REVIEW: Late Night With The Devil (2023)
dir. Cameron and Colin Cairnes During a live broadcast of 70s talkshow Night Owls, host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) promises one hell of a night. Desperate to boost ratings and save his ailing reputation he’ll do anything, even inviting on a parapsychologist (Laura Gordon) and her young ward (Ingrid Torelli), the latter of whom is…
ANALYSIS: Toxic Masculinity and Male Aggression in BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)
As we conclude our examination of all things Black Christmas, Becci Sayce looks at the representation of gendered violence in Bob Clark’s classic slasher… Ho-ho-horror has a long history with Christmas films, blood-splattered snow marking the start of the season for genre fans. And one of the most revolutionary titles over the past five decades…
TOP 10: Serial Killer Films for True Crime fans
As we conclude our celebration of Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) Becci Sayce runs down her top recommendations of other films based on real serial killers… True crime entertainment has experienced a boom over the past decade with a number of award-winning documentaries and podcasts focusing on the morbid topic. However this unusual fascination is nothing new, with…
ANALYSIS: ZODIAC, DAHMER and Real-life Horror as Mainstream Success
The relationship between real-world killers and their fictional representations is often a blurry one. Here Valerie Pullin puts it under the microscope… How often have horror fans heard the phrase, “I couldn’t watch that stuff; there’s too much real-life horror”? The same, however, is not said for thrillers such as Zodiac, Seven or the numerous serial killer documentaries…
ANALYSIS: To ZODIAC and Beyond – The Soundtracks of David Shire
As we conclude our celebration of David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007), Johnny Restall zeroes in on the soundtracks of David Shire… If asked about the music they remember from David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007), many viewers would probably think of the 1968 Donovan song Hurdy Gurdy Man. The track is used to undeniably memorable effect during the opening scenes, curdling…
BOOK REVIEW: The Films of Wes Craven (2023)
Collection edited by Calum Waddell When asked to recall a list of definitive horror directors, Wes Craven’s name is guaranteed to be one of the first to spill from our lips. But how well do we really know the career of the man who gave us genre-defining films such as The Last House on the Left,…
ANALYSIS: The Elastic Morals of John Kramer
Unlike many movie murderers, John Kramer – a.k.a. Jigsaw – has a code. Or does he? Here Mitch Bain investigates the malleable morality of the Saw movies… There’s definitely something to be said for the enduring power of the Saw franchise. Unlike David Gordon Green’s hasty whitewashing of the Halloween timeline (and his inbound similar treatment of The Exorcist), the…
REVIEW: Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares – The Robert England Story (2023)
Directed by Christopher Griffiths and Gary Smart. Written by Neil Morris and Gary Smart. Horror and non-horror fans alike are familiar with the iconic figure of Freddy Krueger: with his knife glove, scarred face and darkly humorous twinkle, he’s one of the all time slasher villains. This new documentary shows the man behind the myth…
ANALYSIS: How social control creates terror in the SAW-verse
For nearly 20 years the Saw series has spun an elaborate web of game-playing torture. With tenth entry Saw X currently in UK cinemas Becci Sayce examines how the franchise uses social control to scare… Since first hitting cinemas in 2004 Saw cemented itself as a horror classic, spawning an entire franchise that changed the…
REVIEW: When Evil Lurks a.k.a Cuando acecha la maldad (2023)
Written and directed by Demián Rugna In a remote village in Argentina, brothers Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimmy (Demián Salomón) discover “a rotten” – a demon-possessed man whose body is slowly decaying. Divided about what to do, they decide to remove him from their locality, with disastrous results. As fans of Terrified (2017) and Satanic…
ANALYSIS: “These may be my only memories of Hollywood” – In Defence of SCREAM 3 (2000)
Largely unloved at the time of release, Wes Craven’s Scream three-quel (Scream-quel?) initially fell flat. But have the ensuing decades been kind to Ghost Face’s third outing? Tim Coleman makes the case… It’s no exaggeration to say that Scream (1996) is one of the most influential horror films ever made. As well as completing a…
REVIEW: V/H/S 85
dir. David Bruckner (segment “Total Copy”); Scott Derrickson (segment “Dreamkill”); Natasha Kermani (segment “TKNOGD”); Mike P. Nelson (segment “No Wake”) and Gigi Saul Guerrero (segment “God of Death”). The sixth instalment in the horror anthology franchise, V/H/S 85 is similar to its last two predecessors (V/H/S 94 and 99) in that it’s firmly rooted in…
ANALYSIS: The J-Horror that goes Deeper – AUDITION (1999)
As we celebrate Audition on the Moving Pictures podcast, Paul Wooldridge divers deeper into Takashi Miike’s subversive classic… Renowned for his gleeful exploration of taboo topics, graphic depictions of sex and violence and for challenging his audience with his own brand of subversive Japanese extremity, Takashi Miike is one of a kind. And although his…
REVIEW: Good Boy (2022)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Viljar Bøe When free spirit student Sigrid (Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen) matches on a dating app with charming millionaire Christian (Gard Løkke) everything…
REVEIW: Founders Day (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Erik Bloomquist. Written by Erik and Carson Bloomquist. Every holiday deserves a horror that can be watched annually to mark the occasion, and Founders Day…
REVIEW: I Am Monsters! (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Nicholas Vince I Am Monsters! is the film version of Nicholas Vince’s 2019 one-man stage show of the same name. Divided into five acts…
REVIEW: Failure! (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Alex Kahuam Succession meets Boiling Point with intermittently explosive results in Failure!, an impressively claustrophobic single-take crime thriller anchored by a laser-focused performance from genre legend Ted…
REVIEW: My Mother’s Eyes (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Takeshi Kushida Opening his second feature by fulfilling its title, writer/director Takeshi Kushida presents a close-up focus on the eyes of Hitomi (Akane Ono) while…
REVIEW: Pareidolia (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like the one being covered here wouldn’t exist. Directed by Aaron Truss. Written by Aidan Truss An American lecturer living in England, Sinead (Diane Franklin, Amityville II) gives her students an assignment…
REVIEW: Sympathy for the Devil (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Yuval Adler. Written by Luke Paradise The Driver (Joel Kinnaman) rushes to the hospital to be with his wife, who is going into labour. As…
REVIEW: T-Blockers (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Alice Maio Mackay. Alice Maio Mackay & Benjamin Pahl Robinson This love letter to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and The Faculty (1998) follows…
REVIEW: Mancunian Man (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Jake West In the 1980s there was a star audiences may – or may not – have heard of: variously a writer, composer, actor, bouncer,…
REVIEW: The Blue Rose (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by George Baron From its “old Hollywood” opening titles and lush, orchestral theme, it’s evident that The Blue Rose – the directorial debut of George…
REVIEW: Raging Grace (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Paris Zarcilla Raging Grace stars Maxene Elgenmann as Joy, an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines working as a cleaner for upper class families…
ANALYSIS: Childhood fears in ALLIGATOR (1980)
Five years after Jaws made creature features hot property again, director Lewis Teague ventured into the sewers to confront a pervasive urban myth… The idea of baby alligators living in city sewers has been around for decades. And although the New York Times describes this as being mostly untrue – gators could not survive for…
REVIEW: Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by David Gregory After the untimely death of Bruce Lee in 1973, something strange happened. A surge in martial arts movies hit theatres, but not just…
REVIEW: Cold Meat (2023)
Content warning: violence against women This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Sébastien Drouin. Written by Sébastien Drouin, James Kermack & Andrew Desmond Opening with beautiful shots of the Colorado Rockies, a…
REVIEW: The Black Mass (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Devanny Pinn. Written by Eric Pereira, Devanny Pinn & Brandon Slagle The Black Mass depicts a day-in-the-life of infamous American serial killer Ted Bundy (Andrew…
REVIEW: Piper (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Anthony Waller. Written by Duncan Kennedy & Anthony Waller Children pay for the sins of their parents in Piper, the first feature in twelve years…
REVIEW: Haunted Ulster Live (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Dominic O’Neill Set in Belfast in 1998, Haunted Ulster Live is a found footage-style TV program in the same vein as the infamous…
REVIEW: Transmission (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Michael Hurst Before the days of streaming, most people would indulge in the lost art of channel-hopping. More exciting than scrolling through inaccurate…
REVIEW: Herd (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Steven Pierce. Written by James Allerdyce & Steven Pierce Married couple Jamie (Ellen Adair) and Alex (Mitzi Akaha) decide to take a camping trip in…
REVIEW: The Glenarma Tapes (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Tony Devlin. Written by Tony Devlin and Paul Kennedy The Glenarma Tapes is a Northern Irish found footage horror that centres on a group of…
REVIEW: 1982 – Greatest Geek Year Ever! (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Roger Lay Jr. Written by Mark A. Altman A deep dive through the movies, TV shows, music and video games that defined American life in…
REVIEW: Thorns (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Douglas Schulze Horror can sometimes impress by merely reaching for something ambitious. And at other times this can frustrate, as the viewer can see the…
REVIEW: Isaac (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Tariq Sayed After losing their daughter due to a hereditary condition, grieving couple Nicholas (Johnny Vivash) and Sarah (Kathryn Louise) seek the help…
REVIEW: Minore (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Konstantinos Koutsoliotas. Written by Konstantinos Koutsoliotas & Elizabeth E. Schuch Billed as a horror comedy, it’s fair to say that that label doesn’t fully reflect…
REVIEW: To Fire You Come at Last (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Sean Hogan Squire Marlow (Mark Carlisle) has hired a group of men to help carry his son, Aldis, to a nearby church to…
REVIEW: The Moor (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Chris Cronin. Written by Paul Thomas A small town is still shaken twenty five years on by the disappearances of children and the serial killer…
REVIEW: Pandemonium (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Quarxx Anthologies don’t come much darker than this trilogy of tales about damned souls reckoning with the consequences of their actions. Directed by…
REVIEW: Hostile Dimensions (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Graham Hughes When a graffiti artist vanishes into thin air in a derelict building, a pair of documentary filmmakers are drawn into a…
REVIEW: Spookt (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Tony Reames. Written by Torey Haas Tackling the internet’s obsession with true crime, Spookt follows vlogger and sceptic Rachel (Christen Sharice) as she heads to…
REVIEW: Werewolf Santa (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Airell Anthony Hayles Festive horror movies are perfect viewing for creepy Christmas fans, and Werewolf Santa (2023) tackles what would happen if Saint…
REVIEW: Monolith (2022)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Matt Vesely. Written by Lucy Campbell Seeking refuge from the fierce controversy she unleashed with an unverified story, a journalist identified only as The Interviewer…
REVIEW: River (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Junta Yamaguchi. Written by Makoto Ueda A cult hit on the festival scene, Junta Yamaguchi’s previous film Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes proved to be a delightful…
REVIEW: Black Mold (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by John Pata Photographers Brooke (Agnes Albright) and Tanner (Andrew Bailes) specialise in shooting abandoned houses. However when they trespass on a disused…
REVIEW: That’s a Wrap (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Directed by Marcel Walz / Written by Joe Knetter & Robert L. Lucas Director Marcel Walz has a prolific output, with That’s a Wrap marking his 20th film since…
REVIEW: It Lives Inside (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Bishal Dutta As the child of Indian immigrants, teen Samidha (Megan Suri) struggles with balancing her sense of identity and place in…
REVIEW: Poundcake (2023)
Content warning for rape This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Onur Tukel In New York a killer is brutally slaying straight white men, though the community doesn’t seem to…
REVIEW: The Ghost Station a.k.a. Ogsuyeog gwisin (2022)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Yong-ki Jeong. Written by Horang, Yong-ki Jeong, Soyoung Lee, Kôji Shiraishi & Hiroshi Takahashi For his latest feature director Yong-ki Jeong adapts the terrifying ninth…
REVIEW: Faceless After Dark (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Raymond Wood. Written by Todd Jacobs & Jenna Kanell After her success as an indie horror film’s final girl, Bowie (Jenna Kanell) can’t get cast…
ANALYSIS: Based on a True Story – 10 Years of THE CONJURING (2013)
To celebrate it’s 10th birthday – as well as its retrospective screening at FrightFest 2023 – Ygraine Hackett-Cantabrana looks back at the events which inspired James Wan’s influential chiller… Directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes, The Conjuring would prove incredibly influential with its William Castle-esque frights and endearing…
REVIEW: The Knocking a.k.a. Koputus (2022)
Content warning: child abuse This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Joonas Pajunen and Max Seeck Three estranged siblings travel back to their childhood home to decide what to do…
REVIEW: New Life (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by John Rosman One of the key strengths of John Rosman’s New Life is its staunch commitment to treating its audience like adults. Content to allow…
REVIEW: The Weird Kidz (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Zach Passero One summer three friends – Dug (Tess Passero), Mel (Glenn Bolton) and Fatt (Brian Ceely) – go on a camping trip…
REVIEW: Trim Season (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Ariel Vida. Written by Ariel Vida & David Blair. Based on a story by Sean E. DeMott, Cullen Poythress & Megan Sutherland. Following in similar…
REVIEW: The J-Horror Virus (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by Sarah Appleton & Jasper Sharp When J-Horror exploded in the late 90s it became one of the most influential cinematic movements in horror history. With…
REVIEW: Lore (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Directed by James Bushe, Patrick Michael Ryder & Greig Johnson // Written by James Bushe, Patrick Michael Ryder & Christine Barber-Ryder A camping trip isn’t all it…
REVIEW: The Dive (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Directed by Maximilian Erlenwein. Written by Maximilian Erlenwein & Joachim Hedén “Where are you living these days? Are you working? Are you seeing anyone?” These are…
REVIEW: Punch (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the writers and actors currently on strike, films like this one wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Andy Edwards A group of young people are picked off by a masked killer in this distinctly British slasher from prolific writer/director Andy…
REVIEW: Cheat (2023)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Kevin Ignatius & Nick Psinakis Silvercreek, 1888. A man carries his unconscious daughter through the woods before murdering her. It’s an opener…
REVIEW: The Five Devils (2022)
This piece was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Léa Mysius In a tiny French town eight-year-old Vicky (Sally Dramé) processes her world through a preternatural ability to recreate the smells…
REVIEW: Molli and Max in the Future (2023)
This piece was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Michael Lukk Litwak A joyful sci-fi romcom, Michael Lukk Litwak’s feature debut tells the story of two people whose meet-cute sees one…
REVIEW: Appendage (2023)
This piece was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Written and directed by Anna Zlokovic Aspiring fashion designer Hannah (Hadley Robinson) is struggling with imposter syndrome, a critical mother and a major relationship. So when…
ANALYSIS: Visions of VERTIGO – Brian De Palma’s OBSESSION (1976)
Alfred Hitchcock influenced countless other filmmakers, but perhaps none so explicitly – or consistently – as Brian De Palma. Here Johnny Restall spirals into one film in particular which draws deep from the dizzying heights of Hitch’s Vertigo… The work of the American director Brian De Palma has long been likened to that of Alfred…
ANALYSIS: Catholic Guilt in VERTIGO (1958)
Alfred Hitchcock famously had an ambivalent relationship with his Catholic upbringing. But how did this manifest in his most famous film? Tim Coleman takes a leap of faith… Catholicism looms large across the filmography of Alfred Hitchcock; sometimes explicitly – such as in I, Confess (1953) where a priest takes the confession of a killer…
ANALYSIS: A Kaleidoscopic Nightmare – The Horror of VERTIGO (1958)
Spoilers ahead for Vertigo (1958) When retired detective Scottie (James Stewart) is hired by old acquaintance Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak), its under the pretext that she’s being haunted by an aristocratic relative – Carlotta Valdes. However when it transpires that the Madeline Scottie is trailing is in fact an imitation…
REVIEW: Talk To Me (2022)
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist. Directors: Danny & Michael Philippou Writers: Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson & Danny Philippou Grieving the loss of her mother, Australian teen Mia (Sophie Wilde) communes with…
REVIEW: Mad Heidi (2022)
dir. Johannes Hartmann & Sandro Klopfstein When rural farm girl girl Heidi (Alice Lucy) witnesses her boyfriend Goat Peter (Ken Matsena) being murdered by fascistic Government troops, she embarks on a rip-roaring rampage of revenge, chiefly the President of Switzerland / cheese-making overlord, Meili (Casper Van Dien). Hartmann and Klopfstein’s “Swissploitation” film ticks off just…
REVIEW: Smoking Causes Coughing a.k.a. Fumer fait tousser (2022)
dir. Quentin Dupieux For superhero team Tobacco Force things appear to be going great: they’ve got powers, spandex suits and we meet them beating up a man-sized turtle until it literally explodes. But beneath the surface there are frictions, so much so that their leader Chief Didier, a rat (voiced by Alain Chabat) with a…
REVIEW: Stephen King on Screen (2022)
dir. Daphné Baiwir Few other writers have defined horror as distinctively as Stephen King, who – from the very onset of his career – saw his novels adapted into films that were almost as influential as his books. From the terror of Carrie and The Shining, to the affectionate schlock of Creepshow and the Oscar…
REVIEW: The Black Demon (2023)
dir. Adrian Grunberg In Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel Jaws, the shark represented a moral reckoning on Amity for its adultery and mob corruption: messages notably missing from Spielberg’s cinematic adaptation the following year. Since then most shark movies (from big screen offerings to DTV titles) have generally followed the same template, focussing on spectacle over…
ANALYSIS: The Monster Is The Message – The Foundations of GODZILLA (1954)
This month on the Pod we’re celebrating all things Gojira, so Johnny Restall wades into the waters of Tokyo Bay and take a closer look at the radioactive backdrop of the world’s most famous monster… The Godzilla (ゴジラ) films of Toho Studios are an established international franchise. Appearing in more than 30 films (as well as comic…
ANALYSIS: The Cult(ural) Impact of THE BEYOND (1981)
This month on the Pod we’ve been diving deep into Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell Trilogy, and here Becci Sayce examine the lasting legacy of it’s central instalment… Graphic violence, extravagant set pieces, surreal shots and an unnerving score: the 1970s and 80s saw a boom in Italian horror among Western audiences, with works from the…
INTERVIEW: Laura Mee, author of REANIMATED (2022)
“For titles which tend to be seen as similar or formulaic or ‘just another copy’, there’s a lot of variety” Following our recent five star review of Reanimated: The Contemporary American Horror Remake, Rebecca McCallum sits down with author Laura Lee to discuss remakes, reboots, requels and more… Laura, congratulations on your book! In your…
HITCHCOCK’S WOMEN: A Secret on Young Shoulders – Charlie Newton in SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943)
Rebecca McCallum returns with a new essay in her series on Hitchcock’s Women, this time zeroing in on a tale of domestic terror which was Hitch’s favourite of his own films… Made in the height of WWII, Hitchcock’s takedown of the American family offers a bleak and brooding tale, reflective of the paranoia and nihilism…
REVIEW: Here For Blood (2022)
dir. Daniel Turres When his girlfriend Phoebe (Joelle Farrow) is swamped with revision for her college exams, amateur wrestler Tom O’Bannon (Shawn Roberts) agrees to cover her babysitting job for a wealthy family. Stuck in an isolated home with a child who just wants to play video games, Tom soon realises that something is amiss…
REVIEW: Little Bone Lodge (2023)
dir. Matthias Hoene Deep in the Scottish Highlands, Mama (Joely Richardson) seems to lead an idyllic – if secluded – existence, spending her days tending to her farm, teenage daughter (Sadie Soverall) and disabled husband (Roger Ajogbe). However when two strangers arrive in the middle of a storm, the question about who is more dangerous…
REVIEW: Hunt Her, Kill Her (2022)
dir. Greg Swinson & Ryan Thiessen Karen (Natalie Terrazzino) starts the first shift of her new job as a lone janitor in a factory, expecting it to be long and dull evening. However, when she becomes the target of intruders, she must act quickly in order to survive the night. A fast-paced cat-and-mouse thriller, Hunt…
REVIEW: Pensive a.k.a. Rupintojelis (2022)
dir. Jonas Trukanas A class of newly graduated high-schoolers let off steam at an end of year rave in this Lithuanian slasher. Among them Marius (Sarunas Rapolas Meliesius) is a quiet student who – despite having friends – feels like an outcast, certainly in contrast to peers like star athlete Rimas (Kipras Masidlauskas) who’s in…
REVIEW: Mother Superior (2022)
dir. Marie Alice Wolfszahn Set in the seventies, Mother Superior follows young nurse Sigrun (Isabella Händler) as she takes on a patient known as Baroness Heidenreich (Inge Maux) in a rural and near-derelict country manor. With the only other inhabitant being Otto (Jochen Nickel), the strange and elusive groundskeeper, Sigrun soon begins to learn that…
REVIEW: #CHADGETSTHEAXE (2022)
dir. Travis Bible Expanding his award-winning short of the same name, director Travis Bible’s latest follows four influencers as they livestream themselves entering Devil’s Manor, the one-time home of a satanic cult. Continuing the recent surge of livestream horrors – such as Dashcam, The Cleansing Hour and, best of the bunch, Deadstream – what #chadgetstheaxe may lack originality it diversifies…
ANALYSIS: Monster Mom and Deadly Dad – Parenthood and Mental Ill-Health in Horror
Trigger warning for suicide, domestic abuse and family annihilation As part of our celebration of Andrzej Żuławski’s POSSESSION (1981) this month, Ygraine Hackett-Cantabrana examines the relationship between parenthood and mental ill-health in horror cinema… Battling your demons and haunted by ghosts: both expressions that can be used to describe those dealing mental health problems. As…
BOOK REVIEW: Reanimated (2022)
Author – Laure Mee When something comes back to life it doesn’t necessarily mean it will return in the same guise. And love them or loathe them, remakes are constantly returning from the dead. Like the zombies of a George A. Romero film, the horror remake is far from lifeless. In 2022 alone there were…
ANALYSIS: Sex = Death – Top 10 Virginity Horrors
Spoilers, and trigger warning for sexual assault “That’s why she always outsmarted the killer in the big chase scene at the end. Only virgins can do that, don’t you know the rules?” Randy Meeks, Scream (1996) If there’s one thing Randy taught us in the Scream movies, it’s that there are certain rules one must…
TOP 13: Church Scenes
Spoilers As we dive into Religious Horror on the podcast this month, Kim Morrison puts on her Sunday best to consider the Top 13 films set within churches… Churches are a common sight in the world of horror, regardless of sub-genre, offering creepy imagery, refuge from creatures who cannot cross their boundary and usually the…
TOP 9: Horror Gifts for 2022
It’s me, Billy! Ahem, I mean it’s nearly Christmas! But what to get the horror lover in your life (or maybe a sneaky something for yourself). Alex Kronenburg has you covered with our Top 9 Horror Gift recommendations for 2022… 1. For those who obey… John Carpenter’s cult classic They Live has never been as…
ANALYSIS: Look At Him If You Want To Live: Shifting Gazes in THE TERMINATOR (1984)
The art of looking has long been the subject of horror criticism. Here Vincent M. Gaine zeroes in on the various gazes in James Cameron’s classic robo-slasher… The male gaze is one of the most prevalent theories in academic and journalistic critiques of cinema. Originally published by Laura Mulvey in 1975, the notion of cinema possessing the…
ANALYSIS: The Horror of Reservoir Dogs (1992)
With a new 4K steelbook out now, Tim Coleman revisits Quentin Tarantino’s incendiary debut… Thirty years on, it’s easy to forget just how revolutionary Reservoir Dogs was when it first came out. Unleashed from the mind of a geeky video shop clerk who weaponised his broad diet of genre film into something ferocious, Tarantino’s debut…
TOP 10: Films We Wouldn’t Have Without John Carpenter
He’s one of the most influential horror directors of all time. But what exactly is his impact on other filmmakers? Here Becci Sayce charts 10 films we simply wouldn’t have without John Carpenter… While he may not have enjoyed the success of fellow New Wave directors such as Spielberg, Scorsese and Coppola, John Carpenter is…
HITCHCOCK’S WOMEN: Breaking Silence With A Song – Jo McKenna in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956)
Rebecca McCallum continues her essay series exploring the representation of women in the films of Alfred Hitchcock… Ever his own harshest critic, in 1956 Hitchcock sought to remake his 1934 film The Man Who Knew Too Much. He condemned the original as ‘the work of a talented amateur’ but he was clearly pleased with the results…
ANALYSIS: Bad Moon Rising – The Resurgence Of The Werewolf
In recent years the werewolf has made a comeback to the silver screen. But why now, and what is behind the wolf man’s return? Ygraine Hackett-Cantabrana howls at the moon to find out… Vampires, ghosts, witches and zombies: classic movie monsters, depicted in countless horror films across the decades. But there’s one creature that is…
ANALYSIS: The Horror of Politeness
In recent years genre films have been exploring “polite horror”: people being trapped in social conventions that prize civility over safety. Alex Kronenburg puts his manners to one side and asks some awkward questions… Predator and prey: two opposing forms that are constantly at odds. A predator is tireless in its pursuit of a kill,…
REVIEW: The Offering (2022)
dir. Oliver Park Returning home for the first time in years, prodigal son Art (Nick Blood) finds himself surrounded by the Orthodox Jewish culture of his childhood. It’s an experience that’s both familiar and steeped in ritual, and – in the figure of his funeral director father (Allan Corduner) – one with a painful history.…
ANALYSIS: “Lived any good books lately?” – IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
Do you read Sutter Cane? Johnny Restall does, and he’s here to unpack the closing chapter of John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy… John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness (1994) is widely viewed as the third instalment of the director’s unofficial Apocalypse Trilogy, alongside 1982’s The Thing and 1987’s Prince of Darkness. While the loosely-linked trio share no characters or plotlines,…
ANALYSIS: “This is not a dream” – Finding meaning in PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
Spoilers All hail goo Satan, for he towers before you in liquid form and will unleash the will of the Anti-God on this Earth, bringing destruction and death in his wake… Join Iona Smith as she tries to unravel one of John Carpenter’s most divisive films A priest (Donal Pleasence) invites a professor (Victor Wong) and…
ANALYSIS: Proxemic Patterns in HALLOWEEN (1978)
As we all get ready for Halloween Night Becci Sayce takes a closer look at the use of space in John Carpenter’s classic slasher… One reason we consume horror is to experience a visceral reaction. The exposure to terrifying acts – or even the anticipation of them – causes us to react both negatively, through…
REVIEW: Terrifier 2 (2022)
dir. Damien Leone Following the events of the Miles County Massacre, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is resurrected by a supernatural entity and – accompanied by the spectre of a little girl also dressed in black clown paint – the stage is set for another killer rampage, this time on halloween night. As with…
REVIEW: Everyone Will Burn a.k.a. Y todos arderán (2021)
dir. David Hebrero Following the suicide of her son, María José (Macarena Gómez) is on the verge of killing herself when she’s stopped by the arrival of a strange little girl. Together they travel back to town, but when an encounter with the police turns supernaturally violent María realises this child may be connected to…
REVIEW: Sissy (2022)
dir. Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes Cecilia (Aisha Dee) leads a double life: online she’s a popular influencer, preaching her own brand of well-being and self-acceptance whilst endorsing face masks by Elon Mask, but IRL her flat is a mess and she’s racked with insecurities, something that comes to the fore when she bumps into…
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