Debuting on October 7th, 1988, Graham Baker’s Alien Nation seems to have only grown in relevance. A sci-fi allegory about racism and immigration, the film delivers on its action beats while keeping its message front and center. With a strong cast and an earnest tone, the film plays like a genre spin on In the Heat of the Night.
Read MoreSaw X (2023)
How has this franchise lasted all the way to this tenth installment? In every sense of logic, it shouldn’t have, especially in these last five or so years. The 2020s, maybe even a few years before, will go down in horror history as the Age of Elevated Horror.
Read MoreMary Had a Little Lamb (2023)
Well, Mary certainly did have a little lamb, but I don’t think its fleece was ever white as snow. Not this lamb anyway. Something trending lately has been taking innocent childhood themes and stories and making them into grotesque caricatures that have zero reason for existing.
Read MoreFrightfest Film Festival (2023)
FrightFest 2023, a spine-chilling extravaganza of the macabre, unfolded before eager eyes and beating hearts, embracing horror enthusiasts in the most captivating manner. For those fortunate enough to participate, this year's festival brought an added thrill, as the haunting and hair-raising cinematic spectacles were made accessible for remote reviewing. Embarking on a virtual journey through the shadows of terror, delving into the twisted tales of horror from the comfort of one's own domain, was an exhilarating treat for every avid film critic and horror aficionado.
Read MoreGrandma (2023)
True story: in 2014, while I was living in Riverton, Wyoming, I went to a thrift shop for fun and found two unlabeled VHS tapes. I was so stoked to see what was on them. I asked the little old lady at the front desk how much she’d sell them for and with a raised eyebrow she said, “Eh just take ‘em.”
Read MoreMancunian Man: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow (2023) #frightfest
I first became aware of low-budget British filmmaker Cliff Twemlow when I saw the VHS box art for his 1983 shot on video crime thriller GBH in a Facebook group for grindhouse film fans. For those that don’t know, “GBH” stands for “grievous bodily harm” which is a British legal term akin to assault and battery in the US. It’s possible that the film may have never shown up on my radar were it not for its inclusion on the UK’s notorious list of '80s-era banned/censored works known as the Video Nasties.
Read MoreHouston Horror Film Festival (2023)
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Houston Horror Film Festival. I mean, I could really consider Houston Marriott Westchase my home away from home at this point, but despite all of the years I’ve attended the event, I’ve always concentrated most of my time in the vendor halls and photo areas. This is the first year that I found the time to catch, enjoy, and critique each and every movie.
Read MoreRE: Blue Ruin (2013) #RetroReview
Writer/director Jeremy Saulnier gave the revenge thriller an exciting jolt in 2013 with the gripping Blue Ruin. Quiet, plausible, and humanistic, I was completely taken by Saulnier's supreme confidence and his relation to what real revenge might look like when I first saw the film. September 22nd is the tenth anniversary of its American debut at Fantastic Fest, so I decided to look back.
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