Horror Hotel: The Movie is a 2016 American compilation of sci-fi/fantasy/horror shorts that were originally part of an online web series. All were edited and directed by Ricky Hess, written by Al Hess and produced by Debbie Hess. 

The compilation is currently free to watch online via Amazon Prime

Aliens Stole My Boyfriend – Two cute alien chicks crash land their space buggy in the parking lot of the motor court looking for Earth boyfriends.

Coma Girl – A macabre maintenance man falls in love with a comatose patient at the convalescent home where he works much to the dismay of her faithful husband.

Brain Robbers in Love – A powerful older woman steals the body of a young woman using a top-secret brain-swapping device stolen from a government vault.

The Problem With Clones – A skip-tracer must search through a family of clones to find the sister who murdered her lookalike.

Four-Eyes – A paraplegic hit man is encouraged to pursue his gruesome talent by a man who wants to murder his ex-wife.

Life After Men – In the near future, males are virtually extinct from disease and are tracked down my man hunters working for the new government.

Main cast:

Tera Buerkle, Deborah Childs, Jordan Demers, Austin Freeman, Michael Gladden, Jeremy Michael Grey, Troy Halverson,  Derrell Keith Lester, Ryan Littmann, Baby Norman, Erin Ownbey, Anastasia Pekhtereva, Neil Ramsay,  Brittany Savoie, R.C. Sayyah, Amber Seidel, Philip Spartis, Stephanie Stevens, James Edward Thomas, Wesley Williamson, Kalyn Wood.

IMDb

‘Half man! Half monster!’

The Snow Creature – promoted as Snow Creature – is a 1954 monster movie produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder (Fright; Phantom from Space; Killers from Space), based on a story and screenplay by Myles Wilder.

It was the first modern era yeti/abominable snowman-themed movie. The use of the Los Angeles storm drain system as the film’s climactic setting can also be seen in the 1954 giant ant film, Them!

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Botanist Frank Parrish (Paul Langton – It! The Terror from Beyond Space; The Incredible Shrinking Man; Invisible Invaders) and photographer Peter Wells (Leslie Denison – The Return of the Vampire; The Son of Dr. Jekyll) lead a scientific expedition to the Himalayas.

The team encounter and capture a yeti with the help of Subra (Taru Shimada – War of the Worlds; Revolt of the Zombies), a revenge-seeking sherpa whose wife has been captured by the creature.

The yeti is taken back to the United States, but escapes from a refrigerated unit and runs havoc in the Los Angeles sewers…

Reviews:

“With a storyline so utterly bereft of imagination, The Snow Creature could be the work of only one man: W. Lee Wilder, Billy’s monumentally untalented brother. The movie is cheap and tacky and stupid, all of which I can forgive. It’s also mind-numbingly boring, and that I can’t.” And You Call Yourself a Scientist!

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” …nothing is made of the original concepts or the LA scenes. Long minutes are wasted with people plodding over one mountain range or another, or sitting and talking about rudiments […] Well, it’s got some nice footage of propellor planes.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

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

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“Beyond the singularly tacky monster suit (it’s nothing but a bunch of cheap furs sewn haphazardly together), the excessive reliance on voice-over to propel the story, and a cast that deservedly spent most of its respective careers playing characters with names like “Farmer,” “Policeman,” and “Japanese Ambassador,” The Snow Creature suffers from the deadliest of all shortcomings. It’s boring.” Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

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“The Yeti was big and ferocious looking if one overlooked the cheap costume (you could see folds in the fabric as it walked). But it never challenged a male unless cornered, even ones half it’s size. Didn’t mind jumping females though. Killed one and chased another. But all off screen. We heard a couple of screams, but no actual footage.” Not the Baseball Pitcher

Choice dialogue:

“Suppose you did kill one. How would you know it’s the one you’re after? If there’s one yeti there must be a whole civilisation, or a whole tribe of ’em.”

Cast and characters:

Paul Langton as Frank Parrish
Leslie Denison as Peter Wells
Taru Shimada as Subra
Rollin Moriyana as Leva
Robert Kino as Inspector Karma

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: The Telltale Mind | VHS Collector

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Playing with Dolls: Havoc is a 2017 American slasher horror film directed by Rene Perez (The Burning Dead; The Dead and the Damned). It is a sequel to Playing with Dolls (2015) and Playing with Dolls: Bloodlust (2016).

The film stars Nicole Stark (The Obsidian Curse), Charlie Glakin and Playboy model April Summers.

A killer has escaped jail. Now, he is on a murderous rampage as he tears through a group of unsuspecting vacationers…

Director Rene Perez says  he will apparently focus on action, in his latest slasher: “This time, I’m letting the action take centre stage. I’m letting the carnage drive the story.”

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‘They thought they were doing the right thing. They were dead wrong.’

Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word is a 2016 American horror film directed by Simon Rumley (Red,White & Blue; Little Deaths; The Living and the Dead) from a script by Ben Ketai (Hush; The Strangers 2; The Forest) and Marc Haimes.

On Halloween night 1981, a Catholic nun is savagely murdered. In a haze of fear, the authorities in Amarillo, Texas feel compelled to solve the case quickly amidst widespread panic and lynch mob anger.  Soon a suspect emerges as 18-year-old Johnny Frank Garrett is arrested and put on trial.

Overlooking evidence that could have cleared his name, the jury passes swift judgment and Garrett is convicted and sentenced to death. But from the moment of his arrest until his last breath Garrett professes his innocence, and following his execution a letter is found in his cell written in a voice driven by a dark force, promising retribution and cursing the souls of anyone connected with his demise.

Within weeks of his execution, Johnny’s terrifying prophecy is unleashed as a series of unexplained deaths strike down those involved in the cover-up. As his parade of victims grows, it is left to one conscience-stricken juror to exonerate Johnny and break his curse before it’s too late…

The film will be released on VOD on March 7, 2017, via Momentum Pictures.

Main cast:

Sean Patrick Flanery, Mike Doyle (The Invitation), Erin Cummings, Devin Bonnée, Dodge Prince, Sue Rock, Cassie Shea Watson, Mike Gassaway, Jon Michael Davis, Jon Arthur.

Reviews:

“While the supernatural aspects taken for granted here are naturally debatable, the factual aspects certainly lend an additional frisson to an already vivid, unsettling thriller directed with considerable aplomb and even more energy (sometimes too much) by Simon Rumley.” Dennis Harvey, Variety

“This is an incredibly atmospheric movie, dynamically shot and tightly edited so it never quite settles into a groove–such is its power. There may be dissenters claiming this isn’t “real” horror but, much like this year’s The Witch, it doesn’t need to get big and loud (or obvious) to be scary.” Joey Keogh, Wicked Horror

“Rumley’s attempts to terrify consist of quick cuts to disturbing imagery. None of it ever gets under your skin the way it should and after the tenth or so instance these flashes to disturbing imagery become tedious. The sound design that accompanies these edits is an obnoxious assault on the eardrums that does enhance the viewing experience whatsoever.” Trace Thurman, Bloody Disgusting

“While it lacks the simplistic religious angle which propelled roughly similar items like The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Last Exorcism to crossover box office success, its unconventional scares and intense, unsettling creepiness will attract horror fans looking for more out-of-the-way material.” Kim Newman, Screen Daily

IMDb

‘Not everyone in Scotland is friendly’

Dark Highlands is a 2017 Scottish horror film written and directed by Mark Stirton. It stars Junichi Kajioka (Spectre), Steve Campbell and Mike Mitchell. Brian Cox may apparently also now be involved…

A Japanese artist visits the Scottish Highlands to paint, but becomes the target of a sadistic killer. Alone, suffering from exposure and hunted, he must find a way to survive…

The film is currently in post-production.

IMDb | Facebook | Official site

‘Be careful who you prank’

Don’t Hang Up is a 2016 British horror thriller film directed by Damien Macé and Alexis Wajsbrot, making their directorial debut, from a screenplay by Joe Johnson. It stars Gregg Sulkin, Garrett Clayton, Bella Dayne and Sienna Guillory.

While not in class, Brady (Garrett Clayton) and his best friend Sam (Gregg Sulkin) spend their time making prank calls that they upload online to receive millions of views. As their online celebrity begins to rise, the boys escalate their pranks to a dangerous level.

One evening, Brady and Sam receive a prank call of their own, igniting a nightmare for the pair of teenagers when the mysterious caller turns their own game against them with deadly consequences…

The film is released on February 10, 2017 by Vertical Entertainment.

Main cast:

Sienna Guillory, Gregg Sulkin, Garrett Clayton, Bella Dayne, Parker Sawyers, Jack Brett Anderson, Michael Bodie, Robert Goodman, Chris Wilson, Philip Desmeules, Jane Ryall,  Alex Dee, Edward Killingback, Chantal Eder, Connie Wilkins.

Production companies:

Bigscope Films/Don’t Hang Up Film/Wild Spark

IMDb | Facebook

‘Sit, roll over, play dead’

The Pack is a 2015 Australian horror film directed by Nick Robertson from a screenplay by Evan Randall Green. Despite the title, the film is not a remake of the 1977 film of the same name and should not be mistaken for the 2010 French film with the same title. It stars Katie Moore, Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell and Hamish Phillips.

On a remote farm in Southern Australia, hardened farmer Adam Wilson, discovers the last of his livestock have been mauled to death by a pack of wild dogs. His dreams of keeping the family business going are shattered, but nothing can prepare him for what will happen next.

As night falls the feral pack of dogs begin to circle the farmhouse. With a taste for fresh blood, they launch their attack, stopping at nothing to get inside the house…

Reviews:

“Because of how well the animals are presented, first-time director Nick Robertson, aided by the gorgeous cinematography of Benjamin Shirley that emphasizes the lush, engulfing wilderness, is able to deliver a rousing experience that remains grounded enough in reality to deliver tense thrills — along the lines of a home invasion flick like The Strangers.” Mark H. Harris, About Entertainment

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

The dogs are wily and fierce, but they’re aided by a remarkably stupid family — at one point the kids hide in a closet with slatted doors that even a small dog could push open. Surely the bathroom doors lock? Ultimately, these feral dogs pose no danger that couldn’t be solved by staying inside, boarding the windows and barricading the doors.” Rob Staeger, LA Weekly

“ …while Robertson throws in too many cheap jump-scares, he mostly does well by Green’s script, coaxing strong performances from the cast and making sure the viewers feel a sickly dread every time some creature is growling and scratching at the ranch-house door.” Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times

“The script is perfunctory, assuming audiences for horror will put up with any old shit and certainly the bare less-than-minimum we get here. We don’t care about the characters because we are given no reason to. The direction consists of the ‘waving the camera around frenziedly during infrequent animal attacks’ school that makes for poor suspense but massive savings on a budget…” John Llewellyn Probert, House of Mortal Cinema

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“Written with maximum suspense by Evan Randall Green and directed by Nick Robertson with an economical tension that does not depend on computerized special effects, it’s an effective thriller that sets out to scare the living daylights out of even the most skeptical viewer and delivers in spades.” Rex Reed, New York Observer

Cast and characters:

• Katie Moore as Sophie
• Anna Lise Phillips as Carla Wilson
• Jack Campbell as Adam Wilson
• Hamish Phillips as Henry Wilson
• Kieran Thomas McNamara as the Police Officer
• Charles Mayer as the Bank Manager

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

The Munsters Today is an American TV comedy series that aired in syndication from October 8, 1988 to May 25, 1991. It was a sequel to the original 1960s sitcom The Munsters.

The colour revival starred John Schuck (as Herman), Lee Meriwether (Lily), Howard Morton (Grandpa), Hilary Van Dyke (Marilyn) and Jason Marsden (Eddie), and broadcast 72 episodes from October 8, 1988, to May 25, 1991, giving it more first-run episodes than the original series.

The pilot explained the 22-year gap following the original series by showing the family as they were in 1966 when an accident took place; the family then proceeds to wake up in 1988.

The series lasted three seasons on syndicated television, and proved popular with international audiences. It was created following a failed attempt to revive the show with most of the original cast (Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis and Yvonne De Carlo) in the 1981 NBC telefilm The Munsters’ Revenge. Gwynne turned down the chance to reprise his role as Herman, while Lewis was apparently unhappy at not being asked to return as Grandpa.

Season One (1988–89)

• “Still the Munsters After All These Years” (Pilot) – Grandpa creates a “Sleeping Machine” which makes the user fall asleep for a selected amount of time. While the victim is asleep, his/her age does not change. The machine was tested on the entire family. When Grandpa sets the dial for 30 minutes and shuts the door, a flash of light and a falling beam change the dial to “Forever.” Twenty-two years later, a developer named Mr. Preston (Dave Madden) and his assistant want to buy the Munsters’ home and turn it into a parking lot. Mr. Preston and his assistant are exploring the house. Mr. Preston forces his employee to search Grandpa’s lab; after getting tangled in spider webs he knocks the dial to “off.” The Munster family awakens to the world of 1988. They all struggle to find their way in the strange new era.
• “Vampire Pie”- Herman decides to enter a baking contest, using an old family recipe. Too bad there was an ingredient Grandpa forgot…
• “A Little Russian Dressing”
• “Flyweight Champion of the World”- After being bullied, Grandpa mixes Eddie a strong-man formula, that inflates Eddie’s ego as well as his muscles
• “Magna Cum Munsters”- After feeling useless for not being asked questions in his home, Herman takes night school, which leads him to the fourth grade: in Eddie’s class
• “Designing Munsters”
• “Farewell, Grandpa” – Grandpa is in big trouble when the family finds out he forgot to get a green-card when he came to the country. After Herman breaks him out, only an invisibility potion can save them
• “Corporate Munsters” – Stock that Herman bought many years ago has accumulated so much that he holds a position in the business. However, he debates keeping the job when it conflicts with Eddie and the Father/Son day
• “Herman The Astronaut”
• “Rock Fever”
• “Professor Grandpa”
• “Say Ahh”
• “A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Cereal”- After saving a kid, Herman becomes a hero. When a cereal company offers him a deal, he accepts. But once he finds out the cereal is a flop, will he keep on endorsing it?
• “Computer Mating”- Grandpa gets a new girlfriend after feeling lonely. But after finding out his girlfriend has buried a large amount of husbands, Herman and Lily fear for Grandpa’s life
• “McMunsters”
• “One Flu Over The Munster’s Nest”
• “Green Eyed Munsters”- Herman gets jealous when Lily’s teacher takes up too much of her time. Will he win her back?
• “The Not So Great Escape”
• “Two Left Feet”
• “Lights, Camera, Munsters” – Marilyn gets to make a movie for a project, while the family debates what type of film she should do. Meanwhile, Eddie is doing poor in school, causing panic for the teacher when a parent teacher conference is in order
• “Neighborly Munsters” – With new neighbors next door, everyone tries to make a good impression, while the wife tries to do everything to get a fancy pool in her yard (which would dig into the Munster’s) except talk with them
• “Munster Hoopster” – Eddie wants to take up basketball, so that Herman can brag about him. Only one problem: he can’t sink a shot!
• “Don’t Cry Wolfman” – When two burglars hide the fortune in the Munster house, they were asleep. Now that they are awake, they devise a plan: one would pretend to be one of them. Unfortunately, he comes into the Munster’s ways, and even saves them. In the end, the ‘wolfman’ burglar, and the Munsters all vote to return the money
• “The Howling”
• “Eau De Munster” When the town wants to demolish Munster Moore for a museum, Herman tries to put a stop to it. Only one problem: Grandpa accidentally got him with a love potion, which take effect on the woman running the idea

Season Two (1989–90)

• “Three Hundred Something”
• “No Place Like Home”
• “Raging Hormones”
• “Murder in Munster Land”
• “Trail”
• “It’s A Wonderful Afterlife”
• “The Eyes Have It”
• “It’s a Sad, Sad World”
• “Melting Pot”
• “Once in a Blue Moon”
• “Drac The Ripper”
• “Gateman and Son”
• “Reunion”
• “Pants on Fire”
• “Munstergeist”
• “Never Say Die”
• “It’s a Baby”
• “Tell’em Herman Sent You”
• “Thicker Than Water”
• “Misadventures in Time”
• “Will The Real Herman Munster Please Stand Up?”
• “Deadlock”
• “Take This Job and Shovel It”
• “That’s Gratitude”

Season Three (1990–91)

• “The Silver Bullet”
• “The Reel Munsters”
• “Wishing You Were Here”
• “Three Munsters and a Baby”
• “It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To”
• “Makin’ Waves”
• “Just Another Pretty Face” (remake of an original episode from the 1960s series)
• “Kiss, Kiss”
• “Mind Reader”
• “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
• “A House Divided”
• “A Matter of Trust”
• “Large”
• “Genie from Hell”
• “Lotsa Luck”
• “If I Only Knew Now”
• “Beating of Your Heart”
• “Parenthood vs. Childhood”
• “Das Trunk”
• “A Camping We Will Go”
• “Breaking the Chain”
• “Diary of a Mad Munster Wife”
• “The Bet”
• “Family Night”

Wikipedia | IMDb | Related: The Munsters: TV series, movies, spin-offs and merchandise – article by David Flint

Nails is a 2016 Irish horror film directed by Dennis Bartok, making his feature debut, from a screenplay co-written with Tom Abrams.

Bartok previously produced and wrote the Lionsgate horror Trapped Ashes in 2006, with segments directed by Joe Dante, Ken Russell, and Monte Hellman. He recently also co-wrote the non-fiction book A Thousand Cuts: the Bizarre Underground World of Collectors & Dealers Who Saved the Movies.

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Producers Brendan McCarthy and John McDonnell, of Fantastic Films, recent productions include Let Us Prey, The Hallow, Stitches, Wake Wood and Cherry Tree. The executive producer, Joseph Kaufman, was exec producer of John Carpenter’s 1976 classic Assault on Precinct 13 along with the 2005 remake.

Plot:

Happily married track coach and mother, Dana Milgrom, survives a near-death car accident only to find herself paralyzed and trapped inside her own body.

Forced to communicate via an artificial voice program and hooked to a breathing machine, she becomes convinced that a terrifying presence called “Nails” exists inside her hospital room. No-one believes her – not even her own husband and doctors, who think she’s experiencing a mental breakdown…

Fantastic Films and Kaleidoscope Film Distribution have announced that the film will be making its world premiere in Ireland as part of the Audi Dublin International Film Festival (ADIFF), which runs 16-26 February, 2017.

UK-based distributor and sales company Kaleidoscope Film Distribution will be releasing Nails theatrically and on VOD/SVOD in the U.K. and Ireland later in 2017, dates to be confirmed, and will be representing the film for world sales at the upcoming European Film Market at the Berlin Film Festival.

The film stars Scottish actress Shauna Macdonald as Dana Milgrom, which required long hours of makeup to create her graphic injuries and tremendous preparation and focus to portray a character who is paralyzed and forced to communicate via laptop for most of the film.

Macdonald was in Nail Marshall’s seminal horror film The Descent (2005) and its sequel (2009). British stand-up comedian and actor Ross Noble (Stitches) co-stars as Trevor Helms, a nurse’s aide at Hopewell Hospital who slowly comes to believe that Dana’s paranoid visions may be real.

The film also stars Steve Wall (of Irish band The Stunning), newcomer Leah McNamara and Richard Foster-King as “Nails”, with cinematography by James Mather (Frank) and music by longtime Gary Numan collaborator Ade Fenton.

Writer/director Dennis Bartok has commented: “Most horror films are about running away – Nails is the opposite: it’s about being locked inside your own flesh with the terror. I don’t think there’s any other actress who could give the performance Shauna did: her concentration and emotional rawness took the film to a whole different level.

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Ghosts of Darkness is a 2017 British supernatural horror film written and directed by David Ryan Keith. It stars Michael Koltes, Paul Flannery and Steve Weston. 

Two paranormal investigators are unexpectedly thrown together in the hope of solving a 100-year mystery.

Locked for three nights in a house with a dark and unsettling past, the two investigators must put their differences to one side and work together. They soon discover the myths and stories are nothing compared to what actually resides within the eerie walls of Richwood Manor.

Scepticism and showmanship are soon put to one side when the two investigators realise there is more at stake than just their professional reputation. For once they have stumbled onto the real thing, but this time it’s their own lives at stake…

In the United States, the film premieres on digital on March 7, 2017, via Uncork’d Entertainment.

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‘The ritual has begun’

The Summoning is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by Curtis Schultz. It stars Shanna Mclaughlin, Amy LoCicero, Brian C. Chenworth and Jordan Wall.

Originally titled Into the Forest, it should not be confused with the 2015 or the 2017 films of the same name.

A group of friends set out on a road trip to “the party of the century” in the middle of nowhere, but on the way, they break down and find themselves being hunted for a satanic ritual…

Reviews:

“The Summoning has the format you would recognise from countless movies and also tries to fit in as many horror cliches as possible, car broke down, no phone coverage etc. Thankfully comic relief is found in the character of Drew (played by Flavio Milicchio) who is definitely socially awkward but has the best lines in the whole film.” Peter Hopkins, Horrorscreams Videovault

“The Summoning isn’t exactly treading new ground storywise, and the characters are at times so obnoxious you wish them dead … but what the film’s perfect at is creating a maximum of tension out of rather sparing sets, it’s very well-paced with a focus on action, and it’s peppered with a few very nasty killings.” Mike Haberfeiner, [Re]search My Trash

Main cast:

Shanna Mclaughlin, Amy LoCicero (Cassadaga), Brian C. Chenworth (shorts: The Haunted House; ReRe-animated), Jordan Wall (Dead End),  J. LaRose, John Kyle, Flavio Milicchio,  Elaine Hoxie, Lainie Kates.

Filming locations:

Orlando, Sanford and Winter Park, Florida, USA

IMDb | Facebook

‘Please do not disturb Evelyn. She already is.’

Mountaintop Motel Massacre is a 1983 American horror film written and directed by Jim McCullough Sr. (Video Murders) from a screenplay by Jim McCullough Jr. (Creature from Black Lake). It stars Anna Chappell, Bill Thurman, and Amy Hill. The plot concerns a psychotic elderly woman who, after being freed from incarceration, returns to the motel she ran and begins murdering the guests.

The film was originally titled Mountaintop Motel and received a limited 1983 release in Los Angeles under this title. A year later, it received another minimal release as Horrors of Mountaintop Motel. 

In the UK, it is released on Blu-ray by 88 Films on 28 March, 2017.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Plot:

Set in 1981, Evelyn (Anna Chappell) has spent the past three in an insane asylum. Upon her return home, Evelyn brutally murders her daughter, but lies to the authorities and is not held criminally responsible.

Shortly after, Evelyn returns to the dilapidated Mountaintop Motel— a series of individual cabin suites— that she ran prior to her incarceration.

Evelyn attempts to return to business as usual and opens the motel to the public, but it isn’t long before she begins to succumb to psychotic episodes, and, during a severe rainstorm, she begins to murder the guests of the motel by way of an underground tunnel connecting each of the individual cabins…

Reviews:

“Yes, there is a lot of room for improvement and plenty of missed opportunities, but it still manages to hold interest throughout. I would have liked more occult elements, perhaps a glimpse into Evelyn’s past, but as is, it manages to include some eerie settings, some great use of tunnels, and a nice alternative to the usual knife bladed weapons.” Critical Outcast

“The story is too silly, the murders too predictable and unimaginative, the blood too phony and the acting too much on the level of a bad high school play to send so much as a shiver down anyone’s spine.” Nina Damton, The New York Times

“While it is pretty tame considering its title I still think that it is a good movie. If you go into it expecting only a few cool death scenes as opposed to a total bloodbath of a film that features death after gruesome death you will enjoy it. I think that it has a fairly original premise and that the character of Evelyn (due mainly in part to Chappell’s portrayal) is excellent.” Todd Martin, HorrorNews.net

“Surprisingly fun and creepy backwoods flick…” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990

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“Evelyn Chambers isn’t necessarily a great movie villain, the story can become eye-shutting, and like I said, the climax is weak. Those cheap, but lovable jump scenes are missing from Mountaintop Motel Massacre, yet the simple slasher formula keeps you interested.” Jason G., Oh, the Horror!

Previous releases:

In 1986, the film was theatrically distributed by New World Pictures, a company formerly owned by Roger Corman.

It was later released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2001. It was re-issued by Image Entertainment’s “Midnight Madness” series in September 2011.

Cast and characters:

• Anna Chappell as Evelyn
• Bill Thurman as Reverend Bill McWiley
• Will Mitchell as Al
• Virginia Loridans as Tanya
• Major Brock as Crewshaw
• James Bradford as Sheriff
• Amy Hill as Prissy
• Marian Jones as Mary
• Gregg Brazzel as Vernon

Filming locations:

Caddo Parish and Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | Related: Motel Hell

Info and image thanks: Temple of Schlock

‘There’s no escape from this’

Devil in the Dark – filmed as The Plateau – is a 2017 horror thriller directed by Tim J. Brown (director of The Cradle; producer of Antisocial 2; Bite; Vampire Dog) from a screenplay by Carey Dickson.

The film stars Robin Dunne (Torment; Species III; American Psycho 2), Dan Payne (R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour; The Cabin in the Woods), Daniel Cudmore (X-Men: Days of Future Past), and Briana Buckmaster (Supernatural).

When estranged brothers Adam and Clint attempt to reconnect over a week-long hunting trip in remote Kelowna, British Columbia, they find the tables turned by a mysterious presence lurking in the forest.

Convinced that they are now besieged by a supernatural presence, the siblings begrudgingly agree on only one thing: they will have to put aside their differences and work together if they plan on making it out these dark woods alive.

A release date is expected soon from Momentum Pictures with a trailer due imminently.

IMDb | Facebook | Source: Bloody Disgusting

‘A murder a day keeps the landlord away!’

Homebodies is a 1974 American black comedy horror film directed by Larry Yust from a screenplay co-written with Howard Kaminsky and Bennett Sims. It was distributed in the United States by Avco Embassy Pictures.

The film features a cast of veteran actors, including Ian Wolfe, Ruth McDevitt (Kolchak: The Night Stalker), Peter Brocco (The Killing Kind), and Douglas Fowley. The plot centers on elderly residents resorting to murder to protect their condemned Cincinnati building…

Reviews:

“This film is one part social commentary and one part horror film. The murderous impulses of these octogenarians are at once comical and repulsive and the graphic depiction of the gruesome acts, while minimal is effective. The deeper, melancholy message about how we dispose of our aged is also on full display.” The Obscurity Factor

“This quirky film doesn’t quite hit all the marks, but still remains a unique example of a multi-layered black comedy in a market that was increasingly dominated by teenage body count movies and flicks about demented hillbillies.” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990

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

“The subsequent mayhem is depicted with humour, nicely controlled tension, and – somehow – with dignity. Towards the end, the group’s leader (76-year-old Paula Trueman, a saner version of Ruth Gordon) gets carried away into excess, and the film goes off the rails with her. But on balance it’s remarkably convincing.” Geoff Brown, Time Out London

“By making the old folks multiple murderers the film sacrifices credibility as a morality tale, but it gains instead a wit and irony that would have perhaps amused Hitchcock, and should certainly appeal to those who appreciate black comedies such as Arsenic and Old Lace and The Ladykillers.” Stephen Thrower, Nightmare USA

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

” …topnotch production values (on what appears to be a modest budget), an inventive script which manages to combine grisly black humour, gripping suspense and genuine pathos, crisp direction and superb character performances all round.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Cast and characters:

• Peter Brocco as Mr. Blakely
• Frances Fuller as Miss Emily
• William Hansen as Mr. Sandy
• Ruth McDevitt as Mrs. Loomis
• Paula Trueman as Mattie
• Ian Wolfe as Mr. Loomis
• Linda Marsh as Miss Pollack
• Douglas Fowley as Mr. Crawford
• Kenneth Tobey as Construction Boss

Filming locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: The Obscurity Factor | Temple of Schlock

Reel Nightmare – also known as Reel Nightmare: Book of Witchcraft – is a 2017 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Armand Petri for Together Magic Films. Produced by Art Arutyunyan, the film stars Madeleine Heil, Garrett Morosky and Andres Mejia Vallejo.

A group of film students from Miskatonic University venture into an old Victorian house with a grisly past to shoot a last-minute thesis, but the discovery of a mysterious book called the Necronomicon brings production to a deadly halt when they awaken the spirits of three vengeful witches…

The film is released on Digital HD via Amazon; and on Blu-ray on February 7, 2017. Buying links to follow…

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Sugar Skull Girls is a 2016 American comedy fantasy horror film written and directed by Christian Grillo (Apocalypse Kiss; Deer Crossing; Roxsy Tyler’s House of Horrors). It stars Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Berryman (Self Storage; The Devil’s Rejects; The Hills Have Eyes), Addy Miller and John Amplas (Creepshow; Midnight; Martin).

Three demonic sisters who resemble neo-goth voodoo dolls are accidentally conjured from the other side during a failed attempt to raise a little girl from the dead. The Sugar Skull Girls will stop at nothing to escape the clutches of The Pale Witch, the ruler of The Shadow World…

The film is released on Blu-ray and DVD by SGL Entertainment on February 14, 2017.

Buy: Amazon.com

Main cast:

Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Berryman, Addy Miller, John Amplas, Carmela Hayslett, Christian Grillo, Rebecca Stern, Bryan DeSanto, Randy Memoli, Isabella Sobejano, David B. Stewart III, James F. Murray Jr., Scott Strasbaugh, Anika Buchanan, Cece Hagen.

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Our Evil – original title: Mal Nosso – is a Brazilian supernatural horror film written and directed by Samuel Cunha Galli. It stars Walderrama Dos Santos, Luara Pepita, Gabriela Grecco and Ademir Esteves.

Sao Paulo, Brazil: An exorcist (Ademir Esteves) uses the dark web to employ a serial killer (Ricardo Casella) to protect his daughter (Laura Pepita) from demonic possession…

The film is currently being marketed at the Berlin Film Festival (BFF) by British-based Jinga Films, the company that promoted A Serbian Film, Rabies and The House at the End of Time.

Jing Films representative Julian Richards has said Our Evil: “combines the brutal realism of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer with the supernatural shock-tactics of The Exorcist“, adding that, “the film uses Brazilian religious sentiments to elicit a style that Richards compares to the Coen Brothers 1984 classic Blood Simple.”

Meanwhile, Alan Jones, film critic and director of the Horror Channel FrightFest has commented: “Shocking, surprising, gripping and always keeps you guessing. Our Evil will change the game for future Latin American genre cinema”.

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IMDb | Sources: Bloody Disgusting | Variety

‘Deliver her from evil.’

The Antichrist – original title: ”L’anticristo – is a 1974 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Alberto De Martino (Formula for a Murder; Holocaust 2000; The Blancheville Monster) from a screenplay co-written with Gianfranco Clerici (The New York Ripper; Cannibal Holocaust) and Vincenzo Mannino (Phantom of Death; House on the Edge of the Park).

It was produced by Edmondo Amanti (Cannibal Apocalypse; Let Sleeping Corpses Lie; A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin). Aristide Massacessi (aka Joe D’Amato) was the cinematographer.

The score was provided by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai.

In the United States, Avco Embassy released the film in an edited ‘R’-rated version as The Tempter.

Main cast:

Carla Gravina, Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City; Blood and Roses), Arthur Kennedy (The Humanoid; Let Sleeping Corpses Lie), George Coulouris (Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb; Womaneater) and Alida Valli (The Killer Nun; Suspiria).

Buy: Amazon.com

Plot:

Rome: Having been wheelchair-bound since she was involved in a car crash as a child, Ippolita Oderisi, is deeply traumatised. Very fond of her father Massimo, she becomes jealous when she finds he has taken up with another woman, Greta.

A psychologist, Dr. Sinibaldi, places Ippolita under hypnosis and deduces that has become possessed by her ancestor who was burned as a witch.

Ippolita spouts obscenities, and regaining the use of her legs, begins attacking people. Massimo’s brother, a Catholic bishop named Ascanio, concludes that an exorcism is the only way to cure her…

Reviews:

“While some elements are stolen wholesale (like the exorcism sequence, which involves a priest who arrives covered in shadow, a door that’s about to be pounded off its hinges, and pea soup), it’s different enough to warrant a look. Instead of a young girl, the Devil takes over a 20ish woman, and since this is an Italian movie, you know what that means – gratuitous (and blasphemous!) nudity.” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

” …The Antichrist comes out of Italy, bares the breasts, eats the goat ass, and does everything that The Exorcist does but in European form, just not quite to the extent of being a better film or causing chills to the level that its American counterpart accomplished. Its visually rich, well acted, and different, plot-wise, for the most part from scene to scene.” John Marrone, Bloody Disgusting

“Most cheap Italian rip-offs of expensive American blockbusters have the good sense to scale down the aspects of the production that cost money— the name actors, the sets, the special effects. Not this one. The Tempter has two Hollywood has-beens, rather than the standard one, and both of them went all-out to provide the kind of crazed performance that one expects from a washed-up star in a European exploitation flick.” Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

“The cross-cutting, seventies styles and dated special effects will amuse as much as they convince. Sometimes it all evokes surreal dreams, other times just presents awful effects. The fake toad and snake anticipate similarly unsuccessful moments in Lucio Fulci horrors. The variable optical compositing often fails to convince, but a bold use of back (front?) projection is still effective, especially when all the colours are distorted.” Black Hole Reviews

Buy Blu-ray (English audio option): Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Carla Gravina: Ippolita Oderisi
• Mel Ferrer: Massimo Oderisi
• Arthur Kennedy: Ascanio Oderisi
• George Coulouris: Father Mittner
• Alida Valli: Irene
• Mario Scaccia: the charlatan
• Umberto Orsini: dr. Sinibaldi
• Anita Strindberg: Greta
• Remo Girone: Filippo Oderisi
• Lea Lander: Mariangela

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: Black Hole Reviews |

Nightmare Circus is a 1973 American exploitation horror film directed by Alan Rudolph [as Gerald Cormier] from a screenplay co-written with Roman Valenti. It has also been released as Terror Circus and The Barn of the Naked Dead.

The film stars Andrew Prine (The Town that Dreaded Sundown; The Centerfold Girls; Simon: King of the Witches, Grizzly), Manuela Thiess, Sherry Alberoni and Gyl Roland.

The discordant jazzy score was provided by Tommy Vig (Sweet Sixteen; Forced Entry remake).

Plot:

Three young women are heading to Las Vegas to work as showgirls when their car breaks down in the desert.

Andre (Andrew Prine) offers to help them and takes them to his place where he keeps women confined in chains and makes them perform circus tricks in his barn.

Meanwhile, his father, who has become a homicidal mutant because of the homestead’s proximity to a nuclear power plant, lives next to them in a shed…

Buy The Barn of the Naked Dead + Scream from Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Lead lunatic Andrew Prine is the only one granted an actual character to play, which he essays with glowering eyes and little else. Director Alan Rudolph went on to work with Robert Altman on several features and became a celebrated art-house director in his own right; barely any of his future promise is evident in this amateurish mess of sex fantasy and nuclear horror.” Fred Beldin, AllMovie.com

“Though there isn’t much in the way of blatant skin or gore to be found here, fans of degenerate ’70s horror should still enjoy the antics of the always watchable Prine..” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“I did like the look of the movie and the music. It looked a whole lot like Texas Chain Saw Massacre ’74. The whole aesthetic was very similar, so it had that going for it. The music and sound effects were pretty damn creepy as well. But really, when the story goes nowhere, ends abruptly and there is no real action, it just isn’t enough.” Greg Baty, Cinesploitation

“Barn of the Naked Dead is terrible movie with bad acting and virtually no production values, but it would be a little bit better if it were content to be what it actually is – a piece of junk.” Welch Everman, Cult Horror Films

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“This film is more about esthetics than plot. It has some nice set pieces and scenes but not a strong enough story to tie them together.  It has the kind of things you might find there; a severed head in a bird cage, a monster escaping a locked room, a barn for of mutilated victims and a deranged ringmaster.” Sinful Celluloid

Choice dialogue:

“Why’s he got that cat in a cage? Why’s he got that cat at all?”

Cast and characters:

• Andrew Prine as Andre
• Manuela Thiess as Simone
• Sherry Alberoni as Sheri
• Gyl Roland as Corinne
• Sheila Bromley as Mrs. Baynor
• Gil Lamb as Mr. Alvarez
• Al Cormier as Sheriff Stanford
• Chuck Niles as Derek Moore
• Jeane Manson as Jean

Filming locations:

Lancaster and Palmdale, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Nun is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Corin Hardy (The Hallow) from a screenplay by James Wan (Saw) and Gary Dauberman (IT; Wolves at the Door; Swamp Monkey).

Like the Annabelle movies, the film is an offshoot from The Conjuring franchise.

The Atomic Monster/New Line Cinema/Safran Company film is currently in pre-production. The plot has yet to be revealed but will obviously focus on a demonic nun.

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