Joseph reviews three ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ short films from Another Hole in the Head Film Festival: 7 MINUTES IN HELL, ANGEL CITY HORROR, and THE WELL.
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Cognitive ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The Keys ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
A King in Yellow ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews three thrilling slices of fear-fare from Another Hole in the Head Film Festival.
★★ out of ★★★★★
Tucked neatly between two pretty cool holidays is a celebration that’s pretty mundane. Face it Thanksgiving ain’t all that great, nor is gluttony. It’s definitely a tough spot to be in. The equivalent in the world of horror is being unfortunately stuck between horror and comedy. That’s exactly where the 2019 Blumhouse/Hulu film Pilgrim fits.
Sort of funny. Sort of horror. But really neither.
★★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
The Menu is an extremely well-crafted dark satire-thriller that both seduces you and fills you with dread. In the world of five-star restaurants, there is a cult of personality built around celebrity chefs. This movie extends that idea to make this a suicide death cult of personality. Bon appetit!
★★★ out of ★★★★★
The holidays are just around the corner! Well, technically the holidays are ALWAYS just around the corner. The only thing more bleak than the constant crush of forced holiday frivolity? I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The latest crytpozoology documentary from the terrific Small Town monsters production company is another solid effort, this one focusing on the history and social issues surrounding the Jersey Devil.
★★★ out of ★★★★★
Part thriller, part mystery, part horror, and all metaphor! No Exit is a pretty fun thrill ride that never gets too gory, grimy, or grody. Just a little bit of each, but not too much of any.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The living master of stop-motion animation, Phil Tippett has finished his 35-year-old passion project, Mad God. It is a technical and visual triumph, an astounding achievement of effort, care, and craftsmanship. Notably, Mad God is also full of yucky puppets. It is also devoid of a clear narrative story. It resembles the visions of Hell by Hieronymous Bosch put into animated stop motion.
Simply put: Mad God is surreal, profane, disturbing, confusing... and FREAKY.
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
A skeptical husband goes against his superstitious wife’s wishes and finds himself in a downward spiral of tragedy in this brooding Korean chiller.
★★★★.5 out of ★★★★★
If 2022 has you a little jaundiced with reboots, sequels, prequels, and re-imaginations your feelings are not unwarranted. Let’s face it, Halloween Ends was confusing and largely devoid of Michael Myers. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was silly and uncooked. Hellraiser was pretty to look at, but became an unnecessary and boring reboot.
Have no fear. The Indonesians are here to save us!
★★ out of ★★★★★
A quiet and contemplative affair that sadly just remains a quiet and contemplative affair. No highs, no lows, and few scares.
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
U.K. creature feature The Lair may not win any awards for originality or win accolades for its characters, but if you are in the mood for action horror with monsters and grue aplenty, it is a fun watch.
Prom Car '91 ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Gnomes ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two excellent shorts from Nightmares Film Festival.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Marvel is dipping its toe into the horror genre. It's an homage to the great Universal and Val Lewton era of film, with glorious black-and-white. It's gorier than you would expect a Marvel/Disney production to be, and it has all the right feels. It's short, punchy, and a whole lot of fun. Michael Giacchino steps away from his composer's chair to take the director's set, with great success. Here's hoping they turn it into a continuing series.
★★.5 out of ★★★★★
Black gloves! The stabiest of stabbings! Groovy Goblin-esque soundtrack! Mysterious subterfuge! A nod (maybe) to the 1971 classic Cat O’ Nine Tails. Argento is back! Well, maybe he’s back. The vote’s still out on that wild proclamation.
My head says ★★ out of ★★★★★
My heart says ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The Retaliators is a blood soaked revenge horror rock show.
Summoners ★★★ out of ★★★★★
Mother, May I? ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two "But is it horror?" features from Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Good Boy ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Stephane ★★★ out of ★★★★★
Look out for two new European thrillers fresh from their world premiers at Beyond Fest!
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
V/H/S/99, the latest installment in the V/H/S horror anthology franchise, delivers plenty of the gory and the gruesome along with a nice balance of chills and chuckles.
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
A father and daughter going through difficult times are about to have matters get even worse, as they are stranded on a road next to a forest at night, and they are definitely not alone.
The Trunk ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ Directed by Travis Laidlaw In Canadian supernatural shocker The Trunk, Marco (Craig Monk) and...
★★ out of ★★★★★
Like all hyper-beloved franchises there’s no way to end them in a satisfactory way. Save for MASH and the great Hawkeye Pierce, every last franchise has fumbled, bungled, and tied themselves in the most Gordian of Gordian Knots. Sadly, even with a stellar writing and directing crew, Halloween was not able to properly end.
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Freeze takes elements from the Legenary H.P. Lovecraft library: The Shadow over Innsmouth and At the Mountains of Madness have been combined to make it into an entertaining romp through the arctic. For the independent production house Dark Temple Motion Pictures, this is their most ambitious effort to date, and it looks terrific, though it really could have used several more actors to flesh out the environment. (literally).
📍📍📍 out of 📍📍📍📍📍
You either love the Cenobites or you don’t. You’re either interested in freaky BDSM emo-demons or you’re not. You either like non-linear otherworldly sci-fi based horror or it holds little interest to you. It’s possible there’s a third category — indifference — and that’s probably where I fall on the Hellraiser spectrum.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
This Australian indie effort punches above its weight and delivers a thrilling, mesmerizing watch about a teenage girl whose recently deceased mother has been replaced in the family unit by a woman who looks alarmingly like that very mother.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Fear the Pythagorean Theorem! Wait... what? The latest film from trendsetting actor/directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson explores the fear of pattern languages. Math can be a frustratingly daunting experience at best and mind-bogglingly cryptic at the extremes. Think of it. Irrational numbers. ∞. Triskadecaphobia. π. Abstract numbers. Dividing by zero. What does it all mean? The laws and rules of mathematics that govern our lives can be twisted. Oh, the Horror!
★★ out of ★★★★★
A “C” is passing, but it ain’t that great in the scheme of things. It’s just OK. Sometimes it’s from lack of trying, sometimes it’s from a poor teacher, and sometimes the student doesn’t have a lot to work from. In the case of 2022’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism, it had great source material, a great story, and the backing of one of the biggest corporations on the planet. So what the hell happened to one of the most anticipated films of 2022?
⭐️ out of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Creeper is back! Unfortunately, he’s as painful to watch this time as he was the last time we saw him.
RUPTURE ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
NR. 10 ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two excellent features from Vienna's SLASH Film Festival.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The Elderly is a multifaceted horror film that will have you looking inward and up to the sky...