Tales of Poe (2014)

Directed by Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly

Written by Alan Rowe Kelly, Bart Mastronardi and Michael Varrati

Stars: Alan Rowe Kelly, Debbie Rochon, Caroline Williams, Adrienne King, Amy Steel, Desiree Gould, Lesleh Donaldson, Randy Jones, Michael Varrati, David Marancik, Susan Adriensen, Amy Lynn Best, Zoe Daelman Chlanda    (WHAT A CAST ANYONE??)










I have been eagerly anticipating Tales of Poe since viewing one of the shorts some time ago and also being familiar with Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly's great contributions to the horror genre. Tales of Poe is a wonderful anthology film, interpreting two of Poe's original stories  and a poem- giving audiences a mixture of terror, beauty, fantastic storytelling and amazing performances. I will take the short films one at a time but can easily say this is a must own off the bat:



The Tell Tale Heart 





The Tell Tale Heart is a truly wonderful short horror film, acting as writer/director, Bart Mastronardi’s interpretation of the classic Poe story. The film stars Debbie Rochon as a newly admitted mental institute patient, who finds herself recounting the events leading to her incarceration to the acidic Evelyn (Happy Birthday to Me’s ill-fated Lesleh Donaldson) and the squirmy, chuckling Fritz (David Marancik – Gallery of Fear). What follows is an amazingly shot, intriguing, mysterious, insight to Rochon’s time spent working as nurse for ageing former movie star Peggy Lamarr (Alan Rowe Kelly in fine form as the VERY faded star). It is here, within Lamarr’s oppressively large home, that we begin to see Rochon’s nurse succumb to, possibly madness, possibly something far more sinister, as she begins to become disturbingly obsessed with the gruesomely afflicted eye of her charge.

I would hate to give anything more away as this short should really be seen fresh, the way I was lucky enough to view it. All I will say is that things get bloody very soon and Debbie Rochon gives the performance of her career towards the climax of the film. The ending back at the mental hospital is both shocking and awe inspiring at the same time and I was 100% on the edge of my seat by this

point.





All performances were brilliant though I have to say. Lesleh Donaldson played the unlikable Evelyn to the hilt, delivering a solid character you really wanted to see come unstuck, while David Marancik played the crazed ‘Fritz’ with genuine ease – I really believed I was watching an insane man, so a job well done. Alan Rowe Kelly as the formidable looking Peggy Lamarr was both a joy and a horror to watch, I would not want to be stuck in a house with this woman that’s for damn sure. It was also fantastic to see Desiree (Sleepaway Camp) Gould back on screen as the hard as nails Nurse Malliard. Just as she did back in the horror heyday, Gould plays the authoritarian figure with skill and ease, except this time, gone are the wide eyes, creepy false smiles, and cheery tone, replaced by a piercing stare, vicious snarl and a Rottweiler of a bark.


Bart Mastronardi has written and directed something very special to the horror genre, just like his previous feature length movie Vindication, he has made a horror movie that is both beautiful and horrifying. Most people would disagree that it’s appropriate to use the word beautiful in conjunction with a horror movie….those people just haven’t seen The Tell-Tale Heart yet.

The Cask

The Cask is an uncomfortable, riveting watch complete with sinister plans, treachery, backstabbing and danger. 

A short by the amazing Alan Rowe Kelly who also plays the lead role, commences with the wedding party of Furtonato Montresor (Randy Jones) and his deceptive wife Gogo where we are also treated to lots of indie horror movie cameos (Amy Lynn Best and Mike Watt of Happy Cloud Pictures woot!) and a nice turn by Susan Adriensen as the bonkers housekeeper. 

From here on out its ghoulish twists and turns as Gogo's horrifying plans play out and viewers are left on their seats edge as events go from bad to worse. 

I had the most fun with The Cask - its like a very classy episode of Tales From the Crypt in regards to its violent revenge theme. It had me biting my nails as to whether Gogo's plans would succeed and then cowering slightly when things got gruesome. It also packs a fantastic finale which brings everything that came before nicely together with a macabre final shot. 

There is a dreamy quality to the filming which gives the film a slightly surreal edge along its dark and creepy journey - I cant imagine anyone not being swept away by this short film and then jolted in terror as it wraps up! Great, great work. 

Dreams

Furthering the surreal edge of The Cask, this final story takes that crown and runs off with it into another dimension. It  features an amazing bevvy of horror movie greats -  Lesleh Donaldson again, Adrienne King (Friday 13th) Amy Steel (Friday 13th part 2) AND Caroline Williams (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) with an amazing lead in newcomer Bette Cassat.

Directed by Bart Mastronardi and written by Michael Varrati this particular short is unique in that its based on a poem rather than a fleshed out story and the final product couldn't be any more befitting of the title.

Its hard to describe Dreams other than it features insanely amazing imagery both beautiful and alluring and terrifying and grotesque. It really is a one of a kind experience which some viewers may find a bit jarring after the previous shorts but personally I think it wrapped things up on an outstanding and highly artistic level.

Check out the official website  I hope you will all get the chance to see this fantastic movie as soon as possible.  It hasn't won a staggering amount of awards for nothing! 

Sometimes I get to review films that are a complete pleasure from start to finish and this is indeed one of those. 

The Cutting Room (2015)

Witten and Directed by Warren Dudley

Produced by Warren Dudley and TJ Herbert

Stars: Parry Glasspool, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Lydia Orange and TJ Herbet

Release: UK DVD 1 June 2015




It’s always nice to see a new UK horror movie, particularly one as hair raising and twisted as The Cutting Room. Warren Dudley directs a great cast, including Parry Glasspool, (currently stirring up some nice drama in Hollyoaks) and has produced a brilliantly twisted script that literally had me biting the ends of my fingers off.

Featuring three college students, Raz (Parry Glasspool) Charlie (Lucy-Jane Quinlan) and Jess (Lydia Orange) the film explores the important issue of cyber bullying, or trolling which leads them to investigate the mysterious disappearance of two girls. The three students start out on a dangerous path as they explore some old army barracks on a quest to get to the truth. However someone doesn’t want them to get to the truth and as they document their horrifying journey on camera, audiences are slowly let in on the awful truth. 

The Cutting Room is shot found footage style which may put some off, I have always quite enjoyed them (when good) and this one was gripping, tense and I would recommend to give it a shot regardless. You may even enjoy the hilarious Blair Witch parody....

All three main cast members do a great job, Parry Glasspool plays Raz the college clown and apparent womanizer as a natural. He could easily be a character that audiences hate, but I actually think he came across as more cheeky and amusing as opposed to some of the names his girlfriend Charlie calls him during the movie.  That says poor Charlie has to date the guy and he says a lot to try her patience. I think Lucy-Jane Quinlan played Charlie with a great mixture of feisty and frightened and as the film progressed I started to feel genuinely nervous for her character as all signs started to point at an insidious plan for her. The character of Jess was fun and interesting and Lydia Orange shows some great acting chops toward the end of the film where she finds herself in a baffling and horrifying position. I wish we would have seen a little more of Jess but what we did see was great. TJ Herbert, who co produced the film, also plays a small but significant role as a potential suspect in the disappearances and this is suitably creepy and unsettling. But just how much does his character has to do with the events on screen?

I cant and wont go into any spoilers but a couple of things I will say is the beginning of the movie is excellently executed. A grisly scene plays out to an insanely cheerful song and it just works so well in drawing you in. The ending...well....just PAY ATTENTION. That's all I will say. Very well done and a jaw dropper for sure.

I cant wait to see what Warren Dudley and co have to offer next, The Cutting Room is a well executed nightmare with believable performances and a frightening plot, not to mention yet again a killer ending. Find out more about the film at its official site  HERE  or its Facebook page - also please go grab a copy and support indie horror! 

 

The Black Tape (2014)

(DVD Screener)

Written and Directed by Ramone Menon

Stars: Elina Madison, Allen Marsh, Melanie Thompson, Parker Coppins, Viktoria Paje Oto, Brezina Bryan, Mordechai Jackson and Cassi Ellis.

Here is a found (or rather delivered) footage horror film which I enjoyed aside from one issue. On the plus side it's creepy as heck, has a nice air of mystery running throughout and delivers a spine chilling end. Not even the usual jump scare, camera falls to the floor kind of end, no this film is too smart for that. It has several creepy scenes all the way through and some scenes of startling horror so it would have been a huge shame for it to end on a predictable note. In this film we get the answer to a question which plagues you from the start - a pre-credit scene truly made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I kind of wanted to look away! Not gory, not gratuitous...just plain scary.

The majority of The Black Tape is made up of a family, stalked by an unknown predator, filming their every move. This very unfortunate family have no idea that they are the stars of a self made murder film where they have been cast as the victims. 

The film takes several really impressive turns and rather than have a bit of set up and then BAM maniac makes their move... the terror is spread over a surprisingly long time. A plot point leads the family to believe all is behind them but sadly no, everything that happened before was just one part of a truly sickening plan.

There were some really good performance particularly from Elina Madison and Melanie Thompson as mother and daughter Alana and Stephanie. Melanie does a fine job of a potential victim in waiting, going about her teenage dramas in believable fashion. Elina plays the terrorized mother to perfection with equal parts fear and fight - not to mention a worrying dark side which is only discovered due to the stalkers voyeurism.

An intriguing and often scary horror film with a kicker of an ending. My only criticism being I felt some character fates felt too left up in the air - there is definite sequel scope and I hope you would agree with me when you watch. Find out more about the film HERE and remember to check every nook and cranny of your home before turning out the lights.....

Volumes of Blood (2015)

Directors: 
Jakob Bilinski 
PJ Starks 
Lee  Vervoort 
Nathan Thomas Milliner 
John Kenneth Muir 

Writers:

Todd Martin
PJ Starks 
Nathan Thomas Milliner 


Stars: Jason Crowe, Roni Jonah, Alexandria Hendrick, Garret Smith, Louisa Torres, Jim O'Rear, Todd Reynolds, Jordan Phillips, Elissa Grant, Louisa Torres, Kristine Renee Farley, Kevin Roach



Volumes of Blood is a collaborative effort from some of independent horror films greats and one I have been looking forward to since director and writer P.J Starks let me know about it. Not only is the film a great, involving anthology, it also provides an original spin on the format, particularly in its final act.

I think the best way to share my thoughts on VoB is to go through each segment in turn but to give some idea of the films overall structure, we essentially follow a group of college kids discussing the invention of new and original urban legends via their own individual horror stories. Each segment takes place in the same library in which the group are sharing their tales which I think is a nice touch indeed.

Segment one, A Little Pick Me Up is a wicked little short with a jaw dropping end. Alexandria Hendrick plays an overtired student desperately trying to complete her work late at night in the library. When she is approached by a mysterious salesman (Jim O'Rear) to sample a new energy drink, its pretty clear that there are sinister intentions at play. Things go from bad to worse at a rapid rate and the short ends in spectacular style. Great opening segment! Written by Todd Martin. Directed by John Kenneth Muir.

Segment two, Ghastly Written and directed by PJ Starks is a spooky ghost story which features a librarian haunted by a mysterious force. I loved the black and white used in this classic tale, a very nice touch. This short also boasts some impressive ghost effects, the horribly contorted face of the librarians tormentor looking like something out of your worst nightmares. I have a very minor complaint with this short and that is purely that I wish it was longer. I have loved (and feared) the idea of a haunted library ever since that damn opening scene to Ghostbusters and I would love PJ to consider a feature length movie along these lines in the future. Like I say, I fully appreciate that this is anthology and therefore you cant have two much of each story - this is just an expression of interest ;)

Segment three, 13 After Midnight  Written by PJ Starks. Directed by Jacob Bilinski has a nice creature feature spin to it and there is an effective and creepy element of 'fear whats in the shadows' to it. Expect this segment to twist and turn a bit also with one hell of a downbeat finale.

Segment four, The encyclopedia Satanica  Written by Nathan Thomas Milliner and Todd Martin. Directed by Nathan Thomas Milliner is a cool and creepy tale of spells and demons. Kristine Renee Farley who has done some amazing work with Big Biting Pig Productions as well as the incredible Bloody Hooker Bang Bang: A Love Story really brings her A game here once again. I have now seen Kristine play several challenging, not to mention different roles and her turn her as guilt ridden turned tormented Paige only furthers my belief that she deserves a most amazing career. This short gives some brilliant bloody effects as with the others, this time with a darker and more ominous feel.

The final segment Thats a Wrap turns everything else on its head in a GREAT way. I wont give any spoilers on this front but be assured, you need to stick with the film right through to the credits as Volumes of Blood ends with a most satisfying, carnage filled denouement.  Written by P.J Starks. Directed by Lee Vervoort.

Highly recommended from this reviewer, Volumes of Blood brings laughs, blood, grue, scares and an overall sense of fun - something that horror anthologies used to do so well but has been somewhat lacking in recent years.  I would love this dream team to come together for a follow up anthology, I couldn't imagine what gory delights they may have up their sleeves for a part 2. Please head on over to the movies official Website and Facebook page for more details and show this film some real support!

POV (2014)

Written and Directed by Richard Anthony Dunford


Stars: Tom Clear, Karl Kennedy-Williams, Tuula Costelloe, Lewis Saunderson, Jamie Langlands, Sarah Harkins


Many thanks to Richard Anthony Dunford for sharing his creepy new horror movie POV with me. I am always excited to see a good British horror film especially those that are low budget but made with a true love to the genre. POV is one such film and unique in the sense that you follow the action through the eyes of main character Zack (Tom Clear) a down on his luck guy following a painful break up.

When Zacks brother (Karl Kennedy-Williams) and his best mates Mackenzie and Vickers (Lewis Saunderson and Jamie Langlands) drag him to a weekend long house party to cheer him up it is clear that something is going to come along and ruin the fun..

A creepy tale of demonic possession and death in the houses history, spun by Mackenzie, raises a few laughs and retorts as the party goers are far more interested in booze and music to truly believe such a story. However Zack soon starts to experience disturbing sightings  which soon make the viewer question what is really happening - are the demons real, is Zack going mad, or something else...? Suffice to say the shit hits the fan real hard and real fast.

I really enjoyed POV, it has a unique way of telling its story, it has some great characters and actors and there are some genuine scares. In fact one scene where Mackenzie scares Zack made me jump out of my fucking skin. I think I was expecting something else to happen or something, I'm not sure, all I know is that i swore very loudly.....  I also liked the fact that the film took some nice twists and turns in its final 10 minutes and kudos to Richard for not giving viewers all the easy answers on a plate.  For its low-no budget I also think the film is presented really well and I really liked the practical effects on display.

All main actors were great, Lewis Saunderson were both very funny in the roles of the best friends trying to do a nice thing for their mate. Lots of piss taking and barbs are exchanged which is totally realistic of a group of male friends. Karl Kennedy- Williams was a real stand out as the protective brother Sam, he comes across as equal parts good guy and total knobhead, and he has the mouth to match. A great and entertaining character! I felt nothing but pity for poor Zack as played by Tom Clear. He is having the worst time ever and then finds himself in the middle of a far far worse situation. I was rooting for him to get out it in one piece but to say anymore would be too spoilerish. Oh and Tuula Costelloe as party girl Lizzy was a massive hoot!.

Please check out the official website for POV and show your love for  British indie horror. I hope you guys will get to see the film for yourselves real soon.

Sodomaniac (2015)

(Online Screener Copy)

Directed by Anthony Catanese

Written by Anthony Catanese, Steve Ravesz

Stars: Craig Kelly, Allan Sconza, Kirk Ponton, Dale Gordon, Josh Rocco, Nicole Hamilton, Amanda Stauss, Greg Kline


Thanks so much to the guys behind this crazy little flick for letting me check it out for review.
A friend out in the reviewing field tipped me off to Sodomaniac, a film that actually hadn't come across my radar til then. I am glad I got to hear about it as the film is a certifiable blast - it has some amazingly loyal 80s slasher tropes (atmosphere, soundtrack, foreboding music, obnoxious and unlikable cannon fodder) all mixed up with something new, gross and unusual. So many points already huh?

So the plot goes a little something like this; a group of arsehole men (aside from Derrick played by Allan Sconza) fancy themselves as the ultimate of alpha males and spend their time talking shit, drinking, doing drugs and umm....date raping young women. Obviously this shocking crossing of the line and outright criminal behavior needs to be addressed and this being a horror film at heart, there is someone out there watching and waiting to take a painful revenge.  In fact said revenge is going to hit these guys right where it hurts - for all their jokes and comments about gay sex and anal sex, the killer is intent on making the punishment fit the crime.  Decked out in a mask which is basically a big arse (yep- see picture above!) the vengeful madman sets about putting their own visceral spin on sodomy, taking the rapist men out one by one...in the bum....

Although the subject matter is undoubtedly dark, rest assured that Sodomaniac is an effectively funny horror comedy. The dialogue works well as it helps to ensure you are in no way rooting for the victims to be but also gets the intended laughs along the way.

The story is well drawn and clips along at a decent pace which is great as there is a lot going on throughout and all the while you are getting closer to the truth regarding the killers identity. On that note I was extremely impressed by the red herrings and hints dropped all the way along. I LOVE whodunnit plots whether it be in a movie, soap opera, TV series and I always enjoy the scenes that are basically telling you 'yep this guy/girl could be doing because...'. I think Sodomaniac did a great job at keeping you guessing and changing your mind as the film heads to its climax. One part of the final reveal I did get right (but I did second guess myself at one point on this also!)

I have to recommend this movie 100%, its funny, crude, rude, gross and hilarious with a good story and a great dose of mystery chucked in as well. The main cast all play their parts well and there is definite promise from director/writer Anthony Catanese to deliver some more excellent horror and/or comedy in the future. Please check this flick out over on Facebook and hopefully release details will be forthcoming soon.

Watch your ass folks!

Agoraphobia (2015)

(Online Screener Copy)

Written and Directed by Lou Simon

Stars: Cassie Scerbo, Tony Todd, Maria Olsen, Julie Kendall,  Adam Brudnicki, Aniela McGuinness, Mario Temes, Gema Celaro, Mario Nalini, Roberto Escobar


As a fan of Lou Simon's work in the horror genre (with the creepy The Awakened and grisly Hazmat under her talented belt) I was delighted to be asked to check out her most recent film Agoraphobia an impressive melding of mystery, suspense and the supernatural.

Featuring Cassie Scerbo as Faye, a young sufferer of Agoraphobia who, after inheriting her childhood home from her deceased father moves in on advice from her Psychiatrist (the one and only Tony Todd). This is all well and good until she realises bit by bit that nothing is as it seems.

Strange things are occurring in the house and it soon becomes clear to Faye that there are skeletons in the closet which need to be let out. The apparent evil stalking Faye also starts to reach out to those around her such as her husband Tom (Adam Brudnicki), best friend Stephanie  (Aniela McGuinness) and home carer Nina (Gema Calero) but in a series of well placed twists and turns, things turn on their head dramatically. In addition to all of this Cassie has the vindictive and bitter fiance (Julie Kendall) of her father baying for her blood and claiming that the house should have been hers. All elements of the story are important to the overall picture so this is a film that you want to pay close attention to - this is quite easily done as it does a great job of keeping you intrigued and interested throughout.

I was impressed by the performances, particularly Cassie who plays the fragile and haunted Faye with refreshing ease. I found myself drawn to the character and sympathised with her plight, suffering from such a crippling illness as well as trying to unlock some pretty dark and dangerous secrets. The main supporting cast were all effective in their roles; Adam Brudnicki and Aniela McGuinness as Fayes husband and best friend, Maria Olsen as her boozy aunt and Gema Calero as the newly appointed home help. I also got a great kick out of Julie Kendall as the gold digger from hell Elizabeth and kind of wished she was on screen a bit more. Still there is a GREAT pay off with this character and I will say no more.

The film is shot to the highest standard, something that Lou Simon and her team always excell at and really set the bar high for independent cinema. What they do with a limited budge is just amazing so I  can only imagine what would come out of a project with really big bucks. That said I am really enjoying the current journey of Lou Simon and seeing each and every film just get better and better.

I have just this morning read news of a pretty wide distribution deal for this film which is wonderful! Read more about this via the official movie Facebook page - it looks like you will be getting to see this real soon!

Red Christmas (2014)

Written and Directed by Steve Rudzinski

Stars: Seth Gontkovic, Amie Wrenn, Shawn Shelpman and Steve Rudzinski

(Online Screener Copy) 











Many thanks to Mr Rudzinski for sharing another of his films with Hacked in the Head. I have seen a fun slasher from Steve followed by a campy and fun adventure horror film and this time around we have a found footage style creeper told from the killers point of view.

Said killer is Tara (a scarily natural Amie Wrenn) a happy go lucky, intelligent and coherent young woman who just happens to be a serial killer!!  Tara is only active in the month of December when she seeks to kill three men until the following holiday season.

The film in its basic form plays as Taras video diary as she takes the audience through her ghoulish lifestyle; the how, the why, the when etc. Things take a decidedly darker turn after Tara bags herself another victim (after going 'Christmas shopping' as she cheerfully puts it).  Seth Gontkovic plays our unfortunate victim Bill as Tara opens a vicious can of Christmas misery on him.

To not give anything else away I will add that events don't play out exactly as you might expect with a nice twist on the tale coming in following some pretty wince inducing torture scenes. I applaud this curveball very much!

While I am on the gory side of things, let me just elaborate on Tara's MO as a serial killing loony tunes. She likes a hefty dose of torture, tied to a chair style and oh man does she play with her prey. Poor Bill suffers a lot of physical and mental torture and both are sometimes hard to watch. Effects are all practical and again this should be applauded.

Red Christmas is a an engaging and well acted movie only clocking in at 55 minutes meaning it never outstays its welcome. There are some genuinely chilling moments and these are enhanced by the killer performance by Amie Wrenn and the pure bewilderment and horror conveyed by Seth Gontkovic. I'm very impressed by Red Christmas particularly since it also gives a new spin on the seasonal horror sub genre.

Thats not all - you can purchase the film yourself along with Steve's other movies right HERE which is great enough on its own BUT its also available in Blu Ray and limited edition - so go get it!

Tara is dreaming of a Red Christmas....good luck to.any poor dude on her radar!!!!

Captain Z & The Terror of Leviathan (2014)

                                                       

 (Online Screener Copy)

Director by Steve Rudzinski

Written by  Steve Rudzinski, Zoltan Zilai

Stars: Zoltan Zilai, Madison Siple, Steve Rudzinski, Aleen Isley, Julie Alexander, Rebecca Amick.

After checking out and reviewing Steve Rudzinski's comedy slasher Everyone Must Die, I considered myself a fan and eagerly looked forward to his next project.  Steve was nice enough to ask me to check out an online screener of his newest film which is as wacky as its title: Captain Z & the Terror of Leviathan.  Asked to direct the film by co writer Zoltan Zilai, Steve soon found himself cast as the lead character Glen, for those who want some background!

Starting off in 1714, Captain Z (writer Zoltan Zilai) manages to avert a bloody disaster when a group of possessed townsfolk almost raise the horror of Leviathan via magical amulet.  Fast forward 300 years and it appears that history is doomed to repeat itself when a ragtag group of hillbilly's get their grubby mitts on aforementioned amulet.  Its not long until they are too possessed and being led to raise Leviathan - but not to worry, the legendary Captain Z has been transported to present day too and he isn't going to take this lying down!

In a nutshell this movie is hilarious and entertaining. It absolutely does NOT take itself seriously if you hadn't already guessed that and this made me love it even more. It has some well written comedy and also a great separation of characters and their individual identities - something that is always important to me personally. 

The acting was engaging and worked well toward bringing the various characters to life. Steve totally shines in front of the camera so its no wonder he ended up playing Glen - impressive work. The hillbillies were all a lot of fun and local museum employee Heather (Madison Siple) also shone. Zoltan Zilai's performance as Captain Z is delightfully OTT - lots of laughs here.

Hats off to Steve and Zoltan for a fun movie which, refreshingly, is not in the slasher sub-genre (and I love slasher movies). It has good laughs and lots of adventure making for a highly entertaining hour and a half. 

Varsity Blood (2014)

Screener copy courtesy of Aim Publicity

Directed by: Jake Helgren

Written by: Jake Helgren

Stars: Lexi Giovagnoli, Wesley Scott, Natalie Peyton, Blair Jackson and Debbie Rochon







Release: DVD, UK, August 18 2014, Image Entertainment
                DVD USA, August 19 2014, Image Entertainment




Varsity Blood follows a group of teenagers partying it up on Halloween on the anniversary of a local tragedy. What they did not count on was a vengeful killer to arrive with the intent of picking them off one by one by one by - yeh you get the picture.

As the group of cheerleaders and jocks dwindles to next to nothing its up to new girl in town Hannah (well played by Lexi Giovagnoli) to unmask the maniac and try to escape with her life! Who knew moving would turn out so fun...

Varsity Blood is one of those films that sounds great on paper - an 80s style slasher film complete with costumed, mysterious killer. In fact the mascot costume worn by the killer is one of the most fun and interesting (if impractical) I have seen for ages.

Where I think this movie failed to hit the spot for me personally was the lack of imagination beyond the costume.  This kind of film will likely have slasher fans screaming out for some creativity in the kills and a more focused separation of the characters identities. Sadly both are fairly generic, and while I enjoy a good old fashioned generic slasher plot wise, I really enjoy well drawn characters and some offbeat kills even more.  It got a bit hard to really tell who was who while the arrows (points for the killer using a bow and arrow!) were flying all over the place and I ended up not really caring who lived or died sadly.

For those looking for a quick and easy slasher fix I certainty wouldn't deter you from this film, Its got the babes, the blood and the general chaos you would expect with a madman descending on a group of vapid teens. I would personally still be keen to see what Jake Helgren has up his sleeve next, its just a shame that Varsity Blood didn't deliver what I thought it might.

Doll Factory: Exclusive Poster Art and Premiere News!

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to interview writer/director Stephen Wolfe about his upcoming horror comedy Doll Factory a film I have been excited about ever since!

Now producer Carlos Tovar has very kindly shared details of the films upcoming premiere (why oh why do I have to be stuck here in the UK??)  and some exclusive poster art!

The poster has a fun 80s style to it which only endears me to this flick even more. It was designed by horror artist Nathan Thomas Milliner and I am sure people will agree that it promises a fun ride.  Check it out below along with details of how YOU can see the film!

From the official press release:

“Doll Factory” is an over-the-top horror comedy that centers on a small Texas town terrorized by evil possessed  baby dolls. Wolfe wrote and directed his second feature a year later. His second feature was produced by Andy Palmer, Carlos M. Tovar and Joe Grisaffi. It stars Nicole Elliott (Abel’s Field), Patrick Sane (Breaking Bad, Sin City 2), Deke Anderson (Army of Darkness, Green Lantern) and Larry Carrell (Jacob, She Rises). 

“For the Doll Factory key art, I wanted to go for a classic creature feature look and feel,” explains Wolfe, “so I reached out to a well-respected artist named Nathan Thomas Milliner. Milliner has created artwork for a wide

variety of classics including the Scream Factory anniversary DVD/Blu-Ray releases for Halloween 2, Halloween 3, The Howling, Terror Train and others. His unique blend of realism and eye for dynamic artistry elevated the key art well beyond anything we could have created in-house. It perfectly captures the spirit and tone of the film.” News and updates from “Doll Factory” can be found on the Official Facebook page (http://www.Facebook.com/DollFactoryMovie). 

The film is scheduled to screen in Houston, TX on October 29 before beginning a 2015 horror festival & convention run''

Legacy of Thorn (2014)

Directed by MJ Dixon 

Written by MJ Dixon

Stars: Jade wallis, Mem Ferda, Paris Rivers, Craig Canning, Jane Haslehurst, Aaron Jeffcoate, Stephanie Jezard, Evie Constanti, Alex Tamaro, Dave Laurie and Richard Daniel Thomas Holloran as 'Thorn;' 





I doubt anyone was more excited than me (challenge me I dare you) when Mycho Entertainment announced a spin off movie from their original Slasher House featuring the colossal sized and colossally crazy manic 'Thorn'. Clad in black, face covered with steel, and wielder of HUGE blades, Thorn chased poor actress Eleanor James around the mysterious Slasher House in an attempt to claim her as his victim. However, there is far more to this mammoth maniacs story then we ever knew and Legacy of Thorn truly lets us into that bloody, twisted world.


The basic premise of LoT is a group of survivors from Thorns previous antics banding together to take him down once and for all, but there is even more to it then that. You need to pay attention to this film as it makes a number of time jumps in order for the audience to witness what has led all of these characters to this dark place (and it gives audiences a chance to see Thorn flex those vicious muscles).

For the majority of this film I felt swept up in what I'm going to call an action horror film as opposed to a slasher film - although there is plenty of slashing throughout mind! I hope that this is not offensive to MJ and co but I felt definite Terminator 2 shades in several parts of the film - a good thing obviously.

Now remind yourselves that this is an independent feature people - money is tight and resources are usually low. That besides there are some incredible scenes in this film that totally belie that fact. Not only are many of the death scenes done with a keen eye and impressive practical effects but there is an under water shot that had me on the edge of my seat. This particular scene was extremely well shot and creepy/depressing as hell and gives me great faith that MJ Dixon and his team may well have the UK horror scene by the nads soon.

Performance wise the group of survivors all do a great job of portraying wounded and angry people, their lives in ruins because of an encounter they never expected or wanted. Jade Wallis as lead 'Jess', Paris Rivers as 'Eric' and Craig Canning as 'Clark' are clear standouts and its easy to see why they where chosen as the core survivors. Special mention to Evie Constanti as school mean girl 'Sally Marsh' who producer Anna McCarthy assures me is a sweetie in real life. This is the kind of intimidating, spiteful girl that would have even had the boys running and hiding at my school! Great albeit scary character.  Not as scary as Thorn however....by a margin....Richard Holloran plays the masked madman with a far more hulkingly creepy presence than many a horror icon. The thought of turning around to seeing that behind me blades and all is enough to make me stop watching horror films (well probably wont go that far but still...)

I completely recommend Legacy of Thorn and please don't be put off by my references to Slasher House you don't have to have seen it to enjoy this in the slightest - although I recommend it. The film has everything, horror, action, emotion and some laughs and to top it off a very intriguing ending that strongly suggests there is even more to explore in the world of Thorn. Thank you to the Mycho team for sharing this with, it was my pleasure to watch.

UK and US viewers can show they support AND get their hands of a fantastic movie by heading HERE and preordering the official Legacy of Thorn DVD. If you like your movies digital then go HERE.  Go get this film folks!

Ten (2014)

(Online Screener)

Directed by Sophia Cacciola, Michael J. Epstein

Written by Sophia Cacciola, Michael J. Epstein

Stars: Jade Sylvan, Molly Carlisle, Molly Devon, Karin Webb, Kerri Lynch, Leah Principe, Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Susannah Plaster, Porcelain Dalya and Sophia Cacciola









A wonderfully arty and creepy post modern slasher film with grin inducing offbeat performances. It's like Ten little Indians went to Twin Peaks to get offed one by one and for that this film gets a high recommendation from me!

A creepy opening scene involving a nice old fashioned horror movie chase complete with masked psycho and beautiful lady, leads the film moves towards it core plot. Ten woman arrive at the mansion where the aforementioned chase took place but in an intriguing twist  it transpires that these are all apparent strangers with no ties to one another.

As the women find themselves stranded for the night, a masked maniac begins taking them out one by one.... you have all heard THAT one before I know, however Ten has a refreshingly different tone to your usual slice and dice fare. There is a dreamlike quality to proceedings that may take the seasoned slasher fan out of their comfort zone but will certainly appeal to those looking for something a bit different and original. There are some funny scenes for sure - ten very different people all holed up together? Of course you should expect some fighting and squabbling! You may not, however, expect a musical number but that's what you get and it should raise a smile.

Please show your support for TEN and go and check out the official movie website.  I am excited to see what is next in store from this team that's for sure.

Dorchesters Revenge: The Return of Crinoline Head (2014)

Online Screener Copy (courtsesy of Horsecreek Productions)

Written and Directed by Tommy Faircloth

Stars: Debbie Rochon, Jason Vail, Christian James, Kirsten Ray, Leah Wiseman, Elizabeth Mears, Gunner Willis, Nicholas A Sweezer, Cameron Turner

I wont lie - I was extremely excited when Tommy Faircloth of Horsecreek Productions, allowed me a sneak peak at his sequel to the campy cult classic Crinoline Head this weekend. Like, beyond excited.  I am a big fan of Crinoline Head with its 80s slasher tone, cool kills and bizarre assortment of characters, some with their very own unique lingo! Also it has a psycho wearing a crinoline skirt to cover his/her face so...you know....!

The sequel focuses one of the two survivors of Crinoline Heads killing spree from 20 years previously, now a college teacher. Paul Donner (Jason Vail) doesn't like to talk about those events so it comes as a shock to him when two of his pupils,  David (Christian James) and James (Gunner Willis) wish to do their research project on local legends on the one and only Dorchester Stewart - the young boy who became Crinoline Head after a traumatic childhood event (if you haven't seen the original fear not, Dorchesters childhood is nicely covered at the start of this movie).  This brings back hideous memories for Paul who doesn't prevent his students from undertaking the project but is clearly affected by resurrecting his disturbing past.

David and James decide to camp out at the site of the murders and are joined by fellow students Shelby (Kirsten Ray) and Donna (Leah Wiseman) who ask to tag along. They are also trailed by several other students, meatheads Scott (Nicholas A Sweezer) and Reggie (Cameron Turner) along with slutty and spiteful Janet (Elizabeth Mears) who claim they 'are not' there to steal David and James' idea.  Another bump in the road is the shotgun wielding Betsy (an insanely awesome performance from Debbie Rochon) who lives on the property in her mobile home and isn't happy at the intrusion on the land.  Of course they all have FAR worse to fear as the present starts to mirror the past and the bodies begin to pile up. Is Dorchester Stewart really still alive after his ambiguous end back in the 90's....or is someone else responsible for this new blood shed?

There are a lot of great things to shout about with this long awaited sequel. Firstly its aesthetically great; really well shot and directed and comes off as 100% professional. Sometimes an indie feature can suffer, although not always, from sub par camera work but this isn't a problem in the slightest here. Secondly the writing is spot on, hilarious dialogue, some great one liners, and some excellent nods to the original film and other classic horror films..... "plug it up" being particularly  superb...

In terms of acting I was really really impressed. Scream Queen Debbie Rochon seems to be having a ball with her material in the role of Betsy. Gun toting, profanity spewing and oversexed, Debbie owned every single scene as this character. Explaining each and every one of her very obvious sexual innuendos had me in stitches. The lead teens played by Christian James and Kirsten Ray were great and had believable chemistry between them, Ray has some great chase scenes towards the end reminiscent of slasher films of their reigning era the 1980s. I LOVED Donna, played by Leah Wiseman, she had the most fantastic facial expressions whether it be disdain, sadness or fury (wait for THAT scene) and I hope to see more of her work in the future. Both Nicholas Sweezer and Elizabeth Mears play the teens you love to hate brilliantly and both individually have some great scenes...both meet Betsy in completely different circumstances and their interactions are just perfect. Jason Vail plays the haunted Paul Donner to perfection and it was great to have a surviving character return to add a sense of continuity between both scenes. Jason also has some great material later on in the movie which he really sinks his teeth into.

Tommy has written in some great gore gags into the movie, one of which made me squirm for a while after, its also hilarious but that doesn't take away from the eeeek factor of it! There are some nicely done scenes of murder and mayhem and you wont need to a fan of the original to appreciate them.

A perfect sequel to a cult classic, Dorchesters Revenge: the Return of Crinoline Head has it all; laughs, scares, blood, guts and some very very funny drag queens. Viewers with a good sense of humor and an interest in quirky slasher movies will LOVE this. Check out the official Horsecreek Productions website and also the official Dorchesters Revenge Facebook page to find out more.

Pieces of Talent (2014)

Directed by Joe Stauffer 

Written by  Joe Stauffer, Dustin Lewis 

Stars:  Kristi Ray, David Long, Nate Panning, Barbara Weetman, Jon Stafford, Taylor Kowalski

Release: DVD and VHS available HERE   (Enter 'Hacked' for a $2 discount from your purchase - due to the kindness of David Long!)




From the Official Pieces of Talent webiste:

Set in the small coastal town of Bright Leaf, North Carolina, “Pieces of Talent” centers around Charlotte, a disillusioned aspiring actress working a night job as a cocktail waitress in order to make ends meet. Charlotte catches a break when seemingly chance circumstances put her in contact with a local filmmaker, David Long. David and Charlotte form a quick friendship that leads to Charlotte landing the starring role in David’s newest project. David quickly becomes obsessed with Charlotte and begins building his bloody masterpiece. He films each encounter with the ultimate goal of filming Charlotte as his final installment. David is a happily obsessed individual willing to do whatever it takes to make “true art”. He utilizes his charm and skills to make something dark and deranged seem utterly beautiful and loving.
In a sense Pieces of Talent is a toughie to review - not because I did not enjoy it, but because I DID enjoy it. To those interested in owning a copy I highly recommend it, but would warn there are several disturbing scenes - these scenes are incredibly important in order to support the plot but I thought I would warn you anyway!

Anyway with the dull stuff out of the way, I have to applaud the director and writers of Pieces of Talent for creating a visually excellent, brilliantly written and acted, sometimes grueling piece of horror cinema with enough human drama to make you feel something for those involved. Don't expect any thinly drawn characters of whose deaths you are just foaming at the mouth for. This film gives us characters we either care about or dislike to the point you expect them to die but you are still not sure they deserve the fate that is likely coming their way. That's where David Long comes in.

David Long playing, well, David Long is a complete revelation in this film. No matter what he is doing good, bad, kind or outright atrocious, its incredibly hard to avert your eyes - a real raw acting talent which is carried to a high standard all the way to the movies grim conclusion.

Likewise Kristi Ray as Charlotte provides an amazingly natural performance and there are points in the film where I wanted to reach out and hug her, she is basically beaten down for having the audacity to have ambitions, ambitions which eventually guide her into the twisted realm of David Long. Charlotte's mother played by Barbara Weetman, one of the guilty parties for driving Charlotte's sense of worth deep into the ground is another fantastic performance. Unless Barbara was actually drunk off her face on set the whole time, I have to say, man can this lady play the bitter alcoholic to a fine art - a truly believable performance.

There are a number of grisly scenes in this movie, all brilliantly done and practical with a few being quite disturbing. The first two victims fates definitely had me wanting to cover my eyes and this was less about the graphic nature and more about Davids cheerful disposition throughout - watch and you will catch my drift.

Support indie cinema and grab of a copy of this film, Joe Stauffer is clearly a director to watch based on this film which has a wonderfully dreamy feel in among the expertly written and directed scenes of horror. I also predict bright futures for many others involved in the film, particularly the actors mentioned.

PJ Starks New Horror Anthology Needs YOU!

PJ starks is responsible for one of my all time favorite indie horror films Hallows Eve: Slaughter on 2nd Street so of course I was excited to hear of a new project in the works: Volumes of Blood.

Described as a anthology of 5 horror shorts, directed by film makers across the Kentucky region, this should be a blast. The project is penned by P.J. Starks along with Todd Martin and Nathan Thomas Milliner and is currently raising funds on Kickstarter which now has just 36 days to go.

Production kicks off in August through November this year following the end of the campaign but please note that the team needs to reach their $3750 target in order to receive funding.

Please head on over to the Kickstarter page and show PJ and co some love, the project sounds pretty massive with a lot of collaboration and even the chance for backers to get REALLY involved in the project.

Razor Sharp Studios Terrible Two Shares the Grease with Hacked Reviews!

It is always a pleasure to have a conversation with Eamon Hardiman and Missy Dawn of Razor Sharp Studios. Hard working doesn't really begin to describe these makers of wonderfully bad taste, funny, entertaining as hell independent films - year on year they don't seem to bloody stop! Most recently Razor Sharp studios completed  latest movie Pig Girl (Tip - DVD available HERE), a slightly darker spin off from the Porkchop trilogy which features the titular harridan from hell wrecking death and destruction on her lonesome.  Director, writer, producer and much much more Eamon Hardiman and actress producer and much much more Missy Dawn gave some great answers to my questions so please read on and enjoy!









































HitH: Let’s kick off with Razor Sharp Studios new movie Pig Girl which you wrote and directed (and so much more). I love the idea of a straight horror film particularly as you have cited giallo as an inspiration. Pig Girl was such a revelation in Porkchop 3D, creepy, strange and quite scary! What can fans expect from this spin off movie? I know you set out to make it big on frights, how did you set about achieving this?

Eamon: We definitely started out going to giallo route, but I think it wound up becoming something much more in line with the first Porkchop movie. It's very traditional, but due to our budget, time, crew, and cast limitations, we actually wound up with a more interesting and original film than we would have. At least I hope so. Folks seem to enjoy it so far. We did focus strongly on the build-up to kills much more in this one. There's a massive chase sequence mid-way through that I enjoyed a lot. We try to build more tension and do things in a slightly more epic way than we have in the past....as well as going back to some tried-and-true slasher kills.

HitH:  I remember Missy,  you cited Pig Girl as your favorite character to play when we last spoke. How did it feel to don that hideous mask again and get to go full on Pig Girl? It must have been exciting to take the reign from Porkchop and get your kill on, alone?

Missy: It felt awesome! I think everyone's dream is to be the killer in a horror movie. At least, I would hope so. It really gets you going to be able to chase young nubile vixens through the woods with a weapon.It’s an adrenaline rush. The mask makes everything hard to see so running with actual weapons is risky. When you produce a real machete close to someone’s face…shit gets real. It would be my dream for Porkchop and Pig Girl to become horror icons one day. We'll see what happens!

HitH: I think it’s great that the Porkchop trilogy grew with each movie. You have your original film, an ode to 80s slasher movie, complete with nasty kills, comedy and quirkiness. Then came Porkchops taking events to the present day and although funny, had a real black edge with a least two unanticipated shocks during the film. Finally you progressed to a mammoth of a third part, in 3D no less, which brought back key players from previous movies. Did you have an idea of how you wanted a trilogy to play out or did you come up with the idea for the sequels after the first one came out?

Eamon: It was always a joke, you know....."Porkchop 3 will be in 3D." We made the first one and just really thought that we could do better. Zombie Babies was a huge learning experience for us on what to avoid and what to focus on and how to reign a story in to be a simple little thing and then add flair to that. We fucked up so many times on that movie.....and we saw that someone had released a Porkchop knock-off with a bigger budget so we decided "Hey, fuck these guys. Let's make a sequel." I'd wanted to work with Sam Qualiana in a really big way and it seemed like the perfect time to do so. Once that was done, we talked about what to do next and found out we had access to a 3D camera, so we decided to give it a go. It all just kind of flowed from one event to the next. You get the itch, you look at what you want to do versus what you can AFFORD to do. It would have been really easy to just do a Porkchop 4 after 3D....you know, we already had a lot of weapons....we already had the costume....but folks just loved Pig Girl so damn much. I wanted to see that movie. So I figured I'd better make it.

HitH: Although I love Pig Girl (possibly fear her as well) – when are we going to see Missy Dawns lovely face in another movie…if the character gets to be an uber bitch from hell as well, then all the better!

Missy: I know, right? I got to play a maskless role in Pig Girl (due to… last minute circumstances) and it was actually lot of fun! Don’t get me wrong, I still love to kill teens, but running from yourself adds an incredible layer of complexity to the “character development” process. It’s also hilarious.I think there will definitely be some more Missy Dawn sans the grease very soon! I'm always ready for new opportunities and ready to read any scripts that come my way.

HitH: I need to apologise…I realised the other day to my horror I still haven’t watched The Crawling Dead! I will be rectifying that very soon…on that note is there more to come from the Zombie Babies side of things?

Eamon: One day, maybe. Those are hard movies to make, for a number of reasons. I think I'd rather do something unrelated to Pig Girl or Porkchop or the Zombie Babies next.

HitH: you both do a lot more than one job on each movie, which is extremely impressive. You put so much work in, that it must hurt to a degree when somebody tears the film apart on Amazon or IMDB? My opinion is that many of these reviewers expect everything to be polished, big budget and unflawed with no real knowledge of what independent cinema actually means. Although everyone’s entitled to their opinion, how would you respond to overly harsh critiques and piss poor reviews such as “I hated this movie, it sucked” (end of review)?

Eamon: Hey, at least they watched it, right? Our movies don't really generate good reviews often....and probably never will. We're not making 90 minutes of just gore for the torture-porn underground crowd, we're not making whatever the fuck the Walking Dead fans want (Reedus?)....and we're not making big budget stuff. With the exception of Zombie Babies, every movie we've made was made for under $2,000. That's crazy shit. I think that most times, critics are NOT horror fans and most horror fans aren't necessarily into the same stuff that I am. I honestly could care less about gore unless it's fun. I make fun horror films...or at least I think I do until someone posts on Amazon that it sucked.

Missy: It does hurt a little because I love making these films and I want people to enjoy them. When they don’t, it sucks. But bad press is still press, right? ;) I never look at it like, “Fuck this asshole. They don’t know half the shit we’ve been through.” Of course they don’t and they shouldn’t!I don’t think it’s cool to respond and lash out at people for writing their opinion. So whenever I come across something negative, I read it, cast a curse spell upon the individual and their family, and then move on.

Like Eamon said, at least our movies are out there and people are watching. With everything in filmmaking, you’ve gotta take the good with the bad, and at the end of the day, I’m proud of our cast and crews hard work to make these films happen!

HitH: How are things going with getting your movies into festivals? It would be amazing for you to get them out there in such a way. I know it’s a very long and expensive old trip but the Southend on Sea Horror film festival would love your movies!

Eamon: We actually just got into a few festivals here in the States It's exciting as hell! I've got my passport. I'm ready. I just need a couple thousand bucks for the trip. You know...the budget of Pig Girl 2.

Missy: Pig Girl, The Crawling Dead and Porkchop 3D were all accepted and will be screening at various film festivals this year! Our booster fundraisers helped us cover some of those entry fee costs – and we’d love to submit to more festivals if we are able. I just checked out the Horror on the Sea film fest web site and I can’t find the link for submissions! If you can point me in the right direction we’d love to see if we could submit some films. And then if we are accepted… we could finally film Pig Girl’s Motherfucking European Vacation….

HitH: Finally I have to ask what’s next for Razor Sharp Studios. You never seem to bloody stop so are you going to take a damn well earned break…or get moving on another feature?

Eamon: Break.

Missy: A slight break…. I wanted to take this summer and really promote those three films so we are hitting the convention circuit! I can't wait!

Thanks so much to both of you, always a pleasure to be in touch! xx

The Night Before Easter (2014)

                                                                                                                                                          


Directed by Joseph Henson and Nathan Johnson

Written by Joseph Henson and Nathan johnson

Starring April Sinclair, Emily Chidalek, Alyssa Matsiuk, Bonnie Marilyn Jean, Eric Wyatt, Nelson Flint, Michael Seragon, Gemma Hardy, Chelsea Regina, Madeleine Hicks, Jason Gonzales, Barbara Prince, Nathan Johnson, Rick James Willis, Joseph Henson.

Many thanks to the guys behind new holiday slasher The Night Before Easter for sharing it with me - much obliged! Just like the best of the 1980s stalk and slash ‘em's, this movie features a legendary killer who stalks his victims in a costume befitting to the time of year - naturally a bunny costume in this one.

Two separate murder spree's at hands of the same mad man still haunt a small town and this year a group of its young teens are going to meet the sharp end of his axe as they hunted through an old storage facility. Has the same killer returned for another outing, or does another maniacal bunny have an axe to grind?

There is a lot of obvious heart and soul poured into this film, it’s very evident that the film makers love slasher films and had a great time making this fun love letter to horrors best (in my opinion) decade. They have also thrown in some new and original ideas such as the hilarious and clever opening which I enjoyed immensely.

The characters are not a melting pot of total dicks so you do have some interest in what is going to happen to them. I have to admit that some horror films such as Sleepaway Camp work for the exact opposite reason, such awful characters BUT also entertaining and just ripe for a mean spirited death scene. But truthfully, a lot of films have become so generic and dull because of poorly written ‘mean’ girls or boys and so you don’t care about them and by the time they are killed you are ready to switch off anyway. So it is a nice refreshing change to have some well-drawn characters with some depth to them. It also helps that the main actors do a great job in their roles. On that note I thought that the young couple just after the opening scene may be main characters because I thought that the two actors involved were so natural - very impressive.

All in all The Night Before Easter is a fun watch with good characters, a great killer, a bit of mystery and a promising indication of what might come next from Joseph and Nathan. Recommended especially for fans of the all-time great holiday slashers!