‘In the city of dreams, a nightmare stalks’

The Los Angeles Ripper is a 2011 American horror thriller film directed by Craig J. McIntyre from a screenplay co-written with Celeste Marie Martinez and Randy Tobin. The film stars Martinez and Tobin, alongside Devanny Pinn and Ava Rose.

Kristy White moves to Los Angeles to stay with her dysfunctional aunt Peggy and her cousin Angel White to pursue her singing career and become a star. Meanwhile, a brutal serial killer is on the loose in the City of Angels…

Reviews:

LA Maniac, is not an entirely serious movie, as you will find yourself outright laughing at times, mostly at some of the unexpected moments that really just take this film to the next level and keep it from being easily brushed off and forgettable. Also notable is actor Randy Tobin’s role as Grahm in this film, he nailed that role so well, and believably that you truly felt he must be one of the most off-putting and creepy scum bags you could ever meet.” Addicted to Horror Movies

” …a shabbily put together film with poor acting, writing, music, and camera work. This film is not scary and makes no sense. It hovers around the fringes of past genre pictures but does nothing to cement itself alongside them or to even differentiate itself. Also, if one of the adjectives about a character used is “ripper” it might be ideal to make sure his primary means of killing is stabbing.” Spencer Perry, ComingSoon.net

“It just didn’t work for me. There was too much for me to get annoyed by. The randomness of some scenes, the bad music (some actual songs, mixed in with some terrible choirs), the annoying maniac character, the shitty look of the film, and even smaller facts like how a normal camera made sounds of a polaroid camera and produced a polaroid picture. Kudos to the director for making this movie, but hot damn I didn’t like it.” Film Bizarro

“L.A. Ripper is an excellent micro-budget grindhouse-style serial killer flick. There’s some pretty decent gore effects including a hatchet in the head, a bloody scalping (with the top of the head being opened up), and more. A Few Screws Loose was another sleazy gore flick which delivered the classic exploitation film elements. While that one was entertaining in its own right, L.A. Ripper is actually a step up from it in many aspects.” Horror Society

“While the body count isn’t necessarily the highest, when Grahm does reveal his sinister intentions to his victims, the intimacy of the filmmaking makes for a quite unnerving experience.  The camera is always no more than a foot away from the victim, often in a cramped room or a van […] The style is reminiscent of the ultra gory 70s exploitation flicks, with a little dab of some zombie feasting as well.” Hunter Johnson, LA Horror

“It’s not too long, and succeeds pretty well in what it set out to do, with its portrait of a serial killer’s twisted psyche, with little touches of Cinderella, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. While the movie’s tone is almost surreal at times, the plot is kinda creepy in a very real world way, in that it’s showing what could happen if by pure chance you caught the attention the wrong random person. The villain is simultaneously uncomfortable to watch, and borderline hilarious at times…” Not This Time, Nayland Smith

” …it displays the capability and ingenuity to stand out from the hordes of mediocrity and establish itself as a title to seek out. The director Craig McIntyre shows the ability to create a series of perverse and threatening scenarios, and by enveloping that with a solid cast, pumping soundtrack and sickening violence – the result is pleasing indeed.” Dave Wain, The Schlock Pit

Cast and characters:

• Celeste Marie Martinez … Kristy White [as Celeste Martinez]
• Randy Tobin … Grahm
• Ava Rose … Hooker
• Chase Monroe … Angel
• Beverley Bassette … Aunt Peggy
• Brandon Engstrom … B.C.
• Devanny Pinn … Shannon
• Marna Kay … Club Girl
• Dolores Quintana … Miss Crabtree
• Kiersten Puusemp … Sarah
• Moeko Maeda … Orange Girl
• Nekro Mistress … Hitchhiker

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Image credits: Not This Time, Nayland Smith

‘Claudine runs an all-night diner, cannibals, witches and killers welcome!’

Open 24/7 – original title: Ouvert 24/7 – is a 2010 French dark comedy horror film directed by Thierry Paya from a screenplay by Colin Vettier.  It stars Maud Galet-Lalande, Stéphanie Kern-Siebering and Marie-Pierre Vincent. Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman has a cameo role.

Late at night in a remote back road restaurant, the customers are trying to stay awake. To keep boredom at bay, there’s nothing better than horror, cannibalism, sex and violence…

Reviews:

“The film veers between atmospheric/harrowing and extremely low-budget, poorly-framed mise-en-scènes that look like a Brazilian soap opera. Still, there’s much to recommend it: Sapphic love, cannibalism, dark, dark humor. If you’re down with Troma, it’s up your alley.” Really Awful Movies

“A mess, an absolute mess of a movie that is barely entertaining and only manages to live up to its horror tag by throwing in random flashes of extreme gore and violence. Avoid.” Games, Brains & A HeadBanging Life

“The first tale is the gory one about cannibal lesbians. They carve up men’s bodies in gory detail, except that there’s one angry cop out for revenge whom she graphically castrated in the bathroom […] The second mixes looney-tunes humor, puppets and a fairy tale about an ogress who eats children to stay young, until she meets a child that may be more than she can handle. The third is the grim, trashy and nasty one involving a German farmer…” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre

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Encounter Evil – original title: 撞邪31号 “Battle No. 31”- is a 2017 Chinese supernatural horror film directed by Kelong Li (Flower’s Curse) and starring Xi, Liao Weiwei, Li Zixiong, Han Zhi, and Sheng Shi.

A series of bizarre incidents is caused by Yu Hao, the designer, and Anne, the girlfriend of his girlfriend, when they stay at Villa 31 for work commitments…

The Tang Feng Film & Television Culture Media production was released in China on June 30, 2017.

The Slashening is a 2015 American comedy horror slasher film written and directed by Brandon Bassham (Fear Town U.S.A.) from a storyline co-written with Reynard Alli. It stars Anna Callegari, Sam Reece and Elyse Brandau.

“Best friends Lucy, Eva, Ashley, Beth and Margot have a sleepover like any other – until murder joins the party.

A tale of friendship, betrayal, madness, and the search for some decent dick…”

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Reviews:

” …all of the ingredients of The Slashening are great, but somehow they just don’t all mix together cohesively and most of this is due to the beating to death of a joke. Fear Town USA touched on a myriad of topics, skewered them and then moved on to the next target and that’s what kept it moving along at an even, comedic pace.” Lisa Fremont, Haddonfield Horror

“The best thing about The Slashening for me was the way it not only poked fun at the slasher genre (three words: pizza delivery guy), but at popular culture in general, as well as certain issues in society (like friendzoning and how it becomes a social feminist issue, and the use of the n-word).” Horror Honeys

“The girls in The Slashening are imperfect, and behave just as silly and selfishly as their male counterparts; a COD gamer sweetly plays to patch up his fallen online comrades; and a final spin on the ‘sluts must die’ ideologies of certain horrors is given the sort of murderous rejoinder we’ve always hoped it would. The film’s creativity and energy is also evident in the soundtrack, which is simply perfect.” Benjamin Poole, The Movie Waffler

“There’s a cool split screen bit, some great editing, a funny fight filmed creatively, and an epic running joke involving pizza dudes with a great pizza dude wasteland payoff. The acting here is generally great by everyone […] There’s some great dialog here, and some funny, creative crudities.” Rare Horror

” …is very aware of the genre it’s making fun of, its mainstays and shortcomings as well as virtues … and thus throws the audience from one cliché into the next, but at the same time it manages to tell an engaging enough story that this doesn’t become just a mindless chuckle-fest but also features suspense, jump scares, and likeable characters.” Mike Haberflener, Search My Trash

IMDb | Image credits: Horror Honeys

‘Lights. Camera. Revenge.’

Axe to Grind is a 2015 American horror film directed by Matt Zettell (Resurrection County; The Cellar Door) from a screenplay written by Scott C. Sanford. It stars Debbie Rochon, Matt Gulbranson and Guy Torry.

B-movie legend, actress Debbie Wilkins, has just been replaced by a 23 year-old scream queen in her lovers bed.

More importantly she’s been left out of her lovers new film. Debbie doesn’t take rejection well…

Reviews:

“Axe to Grind truly centers around the eye candy which is all over the screen, but it is more than beautiful women […] What I did not like about Axe to Grind is how it is yet another film that portrays the cast and crew of horror movies as incompetent and lazy.” Wicked Horror

” …the premise is let down by the lack of plot and acting, something the film itself references (points for trying but simply saying ‘our film doesn’t really have much of a plot, just tits and violence’ isn’t enough to excuse this, especially when as film-makers you are self-aware enough to make this point).” James Wright

“Debbie truly steals the show, for this film, and yet her acting talents bring everyone else to raise their game to equal her long time legendary skillful performance.  True horror fans will enjoy this slashing, splitting and slaughtering spraying across the screen with delight as flashes brilliance echoes, with humor and insanity run amok setting the stage for a much encouraged sequel.” Baron Craze, Rogue Cinema

“Some gruesome killings (though the movie never goes full slaughterhouse), some creepy characters, but also some sexy girls, one of whom’s also a great killer, bits of nudity to keep everyone happy, plenty of dark humour, and a general not-too-serious approach to the material.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

“The story offers up some cheeky humor with dialog that is delivered with zest. Sometimes the acting falls flat and feels contrived, but for the most part Axe to Grind runs smoothly. Debbie Rochon is all about her character from the word go! I imagine playing this character was a bit cathartic.” A Southern Horror Fan

Cast and characters:

• Debbie Rochon … Debbie Wilkins
• Guy Torry … Eddie Wilcox
• Dani Thompson … Nikki
• Michelle Tomlinson … Cheryl
• Matthew James Gulbranson … Peter Burgess
• Adrian Quihuis … Norman
• Paula LaBaredas … Delilah Finn
• Tony Von Halle … Lance
• Rachael Robbins … Ginger Garson
• Tawny Amber Young … Tawny
• Kelsey Zukowski … Young Debbie

IMDb

Ishq Ke Rang “Love Colours” is a 2018 Indian Bollywood supernatural horror film directed by Pradeep R. Sharma and produced by Salamat Khan and Sameer Hussain. The Rockstar Films production stars Humayoon Shams Khan, Danish Bhatt and Raj Sandhu.

The spirits of a deceased couple keep on haunting a bungalow and punish those who come to stay over there and are cheaters or liars. Finally, a Tantrik priest is assigned to exorcise the spirits so that they can rest peace…

Main cast:

• Humayoon Shams Khan
• Danish Bhatt
• Raj Sandhu
• Faizan Khan
• Gufran Khan
• Sanvi Dhiman
• Tanisha Gupta
• Ritu Arora
• Naaz Hamid
• Benazeer Khan
• Sameer Khan
• Karishma Kaul

IMDb

Dead by Midnight (11pm Central) – is a 2018 horror anthology film directed by Torey Haas, Eric Davis, Jay Holloway, Anissa Matlock and Tony Reames. It stars Hannah Fierman (V/H/S, SiREN), Davi Crimmins, Michael Aaron Milligan (SiREN) and Erin Brown [aka Misty Mundae].

It’s Halloween at WKIZ when the malicious Mistress of Midnight arrives to host her annual horror movie marathon ‘Dead by Midnight’.

When the WKIZ staff begins disappearing only to turn up in the increasingly darker films, it’s up to line producer Candice Spelling to stop the Mistress of Midnight before her final and most diabolical film goes to air…

The segments are: Dead Air, Blind Side, Lost Laundry, Creepy Dolls, Day Three and Jersey Devil.

Release:

The film premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival on April 14, 2018.

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‘They’re beautiful. They’re sexy. And hungry for human blood!’

Vampire Sisters is a 2004 American horror film directed by Joe Ripple (Jebediah; Stakes) and produced by Don Dohler (director of The Galaxy Invader; Nightbeast; The Alien Factor). The Timewarp Films production stars Darla Albornoz, Leanna Chamish, and Syn DeVil.

“These sexy sirens bring a whole new meaning to “Ladies of the Night” as they lure victim after victim to their VampSisters.com website.

Utilising the web to entice victims to their lair, they seductively work their beauty and their bodies to fulfil an unholy desire to feed on human blood!

Once the kinky fun begins, the sisters bare their fangs and the feeding frenzy begins! After these sensual bloodsuckers are finished, they drag the bodies to a hideous creature they keep locked in their shed. As the missing persons pile up, two undercover vice squad detectives pose as a kinky couple to infiltrate the Vampire Sisters’ home.

A chilling battle between the sisters and the undercover cops leads to a mind-blowing finally climax; Iggy — the creature in the shed — is finally released.” from Brain Damage Films plot synopsis

Reviews:

“The gore effects are limited, mostly confined to splashing blood but there is a scene where a man has his eyes drilled out, or should that be drilled in? The special effects are awful as well, the blood looks far too runny, almost like red water. There are a couple of brief CGI shots and again they’re awful.” B Movie Nation

“It’s an uncomplicated B-movie to be sure. You are promised sexy women attacking idiots that they pull off of their website and that is exactly what you get. Over and over again. Horny victim knocks on the front door, the vampire ladies do some teasing, and then the blood starts flowing.” Dr. Gore’s Movie Reviews

“Everything about the movie is slipshod, from the “acting” to the dialogue to the direction; the film is a sinkhole of suckage […] Vampire Sisters is endlessly repetitive, with the trio eating a victim and inviting another almost immediately afterwards…” David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

IMDb | Image credits: The Dwrayger Dungeon

‘Some men are too controlling’

The Meat Puppet is a 2012 American horror thriller photographed, edited and directed by Joe Valenti from a screenplay by Billy Pepitone and Joseph Pepitone, based on a storyline by Keith Collins. The latter stars, alongside Geri Reischl, Brandon Ruckdashel and Gregg Valentino.

Andrew “Drew” Shelton appears to have it all… Looks. Money. Women. But behind that charming smile lies an unimaginable evil.

An abusive childhood has turned him into an impulsive, delusional sociopath who has developed an insatiable appetite for beautiful women’s flesh.

As the bodies pile up and a gung-ho detective starts stalking him, Andrew descends deeper into madness. His obsession with one woman might be the only chance to stop him from serving up his next victim. Or will she fall prey and become the next main course?

Reviews:

“The Meat Puppet is one of those hidden gems in the film underground that got criminally overlooked […] Really, this is a cannibal horror film in the vein of Manhunter and The Silence of the Lambs that works by making the police angle a simple, well thought out one to accompany a surprisingly dynamic main character and the horrific world brought with him.” Apoch’s Metal Review

“It slowly builds to a climax much in the same way old 80’s thrillers like The Hitcher would. Speaking of “climax,” The Meat Puppet is… sexy. The film features a lot of attractive women and viewers will get to see a couple sets of boobs. Hell, even the lead – Keith Collins – is a stud.” Horror Society

“The most fascinating aspect of the film is Keith Collins’ central character […] He is played as a pathologically charming predator, obsessed with seducing the ladies. Some of the best aspects of the film are the ones where he is describing in chillingly detailed voiceover monologue the various methods he is employing to inveigle women in order to kill them.” Richard Scheib, Moria

“The Meat Puppet is a clever little serial killer movie that actually manages to have the audience identify with its villain for the most part of its running time without that feeling just wrong: Sure, Andrew’s a sick bastard, but he’s also extremely vulnerable, he has had a childhood filled with violence that explains a lot about his current behaviour…” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

“The violence is more implied than shown, but still packs a pretty nasty punch just the same […] However, this film’s key triumph is the way it successfully depicts Andrew as a tragic and tormented human monster that the viewer can’t help but feel more than a bit sorry for. An effective little shocker.” Woody Anders

Cast and characters:

• Keith Collins … Andrew Shelton
• Geri Reischl … Claire Thomas
• Brandon Ruckdashel … Detective Dave Benash
• Gregg Valentino … Tony Randazzo
• April Hunter … Jade
• Jamie Kovac … Katt
• Billy Sample … Captain Michael Corben
• Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal … Thunder
• Gary Garver … Gary
• Daniela Rivera … Terri Costas
• Billy Garcia … Oscar DeJesus
• Erik Chopin … Officer Desilva
• Gervase Peterson … Chris Irvine

IMDb

‘Before Chucky… Before Annabelle… There was’

Robert – aka Robert the Doll – is a 205 British supernatural horror film written, produced and directed by Andrew Jones. The North Bank Entertainment production stars Suzie Frances Garton, Lee Bane and Flynn Allen.

The film has, so far, been followed by sequels The Curse of Robert, Robert and the Toymaker an The Revenge of Robert the Doll.

After Paul and Jenny part company with their sinister housekeeper Agatha, the disgruntled former employee gives a vintage doll called Robert to their son Gene. Soon after Agatha’s departure, strange events begin plaguing the household. Furniture is vandalised, objects are thrown around and maniacal giggles echo through the house in the middle of the night.

But nobody believes Gene when he claims Robert is to blame for the disturbances. Paul and Jenny consider the possibility that a supernatural force has taken over their home. But as the occurrences escalate they discover that it’s not the house that’s haunted… it’s the doll!

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“This is a film that tries to take established lore from a documented paranormal case, throw a modern coat of paint on it, and claim it’s a movie. Yes, by all rights it is, but it simply doesn’t look, sound, or even feel like you’re watching a movie. Instead, it’s like you’re sitting down to watch an unfunny Halloween episode of Bob Newhart or Frasier that was shot in England.” Apoch’s Metal Review

” …the screenplay insists on inserting a “wife might be crazy” angle making no narrative sense since viewers know there is no mystery to solve. Better puzzles to ponder might include questionable casting of a child old enough to know dolls aren’t alive, whether the laughably flaccid scene of a person tumbling down a staircase technically counts as a “stunt,” and do these filmmakers even know how to properly construct a movie?” Culture Crypt

“The film borrows many elements of scary doll films, Chucky obviously being the most influential, but Robert actually resembles a rather horrible version of ‘Fats’ from Magic. Less is more in these kind of films and Robert’s shenanigans are brought to the screen by clever photography, shadows and funny noises. Performance wise the cast do well especially the young lad who Robert wants to be friends with forever.” Craig Snell, Fleapit Cinema

“Aside from like two or three very short moments, the doll just doesn’t do anything. And I’m sorry, but if you’re making a creepy doll film then maybe the doll should actually be doing something creepy. Most of the shocks occur off screen and when the doll is active, we have to suffer through some shaky POV shots.” Corey Danna, HorrorNews.net

“The two leads remain resolutely British, with Bane, calm and measured, being his usual good self, but it’s Garton who steals the show. Her gradual descent into madness over the events occurring in her house in pitched just perfectly, without the tiresome over-hysterical hysteria that usually accompanies such a psychological disintegration.” Dave Wain, The Schlock Pit

“If you are a horror fan that will only be pleased with special effects and fast paced action, then perhaps Robert is not for you. In this film, the drama, psychology and experiences of a modern family are just as relevant as the doll itself. If quiet, insidious and subtle creepiness is more your thing, then I recommend this film highly.” Fiona Dodwell, Study Paranormal

Cast and characters:

• Suzie Frances Garton … Jenny Otto – Hex; Werewolves of the Third Reich; The Curse of Robert; A Haunting at the Rectory
• Lee Bane … Paul Otto – The Revenge of Robert the Doll; The Curse of Robert; et al
• Flynn Allen … Gene Otto – House of Salem
• Judith Haley … Agatha
• Cyd Casados … Debbie
• Samuel Hutchison … Steven
• Megan Lockhurst … Martha
• Annie Davies … Marcie
• Ryan Michaels … Clarence

Trivia:

The real life Robert the Doll is currently located at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, USA. The doll is annually rotated to the Old Post Office and Customhouse in Key West during the month of October. The doll used in the movie is not the doll on display in Key West.

IMDb

Hex is a 2017 British folk horror drama film written and directed by George Popov and Jonathan Russell. It stars Tony Broadbent, Suzie Frances Garton and Daniel Oldroyd.

During the English Civil War, two opposing soldiers find themselves trapped in a forest controlled by a witch…

Reviews:

” …Popov and Russell are able to kit out their few characters in authentic-seeming period gear and make good use of the wilderness.  Performances are fine, and the gradual stress on eeriness is effective – there are comparatively few outright scare scenes, and some depend on odd details…” The Kim Newman Web Site

“The build of tension is a little too slow at first, but by the final scenes you won’t be able to look away as the men finally uncover something of the truth. I loved the historical setting, but despite the distance of centuries there’s a great deal here that anyone can relate to, thanks to a solid script and convincing acting.” The Movie Critic Next Door

“There is more happening here than you realize, and it’s to the filmmakers’ credit that you only recognize the film’s purpose when they are ready for you to do so. The result is a satisfying tale with more power than just magic.” Hope Madden, Madd Wolf

“The silent imagery was purposeful, and it doesn’t fill the story with traditional horror elements, but still crafts some eerie scenes that capture the dread of the plots subject-matter with thought provoking result. This is a movie any film-maker should watch if they feel their current project is hindered by a budget.” The Silverscreen Analysis

“Despite some slowness in the film at places and dark nighttime scenes overall it is well done […] But this additionally has rich dialogue, taut direction, beautiful cinematography and some of the best audio capture I’ve heard that captures every distinct sound, as well what lies beneath the story is thought provoking.” Toxic Fletch

IMDb

Lake Placid: Legacy is a 2018 American made-for-television horror film directed by Darrell Roodt (The Lullaby; Prey [2007]; Dracula 3000) from a screenplay by Johnathon Lloyd Walker from a storyline by Jeremy Smith and Matt Venables. The sixth entry in the Lake Placid film series, it will premiere on the Syfy channel on May 28, 2018. It stars Katherine Barrell, Tim Rozon and Luke Newton.

Taking place several years after the events of the original Lake Placid, a team of young explorers out to reveal the secrets of an area removed from modern day maps and hidden behind electric fences.

However, once they reach the middle of the lake, the explorers discover an island that harbours an abandoned facility with a horrific legacy: the island is home to a deadly predator eager to feast on those stupid enough to ignore the warnings…

Cast and characters:

• Katherine Barrell … Jade – Definition of Fear; The Scarehouse; Poe
• Tim Rozon … Sam
• Luke Newton … Billy
• Craig Stein … Spencer
• Greg Kriek … Travis
• Joe Pantoliano

Production and filming location:

The film was shot in South Africa in December 2017.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Thanks: UHM

Evil Bong 777 is a 2018 American comedy horror film produced and directed by Charles Band from a screenplay by Kent Roudebush (Evil Bong movies; Ooga Booga; Zombies vs. Strippers), based on a storyline by Charles Band and Brockton McKinney (Rodney Cecil: Psycho Hero; Sick and the Dead).

Scowling weed-spewing Eebee is out of “Sexy Hell” and heading to Sin City – Las Vegas – with danger on her tail! She’s joined by her whack pack of fabulous freaks: Faux Batty, Rabbit, Misty, and The Gingerweed Man…

Evil Bong 777 is released digitally on April 20, 2018, via Full Moon Features, with DVD and Blu-ray releases to follow later in the year.

Cast and characters:

• Sonny Carl Davis … Rabbit
• Robin Sydney … Faux Batty
• Jessica Morris … Misty
• Mindy Robinson … Phoebe
• The Don … Beelzebud
• Caleb Hurst … Hesher One
• Adam Noble Roberts … Hesher Two
• Circus-Szalewski … Joe Cracker
• Kevin Harrison Sweeney … Redder Neck [as K.H. Sweeney]
• Tania Kae … Versnatchy
• Elina Madison … Rhonda VU
• Jillian Janson … Friscilla
• Tanya Tate … Spylft Driver
• Leya Falcon … Escort

IMDb

‘Fear the road less traveled.’

Edge of Isolation is a 2018 American survival horror film written and directed by Jeff Houkal. The Violet State Productions movie stars Michael Marcel, Marem Hassler, Alexandra Peters and Monte Markham.

Stranded deep in the woods, a young married couple is taken in by an isolationist family, one that lives off the blood and plunder from lost hikers, and they want the couple to stay for the rest of their lives…

Reviews:

” …the film is constructed fairly simple, yet effective in its barbarism, and those who dig survivalist-horror will be wringing their mitts in anticipation for this one. While some editing does look a bit hokey, the practical effects more than make up for an at-times bit of strewn-about plot navigation, but who’s keeping score?” Matt Boiselle, Dread Central

” …you’ve seen this story before in one form or another. Hicks, cannibals, and a helping of cult – all rolled into one. However, that didn’t stop this from being an excellent film. Special bonus points awarded for being a low budget indie production, that was very entertaining.” IndyRed

” …most of the production elements were well above average and really did push the title forward. The use of practical effects are a high note here. In the world of digital everything, it was nice to see some good old fashioned special effects. It really added to the mood and feel. The cast all felt right as well.” Reel Romp

Cast and characters:

• Michael Marcel … Lance O’Brien – Atlantic Rim: Resurrection; Alien Convergence; Evil Nanny 
• Marem Hassler … Kendra Ramirez – Don’t Sleep; In the Dark Dark Woods… (short)
• Alexandra Peters … Caitlin
• Monte Markham … Ivan Polifer – The Rift; We Are Still Here; Thriller TV series
• Judi Barton … Mary Polifer
• Diana Elizabeth Jordan … Ella
• David Castro … Ramon
• Jeff Houkal … Vlad Polifer
• Jan Gass … Paulina
• Mark McClain Wilson … Security Guard
• Justin Molina … Sentinel 1
• Tyler Beardsley … Sentinel 2
• Wes Tate … Sentinel 4
• Cael McCarthy … Little Boy
• Raul Cruz Lara … Sentinel 3

IMDb

The Demonic Doll is a 2018 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Richard Mansfield (Blood on Satan’s Paw; The Demonic Tapes; Video Killer; The Mothman Curse; et al) . The Mansfield Dark Productions movie stars Harold Fox, Jennie Fox and Matthew Hunt.

Rose finds a creepy doll in her basement along with a series of mysterious tapes. As she listens to the recordings she starts to notice strange happenings in the house and the doll seems to move around on its own.

Unfortunately, Rose begins to realise she is not alone and the doll is haunted by a terrifying demon that wants her soul…

Reviews:

” …looks to BBC TV’s Ghostwatch for its suburban thrills – the director has even stolen that programme’s subversive behind the curtains stunt – and as the camera moves stealthily around the house, the viewer is constantly on the lookout for something supernatural at the edge of the frame, catching little details like upturned crosses and mysterious messages.” David Dent, Dark Eyes of London

“Although it dilutes its impact by showing too much too soon and overdoing the foreboding music score, this modest, largely two-handed, one-location film mostly avoids the cheap scares beloved of its American contemporaries and doesn’t overplay the creepy-doll shtick.” Steven West, Horrorscreams Videovault

Filming locations:

Haringey, North London, UK

Trivia:

The film’s working title was The Demonic Tapes 2

IMDb

‘If you have the guts – he wants them!!’

Nightbeast – aka Night Beast – is a 1982 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Baltimore-based Don Dohler (Blood Massacre; The Galaxy Invader; Fiend). It is a remake of sorts to Dohler’s first film The Alien Factor. The movie stars Donald Leifert, Tom Griffiths and George Stover.

Most of the cast of The Alien Factor reprise their roles in Nightbeast. It features opening credit effects by Ernest D. Farino (who later created the title effects for The Terminator, The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and the creature was created by John Dods who later provided special effects for Ghostbusters II, Alien Resurrection, and The X Files. Additional makeup effects were by Amodio Giordano. Parts of the synth score were written by future Star Trek and Star Wars director J.J. Abrams. The movie had a budget of $42,000, a relatively large amount for a Don Dohler production.

A British VIPCO video release, the film was included on the lamentable Section 3 “liable for forfeiture” list as covered on Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide Part Two, Draconian Days

 Buy with Blood, Boobs and Beast: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“The film suffers from the usual shortcomings of this kind of regional, semi-amateur film-making: cliches, poor special effects, wooden acting, and the kind of script where “Holy shit!” is considered witty, Oscar Wilde-esque dialogue […] Still, Nightbeast does have its entertaining aspects.” Liz Kingsley, And You Call Yourself a Scientist!

” …a hoot from start to finish. The script was ultra-basic, the dialogue and acting uniformly atrocious, the photography amateur, and the direction pedestrian. However, it does feature a cool alien, lots of daft moments and unintentional (and intentional) humour.” Justin Richards, Blueprint: Review

“While the film is no Night of the Creeps (hell, it’s not even The Deadly Spawn), Nightbeast has its charms. As to what those charms are exactly, I have no idea. Actually, the title of the documentary about the career of Don Dohler sums up these charms quite well: Blood, Boobs and Beast. Check out if you get the chance, it’s a pretty good doc.” House of Self-Indulgence

“If you’re looking for a serious sci-fi movie, you’d be looking in the wrong place with Nightbeast. If you’re looking for cheesy, schlocky, consistently low budget special effects and a montage of gunfire, then you can’t go wrong here.” Internal Bleeding

“It entertained me and it didn’t outstay its welcome, to expect anything else of the movie would have been foolish. It’s far from a classic, it isn’t even very coherent, but with a just few thousand dollars Dohler made a movie that was much more entertaining and enjoyable than a lot of $100 million sci-fi movies I’ve seen.” To Obscurity and Beyond

“Naturally, this is the sort of affair that is a laff riot to those viewers in a certain frame of mind, with all its grottiness and cheapness and ideas above its station, even though those ideas were to make a more violent version of a fifties sci-fi invasion effort which were not exactly ambitious, but Dohler insisted on throwing in bits of business he felt proper movies should have, no matter how out of place they were.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

“Well Nightbeast is probably not going to change your life, but if you are in a serious need of some real 80s entertainment of the weird kind, you can’t go wrong with Nightbeast, cause they don’t make em’ like this anymore.” Hog-Wild Howls

“Although the special effects (including some startling uses of gore makeup) are noteworthy, the actors aren’t given much to do other than stand around and talk. The final result is disappointing.” TV Guide

“Although the movie focuses on the gory kill scenes with glee, it’s not gory enough to be a splatter movie, it’s not campy enough to be funny and it’s not strange enough to be entertaining.” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre

Cast and characters:

• Tom Griffith … Sheriff Jack Cinder
• Jamie Zemarel … Jamie Lambert
• Karin Kardian … Lisa Kent
• George Stover … Steven Price – Night of the Living Dead: Genesis; Camp Blood 666; Frames of Fear; Call-Girl of Cthulhu; Vampire Sisters; The Galaxy Invader; et al
• Don Leifert … Drago
• Anne Frith … Ruth Sherman
• Eleanor Herman … Mary Jane
• Richard Dyszel … Mayor Bert Wicker
• Greg Dohler … Greg
• Kim Pfeiffer … Kim [as Kim Dohler]
• Monica Neff … Suzie
• Glenn Barnes … Glenn
• Rose Wolfe … Glenn’s Girl
• Jerry Schuerholz … Hunter
• Hank Stuhmer … Hunter

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: House of Self-Indulgence

Dark Crimes – aka True Crimes – is a 2016 Polish-American psychological thriller film directed by Alexandros Avranas from a screenplay by Jeremy Brock. It is based on David Grann’s article ‘True Crime: A Postmodern Murder Mystery’, about convicted murderer Krystian Bala, published in 2008 by The New Yorker.

The film stars Jim Carrey, Agata Kulesza, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kati Outinen, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Marton Csokas.

Dark Crimes will be released on direcTV on April 19, 2018, and be released in theaters/demand in the US by Saban Films on May 11th.

Tadek is a detective who takes on a case involving the murder of a businessman. To his and everyone’s surprise the case is identical to a character’s murder in a recently published novel by a man named Kozlow. While the crime appears to be an open and shut case, Tadek discovers a darker secret…

Reviews:

“There isn’t much room for thrills or surprises, which -in this kind of film – are necessary components. The final sequence of the film provides a jump start, but it’s too late to bring it back to life. Dark Crimes is a dreary sort of movie, that lulls you when it should provoke.” Film Inquiry:

“True Crimes only really comes to life in the very final moments via a Gainsbourg monologue which finally provides a relatively satisfying solution to what has become a disorientingly convoluted murder puzzle — bearing only the most tangential connection to the picture’s supposed journalistic basis.” Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“Few motion pictures these days are this drab; a grey-bearded, Eastern European-accented Carrey valiantly fights the porridge-coloured scenery but everybody here is a loser, even Charlotte Gainsbourg as a sado-masochistic drug addict hooker, revisiting territory she’s previously explored with Lars Von Trier.” Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International

Cast and characters:

• Jim Carrey as Tadek
• Marton Csokas as Kozlow
• Charlotte Gainsbourg as Kasia
• Agata Kulesza as Marta
• Kati Outinen as Malinowska
• Zbigniew Zamachowski as Lukasz
• Danuta Kowalska as Kozlow’s Mother

Filming:

Principal photography began on November 12, 2015 in Kraków, Poland.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Red Hood IT is a 2018 American fantasy horror mash-up fan made short film edited, photographed and directed by Hisonni Johnson and Alberto Triana, from a screenplay co-written by Johnson and Andrew Hansen. It stars Noel Schefflin, Jeremy Boone and Nathan Ferrier.

The film follows the nocturnal activities Jason Todd as the brutal vigilante Red Hood in which he investigates a string of child disappearances. The culprit? Pennywise the evil clown…

Posted on YouTube on April 10, 2018, Red Hood IT has already had over 67,000 views.

IMDb

‘That knife represents a dick.’

Slashening 2: The Final Beginning is a 2018 American comedy horror film written and directed by Brandon Bassham (The Slashening; Fear Town, USA). It stars Addie Weyrich, Jean Louise O’Sullivan and Elizabeth D’Ambrosio. Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman has a cameo role.

Five years after tragic events of “The Slashening,” twenty-two year-old Madison Santangeli (Addie Weyrich) moves to Brooklyn to start a new life in the wake of her father’s suicide…

IMDb | Facebook

Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu – translation: “Furious Punch in a Dark Room” – is a 2018 Indian Tamil language sex comedy horror film written and directed by Santhosh P. Jayakumar and produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja. The movie stars Gautham Karthik, Vaibhavi Shandilya, Karunakaran, Bala Saravanan, Rajendran and John Vijay.

The film’s concept was partially inspired from the comedy horror faux trailer for ‘Handjob Cabin‘ which was a massive hit YouTube with over 20 million views.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Thanks to Screen Anarchy