Reviews

The first Blood and Honey was not good, but not as bad as everyone says and I also found it amusingly watchable. This sequel is not only watchable, but also passable as a "real" movie. The gore is great, costumes look solid, and we get a back story on the creatures which absolutely works in this type of universe. It takes it self seriously, but didn't come off as too serious like the first film.

But is Blood and Honey 2 maybe too good? I couldn't help but think this sequel felt in its own universe, and completely unrelated to the first film. Take the look of Pooh. He looks much better, yes. But the character looks nothing like the first movie which takes me out a bit. There's also a sequence where characters are watching the first movie! Is this sequel pulling a Human Centipede 2? Or are they pulling a Scream/Stab? I lean towards the ladder, but then don't use footage from the first movie!

Yes, these complaints seem petty, but continuity issues that are insanely easy to fix bug me. That said the only real issue I have is there's almost no honey eating. In the first movie, Pooh was eating honey every chance he got!

Overall, this movie is pretty fun and dare I say it's even good. The gore is great, featuring an epic opening scene and climax (bit of a lull in the middle). I'm fully on board for this Poohniverse nonsense.

"It's Poohin' time!"

Very much a slow burn indie horror effort that won't be for everyone. In fact, I'd argue this isn't even really a horror film.

Stopmotion has great performances (especially the lead, Aisling Franciosi), eerie and spooky scenes, really cool practical effects, and a pretty great climax.

The pacing is a little slow at times in the middle, but I was never bored. The movie had a way of conveying information in a way where I felt confident in what happened without having an exposition dump explaining everything.

Very good movie, and I'll be keeping a look out for upcoming projects from this director.

Seems like this one didn't connect with a lot of people, and I really hope Founders Day finds its audience.

It was a good blend of humor and horror without being an outright horror/comedy, which maybe was the problem for some. Also, perhaps people were looking for an underlying political message since it's set with the backdrop of a divisive mayoral race. The movie doesn't get bogged down with an annoying "message" about politics, hitting you over the head with political preachiness. To me this was a strength.

The killer's outfit is awesome, and there are twists and turns you won't expect (even if you guess a portion of the ending). The kills aren't amazing, but they work perfectly fine and are satisfying enough.

Overall, Founders Day really surprised me. Glad I went to the theater for it!

Sure, it's stuff you've seen before. And maybe you've even seen it done better in other films. But Jason Statham beating up bad guys will never get old.

The Beekeeper wouldn't work without Statham, and the movie knows it. It has fun with its premise and keeps a brisk pace. Last month's Silent Night was also a been-there-done-that action flick, but it didn't work as well because it was taking itself too damn seriously. The Beekeeper knows what it is and goes straight for it. Jason Statham talking about bee nonsense and protecting the hive was a hoot.

I had a blast with it, and hope for a sequel. Probably objectively a 3 or 3.5 star film, but I'm awarding it an unironic 4 star for being so damn fun.

Night Swim is a fun, entertaining, horror flick that feels like it should have come out ten years ago. Perhaps the filmmakers were a little too sincere, but that adds to the fun.

The film follows a family who in traditional horror fashion, buy a home that has a dark past. Their pool is basically haunted. At first the pool seems fun, and therapeutic for the father who suffered a sports injury, but soon the kids see spooky ghosts in the pool.

It falls into many tropes and traps of haunted house films you saw back in the 2010's. If you set your expectations right, you might laugh your way through the silly nature of many scenes. Others may roll their eyes.

For me personally, I was won over and had a good time. But don't set your expectations high- this is far from a new horror classic.

I think this one is getting criticized too harshly but what can I say? I was a little disappointed myself.

My disappointment comes from the expectations set by the YouTube short films this feature is based upon. In the shorts, the Jester prowls the night and goes after those who aren't impressed by his magic tricks.

The feature length The Jester has very little of this, with the Jester turning into more of a slasher villain who is hunting the daughter of his victim in the opening scene. And why is he doing all this? Well it seems to be because The Jester is an over complicated metaphor for grief when I think the people just wanted to see the Jester play some pranks on people.

That said, I didn't hate it. I actually quite enjoyed it. Had I not seen the short films, I may have enjoyed it even a tad more. The budget was likely incredibly low and they did a good job with what they were given. The acting worked for me, and the Jester looked great. This is a recommend for those who are fans of low budget horror even if it's a bit over complicated.

Not very well written, or well thought out. It seemed like they came up with a cool title and idea, then rushed it into production. The dialogue sounds like it came from a first draft and was very hard to take seriously.

The slasher element isn't very interesting because you know who it is from the trailer/opening scene. The jokes aren't all that funny either. Which puts this movie in a very grey in-between of being oddly watchable, yet unbearable all at the same time.

Felt like a straight to streaming movie yet I saw it in a theater so props to the studio for that I suppose. Haven't been a fan of these types of slashers though with Totally Killer and the like.

Divinity is a very stylized, black and white sci-fi/horror adjacent/thriller. Destined to be divisive, but very much worth checking out if the trailer peaked your interest.

The film is very strange but I was never lost. There is a clear and defined plot that isn't convoluted. The acting is rough around the edges, the dialogue is not polished, but in many ways this contributes to the style of the film.

That's not to say this movie is "so bad it's good." The style will not work for everyone though. The one thing that is inarguable is the movie's ability to stay cemented in your brain. This is a movie that I don't believe will leave your mind so quick like a big budget Hollywood film.

Is this movie empty, vapid and all style over substance? Is it a deep and meaningful reflection about what humans value? For me, somewhere in between but nonetheless a very entertaining film.

Divinity will definitely find its audience but it still isn't the next Blade Runner. Check it out.

I've followed the South Ridge Films YouTube channel for a few years and I was really excited to see them get a feature film released, so big congrats to Ryan Sheets and the team.

The movie itself is quite good for fans of the low budget horror sub genre. The movie looks stunning and and the colors and visuals are great. The cinematography is excellent, and The Pumpkin Man himself looks great and is captured well on film.

The film oozes the Halloween season and is perfect for that time of year. I had a lot of fun and am anxious to see what is next for The Pumpkin Man and the team behind it.

Get the Blu-ray from Scream Team Release for some fun special features too.

This film has a very strong first half. So much so I was confused by how bad the reviews are. Then the second hour comes. While it doesn't quite fall off a cliff, the payoff isn't as good as the set up.

The movie seems to be very ideologically confused, and as the title suggests believing is how to conquer evil. Believe in what though? Not sure.

I'm not sure this movie will appeal much to fans of the original Exorcist. It does not have the same vibes. That's probably ok, as it's hardly a sequel at all. Ellen Burstyn is criminally underused.

The Exorcist as a modern day studio horror film was never that great of an idea. But hey, I'll show up the The Exorcist: Deceiver.

It isn't quite the return to form we were promised. It doesn't quite feel like an early Saw film. Instead, Saw X focuses heavily on John Kramer, and he takes the lead instead of the lead being someone involved in the traps.

The story takes a little longer than I hoped to get going, but once it takes off, it is quite a fun and cringe-inducing ride.

But the good is that the traps are memorable, and Jigsaw is back baby!! Also the editing is frenetic and reminiscent of the originals without being as over the top as the originals.

The twist at the end is sufficient, but not mind-bending. It's not so much a twist, actually. But I can't expand on that without spoilers. So just go see it. It will please fans! Stay for the credits too.

If a movie called Slotherhouse sounds good to you, you should check it out. The jokes may not land all the time, and it being PG-13 was very frustrating due to there being hardly any blood/gore.

Yet, at the end of the movie I was smiling and rooting for our leads. There is some very acceptable character work here that is done in a way that seems cheesy and odd, but on brand to the style of the movie.

Not perfect, but definitely a memorable flick that delivers funny sloth antics. Just wish there was more to the kills. The movie seems to really shove the kills to the side in a few scenes. Not sure if this is due to budget or trying to acquire a PG-13 rating- or both.

Something about the trailers rubbed me the wrong way... but this is getting astounding hype so I had to check it out.

Let me start by saying there's obviously much skill on display here. There are some very well crafted scenes and the movie as a whole is very well shot.

But overall Talk to Me didn't quite win me over. The characters are very dumb and I wasn't sold on getting possessed as a fun party trick - especially how the pushback was essentially non-existent. Seemed like no one had any knowledge of the opening scene?

The movie does avoid a boring middle where the characters back trace and try to find the origins of the object. But since we know nothing about the hand, I felt like I had to accept way too many premises and the rules became a bit muddy. Especially with that ending. That's a bit of a silly ending, isn't it?

Cobweb is certainly a flawed film, but has enough going for it to keep me heavily invested and having a good time watching.

The camera work is sleek, the house is horrifying, the performances are good enough, and being honest: in a theater this was actually quite spooky with some well crafted scares. The third act is very odd, structurally. It even turns into a slasher movie for a minute there. But I actually enjoyed the bonkers nature of it, though I understand it won't work for everyone.

As I mentioned, there are flaws. The relationship between Peter and his parents could have used some setup (has their relationship always been this weird?), and a few aspects of the ending had me very perplexed and don't seem to hold up if you think deeply about them. The last 60 seconds felt like it could have been stretched a little more for better closure, but I guess they wanted to keep it more open-ended?

I highly recommend Cobweb for more forgiving horror fans- which sounds like a knock on it, but it's really not. Certainly prefer this flawed but imaginative work compared to studio involved schlock.

In my humble (and perhaps unpopular) opinion this is a step above the two prequel films. Insidious: The Red Door is both a return to form and simultaneously a different feeling entry in the universe.

It gives us enough throwbacks to feel like a legacy sequel, coming out a shocking 10 years after Insidious: Chapter 2! This movie really does deliver the goods and I was not disappointed. This is a wonderful directorial debut for Wilson. There's enough jump scares to go around, and they are very well built.

Unfortunately, I think the film's third act is the weakest. It felt a little rushed, and I don't think it had as much buildup as they thought it did. However, it doesn't completely fall apart, just could have been stronger.

Overall, Insidious: The Red Door did not disappoint and I'd highly recommend - especially for those who like me felt the prequels didn't quite deliver.

Sick is one of those films I can't quite justify giving a very high rating, but is a blast to watch. The director describes the movie as not having a second act, and going from act 1 to act 3. I'd have to agree and it makes this movie breeze by.

A slasher with a low body count, but a fun time nonetheless. It knows it's not here to reinvent the genre, it's here to make you laugh and give you tense moments.

Doesn't go hardcore on COVID politics, one way or the other. Just presents a slasher set during the beginning of the pandemic, and makes it an important piece of the story without seeming awkward or forced.

A fun time. Someone please make a petition to get Peacock to release a physical media of this movie!

A quirky comedy (?) that takes a dark turn at the end. I can't quite tell if The Doom Generation is good or bad. Regardless, I quite enjoyed this wonky ride of a movie.

It contains very questionable acting and pacing but this movie is undoubtably entertaining and begging to be endlessly quoted. That dark ending really comes out of nowhere with very little build up. But it showcases that we live in a society, mannnn.

When all is said and done I can't quite say this is a masterpiece but I also can't say I didn't enjoy myself. A cult classic indeed, and one that kinda needs to be seen to be believed.

Evil Dead Rise has many of the right ingredients to work and certainly has its moments, but ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.

The decision to bring the series out of the cabin and into the city, in a confined apartment building, was quite the bold choice and not necessarily a bad one either. But I think it contributed to the feeling that this did not feel like an Evil Dead movie. There were plenty of Easter eggs for some callbacks, but that wasn't quite enough to change my mind that this should have been unrelated to Evil Dead, and just been a generic possession movie in a condensed apartment.

Evil Dead Rise can't quite get the tone right. It is a very odd mix of Rami-inspired gore gags while also playing it fairly straight like the 2013 Alvarez film. The movie does not know which fan base to attempt to please.

The film has a few moments where it shines, and a truly killer performance by Alyssa Sutherland, but overall it was a missed opportunity. The film lacked proper tension, and did not hit the mark on the horror, or the humor, landing in a weird middle ground.

Each one of Ari Aster's films seems to be for a more niche audience than the last. Therefore, Beau is Afraid is not for everyone- maybe not even fans of his prior films.

A three hour Lynchian nightmare where you constantly question everything on screen, trying to decipher what's reality, what's exaggerated and maybe not real at all.

Every performance is incredible, every scene is perfectly crafted and shot. Scenes seamlessly switch between being dramatic, to horrifying, to humorous.

I cannot wait to see this in the cinema a second time, and even more curious what's next for Aster as probably the most exciting young filmmaker working today.

Kill Her Goats is an amusing, low budget horror for the right crowd. It is shot very competently and has great practical effects.

The dialogue is hilariously bad, and is really what keeps this film entertaining. The film's weakness is in the pacing and editing. Sequences are just far too long and this film could have been chopped down quite a bit. I wouldn't say I was ever bored though. The characters talking to themselves, saying very out of the box things kept my attention.

Not a great movie by any means, but for fans of straight to disc/streaming horror, there might be something there for you. A 6/10 because I'm feeling generous.

Renfield is a lot of fun, entertaining, shockingly gory, and Nicholas Cage steals the show. There is some surprisingly good fight choreography that was unexpected.

It's not without flaws. Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina don't really have the chemistry to carry the film on their own. I kept waiting for Cage to come back to the screen. He plays Dracula perfectly, and was everything I had hoped. It's all the other stuff that doesn't play quite as well as I wanted it to.

Overall, Renfield is pretty fun, and I would still recommend it. Just don't expect a lot. It's not nearly as good as Vampire's Kiss!

Cool to see a movie before the slasher boom with the plot of a film-obsessed psycho murdering people inspired by classic films. Seems like I'll be in the minority here, but this movie didn't do it for me.

It was superrrrrr slow and while it started off strong, it ended up falling apart half way through, getting very uninteresting. The Marilyn character was very underused, Eric was unlikable and the detective sub plot is a real drag.

That said, I enjoyed the cinematography, and general idea. But this is one of the few times where I'd like to see someone remake this. Then again, the plot isn't supremely unique in this day and age.

I drove 45 minutes to see this in the the theater, so yeah I was excited! Malum is a remake of 2014's Last Shift, which has the same writer/director, Anthony DiBlasi. Ever since I saw Last Shift in 2014, it occasionally popped into my head as it was a solidly surprising horror film.

For the review I'll try to refrain from comparing and contrasting the two. Firstly, this movie has some tension! At a tight 90 minutes, this movie doesn't ever let up. It refrains from constant jump scares and has genuinely frightening imagery, complimented nicely with some well done jumps. The finale has some creepy people/entities that will not soon leave my mind.

It's not a perfect film. There are some slight issues with acting and line delivery here and there that do bring down the quality a tad, and the movie does get off to a moderately rocky start. But trust me, once it gets moving, then things really get tense.

Final thoughts: I greatly enjoyed Malum. But for me I'm not sure the quality was significantly raised enough to justify a remake and the plot stays very similar to the original. With that said, I'm not mad it exists. Recommended for fans of Last Shift and the indie horror genre.

Unmasked Part 25 is a little known oddball horror/parody from 1988. I don't see it having a wide appeal, even to some horror fans. The film has a very wonky tone, leaving me unsure if a joke was happening or not. Regardless, the film is very earnest, creating good character development for our leads. While the plot is quite ridiculous, you end up rooting for our leads Jackson and Shelly. For the right audience (like myself) this could be a hidden gem. Therefore I highly recommend giving this a watch, if you can find it. It's a great time, gory and incredibly fun!

The film looks wonderful on the Blu-ray release by Vinegar Syndrome.

Scream 6 has a lot going for it, and a lot to like.

The good: The setting is refreshing and fun! There are also a ton of tense sequences involving Ghostface and potential victims. The cinematography is great and adds to the tension. Hayden Panettiere is great as Kirby, and Courtney Cox as Gale has probably the best sequence in the whole film. The ending is action packed, and while it was partially predictable, the picture as a whole I didn't expect. Finally, Jenna Ortega as Tara and Mason Gooding as Chad are the best of the new characters.

The bad: As with Scream 5, some of the dialogue/acting is very clunky and questionable. I'm not sure if it's just these directors and how they direct their actors or who they're casting. But it is distracting at times. Another issue that carries over from Scream 5 is that these new characters are just not as fun and interesting as the original "legacy" characters. They had big shoes to fill, I get it, but all the characters from Scream 1 - 4 are better written and more memorable, even the characters that only appear in one film. Speaking of the new characters, Jasmin Savoy Brown is the horror movie buff and supposed to be similar to the Randy character from Scream 1 & 2, and it just doesn't land. They did not lean into this as heavily as Scream 5, which is great, but her character just doesn't work well for these new films. Scream 6 actually leans away from the "meta" approach, with essentially only one scene where the crew discusses they're in a sequel to the "requel."

Finally, one nitpick is that this movie seemed to market itself as something drastically different from the first five. From the opening scene it also looked like a very unique Scream entry. But ultimately in the end, it was pretty in line with the others. Which is ok with me, I enjoy the formula, but then don't market it that way.

Overall, I'd say this one lines up with Scream 5 pretty well as a welcomed and good addition to the series, but still missing that flare the originals had. But that's something that would be almost impossible to capture anyhow. It's a flawed but enjoyable film, and I'll show up for Scream 7.