‘Fear will surface’

Nailbiter is a 2012 American horror film directed by Patrick Rea from a screenplay co-written with Kendall Sinn.

The movie was first released onto DVD in Japan on January 25, 2013 and received its American debut on April 5, 2013 at the Phoenix Film Festival. Director Rea apparently intends to make Nailbiter 2.

Plot:

Janet (Erin McGrane) and her children are on the way to the airport to pick up their father (Aaron Laue) when they are forced to take shelter from a tornado that is ravaging the area. They manage to find a storm shelter outside of a seemingly abandoned house, only for the group to become trapped by a fallen tree that prevents them from leaving the storm shelter.

Things are made worse when they discover that they’re not alone in the house or storm shelter and the group is attacked by a monstrous creature…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“So while Nailbiter suffers ever so slightly from the curse of the budget strained independent film (factors like its beautiful cinematography make up for it) – trust that the story does pick up the pace once you find out who is upstairs, and in the basement with the ladies. There’s some decent potential here for a mini horror saga. Nailbiter is sharp and deadly all in all, and despite its unresolved portions and imperfections, you’re left on a good note with a different monster movie than your standard R-rated fare.” John Marrone, Bloody Disgusting

” … really impressed with the flow of the story, the reasons behind the ladies being held captive, and the way everything plays out. And while the movie certainly leaves itself open for a sequel (hell, it practically feels like Part 1 of a two-part story), it was refreshing to watch a non-sequel, mostly original horror film that wasn’t afraid to get a little kooky sometimes.” Ain’t It Cool News

” … a surprisingly good little movie, that took us places that we didn’t expect it to. Is it about a killer tornado, or is it about some creepy shit in a cellar? Yes. No matter what the plot is truly about, Nailbiter delivers some pretty tension-filled scenes and some awesome shots. One thing we really loved about this movie is the way that it ends; it really makes us curious to see a sequel.” The Horror Club

“Nailbiter is a satisfying and enjoyable thriller/horror that makes the most of what it has and builds an interesting mythology around a simple, scary idea that plays against expectations in a fresh way.” Flay Otters, Horror-Movies.ca

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

“An independent gem definitely worth checking out, you’re in store for a real treat when it comes to an old genre resurrected with a brand new twist.” Dave Gammon, HorrorNews.net

“For a film that has enough endings to rival Return of the King, Nailbiter rolls the final credits without ever offering a satisfying explanation for the tepid events.  A family caught in a storm cellar while pursued by mysterious creatures should inspire fear, panic, paranoia, and claustrophobia.  Instead, Nailbiter inspires yawns, heavy eyelids, and a feeling that the time would have been better spent watching something else entirely.” Culture Crypt

Cast and Characters:

• Emily Boresow as Alice Maguire
• Meg Saricks as Jennifer Maguire
• Erin McGrane as Janet Maguire
• Joicie Appell as Mrs. Shurman
• Michelle Davidson as Dina
• Ian Dempsey as Sean
• Ben Jeffrey as Deputy Carr
• Aaron Laue as Lt. Maguire
• Allen Lowman as Tom
• Zane Martin as Little monster
• Mark Ridgway as Sheriff
• John D. Barnes as Townsperson
• Jason Coffman as Creature
• Tom Conroy as Bartender
• Anita Cordell as Traveler at airport

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Strip Mahjong: Battle Royale – original title: Datsui-mâjan batoru rowaiaru – is a 2011 erotic horror thriller directed by Mac P. Forever (as Makku P. Fôevâ) from a screenplay by Ryosuke Oomine.

Plot:

A handful of mysterious Japanese women take part in a deranged web show that makes them strip off their clothes when they lose a round of Mahjong. When there is nothing left to hide, secrets are revealed and they must take their punishment…

Reviews:

” … a film designed to play to an older exploitation trend, but fails in the horror department. I suppose I was anticipating an derivative movie that mirrored something like Red Room, however, this film is really just a drawn out striptease. As long as you know what “kind” of film this is, you’ll be alright. Kato is good for a few laughs as a pretty wacky game show host, beyond that it’s a countdown to full frontal.” HorrorNews.net

“Perhaps if you’re a mahjong fan, watching four women play a few rounds is entertaining, but this film managed to provide me with the unusual experience of being bored with a quartet of naked Japanese women. I can say, unequivocally, that this has never happened before and I truly thought it was impossible.” Francis Rizzo III, DVD Talk

Trailer:

IMDb

Chill: The Killing Games is a 2013 American slasher horror film co-produced and co-directed by Noelle Bye, Meredith Holland from a screenplay co-written with Roger Conners (who also stars). Principal shooting began in 2011 – with the tentative title Chill – and the film premiered on 5 April 2013.

The film is available on VOD and released on DVD on October 13 by Bayview Entertainment.

Cast:

Roger Conners, Kelly Rogers, Brad Arner, DJ Remark, Jason Orr, Angelia DeLuca, David Gilmore, Mike Kafury, Erinn Bakun, Ash Katt, Janine Bowles Sarnowski, Theresa Pedone, and Rick Montgomery Jr.

Plot:

November 17, 1988, is a day of mourning for some… and for others, a lucrative opportunity. On that date, eight university students were found murdered in the old arts building at the college. An anonymous source told police the twenty-somethings were in the midst of a local role-playing game, called Chill.

The name of the game is to stay alive. But for the players that November evening, few would be getting up for another round. But when a scheming student decides to profit from the tragedy and revive the whodunit game as a web series, the new players soon discover, for some, this game is still all too real…

Reviews:

“Whilst the feature itself is not without its problems (poor illumination, half-hearted dialogue, noticeably average acting, a couple of WTF revelations and it could have done with some eye candy), it gives me great pleasure to see that we have moved well away from the era of Camp Blood and Carnage Road.” Luis Joaquín González, A Slash Above…

” … it’s relatively well written, and the production value is pretty good. For starters, I was impressed by the camera work. The shot choices were smart, and they didn’t go crazy with a lot of poor hand-held scenes. Most of the framing in regards to the actors faces was good, and no shots lingered for a long period of time. It’s also pretty well-lit…” Adam the Movie God

“The film has run time of almost two hours, and that seemed really long for this sort of film. The first half of the film seems like it goes on forever, but everything presented is necessary to the story. I couldn’t come up with any scenes they could have shaved down or cut entirely without ruining the flow or sacrificing exposition.: HorrorNews.net

Shooting locations:

Garfield Heights Center for the Performing Arts, Ohio, USA
Akron, Ohio, USA
Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Trailer:

IMDb | Facebook

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‘Pray he’s not hungry’

Monsterwolf, also known as Monster Wolf, is a 2010 American Syfy television supernatural horror film directed by Todor Chapkanov (Copperhead; Ghost Town; True Bloodthirst; Asylum) from a screenplay by Charles Bolon (Swamp Shark).

Busy actor Griff Furst is the also the director of Lake Placid 3; Swamp Shark; Arachnoquake; Ghost Shark and Ragin’ Cajun Redneck Gators

Main cast:

Leonor Varela (Blade II), Robert Picardo (The Howling; Munchies; Gremlins 2), Marc Macaulay (All Saint’s Eve), Steve Reevis, Jason London (Dracula III: The Legacy; Snow Beast; Zombie Shark), Jon Eyez, Griff Furst, Ricky Wayne, Nicole Barré, Amber Bartlett.

Buy for £2.99 on Amazon.co.uk

Plot:

A group of people who represent an oil company find a new place to drill in Louisiana. However, when they set off an explosion, it unleashes a wolf-like creature that kills all the workers…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

A reasonable cast, elevated by Robert Picardo’s seething portrayal of a stop-at-nothing oil company villain (and he knows something about evil werewolves as he was Eddie Quist in the original The Howling!) struggle with the kind of clichéd depictions of small town rednecks, displaced loyalties and Native American supernatural legends we have all seen so many times before.

The Monsterwolf itself is one of the worst CGI abominations to grace even a Syfy movie but at least the editing and action is swift during the attack scenes and if you expect nothing more than a mindless time-filler (though it was part of the channel’s 2010 Halloween highlights!) then you could do worse. And it’s a very cheap beast on disc if you miss catching it on TV.

Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia

“Wolf attacks are presented with flashy editing that allows for better use of practical monster prosthetics, though there are too many instances of spotty computer effects to dampen the effectiveness of certain moments.” Dread Central

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook | Twitter

I Spit on Your Grave is a 2010 American rape and revenge horror film, and a remake of the 1978 exploitation movie Day of the Woman (better known by its re-release title, I Spit on Your Grave). The 2010 film was directed by Steven R. Monroe (Ogre; Mongolian Death Worm; The Last Halloween) from a screenplay by Stuart Morse based on a story by Meir Zarchi (who executive produced).

Main cast:

Sarah Butler, Chad Lindberg, Daniel Franzese, Rodney Eastman, Jeff Branson and Andrew Howard.

Plot:

Writer Jennifer Hills (Butler) takes a retreat from the city to a charming cabin in the woods to start on her next book. But Jennifer’s presence in the small town attracts the attention of a few morally depraved locals who set out one night to teach this city girl a lesson. They break into her cabin to scare her. However, what starts out as terrifying acts of humiliation and intimidation, quickly and uncontrollably escalates into a night of physical abuse and torturous assault. But before they can kill her, Jennifer sacrifices her broken and beaten body to a raging river that washes her away.

As time passes, the men slowly stop searching for her body and try to go back to life as usual. But that isn’t about to happen. Against all odds, Jennifer Hills survived her ordeal. Now, with hell bent vengeance, Jennifer’s sole purpose is to turn the tables on her assailants and to inflict upon them every horrifying and torturous moment they carried out on her…

Reviews:

“Rape is a crime of violence, not sex, and the male rapist typically savors the fear he causes more than the sex. Indeed, if he enjoyed sex more, he might not be a rapist. The true pornography in this film involves the dialogue and situation in the cabin before the physical assault. It is well done. This is a professionally made film. The audience is very, very quiet. Some share Jennifer’s terror. Some, I am afraid, may be aroused or entertained by it.” Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com

“The mayhem is less eroticized, the performances more authentic and the first film’s sandblasted vérité look has been replaced by Neil Lisk’s swampy-slick photography. Female-empowerment fantasy or just plain prurience, “Grave” is extremely efficient grindhouse.” Jeanette Catsoulis, New York Times

“It isn’t just that two wrongs don’t make a right, or that becoming more sociopathic than a group of dead-end criminals doesn’t make Jennifer much of a feminist role model. It’s more that the whole movie is a bizarre psychological game, in which we permit ourselves to watch (and/or suffer, and/or enjoy) an all-too-realistic and brutal rape, and then repent at leisure by watching a long series of gruesome but utterly ludicrous torture scenes.”Andrew O’Hehir, Salon

“In 1978, the original I Spit on Your Grave had the woman renting a cabin in upstate New York. Here the location isn’t clear, but even if it were specified, the accents and attitudes tell their own story – this is Deliverance country. All we need is the kid with the banjo. In addition to all the obvious things that are disgusting about this movie, I Spit on Your Grave is trying to get us to hate each other. Hate it instead. It makes more sense and the hatred is much more deserved.” Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Gate

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Sarah Butler as Jennifer Hills
• Rodney Eastman as Andy
• Daniel Franzese as Stanley
• Jeff Branson as John “Johnny” Miller
• Andrew Howard as Sheriff Storch
• Chad Lindberg as Matthew, the plumber with social disorders
• Tracey Walter as Earl
• Mollie Milligan as Mrs. Storch, the sheriff’s wife
• Saxon Sharbino as Chastity Storch, the sheriff’s daughter
• Amber Dawn Landrum as Girl at Gas Station

Choice dialogue:

“I wanna see your teeth!”

Trailer:

‘Your fate has been chosen’

Needle – aka Black Magic – is a 2010 independent Australian supernatural horror film directed by John V. Soto (Crush; The Reckoning) from a screenplay co-written with Anthony Egan.

Main cast:

Michael Dorman, Jessica Marais, Travis Fimmel, Tahyna Tozzi, Trilby Glover and Ben Mendelsohn. John Jarratt (star of the Wolf Creek films and TV series) has a role as coroner.

Plot:

Ben Rutherford (Michael Dorman), a college student, inherits an 18th-century box, called Le Vaudou Mort from his father.

Ben shows the box to his friends but the very same night it is stolen. Soon after that, his closest friends start dying in mysterious ways. Le Vaudou Mort is actually a voodoomachine designed as a tool for revenge. When the target’s photograph is put into the box, a wax doll is created, giving the user power to kill or physically harm the represented person. A killer has started to use the device against Ben’s friends.

Ben and his brother Marcus (Travis Fimmel), who has not been forgiven by Ben since their father died in a car accident after a harsh discussion with him, figure out the power of the device and search for the killer…

Reviews:

“So it’s not perfect, and even a longer cut probably wouldn’t be able to help the fact that it sticks to the whodunit slasher formula a bit too rigidly, but it’s enjoyable and solidly made…” Horror Movie a Day

“Needle is a reasonably slick looking low budget horror that manages to hold the interest and tease the brain a little as you bounce from suspect to suspect. Its far from Sherlock Holmes, or even Scream, but its a fun diversion with a strong soundtrack, some nice kills and a cool concept.” Kyle Scott, The Horror Hotel

“Think maybe more in terms of a film that didn’t bring enough to the table to make the After Dark round of releases, and you’ll probably be closer to where this lies on the priority list to view. Needles may have been used, but they sure looked dull to me.” HorrorNews.net

“It’s not a perfect film but it’s a fun little slasher flick that I can see gaining a large audience on video. Hopefully it makes enough to warrant a sequel with a bigger budget as the further possibilities of a voodoo slasher fill my sick little mind with glee.” Maniac E., Slashing Through

Cast and characters:

• Michael Dorman as Ben Rutherford
• Travis Fimmel as Marcus Rutherford
• Tahyna Tozzi as Mary
• Jessica Marais as Kandi
• Trilby Glover as Isabel
• Chanel Marriott as Lucy
• Khan Chittenden as Jed
• Luke Carroll as Nelson
• Nathaniel Buzolic as Ryan
• Jane Badler as Professor Banyon
• John Jarratt as Paul the Coroner
• James Hagan as Samuel Rutherford
• Ben Mendelsohn as Detective Meares
• Malcolm Kennard as Detective Reddick
• Murray Bartlett as Tony Martin
• Quinton George as Mr Joshua
• Caroline McKenzie as Eliza Shaw
• Sam Longley as Basketball Coach
• Igor Sas as Dr. Halmanay

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

‘Bloodthirsty and hungry… for humans!’

SnowBeast aka Snow Beast is a 2011 American horror film directed by Brian Brough from a screenplay by Brittany Wiscombe. Apparently, it is a loose remake of the 1977 TV movie Snowbeast.

Main cast:

John Schneider (Super Shark), Danielle Chuchran, Paul D. Hunt, Kari Hawker, Jason London (The Devil’s Tomb; Monsterwolf; Zombie Shark), Dale Thomas.

Plot:

Jim (John Schneider) and his research team study the Canadian Lynx every year. This year, he has to take his rebellious sixteen year-old daughter, Emmy (Danielle Chuchran), with him. But the lynx are missing. As Jim and his team — with the help of a local ranger (Jason London) — try to find out why, something stalks them — a predator no prey can escape…

Reviews:

This movie is great because it’s exactly what you expect when you see the title Snow Beast. There are no surprises, just an exquisitely cheesy representation of an equally cheesy Bigfoot / Abominable Snowman myth.” Bruce Kooken, HorrorNews.net

“The entire production has the sensibilities of a more innocent bygone era of filmmaking as this could very well be the tamest of all of the killer Bigfoot movies to come along in the past decade. Ostensibly a family film that happens to revolve around a hungry homicidal hominid hunting humans, if it weren’t for those minimal moments of bloodshed, Snow Beast would be bordering on G-rated.” Foywonder, Dread Central

” … the monster was depicted via a guy in a suit, with CGI kept to a shocking minimum (his red eye I think was the only glaring effect). Sure, the script’s lack of action kept it from being used much, but at least those rare kill scenes looked good. And… uh… actually that’s it. The movie was watchable, I guess, but it was just so lackluster and slow-paced…” Horror Movie a Day

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Trailer:

IMDb | Related: Snowbeast (1977) | The Snow Creature

2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams is a 2010 American comedy-horror film directed by Tim Sullivan from a screenplay co-written with Chris Kobin and Christopher Tuffin.

The film is a belated sequel to Sullivan’s earlier film 2001 Maniacs. The story concept is loosely derived from Herschell Gordon Lewis’ 1964 gore film Two Thousand Maniacs.

Cast:

Bill Moseley, Trevor Wright, Lin Shaye, Christa Campbell, Ahmed Best, Nivek Ogre.

Plot:

When this year’s round of unsuspecting Northerners fail to show up for their annual Guts N’ Glory Jubilee because the Feds are investigating the disappearances of Northerners over the years, the residents of Pleasant Valley take their twisted carnival on the road and head to Iowa, where they encounter spoiled heiresses, Rome and Tina Sheraton, and the cast and crew of their “Road Rascals” reality show. They begin killing the cast and crew…

Reviews:

“Field of Screams provides the bare minimum of entertainment slapped together with unfunny socio-political crassness and intense, but very fake-looking gore effects.” R.L. Shaffer, IGN

“The humor – which is only comprised of Jew, black, Asian, gay and sex jokes – never really hits the right notes, managing to only be crude and possibly offensive rather than actually funny. Oh, and as far as the nudity goes, yes, it’s chock-full of topless women, but a good horror film that does not make.” David Harley, Bloody Disgusting

“a merciless chore to get through.” Scott Weinberg, Fearnet

Trailer:

Ah, it’s for free [see how long you last]:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Angus Scrimm (born Lawrence Rory Guy; August 19, 1926 – January 9, 2016) was an American actor and author, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror film Phantasm and its sequels.

Scrimm was born in Kansas City. He was originally a journalist and has written and edited for TV Guide, Cinema Magazine, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and many other publications. He has also written liner notes for many LPs and CDs for artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to the Beatles.

Scrimm stood approximately 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m). To appear even taller when playing the Tall Man, he wore suits that were several sizes too small and platform shoes.

Although he had acted in a couple of horror thrillers previously, Sweet Kill (1971) and Scream Bloody Murder (1973), his well-received 1979 Phantasm role led led him to become a horror icon.

Selected filmography:

• Sweet Kill (1973) Henry
• Scream Bloody Murder (1973) Doctor Epstein
• Phantasm (1979) The Tall Man
• Witches’ Brew (1980) Carl Groton
• The Lost Empire (1983) Dr. Sin Do/Lee Chuck
• Phantasm II (1988) The Tall Man
• Transylvania Twist (1989) The Tall Man
• Subspecies (1990) King Vladislas
• Mindwarp (1992) The Seer
• Munchie Strikes Back (1994) Kronas
• Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) The Tall Man
• Wishmaster (1997) Narrator
• Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) The Tall Man
• Masters of Horror: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (2005) Buddy
• Automatons (2006) The Scientist
• Satanic (2006) Dr. Barbary
• I Sell The Dead (2008) Doctor Quint
• Hollywood Horror (2009)
• Satan Hates You (2009) Dr. Michael Gabriel
• John Dies at the End (2012) Father Shellnut
• Phantasm V: Ravager (2016) The Tall Man

Posted in tribute to the late Angus Scrimm who died on January 9, 2016, he died at the age of 89 in Los Angeles.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Terror Hotel  – aka Love Hotel; Dread Hotel and Horrible Hotel – is a 2012 Chinese horror film written and directed by Laizhi Zheng (and he has a cameo role as a taxi driver). The YanYan Bros Media production’s original title is 恐怖旅馆.

Cast:

Victor Chen Sze Hon, Xi Lai, Yudi Sun, An. Ya, Mi Gong, Lifan Dong, Fengqian Li, Xiao Yang, Ming Zhao.

Plot teaser:

A series of  murders occur at a supposedly haunted motel. Two television journalists  investigate but find themselves in danger when people around them start dying…

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Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Play, strip… or die!’

Strip Mahjong: Battle Royale – original title: Datsui-mâjan batoru rowaiaru – is a 2011 Japanese erotic horror thriller directed by Mac P. Forever (as Makku P. Fôevâ) from a screenplay by Ryosuke Oomine.

Plot:

A handful of mysterious Japanese women take part in a deranged web show that makes them strip off their clothes when they lose a round of Mahjong. When there is nothing left to hide, secrets are revealed and they must take their punishment…

Reviews:

” … a film designed to play to an older exploitation trend, but fails in the horror department. I suppose I was anticipating an derivative movie that mirrored something like Red Room, however, this film is really just a drawn out striptease. As long as you know what “kind” of film this is, you’ll be alright. Kato is good for a few laughs as a pretty wacky game show host, beyond that it’s a countdown to full frontal.” HorrorNews.net

“Perhaps if you’re a mahjong fan, watching four women play a few rounds is entertaining, but this film managed to provide me with the unusual experience of being bored with a quartet of naked Japanese women. I can say, unequivocally, that this has never happened before and I truly thought it was impossible.” Francis Rizzo III, DVD Talk

Trailer:

IMDb

The Thrill of a Kill is a 2011 Norwegian micro-budget splatter horror film produced written, photographed, edited and directed by Lars-Erik Lie on a budget equivalent to just $5,000.

Cast:

Kirsten Jakobsen, Arve Herman Tangen, Camilla Vestbø Losvik,  Toril Skansen.

Plot:

After fighting with her mom, Kimsy runs into the woods to cool off, where she meets a friendly photographer. A day of bloodshed and murder follows…

Reviews:

With The Thrill of a Kill, producer/writer/director Lars Erik Lie went all the way in order to make the goriest splatter film ever made in Norway, and additionally, he succeeded in making an entertaining horror film … minor glitches are easily overlooked as the story progresses and the blood squirts faster.” Nordic Fantasy

“The shots are kept tight with a strong range of believable performances by the women actors involved. It never needs to use too many fx as the ones that are captured on camera are shot in a way that make the scenes feel realistic without a large budget to work with.” HorrorNews.net

The film is released on DVD in the US on January 26, 2016, by Wild Eye Raw.

Trailer 1 (mature only):

Trailer 2 (mature only):

International trailer (mature only):

IMDb | Facebook

‘Curiosity can be a killer…’

Splintered is a 2010 British horror film directed by Simeon Halligan (The Blood Lands; Habit) from a screenplay co-written with Stephen Trimingham. Although the film is set in Wales, it was filmed in Lancashire.

Cast:

Stephen Walters (Hannibal Rising; Dracula [2013]), Holly Weston, Sacha Dhawan, Sadie Pickering, Jonathan Readwin, Sol Heras, Colin Tierney, James Roach.

Plot:

Sophie (Holly Weston) is a troubled young girl haunted by the abuse she suffered as a child and harbouring a deep fascination with the unexplained.

In the hope of satiating her obsession with the latter, our heroine instigates a trip to the Welsh countryside with four friends, aimed at tracking down the legendary Beast of Bodmin. It seems the mythical creature – often thought to be a large wildcat or fox – has caught the public’s attention once more thanks to a spate of attacks on livestock and one local farmer.

It is an opportunity Sophie has decided is not to be missed and, armed with a video camera and a case of beer, the group head off into the woods. However, they soon uncover much more than they bargained for, with the female lead falling foul of a mysterious madman who locks her away in an apparent attempt to protect her from some unnamed terror…

Reviews:

” … while the plot might be a little disjointed, the movie barrels forward adroitly with refreshing panache. Images can’t help but tell a story, the power of film making is when those images are compelling enough to illicit emotions that bring you closer to the experience. This is something that Splintered is keenly capable of and delivers on.” Sean Becktel, HorrorNews.net

” … this feels more like an episode of Hollyoaks: when faced with actors with little talent, simply have them argue constantly, so these dead-eyed, bland beauties will at least register as living creatures. Of course, the trouble with this is that they quickly become immensely irritating…” Phelim O’Neill, The Guardian

” … the movie is pretty good. I like when a horror film takes a generic setup (in this case, five kids going into the woods) and ultimately applies it to a different type of movie, and does things differently to boot. Regardless of the killer’s archetype, you assume that the obvious Final Girl will be left alone for the bulk of the film while her friends die one by one after scattering for whatever reason. But nope…” Horror Movie a Day

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

“Splintered is definitely a worthwhile experience. The acting is thoroughly professional, it’s handsomely photographed, and the story sails along at a tidy clip. So why did I feel so underwhelmed at the end? Maybe because the movie turned out more like a gothy episode of Law & Order: SVU than the mind-blowing terror that I eternally crave.” Horrific Flicks

Trailer:

IMDb

‘Fear has a season’

Rites of Spring is a 2011 American horror film written and directed by Padraig Reynolds; he wanted to combine a kidnapping film with a horror film. His main influences were Venom (1981) and The Black Windmill.

Main cast:

A. J. Bowen, Anessa Ramsey, Sonny Marinelli, Katherine Randolph, James Bartz, Shanna Forrestall, Hannah Bryan, Skylar Burke, Marco St. John.

Plot:

Rachel Adams and her friend Alyssa Miller are kidnapped by a man known only as the Stranger. The Stranger takes them to his barn, takes a blood sample from both women and gives it to a strange creature kept in a locked hole. The Stranger strips Alyssa naked, puts a goat mask over her head, and takes her away, presumably as part of a pagan death ritual…

Meanwhile, a fractured gang of kidnappers are hiding out in a nearby abandoned school whilst dissent grows amongst their ranks. The gang’s internal strife turns out to be the least of their worries…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“… there is much that can be applauded about a first-time feature filmmaker taking some major risks with his debut genre-bending experiment by trying to combine elements of the horror and thriller genres and all with limited resources. It’s just unfortunate that the build-up in the film goes absolutely nowhere by the time the credits begin rolling…” Dread Central

“The two narratives can’t possibly intersect, but they do, in a glorious celebration of coincidence. Helmer-writer Padraig Reynolds creates a dizzying pastiche of genre conventions, and he has a terrific actress in Anessa Ramsey, who’s that rare thing in horror, a thoroughly convincing victim.” John Anderson, Variety

“There are double-crosses and surprise connections, and a strong sense of a larger world outside of the one inhabited by Wormface and its disciples. But Rites of Spring’s execution is rarely as inventive as its plotting. The acting is shaky, the scare scenes are fairly stock, and it takes way too long for Reynolds to put all his pieces in play…” Noel Murray, A.V. Club

Buy: Amazon.com

“The cinematographer, Carl Herse, knows his way around genre staples like claustrophobic cornfields, animal carcasses, porcelain-doll heads, voyeur perspectives, decrepit interiors and, of course, the time-honored serial-killer wall, with thumbtacked clippings and photographs about old murders. Nevertheless, Rites of Spring yields a slender bounty.” Andy Webster, The New York Times

“Other details are vague, such as the origin of the creature and why the blood of women keeps it satisfied. Feeding it has something to do with the crops in the area, but that isn’t really explained well either. It feels like ideas were not fully fleshed out before filming commenced. Whatever the reasons for the lack of clarity, a creature feature with no creature sure makes for a frustrating viewing experience.” Shock Till You Drop

Cast and characters:

• A. J. Bowen as Ben Geringer
• Anessa Ramsey as Rachel Adams
• Sonny Marinelli as Paul Nolan
• Katherine Randolph as Amy
• James Bartz as Ryan Hayden
• Shanna Forrestall as Gillian Hayden
• Andrew Breland as Tommy Geringer
• Hannah Bryan as Alyssa Miller
• Sarah Pachelli as Jessica
• Skylar Burke as Kelly Hayden
• Marco St. John as the Stranger
• Jeff Nations as Karmanor/Worm Face

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Larry Drake (February 21, 1950 – March 17, 2016) was an American actor and was best known to horror fans as the titular Dr. Giggles in the 1992 film of the same title. To the general public, he is best known for his portrayal of developmentally disabled Benny Stulwicz on the TV show L.A. Law from 1987 until the show’s end in 1994.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Drake’s fledgling acting career began in 1971 in Herschell Gordon Lewis’ moonshine exploiter, This Stuff’ll Kill Ya playing Bubba, a character name he also played in Frank De Felitta’s well-regarded 1981 TV movie adaptation of his own novel, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, although the role necessitated him wearing a sack over his head.

Another adaptation of a novel, Peter Benchley’s Beast (filmed in 1996 as TV mini-series The Beast) gave Drake the role of Lucas Coven, who kills a giant squid. Unfortunately, there’s an even bigger monster squid lurking in the ocean.

He was particularly memorable as ruthless mobster, Robert Durant in Sam Raimi’s superhero action horror film Darkman (1990) and its first sequel, Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995).

Genre TV series roles included Tales from the Crypt – episodes “And All Through the House” and “The Secret” and as the voice of Moss T. Meister in the What’s New Scooby-Doo? episode “Recipe for Disaster” (2004).

Besides minor parts in dark thrillers such as Paranoia (1998) and Pathology (2008, as the unfortunately named “Fat Bastard”), Drake’s other notable horror role was in Dark Asylum (aka Maniac Trasher, 2001) as The Trasher.

However, for horror aficionados, it will be as Dr. Giggles that Larry Drake – who died on March 17, 2016 – will be most affectionately remembered as.

Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia

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Tulpa – aka Tulpa – Perdizioni mortali – is a 2012 Italian giallo-horror film directed by Federico Zampaglione (Shadow) from a screenplay co-written with Giacomo Gensini, based on a story co-written with veteran Dardano Sacchetti (A Bay of Blood; Cat O’Nine Tails; The Beyond; Cannibal Apocalypse).

It premiered at the 2012 London FrightFest Film Festival and was released in Italy on June 20, 2013.

Plot:

Lisa Boeri (Claudia Gerini) is a business woman with a secret double life: if during the day she is a busy and serious worker, the night she is an assiduous frequenter of private sex club Tulpa, owned by a haunting Tibetan guru, where the sickest fantasies of customers become reality.

But the fiery lovers who attended Lisa begin to die one by one in increasingly cruel ways, and the woman finds herself involved in the chain of murders…

Reviews:

“The murders are beautifully staged and photographed, and are properly nasty and horrible. The performances are all just the right side of odd, and the ending is so deliciously and deliriously bonkers that it will make giallo fans want to watch it all over again.” John Llewellyn Probert, This is Horror

“The essence and religion of Tulpa (the subject itself) is explored quite well bringing some unique visuals additions to the trippy tone and direction of the film. Actress Claudia Gerini is quite stunning to watch granting us a few revealing moments in between. She provides quite a performance which contributing much to the main charter of the film.” HorrorNews.net

“For all it’s weaknesses (and there are plenty of those), Tulpa is an interesting ride, which has some gruesome murder scenes, a camp horror vibe, which is fun and non-threatening and plenty of hyperbolic twists and turns along the way, which really (in an ideal world) will keep you on the edge of your seat.” Front Row Reviews

“The cast are required to look impressive in designer clothes and gruesome prosthetics rather than give nuanced performances, but the cadaverous Nuot Arquint – who played the spirit of death in Shadow – has a real presence as the proprietor of the ludicrous, yet surprisingly sweet sex club.” Kim Newman, Screen Daily

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Claudia Gerini: Lisa Boeri
• Michela Cescon: Giovanna
• Nuot Arquint: Kiran
• Michele Placido: Roccaforte
• Ennio Tozzi: Ferri
• Ivan Franek: Stefan
• Crisula Stafida: Giulia

Red band trailer:

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‘Terror is taking over’

Zombie Kill! – original title: Zombibi – is a 2012 Dutch splatter comedy horror film directed by Martijn Smits and Erwin van den Eshof from a screenplay by Tijs van Marle.

Main cast:

Yahya Gaier, Gigi Ravelli, Mimoun Ouled Radi, Sergio Hasselbaink, Uriah Arnhem and Noel Deelen.

Plot:

Aziz works in an Amsterdam office building. He dislikes his job and his boss, but he has just begun dating his dream girl, Tess. Jealous of his success with Tess, his boss uses the constant phone calls by Aziz’s brother Mo as an excuse to fire him. Annoyed, Aziz reluctantly joins Mo at a pool party, only to become an unwilling participant in a fight accidentally initiated by Mo’s stupid bravado.

Mo and Aziz end up jailed with Jeffrey and Nolan, incompetent bouncers from the party, and Joris, a thief. All but Aziz hit on Kim, a tough blonde female cop, and so she tasers both Mo and Jeffrey. Later, alarms go off and the building loses power. When the cell doors open, they leave the station, but zombies covered in green slime attack them…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

” … takes its lead from Shaun of the Dead rather than the po-faced string of cash-in nasties which followed (and continue to follow) in its wake. Kill Zombie! is big, loud, non-stop nonsense full of over-the-top unsubtle European slapstick style humour and a commendable amount of extremely-creative gore and eye-opening splatter FX.” Paul Mount, Starburst

“I like pretty much everyone in the cast, and I certainly appreciate the diversity. It’s startling what these Dutch filmmakers were able to produce on a relatively tiny budget … What rings hollow is that Kill Zombie! feels as if it’s content to parrot the favorite genre flicks of its writer and pair of directors.” Adam Tyner, DVD Talk

“Kill Zombie! isn’t a disaster. It’s well made and has some decent laughs. Unfortunately, it also retreads what other filmmakers have done. Here’s hoping co-directors Martijn Smits and Erwin Van Den Eshof can develop a style and voice of their own in the future.” Mac McEntire, DVD Verdict

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“Still, the flick manages to keep the entertainment level at the upper end of the scale throughout – sporting a lively and convincing cast, consistently upbeat tempo and, surprisingly, a pretty poignant amount of heart as well. It’s no Shaun of the Dead, but Kill Zombie! makes for a great evening’s sofa-bound distraction that any zombie fan will be hard pushed to dislike.” Gareth Jones, This is Horror

Trailer:

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‘Love sucks’

This Ain’t Dracula XXX is a 2011 American adult movie horror film directed by Axel Braun (This Ain’t Ghostbusters XXX) for Hustler Video. The plot is very loosely based on Bram Stoker‘s novel, Dracula. The film is available in a 3D version.

Italian-born Axel Braun – son of Lasse Braun, a key 1970s European adult filmmaker – now specialises in porn parodies of mainstream movie hits and has directed many, based on Star Wars; Spider-Man; X-Men; Wonder Woman; Batman v. Superman; Avengers vs X-Men and The Empire Strikes Back.

Cast:

Evan Stone (Count Dracula), Jessi Palmer (Mina Harker), Marie McCray (Lucy Westerna), Ryan Driller (Jonathan Harker), Tom Byron (R.M. Renfield), Bridgette B. (Vampire Bride), Jennifer Dark (Vampire Bride), Brandy Aniston (Vampire Bride), Krissy Lynn (Girl in Seward’s Sanatorium), Alan Stafford (Quincey Morris), Joey Brass (Lord Arthur Holmwood), Andy Appleton (Abraham Van Helsing), Amber Cherry (Maid), Steve Crest [as Jack Lawrence] (Dr. John Seward), Michael Troughton (Sailor on the Demeter #1), Rob McEvilly (Sailor on the Demeter #2).

Review:

“This is a basically a very accurate adult version of the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola film Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As weird as it may sound though, the rated R film was a bit more sexual than this version.” Vampire Beauties

” … sticks pretty close to the source material (from what I can tell). And although the end scene unravels some in terms of narrative and timing, Dracula XXX is a serious, sexy flick that I think anyone even marginally into this subculture will enjoy. And the final frames, when Mina bites Dracula’s chest after some incredibly intense sex… well, that was pretty hot.” PV Online

“This Ain’t Dracula XXX worked better in the non-sexual portions of the show than most Hustler titles have in recent years, the sexual encounters coming across as somewhat generic and cramped (as though they couldn’t move for lack of space on the sets) but certainly strokable and worth picking up if you are interested in the subject matter.” XCritic.com

IMDb | Related: Dracula Exotica | Dracula Sucks

Coming Soon: new and future releases

‘Some secrets should never be uncovered’

The Levenger Tapes is a 2011 American horror found footage thriller film written and directed by Mark Edwin Robinson (Breaking Dawn; I Will Follow You Into the Dark). The film’s working title was Screaming Lady Creek.

The film premiered at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival (TVIFF) in September 2011. It is being released on DVD and Digital by Lionsgate on July 5, 2016. A VOD release follows on July 5.

Plot:

After three college students go missing, detectives discover a disturbing tape that they hope will provide clues to their whereabouts. Filmed by the students themselves, the footage becomes more and more disturbing. Events take a more chilling turn when they discover the bloodied dress of a young girl in the wilderness…

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Reviews:

” … it deviates from the typical formula is by using the police as an audience for the film and juxtaposes what happened that night against the police trying to figure out what happened. This is different than your typical title card explaining or dating the footage ala Cloverfield or Paranormal Activity. While that worked well in those films, the deviation was refreshing.” Man, I Love Films

Cast and characters:

• Johanna Braddy as Amanda
• Lili Mirojnick as Kim
• Morgan Krantz as Chase
• Chris Mulkey as Stackman
• Tom Virtue as Gallagher
• Maria Olsen as Screaming Lady
• John Rosenfeld as Rooney

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The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (Scream; I Know What You Did Last Summer) and Julie Plec (co-producer of Scream 2 and 3; Cursed), based on the popular book series of the same title written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW on September 10, 2009.

The series takes place in Mystic Falls, Virginia, a fictional small town haunted and surrounded by supernatural beings such as vampires, werewolves and witches.

The pilot episode attracted the largest audience for The CW of any series premiere since the network began in 2006. The first season averaged 3.60 million viewers, and following seasons have maintained an audience of over 2 million viewers.

The series began with mixed reviews, but critics agreed as the first season progressed that the show improved. Subsequent seasons have premiered to more positive critical reception. On March 11, 2016, The CW renewed the series for an eighth season.

In 2013, a spin-off series, The Originals, was launched and is still airing.

Plot:

The series follows the life of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenage girl who falls deeply in love with a 162-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Stefan’s vicious, malevolent and mysterious older brother Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) returns with a plan to wreak havoc on the town, seeking revenge against his younger brother for turning him into a vampire against his will. Because Elena resembles their past love Katherine Pierce, Damon also begins to fall in love with Elena.

It is revealed that Elena is a descendant of Katherine, who eventually returns with plans against the trio. Elena undergoes many hardships and deaths of close family members and loved ones throughout her high school experience.

The series is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, a town charged with supernatural history since its settlement of migrants from New England in the late 19th century.

Additional story lines revolve around the other inhabitants of the town, most notably Elena’s younger brother Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen), her best friends Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) and Caroline Forbes (Candice King), and their mutual friends Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino) and Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig).

The town’s politics are orchestrated by descendants of the original founding families, all comprising a “Founders’ Council.” The founding families of Mystic Falls includes the Salvatores, the Gilberts, the Fells, the Forbes, and the Lockwoods. They guard the town mainly from vampires, although there are many more supernatural threats such as werewolves, witches, originals, hybrids, travellers and ghosts.

Wikia guide to each episode

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