Charlie Cargile

Central Illinois based film journalist. Lover of cinema of all varieties but in love with films with an independent spirit. Elder Emo. Cat Dad. Metalhead.

F.C. Rabbath’s ‘The Waiting’ (2020) Movie Review

While I’m not a fan of modern day paranormal cinema, I am a fan of storytelling that uses ghosts in creative ways to tell a unique idea. One of my favorites is Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak, a Gothic horror/drama that uses ghosts to help a young woman solve mysteries. …

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Sang-yo Yeon’s ‘Train To Busan 2: Peninsula’ (2020) – Movie Review

I’m a huge fan of South Korean cinema with some of my favorites being I Saw The Devil (2010 – read our review here), Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002), and Parasite (2019). The film that started my interest in South Korean cinema was Train To Busan (2016 – read our review here). …

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Brittany Blanton’s ‘Ambrosia’ (2020) Short Film Review

Sometimes I get emails about projects to review that get me really excited. That was the case when I got a message from Concept Media’s Shawn Burkett about a short film called Ambrosia, the latest directorial effort from Brittany Blanton (who directed the excellent short film Breaking Vera – read …

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Ember Burns’ ‘The Motel’ (2020) Short Film Review

I absolutely love Ember Burns (read our interview with her here) ever since I first saw her as Heavenly Holly in Slaughterhouse: House of Whores 2.5 (2017). Ember is a woman of many talents: acting, writing, directing, and modeling. She really can do it all. Recently, she released her short …

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Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer’s ‘Trick’ (2019) Movie Review

When I first heard about Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer’s latest collaboration, Trick (2019 – read another PopHorror writer’s thoughts here), I was tremendously excited. I have been a fan of Lussier since Dracula 2000 (which I have fond memories of watching with my older sister on VHS) and of …

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‘Dolly Deadly 1.5’ (2020) Short Film Review

Dolly Deadly is one of the first films I ever reviewed, way back when I was writing on Medium. Since then, I have had the chance to interview Dolly Deadly director Heidi Moore as well as break the news on the musical sequel, Kill Dolly Kill, which is currently in …

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‘M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters)’ (2020) Movie Review

What makes a monster? Is it hereditary, the way they are brought up or something else entirely? In the found footage film M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters), we are witness to a battle of wills between a mother and son that seeks to answer that question. Does it leave us with …

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Concept Media’s ‘Trespassing’ (2020) Movie Review

I’ve been following Concept Media since Don’t Fuck in the Woods (read my review here) was released back in 2016. Since then, I’ve reviewed most of their features and short films, and I’m always excited when they announce a new project. Recently, they did something a little different: They revealed …

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Movie Review: ‘Swallow’ (2020) Is A Powerful Film

What would you do if you felt completely and utterly powerless? What if you significant other and in-laws controlled every facet of your life? How would you regain control? This is the journey that Hunter, the protagonist of the film Swallow finds herself going on and its a completely engrossing …

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PLAY. PAUSE. KILL. (2020) Short Film Review

The dating scene is crazy nowadays, with meeting people online and through dating apps being the primary means of finding each other. That is bound to be a little risky, right? But how risky could it be? Could it cost you your life? This is explored in the French short …

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