‘When you search for the truth, the greatest horror is finding it’

The Nightmare Gallery is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by Gene Blalock (Horror Haiku TV series) from a screenplay by Jhan Harp and Rob Stith. The Seraph Films production stars Amber Benson, Kevin Chamberlin and Mat Devine.

The life of Doctor Samantha Rand, an anthropology professor, is turned upside-down by the sudden, suspicious disappearance of her star pupil.

Three years later, when a package of supposedly paranormal artefacts arrives on Rand’s doorstep, Samantha unwittingly embarks on a nightmarish journey into mystery that will shake her and her wife to their very cores…

Main cast and characters:

• Amber Benson … Doctor Samantha Rand – House of Demons; The Crooked Man; Tom Holland’s Twisted Tales; Supernatural TV series; One-Eyed Monster; Attack of the Gryphon; Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Kevin Chamberlin … Doctor. Stockton
• Mat Devine … Colton
• Mieko Hillman … Dawn Rand – Teen Wolf TV series; Flight of the Living Dead
• Rahul Parikh … Sanjay Ramdas
• Liv Southard … Senior Researcher
• Nichole Eberle … Chloe Bishop
• Michael Baszler … Retired Security
• Andrew Adams … Museum Guest
• Jeff Jeffers … Department Head
• Teddy Pemberton … The Docent
• Nadina Gerlach … Security
• Aly Wolff-Mills … Exhibit

IMDb | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Thanks: UHM

Plot keywords:

artefact | LGBTQ | museum | nightmare | paranormal | professor | pupil | relationship | supernatural

House of Demons aka Trip House is a 2018 horror film written and directed by Patrick Meaney. The Respect Films production stars Amber Benson, Kaytlin Borgen and Morgan Peter Brown.

Four estranged friends reunite and spend the night in a remote country house that was once home to a Manson Family like cult.

As the night goes on, the strange rituals in the house’s past open connections between the past, the present and the subconscious, forcing all the characters to confront their deepest secrets and darkest demons, or be destroyed by them…

Reviews [may contain spoilers]:

There are a few solid scares in Trip House and a bizarre appearance of Santa Claus to be expected in this weird little film. The budget is low, but the solid acting and deft story really covers that up pretty well. Intense character dissections and great performances are what you’re going to get when you enter this Trip House.” Ambush Bug, Ain’t It Cool News

“If you like trippy films and horror films, then you will most likely enjoy the ride, however, if straight ahead narratives are more your jam, then you might want to pass on this one. I enjoyed the film and it will find a home with a certain audience and they will relish the film’s quirkiness.” John Couture, Barb’s Video

“As far as the cast of House of Demons, they are not only mesmerizing in their delivery, but extremely relatable. We see these individuals driven to the brink of insanity and see how well or how poorly they grapple with their inner demons.” Jackie Knighowl, Cryptic Rock

“House of Demons gets major points for originality. Instead of being your usual cabin based slasher or demonic evil (though there are shades of that here and there) picture, this crazy mix of a millennial version of The Big Chill paired with Helter Skelter by way of The Twilight Zone is a great concept, and it’s executed here pretty damn well. The story is definitely outlandish, but it’s told with conviction and that makes it engaging.” Horror Fuel

“I felt the story started to become overworked when a demon was presented. Then add in the drug use, the loss of a family member, off-shoots to the characters fears and you are left with a story that becomes a lot to digest in its 90 minute runtime.” Shannon McGraw, Nightmarish Conjurings

“Overall, Trip House is a highly impressive debut that works with what it has to create a gripping and compelling story. There’s occasional a bit of awkward acting or cliched dialogue, but as an experience Trip House is hugely enjoyable and definitely more than worthy of your time.” Josh McCullough, We the Nerdy

Cast and characters:

• Amber Benson … Maya –  The Crooked Man; Tom Holland’s Twisted Tales; Supernatural TV series; One-Eyed Monster; Attack of the Gryphon; Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Kaytlin Borgen … Gwen
• Morgan Peter Brown … Spencer – All the Creatures Were Stirring; Contracted: Phase II; Ouija; Absentia; Signed in Blood
• Dove Meir … Frazer –  La venganza de la vampira (short)
• Whitney Moore … Katrina – Contracted: Phase II; Birdemic and sequel; Rotgut; The Theatre Bizarre; A Horrible Way to Die
• Jeff Torres … Matthew
• Tiffany Smith … Samantha
• Chloe Dykstra … Nancy
• Taliesin Jaffe … Dave
• Alexia Dox … Dawn
• Jeff Berg … Jeff
• Paradox Pollack … Demon
• Brian Townes … Derek

IMDb

Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle is a computer game developed by Blue Wizard Digital (Slayaway Camp; Plants vs. Zombies) for iOS, Android and Steam. It was launched on Friday 13, 2018.

“Players control Jason by sliding him around an isometric puzzle level to attack his victims, either directly with a variety of weapons, or indirectly, by frightening them into environmental hazards like campfires, bear traps, and wood chippers. Gruesome reflex-based “kill scenes” punctuate the puzzling as you progress through multiple episodes.

Unlock insane new Jason variants as you puzzle through all-new adventures. Earn, equip, and upgrade a huge host of murder weapons as you pursue your prey! Witness gruesomely funny kill scenes as you obey the ominous orders of your mother’s severed head!”

Official site

‘It will infect us all.’

The Rake is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by Tony Wash from a screenplay co-written with Jeremy Silva. It stars Shenae Grimes-Beech, Izabella Miko and Rachel Melvin.

At a young age, Ashley and Ben witnessed the brutal murder of their parents.

Years later, Ashley is still convinced it wasn’t someone, but something that killed her parents and now she’s tormented by the thought of The Rake returning for her and her family. Is Ashley traumatised, or is the creature inside her real?

The Rake is released on DVD and digital VOD on June 5, 2018, via Unified Pictures and Sony.

Cast and characters:

• Shenae Grimes-Beech … Ashley – Scream 4
• Izabella Miko … Cassie
• Rachel Melvin … Nicole – Sleepy Hollow
• Joe Nunez … Jeremy
• Joe Cipriano … Young Ben
• Joey Bicicchi … Andrew
• Stephen Brodie … Ben – Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich
• Alexa Nasatir … Young Ashley
• Joe Mullen … Jacob Murphy

IMDb

‘To catch a predator he must think like one’

Knuckleball is a 2018 Canadian horror thriller film directed by Michael Peterson from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Cockle. The 775 Media Corp production stars Michael Ironside, Kathleen Munroe and Munro Chambers.

Alone, and targeted on an isolated farm, twelve year-old Henry (Luca Villacis) finds himself at the centre of a maelstrom of terror, and a dark family legacy, when his secretive grandfather dies suddenly in the night…

Reviews:

“Knuckleball is a delicious little horror movie that pays homage to both Home Alone and The Shining. Director Michael Peterson has made a very enjoyable horror thriller that should entertain most movie fans.” Karina Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror

” …having the inventive death traps in the first half of the movie does put a damper on what is probably the most enjoyable part of the film. Sure the story is effective in its own way, but the film is based around a gimmick that could be taken further to great effect. Sadly it ends up feeling like the latter half of the film was just a bit less fun for that reason.” Samler Smoelf

Cast and characters:

• Michael Ironside … Jacob – Still/Born; Heretiks; The Harrowing; Patient Seven; Extraterrestrial; Reeker; The Vagrant;Visiting Hours; Scanners; American Nightmare; et al
• Kathleen Munroe … Mary
• Munro Chambers … Dixon
• Krista Bridges … Connie Munroe
• Drew Nelson … Deputy
• Luca Villacis … Henry
• Julian Black Antelope … Lou Chester
• Chenier Hundal … Paul
• Marie Zydek … Woman in Cage

IMDb

Abrakadabra is a 2018 Argentinian horror thriller written and directed by brothers Luciano Onetti and Nicolás Onetti (What the Waters Left Behind).

This film is the third entry in the Onetti brothers’ “giallo” trilogy that began with Sonno Profondo (2013) and Francesca (2015).

Dante, The Great”, a prestigious magician, accidentally dies during a risky magic trick.

Thirty-five years later his son Lorenzo, also a magician, presents a magic show in one of the most important theatres in the city. From then on, a series of murders begins to take place that will seek to incriminate him. Lorenzo must discover who and why seeks to involve him before it is too late…

Info and image credits: Screen Anarchy

‘It’s all in your head’

Delirium is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by Dennis Iliadis (The Last House on the Left; He’s Out There) from a screenplay by Adam Alleca (The Last House on the Left; The Piper). It was produced by Jason Blum, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Hampton and Tim Headington. 

Delirium was originally due to be released September 30, 2016, however this was postponed. It is now due to be issued on DVD by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on June 5, 2018.

Main cast:

• Topher Grace … Tom
• Genesis Rodriguez
• Callan Mulvey … Alex
• Patricia Clarkson
• Robin Thomas … Father
• Kelli Barksdale … Teenage girl
• Daisy McCrackin … Mother
• Cody Sullivan … Young Alex
• Marty Eli Schwartz … Frank
• Braden Fitzgerald … Young Tom

Trivia:

• Originally optioned in 2005 by Wes Craven and Marianne Maddalena.
• The film’s working title was simply Home.
• This movie should not be confused with Jared Black’s 2015 film Delirium, Johnny Martin’s 2014 film Delirium (aka Case #13), Lamberto Bava’s 1987 film Delirium, or Renato Polselli’s 1972 film Delirium.

Wikipedia | IMDb

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‘True. Love. Never. Dies.’

Deadly Crush is a 2018 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Dakota Aesquivel. The You Never Know Productions movie stars William Sadler, Courtney Gains and Judy Tenuta.

When a painter rents a secluded cabin to jump start her creativity, she has sex with a ghost and finds herself part of his wicked plan to bring itself back to life…

Cast and characters:

• William Sadler … Sheriff Dusty Hawkins – The Final Curtain: The Last Days of Ed Wood, Jr.; Living Among Us; Z Nation; Ava’s Possessions; From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series; The Hills Run Red; The Mist (2007); Bordello of Blood; The Omen; Demon Knight; et al
• Courtney Gains … Lawrence – Corbin Nash; Hell’s Kitty; Haunted: 333; The ‘Burbs; Children of the Corn; et al
• Judy Tenuta … Claire Voyant – There’s No Such Thing as Vampires; Doctor Spine; Monsters on Main Street; Love Bites
• Jenna Willis … Holly Power
• James William O’Halloran … Liam
• Stephen Anthony Bailey … Young Dusty
• Ronald Quigley … Cop In Pursuit
• Murisa Harba … Sophia Ivy
• Aria London … Brynn
• Carolina Hoyos … Shaman
• Cheryl McIntire … Witness
• Carl Irwin … Police Detective
• Tara Aesquivel … 911 Operator
• Sean McIntire … Car Jacker
• Dakota Aesquivel … Kit

Filming locations:

Twain Harte, Tuolumne County, California, USA

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There’s No Such Thing as Vampires is a 2019 American comedy horror film directed by Logan Thomas from a screenplay co-written with Aric Cushing.

The creature design and effects were created by Eric Fox at Morb-X studios.

A group of teenagers encounter vampires in a remote outpost…

Cast and characters:

• Meg Foster … Sister Frank – 31; Jeepers Creepers 3; Haunted: 333; Shrunken Heads; They Live; The Wind; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Welcome to Arrow Beach; et al
• Raphael Sbarge … Detective Warren – Bates Motel; iZombie; Dexter; Bones; The Hidden II; Carnosaur; Monsters TV series; Werewolf TV series
• Josh Plasse … Joshua
• Emma Holzer … Ariel
• Maria Olsen … Sigfreda
• Judy Tenuta … Barbecue Becky – Deadly Crush
• Matthew Dennis Lewis … Cameron
• Tom McLaren … Detective Sykes
• Katherine Rodriguez … May
• Chiquita Fuller … Detective Lowery
• Matt Perfetuo … The Twins
• David A. Jørgensen … Oyvind
• James Adam Tucker … Officer Davis
• Mark Reininga … Officer Riley
• Mike Perfetuo … The Twins

IMDb

Stabbed in the Face is a 2004 American slasher horror film directed by Jason Matherne (Silk Scream; Grimewave; Goregasm) from a screenplay by Jared Scallions. Eric Fox, Dana Kieferle and Steve Waltz.

Reviews:

“I don’t recommend you watch this unless you’re a fan of stupid, clichéd, poorly-acted, bad lit, indie slasher that’s barely worth watching even though it has nudity and gore. It feels like it’s all over the place with the characters and by the end of it I actually couldn’t remember or care who was who.” Film Bizarro

“I was kinda surprised how mean-spirited some of the violence is in this, there’s a kill that is so brutal that I had to pick up my jaw from the floor (I loved it). There’s plenty of T&A (including female full frontal nudity from Helen Whiskey) and sex.” Independent Flicks 

“This one seems to purposely celebrate in cliches but doesn’t make them funny and is badly lit and very badly edited to boot […] The climax features a confusing mess of motives, there is plenty of nudity, and the killings feature over-the-top gore but are very short.” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre

Release:

Wild Eye Raw issued the film on DVD in the USA on December 13, 2016.

IMDb

‘And seven years after that dead child is buried it digs its way out… An abomination.’

Depraved is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by Lawrence Riggins (Deathumentary). It stars Jae Head, Lauren Compton, Boyd Kestner

A demonic creature not of this world impregnates a woman.

A hundred and sixty years later, a team of ghost hunters must set aside their quick buck party mentality when they discover one of their team is the offspring of the entity haunting the place – and its true target. The offspring and her friends become uneasy allies with the ghost of the mother to destroy the demon and restore harmony…

Cast and characters:

• Jae Head … Scott
• Lauren Compton [as Lauren Elise] … Nikki
• Boyd Kestner … Morgan
• Kherington Payne … Lindsay
• Tara Westwood … Laura
• Diana Lu … Zoe
• Masha Malinina … Charity
• Ana Maria Estrada … Michael
• Cooper Gillespie … Sadie
• Greg Gastelum … Tyler
• Moriah Solgan … Party Girl
• Michael Peter Harrison … Aiden

IMDb

‘Revenge is a bitch’

The Scarehouse is a 2014 Canadian horror film written, edited and directed by Gavin Michael Booth (To Hell, With Love); it stars Sarah Booth, Kimberly-Sue Murray, Katherine Barrell and Dani Barker.

Two female friends open a Halloween fun house on Devil’s Night, an elaborate party for their former sorority sisters. As these six sisters arrive one by one, they are confronted by a troublesome past.

When their hosts’ true intentions are revealed, everyone inside the Scarehouse will find out that, indeed, revenge is a bitch…

Reviews:

“It’s technically well made, pretty well written and contains a young and attractive cast who give mostly commendable performances. If a few sequencing and continuity issues were polished up to make things a little clearer this would be one of the best all female horror flicks made. I ended up with a vibe similar to Nine Dead meets Urban Legend.” Adam the Move God

“Full of unexpected turns and twists, The Scarehouse is not your typical revenge film. It takes some inventive kills and some interesting plot swerves and injects two characters played by two fantastic actresses. Don’t dismiss this film as typical torture p*rn fodder. The performances and deft writing elevate it to a much more respectable status.” Ambush Bug, Ain’t It Cool News

” …the situations the society’s sisters are put through are designed to make each and every one suffer for their underhandedness … will make gorehounds applaud the efforts, all the while maintaining a Hostel-type appearance.” Matt Boiselle, Dread Central

“While I appreciate that women were involved in the film’s production, I can’t help but be that much more disappointed that it wasn’t… better. More. That it didn’t find a way to take an interesting concept and go deeper with it, rather than just devolve into typical male fantasies of what women do (and would do) when they’re alone.” Horror Honeys

“Apart from a couple of tense, gut wrenching (literally in one place) torture scenes, this story lacks oomph or originality, left with two good female leads and fun music to stop it from being completely bad.” Troy Balmayer, The Movie Waffler

“With fast-paced blood-splattered thrills and a couple of the meanest chicks you’re likely to come across this year, The Scarehouse digs its claws in and never lets go. If you think watching a couple of gorgeous stab-happy girls torture other gorgeous girls sounds like a good time, then you’re certainly going to have fun with this one.” Rhino’s Horror

” …this is a film that’s really creative in its ways to depict violence and death. But despite its rather brutal and explicit approach, I’d be hard-pressed to label The Scarehouse torture p*rn – rather it has a fun factor to it that was pretty much a given in 80’s horror but has gone amiss in today’s mainstream productions by and large.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

“Once one enters the Scarehouse, there is no escape and everyone’s worst nature will be exposed.  There is no exit and Hell is other people. At the same time, I’ve grown tired of movies that feature lengthy scenes of people being tortured. After nearly two decades of Saw films and Hostel rip-offs, whatever shock value those scenes may have once had are gone.” Lisa Marie Bowman, Through the Shattered Lens

“I appreciated the work that went into this eerie haunted house, and it’s easy to see the filmmaker embrace the demented mystery our characters are coiled up in.  But, so much blood is spilled and depicted as shallow schlock in its stern context. The Scarehouse doesn’t utilize its tense tone well, and there’s a sense of desperation behind the film as Booth tries to discover some sort of subtext underneath it all.” Addison Wylie, Wylie Writes

Choice dialogue:

Corey Peters: “You spend so much time Frankensteining yourself that I think it’s time for the good doctor and I to kill the monster.”

Elaina Forrester: “Sluts and liars they are but tardy they are not.”

Corey Peters: I’m gonna eat this bitch for breakfast!

Cast and characters:

• Sarah Booth … Corey Peters – Werewoman; Hemlock Grove
• Kimberly-Sue Murray … Elaina Forrester – The Colony; Crimson Peak
• Katherine Barrell … Jaqueline Gill – Lake Placid: Legacy; Poe; Definition of Fear
• Dani Barker … Emily Lewis
• Teagan Vincze … Shelby Hickman – Dead Genesis, Fortune Cookie Prophecies
• Emily Alatalo … Katrina Larson
• Jennifer Miller … Lisa Jenner
• Ivana Kingston [as Ivana Stojanovic] … Caitlin Bowden
• Brad Everett … Brandon Philips
• Jack Ettlinger … Tom Gignac
• Alex Harrouch … Stu
• Jonathan Dubsky … Billy
• Sean Kaufmann … Reg White
• Julie Williams … Patricia Johnson
• Tanya Bevan … Carla Coyle

Filming locations:

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Release:

Prior to its VOD and iTunes release on October 21, 2014 (USA and Canada), The Scarehouse had its world premiere on October 5th at the Lakeshore Cinema in Windsor, Ontario.

In April 2018, The Scarehouse was released on Amazon Prime

IMDb | Official site | Facebook

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‘The finishing school that finished them off!’

Girls School Screamers is a 1984 American supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by John P. Finnegan [as Finegan] from a storyline written by Katie Keating and Pierce J. Keating; it stars Mollie O’Mara, Sharon Christopher and Mari Butler.

The movie was edited by Thomas R. Rondinella who went on to direct Blades in 1989.

Seven college girls spend the weekend at an elegant estate that starts as fun filled adventure, but ends in wretched terror after they get caught up in the morbid atmosphere of the estate and hold a seance. After a seance the girls begin to disappear one by one and all the old horror stories about the estate begin to come true again…

Reviews:

“It often cuts- or just turns away, so basically all you’ll be seeing is a bunch of fake looking blood dripping down death people’s bodies. Again, the movie could had really distinctive itself, or at least had made itself somewhat more interesting or entertaining if it had some decent killings in it, which just isn’t the case unfortunately.” Frank Veenstra, Boba_Fett1138

” …Girls School Screamers is of the “kids show up at a scary house, and a bunch of random creepy stuff happens” school, along the lines of Norman J. Warren’s Terror and Class Reunion Massacre. The movie seemingly starts off as a low rent slasher, but descends into surreal gothic territory (still low rent) as it moves along.” Thomas Duke, Cinema Gonzo

” …it’s just too run-of-the-mill and ponderous to satisfy. But it’s too cheap and amateurish to be anything else really (although you do get the impression that the makers thought they were making a mystery thriller of note). Its mongrel nature – it’s not really a slasher (although it borrows plenty from the subgenre’s toybox) and it’s not really a ghost story – means it ends up being pretty much nothing at all.” Hysteria Lives

“The methods of mayhem in the film include a hook, meat cleaver and a pitchfork, although we never get to see much of the good stuff. Similarly, the lack of nudity in a movie with such a lurid title is a bit of a letdown, but unlike their characters, the actresses must have been a little prudish. Like many slashers of the mid eighties, Girls School Screamers boasts some fun music.” Oh, the Horror!

“There’s the odd atmospheric moment that comes courtesy of a truly superb score and it’s funny to see college girls played by actresses the wrong side of their thirties, but is it enough? I really wanted to like Girls School Screamers and find a defence for it, but it is, unfortunately, a bit of a mess.” Luisito Joaquin Gonzalez, A Slash Above…

Main cast and characters:

• Mollie O’Mara … Jackie / Jennifer
• Sharon Christopher … Elizabeth
• Mari Butler … Kate
• Beth O’Malley … Karen
• Karen Krevitz … Susan
• Marcia Hinton … Adelle
• Monica Antonucci … Rosemary
• Peter Cosimano … Paul
• Vera Gallagher … Sister Urban
• Charles Braun … Tyler Welles
• Tony Manzo … Dr. Robert Fisher
• John Turner … Bruce
• James W. Finegan Sr. … Paul’s Father

Release:

Originally titled The Portrait, the movie was picked up for distribution by Troma Entertainment who insisted on adding some minor gore before releasing it in 1986.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Dimension Fantastica

‘No one can hear you scream… if they’re screaming too.’

Scare Zone is a 2009 American slasher horror film written and directed by Jon Binkowski (ReVisitant; The Visitant); it stars Arian Ash, Chris Burns, Neil Brown Jr. and Simon Needham.

Scare Zone is Oliver’s pride and joy. Sure, it’s just another strip-mall Halloween Horror House, but as always, he’s put his heart and soul into it.

The attraction is open for three nights only, and Oliver has brought back his old staff, including ex-con Spider, eager bride-to-be Summer, and the enigmatic Goth princess Claire…

Reviews:

” …nice to see an indie film take a horror attraction and use it to the advantage of the film to induce suspense and tension. Scarezone has its faults, but I’d definitely recommend it for experimental fans that appreciate films like Popcorn, and Scream.” Felix Vasquez, Cinema Crazed

“The cast is a forgettable collection of mannequin-level cannon fodder, walking clichés with no traits of distinction. The script is utterly clueless in developing any sense of mystery, and the dialog is filled with painfully flat one-liners (note to the director: putting a hyperactive guy with an ersatz-British accent in your film does not make you Monty Python).” Jonny Numb

“The gore is so-so, the acting passable, the sets are ok… it’s a real haunted house attraction… and it shows, for better or worse. The cast was hired for obvious reasons: the most attractive people they could afford. The key to this being half-ass enjoyable is that the actors don’t seem to be disillusioned about what kind of film they are in.” Mr. DuLac, Letterboxd

Filming locations:

Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights on the “Body Collectors” set

IMDb

Evilspeak is a 1981 American supernatural horror film directed by Eric Weston from a screenplay co-written with Joseph Garofalo. The movie stars Clint Howard, R.G. Armstrong, Joseph Cortese and Claude Earl Jones.

Life is not good for Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard), a teenage outcast who’s bullied by everybody at the strict military academy he was sent to after his parents died.

However, when Stanley discovers the crypt of a sixteenth century satanist beneath the school’s chapel, he creates a computerised Black Mass that unleashes unholy revenge upon his tormenters. Now, all Hell is breaking loose… and Stanley’s flesh eating demon-pigs are only the beginning!

In the UK, the film was cited as a so-called video nasty following its VHS release on the Videospace label. It remained banned for a number of years as part of the Video Recordings Act 1984, thanks to its gory climax and themes of satanism.

The film was reclassified and re-released in 1999 but with over three minutes of cuts which included the removal of most of the gore from the climax. It was then subsequently passed complete by the BBFC in 2004 and is now available in both an uncut form and a version re-edited by the distributors to tighten up the dialogue.

Actor Clint Howard said that director Eric Weston’s original version of the film that was submitted to the MPAA was longer, and contained more blood, gore, and nudity than the unrated version of the film. Especially during the shower/pig attack scene, and the final confrontation.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

On 25 January 2016, 88 Films released Evilspeak on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK with the following extras:

• Audio Commentary with Producer / Director Eric Weston
• Interview with Cast Members Joseph Cortese, Clint Howard, Haywood Nelson, Claude Earl Jones, Richard Moll and Don Stark
• Theatrical Trailer
• Intro by Eric Weston
• Stills Gallery
• Newly Commissioned Artwork by Graham Humphreys
• Reversible incorporating original artwork

Reviews:

“There is a lot of padding in this paranormal davenport, but if you stick with it long enough, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful torrents of red spurting torment. After all, how can you dismiss outright a film featuring SATANIC PIGS OF HATE!?” Bill Gibron, DVD Verdict

“Evilspeak is definitely classic ’80s trash, and worth your time if you’re in a nostalgic mood for silly horror, or want to remember when we thought our Apple’s were magix boxes that could do anything, if we could only program it (and give it human blood.” Thomas Pluck, Pluck you, Too

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

“The directorial debut of Eric Weston, Evilspeak is remarkably engaging, imaginative and well-crafted. It contains a strong performance from Howard, plus a deliciously over-the-top nasty turn by veteran character actor R.G. Armstrong.” TV Guide

Cast and characters:

• Clint Howard as Stanley Coopersmith
• R. G. Armstrong as Sarge – Friday the 13th: The Series; The Beast Within; The Car
• Joseph Cortese as Reverend Jameson
• Claude Earl Jones as Coach
• Haywood Nelson as Kowalski
• Don Stark as Bubba
• Charles Tyner as Colonel Kincaid
• Hamilton Camp as Hauptman
• Louie Gravance as Jo Jo
• Jim Greenleaf as Ox
• Lynn Hancock as Miss Friedemeyer
• Lenny Montana as Jake
• Richard Moll as Father Estaban

Filming locations:

The film was shot in three weeks, using locations in Santa Barbara and a condemned church in South Central Los Angeles.

Release:

Evilspeak was released on August 22, 1981 in Japan, and February 26, 1982 in the United States.

Buy Hidden Horror: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“What I always forget is how damn gory Evilspeak is. First of all, the decapitations – these must be the uncleanest and most brutal ever filmed. Good old Coopersmith have a hard time aiming them right and often ending it all with destroying the heads completely. Everything shot in glorious slow-mo and tons of blood.” Fred Anderson, Ninja Dixon

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Museu do VHS

Related: Horror High

‘Die in silence’

Blood Widow is a 2014 American horror film directed by Jeremiah Buckhalt from a screenplay by Chad Coup and Ian H. Davis.

The movie stars Danielle Lilley (The Incubus), Brandon Kyle Peters, Christopher de Padua, Jose Miguel Vasquez, Emily Cutting (Rockabilly Zombie Weekend) and Kelly Kilgore.

Laurie and Hugh are a successful young couple who have just closed on a weekend home away from the city. Unbeknownst to them, the neighbouring property contains the crumbling remains of a boarding school that was shuttered in the wake of an unspeakable massacre.

The sole survivor of that massacre still resides in the ruins of the school, hiding from the world and wanting only to be left alone. When Laurie and Hugh’s friends explore the property, they have no idea that they disturbed an emotionally-broken killing machine: The Blood Widow…

Reviews:

“I’d love to think of Blood Widow as an homage to eighties slashers, but eighties slashers had at least some semblance of a narrative. And they also knew how to give the villains a showcase to demonstrate how lethal they are. While Blood Widow isn’t a complete dropping of the ball, it still really has nothing to offer beside a very sleek and visually pleasing slasher villain.” Felix Vasquez, Cinema Crazed

“Blood Widow plays its story seriously, but its kills are intentionally over the top. The almost campy tone to the bloody brutality somehow works, even though it strikes a different chord than how the rest of the film is themed.  Impossible decapitations and rapidly uncoiling innards are just some of the physics-defying deaths on display in all their gory glory.” Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt

“Maybe this would have passed muster thirty years ago? Now, not so much, with viewers far more cynically self-aware, and wanting more than an uninteresting rehash of its predecessors. Save the gender of the assailant, there’s nothing new or of note here; it isn’t enough, when it’s little more than an afterthought, and everything else we get, has been done a lot better elsewhere.” Jim McLellan, Girls with Guns

“ …as a result of relegating its namesake character for the majority of the movie the potential to be an outstanding horror film was mostly squandered. The fact the silent character didn’t exist in the minds of others throughout the movie as something to explore or satisfy their curiosity made the first half feel un-engaging, and didn’t give a context to the character. However when the Blood Widow was on the screen it was exciting…” Kareem Ali, The Hulking Reviewer

“Like with all very low-budget horror-films these days, you have to lower your expectations considerably, especially with so many being made in an already saturated genre. Blood Widow offers nothing you haven’t seen many times before, but the kills are rather novel and there are a few differences to this derivative tale to make it quite watchable. Nav Qateel, Influx magazine

“The acting overall, is dreadful, with the exception of Danielle Lilley who gives a good performance as the film’s heroine and Kelly Kilgore as stoner chick Harmony. As well as having a good story, believable actors are a must and here, 99.9% of them are just plain terrible. However, I do have to give kudos to the film’s composer John Czaban…” James McDonald, Red Carpet Crash

” …your typical slasher, with everything in place, brutal killings, a masked killer with a very clichéd and fragmented backstory, the occasional sex and nudity that always ends badly, and so on and so forth – and yet, Blood Widow works better than a whole lot of them, basically because it takes its time to develop its characters, it builds up its story organically…” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

“Amateur night performances are part and parcel when your hobby is collecting slasher films, but this makes the actors in The Dorm That Dripped Blood look like Streep and Nicholson.” Hudson Lee, Vegan Voorhees

Release:

Florida-lensed Blood Widow was issued on DVD in the US via Midnight Releasing on June 3rd, 2014. It has subsequently been released via Redbox and free on YouTube via The Orchard.

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Hotel Inferno 3: The Castle of Screams is a 2018 Italian first-person perspective supernatural horror film written and directed by Giulio De Santi (Hotel Inferno and Hotel Inferno 2; Taeter City; Adam Chaplin) and Tiziana Machella for Necrostorm productions.

Frank has retrieved the Fire element but is still trapped in the hellish Hotel Inferno.

Now Frank must pass through the Village of the Disease, struggling to survive the frozen horrors that haunt those cursed passages, until he finally reaches the Castle of Screams. There he will find his only ally, The Witch, who is being held captive along with the Ice element.

However, he must be beware. The Castle is guarded by an army of unspeakable horrors. On this cold journey Frank will face many infernal atrocities, and the demons are not his only enemies. He must fight for his sanity, retrieve the Ice element, and take the second step towards resurrection…

The film is currently in production.

IMDb

Clown Motel Massacre is a 2018 American comedy horror film directed by Tom Newth (cinematographer on Dracula’s Sorority Sisters; Things 4; Dracula in a Women’s Prison; et al) from a screenplay by Keith Parker (Witchcraft 14: Angel of Death; Predator World; Bloody Mary 3D). The David S. Sterling co-production stars Angela Nordeng, Ryan Izay and Tasha Tacosa.

A group of ghost hunters, The Paranormal Searchers Squad, travel to the Clown Motel to see for themselves if the legend of William McReady, a murderous motel owner with a clown fetish, is true.

While they’re investigating the motel and nearby cemetery for paranormal activity the team start to lose track of one another. One by one, the group becomes smaller and more fearful for their lives…

Cast and characters:

• Angela Nordeng … Sara Bledsoe
• Ryan Izay … Kyle Carter – Dracula’s Sorority Sisters; Beach Massacre at Kill Devil Hills 
• Tasha Tacosa … Mya Friend
• Jessie Lee Pauli … Nicole Carpenter
• Morgan Tyler … Taylor Henderson
• Kelly Erin Decker … Laura Winchester
• Phillip Trickey … Martin Darrow
• John Ward … William McReady
• Andy Davis … Randy Owens
• Darcie … Cynthia Darrow
• Jeremy Adesso … Jason Turner
• Barbara of Tonopah … Crazy Drunk Tweaker

Filming locations:

Goldfield and Tonopah, Nevada, USA
San Pedro, California, USA

IMDb

‘After 65 million years… the beast is back.’

Jurassic Predator is a 2018 British science fiction horror action film directed by Andrew Jones (Robert the Doll and sequels; Werewolves of the Third Reich; Cabin 28; et al) from a screenplay co-written with Christian Sellers (Cheerleader Camp: To the Death). The North Bank Entertainment production stars Lee Bane, Richard Dee-Roberts and Jason Homewood.

Scientists working at a top secret government research facility are conducting experiments to reanimate a dinosaur using prehistoric DNA. The scientists believe the experiment will lead to fame and fortune but instead it leads to death and destruction when the terrifying T-Rex grows at an accelerated pace.

After rampaging through the research centre, the fearsome creature escapes into nearby Devil’s Creek. The government hires a squad of deadly mercenaries to lead a search and destroy mission. It’s man against the most vicious beast of all time – and neither will survive while the other is alive…

In the USA, Jurassic Predator is released on DVD via Sony on June 5, 2018. A British DVD release, via 4Digital Media, is scheduled for 22 June 2018.

Cast and characters:

• Lee Bane … Hawkins – Robert the Doll and sequels; Werewolves of the Third Rei
  ch; Cabin 28; Theatre of Fear; The Amityville Asylum; et al
• Richard Dee-Roberts … Major Harris – Killerhertz
• Jason Homewood … Redgrave – Cabin 28; The Curse of Robert the Doll 
• Lee Mark Jones … Rankin
• Derek Nelson … Stahl
• David Lyndon … Exley
• Darren Swain … Whittaker
• Travis Booth-Millard … Daniel
• Matthew Curran … Private Baines
• Harry Russell … Professor Massey
• Claire Carreno …  Professor Myers
• Nathan Head … Dominic
• Megan Lockhurst … Bonnie
• Rachael Jones … Heather
• Sarah John … Cat

Trivia:

The film’s working title was Primeval Predator

IMDb

‘Terror waits for you in every room in’

The House That Dripped Blood is a 1970 British horror anthology film directed by Peter Duffell and produced by Amicus Productions. It stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee.

The film is a collection of four short stories, all originally written and subsequently scripted by Robert Bloch, linked by the protagonist of each story’s association with the eponymous building.

Scream Factory is releasing The House That Dripped Blood on Blu-ray on May 8, 2018. The special features are:

• New audio commentary by film historian/author Troy Howarth
• New interview with second assistant director Mike Higgins
• Audio commentary with director Peter Duffell and author Jonathan Rigby
• A-Rated Horror Film – Vintage featurette with director Peter Duffell and actors Geoffrey Bayldon, Ingrid Pitt, and Chloe Franks
• Theatrical trailers: English and Spanish
• Radio spots
• Amicus radio spots collection
• Still gallery

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Shortly after renting an old country house, film star Paul Henderson mysteriously disappears and Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) from Scotland Yard is called to investigate.

Inquiring at the local police station, Holloway is told some of the house’s history. He then contacts the estate agent (John Bryans) renting the house, who elaborates further by telling Holloway about its previous tenants…

‘Method for Murder’ (originally published in Fury #7, July 1962)

A hack writer of horror stories (Denholm Elliott) moves into the house with his wife (Joanna Dunham) and is haunted by visions of Dominic (Tom Adams), the murderous, psychopathic central character of his latest novel.

‘Waxworks’ (originally published in Weird Tales Vol. 33 #1, January 1939)

A retired stockbroker (Peter Cushing) and his friend (Joss Ackland) become fixated with a macabre waxwork museumthat appears to contain a model of a lady they both knew.

‘Sweets to the Sweet’ (originally published in Weird Tales Vol. 39 #10, March 1947)

A private teacher (Nyree Dawn Porter) is perturbed by the cold and severe way a widower (Christopher Lee) treats his young daughter (Chloe Franks), even forbidding her to have a doll. The teacher feels like a helpless bystander, but his daughter is not everything that she seems.

‘The Cloak’ (Unknown, May 1939)

Temperamental horror film actor Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) moves into the house while starring in a vampire film being shot nearby. He buys a black cloak from a peculiar shopkeeper (Geoffrey Bayldon) to use as his film character’s costume. The cloak seems to instil in its wearer strange powers, something Paul’s co-star (Ingrid Pitt) quickly discovers…

Reviews:

“The end result may leave those weaned on rough-and-tumble horror fare nonplussed but fans of old-fashioned spookiness will find The House That Dripped Blood an enjoyable exercise in old-school horror storytelling.” Donald Guarisco, AllMovie

“This Amicus production is one the very best, thanks to a talented all-star cast, astute direction from first timer Peter Duffell and a very knowing and clever screenplay by Robert Bloch (Psycho) that takes familiar horror conventions and gives them creative new spins.” Justin McKinney], The Bloody Pit of Horror

” …in-jokes and references to the genre are abound, and the film is constructed with colorful flair, as well as atmospheric scares and style rather than gory shock effects, and the music by Michael Dress is hauntingly unique. The cast of mostly British TV veterans, is superb, handling the fun material so well…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …it’s campy at times, creepy at times, and rocks a decidedly EC Comics vibe with all of its twist endings and mad people. More than anything, though, it’s a real celebration of “horror.” Characters are tied to the genre in various ways, and there are shout outs to Poe, Hoffman, Universal monsters…” Stacie Ponder, Final Girl

“Perhaps as a debuting director, Duffell lacks the polish that Freddie Francis, the most prolific director of Amicus’s anthologies, brought. The stories are, as always, variable. The wraparound premise is much weaker than is usually the case with Amicus’s anthologies, while even the title seems more lurid than usual.” Richard Scheib, Moria

“It’s got a great cast as always and there’s something for every horror fan with different sub-genres being tackled. Unfortunately it just lacks the extra scare factor to take it as far as it needed to go. It’s chilling as opposed to thrilling and there’s a real lack of true scares with black humour the order of the day.” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

” …too flimsy in structure to truly compel and unnerve, and Amicus’ slapdash production doesn’t help much. Duffell’s direction is mostly tamed and hemmed in by the low budget and barely contiguous narrative, sporting only occasional flurries of strong imagery.” Roderick Heath, This Island Rod

“Three of the episodes are rough-and-ready but vigorous Grand Guignol fun […]  The fourth is something else again, a marvellous mood piece of chilling intensity about a lonely, angelic child (the remarkable Chloë Franks) who compensates rather nastily…” Time Out Film Guide

” …while it isn’t quite as good as Asylum it proves that Bloch’s work makes for a decent batch of stories (save the last one), gives us two horror icons in small roles and plays better than a good share of the anthology flicks of the time (such as Tales That Witness Madness).” The Video Graveyard

“The House That Dripped Blood is one of Amicus’ classier anthologies, strongly acted and imaginatively staged by Peter Duffell [who] gives the proceedings a discreetly self-reflective tone from the outset. Trawling the interior of the fateful house, the camera comes to rest on a skull perched astride a copy of Lotte Eisner’s book The Haunted Screen at the very moment that Duffell’s director credit pops up.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic, 2004 (third edition)

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

“By far and away the best of Amicus’s compendium horror films, directed with flair by Peter Duffell and working both as straightforward horror film and, in The Cloak, as a witty and effective send-up of the genre.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook, 1982

” …neatly made and generally pleasing despite a low level of originality in the writing.” Leslie Halliwell, Halliwell’s Film Guide, 1981

” …tried to create interest in itself through the ironist’s device of self-deprecation, flavoured in turn by the rather specialized aura of camp. But because it does not completely relinquish its commitment to horror, its self-mockery is only partially sustained, and the film ends up with an unsure tone and a shaky sense of audience.” Wall Street Journal

Cast and characters:

‘Framework’

• John Bennett as Detective Inspector Holloway
• John Bryans as A.J. Stoker
• John Malcolm as Sergeant Martin

‘Method For Murder’

• Denholm Elliott as Charles Hillyer
• Joanna Dunham as Alice Hillyer
• Tom Adams as Richard/Dominic
• Robert Lang as Dr. Andrews

‘Waxworks’

• Peter Cushing as Philip Grayson
• Joss Ackland as Neville Rogers
• Wolfe Morris as Waxworks Proprietor

‘Sweets to the Sweet’

• Christopher Lee as John Reid
• Nyree Dawn Porter as Ann Norton
• Chloe Franks as Jane Reid
• Hugh Manning as Mark
• Carleton Hobbs as Dr. Bailey

‘The Cloak’

• Jon Pertwee as Paul Henderson
• Ingrid Pitt as Carla Lynde
• Geoffrey Bayldon as Theo von Hartmann
• Jonathan Lynn as Mr. Petrich

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

Filming locations:

• Community Hall, Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK (waxworks/antiques shop)
• Filmed from 29 June 1970 at Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK (the titular house was Yew Tree House, a lodge on the back-lot that was subsequently demolished in the early 1970s)

Trivia:

The BBFC apparently initially awarded the film with an ‘A’ certificate until Amicus were asked by distributors to request an ‘X’ instead, fearing that its intended audience would be put off by such a youth-friendly rating.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: This Island Rod | The Video Graveyard | Wrong Side of the Art!