★★★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.
Joseph’s Review: In the Woods (A Night of Horror International Film Festival)
★★★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.
Joseph’s A Night of Horror International Film Festival Shorts Reviews: “The Trunk,” “The Junket,” and “Tistlebu”
The Trunk ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ Directed by Travis Laidlaw In Canadian supernatural shocker The Trunk, Marco (Craig Monk) and […]
Mike’s Review: Halloween Ends (2022)
★★ 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.
The Scariest Things Podcast Episode 154: The Top 100 Horror Films of All Time #60-41
We have reached the mid-point of our top 100. The eighties are done proud in this batch, and J-Horror has a couple of Iconic films as well. We also have perhaps the greatest Folk Horror Film in this grouping. Is this the highest that a classic silver age film will post? We shall see! Check out, and listen in to The Scariest Things Podcast Episode 154: The Top 100 Horror Films of All Time #60-41!
Eric’s Review: Freeze (2022 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival)
★★★1/2 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).
Mike’s Review: Hellraiser (2022)
📍📍📍 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.
Joseph’s Review: After She Died (A Night of Horror International Film Festival)
★★★★ 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.
Eric’s Review: Something in the Dirt (2022 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival)
★★★★ 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!
Mike’s Review: My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2022)
★★ 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?
Robert’s Review: Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (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.
The Scariest Things Episode 153: The Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time #80-61
The Scariest Things continues the reconstruction of our Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time list! Listen in as Ian Parker once again helps host our rollout of the best of the scary. Liz, Mike, and Eric also compete to see how many of their favorite films ended up in the top 100, with the winner getting to claim the title of Mayor of Horror Tropetown! So far, it’s looking pretty good for Liz. There’s a little something for everyone at this point in the list, and perhaps a few movies that you might not be familiar with, though most of these are bonafide classics!
Sinister Six: A Half-Dozen Films We Can’t Wait to See at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Here are six slices of fright-fare from Brooklyn Horror Film Festival that we here at The Scariest Things are itching to see.
Joseph’s Reviews: RUPTURE and NR. 10 (SLASH Film Festival)
RUPTURE ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
NR. 10 ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two excellent features from Vienna’s SLASH Film Festival.
Mike’s Book Report: Whisper Down The Lane (2021)
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Heavy subject. Breezy presentation. That’s really the brilliance of Clay McLeod Chapman. The ability to pick apart a heady emotional construct in a way that’s engaging, insightful, and most of all frightening!
Scariest News: The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival 2022 Press Release
When the calendar turns from September to October, that means it’s time for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, one of the premiere horror events in the Pacific Northwest. This year there are some big-time guests who will be at the event in person to represent their iconic films, so if you are within driving distance (or if you want to fly in) you should come to the Hollywood Theater in Portland, and check it out! It is one of the best-curated horror festivals in the country, and you will not find a finer group of short films anywhere.
The Scariest Things Episode 152: The Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time #100-81
The Scariest Things is re-constituting our top 100 Horror Movie List of all time! It’s been five years since our inaugural list was created, and frankly, we know a lot more knowledgeable horror professionals now. Plus, it’s fun to do, and creating a ranked list offers up room for great debates, both amongst our own crew internally, and with you, our fans! We hope you enjoy and appreciate our list! (And feel free to let us know if you disagree… that’s fun too.)
Liz’s Review: The Elderly (Fantastic Fest 2022)
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The Elderly is a multifaceted horror film that will have you looking inward and up to the sky…
Joseph’s SLASH Film Festival Shorts Reviews: “Hairsucker,” “From.Beyond,” and “Shark”
Joseph reviews three **** short films from Vienna’s SLASH Film Festival.
Liz’s Review: Deep Fear (Fantastic Fest 2022)
★★3/4 out of ★★★★★
Evil is lurking under the streets of Paris in Deep Fear!
Liz’s Review: The Antares Paradox (Fantastic Fest 2022)
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Will the search for life on other planets alienate us from each other? That is at the heart of The Antares Paradox.
Trailer Alert: Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Do you have faith in M. Night Shyamalan to deliver a good movie? Recent returns would suggest that he’s still got the touch. The Visit, Split, and Old suggest that his over-indulgent tendencies may be behind him. And if you watch the trailer for Knock at the Cabin, I think you’ll find yourself convinced that he’s got something special coming.
Sinister Six: A Half-Dozen Films We Can’t Wait to See at Australia’s A Night of Horror International Film Festival
The 14th edition of A Night of Horror International Film Festival takes place at Dendy Cinemas Newtown, Sydney, Australia, from October 17th until October 23rd, 2022, and what a lineup the fest has in store!
Mike’s Review: Pearl (2022)
★★ out of ★★★★★
Pearl WILL be one of the more divisive films of the year. It will end up on some “best of” lists, but it could very well end up on some “worst of” lists. Why? Simple really. It’s a very uneven film. It contains some rather shocking bits, but it’s also equally underwhelming.
Trailer Alert: Hellraiser (2022)
Greater Delights Await… Hellraiser has been rebooted. And it looks really good!
Vienna’s SLASH Film Festival 2022 Opens This Week
Vienna’s SLASH Film Festival is set to kick off in a couple of days, and it’s a stunner! From the world premieres of Austrian features Rupture and Mother Superior to the opening episodes of Lars von Trier’s Kingdom Exodus to a fine selection of other horror features and shorts from around the globe boasting monsters, murderers, and all other sorts of mayhem, SLASH Film Festival is a can’t-miss event.
Liz’s Review: Barbarian
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Barbarian is the most fun you’ll have in the theater this year!
Mike’s Review: Men (2022)
★★★★.5 out of ★★★★★
This might seem like a stretch, but you’ve never seen a film quite like 2022’s Men. Really. It’s in a pretty singular place in the world of psychedelic horror. Frankly, there’s nothing that really compares to this shocking bit of A24 business. Unless you count David Cronenberg’s 1979 classic the Brood as a contemporary — but that was 43 years ago.
Men, directed by friend of horror, Alex Garland (28 Days Later and Annihilation) is exactly the film that 2022 needed, nay required. By managing to expertly weave through a minefield of trauma, sexual repression, male insecurity, and post-#metoo movement dynamics, Garland turns in one of the best horror films of the year.
Liz’s Book Report: Mary: An Awakening of Terror
★★★★★ out of ★★★★★
A scary and shocking coming of middle age story!
The Scariest Things Podcast Episode 151: Francophonic Horror
Bon Jour! If you like your horror with a bit of an esprit de viscéral, then this will be the episode for you! The French language horror films bring a bit of the nasty, the savage, and also at times, the absurd. There is a tradition of breaking conventions with much of French art, and that includes their cinema tastes. And, this extends naturally to their willingness for their horror movies going to extremes. So join us in extracting out what makes French Language Horror so potent in Episode 151!