PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ve been enjoying Brad Twigg’s movies for a few years now. Honestly, he’s one of my all-time favorite low-budget horror directors with films like Deathboard (2020 – our review), Brimstone Incorporated (2021 – our review), the Frames of Fear franchise (our reviews here and here), Killer Campout (2017 – our review). When I heard about Shriekshow, I was pretty excited since Twigg was involved. After viewing the movie, I can honestly say that it’s definitely Brad’s best flick to date.
Being a fan of Twigg’s work for so long, it’s fun to see him evolve and get better with each film he directs. I see a maturity in Shriekshow. Don’t get me wrong, the trashy aesthetic is still present, but I think the filmmaker has really improved his game in this movie.
Synopsis:
Four friends travel to a supposedly haunted abandoned circus on Halloween and encounter a ringmaster setting up a sideshow exhibit who proceeds to tell them three terrifying tales.
Shriekshow was directed by Brad Twigg, written by Todd Martin (Deathboard), Chris O’Brocki (Wrestlemassacre), and Douglas Snauffer (Fiendish Fables) and stars Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp – our retro review, Victor Crowley – our review), Tuesday Knight (A Nightmare On Elm Street IV: Dream Master, The Amityville Moon), Lyon Beckwith (Priest), Julie Anne Prescott (Teacher Shortage – our review), Beverly Randolph (Death House), Rebecca Rinehart (The Embalmer – our review), Scott Swope (Necropolis), and Diana Noris (I Kill Demons).
Shriekshow is simple but effective. All three stories are fun, but I enjoyed the second story most of all. It was fun to see one of my fellow PopHorror writers, Rebecca Rinehart, putting on a great performance. It isn’t just Rinehart that does a great job; the whole cast puts in solid performances, including horror icon Felissa Rose. The kill scenes are well done. There isn’t a weak one in the film. The FX team did a great job and should be proud of their work.
I have to give a huge shout out to Rocky Gray (our interview) and Mike Trebilcock for the soundtrack. You guys did a phenomenal job! The music fits every scene perfectly, and it sounds amazing.
The directing by Brad Twigg is so good in Shriekshow. The sound is amazing, the pace of the film is never slow or dull. Although the movie is almost two hours long, it never feels like a chore watching it. It is entertaining from start to finish. I’m looking forward to even more of Brad Twigg’s future projects. I can’t wait to see him get better and better. Shriekshow, in my opinion, is his best movie, without question. If you’ve never seen a Brad Twigg movie, then there is no better film to start with than Shriekshow.
Great article!