★★★ Post-apocalyptic cinema has tackled this exact type of setup so many times before: man and dog hunt for survival together after a plague wipes out most of the world. Bad people try to kill them. Supplies are scarce. Similar to The Walking Dead, those who were either completely immune or figured out a way … Continue reading Film Review: The Dog Stars
Genres
Film Review: Buddy
★★★★★ As a baby of the 90s, television geared towards kids of that era has such a specific look and feel. Between Barney, Blues Clues, and Gullah Gullah Island, the hybrid worlds where anthropomorphic animals and humans coexisted together while teaching life lessons, often through song, were a comforting oddity well before the days of … Continue reading Film Review: Buddy
FrightFest 2026: Full Moon Rising: The Charles Band Story
★★★★ As a certified Full Moon kid of the 90s, I grew up on the Puppet Master franchise and Moonbeam offshoot films like Prehysteria! and Mystery Monsters. The specificity of these low budget flicks made them easy rental choices at video stores, colored by their iconic VHS artwork and wild concepts. For this very reason, … Continue reading FrightFest 2026: Full Moon Rising: The Charles Band Story
FrightFest 2026: Oddities
★★★ Seeking shelter at a strange barn shop of antiques, what could possibly go wrong? Scream queen Adrienne Barbeau (Creepshow, Swam Thing) plays a character with a hell of an answer as the wayward shopkeeper in writer/director Tyler Savage's literal oddity. Tight, unique little horror Oddities places Barbeau's instantly-iconic performance at center stage in this … Continue reading FrightFest 2026: Oddities
FrightFest 2026: Fresh Meat
★★★ A throwback slasher set in an abandoned prison with super gory practical kill effects? That's Fresh Meat, the new film from Here for Blood director Daniel Turres. This movie is the latest in a long line of films that deposit random influencers at the center of the story, but here, it seamlessly fits. The … Continue reading FrightFest 2026: Fresh Meat
FrightFest 2026: Another
★★★★ The 100 star Bob Morley was my primary reason for interest in FrightFest feature Another. This sci-fi horror thriller cuts deep with compelling moral dilemmas and ambiguous characterwork. It's not only a great genre flick, but a hugely original indie that absolutely deserves to be seen by a wide audience. One of the best … Continue reading FrightFest 2026: Another
Theater Review: Paranormal Activity
The first time watching Paranormal Activity in a sold out theater crowd nearly twenty years ago was an experience unlike any other. That found-footage phenomenon took the world by storm in an unprecedented crowd-funding tactic where you had to “demand” the movie to play at a theater near you. The $15,000 budgeted horror would go … Continue reading Theater Review: Paranormal Activity
Theater Review: The Real Ivanov
As my first ever brush with Chekhov, The Real Ivanoff, now in performances off Broadway, was quite the eye-opener. This ensemble-driven piece centers on a depressed writer named Ivanoff, played by the very talented Sam Underwood. As we follow his complicated character and his many connections, the play centers on moral quandaries and emotional highs … Continue reading Theater Review: The Real Ivanov
Film Review: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
★★★★★ If you thought SCREAM was meta, just wait for Camp Miasma! Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is the latest horror film from acclaimed director Jane Schoenbrun. Given the ambiguous, metaphorical nature of their previous film, I Saw the TV Glow, it was difficult to manage expectations. That title proved very divisive among … Continue reading Film Review: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Film Review: Camp Rock 3
★★★ We (still) rock? Yes, it may be a jaw-dropping sixteen years since we last visited in 2010's Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, but this three-quel makes a solid case for reopening the comforting musical franchise for a whole new generation. In the years since, original stars Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers trio Nick, … Continue reading Film Review: Camp Rock 3