avid horror fan for 80 minutes, but i'm not sure i'd want to watch it again

although this is categorised as horror on IMDb and Netflix, i would argue that this film debut by writer/director Michael O'Shea is really more of a psychological thriller. it's a very slow-paced, but highly compelling, philosophical character study

Eric Ruffin gives a great performance as the leading character, who appears to be autistic: he has a special interest in vampires, aversion to eye contact, reduced affect display, selective mutism and a seemingly limited understanding of social norms, though there's clearly something else at play, driving the strange compulsions which are one of the primary focuses and key mysteries of the film

Larry Fessenden, actor and director of Habit (one of my favourite vampire movies), makes a cameo appearance. the script and dialogue are well-written and inspire analysis and meditation. i enjoyed this quite a bit and look forward to seeing what else O'Shea comes up with in or has in store for the future

this is the feature film debut of Danish director Jonas Alexander Arnby who's also, along with screenwriter Rasmus Birch, credited for the original idea. the storyline actually is fairly unique for its genre, but i don't want to give too much detail lest i spoil the mystery any further than the trailer does

the story unfolds at a meandering pace, not so slowly that viewers are liable to lose interest, but the director takes his time, and it pays off nicely. the Danish seaside location is stunningly beautiful, the architecture of the small town setting distinctive and charming. the score is very fitting, slow and soft string, piano (and synth?) instrumentation, and definitely one of the strong points of the film

other positives include the 'animal' design, make-up and special effects, which are simple but fantastic and contribute to what are probably the best creature transformation scenes i've seen in a movie. i have no complaints about the acting – i don't speak Danish, but the line delivery and body language sound and look natural. the dialogue and characters are well-written, and the leading character is likable and relatable

i love this movie, recommend it highly, and i'll definitely keep an eye open for future projects by Jonas Arnby

cw: rape mention if you've seen the trailer or read the IMDb plot summary – 'After being drugged and raped at a party, a young woman contracts what she thinks is an STD; but, it's actually something much worse' – you already know pretty much everything there is to know about this movie. the mystery never unfolds. there is no explanation or resolution the acting is not bad but, from the irrationally self-destructive and obsessive main character, to the best friend who pressures her into drinking while she's in recovery, to her judgmental, gold-star lesbian love interest, to her homophobic mother, to the doctor who should be sued for malpractice, there are no likable characters anywhere in this the leading character makes poor decision after poor decision with no apparent reasoning behind any of them. it's possible the 'std' she contracts and her handling of the situation are symbolic of something, maybe the guilt and shame a person often feels after being raped, but if that's the case, the exploration and handling of the issue are incredibly insensitive, and this is probably not a film about a female rape victim that should have been written and directed by a man, much less Eric England while it does inspire some thought, whether intentionally or otherwise, and it could have been even less tasteful (American Sniper, The Interview), this is certainly not a movie i'd recommend to anyone i like or care for

what better way to follow Transgender Awareness Week and Trans Day of Remembrance with a horror comedy, co-written and directed by a genderqueer trans woman and featuring zir in a supporting role, about a group of queer friends banding together to protect one another and seek shelter from a zombie apocalypse

this 42-minute featurette was shot in Austin, TX on a budget of approximately $400, part of which was used to buy a camera and audio-recording equipment. the shaky-hand-held camera shooting is no worse, and probably a lot better, than in a lot of larger-budget found-footage horror movies, and the stylised photoshopped special effects and sometimes non-linear editing by director Verity Ritchie (credited as Ritch Ludlow) are very nicely done

the script and dialogue, though not flawless, are well-written and deliberately incorporate feminist values and humor. i laughed out loud more than once, and in addition to the non-binary writers representing non-binary trans/gender-nonconforming characters, asexual and queer polyamorous folks are given positive representation in this movie

the acting isn't great per se but works well with the d.i.y. spirit of the film. it doesn't detract from the story or diverse cast of characters, each of which have their own personalities and are quite likable, apart from the token cishet. the original score by Katie Morton (April Fish), a mix of piano, percussion and variegated electronic sound, and the queer folk punk/indie rock soundtrack are highlights of the film

it's a well-made-despite-its-budget, one-of-a-kind movie that i look forward to watching again and highly recommend to other trans and queer folks. it's free to watch on youtube (just search the title), along with special features including outtakes and a 20-minute q&a by the writers

i didn't know when i decided to watch this that it was written and directed by Mike Flanagan of Ouija: Origin of Evil; if i had, i might have passed it by, so i'm glad i didn't

the premise – a couple welcomes into their home a foster child whose dreams and nightmares, they discover, manifest physically as he sleeps – is a unique and interesting one. it's well-executed. the story is very compelling, it maintains my interest from beginning to end, and i like the characters and want them to have a happy ending

the leading actors, Thomas Jane (The Punisher, The Veil), Kate Boswell and Jacob Tremblay are each excellent in their roles. the special effects and monster designs are alright, nothing particularly impressive, but they don't detract from story. and the music, which i'm surprised to learn was composed by Danny Elfman and the Newton Brothers, is just kind of -there-, not bad, but it didn't really capture my attention

the film is categorised as fantasy/supernatural horror, but those elements are far less interesting to me than the psychological experiences of the leading characters. i'm not sure whether this was intentional, but i think the supernatural element works really well, and i find it very relatable, as a metaphor for ptsd

this is not your typical monster movie. the horror feels like a secondary aspect, and viewers who watch it for that will likely be disappointed, but if you're in the mood for a good psychological thriller that inspires analysis and reflection, you might find this worth a watch

this is a documentary about sleep paralysis, not an educational film on the medical science and history of the phenomenon, but a series of narratives by people who have experienced it firsthand and their interpretations of their experiences

the documentary is intended to scare, with an accompaniment to the interviews and short re-enactments of primarily minimalist, suspenseful synth and droning/pulsating percussive noise by composer Jonathan Snipes. the interviewees are all fairly articulate, the film is well-edited and the monster/(dream) entity designs and costumes for the re-enactments are artfully haunting

the film is very effective at what it sets out to do, namely exploring a phenomena people throughout the world, including the director, have experienced and its effects on their beliefs and personalities it inspires a large enough fraction of the fear and contemplation in the viewer that the phenomena itself must inspire in those who experience it firsthand to make it well worth watching and recommending

i decided to check out this movie after i watched writer/director-duo Justin Benson's and Aaron Moorhead's Spring

its strong points are the acting, especially by Vinny Curran, who's been featured in all three of Benson's and Moorhead's feature films to date and not much else. his character's mental illness and meth-addiction-and-induced psychosis are convincing enough that i have to wonder if he and/or Benson have experienced it firsthand. the dialogue and relationship between the two leads seem very natural and are the primary driving force of the film

i found the story a bit difficult to follow towards the end, though, particularly with regard to the rationale behind the sober lead's decision-making and conclusions he draws from the occurring phenomenon, which itself is an interesting and unique premise. the shaky hand-held-camera style is a minor annoyance

all in all, i like the film; i'd watch it again, but i like Spring better. i wouldn't recommend this for everyone, and it could be triggering for recovering addicts, so take care

break out your bongs for this low-budget horror comedy by writer/director Lowell Dean, featuring a killer soundtrack by stoner doom metal band Shooting Guns

the storyline, though not terribly compelling, is original, the acting is competent, the humour more surrealist, in a good way, than laughter-inducing. what really sets this film apart from others of its classification are the character designs, costumes, set decoration and editing, which combine to create a comic-book-style look and feel, with cartoonish special effects and splatter. the werewolf design and make-up art in particular bear resemblance to Joe Johnston's Wolfman and are some of the best i've seen

watch the trailer to get a fairly good idea of what to expect; you'll know whether or not the style suits your taste. this would be a good movie to watch with some weed and/or a couple of beers and a friend

i've been feeling anxious and low on mental spoons, and i wanted a movie that doesn't require too much thought and analysis to appreciate. this feature film debut from writer/director Tyler MacIntyre is a fun, absurd horror comedy, more comedy than horror, that nicely fits the bill

three women are cut up, patched together and injected with a luminescent reanimating reagent in the style of Re-Anamitor; they awaken with a scattered memory and begin a violent rampage, to a lively indie pop soundtrack, in search of whomever did it to them

the sets and make-up are well done, and Tory Stolper gives an excellent performance as the patchwork protagonist. the cast is almost entirely white though. and does a film still pass the Bechdel test if the only dialogue between women occurs between women who all share the same body? all in all, this is no masterpiece of modern cinema, but it -is- highly entertaining and worth checking out

i wasn't sure what to expect from the trailer. the film has mostly negative reviews and a 3.7/10 rating on IMDb, but any film that appears to feature gay witches is one i have to check out for myself, and this one was a very pleasant surprise

written, directed and scored by Brady Hall of Hello, My Name Is Dick Licker, which i haven't heard of but sounds interesting. it's a slow-moving, atmosphere-and-character-driven art film that takes a while to get into before picking up pace about halfway through. the story is interesting but doesn't really come together to form a clear picture until the end, which i don't want to spoil

shot in a wooded area near the sea in Washington state, i believe, the location could be a lovely spot to vacation but, through a desaturated filter and accompanied by the film's droning ritual ambient score, feels more dreary and intimidating. the acting is competent, with outstanding performances from Persephone Apostolou and Macall Gordon as the strong female leads, neither of whom i've heard of before before, but i'll definitely keep an eye on them in the future, as well as on Brady Hall

having not read any other reviews of this film as of yet, i can't imagine why it was so poorly received. it's a relatively short and solid ride at an hour and 15 minutes long, where a lesser director might have added 15 minutes of superfluous dialogue or lingered on a few scenes longer than necessary, recommended for fans of budget art horror or anyone curious to see what the horror genre has to offer beyond Hollywood

this feature film debut from writer/directer Danny Perez is a trip. i've never seen anything quite like it, but if i had to compare it to another film, it's like the lovechild of Gregg Araki's Nowhere and Don Coscarelli's John Dies at the End. it's science fiction with a side of body horror

the filming and editing are highly stylised, effectively creating an atmosphere and visual essence of sludge metal and glitch, along with a soundtrack featuring a mix of garage punk, indie and noise rock. i love Natasha Lyonne (But I'm a Cheerleader and Orange Is the New Black). her performance here is nothing amazing in itself, but it's perfectly fitting for this film

it's a fun experimental movie worth watching at least once if you think you might like it. be forewarned, however, that it features a -lot0 of drug use

i love writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour's debut film A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. slow-paced, visually-oriented and highly stylised, it reminds me of the films of Jim Jarmusch. this one, on the other hand, feels more like an homage to Jodorowsky's El Topo. set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, it features all of the driving characteristics of A Girl Walks Home, but with added emphasis on a diverse assortment of characters and relatively sparse but memorable dialogue. i wouldn't necessarily describe it as philosophically profound, but it certainly inspires contemplation

the film is categorised as horror on both IMDb and Wikipedia. aside from a brief scene involving cannibalism near the beginning, there's nothing really horrific about this, and viewers expecting there to be will likely be disappointed in that regard. it takes a while to get into; each scene is drawn out to the max, with the camera repeatedly lingering on characters' facial expressions for 5 - 10 second intervals. i'm not good at reading faces, though, and if there was some meaning being conveyed thereby, i had difficulty interpreting it and found it tedious to watch

on the whole, it's an enjoyable and thought-provoking film that i look forward to watching again, even if it's a little slower than seems necessary at times and doesn't quite measure up to Amirpour's first effort, in my view

a feature-length, stop-motion animated Halloween musical from Rankin/Bass, the studio which produced most of the animated Christmas classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, etc.), as well as The Hobbit (1977)

the film features Boris Karloff as the voice of Baron Boris von Frankenstein and Allen Swift as virtually every other character. some character designs and voices are better than others, my favourites being Dracula, Mummy and Jekyll & Hyde. the set pieces are creative and detailed

i don't particularly care for the song-and-dance numbers, although the tap-dancing Dracula is amusing, but the jazzy, brass-driven score by Maury Laws in itself makes this a film worth watching. the story is interesting but ends rather abruptly, and the final product could probably have been cut down to about an hour without sacrificing anything crucial

imagine Bobby Pickett's Halloween novelty Monster Mash album transmuted into cinema, and you'll have a pretty decent idea of what to expect

♫ it's me against the world, that's what it feels like in Mill Basin until Black Roses come to town and rocks my f-ing face in they're here for one night only, that's all they'll ever need to steal away our souls and make our eardrums bleed ♬ ~ 'Metal Movie Marijuana Massacre Meltdown' - Acid Witch

a cult (glam) metalspoitation movie directed by John Fasano of Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare. i didn't really care for this the first time i watched it. the script and acting are horrendously bad. i don't know if it was intended to be taken seriously as a horror movie, but i interpret it as a satire of the beliefs and fears of the Christian right during the 'satanic panic' of the '80s

the settings, costumes and monster designs are quintessential '80s, very reminiscent of Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street. the soundtrack features Lizzie Borden and Californian Celtic rock band Tempest, with King Cobra, and their transgender vocalist Marcie Free, performing most of the music for the titular band

i watched this with my girlfriend last night. we both got baked and laughed our asses off through the whole thing. one of those movies that's so bad it's good, i recommend watching it with a friend

i was interested in this film mainly for its Jewish take on possession horror, a subgenre overly saturated with Christian motifs. my knowledge of Jewish theology and lore is virtually nonexistent, though, so i couldn't tell you how accurate the story is in that regard

the film has its own unique style, with some odd camera angles, uneven pacing and a meandering piano-driven score that recalls memories of banging randomly on the low-octave end of my grandmother's piano as a child. all of these elements combine to create a near-constant sense of disorientation. i've never been affected in this way by a film before

Natasha Calis, who would have been 12 or 13 at the time of production, is excellent in the role of possessee. the story and effects never stray far from the typical Hollywood possession horror, and most of the suspense is generated through the score, via increasing volume and repetition, à la Carpenter's Halloween

despite the strict adherence to formula of the plot, i rather enjoyed this movie and expect it will leave a lasting impression. go ahead and give it a chance if the trailer looks intriguing

from the title and trailer, i was expecting comedy, and the film does start out fairly campy but quickly assumes a more serious tone

director William Crain is, according to Wikipedia, 'one of the first black filmmakers from a major film school to achieve commercial success'. the screenplay by Joan Torres and Raymond Koenig, who evidently only ever wrote this film and its sequel, Scream Blacula Scream, is basically a retelling of Dracula set in Los Angeles in the early '70s. the film has the makings of a Gothic romance but with a funk soul atmosphere, driven by a lively rhythm and blues soundtrack composed by Gene Page

the acting is hit-and-miss, with excellent performances from Thalmus Rasulala as Dr. Gordon Thomas, the film's version of Van Helsing, and William Marshall in the title role. the police brutality (i.e, the brutality with which Mamuwalde, a.k.a. Blacula, handles the police when they get in his way) is great fun, and i love the animation sequence during the opening credits

if you haven't seen this, you should fix that. i'll definitely have to check out the sequel, which features Pam Grier in a leading role