Out of my Mind (2016)

                                              

 (Online Screener)

Written by John Cosper, Neil Kellen, Cindy Maples

Directed by Cindy Maples

Stars: Rusty James and Mina Fedora

Huge thanks to the extremely talented and always lovely Cindy Maples for reaching out to me to review her horror short Out of my Mind. Its really exciting for me to see Cindy branching out into directing after following her acting career for some time.  Showing a keen eye for  interesting colours and offbeat camera angles, Out of my Mind looks professional, quirky and more importantly an all too promising sign of things to come for Ms Maples.

The story is eerie, interesting and expertly carried by Maples real life husband Rusty James who has done some excellent work in the indie field also. In its short running time we follow James as an author named Carter who spots an attractive young woman (Mina Fedora) in a blue dress at a writers celebration.  Carters disappointment is all too evident when the woman's date suddenly appears signalling that his chances are definitely out of the window.

From here on out we witness Carters creative juices mixing with the hard liquor as he starts to write back at home, picturing his eerie story as he does so and yes it involves the beautiful lady in blue. Things begin to get very strange for Carter after he calls it a night and the film effectively toys with our expectations as to what is really unfolding.  The film ends with the morning after the night before being more horrific than Carter could ever have imagined as shocking news comes a knocking.

In addition to Rusty I must also add that Mina Fedora does a superb job in her very mysterious role. The character veers from unassuming to seductive to horribly crazed and vengeful and Mina really pulls it off in impressive fashion.

In short Out of my Mind is an intriguing, well made, well acted journey into psychological terror.  I cannot wait to see what Cindy does next, I truly hope that a feature film is in the works. Check out the films creepy trailer right HERE and make sure to see it when you get the chance!

Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories (2016)

Many thanks to P.J. Starks (Producer among many other things on VoB: Horror Stories) for asking if I would be interested in reviewing the sequel to the excellent Volumes of Blood - it was an easy answer of course. The follow up is even better and without giving away any spoilers this review will give an overview and thoughts on each segment:


Murder Death Killer

Written & directed by Nathan Thomas Milliner
Stars: Barbie Clark, Warren Ray, Thomas Dunbar, Aric Stanish 

Murder Death Killer centres around a con gone horribly wrong and also introduces an iconic killer who doesn't hold back on the stabbing, slashing and worse!  An exciting segment which builds on the legend of a supposedly murdered warehouse employee named Atticus Crow... soon those greedy few who don't heed the warnings find themselves stalked by their very worst nightmare.  I loved the concept of the killer and he is one mean bastard for sure, Atticus Crow is welcome back on my screen anytime!


Haters

Written by Nathan Thomas Milliner

Directed by P.J. Starks

Stars: Nathan Thomas Milliner, Kevin Roach, Gerrimy Keiffer, Mark Sheetz, Grady Cooper, Brad Reinhardt, Eric Huskisson, 

Cleverly leading on from Murder Death Killer, Haters is a fun and funny short which also acts as the lead in to the main movie credits. In fact it would be a good point now to advise viewers to pay careful attention to this movie as a whole. There are clever links between the shorts all the way through and not just via the main wrap around (which incidentally hasn't even started yet by this point...don't get confused just do as I say PAY attention!)

Anyway back to Haters an expletive filled piece where a couple of hardened horror fans are kicked out of the cinema and return home to kick back and talk horror films, remakes and sequels. The dialogue is great fun with lots of funny opinions on both the follow ups to classic horror films and the many recent remakes. Add to this a nice nasty sting in the tail proving that your actions can very much come back to haunt (or maim) you!

Trick or Treat

Written by P.J Starks & Sean Blevins

Directed by Sean Blevins
Stars: Shelby Taylor Mullins, Chad Benefield, Chad Ray

Post credits comes Trick or Treat.  Shelby Taylor Mullins is a young woman named Mallory alone on Halloween night after her security guard boyfriend is called into work. Work just so happens to be the same library where the first films bloody massacre occurred and it also just so happens that the bodies of the victims have just been discovered. Cue a chilling news report warning that the killer is still on the loose and Mallory starts to get very scared, particularly since she has already had an unsettling encounter with a trick of treater... 

One definite thing to say about Trick or Treat is that it contains the most gut wrenching gore scene in the whole movie and I defy anyone not to recoil in horror at it!  I loved this part and really loved how it connects to everything else.

A Killer House

Witten by P.J. Starks

Directed by James Treakle

Stars:Jacob Ewers, Erin Troutman, Christopher Bower

So here is the core wraparound as such and features Jacob Ewers and Erin Troutman as a young couple being shown around a house for sale. The realtor played by Christopher Bower is sinister to say the least and its very clear that some...unsavoury....things have occurred within the walls of the house. Which then introduces us to the following four segments before unleashing a very grand finale:


Feeding Time

Written by P.J. Starks & Jason Turner

Directed by John Williams Holt

Stars: Caleb Shore, Shelby Taylor Mullins, TJ Clark, Jim O'Rear

Feeding time is a classic wrong time wrong place tale featuring Caleb Shore as a salesman who happens upon a distraught young woman (Shelby Taylor Mullins) who claims that she is being tormented by a monster who lives under her bed. Here is another clever link to a previous story with Shelby Taylor Mullins playing the character of Mallory once more...to say anymore would be giving too much away.  An enjoyable story with decent build up and a great end.

Blood Bath

Written by P.J. Starks

Directed by Jon Maynard

Stars: Kevin Arnold, Bridgette Michelle Hoover, Moses J. Moseley

Kevin Arnold and Bridgette Michelle Hoover play a young married couple who move into their new home...they of course did not expect a dangerous evil to be living in their bathroom of all places! I enjoyed Blood Bath its a short and nasty segment with some cool grue and gore and a very creepy villain.

Fear, For Sinners Here

Written & directed by Nathan Thomas Milliner
Stars: Jessica Schroeder, Julie Streble, Troy Davis, Connor Starks

Set on Christmas eve,  Fear, For Sinners Here plays out as a sort of home invasion/revenge horror story which is both shocking and gory. Jessica Schroeder plays a young mother who is on someones (a great crazed performance by Julie Streble) naughty list. Why is to be revealed and its a great reveal at that - its  also a true testament to how crazy the holidays and present buying makes some people. The ending is almost as horrific as aforementioned Trick or Treat scene and excellently  done - silent night indeed!

The Deathday Party 

Written by P.J. Starks 

Directed by Justin Seaman

Stars: Eric Huskisson, Anne Welsh, Jay Woolston, Cindy Maples, Alyssa Evelyn Rhoads

The Deathday Party is an ace horror short which could have been ripped straight from the bloodstained pages of Tales From The Crypt.  I love Cindy Maples and I don't care who knows it. I have enjoyed all of her roles and she is also a sweet, passionate actress who was kind enough to interview with me a few years ago. In this short she plays possibly my favourite character yet, a sweet homely wife to her loving husband (Jay Woolston in an equally excellent role) with some truly disturbing skeletons in the closet. Cindy shows an incredible range in such a short amount of time and proves what a pro she really is - the selfie scene is stellar. 

This story is insanely bloody, hilarious (the dialogue and facial expressions during THAT haemorrhoids conversation) and tense in equal measure and may just be my favourite of the bunch.  

On the whole Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories does what every sequel should do, surpass the original in every way and has ended my 2016 brilliantly.  So what if its not perfect - perfection is dull.  

Find out more here -this one is 100% by the fans, for the fans and not to be missed.

Slasher House II (2016)

(Online Screener)

Written & Directed by MJ Dixon

Stars: Francesca Louise White, Luna Wolf , Sophie Portman, Sam Cullingworth , David Hon Ma Chu, Wellington Grosvenor , Tiana Rogers. 






I love sequels, I love Slasher House and I was beyond excited at the prospect of a follow up.. I really admire the work of MJ Dixon and his production company Mycho - they do a heck of a lot with very little and while they do have their battles with the many challenges of low budget filmaking, they never make a big deal of it - they move on and still manage to create a great film.

In keeping with previous effort Legacy of Thorn, Slasher House II goes into crazy action horror mode. Whereas the original movie played out as a creepy, claustrophobic mystery, the follow up is more balls to wall while still retaining the intrigue.

Red, now played by the very capable Francesca Louise White, is no longer suffering from amnesia as she was when she was stumbling around the danger filled Slasher House. Therefore she knows who she is, she knows what she is and she knows what she must do. What she is trying to get to the bottom of is why there is such interest in these creepy killers from another corrupt group of people! What the end game is is a mystery to  the audience and without adding anymore, the rug is suitably pulled out from under you in the final minutes - hats off though as I enjoyed this twist a heck of a lot.

The new killers are very cool indeed, there is maniac in a panda mask who enjoys nothing more than slicing and dicing nubile strippers, as well as killer dolls and a nightmarish skeleton who happens upon a group of hapless teens- so a nice supernatural angle to spice things up. As well as this I loved the fact that the teens were credited as the slasher type cliches they were intended to be (the good girl, the slut, the stoner etc etc).

As always MJ's colouring is absolutely striking and this time not only is there the vivacious red of Reds hair to behold there is the cartoonish yellow of co-star Luna Wolfs stripper wig. It just looks so impressive on screen - bringing characters and situations to life in such a way  really is something that MJ Dixon and his team excel at. In addition to that a huge thumbs up for the fantastic score, a perfect fitting for the movie for both the suspense and the action sequences.

All in all this is a very worthy follow up to Slasher House and brings new things to the table. Its far more ambitious than its predecessor and I  truly commend the Mycho team for always working hard to up their game. Its also always wonderful to see what true fans of the horror genre come up with via their own twisted minds - and that is quite honestly said with love.

You can see Slasher House II  in its gory glory on 22nd January 2017 at the  Horror-On-Sea festival in Southend . In addition you can pre-order the DVD right here,  although this is currently a limited run so get shopping!

All Through the House (2015)

Online Screener copy

Written and Directed By Todd Nunes

Stars: Ashley Mary Nunes, Jessica Cameron, Melynda Kiring, Natalie Montera, Lito Velasco, Jason Ray Schumacher, Johanna Ray, Matt Poeschl, Cathy Garrett, Kelsey Carlstedt, Danica Riner, Jennifer Wenger, Tamra Garrett, Justice Lee. 













This is a holiday horror film to die for - I absolutely bloody LOVED IT.  Thanks very much to Todd Nunes for kindly hooking me up with a screener of his film. I have seen and heard lots about it for a while and was eager as a kid at Christmas to see it . It really did not disappoint in anyway, it takes the psycho in a Santa suit scenario to a whole new grisly level..and its FUN.

Rachel Kimmel (Ashley Mary Nunes) returns to her hometown for the holidays just as a crazed killer starts hacking away at the local population. The film offers a decent balance of suspense, humour, interesting characters and eye popping gore.  Along for the ride is an enticing mystery which slowly unfolds as Rachel and her best pals go to the feared home of Mrs Garrett (a great offbeat performance by Melynda Kiring) to help her for the holidays, as the body count ramps up it seems all roads lead to the Garrett house....but why? And who has decided to wipe out all the naughty people with garden shears and other such sharp objects??

The film boasts a great array of characters - I loved Danica Riner as the naughty Sarah, a fun and feisty character who has some killer scenes later on in the film.  Cathy Garrett plays Abby, a character I am sure has already garnered much attention and is awesome as the foul mouthed, wheelchair bound grandmother of Rachel. Abby is great fun  to watch and as she effs and blinds her way around you can also tell she is fiercely protective of her granddaughter which rounds her out brilliantly. Ashley Mary Nunes plays Rachel brilliantly, a great 'final' girl with heart and fire - the character also takes some interesting turns so stay tuned. Also look out for Jessica Cameron's cameo as 'Sheila' in a fun but nasty little scene..

Many people will wonder about the kills and all I can tell you is that this movie delivers and then some. Who knew there were so may creative things you can do with one murder weapon? Seriously, nasty and bloody stuff here. There are also a couple of scenes that will literally kill male viewers - be warned. Not that Santa only sticks to garden shears there are plenty other surprises in store too. 

The film is also beautifully shot and its aesthetics are wonderful. Some horror themed Christmas films throw in a Christmas tree and bauble and hope that this will be enough to sell it as such. All Through the House has a near perfect attention to detail on the holiday front and it just looks fantastic for it. 

What more can I say, All Through the House is a fun, funny, blood soaked ride just begging for a bigger, bloodier sequel.

Follow the film on its Official Facebook Page 


Its out NOW in the US:  Order DVD and to the UK soon after: Preorder DVD 

Cleaver: Rise of the Killer Clown (2016)

Written by MJ Dixon,  Jason Harlow

Directed by MJ Dixon 

Stars:  Andrew M Greenwood, Stephanie Price, Vicki Glover, Jimi James, Georgie Smibert
Holly Anne Dodkins, Kylie Slevin, Lewis Cooper, Joe Hughes. Gary Baxter,  Dean Sills, Tiana Louise Rogers,  Emma Wilde,  Cy Henty,  Maria Barr, Darran Holliman








Cleaver – the killer clown from Slasher House (2012) is given an opportunity to shine in a film that effectively explores his macabre back story.

Opening in the dark Oklahoma Autumn of 1995 Cleaver gives slasher fans exactly what they want; creepy title credits, eerie shots of the man himself applying his costume and a spooky, Black Christmas-esque score.   Viewers are then treated to a cat and mouse stalking sequence which I personally felt worked amazingly well. I felt that rather than seeing things from the killers POV,  the tease of knowing he was somewhere in the house but not where was the real hook. With a creepy clown garden feature also causing a fright, the build up to the eventual attack by the killer was just solid. 

The rest of the film is primarily concerned with young Carley (Stephanie Price) a college student who is asked to babysit a young couple’s daughter on Halloween night.  Needing the money and also having a very personal connection to the parents, Carley agrees to sit for young Mary-Beth (Holly Anne Dodkins).  As news of a recent murder/disappearance makes its way round town, Carley is starting to get the distinct feeling that someone is creeping around outside. In parallel to this story we are also privy to Sheriff Hatcher (Jimi James) and Deputy Howells (Georgie  Smibert) investigation into the recent murder and disappearance– this allows us to go even further back in time as the Sheriff explains the events of five years previous that actually led Carlton Layton from successful  family man to jobbing children’s entertainer and eventually to crazed killer. It seems his murderous antics over the past five years has led him from the site of his first killings to this very town…but why?

As the bodies start to pile up, Carley will eventually be forced to fight for her life and that of a young child – but can she outsmart such a devious and sadistic man?  All I will say is check out that final pre credits shot – I was floored. Again MJ Dixon has crafted a twisted and well thought out tale. There are a couple of great twists along the way and I also urge you to stick around when the credits start to roll for yet another jaw dropping reveal!

   

Andrew M. Greenwood gives another terrifying performance as Cleaver and also as the man behind the face paint, Carlton Layton. I have no sympathy for the character and his reasons for snapping do not justify his future actions – which kind of just makes him scarier.  I also thought both Stephanie Price as Carley and Holly Anne Dodkins as Mary Beth did great jobs as the girls in peril. 

Coming to VOD and DVD August 29, Cleaver is the perfect film for those looking for a new Halloween tradition: PREORDER.  Both the DVD and HD Download come at a great price so get shopping!

As for whats next for MYCHO - I hear Slasher House 2 is on its way and I for one am very excited for this sequel.

Hollower (2015)

(Digital Screener) 

Written by MJ Dixon

Directed by MJ Dixon 

Stars: Adam Williams, Nicholas Vince, Becca Talulah, Joe Hughes with Mike Halstead and James Ford
















Thanks so much to the great guys over at MYCHO Entertainment (Slasher House, Legacy of Thorn) for sharing with me two of their latest films Hollower and Cleaver.

In Hollower , the Slasher House character of Nathan Robbins (played again by Adam Williams) takes on a full movie that digs into how he came to be involved in such a dark situation later on. Not that you need to have seen Slasher House to enjoy this, you don’t at all but I personally feel it will enhance your viewing experience.

The film is spliced between the present and the recent past with Nathan being interrogated by Detective James Miller (Nicholas Vince) over initially mysterious events (i.e not spoon-fed to you, so stay with it).  In between these scenes we witness a painfully agoraphobic Nathan struggling to get by, all the while attracting the attentions of new neighbor Isabelle Carter (Becca Talulah).

As the movie progresses things take a creepier turn and it seems that things may not end well for Nathan and those directly associated with him.

Hollower please note is a psychological thriller with a definite horror streak. It may not be for everyone- depending on personal taste-  but if you want something more than a high body count and lots of grue and gore, I do think this will intrigue you from start to finish.  I would say Nathan is hands down the character that fans of Slasher House found most interesting, for reasons I can’t/won’t spoil here. to see a more elaborate version of Nathans life prior is essential viewing. 

The three core cast members all did a good job  and Adam Williams is great again as Nathan Robbins. He gets to play such a complex and multifaceted character and does so very well.  Becca Tululah and Nicholas Vince both provide strong support to Adam in what is largely a three man/woman show, Becca Tululah shines in her finals scenes and I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future. 

Again MJ Dixon shows a deft hand with his direction and writing. MJ is a really excellent story teller and I don't think that this is something that has been applauded enough to date. His movies intersect in a clever way and his attention to detail in this aspect shines through - no annoying plot holes which cannot be tied back to the film where we first saw some of these main characters. He also plots out his films in a way that hooks the viewers, doesn't necessarily give easy answers at first and then hits you with a great finale.  The coloring of Hollower is also on point, especially the dark and grey interrogation scenes. 

The really great news is that you can see it VERY soon - coming to VOD and DVD August 29, Hollower  is yours for pre-ordering.  Please please support UK independent film and head over to the official MYCHO website: PREORDER. 

Crazy Lake (2016)

(Digital Screener)

Written by Jason Henne, Christopher Leto

Directed by Jason Henne

Stars: Skyler Joy, Marco DelVecchio, Diana Riley, Matt Valena, Libby Blanton, Graham Hunt, Keily Fernandez, Marvin Laviolette, with Rob Mello, Allis Bodziak, Caulin Donaldson, Leyla Lawrence, Ashley Allen






A killer trailer, as we all know, does not necessarily mean a killer movie - I still could not help but have high expectations for Crazy Lake because the trailer really is that good. Amazing cinematography, a beautiful cast and the promise of a different spin to the usual teens in peril slasher movie.

I am pleased to say that my expectations were well rewarded and that Crazy Lake lives up to its name in a great way.  Rather than spoil in detail the main story of the film I will just say that the lake where our hapless friends are staying has a macabre history and that drug testing plays a large part in it. However as in many a horror movie, those are just stories right? There isn't really anything out there to be afraid of... is there?

The core group are invited by alpha male Mark (Marco DelVecchio) to his uncles lake house and include his girlfriend Julia (Skyler Joy) outsider Corey (Matt Velena)  joker Tim (Graham Hunt) feisty Kim (Keily Fernandez) and her boyfriend Johnny (Marvin Laviolette) and finally rounded out with bookish Kristen (Diana Riley) and bubbly Megan (Libby Blanton).

The writers did a great job of keeping its core cast alive and kicking for a large part of the running time, allowing you to care about them. Too many recent slasher throwbacks get kill happy too fast, leaving a frustrating amount of time left for the final girl/guy (s)  to outwit the killer. Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes for a real bore. That isn't to say that nothing exciting happens before these teens realise they are screwed - far from it, but you will have to see for yourselves.

I enjoyed the characters, particularly Tim who could easily be unlikable but I think Graham Hunt plays him with a twinkle is the eye that makes him funny rather than a total ass. I loved Libby Blanton as Megan, a gorgeous but horribly insecure (thanks to Tim!) redhead who just brings her character to life with ease. To be honest everyone plays their parts well and there are certainly not bad performances, particularly from the main cast.

There are some nasty death scenes and some cool gore gags which all well executed practically and
as previously mentioned the film itself looks incredible. I cant comment on the budget of the film but its the most professional looking, well shot independent movies I have seen in a long time and actually have seen far worse in mainstream cinema.

I cant recommend Crazy Lake enough  and I sincerely hope you get to see it soon. Please check out the films official Facebook page to find out more and hopefully release details are upcoming!

KILD TV (2016)

(Online screener copy)

Directed by William Collins

Written by Channing Whitaker 

Stars: D.C Douglas, Astrea Campbell-Cobb, Dan Braverman, Jared Doreck, Heather Williams, Aleeah Rogers and Grace Johnston 










KILD TV

The crew of a local horror movie showcase is used to broadcasting creepy stories of heinous

killers, but tonight they are the story, trapped with a real killer among them. Fans are tuning in to

the late night show as their favorite horror host, Dr. Perseco, weaves a macabre tale of suspense

and gore, but soon the horror becomes real and Dr. Perseco breaks character pleading for someone

to send help. Will the audience respond or pop more popcorn?!


Thank you to Channing Whitaker for reaching out and hooking me up with KILD TV  a film I had heard about and was keen to check out! Pleased to say that the film is smartly paced slasher movie backed up with an excellent variety of characters.

AS mentioned in the official synopsis, viewers become witness to the very real plight of a TV studio crew become trapped by a murderous stranger who may or may not be closer to home than they realise.

Several victims later the remaining crew members band together to try to survive the night but this may be much harder than they can comprehend!

I liked the way KILD TV didn't  make the usual mistake in killing off decent characters too early and allowed the actors to grow into their characters. I am not saying that nothing interesting happens in the first two thirds of the movie, there is plenty going on to secure viewer interest and it sets the stage brilliantly for a bloody finale.









This leads nicely to my next point; toward the end the film pulls off an excellently staged killer reveal which  really took me by surprise.

The cast did a great job - D.C Douglas as Milton/horror host 'Dr Perseco'  is great fun to watch especially while in character as Dr Perseco. He churns out the horror movie host cheese to great effect. Heather Williams as the spunky Geneva really impresses and I would love to see more of her work in the future, shes a bit kick ass! Astrea Campbell-Cobb is alluring as studio newbie Adel while Grace Johnston, Aleeah Rogers and Jared Doreck provide strong support.  As mentioned before its great that the characters are well written and given time to evolve and its something I really did appreciate.





A fun and engaging slasher mystery with a very successful whodunit element. Highly recommended!

The even better news is that you can grab a copy of the film right NOW at http://www.kildmovie.com/

Seven Dorms of Death (2016)

(Online screener copy)

Directed by Richard Griffin

Written by Matthew Jason Walsh

Produced by Ted Marr

Stars: Anna Rizzo , Graham King, Aaron Andrade, Laura Pepper, Evan Clinton and Michael Thurber. 

Firstly a big thanks to Richard Griffin for letting me check out his most recent horror feature which I was more than delighted to do. Murder University was an excellent slasher homage which I loved and Seven Dorms of Death absolutely nails the limitations (albeit fun) of the S.O.V horror film whilst still managing to look as professional and as stylish as hell.  Scorpio Releasing does it again. 

Sorry for the rant....but this film was clever. Clever, well made, hilarious and so well thought out. 

In a nutshell Seven Dorms of Death features a group of college students who have resurrected a play with a very peppered past..and that past is coming after them with...a potato peeler and more! There are so many hilarious moments in this film which not only entertain but also highly impress at just how well aligned to the S.O.V horror film it really is (see blatant mannequin stabbed in the head repeatedly...just brilliant).

The acting is perfect - it wont win any major awards... but this of course is the intent. All main players really sell their roles with Aaron Andrade and Laura Pepper stealing the show. Aron Andrade takes the 'will solve this mystery' cop to side splitting heights whilst Laura Pepper  impressively plays a cool as fuck reporter. In addition Micheal Thurber plays horror host Baron Von Blah (nice) as a means to introduce the feature....its goofy and it works a treat.

All of this is firmly held together by aforementioned stylish filmography; its all amazing colors and lighting complimented by a synth laden score and some killer reveals, Seven Dorms of Death is a must.

Oh and pssst...if you want a copy (and you do) :  Limited edition DVD

Wanna See Some Skin? PEELERS World Premiere is COMING!

Exciting news from Mr Sevé Schelenz of Sleep Apnea productions - his brand new horror film PEELERS is on its way and you can see it first on the big screen! The synopsis paints the film as an action packed blood bath and the teaser only serves to back this up. If you get the chance to attend the Palm Beach International Film Festival (April 6-14) then I strongly urge you to check this one out. Sevé's previous features SKEW was a mind bending. creepy, horror thriller that had me ranting about it for days (in a good way).

Read on the official details from the man himself and please support this film if you can!

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE AND GRUESOME RELEASE

Contact: Sevé Schelenz

Tel: 604.889.4805

sleepapneaprods@hotmail.com

March 9^th, 2016 – Independent Horror Feature Film PEELERS set to have WORLD PREMIERE at Palm Beach International Film Festival, Florida (April 6^th – 14^th).

The makers of the Independent Cult Horror Feature SKEW (2011) step it up a bloody notch as they begin their festival run with their follow-up horror flick PEELERS.

PEELERS - What starts out as the last hurrah on the closing night of an infamous small-town strip club, quickly turns into a night of bloodshed when a crew of coal miners shows up and with them a deadly contaminant.  Former baseball player and current club owner, Blue Jean Douglas has decided to hand over her bar to a new owner and leave town for good. But Blue Jean’s plans are thwarted when she discovers the magnitude of the epidemic that has been unleashed. With victims piling up, Blue Jean must step up to the plate toprotect her family, her friends, and her bar before it's too late and she loses everything she holds dear.

PEELERS destroys the cliché stripper horror sub-genre by giving us a story packed with exciting twists, baseball, strippers of unusual talents and a strong female lead.  What’s being described as “Rodriguez meets Tarantino” and “Not just a great indie film, but destined to be one of the funnest films of 2016”, has Director/Producer Sevé Schelenz pretty stoked about giving genre fans a whole new ball game of horror.

Want more carnage?

Website: www.peelersthefilm.com

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emkSNaAAsEk

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2769828/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Frances Stein (2015)

Written & Directed by P.J. Woodside

Stars: P.J. Woodside, Scott Cummings, Cody Rogers, Jessica Leonard, Steve Hudgins,  Ruby Sayard Kelly, Felicia Stewart, Vivien Worthen-Powell and T.O.N.E-z









The next entry in Big Biting Pig Productions growing slate of dark entertainment, Frances Stein, gives a female led, current spin, on the tale of Frankenstein.Guess what? Messing with science is still ill advised folks.

Dr Frances Stein (PJ Woodside) is an angry, bitter woman with a grudge to bear. Her groundbreaking work fell apart in scandalous fashion not to mention her marriage - if that wasn't rough enough, her fellow scientist ex hubby (Scott Cummings) has moved his new lady in, the much younger vivacious (and snarky) Jayne, played brilliantly by Jessica Leonard. Her only real friend in the world is her assistant Avery (Cody Rogers) who really wants to help her with her work but is visibly uncomfortable with her manic disposition.

This review isn't going to delve any deeper into the plot of the film in respect to Big Biting Pig Productions and the fact you really should see this without spoilers.  Suffice to say PJ Woodside who writes and directs as well as stars, has woven a classic tale of suspense with some nice twists and a sense of 'how will this all turn out?'

The writing is so on point that for a horror/thriller, the use of gratuitous violence isn't really needed. In one scene, involving the description of a tooth, the dialogue alone is enough to make you book a dentalcheck up (after you are done hugging yourself and wincing of course).

All core cast members do an impressive job of conveying their very different roles. PJ Woodside ramps up the crazy as Frances, a woman whose intense stare and stoic demeanor could terrify adults children and animals alike. Elsewhere Scott Cummings gives a smarmy turn as the ex husband enjoying the high life with his new wife played by Jessica Leonard. Jayne stomps around in her super bitch sexy heels with some perfect, acid laced, comments and was a joy to watch. A BBP movie wouldst be the same without Steve Hudgins appearing and he does play those villainous types so well. This time around he is playing an interrogator of those that know Frances Stein and he doesn't hold back on the steely glare and the threatening dialogue.

I really enjoyed Frances Stein for its well crafted story, interesting and well acted characters and a compelling ending. Don't go in expecting a blood bath and you are likely to be impressed. Big Biting Pig continue to show that a very low budget needn't herald sub par results and for that I will always be thankful to them.

Snowed in (2016)

Written and directed by Hannah Luyton

Stars: Kaitlyn Marie 




Snowed In is a short film written and directed by high school senior Hannah Luyten. In addition it was co-produced and filmed by Jason Hawkins of Gravestone Entertainment who Hannah has assistedon previous projects. Jason has also been mentor to Hannah for the past two years and so she has had a great opportunity to learn from Jason whose own company has been behind some fantastic horror/thrillers (15: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer, The Devil Knows His Own)


Snowed In features young Kaitlyn Marie playing a young girl (Kaitlyn) who is home alone during a heavy snow storm. To make matters worse she is on crutches and so really is isolated and vulnerable. When strange eerie noises start disturbing her Kaitlynheads up stairs to try to find the source...NOT  a good idea. From there Snowed In becomes an effective creep fest designed to make you seize up in fear of whatever hides in the dark.

A well acted and craftily directed horror short, Snowed In had me watching with the temptation to look away as it builds to a major scare in ingenious fashion. Again I am suprised and amazed at how well a horror story can be conveyed in a blink and miss it space of just five minutes. Hannah Luyten should be very proud of this film and the definite promise it shows for future projects.  Further to this the film has grabbed the attention of numerous festival including an invite to Jennifer's Bodies  so if you can make it to this brilliant celebration of women in horror you will get a chance to see it!

Harvest Lake (2016)

(Online screener copy)

Written and directed by Scott Schirmer

Stars: Jason Crowe, Ellie Church, Tristan Risk, Dan Nye, Kevin Roach.

Huge thanks to Scott Schirmer, the mind behind indie shocker Found, for hooking me up with his newest film Harvest Lake. A very different beast to the grim murder/coming of age horror Found, this film is rife with mystery and seductive charm.

Five standout actors make up the main cast and their performances give five interesting, likable and sometimes funny characters. Under the thumb Ben (Dan Nye) cute and sweet natured Jennifer (Ellie Church) sexy and insatiable Cat (Tristan Risk) and unlucky in love nice guy Josh (Jason Crowe) are four friends off on a lakeside getaway where there is literally something in the water. But what is it and what does it want with these fun loving young souls? 

An eerie opening scene already previews to audiences that this may not be the best place to hang out but its not until the main group arrive, soon meeting the mysterious Mark (Kevin Roach) that we really start to get a feel of the sexually charged nature of the area.  As the five start to relax, a creeping sense of dread begins to grow and shortly after the introduction of bizarre, phallic plant life adds another expert layer to the film.

As mentioned the performances  are great and the cast really step up to the challenge. American Mary's Tristan Risk gives a sexy, fun edge to Cat, the kind of character who can drop a shocking sentence without a second thought. Dan Nye is just great at comedy I have now realised after seeing him in the Legend of Wasco recently where he played the mischievous Byron, intent on getting his brother law into all manner of trouble. Again Dan plays a funny role but rather than being totally alpha male in Harvest Lake, the comedy stems from him being told what to do by his girlfriend (Cat).  Ahem red swimming briefs...

Elsewhere Jason Crowe (aforementioned brother in law from LoW!) provides the more sensible and intuitive member of the group, Josh, who may have caught the romantic eye of Mark (Volumes of Blood, Bloody Hooker Bang Bang) the handsome stranger who is seemingly being pulled into the same web as the others. Finally Ellie Church, a girl who blew me away in her role of a devious, adulterous wife in And Then YOU Die! plays a nice sympathetic character this time round and comes off as genuinely lovely although being a mysterious thriller this is of course subject to change..

A well written, well acted indie thriller with beautiful cinematography and a gripping, original story. Harvest Lake is one to watch.  In one sense it begs for a sequel, on the other hand the film is just as satisfying left as it is, dark, eerie and intriguing. GRAB A COPY NOW: http://forbiddenfilms.net/harvestlake/ 

Preternatural (2015)

Directed by Gav Chuckie Steel

Written by Dixon Barker 

Stars: Gav Chuckie Steel, Dixon Barker 

















I was thrilled to be contacted by Deadbolt films, the guys behind one of my favorite independent slasher films (and its British to boot) The Shadow of Death. This time around Gav Chuckie Steel and Paul Dixon Barker are gearing up to release new film Preternatural.

To be honest I think its best that the mystery of this film is contained - you need to see it for yourself so just take the short synopsis: Two amateur film-makers find the movie they thought they were making, is actually making them and run with it. 

Gav actually stars in the  film, playing one of the two filmmakers along with Dixon Barker who...can you guess?....wrote this film. I really liked the way this film plays with reality and fantasy and a key element of suspense throughout is having no clue which way it will twist next.

Both Gav and Dixon do a great job playing the bickering filmmakers (they may of course not be acting but that's their business) as they struggle to get their work done on a low budget. Its when their recently cast actor turns up that things start making a more insidious decline. Mark Williams as 'Mark' does a superb job of playing the creepy and mysterious actor who Gav and Dixon will wish they had never met!

Things continue to get stranger and I think that is genuinely the real appeal of Preternatural - you probably haven't seen anything quite like it and that can only be a plus point.

Viewers who like a simple narrative and all questions answered may find themselves disappointed so do take this as a warning. However if you appreciate something a bit more mind bending and unwilling to conform to genre devices then this is your movie.

Pizza Girl Massacre (2014)

(Online Screener)

Written and directed by Jason Witter

Stars: Amy Bourque, Rhiannon Frazier, Debi Kierst, Scott Bryan


Synopsis

In the summer of 2013, a community theatre group from Albuquerque, NM decided to stage a production of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Since the majority of the play takes place in an enchanted forest, the troupe thought it would be a good idea to rehearse in the woods. So they rented a cabin... In the woods... They never returned.

I was happy to talk to Jason Witter, the man behind this very different kind of found footage flick and obtain a copy for review. I am pleased to say it strikes a good balance between horror and comedy and comes across as downright dark and creepy in certain places.

Obviously renting a cabin in the woods is a terrible terrible idea and shooting a movie at the same time just means that when you are 'never seen or heard from again' people like me will have to watch to see what might have happened to you. I enjoy found footage horror, although some can truly test the patience of a saint, and this one was fresh and inventive as well as kind of nuts.

The rag tag group of theater actors, actresses and crew seem a bit spooked when they first meet the offbeat mother and son owner of their rented cabin. To be honest Mama Debi's initial appearance     dragged me kicking and screaming back to the one truly scary part of Sleepaway Camp...Aunt Martha.

 Of course this odd little interaction isn't going to throw a spanner in their works and so rather than run screaming for the hills they commence work. But there is more to this family unit then they realise and soon they will meet the dreaded daughter  (played by Amy Borque) who is only too happy to be star of the show...with the theater group her unwilling prey.

The film plays out like a found footage slasher movie with shades of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and it does a great job of keeping you interested. You are not waiting for a final scene of true horror before the film abruptly ends which is refreshing to see and it also boats some insanely batshit performances (particularly Debi Kierst and Amy Borque). As previously mentioned there are moments of comedy throughout but some scenes are also downright disturbing - throw in some grisly murders and the outcome is actually a pretty well balanced film.

Looking forward to more work from Jason in the near future!

Suffer the Little Children (2015)

(Online screener version)

Directed by Corey Norman

Written by Haley Norman

Stars: Anne Bobby, Andrew Lyndaker, Dan Domingues, Beth Sommerville

Many thanks to director Corey Norman for asking me to check out his new horror short Suffer the Little Children which is based on the short story by Stephen King (available as part of the Nightmares and Dreamscapes anthology). 

This is a short that will stick with you for some time (if you have a soul) and I have to confess that while I found it brilliantly realised by Corey and Haley Norman, there were moments I wanted to look away! 

This is a difficult one to review in the sense I don't want to give anything away for those who are unfamiliar with the short story and so I will leave it at a brief summary.  Anne Bobby who starred in the fantastic Nightbreed from the macabre Clive Barker plays a stressed school teacher who suspects something is horribly wrong with the children in her class. After a horrifying encounter with one of her pupils - a brilliantly eerie performance by Andrew Lyndaker - Anne's character Miss Sidley ends up on sick leave. When she returns however she has a dark plan to end the evils she is certain have taken hold of the school. 

What happens next is jaw dropping - the climax of this short is horrible yes but also extremely well executed and acted. The main question that soon remains is what is really going on at this school? 

There is a nice streak of ambiguity in Suffer the Little Children but do not let that put you off - I think it only adds to an effective film which really makes you think and reassess what you have just watched. Hats off to the Normans for an excellent and unsettling horror short which deserves to be seen by a wider audience. 

Bloody Island (2016)

(Online screener copy)


Written and directed by: Joseph P. Kelly


Stars: Christopher Woods Marlin, William 'Wildbear' Meyer, Stephen Cena, Jamie Morgan, Yolanda Evans, Joseph P. Kelly, Denys Ramos Jr, Mike Jones, Rhys Lyons, Todd Forkell, Erica Lorenzetti, Liza Pabon, Amelia Favata, Casey Litzenberger.













A few years back in 2012 I was lucky to get the chance to preview offbeat slasher movie Community Service (Review) and now I have had the opportunity to check out its insane sequel Bloody Island.

With a nice fast and frenzied recap of the original movie, Bloody Island  kicks off and one thing that struck me immediately was a vast improvement in the cinematography from the first film. I'm not sure if the budget for the film is any higher than Community Service  but it sure looks like it.

Another thing is continuity - I really like how various family members etc of the victims of Community Service  share their views on the bloodbath that killer Billy caused the first time around. It doesn't feel like exposition overkill in the slightest just a decent and creative way of bridging the gap between the movies and ensures audiences are confident that events from the original haven't been discarded in order to 'change things up' for the sequel.

So what horrors are in store in  Bloody Island?  Bob Butterfield is back following previous events and carries a lot of guilt for his part in Billy's childhood psychosis (which became ten times worse as an adult!).  Bob is a good guy but he makes some monumentally insane decisions - no less this time around when he agrees to escort another bunch of juvenile delinquents to a secluded island in order to supervise their punishment. Still, no bad decision = no horror movie so stay with it! This time around the island is home to an abandoned theme park (bar a few wonderfully odd carnies who have remained behind|) which really adds to the creepy atmosphere.

Killer Billy is still after Bob with an absolute vengeance...I recall having a slight moan about a mother/child scene in Community Service and another similar scene occurs in the opening act to this movie. In hindsight, this does reflect how detestable a man Billy is and its clear that all he honestly cares about is ending the life of the man he blames for all of his problems - no one is safe!

And this horrible scene is just the start of a sickening killing spree which will make you choke on your popcorn. Characters are spared no pain and I wont go into any spoilers on this but just be sure to keep your eyes open for some cruel theme park based executions.. Props to Joseph for not softening the blow and giving Bloody Island a real streak of the nasty!

I very much recommend Bloody Island and to grab a copy when its made available to the unsuspecting public. Its brutal and nasty but a hell of a lot of fun and follows on perfectly from the original film. Read more about it over here on Facebook!

Community Service - The Movie (2012)

(Online Screener Copy)

Directed by Joseph Kelly

Written by Joseph Lewis and David Berry

Stars: Christopher Woods, William Meyer, Joseph Kelly, Iliana Garcia, Caitlyn Kenyon, Hope Tomaselli, Renell Edwards, Marissa Mynter, Daniel Trinh, Tristan MacAvery, Joseph Thomson, Christopher Mele, Amy Downs.

Big thank you to film maker Joe Kelly for being kind enough to share his indie slasher flick Community Service with me! I am loving the recent spate (Raymond Did It anyone?) of indie horrors which appear to pay direct homage to some of the more obscure revenge slashers of the 80s such as Offerings and for me, Community Service does a great job in achieving this.

The plot of the film kicks off in the past where a young lonely boy, Billy, is accosted by a pair of mean kids who have been making his life a misery at school. The young lads go a step too far when they attempt to destroy something very close to Billy's heart causing him to snap and lose his temper. In a fit of rage Billy attacks and kills one of the bullies much to the horror of a number of onlookers.

20 years later Billy is in the nut house and not showing any sign of improvement on his anger issues, meanwhile the surviving bully, Bob, has become a local police officer. 'Officer Bob' has the thankless task of running a community service programme at a nearby camp ground which very unfortunately is situated close to the psychiatric ward that has become Billy's home.

Being a slasher flick, it goes without saying that Officer Bob and his young charges, all on the programme for various petty crimes, are in big trouble. Billy has made his escape following learning of Bobs position and whereabouts and he wants to finish what he started 20 years ago...no matter who else he has to kill along the way.

I really enjoyed this short but sweet slasher. It has all your required ingredients to make a successful body count movie: incident from the past rearing its ugly head, psychotic child growing up to be an even more psychotic adult, a motely group of teenagers with differing personalities and traits, and a number of good kills. My only real complaint about the movie was a scene involving a mother and child which I just found to be a bit unnecessary.

I also think the film turned out some fine performances. Most of the teens did a good job particularly Iliana Garcia and Caitlyn Kenyon and I also enjoyed Christopher Woods portrayal of Officer Bob.

I think Joe Kelly hit the nail on the head with Community Service its obvious he knows he slasher fare and used his knowledge to create a fun, well paced, often funny, at many times gory, horror film. I am extremely interested to know what Joe might be working on next and I will also be first in line to check it out. Head on over to the official Community Service: The Movie website to find out more about the film and show your support by grabbing a copy as soon as its released!

Dismembering Christmas (2015)

(Online Screener Copy)

Written by Steve Goltz and Kevin Sommerfield

Directed by Austin Bosley

Stars: Nina Kova, Johnathon Krautkramer, Leah Wiseman, Baker Chase Powell, Danielle Doetsch, Austin Bosley, Jennifer Lenius, Shannon McInnis, Marla Van Lanen and Scott Seagren


It really doesn't seem long ago that I was gearing up to watch the first feature from Slasher Studios Don't go to the Reunion but as we all know, time really does fly and I have now just finished the fantastic follow up; Dismembering Christmas. Another love letter to an era truly embraced by Slasher Studios, the 80s slice and dice, this film takes a hacksaw to the much loved yuletide holiday with gleeful abandon.

The film features a group of young friends celebrating at a lakeside cabin during a very snowy winter, while someone watches from afar, planning to take them out one by bloody one... so nothing overly new in the slasher plot side of things but really who cares? Any movie that plays homage to the body count films of the 1980s will always pique my interest! Dismembering Christmas is fun, creative and features a great ending sequence. It also boats numerous impressive performances- notably Nina Kova as lead girl Sam, Leah Wiseman and Danielle Doetsch as the warring Emma and Katie, Marla Van Lanen as Joan the odd ball neighbor and Baker Chase Powell as Mark.

Another important point to note is how GREAT this film looks. The cinematography is stellar, the direction by Austin Bosley is on point,even quirky at times and the snow just gives Dismembering Christmas the perfect winter chill.

Steve Goltz and Kevin Sommerfield have written a great, twisted script with laughs and frights and they are not afraid to kill off characters regardless of how nice and likable some of them are. Its a strange one as they have written two features now, both of which I would love to see sequels to (I'm a sequel guy) but at same time I want to see what new film they might pen next. who knows maybe one day they will have 8 horror features under their belts AND numerous sequels!

I whole  wholeheartedly recommend Dismembering Christmas and encourage you to check out is official Facebook and get a preorder in for the DVD in now!

Three Tears on Bloodstained Flesh (2014)

Written and Directed by Jakob Bilinski

Stars: Bill Gobin, Jim Dougherty, Kayla Crance, Angela Steele, Rosalind Rubin, Scott Ganyo 







Congratulations to Jakob Bilinski for creating a slasher movie with a nice giallo feel, but that still very much has its own identity. I am sure the man himself will tell you I have had my beady eye on this for sometime and I do hope I didn't raise my interest to stalker levels, although I will say how pleased I was to get to see and review it.

Three Tears on Bloodstained Flesh starts out with a gruesome murder which sets the tone and plot for the remainder of the film - a film that it dark, bleak, unapologetic but ultimately entertaining throughout. That can be a hard task for any film maker, for a 80-90 minute movie but this movie runs for over 2 hours! I am so glad to say that's not at all a criticism and like I say, this film is entertaining for its run time. Back to the plot, Bill Gobin plays  hard arsed Dominic, angry and haunted man who is forced to return to his home town following the gruesome death of his niece. Taking his unhappy teenage daughter Kendall (Kayla Crance) with him Dominic is forced to face the family and townsfolk he left behind - and find his nieces killer before it literally kills him.

What transpires from here is a dark journey which exposes a town shrouded in mystery - its hard to tell who is good, bad or in between as Dominic pulls out all the stops to bring a killer down. A killer who is just getting started... not to mention all of the other strange happenings occurring all around the town.

I can honestly say I haven't seen a film quite like this one. Its got a number of elements which together make for an intriguing murder mystery (and far more going on than just that) with colorful and quirky characters and a real sense of 'oh shit did that just happen??'.

Speaking of the characters - Dominic is bad bad bad man for the way he curses to and in front of his teenage daughter - its arguably abuse! That said, Bill Gobin does an excellent job in his role as a truly tormented man whose pain could be increased ten fold by the time his journey is done. Kayla Crance is equally as good as Dominic's daughter Kendall - she has clearly learnt her language from dear old pa and is feisty and fun along with it. Rosalind Rubin in her role as the mysterious Kacie is also one to watch.

Finally I want to point out how well made this film is - it may be an independent picture sure but its shot and filmed perfectly. It looks fresh and new and full of vibrant colors which only help to compliment  its giallo feel. I am already a huge fan of Jakobs work from his short films so now I can see what he is capable of with two whole hours I am real excited.

Check out Three Tears on Bloodstained Flesh on Facebook and I hope to be able to give you news on an official DVD release real soon.

On a final note....the ending of this film.... sweet hell.......