It can be too easy to write off a sequel. Often considered a quick attempt to ride the wave of its predecessor’s success, the consensus is that sequels very rarely manage to reach the same heights of the movies they follow. Yet genre franchises consistently prove otherwise. For every weak sequel, countless others successfully improve […]
Over ten years ago, Bryan Bertino made waves with his bleak debut, The Strangers, which set a high bar for home invasion horror. His subsequent films confirmed his trademark style- nihilistic horror uninterested in tidy answers and happy endings. His latest, The Dark and the Wicked, harkens back to his debut in terms of pessimism, simplicity, […]
From atomic monsters to “nature attacks” features, horror has long explored humankind’s effect on the environment. As natural disasters seem to be on the upswing, it’s no surprise that eco-based horror is also on the rise. The latest centers around fracking, the controversial technique in which water, sand, and chemicals are injected into shale rock […]
It’s hard to pin down what kind of film The Block Island Sound is, but that’s actually a large part of its appeal. The film hails from siblings Kevin & Matthew McManus, who were responsible for Netflix’s short-lived two season wonder American Vandal. Anyone familiar with that surprisingly smart and complex series won’t be surprised to […]
More often than not, there’s safety in numbers. Being alone can make you vulnerable to predators, human or otherwise. If you’re female, traveling alone at night can be downright perilous. The fittingly titled Alone takes that concept and runs with it. The latest by director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) puts its central character […]
One of the most beloved new characters that was introduced in Wes Craven’s Scream 4 was horror fan Kirby Reed, played by Hayden Panettiere. Kirby, alas, met a grim fate in the film, repeatedly stabbed in the stomach and… presumed dead? It’s probably safe to assume the character was indeed killed off in the movie, […]
I’ve had a passion for found-footage ever since I first laid eyes on The Blair Witch Project. I don’t think there’s any other sub-genre out there that can reduce filmmaking to its bare essentials and still craft highly effective stories that are just as impactful in your living room or laptop as they are on […]
Horror remakes often get a bad rap. For fans, nothing draws ire as fast as a remake announcement of a highly regarded original. In other words, there’s immense pressure for any filmmaker attempting to approach a beloved property with their own vision. But while there have been plenty of maligned horror remakes over the years, […]
Presented with a virtual Cheval Noir Award this weekend at the ongoing Fantasia International Film Festival, John Carpenter also took part in an hour-long “masterclass” conversation packed with questions from fans, talking about his music and films. During the chat, Carpenter noted that The Thing is the film he’s most proud of, while also teasing, […]
If you took The Village and Rosemary’s Baby and tossed them into a blender, you’d have the moody aesthetic of The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw. An opening text scroll delivers setup exposition about an isolated settlement established in the late 1800s and the briefest history overview. The most important note is that a child was birthed in secret to a […]