‘Yesterday.. she was chosen. At midnight.. she was sacrificed. This morning.. she was buried. But tonight…’

Tonight She Comes is a 2016 slasher horror film written and directed by Matt Stuertz (RWD). The synth score is by Wojciech Golczewski (We Are Still Here, Late Phases, Beyond the Gates). It is a Lamplight Films and Twenty Eighteen Seventy-Six co-production.

Main cast:

Nathan Eswine, Larissa White, Jenna McDonald, Brock Russell, Cameisha Cotton, Dal Nicole, Adam Hartley (RWD), and Frankie Ray.

Plot:

After a girl goes missing, two of her friends and a mysterious set of strangers will find themselves drawn to the cabin in the woods where she disappeared. They will laugh, they will drink, they will kiss, they will fuck, and they must all die…

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Sis, boom, blood. You’re dead!’

The Majorettes – aka One by One – is a 1986 (released 1987) American exploitation slasher horror film directed by Bill Hinzman (FleshEater), best known for playing the cemetery ghoul in the opening scenes of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968).

The film was written and produced by Night of the Living Dead co-scripter John A. Russo (Midnight), from his own novel.

Plot:

In a small western Pennsylvania town, a hooded army uniform-clothed maniac is killing the members of a high school cheerleading squad. While the local sheriff and a federal officer investigate the murders, a greedy care nurse is plotting to kill her aged female employer and daughter to gain an inheritance.

Meanwhile, the nurse’s creepy son stumbles upon a clue in the killings. The various red herrings include a local biker gang that is suspected in the killings…

Reviews:

“The film is part standard issue slasher, another part melodramatic inheritance scheme thriller, and a big fat dollop of Rambo action revenge at the back end … It’s a disorienting but always entertaining ride because– luckily– the film handles each of its unique genres with enough aplomb and no-budget enthusiasm to earn it a pass despite all of its narrative’s logical shortfalls.” Jeffrey C., Nessun Timore

“What we have here is a slasher who looks like G.I. Joe as he peeps on naked teens. That should be enough for a B-movie. But Hinzman takes Russo’s novel ideas and splatters them all over the screen (don’t edit your own movie, Bill). Plot twist after plot twist, mood change into mood change, this movie is a clusterfuck at times but it’s damned fun throughout.” Tavern of Terror

“The killings are mostly bloodless and the suspense non-existent. Bill Hinzman (the first zombie in Night of the Living Dead) handles the direction fairly well but the script is pretty dumb.” Jim Harper, Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Like Russo’s Midnight (1981), this independent exploitation movie benefits from a twisted plot, marked by an especially disillusioned attitude to the police, but suffers from makeshift characterisation, amateurish performances, and inept horror action.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“The Majorettes is one of the odder more scatterbrained titles I have come across to date. Oddly enough, it wasn’t that bad as a whole and turned out better than it should be. There’s a lot going on here though, too much in fact. It’s pretty damn cheesy too, especially with the bad action scenes.” Ronnie Angel, Slashed Dreams: The Ultimate Guide to Slasher Films

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Buy novel: Amazon.com

Choice dialogue:

Federal investigator: “You know, the killer’s not only satisfying his own warped ego. He’s punishing the girls for being young and desirable enough to turn him on. And underneath it all sex is probably ugly to him. We’re looking for a man turned insane by guilt and his own repressed sexual desires.”

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

Filming locations:

Cornell High School, Coraopolis, Pittsburgh, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb

Grotesque is a 1987 (released 1988) American exploitation horror film directed by Joe Tornatore (Demon Keeper) from a screenplay written by Mike Angel (Evil Spirits; Psychic Killer; The Love Butcher) based on Tornatore’s ‘original characters and concept’.

Linda Blair (The Exorcist and its sequel; Hell Night) stars in the film and was the associate producer.

Main cast:

Linda Blair, Tab Hunter (Cameron’s Closet; Out of the Dark; Pandemonium), Donna Wilkes (90210 Shark Attack; My Stepbrother is a Vampire!?!; Schizoid), Brad Wilson (Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills); Nels Van Patton (Camp Fear); Sharon Hughes (The Last Horror Film), Michelle Bensoussan, Charles Dierkop, Guy Stockwell (Santa Sangre; Werewolf TV series; It’s Alive), Brad Wilson, Luana Patten, Robert Z’Dar (Maniac Cop).

Plot:

During Lisa (Linda Blair) and her friend Kathy’s (Donna Wilkes) vacation at her parents home in the snowy mountains, a group of punks break in to rob them. The gang murder the family until only Lisa is left alive.

Lisa’s adopted brother Patrick (Bob Apiza), a mutant hunchback who was hidden away, attacks the gang until he is killed by the police which results in his father Rod (Tab Hunter), a plastic surgeon, seeking revenge on the final two gang members…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Grotesque is a fairly awful movie that somehow manages to have a nasty mean streak and a cheekiness in the span of its 90 minutes; I’m almost positive its script was culled together from discarded pages of other scripts to form a misshapen Frankenstein’s monster of bad ideas and even poorer execution.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Grotesque is the rare film that naturally morphs from one genre to another, completely seamlessly. One minute home invasion, the next it’s a straight-up slasher. But why stop there? Why not include a lengthy section of police interrogation drama, followed by full-on revenge film? It’s not a good film-watching experience at all, but it does culminate in one of the weirdest, WTF endings I’ve ever seen.” Will, Silver Emulsion Film Reviews

“the picture is a time-wasting jumble of half-baked ideas, overcooked performances (the actors playing punks are ridiculously overwrought throughout), and herky-jerky pacing” Stuart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

“The main twist of the story wasn’t very plausible but was kinda neat, and the “meta” twist ending was really friggin silly but didn’t either add or take away from the movie. The gore is pretty lacking with cut away kills and not plasma … Taken on face value the movie is just average and could have really shined with a better script and more Linda Blair.” Jason, Horrorphillia

” … the strangeness and seemingly incomplete nature of Grotesque will no doubt be a turn-off to most people. I’d heard mostly bad things about this movie going into it; after watching it, I can understand the negative reactions, but, for me, it worked in so many ways, and it’s so unusual (and arguably a trainwreck) that I couldn’t help but be enthralled by what I was watching.” The Death Rattle

“Plenty of lousy acting to please those who like a good bad movie.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Filming locations:

Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: The Death Rattle

‘Think twice before you swipe‘

Slasher.com is a 2016 American horror film directed by Chip Gubera (Song of the Dead, Academy of Doom) from a screenplay co-written with Chelsea Andes for MuchoMuchoMucho Productions and Firefly Films.

The film is touring on the festival circuit, screening next at the Bloody Horror International Film Festival in Ottawa and Grindhouse Planet Film Festival in the UK.

Main cast:

Ben Kaplan, Morgan Carter, R.A. Mihailoff (Death House; Smothered; Hatchet II), Jewel Shepard (The Return of the Living Dead) and Delious Kennedy.

Plot:

At a time where online dating could prove fatal, Jack and Kristy decide they’re ready meet in person. Aiming for an adventurous first date, they plan a weekend getaway to the woodlands of rural Missouri. While discovering each other, they soon learn of the terrorizing horrors that the forest has in store…

The 6th Friend is a 2016 American supernatural slasher horror film directed by Letia Clouston [as Letia Miller] (short: The Demon in the Dark) from a screenplay co-written with Jamie Bernadette (who also stars).

Main cast:

Jamie Bernadette (Face of Evil; I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu, All Girls Weekend), Chantelle Albers (Reawakened; Axeman), Dominique Swain (Deprivation; The Black Room; Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre), Jessica Morris (Crabs!; American Exorcism; Sorority Slaughterhouse), Tania Nolan (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), and Monique Rosario.

Plot:

Six college best friends throw their own private graduation party, however the stoner of the group orders in a psychedelic from her drug dealer, who sticks around to join in their fun. Drugged and disoriented, the girls’ special night quickly becomes a dark, foggy nightmare of blood and violence.

Five years later, the girls gather together in a cabin in the woods in hopes of rekindling that close friendship that they once had, only to find themselves being hunted by who, or what, they do not know…

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True Love Ways is a 2015 German horror thriller written and directed by Swiss-born Mathieu Seiler. The film’s title is presumably a reference to the famous Buddy Holly song of the same name, which is often played at weddings.

In the US, Synergetic Distribution are releasing the film via digital platforms such as Amazon, iTunes, Vimeo, Google Play, Vudu, InDemand and DirectTV from October 1st.

Main cast:

Anna Hausburg, David C. Bunners, Kai Michael Müller, Michael Greiling, Axel Hartwig, Anja Margoni, Beat Marti and Margarita Ruhl.

Plot: 

After a recurring dream Séverine decides she needs to get away from her boyfriend Tom for a couple of days. Tom makes a deal with a man he meets at a bar: Séverine will be kidnapped. Tom rescues her from the clutches of the kidnappers, and will become her savior.

However what Tom does not know is that his new made friend has a different plan with Séverine. When the situation gets out of control and Séverine faces her sadistic kidnappers, it turns into a bloody battle for survival…

Reviews:

“Meticulously constructed and with ruthless attention to the smallest of details, True Love Ways is a taut tale of love, catastrophic coincidences, and the extremes even the most innocent of people are capable of reaching in the name of love and survival. This picaresque thriller will undoubtedly be lapped up by art house audiences the world around, but given Seiler’s resolutely unique approach … his impressive slice of New Wave noir will also more than cater to more traditional camps willing to give it a spin.”  Howard Gorman, Dread Central

“Sure, some of Séverine’s escape methods may be questionable, but then again it all plays out some what dream-like, so nothing is what it seems, or is it? I applaud Mathieu Seiler for crafting such a film, it’s almost like an art-house slasher flick. It’s definitely unique and one that I will be watching numerous times. I urge you to seek this one out, especially if you want something that’ll keep you on your toes.” Chris Savage, Horror-Movies.ca

Filming locations:

Berlin, Germany
Paris, France

IMDb | Facebook | Official site

‘Just when you thought it was safe to look at the calendar again’

Good Tidings is a 2016 British horror film directed by Stuart W. Bedford (Apocalypse) from a screenplay co-written with Giovanni Gentile and Stu Jopia. It is produced by Two-Headed Snake Entertainment and Blue Fox Entertainment.

Director-writer Stuart W. Bedford explained the ethos behind the production: “We’ve always been fascinated by exploitation movies. Good Tidings is our love-letter to those phenomenal slashers from the 70’s and 80’s, tied together by a festive satire: Christmas is cruel to the poor.”

The film had a micro budget of £15,000 and was shot on location in a disused courthouse in Southport, Merseyside.

XLrator Media have announced that the film will be released in North America on their ‘Macabre’ label on December 6, 2016. In the meantime, the film is playing at film festivals such as The Starburst International Film Festival, Bram Stoker International Film Festival, Buenos Aires Film Festival, Requiem Fear Festival and Toronto Indie Horror Festival.

Plot:

A homeless war veteran with a chequered past must rely on a side of himself once thought buried when he and his companions are targeted by three vicious psychopaths wearing Santa suits on Christmas Day.

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Related: Ho, Ho, Horror! Festive Fright Films – article by David Flint

‘It’s hunting season’

Fox Trap is a 2016 British slasher horror film directed by Jamie Weston (shorts: Sinners; Tales from the Apocalypse: Silent Dawn) from a screenplay by producer Scott Jeffrey (Babysitter Killings; The Attic) for Proportion Productions.

The film has its world premiere at the Bram Stoker International Film Festival in Whitby on 28th October; it is set for a February 2017 DVD and online release in the UK and US by 4Digital Media.

Photography by Mark Kelly

Main cast:

Klariza Clayton (Blood Money; Young Dracula TV series), Scott Chambers (Blood Money; Hush), Alex Sawyer, Kate Greer (The Attic), Becky Fletcher (The Attic; Deadly Waters), Julia Eringer (The Missing Knife; Vampire Gang Origins).

Plot:

Eight years after a terrible accident that left a young girl disabled, the group responsible are invited to a remote manor house in the countryside for a class reunion. Little do they know, they are being targeted by a masked maniac hell bent on revenge…

Filming locations:

Somerset, England

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‘Freddy, Jason, Michael. We all need someone to look up to.’

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a 2006 American mockumentary black comedy horror film directed by Scott Glosserman. It stars Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals and Robert Englund. It follows a journalist and her film crew that is documenting an aspiring serial killer who models himself according to slasher film conventions.

The film features cameos from Zelda Rubinstein (Poltergeist franchise) and Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th).

Plot:

A female journalist named Taylor Gentry and her two cameramen, Doug and Todd, document the preparations of Leslie Vernon as he prepares to join the ranks of other slasher villains. Leslie takes his identity from an urban legend about a boy who killed his family and was cast into a river by angry townsfolk.

He initially claims to be the vengeful spirit of the slain boy but soon admits that he is an ordinary man named Leslie Mancuso who must rely on conventional tactics rather than supernatural powers. Taylor and her crew film Leslie’s meticulous preparations to slaughter a number of teenagers in an abandoned house and then be confronted by a virginal “survivor girl”, Kelly. Taylor and her crew come to share Leslie’s enthusiasm for his project, but their consciences catch up with them on the night of the murders…

Reviews:

“The movie has more cleverness than violence, and its breakdown of cliches is vivid and witty. Baesel is an extraordinary presence, holding the film together with his mesmerizing performance, charm and openness, and Goethals measures up to him.” Stephen Hunter, The Washington Post

“It’s a brilliant, twisted love letter to the genre that also develops an unexpected stylistic change right when you think you know where things are headed. It’s one of the most creative horror B movies of the 2000’s without a doubt.” Jim Vorel, Paste magazine

” …the movie morphs into exactly the sort of slashing it was previously mocking, is so hopelessly by the numbers that one couldn’t possibly care less about the outcome. There’s little doubt that the idea behind Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is relatively sound (i.e. highlighting the cliches inherent in this genre), but it’s ultimately the underwhelming execution that confirms the movie’s place as an almost total misfire.” David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

“Compared to this, Scream is pure child’s play, a wannabe that states the obvious. Behind the Mask is a pure horror film masterpiece, and slasher fans would be best to acknowledge it.” Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

“The script’s laughs are too widely spaced. Even before the plot takes a third-act turn into the land of kill-by-the-numbers slasher movies, the jokes drip when they should be gushing.” Kyle Smith, New York Post

Cast and characters:

• Nathan Baesel as Leslie Vernon/Mancuso
• Robert Englund as Doc Halloran
• Angela Goethals as Taylor Gentry
• Kate Lang Johnson as Kelly
• Scott Wilson as Eugene
• Zelda Rubinstein as Mrs. Collinwood
• Bridgett Newton as Jamie
• Ben Pace as Doug
• Britain Spellings as Todd
• Hart Turner as Shane
• Krissy Carlson as Lauren
• Travis Zariwny as Dr. Meuller
• Teo Gomez as “Stoned Guy”
• Matt Bolt as “Slightly More Stoned Guy”
• Anthony Forsyth as “Pitch-forked Boyfriend”
• Kane Hodder as “Autopsy Guy”

Filming locations:

Largely in Portland, Oregon and the outlying towns of Troutdale, Banks, St. Helens, Estacada, and Sauvie Island. The establishing shots of Glen Echo were filmed on Main Street in downtown Troutdale.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘He’s just crazy ’bout this store!’

Intruder – also known as Night of the Intruder and Night Crew: The Final Checkout – is a 1989 American slasher horror film co-written and directed by Scott Spiegel, the co-writer of Evil Dead II. Co-writer and producer Lawrence Bender went on to work with Quentin Tarantino on Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and From Dusk Till Dawn.

Special makeup effects were provided by the KNB EFX group comprising of Greg Nicotero, Robert Kurtzman and Howard Berger.

The film was partially based around Scott Spiegel’s experiences working at the real Walnut Lake Market in Michigan. It was also something of a remake of an earlier Super-8 short film by Spiegel. The short was a slasher story called ‘Night Crew’ and featured a more Halloween inspired killer.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Main cast:

Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Elizabeth Cox, Renée Estevez (Sleepaway Camp II), and Dan Hicks.

Reviews:

“What kind of caught me offguard is that even though Intruder seems like it’s just out to have a blood-spattered good time for a while there, the extended climax is genuinely claustrophobic and intense. It sure doesn’t hurt that the third act is shouldered by a particularly great Final Girl, and the killer is gleefully psychopathic…a far cry from those stone-faced, silent Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers types. Intruder‘s final moments are also wildly unconventional for a slasher…” Adam Tyner, DVD Talk

“Is Intruder a lost classic? No, not really. But it’s an enjoyable, blood-soaked slasher flick with moments of truly inspired, creative filmmaking. I just wish Spiegel had spent more time crafting a unique style that we see fleeting glimpses of here instead of mimicking Raimi’s Evil Dead/Evil Dead II moves.” Mark, Good Efficient Butchery

” …a modest, low-budget gorefest that embraces everything that makes these movies so entertaining and throws in its own brand of charm for good measure.” James Oxyer, Obscure Cinema 101

“Most of the dialogue was hilariously cheesy, and consisted of a lot of that horror movie cliche stuff like “Hey, [insert name here] stop fooling around!” … Very fun little movie. It needs more love!” The Girl Who Loves Horror

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“To make up for his surprise-free slasher script, Spiegel resorts to trick shots, filming through a bottle, from underneath a telephone dial or a wastepaper basket or from the point of view of a turning door handle.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“The first thing that strikes you about Intruder are the odd camera angles. Cameras peer out from inside telephones, beneath the floor and inside buckets, making for an odd atmosphere … One to watch, particularly for Raimi fans.” Jim Harper, Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies 

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Elizabeth Cox as Jennifer Ross
• Renée Estevez as Linda
• Dan Hicks as Bill Roberts
• David Byrnes as Craig Peterson
• Sam Raimi as Randy
• Eugene Robert Glazer as Danny
• Billy Marti as Dave
• Burr Steers as Bub
• Craig Stark as Tim
• Ted Raimi as Produce Joe
• Alvy Moore as Officer Dalton
• Tom Lester as Officer Mathews
• Emil Sitka as Mr. Abernathy
• Bruce Campbell as Officer Howard
• Lawrence Bender as Officer Adams
• Scott Spiegel as Bread Man

Wikipedia

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“When you disturb the dead, you must pay the price.”

The Ghost Dance – aka Ghost Dance – is a 1980 American supernatural slasher horror film directed by Peter F. Buffa. It should not be confused with 1983 British film Ghost Dance, directed by Ken McMullen.

Main cast:

Julie Amato, Victor Mohica, Henry Bal, Frank Salsedo, James Andronica, Patricia Alice Albrecht, Deloris Maaske, J. Christopher Senter, Hank Kendrick, Felicia Leon, Ramon Chavez, Frank A. Soto, Jim Brockett, Kirk Koskella.

Reviews:

“Native Americans are always intriguing and mystic characters for the silver screen, but hiring a cast of competent actors that carry the appearance, heritage and dramatic credibility is never an easy task for a film crew on a meagre budget. With that said, the performances here are reasonably good and credit to Victor Mohica for a strong turning as the leading man.” Luisito Joaquín González, A Slash Above…

“This was Buffa’s first and only directorial effort and I’m sorry for that because he knows how to frame a shot and there are some pretty nice set up’s sprinkled to and fro here. He also knows how to write a pretty decent script judging from what I got here, I wish he had continued to ply his trade and make another film but alas, this was both his debut and his swan song in one fell swoop.” The Black Saint, HorrorNews.net

” …for a cheap regional horror movie, it’s got some pretty decent photography! The cinematographer was Fred Murphy, who would go on to shoot movies like Larry Cohen’s Q… Well, it’s hardly a perfect movie, and it’s only even a lost gem if you’re predisposed to liking the very specific elements that make it up and if you’re in exactly the right mood for it… Ha Ha, It’s Burl!

“Ghost Dance just narrowly misses being a mini-classic. The killer is never particularly scary – although at least he’s silent. The film lurches – sometimes uncomfortably – between slasher flick, possession story and mystical mystery. Incredibly, Buffa withstands the temptation to off some of the bowl-cutted students at the university. A few more death scenes would have given the film a little more oomph…” Justin Kerswell, Hysteria Lives

“Good Arizona location photography but the film is amateurish – from Peter Buffa’s direction to the (non)acting of Henry Bal and Julie Amato … plenty dull” John Stanley, Creature Features

IMDb

‘The real nightmare is just beginning!’

Don’t Panic – aka Dimensiones ocultas – is a 1988 Mexican supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by Rubén Galindo Jr. (El psicópata asesino; Resucitaré para matarlos; Grave Robbers; Cemetery of Terror).

Main cast:

Jon Michael Bischof, Gabriela Hassel, Helena Rojo, Jorge Luke, Juan Ignacio Aranda, Eduardo Noriega, Roberto Palazuelos, Raúl Araiza, Edna Bolkan, Evangelina Elizondo, Mindie McCullum, Cecilia Tijerina, Mario Iván Martínez, Lucho Gatica, Humberto Elizondo. 

Plot:

On his seventeenth birthday, Michael is given an Ouija board by Tony, his best friend. At an Ouija session, Tony unwittingly unlocks the evil forces of the board.

Soon, there is a wave of violent killings and the chief suspect appears to be Michael. He has been witness to all the killings via premonitions and out of body experiences. Is Michael the killer? Can he prove his innocence or is someone else being possessed by the evil spirit?

Reviews:

“Galindo could have taken the easy way out with Don’t Panic, patching together a serious, bloody, and ultimately forgettable slasher that may well have never made its way out of Mexico. But he didn’t. For he knew the secret to cinematic immortality: Demon faces fade into the ether, gruesome deaths dissipate into dust, but preposterous characters and dinosaur pajamas will live forever.” Thomas Scalzo, Not Coming To a Theater Near You

” …keeping the killer in the shadows for much of the running time helps (you see why if you see the film), as does keeping the quips to a minimum. It’s also pleasingly sanguine, with some nice gore fx from 80’s supremo Screaming Mad George (a dagger blade shoved underneath through the chin of one unfortunate teen, and wiggling around messily in his mouth, is a standout). But it’s the over-the-top performances from the young (and not so young) cast that really makes this enjoyable (in a guilty pleasure type of way).” Justin Kerswell, Hysteria Lives!

” …a great roller-coaster of cheesy thrills. Don’t Panic may be too campy to be scary, but it has been put together with thought and it adds supernatural touches to the age-old slasher clichés better than most. Yeah, I honestly recommend this and it rivals the extremely good (and from the same director) Grave Robbers from 1989.” A Slash Above…

“Much like its American brethren, it’s nice to see that Mexican slashers hit all the same highs, lows, and laughs … Between the stabbings and throat slicing things are kept interesting by the lovely atmospheric score by Pedro Plascencia. It’s everything you want out of 80s horror…” Horror’s Not Dead

“Devilishly stupid, Don’t Panic is ridiculous, fun and totally enjoyable. It’s overflowing with unintentionally hilarious scenes that elevate an indecipherable plot. Yes, it’s awful, but it’s the best kind of awful! If you’re looking for a “best worst” horror movie to watch this Halloween, forget Troll 2 and get your hands on Don’t Panic!” Ryan StockStad, Pop Culture Beast

“Sure, the acting is sub-par and the (very) bad audio dub is practically laughable but I’ve seen much worse come out of the 80’s. Though the last bits of Don’t Panic are more than satisfying, the final confrontation between Michael and “Virgil”, sadly, isn’t anything to write home about. With that said, it still manages to keep the story even instead of the writers and producers just copping out with a climax so utterly ridiculous that it tosses everything out the window.” Leonel VHS, Icons of Fright

“It’s amongst a very elite grouping of slashers that I consider to be perfect examples of their own kind of art. A balance of humor, horror and ineptitude that creates a symphony of trash cinema to the likes of which I am honored to experience again and again … Let me put it it this way; if pizza was a movie, not a food, it would be Don’t Panic. Simple as that.” Scumbalina, Atomic Caravan

Alternate titles:

A Maldição de Ouija – Brazil
Virgil, la malédiction – France
Não Entre em Pânico – Portugal
El secreto de la ouija – Spain

Filming Locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

IMDb | Related: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) | The Ouija Board – article by Daz Lawrence

‘True pain is screamless’

The Orphan Killer is a 2011 independent horror film written and directed by Matt Farnsworth (Gacy; The Stepdaughter). It was produced by Farnsworth and Full Fathom 5.

On December 13, 2016, the film is issued in the US as a Blu-ray + DVD combo by Reel Gore Releasing.

Buy: Amazon.com

Special Features: Behind The Murder – Exclusive Video Diary | Trailer | Teaser | Music Clip | Slideshow

Main cast:

Diane Foster, David Backus, Matt Farnsworth, James McCaffrey, John Savage, Karen Young, Charlotte Maier.

Plot:

Two children become wards of the state in New Jersey after a home invasion results in the murder of their parents. Having witnessed the murder, Marcus is forever changed. The siblings are sent to a Catholic orphanage where Audrey is subsequently adopted and Marcus is left behind. He suffers abuse at the hands of the caretakers and as a punishment is masked and exiled.

Never forgiving his sister for abandoning him, Marcus returns to his sister’s life many years later in adulthood, still masked, wanting to teach her a lesson…

Reviews:

“You’re getting a new slasher, one with a lot of similarities to some of our favorite characters of the past, but with its own unique spin. Know that at times the acting is somewhat lacking but serviceable, and the F/X range from questionable to brilliant, depending on the scene. There are some really cool practical effects here and some that fall short, but again, it works overall.” Scott Hallam, Dread Central

“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether a well-composed shot or nicely designed set appears; the film still hits the same grave-but-shrill tone and maintains it over two-thirds of the running time. The honest attempts at atmosphere in The Orphan Killer come as a welcome change after watching dozens of incompetently made grassroots horror flicks, but also serve as a reminder that a good genre movie transcends those factors in ways this one never does.” Jack Bennett, Fangoria

” …yes, this is a low budget horror, and yes, it looks it throughout the movie. Secondly, the acting is bad and the script isn’t the best. But you know what? Forget about that! Despite these negative points, that would normally ruin the whole film, the fact is this movie left me wanting more, and in a good way. This feels like the re-invention of the classic slasher, paying homage to guys like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. Even though the story isn’t exactly original, it still felt fresh with its own unique spin.” Mad Mike, Horror-Movies.ca

“I also really dug the Orphan Killer’s breathing, as compared to his speaking voice. When speaking, he’s eloquent and pretty clever for someone who spent his life being masked and screeched at by nuns. But when he isn’t talking, he has this labored breath that sounds like Michael Myers in heat. The breathing is the condiment on the meal of a murder. And what’s stomping on a horny janitor’s head without a little pepper?” Dockery, Yell! magazine

The movie is well shot and well directed with Matt Farnsworth leading the pack on this one. I’ve seen bits of his previous film Gacy, but wasn’t as impressed. This one will surely put Matt’s name on the map … There is enough “extreme” to make this experience nail biting. Though its not extreme for only extreme sake. The hardcore parts make sense to the premise and movement of the film.” Mike Willis, HorrorNews.net

Interview:

Matt Farnsworth talks to Martin Unsworth for Starburst magazine

Cast and characters:

• Diane Foster as Audrey
• David Backhaus as Marcus Miller
• Matt Farnsworth as Mike
• James McCaffrey as Detective Jones
• John Savage as Detective Walker
• Karen Young as Sister Mary
• Charlotte Maier as Sister Constance
• Spencer List as Young Marcus
• Dana DeVestern as Young Audrey
• Margot White as Jenny Miller
• Mike Doyle as Marcus Miller Sr.
• Ivan Martin as Jim
• Karen Olivo as Angie
• Matthew Arkin as Bob
• Ezra Knight as Simon
• Allison Salvetti as Ghost Orphan
• Jon David Casey as Jerry

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My Little Sister is a 2016 Italian slasher horror film directed by Maurizio del Piccolo, Roberto del Piccolo (Evil Souls; The Hounds) from a screenplay by the latter.

A British DVD release by Left Films is scheduled for March 13, 2017. Order in advance from Amazon.co.uk

Main cast:

Lucia Castellano, Alberto Corba, Astrid Di Bon, Holli Dillon (Evil Souls; short: Night of the Loving Dead), Antonio Pauletta (Ghost Boat), Sofia Pauly, Saverio Percudani, Mattia Rosellini, David White (Zombie Massacre 2; Apocalypse Z) .

Plot:

When Igor was young, he lost his father because of his little sister. He will grow up trying to find his own way of giving a new face to his past…

Reviews:

“At its best, My Little Sister achieves a dreamlike intensity.  The wilderness is filmed to look both beautiful and threatening at the same time and the scenes in the house, in particular, are pure nightmare fuel.  When it comes to a film like this, the effectiveness depends on how much you care about the potential victims and fortunately, both Holli Dillon and Sofia Pauly give totally believable, sympathetic, and relatable performances.” Lisa Marie Bowman, Through the Shattered Lens

“Truth be told, there’s not a great deal of story in this taut, 75-minute slasher. There’s not exactly a huge amount of characterisation and really very little dialogue indeed (even if your definition of dialogue includes screams). What you will find here is lashings of tension, some real horror and a refreshing attitude towards the clichés that bedevil so many similar films.” MJ Simpson, Cult films and the people who make them

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‘The hills are alive with the sound of slaughter!’

Killbillies – original title: Idila (“Idyll”) – is a 2015 Slovenian horror film written and directed by Tomaz Gorkic.

The film was released in  North America on DVD on October 25, 2016, by Artsploitation Films.

Main cast:

Nina Ivanisin, Lotos Sparovec, Nika Rozman, Sebastian Cavazza, Jurij Drevensek, Manca Ogorevc, Damjana Cerne, Matic Bobnar, Damir Leventic, Ajda Smrekar, Liza Marija Grasic, Kaja Janjic, Klemen Nadler, Polona Torkar, Luka Zivec, Nada Bozic, Kristof Modic, Jana Nucic, Tomaz Pangersic

Plot:

A group of fashionistas from the city, including models Zina (Nina Ivanisin) and Mia (Nika Rozman), make-up artist Dragica (Manca Ogorevc) and photographer Blitcz (Sebastian Cavazza), begin to shoot on an idyllic countryside hilltop.

However, two physically deformed psychopathic countrymen approach them and quickly attack. After the terrified group finds themselves chained in a basement and awaiting their gruesome fate, they decide they must fight no matter what the odds. A wild, bloody, taut clash ensues between urban and rural, women and men, between savages and civilized man…

“…isn’t going to win any awards, nor does it break new ground as far as the cannibal sub-genre goes. What it does do is offer solid entertainment value through nasty and explicit action. I love the title, as well as the Slovenian backdrop and the dynamic cinematography that highlights it. The lighting and audio are really impressive and the acting performances are pretty consistent across the board.” AdamTheMovieGod

“I found Killbillies to be quite a surprise. It looked like it would be a cheesy movie, but it  turned out to be the opposite. There may be some dark humour here and there with the murders, but for the most part, it’s a serious, well-shot film.” Michael Tatlock, From the Mind of Tatlock

“Brace yourselves for some serious face bashing carnage and plenty of brain-matter throughout. If you like and appreciate practical effects, you will love what the team have put together with this one … I really do urge you to check this one out, it played out very well, had some really grotesque violence and the story was intriguing. And, I know I’ve said it already, but the entire cast was killer…” Chris Savage, HorrorMovies.ca

Playing with Dolls – aka Cinderella: Playing with Dolls – is a 2015 American slasher horror film directed by Rene Perez from a screenplay co-written with Barry Massoni. In the UK, it is released on DVD on January 16, 2017, as Leatherface.

A sequel, Playing with Dolls: Bloodlust, was released in 2016.

Main cast:

Natasha Blasick, Richard Tyson, Charlie Glackin and Alanna Forte.

Reviews:

“Rene Perez co-wrote the script with Barry Massoni and they keep it pretty loose. Once the story sends Cindy to the cabin in the woods, the second act of the film offers very little to no dialogue for long periods of time. When the story finally leads a group of characters into the woods to fall victim to our masked killer, the result is ultra-violent, bloody, and very much welcome.” HorrorNews.net

“This mild-tempered slasher features does not offer enough hack and slash. Though the interaction between the two villains offered a new layer. Other characters are mostly flat, with most getting very little dialogue. The cat-and-mouse sequences were drawn out for too long.” Michael Allen, 28 Days Later Analysis

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

“One of the characters actually unveils the plot and backstory through dialogue (mind you, this is about 70 minutes into an 80-minute movie) AND has to explain what a snuff movie is. All this combined with delivery that would make the Digiorno’s CEO rage with anger makes for a hell of a struggle.” Matt, Letterboxd.com

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‘He’s the last cop you’ll ever meet’

PsychoCop – aka Psycho Cop – is a 1989 American slasher horror film written and directed by Wallace Potts (Tales of the Unliving and the Undead), noted for its similarities to the previous year’s Maniac Cop. It was produced by Jessica Rains and Cassian Elwes (Burying the Ex; Jack’s Back; White of the Eye).

A sequel, PsychoCop 2, followed in 1993.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Main cast:

Robert R. Shafer (The Shadowman; Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves; Zombeavers), Jeff Qualle, Linda West, Cindy Guyer, Dan Campbell,  Palmer Lee Todd, Greg Joujon-Roche.

Plot:

A pair of lost newlyweds stumble onto the site of a ritualistic murder, and are killed by Joe Vickers, a corrupt police officer who is also a Satanist.

The next day, three couples travel to a secluded mansion that they have rented, and are given a tour by the property’s caretaker, who is later murdered by Vickers. Upon noticing the caretaker’s disappearance, the couples go looking for him, and encounter Vickers, who reassures them by claiming that the caretaker had an accident, and is now recovering in the hospital. That night, Zack leaves to get beer, and is slain by Vickers.

Vickers proceeds to butcher Eric, Julie, and Sarah. Doug and Laura realize that Vickers is the culprit, and are chased into the forest, where they are found by a pair of policemen, Chris and Bradley. Before being killed by Vickers, the officers reveal that he is really Gary Henley, a discharged psychiatric patient who has somehow infiltrated the California Police Department.

Laura is pursued by Vickers to a clearing containing the crucified bodies of Zack, Julie, Eric, and Sarah. Laura shoots Vickers with his own sidearm, but he is unaffected, only being felled when he has a sharp log thrown through him by Doug.

Emergency services greet Laura and Doug at the mansion as Vickers recovers, and a newscast announces that further evidence indicates that he is actually an escaped psychopathic serial killer named Ted Warnicky.

Reviews:

” …a fun little movie and if you are looking for a nice brainless slasher film that doesn’t make you think too hard then you should give this movie a shot.” Todd Martin, HorrorNews.net

“Routine slasher flick that’s trying to be a riff on William Lustig’s Maniac Cop but instead ends up as a poorly acted and weakly penned misfire. The acting is absolutely dire, the script is excruciatingly inept, shamelessly rehashing every horror movie cliché in the book…” Doctor Obrero, Digital Retribution

” …completely lifeless, homogenized fare” Scott Aaron Stine, The Gorehound’s Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

” …Psycho Cop isn’t a badly made movie but it hasn’t got anything you haven’t already seen done a hundred times before (the final girl even finds all her friend’s bodies arranged artistically in a protracted finale), and, normally, I can get off on the lethal predictability of such fare, but, this flick really took the biscuit.” JA Kerswell, Hysteria Lives!

Choice dialogue:

Officer Joe Vickers: “Shouldn’t run from the police!”

Officer Joe Vickers: “You have the right to remain… silent!”

Cast and characters:

• Robert R. Shafer as Officer Joe Vickers/Gary Henley/Ted Warnicky
• Jeff Qualle as Doug
• Palmer Lee Todd as Laura
• Dan Campbell as Eric
• Cindy Guyer as Julie
• Linda West as Sarah
• Greg Joujon-Roche as Zack
• Bruce Melena as Officer Bradley
• Glenn Steelman as Officer Chris
• Julie Araskog as Dead Woman
• Denise Hartman as Barbara/Cop #3
• David L. Zeisler as Greg/Cop #4

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Every generation has its monster’

Pitchfork is a 2016 American slasher horror film directed by Glenn Douglas Packard from a screenplay co-written with Darryl F. Gariglio. It was produced by Packard, Gariglio and Noreen Marriott, with associate producer Shaun Cairo.

The film is released in theaters and On Demand on January 13, 2017, via Uncork’d Entertainment.

Main cast:

Daniel Wilkinson [as Pitchfork], Lindsey Nicole, Brian Raetz, Ryan Moore, Celina Beach, Keith Webb, Sheila Leason, Nicole Dambro, Vibhu Raghave, Rachel Carter, Andrew Dawe-Collins, Carol Ludwick, Derek Reynolds, Addisyn Wallace and Anisbel Lopez.

Plot:

Having recently shared a life-changing secret with his family, Hunter recruits his friends to come with him from New York to the farm where he grew up as he faces his parents for the first time.

As the college students enjoy the fresh air of Michigan farm country, an older, more dangerous secret slowly emerges. While Hunter navigates a new place within his conservative family, a vicious creature from their past descends on the farm, putting the unsuspecting city kids in mortal danger…

IMDb

‘Daddy’s been working in the garden… again!’

Stepfather III – aka Stepfather III: Father’s Day – is a 1992 made-for-TV British-American slasher horror film directed by co-producer Guy Magar (Children of the Corn: Revelation; Retribution) from a screenplay co-written with Marc B. Ray (The Severed Arm; Scream Bloody Murder). It is also known as Stepfather 3.

Main cast:

Robert Wightman (Impulse), Priscilla Barnes (Trailer Park of Terror; Ed Gein; The Devil’s Rejects), David Tom (The Hazing), Season Hubley (Children of the Corn V; Humanoids from the Deep, 1996) and Christa Miller.

Opening plot:

Gene Clifford (Robert Wightman), escapes from the same institution in Puget Sound, Washington he was placed in four years ago. He seeks out a back alley plastic surgeon (Mario Roccuzzo) to alter his appearance, using no anesthesia.

After a few days, Gene kills the doctor by slitting his throat with a bone saw and makes his way to Deer View, California, where he acquires a new identity, “Keith Grant”, as well as a small cottage and a job at a plant nursery.

Nine months after crafting his new life, Keith meets divorced school principal Christine Davis (Priscilla Barnes) and her psychosomatically paralyzed son Andy (David Tom). Keith and Christine begin dating.

When Christine’s possessive ex-boyfriend Mark Wraynal (Stephen Mendel) follows Keith home and confronts him, Keith offers to have a chat. Keith kills him with a shovel and buries the body in his garden…

Reviews:

“Wightman, with that prissy, scary, whiny voice makes a good fist of it, and seems more barmy than ever. The violence is genuinely gory, and climaxes with a death in a garden threshing-machine that surely defies all efforts at restorative surgery.” Time Out

“Film lurches on without much credibility. Young David’s plight works up some tension, but characters are mostly flat (though Barnes makes the hard-luck Christine almost acceptable), motivations telegraphed, the story predictable. As for dialogue, it’s routine horror pic stuff.” Tony Scott, Variety

” …poorly scripted, all-too-familiar chiller — continuing a serial killer’s search for the perfect family — with gory plastic surgery, savage violence, and even some effective Boo! scenes. But robotic Wightman … is a weak substitute for previous death-dealing dad Terry O’Quinn.” Entertainment Weekly

“Ultimately the movie’s faults come down to Wightman, who is no substitute for O’Quinn. Stepfather III is a 110 minute bad joke. Insipid acting, laughable dialogue and an incredibly cliched story. At times it overcompensates with it’s gore, to make up for it’s lack of everything else.” Robert Grimes, Unseen Films

“The script by director Guy Magar and Marc B. Ray fails to exploit a sub-plot in which Wightman’s new stepson suspects him and uses his home computer to investigate. The use of a leaf mulcher does provide this excursion into bloody violence with a memorably sickening climax.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Cast and characters:

• Robert Wightman as The Stepfather/Keith Grant
• Priscilla Barnes as Christine Davis
• Season Hubley as Jennifer Ashley
• David Tom as Andy Davis
• John Ingle as Father Ernest Thomas Brennan
• Dennis Paladino as Mr. Thompson
• Stephen Mendel as Mark Wraynal
• Jay Acovone as Steve Davis
• Christa Miller as Beth Davis
• Mario Roccuzzo as Plastic Surgeon
• Joan Dareth as Bernice
• Jennifer Bassey as Doctor Brady
• Adam Ryen as Nicholas Ashley
• Mindy Ann Martin as Tiffany Davis
• Joel Carlson as Pete Davis
• Sumer Stamper as Maggie Davis
• Brenda Strong as Lauren Sutliffe
• Mort Lewis as Funeral Priest
• Adam Wylie as Easter Party Boy

Wikipedia | IMDb

Prevenge is a 2016 British comedy horror film written, directed by and starring Alice Lowe (Sightseers; The Ghoul; The World’s End; Kill List; Hot Fuzz).

Ruth is a pregnant woman on a killing spree. Her misanthropic unborn baby dictates Ruth’s murderous actions, holding society responsible for the absence of a father. The child speaks to Ruth from the womb, coaching her to lure and ultimately kill her unsuspecting victims.

Struggling with her conscience, loneliness, and a strange strain of prepartum madness, Ruth must ultimately choose between redemption and destruction at the moment of motherhood…

The Gennaker/Western Edge Pictures production will be released in the UK on 10 February 2017 via Kaleidoscope Film Distribution.

Main cast:

Alice Lowe, Jo Hartley (Inbred), Dan Renton Skinner (The Ghoul; High-Rise), Gemma Whelan (The Wolfman), Kayvan Novak (Doctor Who), Kate Dickie (The Frankenstein Chronicles; Prometheus; The Witch), Tom Davis, Mike Wozniak, Tom Meeten, Eileen Davies, Grace Calder, Sara Dee, Leila Hoffman, Marc Bessant, Della Moon Synnott.

Reviews:

” …while Prevenge delivers cult thrills and devilish humour, Lowe is adept at probing the existential darkness of her protagonist … However, all the while, there is a glint in her eye – a thrill, no doubt shared by Lowe, of subverting expectations, of stepping out from behind the sanctified image of the glowing mum-to-be, and embracing a transgressive madness.” Michael Leader, Sight & Sound

“Prevenge is a breathtaking, savage debut from Alice Lowe, one that boasts horrific moral deprivation and a sense of humor drenched in maternal madness … Sympathy, fear, admiration, doubt – those are just a handful of the emotions Lowe so emphatically conveys on-screen, and they explosively combine for the film’s final, absolutely perfect closing frame.” Matt Donato, We Got This Covered

“Having both a really rough-and-ready cinematography and quite a shaky filming style, there seems a very conscious effort to place Prevenge within a proud tradition of low-budget British slasher fiction … it definitely feels like a film that seems destined to become a cult classic.” Thomas Humphrey, Screen Anarchy

” …a neat, often very funny, but in many ways bleak psycho thriller of brooding maternal fear that embraces an alternative look at established roles of motherhood and pregnancy in its own violent manner and its great to see the British genre scene producing surprising and original, often transgressive work.” James Pemberton, UK Horror Scene

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