Trick of the Witch (2010)

Written and directed by Chris Morrissey 

Stars: Share Cherrie, Owen Alabado, Shay Alexis, Renae Boult, Keyanna Sawyer, Irene Villalobos, Micah Mora, Louis Montano, Jovanny Venegas, Rebecca Da Costa, Elizabeth Lam Nguyen, Gia Franzia

Release: Free to View

Wow. It's been a long old road to to see Chris Morrissey's supernatural horror thriller Trick of the Witch. I spent a long time harrasing the poor guy to review this film, it sounded right up my street and I found the trailer...well... bewitching.

I know that the movie had successfull screenings which fit Chris' and his team's vision on it being seen on the big screen. Now it is available for the masses and I am eternally grateful for Chris reaching out to me to share the news. 

I have been admittedly very abscent on this site for the past few years. Not by choice but neccessity...here is hoping I can get back to doing what I love a lot more now. 

So...the big question I guess is...was the wait for Trick of the Witch worth it? Described as a fun popcorn flick by Chris himself, I could not agree more. 

There are so many elements to this movie that appeals to me and I think they are presented exceptionally well. The score is perfect - eerie and unsettling and really compliments the film. The setting is awesome! Seriously, it's this beautiful mansion with statues everywhere, ornate furniture and a well crafted sense of foreboding. The cast all bring variety with their looks and personalites, something that can get lost quite easily with a large cast but not here. I feel as though the main focus on Share Cherries character Krista is spot on but that everyone else gets their chance to shine. 

So the film itself....Trick of the Witch features Krista, a hot mess of a women who is struggling with her personal life and her career. When she gets the chance to head up a new fashion shoot she jumps at it as she knows she has a lot to prove. However some unsettling incidents around her suggest all is definitely not what it seems when a certain venue falls into her lap to carry out the shoot. Dum dum dummmmmm.  

So Krista, the models and crew make their way to the location and after several more odd occurances and discoveries, come together to get working. The aforementioned foreshadowing soon begins it creepy payoff as things go from bad to worse for the group and they find themselves in the fight for their very souls. 

I wouldn't want to say much more than this but suffice to say things get dark and deadly and the climax is just brilliant. I know there was talk to a sequel some years ago and I truly hope that Chris, Share and co revisit this haunting world one day. There are some intruiging ambiguities in how the film ends which I really appreciate. 

Share Cherrie is such a fantastic lead. Her character may be in a terrible place but Share is certainly not. Share plays her  very realistically in terms of her personal struggles but also opens her up to things she previously has no belief/interest in. She's cautious but also really kick ass. Going toe to toe with Krista is the bitchy and spoilt Angel played by Shay Alexis. We get a bit of info about Angel before we meet her so we know she's going to be difficult. Shay nails the bad girl role and later down the line becomes a key player when everything blows up. I really loved Shay Alexis in this movie and her pool scene is brilliantly acted and shot. Owen Alabado really shines as the male lead who gets caught up with the creepy goings on. I know Owen has already done some great stuff (his role in Rock Haven...and I DONT just mean his bum 🤣) and here he plays brilliantly with Shares character. Both are caught in a horrifying situation towards the end and I felt horribly anxious for them both! 

I enjoyed this film immensely and I can't wait to see Chris and co's subsequent work. Trick of the Witch is a fun, eerie and wonderfully made horror film and hope you all go and check it out. 

Pandamonium (2019)

Written and directed by M.J.Dixon

Stars: David Hon Ma Chu, Oriana Charles, Will Jones, Dani Thompson, James Hamer-Morton, Charlie Bond, Lee Mark Jones, Derek Nelson, Chloe Badham, William Marshall, Tatiana Ibba, Charlie Clarke, Nad Abdoolakhan, Annie Knox, Martin M Payne, Pablo Raybould, Luna Wolf

Pandemonium, the latest offering from the Mycho Entertainment Group is a wonderfully fun, back to roots slasher comedy and I loved every minute of it.

Yes that not so lovable Panda mask wearing maniac (a wonderfully unhinged performance by David Hon Ma Chu) has his very own film and he is taking his wisecracks and his tools to a late night office party where the staff are about to get cut and the entertainment (strippers) are going down with them!

If viewers of Slasher House 2 remember rightly, Pandy - real name Jacob Jukushi-  has major beef with strippers...therefore the bevvy of beauties  who arrive at 'level 6' hoping for a big pay out from a bunch of horny, coked up office pricks are in for a REALLY rough night.

There are so many moments in this film which made me laugh out loud. There’s lots of brilliant film references and silly humour (they had cows didnt they?)  that along with all the corporate carnage, it’s just a full on, fun ride. It really harks back to some of the zany office slasher films of the 80s/early 90s, specifically Hard to Die (or Sorority House massacre 3) and Psycho Cop 2.

There are also some great death scenes in the movie - they start out slightly straightforward and then just get nastier and more creative. There is a perfect knife throwing scene which only goes to show director M.J Dixon's love of the horror and slasher genre. There are of course characters who die when you don’t particularly want them to but then again there are characters you are rooting for to get the chop and lets just say you are not going to be disappointed! 

What’s a good slasher film without some great characters. Well Pandamonium certainly doesn't fall short in this area. Charlie Clarke as Carol is an absolute hoot and lights up the screen from the second she arrives. She gets some fantastic lines and made me think that every office needs a Carol from HR. Oriana Charles is perfect as the feisty lead Arielle- equal parts determined and damaged and more than a good match for the murderous villain who is hunting her. Dani Thompson stars as Jasmine, the self-appointed leader of the stripper clan and as always, she never disappoints. Jasmine is sexy, confident, outspoken and not afraid to put up a fight. James Hamer-Morton is great as the sleazy and disgusting Damian who appears to be willing to do anything for a promotion from the big boss. Special shout to Chloe Badham as well for her hilarious role as Aura Dawn (she gets the brilliant cow line mentioned earlier). 

To top it all off there is a fantastically shot, not to mention creepy, final scene. It certainly has you wondering whether there could there be a follow up. Then the next screen pops up and well...I'll leave that there. I hope there are even more films as this slasher has legs....perhaps our favourite cuddly carver could descend on an Ann Summers Party!

The movie makes its official debut at the Horror on Sea Film Festival on the 18th January 2020: https://www.horror-on-sea.com/ and I'm sure the lovely people at Mycho would be delighted to see you there! 

One Remains (2019)

Online Screener

Directed by: Josh Hodgins

Written by: Nancy Criss, Josh Hodgins,Vanessa Leigh, Laura Megan Stahl 

Stars: Vanessa Leigh, Ryan O'Quinn, Christopher Atkins, Katelyn Gault, David Thomas Jenkins, Nicole Criss, Chandra Bond, Taylor Cole, Aaron Bennett, Brianna Heller

From the official synopsis: 

Seeking to document the accounts of an ailing eyewitness, a group of young filmmakers travel to a remote cabin where they quickly realize nothing is as it seems. Horrifying realizations lead to a race to discover the truth behind these mysterious and gruesome deaths. As the facts become more and more evasive and the body-count begins to rise we are left wondering: Will anyone survive long enough to discover the truth? As the list of possible survivors begins to dwindle, this cast of fresh-faced, up-and-comers, find themselves caught in the ultimate moral dilemma; save yourself or save your friends? Will the group survive? Who will be sacrificed? Who will be the one that remains?

"Only one can live to tell the story"

Huge thanks to Nandar pictures for letting me check out One Remains which releases this week stateside! Always a pleasure to review a 'group of people goes to shoot a documentary' style movie which is a personal love of mine - particularly one with such a tantalizingly eerie trailer!

The crew concerned travel out to a huge woodland to stay overnight and interview Samuel Mahoney, a man who found the bodies of a group of teens after they initially disappeared from the area while out hiking. The effects of making such a grisly discovery has had a profound affect on Samuel and his long suffering family and now he wants his story to be told.

However soon after the crew arrives - bickering and personal lives blowing up along the way, it becomes very clear that all is not well over at the Mahoney's - and these innocent souls are about to be sucked right into a grisly nightmare with little hope of escape.

There is a particular scene in the movie - just before all hell breaks loose - that gave me serious chills. I dont want to spoil anything so will just say that once the group go back to their accommodation and start to watch a videotape stolen from the Mahoney family well....REALLY chilling. It is then things get super messed up and I feel like the film makers have a great understanding of balance in terms of its scares and violence. It not over the top  gory but what is there is really quite nasty and wince inducing. However some scenes let the audiences imaginations do its work  and is just as effective.

I cannot rate the acting in this movie enough. There honestly isn't one weak performance from the entire cast. Vanessa Leigh is quite the find as lead character and documentary filmmaker Molly- her reactions are incredibly realistic and she has this impressively natural way with dialogue.  Ryan O'Quinn, Christopher Atkins and Taylor Cole play the Mahoney family and all three are just wonderful to watch. There are so many question marks over their intentions and motivations and all of them portray this to the- extremely tense- hilt.  Aaron Bennett plays Russell who starts out as the comic relief as such of the film but this is slowly but surely flipped as we learn more about Russell and we learn that he is a far deeper character than the crude clown he initially presents. In fact Russell goes through some truly horrifying experiences as the film moves towards its conclusion and I felt like Aaron really conveyed  terror, confusion and sadness. David Thomas Jenkins plays the remedy for the Russell's poor behavior, Michel, who is faced with constantly keeping the peace between his team members. Micheal's character has to play one of the most shocking and harrowing moments in the movie so I applaud how this comes across as I actually covered my eyes!  Chandra Bond and Nicole Criss are a hoot as the bickering sisters, and really show their range as actresses as they are forced to forget their sibling rivalry once danger engulfs them. Brianna Heller plays my favorite character of the group, Wendy, who is the presenter of the planned documentary. She has this effortless playfulness about her as she flirts her way round the group but always shows a caring and protective side to her personality

Honestly if you get a chance to check out this movie and you don't require answers to all your questions in order to appreciate it please do - its a very good reason to be afraid of the woods again! 

Here are all the links you need to find out more about the movie and buy your own copy/watch digitally:

Official movie website: http://oneremains.movie/

Official Movie Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OneRemainsTheMovie/

Clown Motel: Spirits Arise (2019)

Online Screener

Written and Directed by Joseph Kelly 

Stars: Martin Kleba, Elinor Price, Chalet Lizette Brannan, Julie Anne Prescott, Alyssa Leonard, Amanda Knott,  Angeline Mirenda, Steven Vogel, Trevor Dow, Rachael Christenson with Tony Moran and Ari Lehman


















Set in the actual Clown Motel in Tonopah Nevada (quite rightly named Americas scariest motel) this movie is going to be a coulrophobes worst nightmare. Not just one crazed clown, not two, loads of the murderous bastards! Not only that but the on location shoot gives audiences a terrifying look at the motel itself which is practically adorned with clown dolls, clown pictures and clown memorabilia. Being someone who had a screaming fit during the clown scene in Poltergeist when I was little, I had to remind myself that I'm NOT scared of clowns anymore. Well clowns are still bloody scary no matter how much the years have softened that particular trauma!

Joseph Kelly the filmmaker behind the movie has been making solid horror films and shorts for some time now - I loved Bloody island - and so it was exciting to hear that he would be making this AND shooting at the motel itself.

The plot of the movie concerns a group of hardy ghost hunters who descend upon the motel amidst stories of the dead townsfolk who used to live in the area which incidentally now is considered a ghost town.

Faced with a stay in a quite frankly terrifying environment the team get to work but as we all know in a horror movie they will wish they had stayed home. As scary encounters begin, with an overweight clown scene being a particularity chilling standout, the group realise they are going to have to fight for their lives.



Once the evil that haunts the motel becomes apparent, there are some really cool and nasty gore scenes and I applaud Joseph and his team for using practical effects to excellent results. I don't want to spoil anything but will just highlight the involvement of an axe and a gnarly tongue related scene.



As well as starring Tony Moran, the original adult Micheal Myers AND Ari Lehman the young Jason Voorhees who dragged poor Alice into the water ("then he 's still there....") the movie has a a great cast. The females in particular are pretty kick ass with  Amanda Knott  as Casey being a real standout. I also thought that Eric Prochnau  as Spencer  gave a great performance as a truly luckless member of the group. He finds himself in a really horrific situation and I think he portrayed sheer terror excellently. Elinor Price is also great as the level headed and tough as nails Brooke.




Joseph Kelly has made a superb new horror film with a great cast, a creepy story and fantastic aesthetics. The lingering shots on the colourful clown dolls and the disturbing makeup of the killer clowns is just spot on.

Check out the offical Facebook page HERE to find out more about it and its imminent release! I'm also just going to be cheeky and ask right now for a sequel!

*Images taken from the official Clown Motel Indiegogo page with permission from the filmmaker* 

Triggered (2019)

Online screener

Written and Directed by Chris Moore

Stars:  Meredith Mohler, Jesse Dalton, Sam Furman, Keni Bounds, Arian Thigpen, Caitlyn Driscoll and Amanda Wyss. 

I'm so pleased that I was given the opportunity to review this solid indie horror film - I can safely say I was as blown away by the movie as I was by its awesome trailer!

Triggered in short is a slasher movie with an original story and a fascinating array of characters who help to drive the film to its bloody conclusion.

Featuring a pair of high school friends Callie (Meredith Mohler in a scene stealing performance) and Ian (Jessie Dalton) who are only too aware of their towns macabre history decide to use a previous horrific massacre to their advantage. Obviously I wont spoil why they do this but the film finds Callie and Ian faking a vicious attack by the towns uncaught serial killer which backfires spectacularly when the real killer comes for them - and they are NOT happy.

I just want to talk about Callie a bit more. My god if you went to school with this girl you would end up in jail for murder. She is so annoying. Utterly obsessed with cutting down anyone and everyone who might offend those in minority groups, other ethnicity's, etc, Callie does not know when to stop. I'm a gay male and I definitely would find it hard not to strangle someone who was like Callie in real life. However it is this that makes Triggered even more of a standout movie. Yes the world can be shit at times and yes people are hateful and abusive but we have gone so extreme in regards to political correctness that sometimes it feels safer just not to speak at all. What happened to dark humour and banter? Soon any form of comedy will just be banned and life will become REALLY boring. I really appreciated this aspect to the film.

The acting was superb in this film. As mentioned Meredith Mohler does an amazing job as Callie. This actress has some true comedic chops and she has the ability to go really far - she so deserves it. Keni Bounds is a fucking HOOT as Callie's mother and made me laugh every time she was on screen. Jessie Dalton plays Ian brilliantly as an unsure young gay man who seems to just want to find happiness and also has a rather withering view on Callie's extremities.Likewise Sam Furman turns in a great performance as the hot alpha male who is even better when he shows a more vulnerable side to his personality. Plus Jessie and Sam have a fantastic chemistry which only serves to make you more invested in them as characters. Amanda Wyss - ahhh how wonderful to see her in a movie again. I always felt that Amanda brought something really special to poor Tina Gray in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Her short performance made her so much more than just the disposable friend of the final girl and I will always treasure her character as someone who was clearly going to die but that I rooted for all the way. Here Amanda plays the alcohol dependent Principle Gloria Fielding and she is a revelation. She so effortlessly veers from comedy to drama that I loved her character immediately and her scenes with Meredith are just golden. All round great casting here - Caitlyn Driscoll as rich bitch Lisa and her catty friends are also hilarious fun.

Chris Moore 100% knows his genre. There are so many brilliant nods to other horror films in this movie that you should have a great time trying to catch them all. It also nicely defies conventions (a fair bit of male nudity) and it has a playful use of vivid colours such as Callies hot pink wig. Chris has a big future ahead of him if he can make a movie at almost two hours this entertaining from start to finish!

Triggered is well worth your time, its funny, bloody and original and it so deserves your attention! Check it out when it gets released on VOD/DVD for a guaranteed great time.

Wretch (2018)

Written by Brian Cunningham and Janel Nash

Directed by Brian Cunningham

Stars: Riker Hill, Spencer Korcz and Megan Massie 


A film that proves drugs really ARE bad, Wretch is a found footage style (partially anyway) creeper which befits greatly from a mysterious unfolding plot and strong performances.

A strange friendship group is present in Wretch which makes it hard to figure out if we should be rooting for anyone (or maybe none of them) but it does add to the mystery. Abby and Caleb are a couple rife with issues - he's a disgusting cheat and she seems to be horribly under his thumb. Enter Riker, a guy who Caleb doesn't want anywhere near his girl, a fact he doesn't hide well.

With this odd and blatantly toxic dynamic established the three go out to the woods (yep uh-oh) to do some drinking and hard drugs. What none of them count on is the horrific mystery which will follow when they awaken - this is no ordinary comedown!

The events upon awakening is a trip for both the three main characters and the audience as we watch their lives unravel- all the while being treated to flashbacks to their time in those woods. Audiences will get sucked into the story as they wonder why really happened that night, did the drugs do something awful to them or did something more sinister happen? I love a film that keeps you guessing and Wretch sure did that.

As mentioned the cast do a great job - Spencer Korcz plays the unfaithful jerk so well its difficult to like him in any way and Megan Massie is fantastic as the damaged Abby. Riker Hill who plays..well Riker...is enigmatic and mysterious and great fun to watch.

The film has a great structure in terms of its style - it opens a la cinema verite with Caleb shooting everything but as the story changes angle so does the camera work. Brian has a great sense of direction with eerie shots and ominous closeups of the three main characters.

I look forward to what Brian Cunningham comes up with next, he has a great understanding of what makes compelling and complex viewing and for that reason I think there is going to be some really great stuff to come from him.

Wretch is out NOW and can be found on most VOD platforms (Googleplay, Youtube, Amazon etc ). I strongly recommend checking this one out - I don't think its comparable to any other horror film out there at the moment and that is a great thing.

Bannister DollHouse (2019)

Written and directed by Mj Dixon

Stars: Tiana Rogers, Susan Lee Burton, Emmeline Kellie, Grant Kempster, Chloe Badham, 

Online screener copy

MYCHO productions have not one but TWO upcoming horror features - Cleavers a gory trip to hell  and this- a more psychologically geared suspense thriller which plays on the fear of (shudder) dolls:

After the death of their eldest sister the girls of Bannister family begin to feel that something is very wrong, but how is it connected to them and how will they survive the nightmare that is the Bannister DollHouse.

This film takes it cue from some of the more dread building, atmospheric horror films of the 70s rather than an in your face gore fest and I think it works very well.

The featured doll arrives within the Bannister family home under mysterious circumstances (in a wonderfully creepy home video opening scene)  and slowly a web of horror envelopes the Bannister family leaving no one untouched.

From the official synopsis you will note that a terrible tragedy strikes the family and it is after this that the cloud of despair really falls over the remaining members parents Mary and Kenneth and daughters Dotty and Molly. The haunting memories of Sherry Bannister's death and the disturbing behaviour of Molly  - who incidentally has become dangerously attached to the doll - will either bring them back together or destroy them all for good.

It is this family focused battle against evil which harks back to some of the creepier 70s horror films such as Burnt Offerings which gives the film its heart. Unlike a slasher movie where there are usually some extremely kill-able characters, Bannister Doll House has you rooting for the remaining family to escape the terror that has them under its spell. Whether they succeed or succumb is for you to find out as I don't want to spoil anything else about the fate of the main characters.

The actors playing the family all do a good job especially Emmeline Kellie who plays middle sister  Dotty. Tiana Rogers also turns in a creepy as hell performance as youngest daughter Molly, the recipient of the doll that seems to be tearing her family apart.

An eerie story with some genuine moments of suspense, Bannister DollHouse is bound to appeal to those who like a good old fashioned haunted house film or enjoy the intrigue of a supposedly inanimate object which might just not really be. There were many moments I anticipated a jump scare which reminded me of my first time watching Childs Play - anxiously awaiting the moment the damn doll would actually prove himself to be alive/possessed to those other than Andy...

The film premieres at the Horror on Sea film festival in Southend on 20th January 2019 which I am sure the MYCHO goes would be delighted to see you at.  For more on MYCHO please visit their website where you can find out about them, read about their work and purchase lots of great stuff!