I'll just start with that if you're a cult film fan, you don't want to miss the aptly named, Cult Classic Convention! From the moment you step through the doors, you're transported to a wacky world of nostalgia. The atmosphere is electric, with enthusiastic fans, talented artists, and engaging presenters all coming together to celebrate the horror genre and other weird films.
Read MoreInfinity Pool (2023)
Get ready for the White Lotus on psychedelics. Infinity Pool, disturbing and erotic, is a stylized bloody satire both trippy and mesmerizing. This film, as well as Possessor, has established Brandon Cronenberg as the most exciting young Writer-director in science fiction and horror.
Read MoreThe Ghosts of Monday (2022)
If you’re going to lift, lift from the best. Francesco Cinquemani’s The Ghosts of Monday tiptoes through the paths trod by The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby, and even The Beyond, but does it have a unique perspective? I would say that the lo-fi digital look, the setting of Cyprus, and themes about voyeurism do add a wrinkle to the more familiar story beats. The film also boasts some star power in the form of fan-favorite actor Julian Sands.
Read MoreWolf Hollow (2023)
A good werewolf film is hard to come by these days. While their bloodsucking brethren, vampires, have enjoyed a long cinematic life, it generally seems to be accepted that werewolf films peaked in 1981 with the release of John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London and Joe Dante’s The Howling, both of which are considered to be the two best werewolf films of all time. While one cannot deny the romantic allure and elegance of a good vampire film, sometimes it’s fun to just sit back and enjoy the pure carnage that a werewolf film can bring to the table.
Read MoreThe Outwaters (2022)
Right off the bat, I need to state that The Outwaters won’t be to everyone’s taste. There is about a thirty-minute stretch of the film’s 110-ish-minute runtime that is probably best described as experimental. That chunk combined with the found footage aesthetic and the script’s reluctance to provide concrete answers makes for an atypical horror experience.
Read MoreCasting Kill (2023)
Shot in a mere six days in London, director/cinematographer James Smith’s Casting Kill is a classy and lightly satirical look at the underside of the film business. Though the budget was likely quite small, the filmmakers and their cast deploy some Hitchcockian flair in a beautifully shot piece that makes some movie magic with a coterie of fine performances and playful dialog. After an effectively moody title sequence, we soon meet Arthur Capstone, a big-shot Hollywood casting director.
Read MoreParalysis (2022)
There’s just something about watching micro-budget pictures that are clearly labors of love. Writer/director Levi Austin Morris’ Paralysis fits that description to the T. As I watched the end credits roll, several names popped up over and over. Chief among them was Morris himself, who in addition to his aforementioned duties is also listed as an associate producer, co-cinematographer, and editor, while also showing up in a few other spots like the art department.
Read MoreEmily the Criminal (2022)
Aubrey Plaza is one of the most versatile performers currently working in film. Though she’s perhaps best known for comedy, I am a huge fan of her thoughtful thrillers. Ingrid Goes West is one of my favorite flicks from the last five years and her latest, John Patton Ford’s Emily the Criminal, is a small triumph, as well. I wasn’t able to get to a theatrical screening back in August, but the brand-new blu ray arrived at my door this week.
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