Italian director Umberto Lenzi may not be a household name, but he certainly made an impact on cult cinema fans with his output. His Nightmare City was released in Italy exactly forty years ago today. It could be argued that this film was the first instance of fast zombies, certainly predating 28 Days Later by decades.
Read MoreBlood Rage (1987) #RetroReview
Overwrought and ridiculous, John Grissmer’s Blood Rage from 1983 is 82 minutes of gory goofy fun. Not released until 1987 with numerous cuts under the title Nightmare at Shadow Woods, the Thanksgiving-set film has since developed a cult following. With hilarious line readings, an earnest commitment to a low budget splatter aesthetic, and an enormously over the top performance from veteran actress Louise Lasser, its charms are hard to deny.
Read MoreThe Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
A beautifully shot werewolf movie that’s not afraid to tread different ground than its genre predecessors, writer/director Jim Cummings’ quirky The Wolf of Snow Hollow (available now, on-demand) focuses on its flawed lead, ensuring anxiety is not just mined from the premise. Additionally, wry dark humor and traditional thrills mingle on a tonal tightrope that is mostly successful. These and other aspects make for a pleasingly unconventional creature feature.
Read MoreChop Chop (2020)
With the big studios postponing their major horror releases because of the Pandemic, there is a rare opportunity this year for a low budget, indie horror movie to dominate this Halloween. Kamikaze Dogfight and Gravitas Ventures, known for recognizing budding talent in genre filmmaking, are throwing their latest slasher flick Chop Chop into this mix, with the VOD release of Rony Patel's feature directorial debut on October 20th. Chop Chop tries to live up to the cool, suspenseful horror films of the early 2000s, but it quickly loses its edge.
Read MorePossessor Uncut (2020)
Confident, stylish, and esoteric, writer/director Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor is also one of the most gruesomely violent pictures I’ve seen in some time. That should maybe come as no surprise, considering his father is the legendary David Cronenberg, master of the body horror flick. However, Brandon proves he is a filmmaker capable of harnessing his own aggressively brutal vision here. Beware, light spoilers ahead involving plot details.
Read MoreQueen & Slim (2019)
Melina Matsoukas, known mostly for her work on music videos and television, breaks out as a powerful new director with her feature film debut, Queen & Slim. This romance turned road-tripping crime drama has been described as "the black Bonnie and Clyde", but these complex characters were a lot closer to Thelma and Louise. While on a disappointing first date, Slim and Queen are driving home when an encounter with an aggressive police officer during a routine traffic stop turns tragic.
Read MoreImmortal (2019)
What would you do if you were able to almost instantly heal from any wound, up to and including death? An existential dark fantasy anthology with an excellent cast of seasoned performers, Immortal takes a fantastical conceit and explores it from different perspectives. Each segment is helmed by a different director, but the tone remains consistent thanks to being the work of a single scripter and DP.
Read MoreThe Good Things Devils Do (2020)
Low budget chills reside uncomfortably with pronounced silliness in Jess Norvisgaard’s directorial debut, The Good Things Devils Do. The fledgling filmmaker has mostly worked in the camera department up to this point, but in addition to directing, he’s credited as executive producer and the sole screenwriter here. He lined up some horror fan favorites to headline, so I was excited to check it out.
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