Arrow Video FrightFest Glasgow holds its 16th edition online from March 5–7, 2021, with six scintillating films from the United States, Canada, and France. From the divisive school-shooting thriller Run Hide Fight to the stylish film noir elements of The Woman with Leopard Shoes (La Femme Aux Chaussures Leopard) to the folk horror of The […]
Film Festivals
Naughty Nurses, Savage Stylists, and Unsettling Undead Topline This Year’s Final Girls Berlin Film Festival
The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival has announced for its sixth edition that it plans both a virtual component from February 4-7 2021 and a physical edition for Halloween weekend. Among its films directed and produced by women and non-binary filmmakers are the horror comedy 12 Hour Shift, the unnerving chiller The Stylist, and the […]
[Review] Bedtime Story (Another Hole in the Head Film Festival): Spanish Horror Short Sees a Family Haunted by the Possibility of a Witch Neighbor
Two young brothers drive their mother crazy in Bedtime Story (El Cuento), a Spanish horror short from cowriters/codirectors Lucas Paulino and Ángel Torres, but that’s nothing compared with what the night ahead holds for the trio. This atmospheric slice of supernatural fear fare is gripping from the beginning, and boasts an eerie, unsettling atmosphere of […]
[Review] Circle of Stone (Another Hole in the Head Online Film Festival): Fae Folk Prove Deadly in Riveting Action-Horror Short
Legendary creatures of the distant past clash with modern-day cops in writer/director Mark Andrews’ Circle of Stone, a superb action-horror short. From its eerie premise to its gorgeous look and the terrific job from its cast, the short delivers plenty of thrills and gory goods. Deputy Dan (Vic Mignogna) is on his rural rounds when […]
Another Hole in the Head Film Festival Closes Out 2020 on a High Note with Nearly 300 Movies Announced
From surreal mind-blowers such as Sister Tempest to spine-tingling chillers like the New Zealand offering The Turn of the Screw to unsettling horror such as An Unquiet Grave, San Francisco’s Another Hole in the Head Film Festival promises to heat up December with its astounding array of more than 40 feature films and more than […]
[Review] Attack of the Killer Scarecrow (Blood in the Snow Film Festival): Teen-Crafted Terror Finds an Urban Legend to Be True
Attack of the Killer Scarecrow delivers exactly what the title promises. Written, directed, and edited by teenager Octavian Kaul — who also stars as one of the three leads — this Canadian horror short has a nice 1980s vibe that doesn’t overdo that angle. On Halloween night, Aaron (Kaul) and two of his fellow high […]
[Review] Tales of the Uncanny (Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend): Superb Documentary Looks at the History and Draw of Horror Anthologies
Severin Films’ documentary about horror anthology films Tales of the Uncanny started out as a bonus feature for the company’s upcoming release of The Theatre Bizarre. Then along came COVID-19, and the idea struck director and Severin Films chief David Gregory to use the Zoom platform to expand the film by reaching out to more […]
[Review] THE RETREAT (Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend): Trippy Psychological Horror and Creature Feature Mash-Up Impresses
In his previous film Monstrous, writer/director Bruce Wemple combined a Bigfoot creature feature with other horror elements. In his new feature The Retreat, he tackles another North American legend in the Native American Wendigo, again adding other fear-fare ingredients to the mix. The result is a trippy film with an unreliable, not very likable main […]
THE VIGIL Captures Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend Audience Award
Following the end of four fantastic days of digital programming that featured 21 film premieres at its Wicked Weekend Halloween celebration, Popcorn Frights has come to a close and announced THE VIGIL as the winner of its Audience Award. In this hair-raising chiller, a lapsed Orthodox Jewish man tasked with keeping watch over a dead […]
[Review] Benny Loves You (Arrow Video FrightFest’s Digital Edition 2): U.K. Killer Doll Film Boasts Side-Splitting Comedy and Blood-Splattering Gore
No matter where you stand on killer doll movies, prepare to give your heart — or whatever piece of your anatomy the titular animated evil stuffed toy wishes to take — to Benny. Benny Loves You is a riotous, grue-heavy U.K. horror comedy that is the winning result of a five-year labor of love for […]
[Review] The Greatest Horror Film Ever Made (Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival): Comedy Short Serves as a Satirical Primer on How to — Or How Not to — Make a Horror Film
Writer/director/star Brandon Jordan takes a light-hearted look at the frustrations of being a filmmaker in his horror comedy short film The Greatest Horror Film Ever Made. A fun look at the creative process and at current thoughts on fright-fare tropes and trends, the short is a hilarious journey through the mind of Jordan as he […]
[Review] Abduction (North Bend Film Festival/Nightstream): Shaming and Blaming Follow a Young Woman’s Otherworldly Experience
Australian short film Abduction combines social messages regarding shaming and victim blaming with a science-fiction setting. Frances Elliott’s screenplay and Paul Komadina’s direction masterfully balance these two elements, not allowing the science fiction elements to overpower the serious messages and vice versa. Mathilda (Alexandra Nell) enjoys a night out drinking and listening to live music […]
Popcorn Frights Film Festival Announces Its Fright-Filled “Wicked Weekend” Virtual Event for Halloween Weekend
Popcorn Frights Film Festival, Florida’s premiere horror-themed film fest, has announced that it will hold a Wicked Weekend virtual event for Halloween weekend, from October 29th through November 1st. Wicked Weekend will feature 21 film premieres, including the world premiere of Smiley Face Killers starring Crispin Glover and the Florida premiere of supernatural thriller Spell, […]
Lund Fantastic Film Festival Goes Hybrid for 2020 with Psychos, Science Fiction, and The Supernatural
Sweden’s Lund Fantastic Film Festival will present a hybrid edition this year, with both in-cinema and digital offerings. From October 28th through November 1st, the fest’s 26th edition will serve up a tantalizing slate of 14 feature films and 6 curated short film packages. Gruesome Magazine has reviewed the jaw-dropping Butt Boy and I have […]
[Review] Green Cobra (Twisted Dreams Film Festival): Twisted Comic Take on Torture Amongst Criminals Features a Scintillating Star Performance
As someone with an aversion to on-screen torture, it truly means something when I say that director Sigurd Culhane’s dark comedy/thriller short Green Cobra is a hilariously uncomfortable, recommended watch. The short boasts both gut-churning and gut-busting sequences. Green Cobra is filmed using wide lenses and a thick green filter, and kicks off with a […]