Children have impressionable minds, even more so than those who become seized by religious zeal. In the Norwegian short film, Satan’s Barn (Children of Satan), directed by Thea Hvistendahl (Virgins4lyfe 2018), two girls become swept up with religious fever and make a terrible mistake. Synopsis: Louise (11) and Maria (11) …
Read More »Final Girls Berlin Film Festival 2020 Review: Last Seen is Wickedly Brilliant
I know I’ve said it before, but I really love a great short. There is just something I adore about a finely crafted film that tells a complete story in under 20 minutes. Not only does Last Seen accomplish this, but does it with style and a little dark humor. …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020 Movie Review ‘ARTIK’
I call shotgun! ARTIK, the name of the film and main protagonist is a bloody adventure about a serial killer obsessed with comic books written and directed by Tom Botchii. Tom Botchii, leading this directorial debut in a feature-length film, is also known for his shorts 11 Minutes, and Goldblooded. …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020 Review: ‘Greenlight’
Greenlight is a thriller about an amateur director who gets his opportunity at creating a feature-length film, but there’s a catch. One of the crew must suffer a terrible fate. The film was both created and directed by Graham Denman, his directorial debut in a feature-length film, who’s also an …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020 Review: ‘The Swerve’ (2019) Explores A Woman On The Verge
Mental illness is a subject that is often explored in movies, but rarely as raw and successfully done as in Writer/Director Dean Kapsalis’ (Jigsaw Venus 2000) The Swerve. The film stars a fragile, nearly stripped to the core Azura Skye (One Missed Call 2008) as Holly, a woman who slowly …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020 Review: ‘Uncle Peckerhead’ Is Loads Of Fun
Directed by Matthew John Lawrence (Larry Gone Demon 2015), Uncle Peckerhead shines a very different light on the semi-glamorous life of a touring musician. The film opens as Judy (a brilliant Chet Siegel: The Last Two People On Earth TV series), the lead singer/bass player of the group DUH, quits …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020: ‘The New End’ Is A Familiar Post-Apocalyptic Fable – Movie Review
Written and directed by Leonel Dietsche (3000 2015), The New End is a post-apocalyptic fairy tale, full of knights, kings, jesters, and magicians rotted beyond recognition in radioactive dust. But in this decaying kingdom, there’s only one fair maiden left. The moral of this story, eulogized in the simultaneously hopeful …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020: ‘Beyond the Woods’ Is An Awfully Long Walk – Movie Review
The reign of blue and orange color grading in movie-making is slowly fading away. As Hollywood leaves behind the tried-and-true contrasting color scheme, indie filmmakers have picked it up, rung it out, and pinned it up to dry. Director Brayden DeMorest-Purdy’s (Compulsion 2017) Beyond the Woods wears that rust and …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020: ‘Safe States’ Short Film Review
I had the opportunity to watch Anthony Ladesich’s (Forty-Five: The Search For Soul 2017) short film Safe States for Panic Fest 2020. The film clocks in at about 7 minutes and stars Chris Bylsma (The Kid 2019), Meagan Flynn (Up In The Air 2009) and newcomer Maggie Hutchison. Synopsis: In …
Read More »Panic Fest 2020 Short Film Review: ‘Amber,’ Is Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare
Every parent’s worst nightmare is the kidnapping of their child. The short film, Amber, directed by Andrew Wynkoop (To Pierce An Angel’s Wing 2017), addresses this issue with a nightmarish twist. I recently got to watch it for Panic Fest 2020. The film stars Sherill Quinn (Choice 2019), Johnny Gilligan …
Read More »