The pandemic of 2020 has provided access to numerous film festivals we would not have had the chance to discover otherwise—case in point, Arrow Video’s FrightFest from London. Filled with a variety of intriguing genre highs and lows, FrightFest emerges as one of the signature horror festivals. After the jump, check out my full coverage … Continue reading Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 Wrap-Up
FrightFest 2021: Slapface
★★★ Slapface, a feature-length adaptation of writer/director Jeremiah Kipp’s same-titled short film, provides ample metaphorical subtext about grieving, loss, and bullying. It is part horror monster movie, part grief drama; think Amblin charm meets the monster emotionality of 2016’s A Monster Calls. August Maturo, who I had previously seen as the lead in this year’s … Continue reading FrightFest 2021: Slapface
FrightFest 2021: The Advent Calendar
★★★★ As the holiday season begins its approach, an early contender for this year’s best holiday horror film makes waves. I have always wanted one of those cute holiday advent calendars, but new horror The Advent Calendar has put me off of them, permanently. Despite having very few elements of typical Christmas horror features, Patrick … Continue reading FrightFest 2021: The Advent Calendar
Film Review: Zone 414
★★★★ Sci-fi thrillers are a dime a dozen, but making one worth your time can hit the right notes in a harmonious way. Zone 414, the feature film debut of director Andrew Baird and Titans writer Bryan Edward Hill, is thankfully one of the good ones. It takes the best of the genre—android action, philosophical … Continue reading Film Review: Zone 414
Film Review: Wild Indian
★★ I missed Wild Indian at Sundance earlier this year, and it turns out this should have been a sign to simply skip it. The thriller or revenge element is barely there, instead choosing to focus on a despicable character that I hated to watch. If you have a story arc with a huge time … Continue reading Film Review: Wild Indian
Film Review: Saving Paradise
★★★ Saving Paradise will deliver a familiar feeling to anyone who has ever watched a Lifetime movie from the 90s. The old-fashioned style, schmaltzy delivery, and cheesy, feel-good vibes will brighten any day. The film was formerly titled Pencil Town, which given the content seems to fit the movie and the tone much better. Love … Continue reading Film Review: Saving Paradise
Film Review: We Need to Do Something
★★★★ Did I seriously just get Rick Rolled by a movie? We Need to Do Something, a bizarre but timely horror/thriller with an injection of dark comedy, hails from writer Max Booth III (based on his own 2020 novella, which I scooped up after finishing this crazy movie) and first-time director Sean King O’Grady. Going … Continue reading Film Review: We Need to Do Something
Film Review: Summer Days, Summer Nights
★★★ Set in 1983 Long Island, Summer Days, Summer Nights is a charming slice-of-life coming-of-age dramedy that attempts to replicate the freewheeling filmmaking style of award-winning director Richard Linklater. Purely an ensemble piece through and through, it collects various rising talent, some of whom like Anthony Ramos have blown up significantly since filming commenced. The … Continue reading Film Review: Summer Days, Summer Nights
FrightFest 2021: Pretty Boy
★★★★ Valentine’s Day slashers are in short supply—beyond My Bloody Valentine or 2001’s Valentine, there is not much else out there. While Pretty Boy may not be some masterpiece of modern cinema, it maintains a fun, ridiculous tone that permeates from every facet of the production. I was not aware that Pretty Boy was a … Continue reading FrightFest 2021: Pretty Boy
Film Review: He’s All That
★★ He’s All That tries hard to be relevant to our TikTok obsessed generation, but it ends up feeling like a poor man’s take on the original film. Let’s talk that original 90s rom-com classic for a second—1999’s She’s All That defined a generation, and it is a touchstone romance for most during that iconic … Continue reading Film Review: He’s All That