Static Horror Magazine

Static HORROR magazine ASIAN HORROR DIE ALONE When Four friends take turns experiencing scary events they find out they are not alone.

SHE DEVIL The Creeping 2022

VAMPS ARE OUT Night Shift (2022)

REENACTMENT. Tony Todd, James Storm do Battle in this Hollywood Thriller

BLACK BIRD

Catch a Killer By Using a Drug Lord

THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS What if your Life was not yours ?

STATIC HORROR MAGAZINE

ISSUE ONE

CONTENTS 5 Best Horror Movies Of 2022 So Far 10 The Creeping (2022) 12 The Feast 14 Die Alone 18 Allegoria (2002) 20 Night Shift (2022) 24 Firestarter (2022) 28 The Reenactment 32 The Reef: Stalked (2002) 37 Black Bird

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BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2022 SO FAR 10. STUDIO 666 “STUDIO 666 FEATURES FUN PERFORMANCES BY THE FOO FIGHTERS, BUT ITS “KITCHEN SINK” APPROACH LEAVES IT OPEN TO UNFAVORABLE COMPARISONS TO THE MOVIES TO WHICH IT PAYS HOMAGE,” READS IGN’S OFFICIAL REVIEW. IT’S A MORE THAN FAIR CRITIQUE, ESPECIALLY AT THE FILM’S EXCESSIVE LENGTH, BUT MY ADORATION OF THE FOO FIGHTERS THEMSELVES HELPS ELEVATE THIS WACKY MUSICAL MIDNIGHT. DAVE GROHL GETS TO BECOME A DEMON AND HUNT HIS BANDMATES AS THEY CONCEPTUALIZE A SONG THAT COULD SPELL APOCALYPTIC DOOM — IT’S EVERYTHING A METALHEAD HORROR FAN COULD IMAGINE. INCLUDING CAMEOS FROM KERRY KING TO WILL FORTE TO LIONEL RICHIE. OF COURSE, THERE’S A NEWFOUND SOMBERNESS TO STUDIO 666 SINCE THE UNEXPECTED PASSING OF BELOVED DRUMMER TAYLOR HAWKINS NOT LONG AFTER THE FILM’S RELEASE. PERHAPS STUDIO 666 CAN SERVE AS A TESTAMENT TO THE LOVE BETWEEN FOO FIGHTERS MEMBERS BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL GROHL AND HIS COHORTS ARE HAVING AN ABSOLUTE BLAST. THERE’S SO MUCH HORROR GENRE APPRECIATION BAKED INTO CORPSE-SHREDDING PRACTICAL EFFECTS AND NODS TO THE CLASSICS, ALL WHILE THE FOOS YUCK IT UP WHILE GETTING DEMON-DEADLY AND YUCKY. FOR ALL ITS BLEMISHES AND SHORTCOMINGS, IT’S STILL ONE ROCKIN’ MIDNIGHT ROMP.

9. THE SADNESS "THE SADNESS IS ONE OF THE ICKIEST, MOST SADISTIC OUTBURSTS OF UNBRIDLED HORROR AGGRESSION I'VE BEHELD IN A SPELL," I WROTE ELSEWHERE IN A REVIEW FOR SHUDDER'S MOST DELINQUENT RELEASE OF THE YEAR. IT'S A BLEND OF 28 DAYS LATER AND THE PURGE, AS INFECTED CHINESE CITIZENS START SAVAGELY ATTACKING EVERYONE EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. EVEN WORSE, THESE INFECTED MONSTROSITIES ACT ON HEIGHTENED IMMORALITY LEVELS, EXPLICITLY SEXUAL AND VIOLENT. THERE ARE ACTS IN THE SADNESS THAT WILL CAUSE EVEN MORE VETERAN GOREHOUNDS TO CRINGE IN WHAT'S EASILY THE MEANEST HORROR FLICK OF 2022.

INTENSITY AND SADISM MOCK CIVIL OBEDIENCE AS BODIES ARE FL AYED, DEEP FRIED, AND DEFILED. THERE'S A TRIGGER WARNING THAT THOSE WITH WEAKER STOMACHS ABOUT INAPPROPRIATE ACTS OF PERVERSE BLOODLUST SHOULD CONSIDER BECAUSE THE SADNESS REFUSES TO BACK DOWN EVEN WHEN OUR HEADS BEGIN TO SHAKE IN DISBELIEF. A BLEND OF PRACTICAL AND DIGITAL EFFECTS EVISCERATE CHARACTERS AS HORDES OF INHUMAN BERZERKERS ACT OUT BRAZENLY BRUTAL ATTACKS WITH WHATEVER WEAPONS ARE AVAILABLE. A PRIMAL FEAR AT THE CENTER OF THE SADNESS QUESTIONS WHAT HUMANITY WOULD BE LIKE WITHOUT MORAL GUARDS. IT'LL BE TOO MUCH FOR SOME, AND THAT'S WHOLLY UNDERSTANDABLE — THE SADNESS IS THE KIND OF MIDNIGHTER YOU CAN'T RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE BUT DEMANDS AN AFTER-DARK AUDIENCE.

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BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2022 SO FAR 8. OFFSEASON MICKEY KEATING'S OFFSEASON — AVAILABLE ON SHUDDER — IS THE FILMMAKER'S ODE TO COASTAL LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR WITH ESSENCES OF SOGGY THRILLERS LIKE THE FOG. THINK ALONG THE LINES OF THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND (ON NETFLIX) MEETS SILENT HILL AS OMINOUS FOG ROLLS OVER A VACATION TOWN THAT'S BEEN VACATED BY MOST. KEATING LOVES HONORING HIS IDOLS THROUGHOUT HIS FILMS, EACH FEELING LIKE A STUDENT WANTS TO MAKE HIS TEACHERS PROUD. OFFSEASON IS HIS CHAMPIONING OF WATERLOGGED THEMES AND UNEXPLAINED MYSTERIES, FEELING ALMOST LIKE A RADIO DRAMA YOU'D EXPECT TO HEAR READ ALOUD BY HOSTS THROUGH ADJUSTABLE STATIC. INDIE HORROR FANS WILL RECOGNIZE STRONG PERFORMANCES FROM JOCELIN DONAHUE, RICHARD BRAKE, JEREMY GARDNER, AND MORE. THE FILM CAN BECOME A BIT AIRY AS SCENES SEEM TO FLOW INTO ONE ANOTHER ON MERE WHIMS, WHICH WILL BE A MAKE-ORBREAK SENSATION. OFFSEASON IS ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE, DRIVING TENSION AND SUSPENSE LIKE A WEATHER-INFLUENCED GHOST STORY. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T MIND BEING A SIGHTSEEING PASSENGER, YOU'LL BE FINE.

7. HATCHING IF YOUR HORROR FLICK HAS OUTSTANDING PRACTICAL CREATURE EFFECTS, YOU IMMEDIATELY HAVE MY ATTENTION. HATCHING GOES FURTHER TO BLEND COMINGOF-AGE AWKWARDNESS WITH AN AVIARY MONSTER THAT HATCHES FROM A DISCOVERED EGG. AS IGN’S OFFICIAL REVIEW ACKNOWLEDGES, “WITH DELIGHTFUL PRACTICAL EFFECTS, AND A SPECTACULAR CHILD PERFORMANCE AT ITS CENTER, FINNISH BODY-HORROR MOVIE HATCHING WORKS DESPITE ITSELF.” AT BARELY 90 MINUTES AND LOADED WITH FULL-ON SHOTS OF A SPECTACULARLY GRIM BIRDBEAST, YOU’RE IN GOOD HANDS. A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT GOES TO SIIRI SOLALINNA, WHO PLAYS THE 12-YEAR-OLD GYMNAST LEAD THAT BECOMES A MATERNAL CARETAKER TO THE CREATURE MENTIONED ABOVE. THEY GROW CLOSE, METAPHORS FOR MATURITY OVERTAKE, AND DANGERS ARISE WHEN THE 12-YEAR-OLD’S ROOMMATE STARTS LASHING OUT AT ANYONE WHO “HURTS” HER MAMA. THAT INCLUDES THE GIRL’S OVERBEARING INFLUENCER MOTHER. WE’VE SEEN PROTECTOR FLICKS LIKE THIS BEFORE, BUT HATCHING DRILLS INTO THE CORE HORRORS OF STAGE MOMS, EXPENSIVE FACADES, AND BROKEN HOMES THAT TRY TO APPEAR AS ANYTHING ELSE.

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BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2022 SO FAR 6. WATCHER I LIKED WATCHER A TAD MORE THAN IGN’S AMELIA EMBERWING, WHOSE 7 OUT OF 10 REVIEW SAYS, “THE STORY WILL LINGER TOO LONG FOR SOME, BUT ANYONE WILLING TO STICK WITH IT IS IN FOR A TREAT.” CHLOE OKUNO’S FEATURE DEBUT NEEDS NOTHING MORE THAN A WOMAN ABROAD AND THE MAN WHOSE EYES ARE ALWAYS LOCKED ON SAID WOMAN’S FIGURE. IT’S HIGHLIGHTING THE HORRORS OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD, AS SOCIETY REPEATEDLY TELLS WOMEN THEY’RE PERFECTLY SAFE AND TO STOP OVERREACTING, RIGHT BEFORE ANOTHER INNOCENT LIFE IS TAKEN BY SOME DUDE WHO STALKED ANOTHER INNOCENT SOUL HOME LATE ONE NIGHT. MAIKA MONROE STARS AS THE AMERICAN WIFE OF A BUSINESSMAN WHO RELOCATES TO BUCHAREST, ROMANIA. EVEN WITHOUT BURN GORMAN’S INSIDIOUS NEIGHBOR WHO ENDS UP BEING THE “WATCHER,” OKUNO DOES WELL TO ACCENTUATE THE LONELINESS OF A PARTNER DOING RIGHT BY THEIR SPOUSE THROUGH SACRIFICE AND DISCOMFORT. THEN THE SOCIAL COMMENTARY AND VOYEURISTIC UNREST TAKE OVER AS BOTH MAIKA AND BURN TO DO THEIR BEST ON THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF AN INVASIVE, GROSSLY VULNERABLE STALKER SCENARIO THAT USES REALITY AS THE UTMOST IMPETUS FOR HORROR CINEMA. WHY CREATE IMAGINARY MONSTERS WHEN OUR LIVES ARE FILLED WITH REAL ONES?

5. THE INNOCENTS IN MY REVIEW FOR THE INNOCENTS, I CONCLUDE, “THE INNOCENTS IS A SLOW-BURNER THAT STARS A MAJORITY SMALL-FRY CAST AND YET IS FAR MORE POISED AND IMPACTFUL THAN THOSE DESCRIPTIONS SUGGEST.” WHAT’S SO STUNNING ABOUT THIS DARK NORWEGIAN TAKE ON CHILDREN WITH SUPERPOWERS IS HOW MATURE THE FILM TREATS ITS SUBJECTS. THERE’S NEVER A DESIRE TO WATERDOWN DIRE CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE WEE YOUNGLINGS ARE IN CHARGE. IF ANYTHING, THE SCREENPLAY AMPLIFIES CONCEPTS AROUND CHILDREN NOT UNDERSTANDING THE HARM THEY CAN CAUSE AND HOW QUICKLY SOME ARE FORCED TO GROW UP. IT’S A PLAYGROUND METAPHOR FOR UNCHECKED AGGRESSION AND THE CORRUPTION OF UNLIMITED POWERS. KIDS START LEVITATING ROCKS AND REALIZING THEY’RE FAR MORE SPECIAL THAN THEIR PARENTS EVER IMAGINED — BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE. HORROR ELEMENTS INTERFERE WHEN ONE CHILD USES HIS ABILITIES IN HURTFUL WAYS, AS THE OTHER POWERED CHILDREN WONDER HOW TO STOP HIS REIN OF TERROR. IT’S AN IMPACTFUL FILM ABOUT CHOICES AND HOW QUICKLY HUMANS SUCCUMB TO THEIR WORST IMPULSES, MADE IMMENSELY MORE IMPACTFUL GIVEN THE AGE OF ALL PLAYERS INVOLVED.

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BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2022 SO FAR 4. SCREAM RADIO SILENCE’S SCREAM SEQUEL DOES RIGHT BY FRANCHISE CREATORS WES CRAVEN AND KEVIN WILLIAMSON. IT’S A REQUEL THAT PLAYS INTO ALL THE TROPES AND DECADES-LATER REVAMPS THAT HAVE TRIED TIRELESSLY TO REVIVE FRANCHISES GASPING FOR AIR. IGN’S AMELIA EMBERWING GAVE THE FILM A 9 OUT OF 10, SAYING, “ALL OF THE PERFORMANCES ARE PITCHPERFECT, THE KILLS ARE GNARLY, AND NO VERSION OF TOXIC FANDOM IS LEFT UNMOCKED.” I AGREE WITH THOSE WORDS SINCE THE FILM SO LOVINGLY PAYS HOMAGE TO MULTIPLE THREADS FROM WILLIAMSON’S ORIGINAL SCRIPT WITH ALL THE SHARP GENRE COMMENTARY CRAVEN LOVED TO EXPLOIT. THE YEAR OF “JENNA ORTEGA: OUR SCREAM QUEEN” CONTINUES SINCE SHE STARS ALONGSIDE MELISSA BARRERA AS SLASHER SURVIVING SISTERS, MEETING FRANCHISE FAVORITES LIKE NEVE CAMPBELL, DAVID ARQUETTE, AND COURTENEY COX. THERE’S NO CHIP ON THE SHOULDERS OF RADIO SILENCE AS THEY DIRECT THROUGH ANOTHER MASSACRE THAT’S THE MOST VIOLENT AND RELENTLESS TO DATE, YET COMEDY THRIVES AS JASMIN SAVOY BROWN BECOMES THE MEEKS WE DESERVE. SCREAM (2022) CHANNELS CRAVEN, GUTS “HORROR TWITTER” WITH SCATHING COMMENTARY AGAINST GATEKEEPERS, AND FEELS COMFORTABLY AT HOME IN THE FRANCHISE. THAT’S ALL SCREAM FANS CAN ASK FOR, SHAKE-UPS AND ALL.

3. NOPE JORDAN PEELE’S NO STRANGER TO “BEST OF” HORROR LISTS BETWEEN GETTING OUT AND US — AND NOPE IS NO DIFFERENT. IT’S PEELE HAVING A BLAST WITH TWILIGHT ZONE INFLUENCES ON A SPIELBERGIAN SCI-FI SCALE. WE DON’T TOSS AROUND THE TERM “EVENT HORROR” ANYMORE (USED TO DESCRIBE BLOCKBUSTER HORROR FLICKS THAT DEVOUR THE SCREEN) BUT PEELE HAS BECOME A CHAMPION FOR SUCH SPECTACLE FILMMAKING NOW FOR A THIRD TIME WITH NOPE. AUDIENCES WILL FIND AN IMMENSELY ENTERTAINING UFO MYSTERY WITH LAUGHS AND CHILLS — BUT THAT’S JUST ON THE SURFACE. DANIEL KALUUYA, KEKE PALMER, BRANDON PEREA, AND STEVEN YEUN EXPLORE THE NASTY HISTORIES OF MINORITIES BEING TOSSED ASIDE AND FORGOTTEN BY HOLLYWOOD. OUR UGLY RELATIONSHIP WITH SPECTACLES IS PUT ON DISPLAY WHILE PEELE STILL MANAGES TO KEEP US IN AWE OF THE OVERARCHING ALIEN THREAT. PEELE OPERATES OUTSIDE THE MORE OVERT SOCIAL COMMENTARIES OF GETTING OUT AND US, WITHOUT DITCHING A DIRECTORIAL VOICE THAT’S ARGUABLY THE MOST UNIQUE IN CONTEMPORARY HORROR CINEMA. IN PEELE WE TRUST, AND THERE’S A REASON IGN GAVE THE FILM A 9 OUT OF 10 IN OUR OFFICIAL REVIEW.

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BEST HORROR MOVIES OF 2022 SO FAR 2. THE BLACK PHONE SCOTT DERRICKSON AND C. ROBERT CARGILL STRIKE HORROR GOLD AGAIN WITH THE BLACK PHONE. IGN’S OFFICIAL REVIEW DIALS IN A 9 OUT OF 10, AS AMELIA CONCLUDES, “THE BLACK PHONE MIXES THE SUPERNATURAL WITH RELATABLE HORRORS IN WAYS THAT WILL LEAVE YOU BOTH TERRIFIED AND HOPEFUL.” IT’S THAT HOPEFULNESS THAT I WASN’T EXPECTING BECAUSE ETHAN HAWKE’S CHILD KIDNAPPER “THE GRABBER” SURE IS A NASTY SON-OF-A-GUN. CHILD ACTORS MASON THAMES AND MADELEINE MCGRAW PLAY THEIR PARTS SO TREMENDOUSLY WELL, THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LEAVE THINKING THE KIDS WILL BE ALRIGHT. DIRECTION GOES A LONG WAY FOR THE BLACK PHONE BECAUSE DERRICKSON SHOWS A CONFIDENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE COMMAND OF THE GRABBER’S BASEMENT. IT FEELS MASSIVE WHEN THAMES’ VICTIM SEARCHES AROUND FOR ESCAPE CLUES AND CLAUSTROPHOBIC WHEN THE GRABBER COMES DOWNSTAIRS TO ENHANCE SENSATIONS OF CHILLY ISOLATION. ADD IN A FEW PARANORMAL SCARES AND KILLER MASK DESIGNS BY TOM SAVINI, AND YOU’VE GOT A DEFINITIVE CROWD-PLEASING HORROR FILM WORTH ACCLAIM. NOT LIKE THAT’S ANYTHING NEW FOR THE TEAM BEHIND SINISTER.

1. X TI WEST’S X IS AS GLORIOUS AND MALEVOLENT A RETURN TO HORROR FEATURES THAT ANYONE COULD ASK FOR FROM THE INDIE FILMMAKER TURNED PROLIFIC TELEVISION DIRECTOR. IGN’S OFFICIAL REVIEW GAVE X AN 8 OUT OF 10, WHICH I COME IN A LITTLE HIGHER ON MYSELF. WEST’S INCORPORATION OF COUNTLESS INFLUENCES FROM GIALLO TO 70S SLEAZEPLOITATION MAKES FOR AN ARTFULLY CHAOTIC BRAND OF CONTEMPORARY SLASHER. IT’S HANDILY ONE OF A24’S BETTER HORROR FILMS, FILLED WITH GRATUITOUS BUT OH-SO-SLICK GORE AND ALL THE SWELTERY SOUTHERN TERRORIZATION IN FILMS LIKE THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN OR THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. PERFORMANCES ACROSS THE BOARD HELP MAKE X SO MEMORABLE. IT’S JENNA ORTEGA’S YEAR IN HORROR WITHOUT ANY QUESTION, BUT SHE’S ONLY ONE PIECE TO X’S BLOOD-SPLATTERED PUZZLE. BRITTANY SNOW, KID CUDI, MIA GOTH, AND MORE PLAY ABOVE-AND-BEYOND PARTS AS PORNOGRAPHERS TRYING TO ELEVATE THEIR MEDIUM. WEST HAS LOADS OF FUN COMPARING HORROR TO PORNOGRAPHY IN TERMS OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION, WHILE CHARACTERS ARE GRANTED AGENCY BEYOND EASY STEREOTYPES. WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT A SEX-POSITIVE SLASHER THAT SWINGS A BIG EGO AND DELIVERS AS PROMISED?

THE CREEPING (2022) The Creeping (2022) is the cinematic homage to 1980s gothic horror that we’ve all been waiting for. Watching it will remind you of the first scary movie you watched as a child, clutching pillows to your face in the basement den while your parents thought you were watching Scooby Doo. It maintains the era’s subtle build to action, but it’s filmed with modern technology. Except for a few tells later in the film (special effects that didn’t exist in the 80s), you might believe this is a remastered edition of your childhood nightmare.

We understand that she is elderly and declining naturally, but she is also disturbed by something nobody else can see.

Karen (Sophie Thompson) has been Lucy’s housekeeper for years which leaves her opinion skewed because the decline has been so gradual, but Anna has been gone for a long time and already suspects there is something else going on in the house. She does her best to take care of Lucy, but between her grandmother’s odd nighttime behaviour and the escalating poltergeist-like activity, she is exhausted.

As it becomes clear that something is bothering Lucy that she cannot articulate, the viewer begins to learn more about events that took place when Anna’s mother died many years before. Is Lucy acting out as a result of her illness and the secrets she carries, or is there a ghost? If so, who is it, and what do they want?

While most horror film creators in 2022 are focused on oneupping each other with over-the-top graphics and boundary-pushing, writer/director/producer Jamie Hooper had only one goal: to get under your skin the old-fashioned way. With the help of an outstanding cast and a brilliant production team, he does just that. Riann Steele plays Anna, a woman who returns to her childhood home in the British countryside to help her Nana, Lucy Blakely, (Jane Lowe) who is suffering from dementia. Although Anna experienced a ghostly presence while living there as a child with her widower father (Jonathan Nyati), she struggles to understand whether what she’s experiencing upon her return is supernatural or simply the stress of living with her ill grandmother.

Steele’s performance is A-list caliber; it is a flawless portrayal of a woman coming to terms with her shrinking family after the death of her father while uncovering the mysteries that he and her grandmother have kept buried since the day she was born. Her Nana’s housekeeper Karen (Sophie Thompson) is a British Annie Potts, doting but unconvinced that anything is amiss until it just can’t be denied. David Horovitch as Reverend Joseph brings a seriousness to the story that amplifies the idea that this is England in the 1980s, playing his role so convincingly that we had to check online to find out if he truly is a clergyman (he is not!). Jonathan Nyati as Anna’s father Harry is shown in flashbacks that are meant to tell us the story of Anna’s childhood years spent at the country estate.

He is so genuine in his role as a young widower at the beginning of the story that his performance later in the film evokes a more emotional response from the viewer than the writers could have created without him.

The set is beautifully designed, the estate’s rooms filled with the 1970s decor and knick knacks one would expect to see in a “grandmother’s home” in 1985. It’s all outdated, with mustard yellow and orange afghan blankets, cranberry glassware, and aging small appliances placed naturally in every scene. The colourist, Megan Lee, deserves a special mention for her contribution to the atmosphere in The Creeping. It is rare to see this amount of detail in any film, and her brilliance plays a large part in creating an authentic setting for the haunting to unfold. Co-writer/producer Helen Miles is also the Sound Editor, and she excels at building tension and mystery with carefully timed effects that erupt from within both ambient music and deliberate silences.

There are scenes in The Creeping that are candidly frightening.

Hooper employs many horror tropes that were popular in the 1970s and 80s (slamming doors, faulty lighting/electricity, bedsheets sliding away on their own) which fits the narrative, but with the fresh lens of modern filming technology there are other scenes that give us insight into horrific events that we may have never seen before on screen (no spoilers, but watch the garage scene carefully!). Where the use of old scares works brilliantly for the film, though, there is some overreach with special effects that don’t quite fit the story. As a lowbudget independent film, no one expects spectacular VFX, but it feels like someone tried and missed when the main antagonist is revealed.

Aside from a few misplaced effects, The Creeping is an authentic, nostalgic ghost story that is well-paced and well-told.

It has everything a child of the 80s wants in a film that is meant to evoke memories of our first scares. Hooper and his team hit the ball out of the park with this one, and we can’t wait to see what he brings to the big screen next.

The Feast review – Welsh folk horror dials up the creepiness Cannibalism, torture, gory sex and meaty subtexts are all on the menu at a dinner party held by an arrogant local MP Set and shot in Wales, with dialogue in Welsh (apart from a few loan words from English and the occasional Anglo-Saxon cuss), this is a striking, reasonably original wodge of folk horror. It also represents an auspicious first feature for director Lee Haven Jones (he’s shot a few Doctor Who episodes and the like), working from a script by writer-producer Roger Williams. Said screenplay adroitly incorporates meaty subtexts about class and generational tension, the evils of contemporary land management, and sexual abuse, while still ensuring there’s plenty of screen time devoted to cannibalism, torture and very gory forms of sex.

The feast of the title is a dinner party that arrogant local MP Gwyn (Julian Lewis Jones) and his preening, social-climbing wife Glenda (Nia Roberts) are throwing for a developer friend (Rhodri Meilir) and a neighbour (Lisa Palfrey), a spread that will feature rabbits killed by Gwyn. The couple’s ne’er-do-well sons – recovering addict Guto (Steffan Cennydd) and creepy triathlete Gweirydd (Sion Alun Davies) – are also on hand. To help prepare and serve, the hosts have hired a local girl, Cadi (Annes Elwy) to help when their usual caterer can’t make it, but Cadi turns out to be a skittish, otherworldly creature who reacts oddly to the sound of gunshots and seems to have an agenda of her own.

Viewers tuned into this sort of genre will suspect something supernatural is up pretty quickly, around the time people start coughing up weird tangles of material and then continuing about their business like nothing happened, like cats bringing up hairballs and then resuming grooming serenely. Jones skilfully cranks up the creepiness a notch at a time with an ominous soundtrack and stylish lighting, until the dial is way past 11 and into grand guignol territory by the end.

The Feast was released on 19 August in cinemas.

Die Alone Asian Horror at its best with a strong plot and some good acting I have to say for this low budget film from Indonesia.

Good strong Casting helps this one out a lot despite some of the camera work the film delivers well.

When Four friends take turns experiencing scary events they find out they are not alone. The terror of these spirits that spread fear, panic, and hysteria just came unexpectedly.

The film has some nice location shots also and the story is not too bad ever. all in all a good job was done. for me its a 7 out of 10

Allegoria (2002) A group of artists’ lives becomes unwittingly entangled as their obsessions and insecurities manifest monsters, demons and death.

The movie just started, and I feel the disturbance… Allegoria was directed and written by Spider One. The film opens with John Ennis delivering one hell of an acting performance. He’s portraying Robert Anderson Wright. He’s one hell of an actor in the movie within a play of a movie. You figure it out.

Robert is trying to get a Sir Anthony Hopkins performance, and well, they don’t quite get where he’s going.

Somewhere, Martin Scorsese is smiling about that rubber suit comment. Brody (Krsy Fox) is preparing for her own performance. This is method acting in a horror movie. Brody delivers quite a performance. Marcus (Bryce Johnson) is an artist, he’s painting, his phone is ringing. He’s ignoring it.

I love the shots, and the music. It reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock and the doorway and window frame shots. The shots that some directors shy away from. Spider One puts them right where you need them. You can see the darkness in another person, you can see it in broad daylight. You can see Marcus is struggling with his own darkness. These fears, obsessions, anxieties, hallucinations, terrors, sleep paralysis, and demons. Marcus comes face-to-face with his.

It was great. People were actually in the moment. I would recommend watching Allegoria. It takes you on a wild ride. I think Spider One delivered big time with this movie. The special effects and some of the awesome images and the possessed character, The Whistler he created. They aren’t too over-the-top but you imagine that in real life if you saw this shit, you would go, okay, what is this?

After a break-in occurs during her first night on the job, the lone night shift janitor must fight to survive when she becomes the target of the masked intruders.

It’s the last of the Chattanooga Film Festival, I’m a little sad. It feels like I was just getting prepared and it’s over already. It was an honor to be a part of this festival. The talented folks that run the festival, and all the filmmakers, writers, actors, producers, and more. In a world where chaos is non-stop, we get a moment or two to watch a movie and forget about the madness.

Night Shift, no not that Night Shift from 1982, but a brand-new Night Shift directed by Greg Swinson and Ryan Thiessen. It was written by Greg Swinson. It stars Natalie Terrazzino as Karen, JC Oakley III, Larry Bunton, Phillip Zimny, and Trevor Tucker.

It’s been a minute since I got stressed out watching a movie. You want someone to run, and they just stand there. We meet Karen, and Glenn who seems like a real ballbuster but he just wants to go bowling. I was excited for this movie. The Chattanooga Film Festival saved it for the last night.

Karen has a life, she has a kid, an ex, and needs a job.

What do you do when you need to get your shit together? You get a job. Karen is the new nigh shift person, and she just wants to do her job. Glenn is the employee that’s been at the job way too long, he is stressed but the job is his so, you know how that goes.

So, Tina (Georgia Kate Haege) is watching Karen’s kid. Boy this is problematic. Karen had a moment of rage and now she has to clean up a mess, she also thinks about calling her ex, don’t do it, don’t do it. Listen to yourself.

Now we have a random delivery dude showing up, I’m pretty sure that’s a set up. Why do people answer door at night? I’m sensing Karen went through something because she is on alert! Karen and Natalie Terrazzino’s playing Karen with this alertness, and she’s smart, and aware of what’s going on. It’s very Jodie Foster, Clarice Starling.

When you realize she is no longer alone in that big warehouse building, the goosebumps just show up. She’s also on to that bullshit delivery man. She’s ambushed, and she’s familiar with this warehouse for only being there for one night.

Four guys with masks on, and chasing a woman around a warehouse. I like the story, I appreciate the Jodie Foster garage door scene, it may be me reaching for something that’s not there but, “Hello Clarice.” They are ripping phone cords out, and just being overall menaces. Four men chasing a woman, that’s “Bitch” behavior to me. Oh nooo, she is trying to get away, they are going to get you… “They’re coming to get you Barbara.” You read that in his voice. Oh Karen, I could have told you that would happen.

The dudes are grunting and growling. It makes you root for Karen even more. Okay, most of us know the rule about going near the killer or killers when they are down and out. I’m starting to think her ex-husband planned this whole thing.

I appreciate the suspense and intensity of this movie. It’s a fun movie yet it’s scary because this is more of a real-life situation.

Fighting for your life and to be with your child or family will provide even more fight for you.

That fight or flight kicks in really quick. Karen has a previous injury, and she’s beat up now, and stabbed. This woman is putting herself back together like MacGyver. That’s what women do, we put ourselves back together no matter what. We carry on, no matter what.

I’m on edge watching this movie. I’m rooting for Karen. Tough guys not so tough without the mask and the knife. This movie shows a few things, never use kids against one another. I’ve never disliked a character more in a movie than this dude. No offense JC Oakley III, I know it’s a movie.

I’ve never rooted for a movie character than this lady just trying to get to her kid. When you find out if you already didn’t find out who is indeed trying to kill Karen. It’s wild. This movie was brutal and intense but everything is okay. “Everything is okay.” Never forget a person who can thrive in darkness will always shine in the light. Now don’t open doors to strangers, don’t get in vans with strangers, always be aware of your surroundings. Watch a horror movie, it may help you. Be safe folks. Make sure to watch Night Shift, at least three times. It’s great.

A young girl tries to understand how she mysteriously gained the power to set things on fire with her mind.

Have you heard of “Firestarter”? The movies and/or the Stephen King novel, not the song from The Prodigy, though that is a killer track.

If you answer, “No, and why are you in my house?”, then rush out and watch the newest version from 2022, and I’ll just wipe my prints clean while you’re out.

If your response tended towards “I am well versed in the original Mark Lester-directed film, but why do you have all the yogurt cups from the fridge?”, then you may proceed to the 2022 version with your guard up but be ready to shriek, “They are ruining my childhood!” if that’s how you swing. And these aren’t the yogurt cups you’re looking for.

“Firestarter” (2022) tells the story of Andy and his young daughter Charlie as they flee operatives from a government shadow agency called the Department of Scientific Intelligence (DSI) or as it is better known – “The Shop”. Seems folks from this agency did some testing of a substance named Lot 6 on college students. Some had no reaction. Some freaked out completely. Some gained mental powers, like Andy and Vicky, who fall in love and get married.

After having a child, they discover their daughter not only has their powers, but she also has the ability to ignite things with her mind.

The family goes into hiding for a few years. Unfortunately, children do not have the best emotional control. An incident at school alerts DSI, and an assassin sent for them kills the mom while father and daughter escape, using their abilities to evade their pursuer.

Taking the 2022 version on its own merits leaves the viewer with a well-intentioned film that deals with the parental dilemma of protecting your child versus letting them experience and learn from life while hoping your little moppet does not torch the kitchen because she hates asparagus. Then the film becomes a stage for debating the morality of harming others to protect yourself and your loved ones.

The concepts are intriguing and deserve more nuance than a 90minute movie can muster, especially when the first third of the film is bogged down by resembling a Lifetime Channel TV movie lightlysuggested by the Stephen King novel that should guest star Judith Light and Valerie Bertinelli.

The end builds to what should be a rousing climax. Instead it gets replaced by an odd bit of moral mathematics that hints at redemption and damnation for those who survive. While the new resolution is interesting and a bit unexpected, it leaves the viewer feeling much like prepping for a massive sneeze that fades just before giving you satisfaction and shredded sinuses.

Hopes for this film to be taken on its own merits are slim as many likely to check this out have seen the 1984 version of the tale. The older film cleaved closer to the novel for its structure and pacing.

Plus, the Drew Barrymore-led movie has all of the action, explosions, fire effects, and wanton destruction film audiences crave while the 2022 remake skirts most of those elements.

Does that make the Mark Lester version better than this current work directed by Keith Thomas?

Mostly “Yes,” but with a valid attempt to defend the new release.

The 80’s version had a budget to support a larger cast with bigger parts for each, giving the audience plenty of characters seeking their own agendas so that most scenes, even mere conversations, are clashes of wills. The conflicts are constantly shifting, which boosts viewer engagement.

The 2022 edition may have invested heavily in getting Zac Efron as the primary star and wanted to give him ample screen time to justify the expense. They opted to cut the explosions and fiery eye candy for a cerebral spin. Any valid attempt to present a reasonable variation on a modern classic should be acknowledged even if it resorts to heartfelt lectures on moral responsibility and government overreach and corruption.

“Firestarter” (2022) is worth checking out by those who wonder what another writer might have done with same concept King used.

Old-school fans of the novel and/or the 1984 film might appreciate the moral concepts as an interesting spin, but will probably be bored by the budget-effective, slower plot used here.

Final Note: There is a scene with a cat in the 2022 version that is both horrific and hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Truly the high/low point of this film, and worth giving a separate mention.

The Reenactment A film crew working on an Unsolved Mysteries-type-show in the mid-90s gets more than they bargained for when they arrive to film at an abandoned house only to find out it may not be abandoned after all.

Hate to say this about a film with the legend that is Tony Todd in but this film is not the best film in the world. James Storm is not bad as the films Killer but other than that there is not much more to write about.

I know its Andrew Fords First film and I have to say he has tried as much hard to make it work but the story line and some of the acting leave a lot to be desired. Tony Todd and James Storm are the only shining light in this film.

It’s not awful. It’s a hot take on what might happen during the production of a 90’s murder mystery documentary TV film .

Streaming on Wawakalak TV and Amazon Prime in the UK and US

The Reef: Stalked (2002) Several months after her sister is murdered, a young woman, her other sister, and some of their friends go on a sea diving trip only to attract the attention of a hungry shark who wants to gobble them all up.

Let me just start off by saying that I love sharks. Ever since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated by them and think that they are just the most awesome and beautiful (as well as misunderstood) creatures ever. I’ve always enjoyed a good killer shark movie (even if most of them are not entirely accurate) and over the years I have seen a ton of them, some of them great while others are not so great. After watching The Reef: Stalked, I can say that it falls somewhere toward the latter. It wasn’t terrible, but at the same time if was far inferior to the 2010 film that preceded it.

The plot has a “been there, done that” feel to it. If you’ve seen any of the numerous shark movies that have come out over the years that featured a group of people being stranded in the ocean and terrorized by a shark (or sharks) then you’ve pretty much already seen this movie as it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. We have a group of women out on the ocean trying to have a fun time but before you know it a shark shows up and ruins the festivities by trying to eat them. Of course, our heroes squabble, do stupid stuff that they shouldn’t do, and do basically everything else characters in these types of movies always do. To say that this movie suffers from a huge lack of originality is an understatement, and I think that is its biggest flaw overall. It’s just interchangeable with countless other killer shark movies and it doesn’t try anything new or original, and as such it just gets lost in the shuffle and is easy to forget (or even overlook completely). I know it may be hard to do something new with a movie about a shark eating everyone in sight, but the people behind The Reef: Stalked didn’t even try.

The cast is just OK at best and most of the characters are just walking stereotypes. It’s easy to figure out who is going to become lunch for the shark and who is going to survive to see another day. Teressa Liane is fine as the main character Nic, but she doesn’t have a lot of depth other than the fact that she is mourning the death of her sister. Saskia Archer plays her younger sister Annie, and she is just sort of there and is just not that memorable. The same can be said for Ann Truong who plays their friend Jodie, and their other friend Lisa (Kate Lister) really isn’t around long enough for us to know anything about her. None of them have interesting or well-developed personalities, so it’s awfully hard to really care about any of them to be brutally honest.

I think my biggest complaint about this movie is that it has no connection to the original film other than by name only. I really enjoyed The Reef and thought that it was a suspenseful, interesting, and somewhat scary film at times, while this one was really none of those things. It has nothing to do with the first film and could have been called pretty much anything else to be honest, much like the last two Open Water films which had nothing whatsoever to do with the original and they were just called sequels to cash in on the popularity of the first film. That is essentially the case here, so if you’re expecting some sore of continuation from the first movie you are going to be extremely disappointed.

The Reef: Stalked isn’t great, but it isn’t nearly as bad as some of the other reviews out there make it out to be. It pales in comparison to the original film and suffers from a total lack of originality, but it’s watchable if you are bored and have nothing better to do and want to watch a movie about a shark devouring people (hey, it’s way better than The Requin if nothing else). I think that one of the key issues here is that much like zombies, sharks have been played out in horror movies and they have become stale. I think it’s time to give killer sharks a break for a while as they have been done to death in recent years and viewers are starting to tire of them. As I said earlier, this movie isn’t the worst shark movie I have ever seen, but at the same time it isn’t anything special. Check it out if you are into these types of movies, but don’t expect to see anything you haven’t already seen countless times before or to be blown away by it.

BLACK BIRD LIMITED SERIES What would you do to win your freedom?

Apple TV+’s new limited series Black Bird poses this question while joining the recent batch of true-crime adaptations to hit streamers. Set in the ‘90s, Taron Egerton plays the charming Jimmy Keene, a recently convicted drug dealer who is offered a literal get-out-of-jail-free card but with a significant catch. Black Bird successfully turns a game of cat and mouse on its head and combines a psychological prison thriller with a detective story. Egerton shines as the prisoner who soon loses his cocky edge and leads an impressive ensemble — including the late Ray Liotta in one of his final roles — that should keep you riveted throughout the six episodes.

Ahead of watching Black Bird, I was unfamiliar with Jimmy Keene and the man he is tasked with befriending. Not knowing the conclusion of a TV show is hardly a rare phenomenon, but I was surprised I hadn’t previously come across this particular story or the book it is based on, In With the Devil. It meant that the further Jimmy walked down this dangerous path, the more my stomach twisted in knots. Even if you are aware of the particulars, the twists and turns as the story unfolds are well paced. Seeing crime author and TV writer Dennis Lehane’s name credited as “story developed by” is an early indicator that we are in good hands. The timeline of Jimmy’s unique situation crisscrosses with the original murder investigation, and this nonlinear structure effectively weaves past and present together.

The premise is simple: Jimmy will walk free if he can elicit a confession regarding the whereabouts of at least one victim from suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser). He will have to transfer to the maximum-security facility specializing in the criminally insane, but his 10-year sentence will be commuted if (and only if) he is successful.

It is a proposal that sounds made for TV, making it even more mind-blowing that deals like this happen in the real world. Larry has an impending appeal that could mean he walks, which throws a ticking clock into the mix, and immediately cranks up the tension.

“You want me to check into hell, cozy up to a f***ing demon, and ask him all casual, ‘Hey, so, where’d you bury 13 bodies?’ Not for all the f***ing money in the world,” says Jimmy when he finds out what they want him to do. Egerton’s laugh at this scenario sells the disbelief, but federal prosecutor Beaumont (Robert Wisdom) offers him something that no money can buy. The aforementioned cat and mouse game also extends to the prisoner and those dangling his freedom. Yes, a suspected serial killer targeting teenage girls might walk the streets again, yet the methods wielded to get results are also troubling.

Black Bird doesn’t go quite as deep into the ethics of this kind of proposition and the disposable nature of a prisoner like Jimmy as I would like, but it is certainly an eye-opening depiction of the juggling act. It also is an indictment of the questionable and sloppy actions in the original investigation that led to this last-ditch attempt to keep Larry behind bars.

What makes Jimmy special (beyond his chiseled good looks) is that everyone likes him and opens up to him. For this reason, the FBI has selected the prisoner, and the actor playing the role must possess this level of easy-going charm.

Egerton rises to the occasion, presenting the image of someone who can talk his way out of anything (well, aside from his original sentence) – and it’s not just because of his impressive muscular physique. It is a tricky line to walk as he needs not to be too arrogant while being the best salesman in the world in arguing why a hotshot like him would talk to Larry.

True-crime adaptations are a TV staple, and it is difficult to add something new to this popular genre. Black Bird manages to do this with an eyebrow-raising scenario that seems like a Hollywood fantasy, but is inspired by real events. Tension builds across the six episodes and is bolstered by brilliant performances from Taron Egerton, Larry Walter Hauser, and Ray Liotta (in one of his last appearances). The series offers an intriguing look at the criminal justice system, though it could’ve dug deeper into certain aspects. Some flashback devices and voiceovers don’t entirely work, but on the whole, this is another impressive offering from Apple TV+.

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