Reviews

Beezel is the new horror tale from the independent group Social House Films. Their previous work Val was one of my favorite releases of 2021. Beezel is apart of a subgenre that I like to call "homebrew horror." It's the type of story that centers on one central location. In this case it's a creepy and questionable odd house. Other examples of this style of filmmaking are the recent releases The Curse of La Patasola and Mind Body Spirit; both of which have some similarities to this motion picture. Each of these movies feel like they were crafted based on the convenience of having access to certain locations. It's a smart move for budgetary reasons, even if the end results are hit and miss.

The story of Beezel is told in multiple waves, where visitors of a New England home unknowingly encounter evil. Spanning across 60 years, Beezel follows different generations of a family that's being haunted by a witch inside of their own home. The madness continues on with their future kin moving into said house with little to no knowledge of the horrors that took place before. Beezel's plot is easy to follow, and there are certain scenes and graphic images that will stick with you like curse. It's well worth a watch, if you're into dread inducing shocks and scares.

Watching Beezel when I did felt like perfect timing; having just read book two of Anne Rice's Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The difference here is that Rice's witch stories are more fantasy based horror, whereas Beezel (although frightening and bizarre at times) feels more grounded in its approach to witchcraft. More "realistic" if you will. Seeing that the film takes place in Massachusetts only made the experience feel more authentic. The setups with the "haunted" house feel familiar yet off. It's a slice of Americana with a price, and that price includes blood. Lots and lots of blood.

The overall plot and bits of dialog were well written, using each of the segments as if they were a series of short films attached to an anthology. Each decade could be stretched into its own feature film, and no two segments feel alike. Each generation feels different, and judging from the direction it's clear that director Aaron Fradkin is a big fan of the horror genre. What I enjoyed most about Beezel is how well it incorporates old technology. I'm not a big fan of the "found footage" sub genre, but what sets Beezel apart from the rest is its use of different video formats.

The story spans across six decades, and each segment in the film uses cameras from that time period. As someone who appreciates physical media, I loved how much the quality of each video format changes throughout the film. Think of it as film school from a certain point of view. It's a great conduit for the scares and brutal violence. As a viewer you're witnessing the evolution of home video with different aspect ratios; capturing the horrors inside this Massachusetts home. This element alone creates dread and uneasiness, and it also makes the shocking ending all the more shocking.

Now that I mention it, shock value is where Beezel shines the most. Expect to see some graphic gore, some off camera shocks and a lot of squelching. What soured my enjoyment of the film a bit was the fact that everything gets revealed early on. Perhaps I was expecting more of a mystery with this story. It's an easy to follow plot that gets explained within the first 20 minutes. Once the reveal and overall point to the film comes to light, you're just along for the ride. It wouldn't surprise me if Victoria Fratz (star and co-writer) and Aaron Fradkin used their own real life experiences to craft this story. Something about Beezel feels personal. At least that's how it comes off in the dialog and choppy performances.

Overall, Beezel is a mildly original yet entertaining witch film. It has a great cast, marvelous cinematography and a musical score akin to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The found footage elements were smartly used to elevate Beezel's scare factor, and the use of special effects made for an uneasy gruesome experience. I personally think that the story would've benefited with a little more mystery. Perhaps that could be achieved with an expansion in the form of a prequel or sequel. Beezel a wonderfully written and well thought out atmospheric witch movie. A film that at times feels inspired by classic horror films of the past. Needless to say it's a fitting entry in the Dread/Epic Pictures catalog.

As a longtime SW fan (cannon and legends), I really wanted to like this show. Three episodes in and I'm already losing interest. Its onion-layered approach to telling the story isn't working for me. The biggest problem I have with the show comes from the dialog and lack of spirit. The story does have heart, but what sets everything back is the atrocious writing.

The writing on "The Acolyte" is not good, and it's a shame considering that the High Republic novels are excellent. This show seems to focus more on delivering (unsubtle) messages as opposed to telling a good story. The third episode in particular was embarrassing to watch. Lucasfilm, please do better.

Malum is the brand new feature film from Welcome Villain films. It's co-written and directed by Anthony DiBlasi, the same man who brought us Last Shift. The horror genre is flooded with all kinds of remakes, reboots and television adaptations from mainstream franchises. Malum is a refreshing change of pace in that regard, because it's being marketed as sort of a reimagining of Last Shift.

While that description is accurate, I would argue that Last Shift and Malum are two different movies. Much like how The Evil Dead relates to Evil Dead 2. It uses the best elements from Last Shift, taking an already familiar plot and changing it for the better with a higher budget and better pacing; all while cranking the volume of intensity to 11. Malum is an even darker version of the film in terms of scares, imagination and sadistic cruel violence. The film's opening scene is jaw dropping to say the least, and it's merely a taste of the hellish nightmare to come.

The basic plot of Malum is very similar to Last Shift where a rookie cop looks over a closing police station. After spending the majority of her shift by herself, the old station turns into a living nightmare involving creepy weirdos, a snuff film and a blood thirsty cult. This time around there's more meat to the story, focusing even more on the personal relationships of the main character. Malum also leans heavier into the "cult" aspect of the plot, leading way to some incredible performances and amazing Sinister style visuals. Because of this, Malum makes for a more engaging experience compared to its predecessor.

Once the psychological horror kicks in, the terror never stops. Combine this with a perfectly fitting musical score from Samuel Laflamme, who I might add is most notable for his works on the Outlast video games, the film cooks up the perfect recipe for suspense. Malum features a ton of genuine heart pounding jump scares, along with violent death scenes that narrowly avoids feeling mean spirited. The level of violence in Malum is visceral and downright brutal with some visually graphic blood and gore.

The biggest complaint I had with Last Shift was that dragged in parts and left me with more questions than answers. The pacing of Malum is much better in comparison. You can clearly tell that Anthony DiBlasi used the higher budget to his advantage. Jessica Sula plays the role of the rookie cop in the film, and she's an absolute pleasure to watch onscreen. The entire cast fits perfectly in their roles, and to me there was no ounce of wasted dialog. There's even some moments of humor within the banter of fellow police officers.

When you watch Malum for yourself, make sure you're paying close attention. Spooky things tend to pop up during the movie, making it an intense thrill ride from start to finish. Even compared to Last Shift, Malum stands out as its own monster. The intensity that the film possesses is due in large part to the powerful musical score. I can almost guarantee that Malum will make you jump out of your seat. It's 90 minutes worth of madness, and if you're a fan of the original film, you'll be pleasantly surprised with what Malum has to offer.

Before we begin this race I want to give a shout-out to whoever came up with the name OBSTACLE CORPSE. It's such is a clever pun that accurately describes this film. This is one of the most violent indie horror films I've watched recently. It's sort of like, "Hunger Games" by way of Troma. In OBSTACLE CORPSE we follow a large group people as they complete in the world's most terrifying obstacle course.

That's description is a bit of a stretch, and I'll tell you why in a bit. In the movie we are introduced to Sunny, who signs up to compete in the obstacle course along with her best friend. After signing all the wavers and meeting the other contestants, the deadly games begin. As you would imagine, the obstacle course becomes a battleground, as friends fight with friends, and family members begin to turn on each other. All in the name of making it to the finish line.

This is the aspect of OBSTACLE CORPSE that stuck with me the most. It's a reflection of what the human race is capable of. I don't think there's anything scarier than that. The opening scene in OBSTACLE CORPSE is probably my favorite, because it has a "Charlie Brown" type of moment that made me laugh out loud. This particular bit was a great way to open the film, and perfectly sets up what you're about witness going further into it.

OBSTACLE CORPSE is the debut feature film from writer/director Hope Madden. Madden has previously directed some short films in the past, and if this film is any indicator of what Hope is capable of, we're in for a real treat. OBSTACLE CORPSE is a fun movie. On the surface, it's a well crafted horror comedy in the vein of TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL. If you look a little closer, you'll see that OBSTACLE CORPSE has a lot to say about the tribal nature of human beings. There's subtext here, and it's the kind of subtext that George Romero touched on in his "Dead" movies. It doesn't help that the group behind the course itself feels like a cult. People actually compete in events like this, so it kind of makes you wonder. Speaking of which, let's talk about the obstacle course itself.

Based on the description, I was expecting the courses to be very dangerous. Like something you would see in a SAW movie. That's not the case here. It's less like SAW and a little more like Stone Cold Steve Austin's BROKEN SKULL CHALLENGE (and that's the bottom line). The obstacle course is what you would expect to see at a summer camp. Then again OBSTACLE CORPSE feels sort of like a FRIDAY THE 13TH movie, just without the camp grounds and obnoxiously horny teenagers. And don't get me wrong, some parts of the course are dangerous. Most of the violence however comes from the participants themselves. Human beings will fight tooth and nail to cross the finish line, so go figure people will go out of their way to try and eliminate the competition. Playing dirty to be number one is the American way.

OBSTACLE CORPSE is a borderline slasher film with a terrific cast of characters. There's some standout performances here from Sylvie Mix, Tarik Woods, Gareth Tidball and Donovan Riley Wolfington. That's not to discredit all the other actors in the film, because everyone does a terrific job with their performances. 90% of the movie takes place outdoors, so I have a lot of respect for the actors having to endure these types of working conditions. The characters competing in the race are sort of an odd bunch. There's one character inOBSTACLE CORPSE that's sets himself apart from the rest of the group. Seemingly for the fun of it all. It's one of those horror tropes that I admire quite a bit.

The biggest complaint I have with OBSTACLE CORPSE is that there's never any tension or suspense. While it's not a gory movie, there is a high body count with plenty of stabbings a and an impressive amount of blood. These death scenes don't have much shock value, and I think some of that has to do with the lack of music. So many of the death scenes are oddly quiet; minus all the screaming anyway. The movie leans heavily on the comedy anyway, so that wasn't much of a deal breaker me.

With OBSTACLE CORPSE, you're just along for the ride. While the obstacles themselves are a bit of a letdown, there's plenty of character development to keep you focused and interested. I did enjoy my time with the movie, so I recommend checking it out once it becomes available to the public. If you're into horror comedies like TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL, then OBSTACLE CORPSE is an experience worth signing up for.

In The Shed, we follow a woman named Whitney (Eva Hamilton). She's a struggling escort who responds to an ad for a housesitting gig.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Whitney calls the number and meets up with Barbara (Stacey Nelkin). Barbara has some business to attend to out of town, so she hires Whitney to watch over; you guessed it: The Shed. Whitney begins to make herself at home, not realizing there's an unknown presence watching her every move.

I mentioned in my review for In Search of Darkness Part II that 80's horror films are my personal favorite. That also applies to modern day films inspired by this very decade. The Shed is a 22 minute short film that's very much inspired by the 80's direct-to-video era. This is something that could easily take place within the Halloween universe. There are obvious references to those movies; especially with the casting. The Shed's two main players are Stacey Nelkin and Eva Hamilton. Eva is also one of the writers and co-directors, and she's terrific as the main protagonist. The addition of Stacey Nelkin is what initially drew me to this film, because she's one of the main stars of Halloween III. And get this: The Shed marks Stacey Nelkin's return to the horror genre.

Welcome back Stacey!

The Shed is sort of a home invasion story, where we follow Whitney as she's being targeted by some type of creature as she's housesitting. It's a well crafted short film that does an excellent job in paying homage to the films that inspired it. It's well written, well acted and works wonders with the simple yet effective and premise. The Shed has Halloween DNA all over it. Especially with the musical cues, which sounds a lot like the jump scare noises in Halloween III. These jolts of tension work, for the most part. My main issue with The Shed is that it's far too short for my liking. I would love to see this made into a full length feature film. It's clear that the cast and crew behind this have more than enough talent to pull it off.

The Shed is an enjoyable motion picture with excellent music. It perfectly captures that 80's horror spirit with a lovable cast and simple story. The fact that it marks Stacey Nelkin's return to the horror genre is more than enough of a reason to watch it. It was great seeing her act alongside Eva Hamilton onscreen. I would love see what The MoonCats will come up with next. If they

decide to do another horror project, I would love to see it star Tom Atkins. That would be more than enough to thrill me.

I can't think of a better way to kick off the spooky season. This movie is so dark and good that it left me speechless. TWO WITCHES feels like an homage to Italian Horror. It feels like a Mario Bava picture, with brutality comparable to the works of Lucio Fulci. The acting is great, the score is terrific and the amount of blood and guts quenched my thirst for violence.

It's a well crafted movie about (you guessed it) two evil witches that torment a group of innocent people. No one is safe, and the movie doesn't hold back in terms of shock value. It's the spookiest movie I've watched this year, and I think that you will enjoy it.

THE RIGHTEOUS is a 2021 noire style psychological thriller from writer/director Mark O'Brien. This full length directorial debut had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2021, winning the Cheval Noir and Silver Award. THE RIGHTEOUS earned some positive buzz among critics during its festival run. I was granted an opportunity to watch the film for myself, and while most of my feelings for THE RIGHTEOUS are positive, I do have some gripes with it. Particularly towards the ending and shifty tone.

THE RIGHTEOUS tells the story of Frederic (Henry Czerny), a grieving man who's struggling with his faith after he and his wife Ethel (Mimi Kuzyk) experience a tragic loss. One night, the couple hears strange noises outside of their home. There's an injured young man named Aaron (Mark O'Brien) laying on the floor begging for their help. Frederic and Ethel tend to the Aaron's injury and invite him into their home for the night. As time passes, Frederic begins to have doubts about Aaron's story, resulting in what feels to be the wrath of a vengeful god.

What sold me on THE RIGHTEOUS from watching the trailer was the fact that it's entirely in black and white. You don't see that too often with new movies. Especially ones that fit into the "horror" category. It's a bold and risky move, making THE RIGHTEOUS different from your average release. This film feels like a throwback piece; sort of paying tribute to the thrillers of the 60's and 70's. THE RIGHTEOUS wears its inspirations on its sleeve, and I'm willing to bet that it has to do with Mark O'Brien's love for cinema.

THE RIGHTEOUS feels old fashioned, and the lack of color sells that concept. From a technical standpoint, this film is incredible. THE RIGHTEOUS makes great use of black and white with excellent cinematography. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous. With the nature of what takes place in the film, I do wonder if having it in black and white was the original intent. The overall plot is simple enough to digest. However, the places it takes you do become confusing. THE RIGHTEOUS is a character driven movie that focuses on a small cast of actors. It's heavy on dialog and builds tension for some of its 97 minute runtime.

The film purposely throws you off by changing the tone throughout. It'll go from one dread building scene to a moment of laughter and bonding between two characters. Some of it comes off as a morality play, even while its dark and dreary score puts you on edge. The tension buildup works a little too well. There were moments in THE RIGHTEOUS that got under my skin. This in large part is due to the incredible performances. THE RIGHTEOUS feels like a master class in acting. The entire cast does a tremendous job with their roles.

Henry Czerny is absolutely phenomenal as the lead character (Frederic); even if you do question some of Frederic's odd actions. You may also recognize Henry from the film READY OR NOT alongside Mark O'Brien. The conversations between Frederic and Aaron (O'Brien) are the heart and soul of this movie. The chemistry between the two lead actors is great. When you add in the performances of Mayko Nguyen, Mimi Kuzyk, Kate Corbett and Nigel Bennett, you can't help but be invested in the story.

THE RIGHTEOUS touches on topics of religion, guilt, loss and deception. It's marketed as a noire horror thriller, but there isn't enough of those elements for me to put this into the "horror" category. It's mostly a drama that focuses on building dread. There are some dark moments of violence in the film, but it's certainly not the main focus. As unsettling as the death scenes were, it was the buildup to the violence that made it work. THE RIGHTEOUS focuses more on uneasy dread and suspense rather than brutal violence. This is most noticeable with the interactions between the characters. The endgame begins to make sense once some truths are revealed in the story.

The elements of "horror" in THE RIGHTEOUS are so few and far between. The elements that are present work very well (for the most part). At times, THE RIGHTEOUS pulls you into a false sense of security. You'll encounter a few "jump scares" just when you think it's safe. These unexpected scary moments might take you out of the film. It did for me, and my interest in the story was beginning to fade towards the end. The plot takes a bizarre turn, and for whatever reason there's a supernatural element thrown in. It got to a point where I was beginning to wonder if what I was watching on-screen was actually happening. It doesn't help when the film decides to time jump after having one of those "scary" moments.

What works most with THE RIGHTEOUS is the acting. Writer/Director Mark O'Brien works as an actor for movies and television. You may remember him most from such mainstream genre films like ARRIVAL and READY OR NOT (as mentioned with Henry Czerny) . Most of O'Brien's directing experience comes from television and some award winning short films. THE RIGHTEOUS is Mark O'Brien's full length feature film debut. This is an amazing achievement, and with this film it's clear that O'Brien knows what he's doing both in front of and behind the camera.

Where THE RIGHTEOUS falls short for me is with the ending. Without giving anything away, I will say that the film's climax left me with more questions than answers. I compare this ending to that of DONNIE DARKO. I think the intention was to let the audience interpret what the biblical ending means. Despite its shortcomings, that last half hour didn't ruin my overall experience with the movie. THE RIGHTEOUS is a gorgeous looking pre-pandemic film that should be watched. If you're into slow burn black and white thrillers, this one might answer your prayers.

THE RIGHTEOUS is set to be released through Arrow Films on June 10th, with a digital release in the UK, US and Eire on ARROW (the brand's SVOD service). Although I had a pleasant time watching the movie for myself, I highly recommend that you (the reader) watch the trailer before diving in. As with every movie ever made, THE RIGHTEOUS isn't going to be for everyone. It's a well crafted thriller that does a tremendous job of building tension. For that alone it's worth the price of admission; I just don't see myself going for rewatch it anytime soon.

I give THE RIGHTEOUS: 7 out of 10 vengeful gods.

Have you seen those ads on social media for the movie DITCHED? One of the video ads features a woman who talks about a "messed up movie she just watched." Well, those ads aren't a joke, because DITCHED is a brutal movie. What I'm about to write going forward is more of a quick overview of how much I enjoyed the movie. I do plan to revisit DITCHED when it comes time to record a video review for my YouTube channel. As always, I'll do my best not to give anything away.

In the movie DITCHED, we follow a group of paramedics who are trapped and fighting for their lives. Their ambulance has overturned, and there's some slight confusion as to what happened. Accompanying the paramedics are a couple of (arrested) violent prisoners. Somehow the group was ambushed, and now they have to defend themselves against the militia that attacked them out in the middle of the woods.

DITCHED is one of the newest releases from the "Dread Presents" label of Epic Pictures Group. I've always been a big fan of what Dread puts out onto blu-ray. I watched the trailer for DITCHED months before its video-on-demand release. What peaked my interest was that the story being pitched felt contained. I'm a sucker for movies with simple premises in an enclosed space. Noticing that DITCHED was taking place mostly in the woods at night time, I was sold. On release day, I rented the movie and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it.

To me, DITCHED is the epitome of "edge of your seat" entertainment. That feeling (for me) started at the very beginning. DITCHED opens to what feels like the middle of a story. It's the movie equivalent of being thrown into a lake, when you don't know how to swim. DITCHED feels heavily inspired by the works of John Carpenter. This becomes abundantly clear when you listen to the film's amazing score. The setting and action beats gave me ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 vibes.

DITCHED also features some tremendous performances from actor's Marika Sila, Kris Loranger, Lee Lopez and many others. Each actor brings their own level of intensity that fuels the shocks and suspense. What I love most about DITCHED is the violence itself. This is a sinister movie, and the amount of brutality shown will be pleasing to every blood thirsty gore hound. From what I could tell, DITCHED relied heavily on practical effects.

The only real issue I had with this movie comes from the writing. It felt (to me) that some of the narrative choices were off. Unfortunately, some of the tiresome horror tropes are present as well. I wasn't particularly fond of the dialog either. Even with that, I still had a wonderful time watching this movie. Every minor complaint I have doesn't ruin the overall experience. For a feature length debut, Christopher Donaldson and company did a spectacular job crafting DITCHED.

If any of this sounds appealing to you, then I would highly suggest giving DITCHED a watch. Rent it if you're still on the fence. I personally think you should just buy it. DITCHED is a gruesome edge of your seat thriller with one of the most mind blowing end credits in the history of horror. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that you should just buy the damn blu-ray. DITCHED is more than worth the money. It deserves to be apart of every physical media collection.

I give the movie DITCHED: 8/10 overturned ambulances.

In THE CURSE OF LA PATASOLA, we follow two struggling couples as they venture into a weekend long camping trip. What starts off as a decent getaway, turns into a series of nightmarish events as the couples are haunted by a dark and beautiful entity known as: La Patasola.

THE CURSE OF LA PATASOLA plays it smart by not showing you what this entity looks like right away. The movie has a terrific opening sequence, followed by one of the best opening credits I've ever seen on an independent film. The title sequence features remarkable hand drawn artwork that sets the mood for what you're about to experience. I also appreciate the fact that LA PATASOLA has its own theme song. It goes without saying that I was sold within the first ten minutes.

If you were to judge this movie based on the poster and title, your immediate reaction would be that it's just some cheap ripoff of LA LLORONA. Reading comments on sites like YouTube and IMDB can be disheartening. Thankfully, that is not the case with LA PATASOLA. It may have a similar urban legend to something like "La Llorona" (as most legends do anyway), but this movie is much more than just a quick cash grab. It doesn't feel like a passion project either, but that doesn't stain the quality of work coming from director AJ Jones.

Where LA PATASOLA excels the most is with its main cast. Each actor puts on a tremendous performance, making it the true highlight of the film. Actors Najah Bradley and Patrick R. Walker play one of the two main couples in the film. Najah brings a level of seriousness to the film that is virtually unmatched. Her character "Naomi" provides level headed responses to all the supernatural happenings in the story. Naomi's love interest is played by Patrick R. Walker. Patrick plays the role of James, who serves as the film's heart and comic relief. His performance shines the brightest here, and his bits of humor work really well.

The married couple (Daniel and Sara) is played by Gillie and AJ Jones. The dynamic between Daniel and Sara feels the most natural; which makes sense considering that Gillie and AJ are a married couple in real life. This affiliation adds to the story and makes the performances feel authentic. It's important to note that AJ Jones is also the film's director (as mentioned earlier) and co-writer. During my second viewing of THE CURSE OF LA PATASOLA, it became evident that AJ and Gillie Jones work well wearing multiple hats.

Unfortunately, the film's story progression feels by the numbers. That aspect hurts it for me. If you're avid horror viewer such as myself, there won't be much here to surprise you. The story of "La Patasola" comes from an old South American urban legend. Variations of this tale can be researched online, however the movie does a terrific job in explaining what "La Patasola" is. This explanation is what leads up to my biggest disappointment of the film. Once you learn the legend, the sequences of events that take place later will come as no surprise.

LA PATASOLA pumps the breaks on scares in order to focus on the main characters. If you're looking for a jump scare every ten minutes, then you will be severely disappointed. There's a large chunk of the movie that's fixed primarily on the relationships between the main cast. Thankfully, this works in the film's favor considering the dire situations these characters experience later in the finale. The entity known as "La Patasola" is portrayed by Luciana Faulhaber. Depicted as a beautiful woman in a white dress, Luciana does a terrific job as the film's antagonist.

I've talked about Luciana Faulhaber before in my review of PATHOSIS. Between that spooky short film and Luciana's more recent directorial efforts, I've become quite a fan of her work. LA PATASOLA feels like the role Luciana was born to play. What I appreciate most about the film is its reliance on practical effects. I'm almost one hundred percent certain that LA PATASOLA was done entirely practical. It's just a guess, because If there was any CGI in this movie, I didn't notice it at all.

I feel like I could ramble on a little more about this movie, but I'm going to stop here and just recommend the film to you (the reader). I'll dig a little deeper into THE CURSE OF LA PATASOLA once I begin recording my video review. For a low budget release, THE CURSE OF LA PATASOLA is a good movie. Watch the trailer for yourself to see if it's something you're interested in. As with every movie, I recommend proceeding with caution. Go in with an open mind, and you will be entertained for the next 84 minutes.

-Gorey Bits.

FRANK opens with a character by the name of Ruby Chase. As an act of desperation, Ruby strikes a deal with a demon-like monster she encounters on the run. She makes a vow of servitude to this horrendous creature referred to as FRANK. In an effort to break her vow, Ruby later attempts to commit suicide, setting FRANK on a mission to hurt the people Ruby loved the most. FRANK is an independent horror movie written and directed by Krsy Fox. When I did some research on the movie, I was shocked to learn that this was Krsy's full length feature film debut. Which is quite remarkable given how great this movie is. Krsy also has a few short films under her belt, but I have yet to watch any of them, so going into FRANK I was not at all familiar with her work. However I did look into Bleeders DIEgest, and if you've ever listened to that show, you know that Krsy is a Jill of all trades. She also plays the role of Ruby Chase, whose character arc is what sets off the rest of the film.

FRANK is (sort of) a revenge story split into five different chapters. It's presented like an anthology horror film. Which it kind of is? Each chapter features different characters with one singular monster. It feels more like a series of short films connected to the story of Ruby and Frank. The first thing that stood out to me was how great the movie looked. For a low budget film, FRANK looks and feel like a top shelf release. The film is split into five different chapters. Each with a different feel and style of camera work. My favorite chapter in the movie takes place in one room. One singular location, and it's masterfully paced and scary. No joke, this segment scared the crap out of me. Once this particular chapter was over, I was completely hooked. FRANK is wonderfully edited and features an incredible cast of actors. Each chapter offers something different, and every character has their own unique journey.

I get that self harm is a sensitive subject for some people, but thankfully FRANK touches on suicide in a way that's not offensive or heavy on emotion. It's a key element to the plot that has an affect on every single person in the movie. To balance out the horror, the film offers comfort in the form of humor. The comedic dialogue works very well, and it makes the viewing experience much more fun. I will admit I was not a fan of the fourth chapter. I did enjoy the characters and the story they were telling, I just felt that it was a bit long compared to the others. The segment has a very flashy ending, which is different from all the others. The fourth segment just didn't work for me personally. I did enjoy the performance by Azure Parsons. When she appeared on-screen, I took a pause and looked her up online, because she looked so familiar to me. And I get why now: Azure played the role of Gloriana on the tv show SALEM. If you've never watched it, do check out SALEM. That was a really good show.

My favorite character in the movie FRANK is Mistress Eden, who is played by the always terrific Bonnie Aarons (THE NUN). Bonnie is absolutely phenomenal in this movie, giving one of the best performances I've seen in a very long time. And then there's the real star of the film: the monster referred to as Frank. I was genuinely surprised as to how quickly we were able to see the monster. And boy does Frank look scary, and practical! I could be wrong, but it looked to me like the the movie used mostly practical fx. There's even some neat camera and lighting tricks that would make Dario Argento proud.

You may have noticed from one of the trailers, but at one point the monster Frank does talk. And the voice behind the monster just may surprise you. The fifth and final segment in the movie is fantastic. There's some flashbacks and a big reveal that had me on the edge of my seat. Not to give anything away, but I would love to see a sequel to FRANK. I can easily picture a series of movies taking place in this timeline. A "cinematic universe" if you will. I enjoyed the movie FRANK very much. It goes to show you that you don't need a large budget to make a great movie. It's inexpensive to tell a good story, and as long as you write good believable characters, I'm sold. FRANK was the perfect Halloween watch. I enjoyed the movie so much that I've been recommending it to some of my friends. I encourage all of watching this video to at least give it a chance. It's worth the price of admission, but if you're still a little on a fence, you do have the option to rent it.

At the end of the day, FRANK is a fun low-budget monster movie. I had a great time with it, and I think you will too. It'll make you laugh, and potentially give you nightmares. I give the movie FRANK 8/10 vengeful monsters.

Have you ever seen the movie BIT PARTS? It's an independent horror movie that came out in 2006. It's a really good movie, and it's one of the many DVDs I've held onto all these years. The film was directed by Dave Reda. A man synonymous with independent horror. I've been following Dave Reda's work for years, and I was recently granted an opportunity to watch Dave's latest short film. It's a five minute zombie film called: AS GOOD AS DEAD. This short film had its premiere at the Dances With Films Festival in Hollywood California. From what I was hearing, the reactions from the screening were very positive (and for good reason).

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Oh god I'm so sick of zombies."

Yes, I get where you're coming from, but trust me when I say that this new short film exceeded my expectations. While it does have a cast of zombies, somehow Elftwin films was able to do something different with them. AS GOOD AS DEAD is entertaining from start to finish. While I break it down for you, I'll do my absolute best not to spoil anything, because im convinced that AS GOOD AS DEAD is a short film you have to see for yourself.

The only real complaint I had with this short film is that the trailer does not do it justice. Thankfully there is a reason for that. If you've seen trailer, then you already know what the basic premise is. If you haven't, you're more than welcome to watch it on my channel. AS GOOD AS DEAD throws you right in the middle of a zombie chase. With two female leads running away from the undead. The short film stars Dani Sciacca, Jeffrey Damnit and Ashley Mary Nunes.

It starts off as by the numbers zombie fare. It's a premise that's more than familiar to us genre fanatics. On the positive side, this short film takes a drastic turn and becomes something completely different. It's a swerve that I did not seeing coming, AT ALL. Knowing the brilliant mind behind the camera, I get it. You see Dave Reda comes from a family of performers and artists. Show business is in his blood, and if you've ever watched any of his previous work, you understand his sense of humor. I won't explain what the swerve itself is, but I'll just say that I had a blast with it. AS GOOD AS DEAD is some of the most entertaining five minutes you'll ever have.

Kudos to the main actors, zombie extras and everyone behind the scenes that worked on this project. Boneyard FX did an incredible with the makeup. The zombies themselves look fantastic, and their movements felt straight out of a George Romero movie. You can tell that this was made for horror fans, by horror fans. That love and passion is visible on the screen, and with the choice of music, it felt like a love letter to the 80's. Which for me, made it that much more enjoyable. You know how much I love 80's horror movies.

I've been following Dave Reda's filmography for years, and I have to say, this is his best work yet. One thing I did find odd is that Dave Reda himself does not appear in the short film at all. Typically Dave plays a small part in all of his movie, but this is the first time he's stayed behind the camera. Not that it's a good or bad thing, it's just a bit weird for him as a filmmaker that has a past history of playing an extra in movies. Or one might say: bit parts.

There's not much else I can say about this short film without giving the surprise away, so I'll just say that this is something that I think you're going to enjoy. Once AS GOOD AS DEAD becomes available to the general public, I will post an update on social media so that you may be able to experience it for yourself. I had a great time watching this film. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was.

I give AS GOOD AS DEAD 8/10 zombie bites.

Have you ever been to The Mystery Spot? It's a tourist attraction near Santa Cruz California that's been around since 1939. Attractions like this are often filled with optical illusions like tilted houses, where you can see furniture in places they shouldn't be. It's a neat little trick that makes you question gravity, as well as your own sanity. You can discover plenty of places like these while traveling across country. On the topic of discovery, it wasn't that long ago when I spotted a trailer for a new movie making its debut at Fright Fest. The film is called MYSTERY SPOT, and I publicly expressed interest in reviewing it after watching the trailer. And you know? I got it! I was granted an opportunity to watch the film, and I'm so happy and grateful for it, because this movie affected me in a way that most other genre films don't.

MYSTERY SPOT was written, directed and edited by Mel House. I'm a little ashamed to say that this the first Mel House movie I've ever watched. After seeing this, I'm interested in checking out his back catalog. MYSTERY SPOT is a character driven movie that touches upon topics of guilt, regret and loss. It's a different kind of horror film that feels a little old fashioned. This is something that could've easily been an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE... or even ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. Throw in some elements from THE CHANGELING (1980) and that's basically what MYSTERY SPOT is. The film follows a group of lost souls that find refuge in a motel out in the middle of nowhere. The motel sits next to an old and seemingly haunted roadside attraction called "THE MYSTERY SPOT." There is where you as an audience member will be confined to. A good 90-95 percent of the movie takes place in this one location. It's a dark and dreary setting that's perfect for keeping you on edge.

MYSTERY SPOT is a wonderfully written movie that's touches on grief and forgiveness in a realistic way. The emotions come across terrifically on screen with excellent performances. There's a lot of dialog in this movie. So much that I was beginning to question whether or not Stephen King himself wrote it under a different name. There's a lot of layers to the script, and not one piece of dialog feels wasted. There's so much depth to the characters, and each actor brings something unique to their roles. Every characters seems to have a lot of baggage, and with a nearly two hour runtime, there's a lot to unpack and discover. MYSTERY SPOT is a bit of a slow burn, which I didn't mind personally. I like a good slow burn as long as the characters are interesting, and the story leads up to a fulfilling finale. Thankfully, MYSTERY SPOT does just that. It's a masterful character study with terrific performances that feels true to life.

The major thing I want to address is how much I love this cast. The acting in MYSTERY SPOT is fantastic, and it's because of the amount of talent in the film. First off: Debbie Rochon is in this movie. On top of being a genre veteran, Debbie is great in this movie. Then again, she's great in just about every movie she's in... and it's a lot stuff. Her IMDB credits are enough to give you a headache. There's also Graham Skipper, an incredible actor who's currently killing it in the horror genre. Just look at his previous work: ALMOST HUMAN, BEYOND THE GATES and hell even VFW. Graham is remarkable in all of those movies, and it's no different in MYSTERY SPOT. Graham Skipper acts his ass off in this movie. And then there's this genre legend. The "Dream Master" herself: Lisa Wilcox. Lisa is absolutely phenomenal in this movie. As an actress, Lisa has an incredible body of work. Here, Lisa's character goes through a wide range of emotions. There's one particular scene of Lisa's that really got to me. I was so invested in the story and the characters, and the movie gets to a point where things become really emotional. It was so heavy and heart felt that I ended up crying. And I mean literal tears running down my face. This might be due to the musical score by Josh Loucka. The music seemed to match perfectly with the emotions happening on screen.

I'm not familiar with Mel House's work at all, but judging from the dialog and character depth in MYSTERY SPOT, I'm willing to bet that this is his most personal film. I got that same exact feeling when I watched Stephen King's RIDING THE BULLET for the first time. That movie had a lot of heart in it as well, and you can tell that it was a personal project for Mick Garris. I got that same exact vibe while watching MYSTERY SPOT. The only real complaint I had with the movie is that I would've loved to have seen more scares. There is a supernatural element to the movie, but you only get little bread crumbs here and there to help you piece together what's going on. The entire movie builds you up to a satisfying finale, and those last twenty minutes is where the true horror begins to reveal itself. I was so invested in the story and characters that the supernatural elements felt like an added bonus.

I know for a fact that this movie isn't going to be for everyone. I do encourage you to watch MYSTERY SPOT just so you can experience something different. Lately we've been having a slasher boom in the horror genre, with new sequels and adaptations harking back to the days of old. For me, these horror trends get real old real fast, so watching a movie like MYSTERY SPOT was a nice breath of fresh air. Yes, nostalgia is one hell of a drug, but you're looking for something completely different, MYSTERY SPOT is the way to go. I really enjoyed it, and I know for a fact that it's going to stick with me for a very long time. I do plan on buying this movie when it eventually gets a physical release. I need to own this on dvd or blu-ray, because that's how much I love and respect this movie. I can also say with complete confidence that this is my favorite Lisa Wilcox movie since NIGHTMARE 4. MYSTERY SPOT is unpredictable and unconventional. It hit me on an emotional level, and that's something I'll never forget. I give MYSTERY SPOT 8/10 haunted roadside attractions.

A few months ago I did a Horror trailer deep dive on YouTube. Through the algorithm I came upon a teaser for a brand new short called PATHOSIS. The teaser was 45 seconds long, and that was more than enough time to grab my attention. From that point on, I knew I had to watch this short film for myself. My only question was: how scary is this going to be? Because that preview alone sent chills down my spine. Last year I was given the opportunity to watch it early. The only regret I have was watching it before bedtime.

PATHOSIS is an original short from Womp Stomp films. If the name of that production company sounds familiar, it's because they're responsible for the Friday the 13th fan films: "Never Hike Alone" and "Never Hike in the Snow." In PATHOSIS we follow Sam (Luciana Faulhaber), a young woman who suffers from a mental disorder. We see her struggle between fighting her disease and the troublesome side effects of her medication. Now as far as the story goes, that's all you really need to know. If explain it any further I'll run the risk of spoiling it for you, and that's the last thing I wanna do.

I LOVED this short so much. I was excited going into it, and it more than exceeded my expectations. PATHOSIS looks and feels professionally made. It's well acted, well directed and the sound design is incredible. Austin Ponang is the writer and director of this movie. Austin and the rest of the crew did a terrific job making this. The character dialog in PATHOSIS feels natural, and the film itself is well shot and paced to perfection. What works best in the movie is the sound design. To put this into perspective: I watched the movie on my computer with headphones to immerse myself in the experience. That only intensified the horror, and if you've seen any of the trailers, you know exactly what to expect.

The music is chilling, and the film's entire vibe had me on the edge of my seat. No joke: I was on edge from the very beginning, up until the credits began to roll. This film was very scary to me. Listening to it with headphones at full blast made it even scarier. When the horror element revealed itself, I had goosebumps running through my entire body. At one point during viewing I did a double take and looked behind me, to make sure no one was there to make me jump. I've been watching horror films my entire life; So to have something like this scare the living daylights out me is a testimate to the brilliant work from the cast and crew.

The biggest standout for me was the film's star: Luciana Faulhaber. She's no stranger to the genre, and she's an excellent filmmaker in her own right. In PATHOSIS, Luciana proves that she has what it takes to tell a good story, just by showing emotion. She has this natural way of acting without ever needing to talk. Her face says it all, and you really feel for her character when she's in fear of what would happen. You feel for her character right away, and you're rooting for her till the very end.

With all that said, I loved every single second of this film. Some of the shorts I've reviewed in the past went on to become full length features. If there are any plans for this to become a full movie, I would put my own money into seeing this get crowdfunded, because I enjoyed the short very much. Speaking of crowdfunding: Those of you who backed this project, please pay yourselves on the back. You guys picked a terrific project to support. PATHOSIS is a short film that every horror fan needs to see. Now keep in mind, this is just my opinion. My taste in horror movies might be different from yours. So take my level of positivity with a grain of salt. I highly recommend watching it with an open mind and judging it for yourself. Don't let my review get in the way of your experience.