★★★★★ I have really enjoyed a number of films out of this year’s Popcorn Frights selection, but by far the biggest surprise for me was an absolutely delightful, quirky horror/comedy from writer Piers Ashworth (Blithe Spirit) and director Martin Owen. If there’s one movie of the festival selection that screams instant cult classic, The Loneliest … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2022: The Loneliest Boy in the World
Popcorn Frights 2022: Follow Her
★★★★ Social media commentary in movies and television is practically at an overflow, making it all the more rare when a project is able to capture potent insight. Follow Her is just that type of film—singular in its approach on the topic, this horror/thriller tackles the seedy world of live streaming content. Two female creatives … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2022: Follow Her
Popcorn Frights 2022: Living with Chucky
★★★★ Years worth of in-depth horror documentaries (including but not limited to Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, Scream: The Inside Story, etc.) have set my expectations high for this genre of film. Especially when it comes to a long-running series, the fans deserve … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2022: Living with Chucky
Popcorn Frights: The Third Saturday in October
★★★ One half of a note-perfect double feature playing at 2022’s Popcorn Frights Film Festival, The Third Saturday in October actually serves as a prequel to The Third Saturday in October Part V! Here it is—the long lost “original” movie, said to be a cheap Halloween knock-off, has finally arrived! An opening crawl recalls the … Continue reading Popcorn Frights: The Third Saturday in October
Popcorn Frights: The Third Saturday in October Part V
★★★★ Emulating the best in an endless chain of 80s and 90s horror sequels, The Third Saturday in October Part V is a bloody fun micro-budget indie slasher. Written, directed, produced, and edited by visionary Jay Burleson, the film is very neatly presented as a long-lost movie that would fit in nicely amongst cheesy classics … Continue reading Popcorn Frights: The Third Saturday in October Part V
Popcorn Frights 2021: Howling Village
★★★ Where would J-horror be without director Takashi Shimizu? The Japanese filmmaker birthed a franchise with his Ju-On: The Grudge films, shortly after Ringu exploded onto the scene. He mainly focuses on foreign film, but Shimizu has also dipped his toes into American cinema with 2006’s The Grudge 2 and Flight 7500. His newest film, … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2021: Howling Village
Popcorn Frights 2021: Superhost
★★★★★ Oh look, there’s a new entry in the ever-growing ‘crazy bitch’ subgenre of horror! Joining personal favorites including Poison Ivy, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and The Devil in the Flesh, Superhost goes full 90s mode, and allows Gracie Gillam ample space to play a psychotic, overly enthusiastic host to two lovebird bloggers. … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2021: Superhost
Popcorn Frights 2021: It Came from Below
★★★★ Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: It Came from Below owes a hell of a debt to the mother of all of cave-monster filmmaking, 2005 masterpiece The Descent. Though it never manages to reach the dizzying heights of that film, It Came from Below is a strong feature with jarring scares … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2021: It Came from Below
Popcorn Frights 2021 Wrap-Up
Popcorn Frights was an unexpected pre-Fall horror treat in the best way imaginable! The Miami festival's curated choices include a wide array of curiosities and subgenres. This wrap-up catalogues all the entries I have seen, and full reviews are linked where available. Read on for our full coverage! BLOOD CONSCIOUS Full review at the link. … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2021 Wrap-Up
Popcorn Frights 2021: Night at the Eagle Inn
★★★★ Finding the perfect place to stay can be a hell in its own right. What happens when the very grounds may hold the answer to a dark part of your family history? Erik Bloomquist’s darkly comedic new horror mystery, Night at the Eagle Inn, proves itself to be one utterly bonkers overnight stay… in … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2021: Night at the Eagle Inn