Friday, 31 July 2020

New on Netflix: July 31st


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of New on Netflix: July 31st. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

It’s Friday and you know what that means: It’s time to figure out what you’ll be watching this week. Welcome back to New on Netflix! The streaming giant’s horror department has always been a mixed bag. However, I’d say they’ve really stepped up their game in the last couple of years with the release of amazing, essential watches. We’ve been treated to must see original programming like The Haunting of Hill House, Velvet Buzzsaw, Hush, and some of the classics we all know and love. This week we enter a new month which means a slew of treats to watch; including a handful of thrillers and a French true-crime docuseries. Also See: Bacurau Smashes Colonialism [Blu-Ray Review] Elizabeth Harvest Coming to Netflix on August 1st is Elizabeth Harvest! When Elizabeth moves into her new husband’s lavish estate, he explains that she’s free to roam about freely. With the exception for one locked, forbidden room. The Addams Family Also coming to Netflix on August 1st is the 1991 classic The Addams Family, which focuses on the worlds most bizarre, aristocratic family who believe they’ve reconnected with a long lost relative with malicious intents. What Keeps You Alive  From the moment Jackie and Jules arrives at a secluded cabin in the woods to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, Jules notices a drastic change in her normally loving wife. Things escalate as Jackie begins to reveal a previously unknown dark side which results in a shocking revelation that will pit Jules against the woman she loves in a terrifying fight to survive. Available August 1st! World’s Most Wanted (Season 1) Arriving on August 5th is French docuseries World’s Most Wanted which follows five of the world’s most deadly criminals who remain at large and free from capture across the whole world. Follow us social media! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post New on Netflix: July 31st appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Nothing But the Blood is Ambitious, Promising [Review


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Nothing But the Blood is Ambitious, Promising [Review. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

Nothing But the Blood opens with Father (Les Best) walking to an altar shot in black-and-white. He reads the story of Judas’s betrayal and then looks right into the camera. Best brings a great intensity as he sermonizes, telling his viewers that, “Throughout your life, people will come to persecute you… If you fight hate with hate, who really wins in the end?” It’s a powerful opening, in large part because of Best’s stellar performance. He steals every scene he’s in.  The opening is better because of the contradictions in Father’s life as he opens a new chapter of his Emeth Church. Nothing But the Blood’s protagonist, Jessica (the film’s producer Rachel Hudson), is a reporter in the small western town the new branch is opening in. She begs her editor for the story, and soon she’s interviewing Father’s son Michael (Nick Triola) about the nature of the Church.  According to Michael, at Emeth “the goal is to foster that relationship between God and our members.” He goes on to explain that Emeth is a home church to avoid the anonymity of larger churches. Jessica challenges him on Emeth’s record, bringing up the way the Church’s members stoned a divorce woman and burnt the home of a gay couple. Michael quickly breaks, yelling, “Those sinners got what they deserved.”  Those kind of quick character turns happen frequently in Nothing But the Blood. Emeth has a lot in common with some real life Churches, but even the congregations that are human garbage need to be savvy to grow. They don’t send the people who are frothing at the mouth mad to yell at reporters. Many hateful churches have very polished spokespeople to spin the stories. For Michael to make such a glaring error while Jessica applies minimal pressure makes his character feel underdeveloped, a straw man if there ever was one.  His brother Thomas (Jordan O’Neal) is a different story. He meets Jessica the night before the interview at a bar. The two almost hook up, but he leaves her at her doorstep. When her editor sends her to an Emeth meeting, she walks in on him in the bathroom, having sex with Georgine (Jordan Hancock), but soon after she and Thomas are starting a relationship of their own.  Thomas is the most interesting character in the film because he has the potential to change. Jessica is an Atheist because a priest in her parish was caught molesting boys and moved an hour away instead of punished. Michael, Father, and Georgine are drinking the Kool-Aid. The four of them are so set in their ways that they’re not going to change under any circumstances. They’re more delivery devices for ideas than people, Thomas’s conflict makes him feel real.  It’s not the center of the film, but the most interesting moment is when Jessica challenges Thomas, saying, “If you’re part of it, you’re part of the whole thing. Guilty by association.” It’s not a new idea, but one that’s got a finger directly on the pulse of the political moment. For years, people have argued about whether being part of a Church means you support all of its ideas, especially when so many Churches damn members of the LGBT communities. Similarly, the U.S. national discourse is centered around whether the police officers that kill unarmed Black people are “bad apples” or the product of systemic racism. (It’s systemic racism. Read Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow if you don’t believe me.)  The way director-writer Daniel Tucker approaches this dangerous material in his second feature is admirable, but he cuts himself off at the legs with the simplicity of his character. Yes, I cheered when Thomas asked Father, “How exactly do you choose which of God’s rules you follow?” But it’s nothing anyone with a Facebook account hasn’t seen as a meme before. It’s bound to make Evangelical viewers angry and make other viewers shrug. The Other Lamb had a lot of success dealing with similar issues, in large part because it focused specifically on how Christianity fosters the reproduction of misogyny. That focus made the critiques in that film, which most viewers had probably heard before as well, razor sharp.  In addition to Nothing But the Blood falling short on the ideological front, it has failings as a film as well. While Les Best is excellent, the rest of the performers lack his polish and gravitas. The scenes are mostly in one shot with a stationary camera and dull backgrounds. As Joe Begos would put it, they look like they’re from “a Netflix show of the f***ing week” with almost bare, perfectly painted walls, barren of personality. A lot of time passes between these shots, giving Nothing But the Blood a feeling that it’s stopping and starting. The camera tilts frequently enough that the shot, normally used to communicate to viewers that something is off-kilter, is used so often it loses meaning. The music is frenetic at the beginning in a way that’s disconcerting, and too quiet in the end. Neither style fits the scenes the music is in.  All that said, Tucker and his crew delved into dangerous material bravely. It’s not the most nuanced or the most polished, but Nothing But the Blood puts its beliefs right in your face. It’s going to piss off the right people: the ones who hear churches covered up child molestation then ask why Christians are being held to unfair standards.  Wicked Rating – 5/10 Director: Daniel Tucker Writer: Daniel Tucker Stars: Rachel Hudson, Jordan O’Neal, Nick Triola, Les Best, Jordan Hancock Release Date: August 4, 2020 Studio/Production Company: Lola Cats Production Language: English Runtime: 89 minutes Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The post Nothing But the Blood is Ambitious, Promising [Review appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Thursday, 30 July 2020

Everything We Know About the New Chucky Series


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Everything We Know About the New Chucky Series. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

You can’t keep a Good Guy down. Recently horror fans were elated with the news that their favorite ginger haired, voodoo practicing, serial killing doll, Chucky is back! Charles Lee Ray, a.k.a. The Lakeshore Strangler, will be stalking the small screen via SyFy and the USA Network very soon. I have attempted to compile everything we know about the new show thus far. So, what can fans of Child’s Play franchise expect in this new outing? Read on for all the latest. The new series finds the Chucky property in the very capable and knowledgeable hands of writer and director Don Mancini. Mancini is the writer of the three original Child’s Play films along with Bride of Chucky. Mancini followed up the successful series with the films Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky which saw him not only the writing, but taking on the directorial duties as well. So, if anyone can pull off a television series about Chucky, I am more than confident Don Mancini  can. Mancini will write and Executive Produce the show. He also brought original film series producer David Kirschner onto the project as an Executive Producer. So, the pairing of Mancini and Kirschner should be all we need right? Well horror fans can rejoice. It was also announced that Nick Antosca, creator of the successful horror anthology series Channel Zero, will be involved as an Executive Producer. So, what exactly will Chucky be about? Well according to the official synopsis:  After a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwhile, the arrival of enemies and allies from Chucky’s past threatens to expose the truth behind the killings, as well as the demon doll’s untold origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became the notorious monster. Hmmmm interesting. A lot of the specifics about the show’s plot have been tightly guarded, but through interviews and articles, we’ve have gained a little insight into what we might expect to see. We do know that the show will be set in the same universe as Mancini’s original film series, completely disregarding the surprisingly and bafflingly popular 2019 reboot. During a Q&A session at a screening for the 20th anniversary of Bride of Chucky, Mancini told the audience that the show is planned for 10 episodes. Mancini explained that the series will be a continuation from his last film Cult of Chucky from 2017. “We deliberately ended Cult with a bunch of cliffhangers to set up a TV series.” He went on to say, “At the same time, we have a whole new world, a bunch of new characters which we can say nothing about.” Executive Producer Nick Antosca also had this to say about the upcoming series in an interview. “The series is going to be closer to the tone of the first two movies in the series. It’s going to go back to a sort of classic scare.” If you’re worried about being out of the loop, for those who have not seen Cult of Chucky, you can relax. Antosca also stated the show is “consistent with that mythology, but it’s a whole new story. So you could come into it without knowing anything about the previous stuff and get into it. But it is consistent with all the mythology that has come before, so it is in canon.” The YouTube channel 3C Films announced that one of the main characters will be a middle school boy who is also gay. The Chucky franchise is no stranger to having LGBTQ issues or characters as main plot points. As you may remember, this was touched on in Mancini’s 2004 film Seed of Chucky with the gender-fluid character of Glen/Glenda. In an interview with Dread Central Don Mancini said “We’ve sort of embraced over the years, a kind of specific gay identity for the franchise. I think it’s just being attentive to what is going on in the culture and what is going in the zeitgeist at any given time, and then using Chucky to get at those issues in an interesting, fun way.” When it was first announced that they were working on a television series about Chucky, I was skeptical of how it would be handled. But, after finding out who was involved, my fears quickly subsided. The only man who could ever do Chucky right, Brad Dourif, will be returning to the role of Charles Lee Ray/Chucky and lending his vocal talents as the murdering wise-cracker. It has also been announced that Jennifer Tilly will be returning as Chucky’s love interest and fellow psychopath Tiffany. Thus far, these have been the only cast members confirmed. Don Mancini has also confirmed that the new show will go back to the days of using practical effects. He said that the series will be “pretty much 100 percent puppetry.” So luckily it sounds like the use of CGI effects will be minimal. See Also: Interview Alex Vincent Talks the Child’s Play Franchise  With the world having changed a lot over the years since Chucky first appeared in 1988, kids in 2020 don’t operate the same. The world does not operate the same. Chucky is going to have to adapt some of his tried and true methods to this new world he finds himself in. Don Mancini had also already considered this as well. He was quoted in an interview saying “One thing I think I can probably safely say is that it’s a look at what it means to be a kid today in the 21st century, as distinct from what it was like to be a kid in the 1980’s when we first showed up on the scene. That’s one thing I think people can look forward to and thinking about: How does Chucky operate in a world where kids spend so much of their time on social media?” Mancini further elaborated stating “I think the prospect of seeing Chucky sharpen his skills and add to his toolbox, some of our technical goodies that we have at our disposal now, that’s something I think people will find pretty interesting. It’s so important to give Chucky new weapons, new strategies and new targets, new goals.” Some of the things that the Child’s Play and Chucky franchise are known for are its violent and usually inventive kills, and the gratuitous and vile insults that Chucky hurls. For those of you worried that these would have to be toned down for television, can breathe a sigh of relief. During a session at Comic-Con, Don Mancini told the audience “When Nick and I set up Chucky at Syfy, one of the first things we had to make sure of, was that Chucky could drop his F-bombs, because it’s such an intrinsic part of his character. Fortunately, before we signed on the dotted line, they confirmed, yes, he can. I think he can drop, like, eight F-bombs per episode or something like that”. Chucky began filming on July 6th of this year, with the shooting set to wrap on November 13th, which is a Friday. The show has been in development for well over a year/ COVID is partly to blame for the extended production time. The series, as of right now, is scheduled to premier sometime in 2021. So, that is everything that we know about the upcoming Chucky series. With the creative team behind the successful films taking the helm, I have high hopes and expectations for this new outing. With a lot of the original cast and crew returning to the show, I hope Mancini and Co. will somehow work Andy Barclay and his former foster sister Kyle into the mix. They were last seen in 2017’s Cult of Chucky. I will wait impatiently until 2021 when Chucky can haunt my television screen once more. In closing, I guess the only thing left to say is Ade due Damballa. Give me the power, I beg of you!!!

The post Everything We Know About the New Chucky Series appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Wednesday, 29 July 2020

Bacurau Smashes Colonialism [Blu-Ray Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Bacurau Smashes Colonialism [Blu-Ray Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

The film Bacurau opens with the fictional town its named after being erased from the map, literally. In an early scene, Plinio (Wilson Rabelo) asks his students to find Bacurau on Google Maps, but the section where it is is blank. His students are understandably concerned, and he reassures them, “Bacurau has always been on the map.”  The town is facing erasure in the physical world as well as the digital one. The mayor, Tony Jr. (Thardelly Lima), lives elsewhere and has cut off the village’s water supply. He’s seeking reelection, and is attempting to leverage the water for votes. The road into the town is closed to anyone else, but he brings a literal truck full of books when he visits. Before his goons dump them on the steps of the library, he commands the goons to, “Film it.” Along with the books, Tony Jr. also brought food past its expiration date and addictive medicine with dubious benefits. Bacurau is a chilling look at the way fascist regimes abuse the poorest of their people before the mercenaries arrive.  At its core, Bacurau is a battle between the people of the village and a team of mercenaries hired under mysterious circumstances to kill them. The mercenaries, led by Michael (played by the always great Udo Kier), are an all white kill squad who only use antiquated firearms to make the fight a challenge. Of course, the self-imposed restriction only applies to weapons that kill. Along with tommy guns and six shooters, they use a drone designed to look like a flying saucer and a cell-phone jammer.  The jammer is installed by two Brazilians shortly after the people of Bacurau discover the first murders. The Brazilians return safely, and attend the mercenaries’ meeting, unaware of how they’re perceived. When they talk to each other in Portuguese, Michael snaps, “Please don’t speak Brazilian here.” As the tensions increase, one of them says, “We’re like you guys.” The mercenaries are quick to fire back as one of them says, “How could you be like us? You’re not white.” It’s an incisive portrayal of racism, showing the white mercenaries turning a preferred group of Brazilians against the people of Bacurau. Other Brazilians. Their own people.  Bacurau is at its strongest during those moments. There’s another particularly incisive moment, when after Josh murders a child, Jerry calls him out, insisting that they don’t kill children. Josh defends himself, saying the boy was armed. Jerry counters, “That little boy had a flashlight” and Josh says, “Which I thought was a gun.” The scene closely mirrors the police killing of Tamir Rice in 2014. The moment is great, because as co-director and co-writer Juliano Dornelles says in an interview with Film at Lincoln Center included with the film in this release, “When you make a genre film using the real problems of society, it’s the right way to do a genre film.”  RELATED: Get Out Excels at Both Delivering Social Satire and Being a Horror Film! [Blu-Ray Review] In this genre film, the mercenaries aren’t expecting a fight from the people, but the people aren’t willing to be wiped out. Led by “Trigger King” Pacote (Thomas Aquino), Plinio, his American cousin Teresa (Bárbara Colen), Dr. Domingas (Sônia Braga), and a rebel living in the hills, Lunga (Silvero Pereira), the people fight back. Rather than having a main character, the village is a true ensemble.  As sharp as the commentary co-directors and co-writers Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Mendonça Filho offer is, Bacurau isn’t as exciting as it could be. The ending especially feels anticlimactic. Everything building up to it is great, but once it arrives there’s very little struggle. In order for a fight to be exciting, both sides need a chance to win. In this film, it never feels like the losers have a chance. What should be exciting feels rote, leaving audiences waiting for an expected outcome rather than wondering who will win.   It’s a small quibble in what is a strong film. Bacurau’s other major achievement is the way it welds modern technology into a Western, where for once the native people are portrayed with humanity. Fihlo puts it better in another interview included with this edition: “[the people] would not be simple. They would be great.”  That clash of the modern world and cowboy aesthetic is present throughout the film, but maybe nowhere more than the music. Some of it is acoustic guitar playing, much of it by one of the villagers. The other music is a heavy synth, part of the soundtrack rather than the world of the film.  Bacurau is a big f*** you to colonialism, showing what it looks like today and then having its characters violently fight against it. It’s must watch.  This Kino Lorber Blu-Ray release is jam-packed with nearly two hours of special features. There’s the excellent, “Bacurau on the Map, a making-of” by co-director and co-writer Kleber Mendonça Filho, a deleted scene, two interviews with the director (one that features the incomparably charismatic Sônia Braga), and the other co-director and co-writer Juliano Dornelles’ short film, “Mens sana in corpore sano.” In addition to the digital content, Bacurau also includes the booklet “Bacurau: The Science of Fiction” by Fábio Andrade. If you’ve already seen the film, the bonus features make this edition an excellent purchase.  Wicked Rating – 8/10 Directors: Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Mendonça Filho Writers: Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles Stars: Sônia Braga, Udo Kier, Bárbara Colen, Thomas Aquino, Silvero Pereira, Thardelly Lima, Rubens Santos, Wilson Rabelo, Luciana Souza, Karine Teles, Antonio Saboia, Carlos Francisco Release Date: July 14, 2020 (Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital) Studio/Production: CompanyAncine, Arte France Cinéma, CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde – Institut Français, CinemaScópio Produções, Globo Filmes, Globosat / Telecine, SBS Films Language: Portuguese, English Runtime: 131 minutes Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The post Bacurau Smashes Colonialism [Blu-Ray Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.


The Outsider is a Must Watch [Series Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of The Outsider is a Must Watch [Series Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

It’s already been two years since the release of Stephen King’s The Outsider which follows a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a local boy. When the mutilated body of 11-year-old Frankie Peterson is discovered in the Georgia woods, police detective Ralph Anderson sets out to investigate with a fire in his belly. All signs quickly point to a local man Terry Maitland; a popular high school teacher, Little League coach, doting husband and father. While the case appears ironclad, Ralph is baffled by the emergence of damning contradictory evidence that places his suspect in a neighboring city at the time of the murder; giving the impression that Terry Maitland was in two places at once. That’s impossible though, right? The mysterious set of circumstances surrounding this horrifying crime leads Ralph, a seasoned cop still grieving the recent death of his own son, to bring in unorthodox private investigator Holly Gibney, whose uncanny abilities he hopes will help explain the seemingly unexplainable. But will he be able to accept what she uncovers? Also See: The Dead Lands is the Māori Buddy Cop Horror You Didn’t Know You Needed [Series Review] Sounds great, right? Nothing game changing. Just a nice dark thriller with plenty of flawed characters, gritty connecting storylines and plenty of violence to enjoy during a lazy day. Even so, I was a bit hesitant, as I typically am with King’s work. That maybe an unpopular opinion to have as a horror fan. I don’t know what it is. Even as I reside in my temporary home, a literal cabin in the woods less than an hour from where King himself lives in Maine, listening to his latest work If It Bleeds on audiobook I can’t hype myself up enough to get anything resembling goosebumps. Despite my better judgment I decided to bite the bullet and give it a read anyway, intrigued by its Nordic noire-esqe summary (specifically that of Samuel Bjork) I’ve always favored. As usual it had a fantastic start only to stumble over itself with an ending best summed up as anticlimactic; no doubt in part to all the moving parts, that often results in a lengthy read and the apparent compulsion to include every intricate detail, once again proving that a super lengthy and outlandish story doesn’t always make it a good one. RELATED: 5 Kick-A** Kiwi Horror-Comedy Movies To Catch Now! Despite his tremendous talent, somehow King’s stories have always (at least for me) presented better better on the screen. One shining example being The Outsider series; possibly the best adaption of his work since Christine. A pleasant blend of Harlan Coben’s The Stranger with The X Files, this incredible ride of a show has the kind of hook and baleful bit of directorial brilliance to enchant audiences instantly; making it a little more than irresistible to the King fans and critic alike. Once I became familiar with the show’s moody rhythm I was obsessed, devouring the 10 one hour episodes in a meager day and a half. With no shortage of terrifying moments, The Outsider harbors a powerful prose complemented by a terrific cast (including a potently career-defining performance by Cynthia Erivo) that leaves behind a dread that lingers like a bad taste in your mouth. Or, more appropriately in this case, it’s like awakening to the most vicious hangover you’ve ever had. Consistently sharp, gorgeous, and grotesque The Outsider is a true hidden gem that evokes the kind of stomach-plummeting sensation you get when you’ve just finished a really good show. Own The Outsider: The Complete First Season on Digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD now. The home video release features a never before seen featurette, “EL CUCO. THE BABY YAGA. THE OUTSIDER”, which dives deep into the real-world origins and supernatural abilities of the creature of the series with compelling insights from the creators and cast. WICKED RATING: 8/10 Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

The post The Outsider is a Must Watch [Series Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Every Time Dr. Sam Loomis Should Have Been Fired


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Every Time Dr. Sam Loomis Should Have Been Fired. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

Dr. Sam Loomis is arguably the most famous character in the Halloween movie franchise, next to Michael Myers. His passion and poetic allegories helped to create the mysterious persona that is The Shape. Donald Pleasence’s portrayal of the justice-seeking doctor was a great success and a fan-favorite. However, the film’s depiction of a child psychiatrist was not as successful. Halloween is one of the most beloved horror movie franchises of all time. Intentional or not, the original movie’s formula worked so well that it became a template for many slasher films to come in its wake.  Also See: Seven of the Most Blatantly Obvious Halloween Rip-Offs What the film didn’t do is look into how a psychiatrist should react if their patient escapes a mental hospital. Dr. Sam Loomis is one of the protagonists of the franchise, and is played by the late Donald Pleasence for the first six movies (not including the third, which has no relation to Michael Myers or the Myers legend). Sam first meets Myers after Michael was admitted to the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium for the murder of his older sister, Judith. Michael, seven at the time, is in an emotionless state. Some would call this “shock” or “acute stress disorder”. Not Dr. Loomis. He calls it “…this blank, pale, emotionless face and…the blackest eyes – the Devil’s eyes”. The complete lack of medical terminology is just the tip of the iceberg. His former patient is so triggering to Loomis, it soon becomes baffling that someone doesn’t take his medical license away. Nearly no one cares about this lunatic running frantically through the streets, terrorizing the community (yes, I am still referring to Dr. Loomis). Although Sam Loomis is not an accurate depiction of a child psychiatrist, his crazed tenacity in destroying evil is still wildly entertaining to watch. And since we are still quarantined, I figured what better way to spend my time than to watch Dr. Loomis unravel, movie to movie. Read on for every time Dr. Sam Loomis should have been fired throughout the Halloween Franchise. Halloween (1978) Dr. Sam Loomis Fails to Pick Up Michael Myers In the second scene of the movie (Loomis’ first appearance in the film), Sam is rambling to a nurse on their way to pick up Michael. Loomis warns her not to underestimate it (referring to Myers) because it is pure evil. I understand that this is 1978 and even doctors might not have been as PC, but referring to your patient as less than a person seems…crass. A drinking game could be made out of how many times Dr. Loomis refers to Michael (possibly his only patient?) as it, evil, not human, etc. Regardless, what does Loomis do in this scene? Underestimate Michael Myers. Michael breaks free from the sanitarium, assaults the nurse, and steals Sam’s car. Amidst the chaos, we never see Loomis call the police, the FBI, or anybody. But “the evil is gone!”, so we shan’t worry. We simply shan’t.  Misses a Dead Body Dr. Terence Wynn (rightfully) accosts Loomis the following day for not warning anyone about Michael’s aggressive outbursts. Loomis drives off angrily in what we can assume is a borrowed car. He stops somewhere on the highway to finally call the Haddonfield police department about his escaped mental patient possibly making his way to their town. We’re not sure why it didn’t dawn on him to call earlier, and we’re not sure who gave Michael directions to Haddonfield, but it is what it is. Sam gets off the phone and notices a tow truck parked nearby at what seems to be a gas station. He walks towards the truck, and notices a white hospital gown inside. Loomis sprints off, assuming this means Michael is on his way. If he would have scanned the area, maybe to check and see if Myers was still there, he would have found the dead body of the truck driver lying a foot from where he was standing. Sam does not call again about anything he has found. So, we are left to assume that no one finds the body for the remainder of the movie.  Tells the Police to Not Warn the Community Dr. Loomis arrives to Haddonfield in a fairly nonchalant manner, considering the climate of the situation. He tells the Sheriff not to “phone in” about the lunatic on the loose (I am referring to Michael Myers this time) for fear of scaring Michael off. He tells the Sheriff to instruct the officers to “keep their heads down and eyes open”. You know, exactly what you wouldn’t want police to do while a killer is on the loose. Everyone continues on with their Halloween celebrations, completely unassuming.  Hiding in the Bushes, Heckling Children Sam decides his best course of action is to hide in a bush outside of the Myers home, in case Michael returns. He does not investigate the area; he just sits and plops down behind some bushes. During his tenure in the bushes, the most menacing thing Dr. Loomis is faced with is Trick-or-Treaters. He eventually gets up to stretch his legs after yelling and hissing (and smiling?) at children to get them away from the house. He then notices that the Smith’s Grove car Michael stole is parked. across. the street. The car has been across the street from Loomis’ bush for who knows how long. Michael Myers was waltzing up and down the street, killing teenagers and all Loomis did was yell at children for being on his lawn. Dr. Sam Loomis Shoots His Patient Six Times (and Don’t You Forget it!) Sam eventually tracks Michael down just before he’s about to make his fourth kill (that’s right, three teens were killed while Loomis was sitting in a bush). He quickly shoots Michael, follows him into another room, and then shoots him five more times until Michael falls out a window. Loomis preferred to run around like a wild vigilante instead of letting the police call it in and conduct a thorough search. Talking the patient down should have been his first choice. Or perhaps shooting a warning shot. Regardless, Loomis shoots Michael six times and still does not detain him. He vanishes from the front lawn. The Evil is gone again. Halloween II (1981) Dr. Sam Loomis Tries to Shoot a Child and then Causes a Deadly Traffic Jam Early in Halloween II, Loomis is waving his gun frantically through the town, talking about how Michael couldn’t have gotten away because he shot him six times. Cut to an innocent child trick-or-treating across the street, dressed incredibly similar to Michael Myers. Sam tries to shoot the child without thinking, blinking, or breathing. The Sheriff blocks him, but the mayhem has distracted another squad car, which hits the child at full speed. The vehicle slams the trick-or-treater into a van, and then the car catches fire. The poor kid dies in the crash. Loomis immediately flees the scene in another cop car, still waving his gun like a card-carrying member of the NRA. It is later determined that the person pinned between cars is a 17 year-old, and not Michael Myers. Dental records were required to identify the body. Loomis shrugs it all off and keeps trucking. Tries to Kill More Innocent Bystanders Loomis and an officer now come upon an angry mob protesting outside the Myers Home. Sam quickly rotates his revolver and counts his remaining bullets, in case he needs to shoot at anyone else who isn’t Michael Myers. Someone should remind Dr. Loomis that he should not be wielding a gun and should just stick to psychiatry, but I digress.  Holds a US Marshall Hostage After finding out that Laurie Strode is Michael’s biological sister, Loomis holds a US Marshall hostage at gunpoint. This is the same US Marshall that has been ordered to take Loomis and escort him back to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. Right when we think the government has a win and we can finally put this mad man (Loomis) behind bars, he shoots a “warning shot” out of the window and into the night. Sam kidnaps the Marshall, and we’re back on our way to tracking down Michael Myers. Dr. Sam Loomis Blows Up the Wing of a Hospital Loomis finally faces Myers and does not shoot him after bragging about previously shooting Michael six times. He is out of bullets after a night of shots fired at innocent people. Loomis and Laurie Strode are now cornered in a minor surgery Operating Room. Laurie, thankfully with her wits about her, shoots Michael in the face. But Myers does not go down. Loomis decides that his next course of action should be to blow up the hospital. We are not sure where any of the other hospital patients are located at this point, but I am sure Dr. Loomis doesn’t care. Loomis proceeds to blow up an entire hospital wing.  Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) Brief Intermission Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) “And then his doctor, of all people, shot him 6 times. And then he set him on fire!” – Mental Facility Security Guard Michael Myers is Transported on Halloween Eve. Again.  We’re back in the Michael Myers universe and Michael is alive and somewhat well. He’s being transferred back to Smith’s Grove on – you guessed it – Halloween Eve. For some reason Dr. Loomis has never mentioned in a note or case file that Halloween might be a trigger for Myers. Moreover, Michael is still Dr. Loomis’ patient, which is shocking. Loomis hasn’t been reassigned, fired, or jailed. But I digress. Michael escapes during transport, killing everyone in the ambulance and crashing it into a ravine. They probably should have tried Christmas, Arbor Day, Valentine’s Day, Labor Day, or possibly a non-holiday.  Dr. Sam Loomis Blows Up a Gas Station  Michael murders another mechanic to procure a jumpsuit. Dr. Loomis later finds a dead mechanic hanging by chains after coincidentally going to the same gas station to fill his tank. Does he call the police? You’re damn right he doesn’t. He goes into the connected diner to find another innocent victim. Sam meets Michael in the kitchen and asks him why, after a decade, he decided to escape. Maybe it’s because they moved him on mischief night again when we know that is a Murder Trigger. But still, Loomis persists. He shoots twice at Michael, and misses again. Michael then steals a truck, and Loomis shoots into open air at the truck while he moves through the gas station. You can guess where this goes. Loomis leaves another crime scene engulfed in flames.  Gets Drunk (but Does a Good Job?) Dr. Loomis has to hitchhike because he blew up his own car. He attempts to get into a car with teenagers but they [rightfully] leave him in the dust. He is picked up by an alcoholic priest immediately after. Loomis starts to drink and drive with the priest, like the professional he is. He eventually shows up to the Haddonfield Police Department drunk and rambling. Loomis does actually mention that there was a fire and six bodies. Point for Loomis! He did it! He finally suggests that the police tell people to hide inside and lock their doors. Huge character growth here. Is it because he’s drunk? Who is to say?  Tries to Shoot More Innocent People, and then Lets Other Non-Officers Shoot at Innocent People Dr. Loomis picks Jamie and Rachel up with the Sheriff and sees two people dressed as Michael Myers, standing on both sides of the car. What does he do? Whips out his gun. Just as he’s about to shoot, the twin Myers remove their masks, revealing they are only teenagers, Dr. Loomis’ favorite prey. Loomis and the Sheriff then return to the police station to find all of the officers dead. I will let the police chief take the blame for not contacting the FBI on this one. Loomis instead decides to use a makeshift lynch mob of drunk and angry locals to catch Michael Myers. In a few short moments, the mob shoots and kills someone who was definitely not Michael Myers. Point taken away from Loomis. Gets His Patient Wrong Again Loomis, the Sheriff, and the Deputy go to the Sheriff’s house to safeguard Jamie and the other children. Loomis almost immediately grows tired and takes to the streets to look for Michael. Michael comes to the house and kills everyone inside until only Rachel and Jamie remain, hiding on the roof. Jamie and Rachel both fall off of the roof. Jamie runs off alone through the streets after presuming that Rachel is dead. Loomis appears (probably from a bush), and grabs Jamie from behind, scaring the living daylights out of her. She says she wants to go home but Loomis decides against it, saying that Jamie’s home will be the first place Michael goes. Instead, they go to the schoolhouse. How long are they at the school until Michael arrives, you ask? Four seconds. And Loomis is tossed to the side like a sack of potatoes.  He Tries To Shoot a Child (Again) To end the movie, Jamie has her own Michael Myers moment and attacks her step mother. Loomis’ brain finally explodes. After some intense screaming,  the doctor wields his gun once more to shoot Jamie, but is held back by the sheriff. Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) Jamie is held at the Haddonfield Children’s Clinic one year later on Halloween Eve. No, no one has thought to move Jamie out of the tristate area. Dr. Loomis is still here and is now Jamie’s doctor. That’s right, the same man that tried to shoot Jamie in the last movie is now her doctor. Recent events have traumatized Jamie so badly that she is now mute. Thankfully, Dr. Loomis is a highly experienced psychiatrist.   Child Psychiatrist Struggles to Ask Child Questions Sam struggles with Jamie’s silence, and often becomes agitated and aggressive towards her until she cries. If only there were someone at the clinic whose job it was to deal with childhood trauma! Loomis continues to torment Jamie into speechlessness until he throws her lunch tray.  Dr. Sam Loomis Loses His Patient Jamie is now able to speak again (no thanks to Loomis), and needs to go warn Tina that Michael is after her. Somehow, Loomis loses track of Jamie and her friend from the clinic. There’s a Halloween pageant at the clinic, a mass murderer on the loose, and Jamie still sneaks out without Loomis noticing. When Loomis and the police (still unsure why they keep letting Loomis play chief of police) find Jamie. Tina is dead and Michael is gone. Dr. Loomis announces into the wilderness that Michael should return to the Myers Home to “stop the rage” and have Jamie. That’s right, Uses a Child as Bait for a Serial Killer Loomis devises a plan to literally use Jamie as bait and lure Michael into a trap. When the only police officer at the Myers Home feels uncomfortable with this decision and tries to radio other officers, Loomis smashes his walkie-talkie. Brilliant. It is outrageous that at this point in the movie, no one has suggested maybe letting Jamie heal a bit. You would think that Loomis would be trying his hardest to at least make this new patient a success story, but you’d be mistaken. His obsession with Michael consumes him so much that he is more than willing to permanently damage another child. But, Loomis does succeed in his plan. Michael comes for Jamie, and Loomis dangles her in front of him like a worm to “stop the rage”.  Loomis lures Michael into a make-shift bear trap, hits him with a tranquilizer gun and then continues to beat Michael with a piece of wood until Loomis literally keels over. We pray the villain (Loomis) has been defeated, and that Jamie can finally live in peace.  Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Related: The Curse of Michael Myers Actually Isn’t a Bad Film: Here’s Why! In the final installment of the original franchise (the next film was a soft reboot), it appears Haddonfield has finally gotten their shit together and canceled Halloween…until this movie. Until this movie, they were decent people for seven years. Loomis appears relaxed after retiring; maybe the stroke has softened his edges. Here we gain a sense of hope. And then Dr. Terence Wynn appears, and asks Loomis to take over Smith’s Grove. What in the world? We have to pause and question what positive attributes Loomis has given to society and Smith’s Grove in the past quarter century. He is nearly a serial killer himself at this point. The only options should be to leave him retired or turn him into the police. And yet, Loomis is offered a job. Typical. Loomis [shockingly] agrees that he has nothing beneficial to bring to the table, and attempts to decline. And then, Dr. Sam Loomis Makes One Final Attempt to Catch Michael Myers Loomis suddenly hears Jamie call in on a Haddonfield radio show annnnnnd, boom. We’re back, baby. Loomis almost immediately becomes poetically ambiguous and says that he can hear Michael’s heart beat, the evil is here, etc. The gloves are off. Honestly, Dr. Loomis doesn’t do too much in this movie when compared to the other films. This could possibly be due to his old age, or that actor, Donald Pleasence, passed away while the movie was being made. Regardless, Loomis does not cause as much wreckage in this film. Never Realizes His Colleague Was the Leader of Evil Town, USA In the final moments of Halloween VI, we find out that Dr. Terence Wynn is the leader of an ancient Druid cult. Dr. Wynn placed the original “Curse of Thorn” on Michael when he killed his sister. This turn in the franchise itself is a giant mess. You’re telling me that Loomis, who has been The Expert on Michael Myers for nearly thirty years…didn’t notice? The greatest shock of this movie is that Loomis wasn’t the leader of this Michael Myers-obsessed ancient cult.  In spite of frequently questionable decision making, Dr. Samuel Loomis is an irreplaceable piece of an incredibly accomplished movie franchise. Without Dr. Loomis, the BoogeyMan Michael Myers would be significantly less scary, and possibly would have never existed at all. But, at the end of the day, Dr. Sam Loomis was really awful at his job.  Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Every Time Dr. Sam Loomis Should Have Been Fired appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Monday, 27 July 2020

Review: Carmilla is the Classic Story’s Most Faithful Adaptation Yet


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Review: Carmilla is the Classic Story’s Most Faithful Adaptation Yet. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

I’ll admit that my subjective opinion is immediately colored by my love of the source material. J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla is one of my favorite vampire stories if not simply one of my favorite stories of all time, as I have written about before. Most cinematic adaptations take a kernel of the idea, usually not much more than lesbian relationship at its core, and discard almost everything else. Fan as I am, I’ve been trained not to expect too much out the infrequent adaptations over the years and to just be grateful for what I’m given. With that in mind, that almost makes Emily Harris’ Carmilla unthinkable. I’m not sure that I ever really believed we’d get a version of the story on film that so closely captures what makes the haunting story so great. It is by far the most faithful cinematic telling of the tale that there has ever been. But at the same time, it is the best kind of faithful. This is not a beat-for-beat retelling of the story, in fact, not a single line of dialogue carries over from the source material. Many of the basic events are intact, but the story certainly doesn’t play out exactly the same way, by any stretch. It’s the way that Harris tells the familiar tale, though, that makes all the difference. Carmilla is, at its core, about a lonely girl named Lara (renamed from the original text’s Laura) who lives in an isolated estate with no one but her father and the house staff. She has no friends until a nearby carriage crash causes them to take in a girl who calls herself Carmilla. In the story, the name is certainly made up, it’s not her actual name, and I like how the film addresses that head on by simply making it a name that Lara gives to her. The two of them grow very close and very obviously begin to fall in love before others around the house, discovering Carmilla is a vampire, destroy her and leave Lara lonely and heartbroken once more. By and large, those are all the same beats of the original story, and even though everything plays out so differently in this version, these are all of the important things that needed to be carried over. These are the elements that ultimately make the story so endearing over a century later. It’s in style and tone that Carmilla succeeds most, not only as an adaptation, but as a film in its own right. This is slow burn folk horror that immediately brings to mind filmmakers like Ari Aster and especially Oz Perkins, Gretel and Hansel in particular. But it also recaptures all of the slow, lingering dread and the gothic atmosphere of the original story. To compare it to other classic vampire adaptations, Emily Harris’ Carmilla reminds me a great deal of Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu. It’s an adaptation in which mood and atmosphere are very much at the forefront, definitely taking its own approach toward how it tells a familiar tale, but still completely nailing the tone, evoking the feeling of the story above all else. Hannah Rae and Devrim Lingnau are both exceptional in their respective roles as Lara and Carmilla. Rae’s Lara is almost jarring at first. She’s spoken to as if she is much younger than she actually is, and there is something childlike about her demeanor. All of this is incredibly faithful to the original story, though, in which she is almost emotionally stunted in her loneliness and deep hunger for companionship. It works for the story as a whole, because Carmilla is very much about standing on that precipice between childhood and adulthood and exploring one’s self and one’s sexuality for the first time. Lignau is perfectly enigmatic as Carmilla. She plays a perfect friend and first lover, attentive, sweet and mysterious, with something justly slightly different, just slightly off about her at the same time. One of the best things about this adaptation is the ambiguity of it. Other than the way the atmosphere shifts, the general dread of Carmilla’s presence and the fact that Lara falls ill after Carmilla first tastes of her blood, we have nothing to actually tell us that Carmilla is a vampire. It’s possible that she isn’t. And that’s a perfect approach, because then when Carmilla has—spoiler alert for anyone unfamiliar with the story—a stake driven through her heart, the motivations are muddy. Are they killing her because she’s a vampire or because she’s a lesbian and has seduced their pure, innocent Lara? And even if she is a vampire, the homophobia may still be the driving motivation, and the vampirism a perfect scapegoat. Either way, the end of the film is portrayed exactly as it should be to suit the story: as a heartbreak, as a tragic loss of one’s first love. Much of these motivations and these themes of repression and homophobia are most explicitly clear in Jessica Raine’s Miss Fontaine. Primary caretaker of Lara while her father is mostly a background figure, Miss Fontaine not only tutors Lara but makes sure to give her a moral education as well. She frequently ties Lara’s left hand behind her back, to keep her touch free of sin—if not an overt masturbation reference, it certainly reads as one—and warns against the ways of the devil at every turn. Still, she’s not a one-dimensional character, there’s a sense of vulnerability to her and a reserve that keeps cracking little by little, and it’s these things, thankfully, that keep her from feeling like a gothic horror version of Kathy Bates in The Waterboy. There is a moment when Miss Fontaine almost gets the benefit of the doubt, as she tells Lara that she too had strong and confusing feelings for someone when she was Lara’s age. It reads in the moment like a coming out, and would paint her actions as something based in a projection of her own repression and her own inward disgust. As the film goes on, it becomes clearer that that’s probably not the case, and so Miss Fontaine’s actions against Carmilla seem much more clearly founded in homophobia. But who knows, maybe her repression simply runs that deep. Even if the film is supernatural, it very bluntly portrays vampirism as the historical scapegoat that it often was. And in its frank portrayal of such an archaic practice, there is ironically something incredibly modern about it, because Harris is showing the story through a modern lens. Even in 1875, the romance between Laura and Carmilla was plain as day, but in 2020 it can be explored a little more explicitly and directly. In 2020, the staking of the vampire doesn’t have to—and ultimately shouldn’t—feel like a victory. For all the smart differences between versions, the basic story is still the same: it is portrayal of first young love gone terribly wrong. While it does slow to snail’s pace a few times, even for a slow burn, Harris’ film is gorgeous and makes me wish that lesbian folk horror was a genre we had much more of. The film takes as many liberties as it should, justifying them at every turn, and nonetheless, just like the original text itself, the film ends with Lara in the same place she was in at the beginning, heartbroken, isolated, and alone. WICKED RATING: 8/10 Director: Emily Harris Writer: Emily Harris Stars: Hannah Rae, Devrim Lignau, Jessica Raine Runtime: 93 minutes Studio/Production Company: Film Movement, Fred Films

The post Review: Carmilla is the Classic Story’s Most Faithful Adaptation Yet appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Saturday, 25 July 2020

Beloved Actor John Saxon Passes Away At 83


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Beloved Actor John Saxon Passes Away At 83. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

We recently received word here at Wicked Horror that beloved actor, martial artist and horror icon John Saxon, unfortunately, has passed away on July 25th 2020, at the age of 83. Saxon’s wife Gloria announced that he had succumbed to pneumonia. John Saxon was born Carmine Orrico, on August 5th, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York. After high school, he began studying actor under famed actress and teacher Stella Adler. Some alumni of Adler’s teaching in addition to Saxon include Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and Marlon Brando. John Saxon’s big break when he received a contract from Universal Pictures and subsequently starred in Rock, Pretty Baby in 1956 and Portrait in Black in 1961. Saxon’s contract saw him achieve teen idol status when Rock, Pretty Baby became a hit, much to Universal’s surprise. Saxon continued to work steadily starring in various genres. In 1973, Saxon found himself sharing the screen with some argue, the greatest martial artist of all time, Bruce Lee. Saxon starred alongside Lee in the classic film Enter the Dragon. According to many biographies about Saxton, he held a black belt in Shotokan Karate and was proficient in Judo. Saxon’s career continued seeing him make appearances is several iconic horror films like Black Christmas and the role of Nancy Thompsons’ father in the Wes Craven masterpiece, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Saxon’s filmography is way too numerous to list here, but throughout his career, Saxon acted in over 200 projects. If you’ve seen it, chances are, John Saxon is in it somewhere. John Saxon’s passing leaves a huge hole in my heart, as I am sure it does for others. Hollywood has truly lost an icon that has worked with some of the biggest names in the business. John Saxon leaves behind a legacy that will not be easily forgotten. In honor of him, I implore you to watch one of his numerous, amazing films and help celebrate his memory. Godspeed John Saxon, thanks for the scares.

The post Beloved Actor John Saxon Passes Away At 83 appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Friday, 24 July 2020

New on Netflix: July 24th, 2020


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of New on Netflix: July 24th, 2020. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

It’s Friday and you know what that means: It’s time to figure out what you’ll be watching this week. Welcome back to New on Netflix! The streaming giant’s horror department has always been a mixed bag. However, I’d say they’ve really stepped up their game in the last couple of years with the release of amazing, essential watches. We’ve been treated to must see original programming like The Haunting of Hill House, Velvet Buzzsaw, Hush, and some of the classics we all know and love. This week we have a social media based thriller and two shows to binge! Also See: Christine is John Carpenter’s Unsung Love Story [Retrospective The Hater When a duplicitous young man becomes a master of blackmail and social media smear tactics, his internet antics soon has violent real life consequences. Arriving July 29th! Get Even Arriving July 31st is British teen drama Get Even. Students of an elite private school Kitty, Bree, Margot and Olivia start their own secret society to expose bullies called DGM (Don’t Get Mad). However, when one of their targets is murdered by an unknown attacker and holds a note saying “DGM” in his hand, the girls realize somebody is trying to frame them for the murder. The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Returning for season 2 is The Umbrella Academy! On July 31st, following the events of season 1, the Umbrella Academy must find a way to reunite figure out what caused Doomsday, put a stop to it and return to the present timeline to stop that whole other apocalypse. All while being hunted by a trio of ruthless Swedish assassins. What could go wrong? Follow us social media! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post New on Netflix: July 24th, 2020 appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a Feminist Slice of ’80s Movie Magic [Blu-ray Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a Feminist Slice of ’80s Movie Magic [Blu-ray Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

Few figures from the horror genre are as well recognized as Elvira. She’s a late night horror host turned household name. And she’s as much fun as she’s ever been in the zany feature film, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.  The flick sees charismatic television host Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) leaving her gig at a local network affiliate to pursue dreams of a stage show in Las Vegas. But before her Vegas aspirations can be realized, she finds herself relocating to the small town in which her late great aunt lived. Once there, she learns that the city is overrun with small-minded puritans. Can the bewitching Mistress of the Dark work her magic on the locals and show them how to loosen up and have a good time? Suffice to say that If she can’t, no one can.  It may not be entirely evident from the plot crunch above but what stands out to me in revisiting this film for the first time in a long time is just how fiercely feminist the titular character is. She stands up to a lecherous creep of a network executive, scares off an axe murderer, and tells a young woman (in so many words) that it’s ok to be exactly who she is, regardless of what anyone else tries to tell her; and that all transpires within the first twenty minutes of the feature’s runtime.    Furthering the feminist message: Elvira isn’t afraid to use her feminine wiles to her advantage but it’s always on her terms. She doesn’t let the men in the movie exploit her and she never waits for them to come to her rescue. In fact, she literally throws a pervy real estate agent out of her home with the exclamation, “Just because this house is up for grabs doesn’t mean I am.” And that’s really representative of her attitude throughout the entire picture. She may have her goods on display but she realizes that it’s her right to dress exactly as she wants and that doesn’t mean she owes anyone a damn thing.  In addition to a strong message of female empowerment, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark also makes the always-relevant point that you never need to change who you are to conform to someone else’s idea of what you ought to be. Elvira never even tries to fit in to the antiquated customs of the puritanical town she finds herself stuck in. But she is able to help the townsfolk understand that sex is something to be celebrated and not to be ashamed of.  Also See: Five Less Talked About Hitchcock Sequences That Will Have You Biting Your Nails  My only criticism, if you could even call it that is the flick is a little hokey at times. But I hesitate to really categorize that as a fault, seeing as the camp factor is almost always in the service of sending up the kind of cinema Elvira was known for championing (and lampooning) in her years as a television host.  I could talk about the merits of the film ad nauseam but I want to shift gears and  dive into what’s really important about the film’s recent Blu-ray release: The bonus content. The folks at Arrow Video have outdone themselves once again. The 2020 Blu-ray release boasts a revised feature-length documentary on the making of the film that does a great job of rounding up cast members to look back on the picture (fondly) and also dish some really fascinating trivia. For example, I was surprised to learn that Brad Pitt was almost cast as one of the teenage boys in the film. There’s much more to uncover in the making-of doc. But I will stop there so as not to spoil too much.  Additionally, there is a revised featurette on the pot monster that pops out of the ‘casserole’. The very existence of this bonus feature is a testament to how in tune Arrow Video is to what fans want. You’d be hard pressed to find a horror enthusiast that doesn’t name that scene as one of the film’s most memorable. And this retrospective feature has the answers to just about any question one might have regarding how that masterful sequence was put together.  Moreover, there’s not one but three audio commentary tracks included. The special features are a huge improvement over the 2019 US Blu-ray release that contained the dazzling special feature that is an SD theatrical trailer. As I mentioned before, Arrow Video knows what fans want. And they don’t disappoint with the love and care put into their release.   If you’re a fan of the film, this Blu-ray is an absolute must. I apologize for the tardiness of my critique but COVID delayed shipping severely and I didn’t get my hands on a screener until more than two months after the release date.  WICKED RATING: 8/10  Director(s): James SignorelliWriter(s): Sam Egan, John Paragon, and Cassandra PetersonStars: Cassandra Peterson, Edie McClurg, and Daniel GreeneRelease: April 28, 2020 (Arrow Blu-ray) Studio/ Production Co:  NBC Productions, New World PicturesBudget: $7,500,000 (estimated)Language: English Length: 96-minutes Sub-Genre: Horror Comedy  Follow us social media! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a Feminist Slice of ’80s Movie Magic [Blu-ray Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Thursday, 23 July 2020

Five Less-Talked About Hitchcock Sequences That Will Have You Biting Your Nails


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Five Less-Talked About Hitchcock Sequences That Will Have You Biting Your Nails. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

Articles, books and documentaries have dissected Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and the shocking and terrifying shower scene. It stunned audiences in 1960 and still surprises some uninitiated viewers today. It’s perhaps the best known though far from the only arresting moment from Hitchcock. The director had earned accolades and recognition as The Master of Suspense long before. While Psycho was certainly a pinnacle, many of his films included stunning, often in-tight set pieces that put viewers on edge. At times, these are truly nail-biting moments as the audience lives through intense experiences with the characters. Here are a few gripping scenes from films, some renowned in their day, that don’t get quite the notice and discussion afforded titles like Psycho, The Birds, or North by Northwest. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) The tense life-or-death struggle in this slow-burn mystery is shorter than set-pieces Hitchcock would conjure later. But as the punctuation point for a film of building dread, it scores. The showdown between the picture’s two Charlies anticipates more intense thrills to come from The Master. Charlie Newton (Teresa Wright), a bored young woman living with family in the suburbs, sees her world upset with the arrival of her Uncle Charlie Oakley. A string of murders seems to stretch behind him. Young Charlie becomes suspicious and anxiety builds to a confrontation in the open door of a speeding train. Young Charlie’s gloved-hands fumble and clutch for something, anything to hold onto as her uncle peels her grip free and slowly presses to force her to her death.  Do protagonists always win? Who’s going out that door? See Also:  Psycho II is Almost as Good as the Original, Here’s Why Dial M for Murder (1954) The early, actual dial-M scene of the title here stretches longer than Shadow’s moment of truth while playing a similar, up-close game. It also offers even more intercutting on incidental moments. The audience waits and wonders. Ray Milland’s Tony sits in a restaurant having arranged the death of his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly) in their apartment. He just needs to dial his home number to get her into place. Said number begins with six (coinciding with M on an antique rotary dial). Tony can’t get into the phone booth at first, seconds tick past, but then he does, and his finger fatefully aims for that M. The phone switching system’s triggered and viewed in technical detail, something later expanded in Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (1974). Margot’s awakened. As she groggily walks from her bedroom and takes the call, hired killer Anthony Dawson emerges from the shadows ready to strangle. The struggle’s not brief as Tony listens. Will Margot survive as a cloth’s wrapped around her neck? And where will the story go next? See Also: Ten Horror Movies Marketed as Thrillers The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Hitchcock famously stated that a satchel with a bomb in it is exciting for only a few seconds. If you show the audience the bomb and have characters in the room unaware and talking, the suspense builds longer. The audience wonders when the bomb will go off. In this film, bearing the same title of an earlier Hitchcock film, that theory is in practice. Exposition prepares viewers for an assassination that will occur during a concert at Royal Albert Hall. James Stewart, as Dr. Ben McKenna, and Doris Day, as singer Josephine McKenna, need to stop it while their son’s life hangs in the balance. Hitchcock’s lens offers expansive views of the orchestra tuning up, skeletal and menacing assassin Reggie Nalder (‘Salem’s Lot) getting into place, Jo, then Ben arriving. Ben encounters police, tries to explain himself, then rushes from private box to private box, and the music builds, gets nearer and nearer to the critical point. The camera pans the sheet music, following the staves…will Ben and Jo be in time to stop a murder? The scene’s suspense is only equaled by the film’s final few minutes which famously uses Day’s performance of “Que Sera, Sera” for a tight edge-of-the-seat conclusion.  Family Plot (1976) Al Pacino wanted too much money, so for what turned out to be his final film, Hitchcock hired Bruce Dern as taxi-driver sidekick to phony psychic Barbara Harris. On the trail of a missing heir with a possibly hefty payout, they run afoul of glitzy crooks Karen Black and William Devane. When a car’s brake line is severed, the vehicle barrels through potentially deadly twists and turns with the shady heroes wide-eyed in terror. Sophisticated viewers will recognize intercut studio shots right away, but it doesn’t matter. The scene will have viewers holding their breath and maybe even closing their eyes as fiery, crashing death on a mountain road seems imminent. Frenzy (1972) The television ads for this one featured Hitchcock himself ordering neckties in a men’s shop and assuring the clerk he’s not particular about style. “They’re for a friend who uses them to strangle women.” Those familiar with his TV hosting turns would have recognized that dark whimsy. The film is a much more serious thriller about a down-on-his-luck man, Richard Blaney (Jon Finch), falsely suspected of a serial rapist/strangler’s work. Breanda (Barbara Leigh-Hunt), a woman he’s encountered, gets a visit from the killer (Barry Foster) at her office. The scene is a brutal mirror of the 45-second Psycho shower scene and Dial M’s mostintense moment as well. Frenzy’s frames capture each moment from the killer’s removal of his necktie to Brenda’s struggle and suffocation. It’s all unfurled in quick cuts and tight camera shots, but it’s not quick. Hitch is merciless here. It’s literally a breathtaking scene for victim and viewer that once seen won’t be forgotten.  

The post Five Less-Talked About Hitchcock Sequences That Will Have You Biting Your Nails appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Blood Vessel Sails Along Interminably [Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Blood Vessel Sails Along Interminably [Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

The IMDb summary for Blood Vessel offers considerably more scene-setting information than the entire movie, which is really saying something, particularly considering the amount of references to “the war” scattered throughout. Opening with some off-puttingly plaintive music, the camera slowly pans down to focus on a group of shipwrecked people floating aimlessly in a life raft. Suddenly, a hugely inviting-looking Nazi ship looms menacingly into focus. They climb aboard, because the only other option is to die, and soon discover that evil looms within its walls that has nothing to do with swastikas (though there are plenty of those on show, along with other Nazi insignia). The premise of Blood Vessel is, ostensibly, “vampires on a boat” with the film’s poster screaming it at the top of its lungs. But rather than leaning into the inherent silliness of that idea director Justin Dix and his co-writer Jordan Prosser instead, bafflingly, go the earnest route. This is some dour shit, envisioned as an epic adventure done on a massive scale but, try as they might, Dix and Prosser just cannot convince us that their story, in its current, deadly serious form, is worth paying much attention to. The shadow of war looms large but there’s no real reason to set Blood Vessel in 1945, except to fill the many, many moments when there are no vampires onscreen (one doesn’t show up proper for almost an hour – the film is 90 minutes long). Related: WrestleMassacre isn’t Worthy of Its Cool Title [Review] Everyone in the central group boasts a different accent, but they all blend into this mush of bland, one-note characters, with only the one who looks like Harrison Ford (who doesn’t last long, to be fair), the Black man, and the lone woman standing out. If you’re wondering whether one of them is going to turn out to secretly be a vampire, well, prepare to be disappointed by the lack of risks taken by this particular script about, again, vampires on a boat. At least they don’t take too long making their way onto the ship itself, which is good, but once they do, the action grinds to a complete halt. The fact it takes so long for a vampire to even appear signals how wasted this nutty premise truly is here. Imagine if Snakes on a Plane was actually about taxes or something and you’re halfway there. Blood Vessel was reportedly filmed aboard a fully-restored WWII ship, which is currently docked in Melbourne but, in spite of the tactility afforded by this wonderful setting, every moment in the water still feels like it was shot in a tank. The ship isn’t lit particularly well, either, which is a real shame, with most scenes taking place in murky darkness. Rather than creating an atmosphere of impending doom, it’s near impossible to tell what’s happening onscreen a lot of the time. Certain sequences are bathed in a blood-red glow, at least, which is the only real stylistic flourish on display here. Obviously, vampires are only active at night, but there’s a way to shoot darkness so we can still see everything – just look at What We Do in the Shadows. The well-trodden idea of Nazi mysticism is introduced but woefully underdeveloped, much like everything else, from the characters to the setting, while the inclusion of a handy vampire killing kit feels like a holdover from another movie that was actually fun. There’s plenty of (bad) dialogue but not much action. When the vampires do eventually show up, they look pretty great (Dix is an SFX pro himself, unsurprisingly) and super scary but, for whatever reason, they’re still not the focus. They flit in and out of the story, as the other characters continue to stand around talking everything to death. It’s as though Dix and Prosser thought the matter of dealing with wartime PTSD was more pressing than actual bloodsuckers. The vampires’ powers aren’t clear and their ability to impersonate people is communicated via doing so with someone who isn’t actually on the ship, which means either they’re really dumb or the character that falls for it is. Either way, it’s a nonsensical choice. Why go to the trouble of making them look so terrific if you’re not going to use them properly? The experience of watching Blood Vessel revolves around constantly reminding oneself that the premise is vampires on a boat and THIS is the result. It could’ve been fun, it could’ve been exciting, or it even could’ve been balls to the wall insane. Why do these guys think they’re making bloody 1917? It’s not worth ragging on it too much because there’s so little here, it’s almost like a non-movie. The performances are fine across the board with no particular standouts though an attempt is made to give the token female a bad ass moment that makes precisely zero narrative sense and lands like a wet fart. No real effort is made to set the scene outside of Nazi set dressing and boring war stories that go on forever, and the characters remain puzzlingly opaque, their motivations unclear and not in the least bit involving. The ship’s endless creaking is a decent mood-setter that should impact the feel of the thing better than it does, but the atmosphere consistently falls flat. Veiny makeup is utilized to show how victims have succumbed to deadly vampire bites and it, along with the SFX in general, is very well done but there just isn’t enough of it. See Also: Darkness Falls is Like a Cop Movie Written By a Bot [Review] Blood Vessel could’ve been fun. It could’ve been scary. It could’ve been exciting. It could’ve been anything but the dull, murky slog it turned out to be. At the risk of being glib, this is one ship that never should’ve left the port in the first place. Catch Blood Vessel on VOD and On-Demand platforms from July 21, 2020 WICKED RATING: 3/10 Director(s): Justin Dix Writer(s): Justin Dix, Jordan Prosser Stars: Robert Taylor, Alyssa Sutherland, Nathan Phillips, Christopher Kirby, Alex Cooke Release date: July 21, 2020 (VOD and On Demand) Studio/Production Company: Rock Island Films Language: English Run Time: 93 minutes Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The post Blood Vessel Sails Along Interminably [Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Dave Franco’s The Rental is An Impressive Debut [Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Dave Franco’s The Rental is An Impressive Debut [Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

The Rental is the second ominous beach house themed horror movie in as many weeks and, although it’s slighter fare than Shudder’s subversive shocker The Beach House, Dave Franco’s directorial debut boasts its own brand of intensity and, considering its somewhat unimaginative premise, is much less predictable than expected. Anyone familiar with the younger Franco brother as an actor might be surprised to learn he’s got quite a sure hand when it comes to orchestrating scares, particularly while characters rely on modern conveniences like smartphone flashlights. The setup is relatively simple; a group of mid-thirties hipster types, led by Dan Stevens’ Charlie, descend upon a seaside AirBnb for a weekend of mild debauchery (Ecstasy tablets are brought along for the ride) to celebrate a major break in the joint work project he and Mina (Sheila Vand) have been toiling away at for months. Charlie’s wife, Michelle (Alison Brie, Franco’s real-life wife) is sweetly trusting of his close relationship with this beautiful other woman but Charlie’s brother, Josh (Jeremy Allen White), who’s currently dating Mina, is more wary. Related: Scare Package is a Near Perfect Horror Anthology [Review] There’s definitely sexual tension between Charlie and Mina but Franco, who co-wrote the script with Joe Swanberg and Mike Demski, smartly doesn’t make their will-they-won’t-they the main focus of the story. Never mind that the gruff Taylor (Toby Huss), who organized the rental, is clearly a jerk who, when caught out in a moment of blatant racism, doesn’t deny or explain it away, instead leaving it to sit and stew in the moment. He’s not threatening per se, but Taylor isn’t the nicest host either. The tension at the heart of The Rental, then, comes from whether it’s going to be an inside or outside force that inevitably tears the foursome apart. The film is impeccably cast, with all four — well, really, five — actors bringing their A game in a big way (adorable Frenchie Chunk is a standout, too, naturally). Brie shines, in particular, in a more dramatically challenging role than she’s been gifted thus far. Michelle is given plenty to do and she’s arguably the audience surrogate, too, providing the very loud voice of reason when the other three start behaving irrationally. The Rental‘s four central characters are smart people, and Franco and his co-writers side-step the much-maligned horror trope of having them do stupid things just to power the narrative. For the most part, they act logically. Stevens does great work as a slimy white guy who’s used to getting his own way and, between this and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, he’s having a helluva couple months. White is believably insecure as his screw-up brother, and Vand is reliably luminous as the conflicted Mina. Their interactions are charged with shared history, and there’s no clunky expository dialogue to drag their conversations down. The roles feel lived in, as though Franco just happened to rock up at the right moment, camera in hand, to watch all the madness unfold. The location of the house (in Oregon, though it looks like California) is beautiful and there are no massive red flags, so the group’s decision to stay on even after one especially frightening discovery (you’ll be checking every shower head you come across after this film, trust me) makes a certain amount of sense. The situation escalates and becomes more convoluted, but it’s based more on interpersonal issues between the foursome rather than a masked killer chasing them down dark hallways. They are being watched and secrets will be exposed, but Franco doesn’t hammer the point to death (he saves that for a victim or two). In fact, a moment with a secret door is played for laughs, with one character remarking that he was hoping the control room would be behind it, as we’ve seen in so many movies before. Franco subverts expectations by not giving the game away too early (there might actually be those who believe he waits too long to reveal what’s actually going on) and by wrong-footing us with typically staid genre cliches. Although the premise of The Rental is somewhat derivative, how it plays out isn’t. The director cameo, too, which isn’t credited on IMDb or in the film’s credits, feels like a cheeky nod to bucking conventions (or maybe it’s not really him, but I’m pretty sure it is). As an introduction to Franco, the filmmaker, this is an impressive piece of work. His decision not to star in it should be heralded, because it keeps the focus solely on the story. Franco displays a steady hand when it comes to capturing moments both quietly shocking and outright frightening, with more than a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the tension elevated. There are no jump scares exactly, but plenty of incidents qualify as stomach-dropping. DOP Christian Sprenger bathes the proceedings in a warm glow, but the film feels necessarily chilly. A great deal of care has clearly been taken to make what could’ve been a flat story pop onscreen. See Also: Why We Need More Queer Horror Movies [Editorial] Much of the credit goes to Franco’s actors, who sell the film in its weaker moments, but the first time writer-director should be commended for everything he’s accomplished here, even on a relatively smaller scale. The Rental recalls Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation in tone, but its denouement isn’t quite as satisfyingly strange. Franco has a producer credit here too, so The Rental is evidently a passion project for him. That enthusiasm shines through in every element, right down to the creepy footage laid over the closing credits. With any luck, Franco’s next foray behind the camera will be even more successful, with the confidence he’s earned from this experience. Catch The Rental in theaters and On Demand from July 24, 2020 WICKED RATING: 7/10 Director(s): Dave Franco Writer(s): Dave Franco, Joe Swanberg, Mike Demski Stars: Dan Stevens, Sheila Vand, Alison Brie, Jeremy Allen White, Toby Huss Release date: July 24, 2020 (On Demand, theaters, and select drive-ins) Studio/Production Company: IFC Films Language: English Run Time: 88 minutes Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The post Dave Franco’s The Rental is An Impressive Debut [Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Monday, 20 July 2020

A Deadly Legend is Legendarily Bad [Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of A Deadly Legend is Legendarily Bad [Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

As a general rule, good horror movies have simple plots. In Halloween, Michael Myers breaks out of a mental asylum to terrorize Haddonfield and hunts Laurie Strode. In The Shining, Jack Torrance is driven insane by the Overlook Hotel. In The Exorcist, Pazuzu possesses Regan MacNeil to take revenge on Father Merrin. There are exceptions to the rule, but A Deadly Legend isn’t one of them.  There’s no one-sentence (and maybe not even one paragraph) that could sum up all that’s going on in A Deadly Legend’s opening. The Huntar Family is on their way to a summer camp by Pilgrim Lake when a ghost appears in front of their car. They swerve, and the father is killed.  From there, the film flashes forward to a year later, when Joan Huntar (Kristen Anne Ferraro, who also served as a producer on this film) and her new business partner Raj (Shravan Amin) are arguing in front of a town hall to be allowed to buy the land of that summer camp. Carl (Judd Hirsch from Independence Day, Taxi, and others) opposes the move, yelling, “They’re going to dig up the mound” which is full of bodies, though “There are no records because [the dead] were demon worshipers.”  After that, Tina Jones (Summer Crockett Moore) drags Joan and their respective daughters Krissy (Andee Buccheri) and Amy (Daniella DeCaro) into a store that sells crystals. The owner Matthias Leary (Corbin Bernsen of LA Law fame) who happens to have sold them the land that the Mound was on sells them some specialty crystal packages with the line, “The crystals let you tap into a supernatural network.”  Meanwhile, Carl is visited by Luci (Tatiana Szpur) who offers to sell him a piece of chocolate for a dollar. Despite her clearly being undead, he buys it. She warns him, “You shouldn’t scare away the new people. I need them.” The chocolate gets on his fingers and he collapses. The Huntars and the Jones arrive and call him an ambulance out of the movie.  They take the crystals and some complimentary t-shirts from the first store to a party celebrating closing the deal as Tina’s husband Sam (Dwayne A. Thomas from The Americans) goes to check on Mike (Eric Wolf, who penned the script). Sam tells him that the Mound needs to be cleared by early the next day, and they’re going to be installing lights so Mike can work all night by himself. Sam, Mike’s boss, also brings him a cooler of beer to drink while he operates the heavy machinery.  At the party, they take the crystals into the basement and have a seance. And that covers the first fifteen minutes of the movie or so. If you’re having trouble following the summary, watching the movie isn’t any easier. The cast is huge, and the plot developments hit quickly, leaving no time to breathe.  In that scene with the séance, Amy complains to her mother, “Really, Mom? Fake candles?” Tina answers, “It’s the thought that counts.” I have no doubt that the people working on it care about it deeply and had a great time making it. But the thing is, once a movie is out in the world, it stands on its own merit. The thought doesn’t count. What matters at that point is the quality of the film, not what went into making it.  The acting, outside of the big names — Lori Petty as the drunk Wanda, Judd Hirsch as the crazy old man yelling warnings, and Corbin Bernsen as a store owner who knows more than he’s letting on — is wooden. The lighting is dark to the point where it’s difficult to see, especially when it comes to Dwayne A. Thomas. It’s a struggle throughout to see the features of his face because the lighting isn’t set for his dark skin. Hiring people of color in front of the camera is good, but there’s a history of racism in the way film was developed so white skin tones show up better (which you can read about here and here) that needs to be accounted for when filming people of color.   The editing in A Deadly Legend, something that’s hard to notice when it’s done well, is right in the viewers’ face the entire time because of an over-reliance on fade outs. Every scene ends with the screen fading to black, often at awkward times. Normally fade outs are reserved for the end of a film, which isn’t a big problem. The issue is that it’s repetitive in a way that makes the movie visually boring.  The special effects are clearly hampered by the budget, with the CGI standing out obviously. It’s hard to ding a movie for not having a budget, but other films like Coherence, Dementer, and Head Count prove that it’s possible to make a scary movie without a big budget if you can come up with a good enough conceit.  A Deadly Legend is the first feature film for director Pamela Moriarty, though she’s worked as an assistant director or second unit director on forty-nine other films. Hopefully next time out, she’ll have better material to work with.  While A Deadly Legend looks like it would’ve been a blast to make, it’s a chore to watch.  Wicked Rating – 2/10  Director: Pamela Moriarty Writer: Eric Wolf Stars: Lori Petty, Corbin Bernsen, Judd Hirsch Release Date: July 24, 2020 Studio/Production Company: REMCycle Productions Language: English Runtime: 97 minutes Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The post A Deadly Legend is Legendarily Bad [Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Friday, 17 July 2020

New on Netflix: July 17th, 2020


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of New on Netflix: July 17th, 2020. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

It’s Friday and you know what that means: It’s time to figure out what you’ll be watching this week. Welcome back to New on Netflix! The streaming giant’s horror department has always been a mixed bag. However, I’d say they’ve really stepped up their game in the last couple of years with the release of amazing, essential watches. We’ve been treated to must see original programming like The Haunting of Hill House, Velvet Buzzsaw, Hush, and some of the classics we all know and love. This week we have a new season of a hit show, a documentary about the mafia and a Spanish thriller! Also See: The Government’s Worried About UFO’s. Why? How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 2 How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) is back for another season. Inspired by a true story, this German coming of age series focuses on high school student Moritz who tries to win back an ex-girlfriend by selling ecstasy online. The business gets off to a bumpy start but Moritz’s online drug shop gets more successful; and even more dangerous. Coming July 21st! Fear City: New York vs The Mafia Coming to Netflix on July 22nd is Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia. During the 1970’s and 80’s five mafia families ruled New York with an iron fist, until a group of federal agents tried the unthinkable: taking them down. Ofrenda a La Tormenta (Offering to the Storm) Spanish thriller Ofrenda a La Tormenta comes to Netflix July 24th. After dealing with terrifying nightmares Inspector Amaia Salazar explores the origins of these dreams as she unfolds the dark secrets of the Baztan valley. Follow us social media! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post New on Netflix: July 17th, 2020 appeared first on Wicked Horror.


This WH Exclusive Clip from Carmilla is Brutal as Hell


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of This WH Exclusive Clip from Carmilla is Brutal as Hell. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

Carmilla, based on the short novel by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, which served as a primary source of inspiration for Dracula and is an exceptional work of gothic horror in its own right, is absolutely a film to watch out for. Directed by Emily Harris, it embraces the gothic tone of the original work, as well as the lesbian love story that serves as the basis for the plot, and is part of what makes Carmilla so important to the genre and literary history as a whole. And so we’re very excited to feature an exclusive clip from the upcoming adaptation. The snippet below showcases a dream sequence in which Lara’s mistrust, fear and passion for Carmilla come to a head to blend together in a moment that recaptures so much of the original story’s themes and tone. The scene also echoes filmmakers like Oz Perkins and Ari Aster in the best way possible. Vampire fans, and horror fans in general, should definitely get excited for a new spin on this classic tale, which served as inspiration for Hammer’s iconic The Vampire Lovers, as well as the recent Carmilla web-series and, amazingly, Vampires vs. Zombies. This appears, by far, to be the most spiritually and visually faithful adaptation of the story to date. And that is something that excites me personally as a fan. The film stars Hannah Rae as Lara, Devrim Lingnau as Carmilla, and Jessica Raine as Miss Fontaine. Check out the clip below and be sure to view the movie when it arrives on Film Movement’s Virtual Cinema.

The post This WH Exclusive Clip from Carmilla is Brutal as Hell appeared first on Wicked Horror.


Current Occupant Keeps Presidential Sanity Questions and Twists Piling Up [Review]


Original Source via Wicked Horror

Wicked Horror is the author of Current Occupant Keeps Presidential Sanity Questions and Twists Piling Up [Review]. Wicked Horror is the internet's only horror fan site for free original horror movies, news, review & more.

Which is more likely, for the president of the United States to wake up in a mental institution, or for a mental patient to wake up in the seat of the president? That’s the core question in Current Occupant. Falling mid-Independence Day month as it does, Current Occupant feels timely in more ways than one. And the latest installment in Hulu’s Into the Dark keeps viewers guessing for almost the entirety of its 85 minute runtime. It makes the most of its familiar contained setting of a grimy mental institution. A few forays into a Clockwork Orange/Paralax View conditioning chamber provide variety. Current Occupant is a dark, suspenseful, and twisty viewing experience with Barry Watson (The Loudest Voice) making viewers empathize with his troubled Henry Cameron even in moments of leaning toward the latter side of the central question. Good Boy Provides an Emotional Support Dog With Bloody Benefits [Review] Much of the time, Henry is in a battle of wills with lead psychiatrist Dr. Larson (Sonita Henry of Krypton). When he’s not, it’s a more physical struggle with an alternately polite and brutal attendant. That’s rapper and actor Marvin “Krondon” Jones III of Black Lightning in a charismatic performance. This is not unfamiliar territory for die-hard sci-fi fans. John Kessel’s modern science fiction short story classic  “A Clean Escape,” presents a similar scenario. That was adapted as an installment of ABC’s Masters of Science Fiction. Delivered is a Mother’s Day Bundle of Dread and Discomfort [Review] The approach is different here, grittier and more personal, and there’s a sense of authenticity, fueled by current events but also by the insider’s touch in the script by Alston Ramsay, former speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and others. Quirky questions keep things interesting also. Why does everyone in Henry’s support group suffer from delusions of grandeur, and what’s up with those occasional, surreal facial distortions of adversaries? Five Forgotten TV-Movies that Need to be Rediscovered Tension and suspense build as Henry plots escape with a fellow inmate who might have been his secretary of state, and rays of hope shine in as he confers with a sympathetic nurse. But frequent setbacks and the ongoing machinations of a shadowy administrator keep forcing reboots of his plans and his reality. Individual reactions to the final, final revelation may temper overall satisfaction, but this should shine as a standout in the Into the Dark series especially for those with a taste for its brand of twists and tension. Wicked Rating: 8/10 Director: Julius Ramsay Writers: Alston Ramsay Starring:  Barry Watson, Sonita Henry, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, Kate Cobb, Dana Cornelius Release: July 17, 2020 (Hulu) Runtime: 85 minutes Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube

The post Current Occupant Keeps Presidential Sanity Questions and Twists Piling Up [Review] appeared first on Wicked Horror.