Something inarguably evil happened in the tiny town of Sangre de Cristo, Arizona, on June 2, 2011: all but 1 of its 57 residents were massacred, but just who or what did it is up for debate. The arresting horror film Savageland (2016) takes an effective, chilling faux-documentary-style approach in recreating the events of that […]
Author: Joseph Perry
Joseph Perry fell in love with horror films as a preschooler when he first saw the Gill-Man swim across the TV screen in "The Creature from The Black Lagoon" and Mothra battle Godzilla in "Godzilla Vs. The Thing.” His education in fright fare continued with TV series such as "The Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits," along with legendary northern California horror host Bob Wilkins’ "Creature Features." His love for silver age and golden age comic books, including horror titles from Gold Key, Dell, and Marvel started around age 5. He is a contributing writer for "Phantom of the Movies VideoScope" print magazine and the websites Gruesome Magazine, Diabolique Magazine, Ghastly Grinning, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, and When It Was Cool. He is a co-host of the "Decades of Horror: The Classic Era" and "Uphill Both Ways" podcasts. Joseph has also written for “Scream” magazine, "Filmfax" magazine, “SQ Horror” magazine, and the websites That's Not Current an HorrorNews.net. He occasionally proudly co-writes articles with his son Cohen Perry, who is a film critic in his own right. A former northern Californian and Oregonian, Joseph has been teaching, writing, and living in South Korea since 2008.
Super Scary Shorts Saturday: “Howl of a Good Time” (2015) and “Santa” (2013) Provide Chuckles with Their Chills
Filmmaker Patrick Rea, one-third of the trio that makes up SenoReality Pictures, may be best known for his feature-length disaster film/creature feature mash-up Nailbiter (2012), but he is prolific in turning out short films. Many of these fall into the horror, thriller, and dark comedy genres, and his latest title, Howl of a Good Time […]
“Suffer the Little Children” (2015): Horror Comes to School in a Stephen King Adaptation
Stephen King stories have a history of being difficult to adapt to the screen, but the filmmakers behind Bonfire Films – located in King’s home state of Maine – have a go at it with Suffer the Little Children. The climax of the story has some strong content, indeed, and this short film doesn’t shy […]
“Dig Two Graves” (2014): Gothic Chiller Serves Up First-Rate Storytelling and Superb Performances
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. – Confucius To what lengths would a young girl go to see her deceased brother once again? How much trust would she place in the promises of strangers, even if those promises defy reason and the laws of nature? The excellent independent gothic thriller/horror […]
“Heir” (2015): Monsters Walk Among Us
The first time I watched the troubling Canadian short horror film Heir, I knew nothing about it going in except that it starred renowned independent horror film actor Bill Oberst Jr. Less than 14 minutes later when the short finished, I was so thoroughly impressed that I instantly researched more about director Richard Powell and […]
“I Survived a Zombie Holocaust” (2015): Cheekiness and Charm Abound in New Zealand Horror Comedy
Since Peter Jackson’s early films, along with efforts from other filmmakers such as those behind Black Sheep (2006), New Zealand has had a solid track record with producing horror comedies that worked in both aspects of this subgenre, which is not an easy feat. The past year or so has seen releases that pleased both […]
[Film Review] “The Stranger” (2014): Undying Nihilism Sinks Chilean Horror Film
Not to be confused with the Albert Camus novel of the same name — although it could be argued that there is a peppering of existentialism on display at times here amongst the nihilism — debuting director Guillermo Amodoe’s Chilean effort The Stranger offers up a fair share of moody brooding. The titular character, also […]