Being a fan of Noir film and literature, I was excited to get a chance to see Julia, a film billed as a “neo-noir” revenge thriller, and I was not disappointed. A synopsis: Julia was sexually abused by her father when she was a child. Strike one. As an adult, she goes on a first […]
Gruesome Reviews
“Tales of Halloween” (2015): A Halloween Treat Full of Gory Tricks
Featuring 11 directors tackling 10 short stories, Tales of Halloween is an early October holiday treat with more than a few tricks up its sleeve. The film is fun, raucous and a bit gnarly but always with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek hell-bent on having a great time. It succeeds so marvelously. The […]
“Hellions” (2015): Should Return From Whence They Came…
After hearing so much about Hellions, the latest film from director Bruce McDonald (Pontypool), I found myself totally stoked to sit down and experience what I hoped would be a really good movie. But what I watched was neither very good or very bad, it sat uncomfortably in cinematic purgatory, where polarizing flicks retire to […]
“The Horror Network” (2015): Hit And Miss with Striking Visuals
Horror anthologies have been making a bit of a comeback here in the past several years. Though still not an every year tradition in film making, it is good to see they have not went the way of the dinosaur either. So I was excited when I got to view The Horror Network Vol. 1 […]
“Goosebumps” (2015): R.L. Stine’s Monsters Haunt Again
Goosebumps may be a property long past its heyday, but now it has reappeared thanks to the recurring trend of the time: 1990s nostalgia! In a post Jurassic World… world, we can expect to see plenty of 90s properties get their revitalized reboots, remakes and delayed sequels to attract a modern audience. After all, the […]
“Crimson Peak” (2015): Rich, Beautiful and Frightening
Crimson Peak, the latest horror feature from fan-favorite director Guillermo del Toro, shares its intentions up front when Edith Cushing, early in the first act, tells a potential publisher that her haunted manuscript is a story that happens to have ghosts. It becomes an important fact to yank out of the dialog and hold onto […]
“Yakuza Apocalypse” (2015): Expect the Unexpected
Takashi Miike is an oddity, even within the Japanese film industry. Responsible for films like Audition and Ichi The Killer, Miike is known for taking ideas firmly rooted in Japanese culture and twisting them in the most brazenly bizarre fashion. Unfortunately, I’m more of a novice to Miike’s work, but judging from those I have […]
“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 […]
“The Final Girls” (2015): A Slasher Spoof With Heart
In the time since cinematic slashers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger had their heyday in the 1980s, we’ve seen plenty of comedic takes on the genre. There’s the satirically dark spins like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, the more silly raunchiness with Club Dread or the less ambitious referential […]
“Bone Tomahawk” (2015): A Western With Guts
Perhaps better known as a novelist, S. Craig Zahler ia an award-winning writer with novels like A Congregation Of Jackals (2010) and Wraiths of the Broken Land (2013), among others, to his credit. He’s also known as Czar, the singer/lyricist/drummer for a heavy metal band called Realmbuilder and he performed the same duties earlier in […]
“Pan” (2015): Foolhardy Yet Fascinating
J.M. Barrie’s much beloved Peter Pan returns to theaters with Pan (2015) from director Joe Wright and screenwriter Jason Fuchs. The story explores the origins of young Peter before he was known as the boy who can fly. The film follows Peter as he arrives in Neverland and meets James Hook and Tiger Lily for […]
“Deathgasm” (2015): A Wild, Fun, Bloody Ride Set to the Tune of Heavy Metal
In Deathgasm, a new horror comedy from New Zealand, a recent high school transfer, a dropout, and two geeks form a metal band that they decide to name DEATHGASM (lower case is for pussies) after rejecting Murder Boners, Toothed Vagina, Maggot Sperm, Cannibal Unicorn, and SSSSSSSSSSSSS. In short order, they stumble upon the ancient “Black […]
“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 […]
“Cooties” (2015): Infected with Hilarity and Goofy Fun
As a person who loves horror movies and makes horror movies, some of my favorites to watch and create are those that have an element of comedy to them. For me, Cooties is a horror comedy that fires on all cylinders. The movie had me infected with laughter throughout the film’s runtime and I would’ve […]
“Contracted: Phase 2” (2015): Sick and Stupid
Taking place right where Contracted left off, Contracted: Phase 2 is the latest example of a needless sequel that pretty much craps all over the original film. As C2 (I’m calling it “C2” from here on) opens, the situation Samantha (Najarra Townsend) found herself in is quickly resolved with a few well placed bullets, but […]