January 9, 2025 “Night Of The Harvest” (** out of four) was a fizzled horror story about a young woman (Jessica Morgan) who survives a brutal attack; about a year later, her sister plans a Halloween party for her but a killer is roaming in the party and planning and enacting a further attack. Give star/co-writer/co-director Morgan points for trying to tackle subjects like PTSD and trauma but results are meager and also fatally overlong. A few minor jumps help but there’s otherwise not much worth “harvesting” here. Continue reading →
January 9, 2025 “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (**1/2 out of four) was an agreeably done sequel to the 1988 cult classic about the return of the Deetz family (Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and others) and their daughter (Jenna Ortega) accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife leading to the return again of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). Wholly unnecessary sequel to a film that came out over 36 years ago still features enough madcap humor, macabre touches from director Tim Burton, and visual eye candy to make it satisfying although it starts to wear thin after a while. Fans of the original (I wasn’t) may want to boost my rating a little. Continue reading →
January 8, 2025 “Lowlifes” (*1/2 out of four) was an aptly titled horror melodrama about a family (Amanda Fix, Matthew MacCaull, Brenna Lewellyn, and others) whose survival skills are put to the test when they have to spend the night at a remote homestead where all Hell breaks loose. Yet another redneck horror story inspired by “Deliverance” and also “Ten Little Indians” but maybe the word “inspired” doesn’t quite equate to- or describe- this movie. Professionally made but larded with cliches and used story elements. Continue reading →
January 8, 2025 “Murderfest” (* out of four) was a tawdry horror thriller about five serial killers who broadcast their killings online to a live streaming audience and compete with one another to see who has the most murderous craft. Potentially satirical look at the dark web and online streaming is hamstrung by terrible production and filmmaking and gets dumb-and-dumber as it goes along. “Yawnfest” would be a better title for this trifle. Continue reading →
January 8, 2025 “Dante’s Hotel” (*1/2 out of four) was a mindless horror melodrama about an event planner (AnnaLynne McCord) who has to team up with a mysterious hotel tenant (Judd Nelson) when an unknown assailant starts killing off hotel members one by one. Fairly fast-moving but uninspired rehash of conventional horror story elements. Watch “Dante’s Peak” again instead. Continue reading →
January 8, 2025 “Purgatory Station” (* out of four) was a horrid horror melodrama about a crooked lawyer (Angus Benfield) who wakes up in a large container and soon learns he has 8 hours to scuttle a deal for a corporate land grab with a greedy millionaire (Bob Gunton who can play this role in his sleep by now) or see everyone die in gruesome fashion. Part elements of “Saw”, part supernatural elements from “The Sixth Sense” but an all-around mess and painfully overlong at nearly 2 hours. It’s always great to see Gunton on screen but judging from this effort (and others recently) his career seems to be in purgatory. Continue reading →
January 1, 2025 “Nosferatu” (** out of four) was a grim remake of the 1922 silent film classic which was inspired by Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” about a young woman (Lily-Rose Depp) and a vampire (Bill Skarsgard) who become gradually obsessed with one another leading to horror and ensuing complications for all around them. Exquisitely shot and designed but drably done and sluggishly paced for most of its length. Performances are fairly one-note also and don’t give film much life or pizzazz. Not likely to satisfy horror fans or devoted fans of the original. Continue reading →
December 31, 2024 “Winter Island” (** out of four) was an obtuse psychological drama about a young girl who is found dead on a small island; her teenage brother (Elijah Carnazzo) then starts to have postmortem visions that make him realize that her death was connected to a sinister and evil presence within their own family. Moody but muted story never really comes alive although it remains watchable and holds you at times in its eerie grip. This won some horror festival awards at Bleedingham and Crypticon over the past year. Continue reading →
December 28, 2024 “Cold Road” (*** out of four) was a solidly well-done melodrama set in the remote Canadian North as a woman (Roseanne Supernault) is driving along with her dog to visit her dying mother when she realizes she is slowly being stalked and driven crazy by a stranger in a semi-truck. Ultimately never quite transcends the shadows of Steven Spielberg’s “Duel” which it was obviously inspired by but it maintains its grip from start to finish, thanks to Supernault’s strong performance, beautiful Canadian locations, and stark cinematography from Daniel Everitt-Lock. Bonus- the dog is great! Continue reading →
December 28, 2024 “Wolf Hollow” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly amusing horror comedy about a group of young filmmakers (Felissa Rose, Hannah Fierman, Lynn Lowry, and others) who venture out on a horror-film shoot in rural Pennsylvania and stumble onto a pack of werewolves who slaughter them one by one. Better-than-average for this type of thing, with some funny and tongue-in-cheek writing and style, although fairly conventional in its overall outline. Horror-film siren Rose is solid as usual even if this is no “Sleepaway Camp.” Continue reading →
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