Reviews

Here we are at the end of January, a time when large swaths of the population experience seasonal depression. The feasts are long gone, old man winter is biting at your nose, and it’s time to take down those yuletide decorations. Leave them up for one last night, because I’ve …

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 …

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 …

It’s time once again for another DVD/Blu-ray restoration from Vinegar Syndrome. Pack your bags, because this time, we’re taking a trip to the Caribbean in Zombie Island Massacre (1983)! Also known as The Last Picnic, Zombie Island Massacre is the first and only movie by Writer/Director John N. Carter and …

I love fantasy and I love horror, so when both worlds collide it’s usually a magical experience for me. That’s why I was super stoked for The Siren. The new fantasy-horror film from writer-director Perry Blackshear (They Look Like People). The cast includes Evan Dumouchel, MacLeod Andrews, and Margaret Ying …

Equal parts fascinating, darkly funny and chilling, Gillian Wallace Horvat’s I Blame Society is a decidedly different kind of black comedy. It stars Horvat as herself, a director desperately trying to make her big break. Discouraged, she decides to pick up an old script of hers called “I, Murderer,” which is …

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 …

The incredible thing about really great short films is their ability to tell an entire story in a short period of time without losing the sense of wonder and awe that comes from watching a longer film. A Noise That Carries (2019), directed by Giullermo de la Rosa (Clavel 2013), …

Every once in awhile, a movie comes along that completely changes the way you look at something. It makes you think, “Damn it, why the hell didn’t I think of that?” Allergic Overreation is that movie. Directed by Zachary Eglinton (The Poisoning 2013), the 14 minute film stars Ace Marrero …

There have been haunted myths, legends and horror stories about soul-stealing cameras since the earliest photograph. In his latest feature, Killer Camera Monsters, Writer/Director Ryan McBay (Transformers 2007) puts a new spin on this ancient idea with a cursed camera inflicting far worse of a fate. Down on his luck, …