★★★★ A preposterously funny, wickedly entertaining horror/comedy feels like the perfect match to debut at genre-heavy Fantastic Fest. Enter: Bad Haircut, a campy title that evolves past horny teen comedy into a bonafide horror mashup with heart. At its zany center, the off-kilter Mick (Frankie Ray)—who should affectionately be described as an overly enthusiastic barber … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: Bad Haircut
Fantastic Fest 2025: The Curse
★★★ Taiwanese import The Curse comes to Fantastic Fest with some lofty expectations, arriving well after the height of the J-horror craze. Admittedly, there is a lot of fun to be had from that subgenre of horror, spooky ghost girls and all. From The Ring to The Grudge to Suicide Club and everything in between, … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: The Curse
TV Review: Haunted Hotel – Season 1
From the creators of Rick and Morty comes a horror-tinged Netflix oddity with a killer hook. At a breezy ten episodes, Haunted Hotel is an easy-to-recommend binge that pays tribute to all manner of genre iconography. Along for the ride is an all-star vocal cast that perfectly fit their respective roles. The five core roles … Continue reading TV Review: Haunted Hotel – Season 1
Film Review: Chain Reactions
★★★★ Fifty years after Tobe Hooper unleashed his singular vision, aptly titled The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, unique documentary Chain Reactions takes a deeply personal examination at the film’s legacy from multiple viewpoints. Structured as a series of video essays from five distinct voices—Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama—this one … Continue reading Film Review: Chain Reactions
Blu-Ray Film Review: Bring Her Back
★★★★★ A devastating, emotionally moving nightmare with god-tier performances and some of the most disturbing horror imagery in years, Bring Her Back is A24's second collaboration with the Philippou brothers. Fresh off their unforgiving Talk to Me, Danny and Michael Philippou have somehow managed to plunge even deeper into children in peril chaos. Earlier this … Continue reading Blu-Ray Film Review: Bring Her Back
Film Review: The Toxic Avenger
★★★★ Troma's signature series, The Toxic Avenger, has been revived, keeping much of the same silly atmosphere that made the original so distinct. Emmy winner Peter Dinklage steps into the shoes of Toxie himself, though his performance mainly consists of the vocal variety since Luisa Guerreiro actually plays the physical Toxie under heavy prosthetics. There's … Continue reading Film Review: The Toxic Avenger
FrightFest 2025: The Other People
★★★ Stating a film is based on true events at this point is no longer a moniker of a quality horror experience, especially considering how loosely the label can be applied. Making this claim used to elicit chills down one's spine, but now simply feels too commonplace. The Other People, co-written and directed by Chad … Continue reading FrightFest 2025: The Other People
FrightFest 2025: 213 Bones
★★★ The 90s may unofficially be the new 80s. More than ever before, a flood of titles hoping to emulate my birth decade have been trying hard to replicate that nostalgic magic. Campy slasher 213 Bones is the latest in a long line of them, and thankfully, just enough fun to wholeheartedly recommend. First-time writer/director … Continue reading FrightFest 2025: 213 Bones
FrightFest 2025: The Red Mask
★★★★ Subversive, clever slashers are difficult to come by, especially ones that do not just feel like carbon copy Scream clones. While The Red Mask certainly has so many meta trademarks of that iconic horror franchise, it surprisingly feels original, a decidedly queer-forward flick with plenty to say about the state of the genre. Screenwriting … Continue reading FrightFest 2025: The Red Mask
FrightFest 2025: The Mannequin
★★★ Writer/director John Bernardo may only have a couple films under his belt, but his Initiation was one of my favorite slasher films of the last few years. His sophomore effort, The Mannequin, came with a certain set of expectations that resulted in a bit of disappointment from my end. Expectation: a movie about a … Continue reading FrightFest 2025: The Mannequin