The Canal is a 2014 Irish supernatural horror film written and directed by Ivan Kavanagh. It stars Rupert Evans, Hannah Hoekstra, Carl Shaaban, Antonia Campbell-Hughes and Steve Oram. The film’s score was provided by Ceiri Torjussen (Dracula III: Legacy; Underworld: Evolution; Big Ass Spider).

The film had its world premiere on April 18, 2014 at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Plot teaser:

Film archivist David (Rupert Evans) has been having a rough time lately, as he suspects that his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) has been cheating on him with Alex (Carl Shaaban), one of her work clients. This stress is compounded when David’s work partner Claire (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) gives him a reel of to-be-archived footage that shows that his house was the setting for a brutal murder in 1902.

Becoming progressively more unsettled and unhinged, David begins to believe that a spectral presence is in his house and ends up following his wife to a nearby canal, where he discovers that she is indeed having an affair with Alex. When Alice goes missing shortly afterwards, David contacts the police- only to become the prime suspect in her disappearance. As the police grow more convinced that David has murdered his wife, he struggles to find proof of his growing suspicion that something otherworldly was instead responsible…

Reviews:

“Kavanagh hardly sees fit to rely on old-school techniques to generate suspense, amping up the tension via jump cuts, red-lit interiors and a meticulously engineered soundscape that makes sparing yet effective use of eerie tones and spine-tingling scratching noises (even to accompany the old silent footage).” Peter Debruge, Variety

” … it tastes much better than it has any right to, but it still doesn’t congeal to form a cohesive whole. In addition to the tonal palette, there are a lot of story ideas running around, fighting for dominance, and a little more focus would have worked wonders. Because there are some great sequences in this film, and some genuine scares to be had.” Joshua Chaplinsky, Twitch

” … the most frightening film that I have seen since Greg Mclean’s Wolf Creek (2005). It is also one of the creepiest, most brilliantly photographed and edited psychological studies of recent memory, creating an overwhelming feeling of dread and constantly keeping the audience on its guard.” Jonathan Stryker, HorrorNews.net

“If it can’t quite match the full-pulp heft of its influences (2012’s Sinister, Hideo Nakata’s J-horrors) , it does something not dissimilar with its protagonist’s mounting obsession, and has a genuinely unsettling manner of undercutting his – and our – certainties.” Mike McCahill, The Guardian

“Kavanagh’s film relies heavily on the atmosphere and mood to create suspense, and the constant bizarre imagery and tremendous sound design help deliver in spades. And while The Canal is brooding, it will test the patients of some viewers, and could really use a more impactful finale.” Bloody Disgusting

“Inevitably ending on a truly grim note (it’s best to keep the opening dialogue in mind), The Canal sits on the viewer’ shoulders as a legacy of domestic horror film sits on its own; an unnerving, dread-fuelled piece of work.” Samuel Zimmerman, Fangoria

“Unlike David Lynch, Kavanagh isn’t interested in catching ideas like fish, of linking the degradation of film to the degradation of consciousness. For this metaphorically averse filmmaker, the ritual of David spooling film and threading a projector is merely an excuse to perforate eardrums with the hopped-up sounds of arcane methods of film projection.” Ed Gonzalez, Slant

“Kavanagh frames things carefully. He withholds. He reveals things only partially. He lets the silences yawn out around the characters, coming at them through open doors, and up empty stairs. When the scares finally do come, the effect is even more terrifying because they emerge out of such stillness.” Shiela O’Malley, The Dissolve

Cast and Characters:

• Antonia Campbell-Hughes as Claire
• Rupert Evans as David
• Steve Oram as McNamara
• Kelly Byrne as Sophie
• Hannah Hoekstra as Alice
• Calum Heath as Billy
• Anthony Murphy as Policeman 1
• Serena Brabazon as Estate Agent
• Maura Foley as Woman in Garden
• Sinead Watters as Anna
• Carl Shaaban as Alex
• Alicja Ayres as Margaret Jackson
• Paddy Curran as William Jackson
• Myles Horgan as Lawyer

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A Vengeful Heart – aka Bloody Heart and original title: Quả tim máu – is a 2014 Vietnamese supernatural horror film directed by Victor Vũ (Blood Letter) based on a play of the same name by Thai Hoa, who also has a role in the movie. It also stars stars Nha Phuong, Hoang Bach, Quy Binh, Tu Vi, Kim Xuan.

It grossed 91 billion đồng (US$4.3m) in Vietnam making it the highest-grossing Vietnamese film at the time. Twitch quoted director Victor Vũ as saying: “At first, when the information came, I couldn’t believe my eyes and thought they had sent the wrong number. This number is really impressive, because I did not expect the audience to receive this movie so warmly. I would like to thank audiences for supporting this film.”

Plot teaser:

Son (Hoang Bach), a husband that live with his wife’s family, which is supposed to be bad for a Vietnamese man, takes care of his wife, Linh (Nha Phuong), after her heart transplant surgery in a Da Lat resort. It seems that Linh’s new heart is beating strangely, as if it’s cursed and inconsolable for revenge. A white shadow of a young girl ghost leads the couple to find out the truth of a secret underneath an abandoned house…

Trailer:

Behind-the-Scenes:

IMDb

Among the Living – French: Aux yeux des vivants – is a 2014 French horror film written and directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Inside; Livid; ABCs of Death 2 ‘X is for Xylophone’; Leatherface).

Cast:

Béatrice Dalle (Inside; Livid), Anne Marivin, Nicolas Giraud, Francis Renaud, Chloé Coulloud, Zacharie Chasseriaud, Damien Ferdel

Funding for the film was raised through a successful crowdsourcing campaign. It had its world premiere on 10 March 2014 at South by Southwest.

Plot Teaser:

Three young adolescent friends decide that they want to start their summer vacation early, so they decide to skip the last day of school in favor of having a little fun. Their adventures that day get them into a little trouble, which causes them to wander to an abandoned film studio lot on the edge of town called Blackwood Studios.

The young boys are horrified when they see a man in a clown mask dragging a chained woman across the lot. They manage to flee and try to get the police involved, only for the police to assume that because the adolescents are only causing more trouble. The adolescents end up going back to their respective homes, unaware that the masked man and his father are planning on taking their revenge on the three friends…

Reviews:

“When Among the Living shifts gears into full-on slasher territory—with the gore to follow, there’s an amazing face slice—who lives and who dies depends on the strength of their family unit. It’s possible only a family willing to go bat for one another could possibly face a father and son so connected, so warped. It’s this section that sees Among the Living at its successful.” Samuel Zimmerman, Fangoria

“The tension in Among the Living is so thick that it spawned collective coping mechanisms, wherein neighboring strangers locked eyes when they couldn’t bear to look at the screen any longer. The fear in the room was palpable as audience gasps and audible cringes fed off one another, heightening the shared discomfort. This is what makes Bustillo & Maury’s work such a treat.” Zach Gayne, Twitch

“Among the Living works quite well in its simplicity and adoration for the ’80s. There’s plenty of creepy/nightmarish imagery on display (best use of a cat door!) yet, to destabilize you, there are some moments you think would be big splatter moments that are surprisingly restrained. Still, Bustillo and Maury push a lot of buttons in what is a classic “clash of families” scenario.” Ryan Turek, Shock Till You Drop

” … a joy to watch (even when you’re viewing it from behind your own splayed fingers). Cinematographer Antoine Sanier completely nails the small-town atmosphere while setting up some truly dazzling reveals. Bustillo and Maury’s film is also something of a homage to the American films they grew up watching…” Marc Savlov, The Austin Chronicle

“Bustillo and Maury are masters of both atmosphere and gore. We’re also reminded that a lot of American films with similar production values play it so incredibly safe compared to these guys – without spoiling too much there are casualties you wouldn’t expect.” Evan Dickson, Bloody Disgusting

Cast and Characters:

Béatrice Dalle as Jeanne Faucheur
Anne Marivin as Julia
Nicolas Giraud as Nathan
Francis Renaud as Isaac Faucheur
Chloé Coulloud as Mila
Zacharie Chasseriaud as Tom
Damien Ferdel as Dan
Théo Fernandez as Victor
Fabien Jegoudez as Klarence
Sidwell Weber

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Bag Boy Lover Boy is a 2014 American comedy horror film co-produced and directed by Andres Torres from a screenplay co-written with Toni Comas. It stars Theodore Bouloukos, Jon Wachter and Kathy Biehl.

Plot Teaser:

New York: Albert (Jon Wachter) works the night shift as a hot-dog vendor on the Lower East Side, where he meets photographer Ivan (Theodore Bouloukos). Ivan is fascinated by the slow-witted Albert and decides to give him a job working with him at his studio, where he takes fetish photos.

Albert is reluctant to participate in Ivan’s photos but shows interest in the photography job. When Ivan decides to go to a fashion shoot in Milan, he accidentally leaves the studio’s keys with Albert – who uses this as an opportunity to lure unsuspecting women to their deaths by enticing them with promises of a modelling shoot…

Reviews:

“Bag Boy Lover Boy is a film teeming with youthful energy. It is almost exploding off the screen with neon lights and colourful gels, embodying a refreshingly vibrant metropolitan world. The film has an incredible energy of chaos, a feeling of helplessness, and a desire to be heard. Stifled and exploited, the protagonist finds his voice through violence only because he has no other means of expression.” Justine Smith, Sound on Sight

“While sporting a determinedly independent spirit and veneer, Bag Boy Lover Boy is well-crafted for its low budget. Torres and his team may be exploring the rotted portions that still exist within the Big Apple, but they demonstrate a keen sense of how to capture the city’s seedy side without their own product appearing degraded. The you-are-there cinematography (by Ana Franquesa Solano) and the naturalistic performances, with Kathy Biehl also making a strong impression… Michael Gingold, Fangoria

“Torres and co-screenwriter Toni Comas throw out hints of class issues that might also fuel this violence, but don’t follow up on them, too interested in the particular loneliness of this creep to make him a symbol of a fed-up New York underclass. In the end, the film is more nostalgic for a seedy era’s aesthetics than authentically transgressive itself; but as Ivan knows, finding something that truly disturbs a viewer isn’t easy to do these days.” John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

“Torres shows promise, though, and seems to be happily shrugging off expectations about what cinema, particularly underground cinema – an anachronism, surely – is supposed to be … A dream scene in which a blood-soaked Albert gyrates through his own particular madness provides a glimpse of what our boy is really like, and where he’s going. Which is a place that’s not wholly uncomfortable, but close.” John Anderson, Indiewire

Cast and Characters:

• Theodore Bouloukos as Ivan Worthington
• Jon Wachter as Albert
• Kathy Biehl as Jackie
• Karah Serine as Nancy (as Kara Peterson)
• Adrienne Gori as Lexy
• Tina Tanzer as Sarah
• Marseille Morillo as Pig Model
• Teena Byrd as Prostitute
• Sarah O’Sullivan as Drunk Girl
• Saoko Okano as Miyuki
• James Elwood as Officer Rhodes
• Norman Outlaw as Officer Timmons
• Peter Trojgaard as Camera Shop Employee
• Ryan Preimesberger as Drunk Customer
• Amanda Charles as Drunk Customer’s Girlfriend

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

‘Beauties with a killer appetite!’

The Ladies of the House is a 2014 exploitation horror film directed by actor John Stuart Wildman from a screenplay co-written with Justina Walford. It stars Farah White, Melodie Sisk and Brina Palencia. It is the first non-pornographic film by the former adult actress Michelle “Belladonna” Sinclair.

Funding for the film, which was originally known under the working title of Stripped, was partially raised through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Plot Teaser:

Jacob (Gabriel Horn), his brother Kai (RJ Hanson), and their friend Derrick (Samrat Chakrabarti) have decided that the best way to celebrate Kai’s birthday is to go to a strip club. Kai ends up taking a liking to one of the strippers, Ginger (Belladonna), and they decide to follow her home. Upon discovering them, Ginger decides to invite them inside for some drinks.

Kai and Ginger are sent into a closet to play seven minutes in heaven, which ends with Kai accidentally killing her. Before the boys can leave Ginger’s roommates return home and after seeing Ginger, they decide that they will hunt and kill the three men. They soon find that Ginger’s roommates are cannibals that are intent on turning the three of them into several meals…

Reviews:

“ … even though they are long legged and perfectly proportioned murderous cannibalistic sexpots similar to the kinds that populate typical exploitation movies, you can’t help rooting for Lin, Getty and Crystal … Wildman and Walford’s script achieves each character’s complex background with much reserved exposition.” Dustin Chang, Twitch

“There are moments of suspense and some pretty gripping little scares, but The Ladies of the House is first and foremost a black comedy. There’s a lot of dialogue. The dialogue is witty, and each character is clearly defined, but be ready for some Tarantino talkiness and shaggy-dog stories. Too much, IMO…” Staci Layne Wilson, Dread Central

“Ladies of the House offers fans of exploitation films smart, funny, and gory as fuck twists on the subgenre. From a steamy lesbian tryst to cringe inducing gore to a human piglet being kept as a pet, the film manages some terrific shocks and entertainment throughout. The husband and wife team offer smarter insights on the male fear of strong women than you often find in this kind of grisly affair.” Mike Snoonian, All Things Horror

“Once everything is set up, The Ladies of the House stalls out to a large degree, confined by its own self-imposed limitations. It leans toward torture porn, but then pulls back. It gestures toward a feminist view of certain horror tropes, but grinds down in conversation..” Peter A. Martin, Dallas Film Now

“Unlike some of the gore-infused contemporary horror films we have seen recently, this film doesn’t rely on hack and slash actions or jump scares to reel in the audience. Each element of The Ladies of the House was clearly constructed to make the audience think while still delivering the promised blood bath we all eagerly await when picking up a horror title.” Gorestruly

“What it lacked in script it made up for in costume, and in being twisted. The set has a 1950’s vibe, which seems to intentionally be there to drastically play against the ideal nuclear family of the 50’s when compared with this family of lesbians stripper murderers. If you are a stereotypical dude, than you will just love the hot chicks making out with each other and taking off their clothes, though you might not like some of their butchering techniques.” Sofa King News

Cast and Characters:

• Farah White as Lin
• Melodie Sisk as Getty
• Brina Palencia as Crystal
• Belladonna as Ginger (as Michelle Sinclair)
• Gabriel Horn as Jacob
• Samrat Chakrabarti as Derek
• Rj Hanson as Kai
• Frank Mosley as Piglet

Filming locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook

Bloody Doll – also known as Bloody Doll 3D and original title: 怨灵人偶 – is a 2014 Chinese supernatural horror film directed by Teruyoshi Ishii. It stars Jiro Wang, Zhou Qiqi, Don Li, Jiang Jing and Shen Xinong.

The film was released on December 31, 2014. By January 7, 2015, Bloody Doll had earned ¥21.35 million ($3,343,512) at the Chinese box office.

Plot:

A bank employee attends a university reunion gathering. There, he meets his old flame, Lin Xi. The two had been a golden couple, the envy of every student at their university. However, grim reality broke them apart, and Lin Xi ended up marrying a rich young man after graduation.

At the reunion, Yifeng and Lin Xi accidentally get locked in a secret chamber, unleashing a string of supernatural and frightening consequences…

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Fear the ones left behind.’

Last Shift is a 2014 supernatural horror film directed by Anthony DiBlasi (Dread; Cassadaga) from a screenplay co-written with co-producer Scott Poiley (Exhume). The film was formerly titled Paymon: The King of Hell.

The film is released on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on October 6, 2015, from Magnolia Home Entertainment via their Magnet imprint.

Buy Blu-ray or DVD: Amazon.com

Cast:

Juliana Harkavy (The Walking Dead), J. LaRose (Dark Places; Saw III and IV; Big Top Evil), Joshua Mikel (The Harvesting; Cell), Natalie Victoria (Lazarus: Apocalypse) and Sarah Sculco (Cassadaga; Exhume).

Plot:

Rookie police officer Jessica Loren (Harkavy) has been assigned the last shift at a closing police station and must wait for a hazmat crew collecting biomedical evidence. Ordered not to leave the station under any circumstance, Jessica comes to learn that it’s more than just an outdated station…

Unfortunately, its also home to the ultimate embodiment of evil, dangerous cult leader Paymon (Mikel), and his devoted followers. Paymon’s murderous spirit has haunted the station ever since he and two of his followers committed suicide on the night of their arrest. Trapped, Jessica is left to fight for her very survival in the devil’s playground…

Reviews:

” … a knowing and assured spin on established genre materials: an Assault on Precinct 13 by ghosts from a traumatic, Manson-esque past. Leaving its noisy spectres to a blurry periphery (or entirely to the paranoid imagination) to focus on its conflicted heroine, typically in close-up, Last Shift masterfully builds its tension towards an unexpected yet satisfying release that deepens and ambiguates everything that has preceded… Anton Bitel, Sight & Sound

“The movie is suspenseful and well-paced, and Harkavy is infinitely watchable …Ace cinematography by Austin F. Schmidt augments a stirring score by Adam Barber. It looks and sounds great.” Staci Layne Wilson, Dread Central

“Here the unflagging pace gives us horrors in every room of the police station, from the mildly creepy – furniture rearraging itself – to the full-on gore of the devil worshippers. That it makes not a lick of sense doesn’t matter: this is more akin to a ghost-train ride than a drama, and all the better for it.” Phelim O’Neill, The Telegraph

Red band trailer:

IMDb | Facebook | Twitter

‘When tragedy struck, evil followed.’

Tragic Theater is a 2014 Filipino horror film directed by Tikoy Aguiluz from a screenplay by Moviepix Creatives, based on G.M. Coronel’s book of the same name.

The film’s trailer was initially deemed to be ‘X-Rated’ by the Filipino Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) so Viva Films released it uncut on the internet before resubmitting it in a tamer version. The film itself was released on January 8, 2015 by Viva Films.

Cast:

Andi Eigenmann, Christopher De Leon, John Estrada, Lander Vera-Perez
Janna Victoria, Gabe Mercado, Roxanne Barcelo, Josh Padilla. Chloe Dauden, Jovic Monsod.

Plot:

A team of exorcists are sent into an old theater that is rumoured to have been the site of a great tragedy during its construction…

Reviews:

“To his credit, director Tikoy Aguiluz was able to create a creepy atmosphere during the start of the film. But once it reaches the point where Annie’s possession becomes the focus of the film, everything goes down. He tried his best in creating unique scenes that looked weird and unique (but irrelevant all through out).” Certified Ace

“Part of his film’s allure is its blackly comic tendencies: set in the late 90’s, the characters in Tragic Theater are gradually receptive to new technologies like the newly emerging cellular phones and cassette deck, in-car entertainment systems. It is the joke that Aguiluz pulls subtly and well, but the humor in it is the irony of the paranormal at the very rise of modernity.” Armando De La Cruz, Film Police

“There are a lot of novel ideas here coming from Aguiluz, who makes most of the source material’s adherence to Roman Catholic lore to conjure moving images that would at the very least astound if they cannot scare. Unfortunately, those ideas can never gel with the rest of the film’s inadequacies to create a truly fascinating whole.”Francis Joseph Cruz, Rappler.com

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

WH

‘Don’t be afraid of the dark… Be afraid of what’s in the dark’

The Visitant aka Paranormal Encounter is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by Jon Binkowski from a screenplay co-written with Stephen DeWoody. It should not be confused with the 2014 short film of the same name by Nicholas Peterson.

Cast:

Michele Feren [Simms], Patty Bender, Stephen DeWoody, Chris Dinger, Ana Eligio, Sallie Glaner, Lauren O’Quinn, Tracy Wiu.

Plot:

Samantha is a middle-aged woman who plays the role of a fortune teller at a local amusement park. But for her, she is a thorough sceptic about paranormal activities and all things supernatural. And she certainly doesn’t believe in ghosts. Having recently suffered a tragic loss she is at a crossroads in her personal and work world as she questions what her future now holds. But one night alone in her house, she is about to learn that there are dark forces that don’t care whether she believes or not, or what her situation she is in…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“The film looks fantastic, and the soundtrack, filled with chittering industrial rhythms and distorted sitars, sounds like early Coil. The acting is uniformly fine with Sallie Glaners jittery, tormented performance as the original conduit for the malevolent spirit particularly standing out. Binkowski’s concept of hauntings acting like viruses passed on like infections is stimulating and a final red herring is well played.” Bill Burns, HorrorNews.net

“The vast majority of the time is spent with just the lead, Janie Michele Simms. She’s forced to say really silly things and do even sillier things, all while dodging the presumably numerous crew members sprawled around the floor shaking the tables. The biggest surprise? She actually sells it. Not perfectly, of course – she doesn’t have enough support for that – but for her part she’s pretty good.” DepressedPress.com

“On the plus side, there were some scenes that had a creepy film to them. On the minus side, the acting, dialogue, and writing all could have been better, and nothing about the story was unique or unexpected. The end result is a fairly average horror movie.” Bob, Letterboxd.com

Buy: Amazon.com

Trailer:

IMDb | Official site | Facebook

Parasyte: Part 1 – originally: 寄生獣 or Kiseijū – is a 2014 Japanese science fiction action horror film directed by Takashi Yamazaki from s screenplay co-written with Ryota Kosawa.

Main cast:

Shota Sometani, Sadao Abe, Eri Fukatsu, Ai Hashimoto and Masahiro Higashide.

The film was released on November 29, 2014 in Japan and took ¥2 billion at the box office. It was followed by Parasyte: Part 2 in 2015.

Plot:

Aliens enter into human brains via ear canal and take control of their bodies. One of the aliens tries to enter into teenager Shinichi Izumi’s brain, but is blocked because of his headphones. Instead, it invades his right hand. Shinichi calls it Migi, which has now an eye and a mouth. Accepting the fact that one would die if another dies, they join forces against other parasites…

Reviews:

” … the parasites’ faces function like virtual Swiss Army knives, splitting at will to reveal any number of sharp blades, whereas Righty is limited to fighting with Shinichi’s fingers. Relying on viscera-rich sound design to patch over any plausibility concerns, Parasyte marks an entertaining new iteration of the body-horror subgenre, as if someone had grafted a very dark high-school comedy onto a David Cronenberg movie.” Peter Debruge, Variety

“Part 1 of the Parasyte movie is essentially “Parasyte for dummies.” If that. It’s the abridged, muted, and emotionally empty shell of what it could have been. The creative changes rob the story of its substance and while it may be cool to see bladed tentacle-headed creatures duke it out, it’s really not worth the mincemeat that is the plot. I cannot even suggest it to people who have never been exposed to the story and are curious.” Toshi Nakamura, Kotaku

“Parasyte waits until the end to kick into gear, finally delivering on the promise of bizarre alien action and global-scale menace promised from the outset. A bloody school slaying leads to an emotionally charged ending as Shinichi is forced to perform a final act that carries a heavy psychological burden. Utilizing his new abilities to contort into a living weapon and going up against similarly powered adversaries the action is ramped up while putting the pieces in place for the concluding chapter.” Christopher O’Keeffe, Twitch

“In Parasyte Part 1, Takashi Yamazaki … made the parasitic creature Migi, appear cartoon-ish, a direct contrast to the dark mood of the film. This made the live action adaptation refreshing and quite entertaining due to the perfect blend of thrills, drama and comedy. Of course, there are certain scenes with special effects that provided the “horror factor” and it would really depend on the viewer’s reaction to it. ” Jed Medina, Psycho Drama

Cast and Characters:

• Shota Sometani as Shinichi Izumi
• Sadao Abe as Migi
• Eri Fukatsu as Ryoko Tamiya
• Ai Hashimoto as Satomi Murano
• Masahiro Higashide as Hideo Shimada
• Nao Omori as Kuramori
• Kazuki Kitamura as Tsuyoshi Hirokawa
• Pierre Taki as Miki
• Hirofumi Arai as Uragami
• Jun Kunimura as Lieutenant Hirama
• Kimiko Yo as Nobuko Izumi
• Tadanobu Asano as Goto

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

‘They were dying to get away for the weekend’

Gore, Quebec is a 2014 Canadian found footage slasher horror film directed by Jean Benoit Lauzon from a screenplay by lead actor Rick Mele.

Plot:

A voiceover announces that the following footage was recovered from the camera of Dave Reynolds, who, in 2011, had left Ontario to spend a weekend in his parents’ cottage in Gore, Quebec with his brother Sean, and their friends.

When Sean and Dave reach the cottage, they find a note informing them that the alarm was tripped a week ago, but that there were no signs of vandalism or theft. A few hours into the group’s partying, Katie stumbles into the cottage bleeding, followed by a man who attacks the others, and turns Dave’s camera off…

Reviews:

“The movie is as impoverished as they come, with a plot recycling just about every kids-in-the-woods horror trope known to man. And yet, that cheap charm is tempered by top notch craft and real, indie energy.” Chris Alexander, Fangoria

“For $7000, this is pure indie filmmaking at its best. There’s some great moments of horror, a couple of incredibly dark jokes, and an unsettling villain. It’s not perfect, but is still one of the better indie horror films out there, and should be seen not only for the success of the film, but the success of the filmmaker for bringing it all together.” William Brownridge, Toronto Film Scene

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and Characters:

• Myrthin Stagg as Amanda
• Blake Mawson as Mike
• Andy Malone as David Edward Reynolds
• Kate Elyse Forrest as Katie Farrell
• Luke Madigan as The Killer
• Jean Benoit Lauzon as Brandon
• Kurt Ogilvie as Sean Reynolds
• Peri Greig as Stacey
• Rick Mele as Colin
• Rachel Atherstone as Erin
• Rufus Crawford as Nick Gleason

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook | Twitter | Canadian horror

‘A new dimension of terror’

Secrets of a Psychopath is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by veteran Bert I. Gordon (The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs. the Spider, Empire of the Ants, The Food of the Gods) who was 92 years-old when production began!

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

The film was released on DVD in the US on September 22, 2015 by Cinema Epoch.

Bert I. Gordon

Cast:

Kari Wuhrer (Anaconda; Eight Legged Freaks; Hellraiser: Deader), Mark Famiglietti, Mia Serafino, Hilary Anderson and Ty Fanning.

Official synopsis:

Two siblings lure unsuspecting victims to their house through a dating site for games and slaughter. It’s Psycho meets the Craigslist Killer…

Trailer:

IMDb | Bert I. Gordon on Twitter | Bert I. Gordon on Horropedia: The Amazing Colossal Man | Attack of the Puppet People | Beginning of the End | The Cyclops | Earth vs. The Spider | Empire of the Ants |  The Food of the Gods | King Dinosaur | Necromancy | Picture Mommy Dead | Tormented | War of the Colossal Beast

Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn – aka Night of the Living Dead: Origins – is a 2014 computer animated 3D horror film directed by Krisztian Majdik and Zebediah De Soto and produced by Simon West (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider; When a Stranger Calls [2006]; The Blob [2016]).

The production has been on and off since 2009. An online 2015 Indiegogo campaign to pay for a theatrical release raised a mere $1,225 (1% of target) from twenty-four backers.

The film is a re-telling of Night of the Living Dead (1968) set in modern day New York City rather than 1960s rural Pennsylvania. Both Todd and Moseley would be reprising their roles as Ben and Johnny, respectively, from the 1990 version of the film.

Main cast (voices):

Tony Todd, Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley, R. Madhavan, Joseph Pilato, Sydney Tamia Poitier, Alona Tal, Tom Sizemore.

Plot:

A group of desperate survivors fighting to stay alive barricaded in an abandoned apartment building. Confined, cut off from the world, and under constant attack from the undead hordes closing in around them, the six main characters struggle to survive while also confronting their own sense of compassion and humanity…

Review:

“ … unforgivably ugly. The head on Ben is so smushed and blurred that he looks like an armed robber wearing a nylon stocking over his face.  None of the model designs make any sense … Even at barely an hour, Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn is excruciating to sit through.” Culture Crypt

Cast and characters:

• Tony Todd as Ben
• Danielle Harris as Barbara
• Bill Moseley as Johnny
• R. Madhavan as Tom
• Joseph Pilato as Harry Cooper
• Sydney Tamiia Poitier as Tami
• Alona Tal as Helen Cooper
• Tom Sizemore as Chief McClellan
• Sarah Habel as Judy
• Jesse Corti as News Reporter
• Anastasia Roark as Susan Donaldson
• Cornell Womack as Hunter Deets
• Erin Braswell as Judy
• Mike Diskint as Tom
• Tech N9ne as Zombie

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Shoot. Cut. Stay alive.’

I Survived a Zombie Holocaust is a 2014 New Zealand supernatural comedy horror film that was directed and written by Guy Pigden, and is his feature film directorial debut. It stars Harley Neville, Jocelyn Christian, Ben Baker and Reanin Johannink.

The film should not be confused with the BBC3 TV series of the same title.

Plot:

Wesley (Harley Neville) couldn’t be happier- he has managed to land a job as a runner for an upcoming horror film, Tonight They Come. He also feels that he’s met the girl of his dreams in the set caterer Susan (Jocelyn Christian), which makes things that much better.

The only problem is that the director seems keen on using Wesley as a whipping boy to vent his frustrations and to make matters worse, the film’s extras all seem to have become zombies intent on killing them all…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“More or less immunising itself against charges of unoriginality by constantly offering reflexive commentary on its own movie-bound qualities (or lack thereof), Pigden’s film is an affectionate trawl though the mechanics of the modern zombie picture.” Anton Bitel, Grolsch Film Works

“One or two sequences work very well (such as the director convincing his first AD to literally sacrifice himself for the art) but it’s overlong at 100-odd minutes and it struggles to find jokes beyond the self-referential. It’s difficult to criticise a film this amiable too harshly, but it’s not particularly funny.” Jonathan Hatfull, Sci-Fi Now

“Even thought the film is infused with over-the-top ridiculousness and a script that pokes fun at the genre, I Survived a Zombie Holocaust still pays “respect” to those genre films that have come before it … The film starts with a fourth-wall breaking zombie “movie” and ends on a similar slant and in between is some of the wittiest and smuttiest humour I’ve seen in a horror movie in some time.” Phil Wheat, Nerdly

“It’s one of the funniest zombie comedies in recent memory (apart from the tremendous Stalled) and is a great example of how to get the genre right. A brilliant thrill ride that will make you laugh, make you hurl and can even make you cry – even if it’s just from laughing so much.” Luke Owen, Flickering Myth

” … there are some great gory moments that give the film a much-needed kick out of the straight comedy zone. Just as the director says, “Finally, something with real substance!” as he records real zombies for his film, horror fans will be relieved that I Survived a Zombie Holocaust can deliver brilliantly bloody action to go with its witty writing.” Jessy Williams, Scream

Cast and characters:

•  as Wesley Pennington
• Jocelyn Christian as Susan Ford
• Ben Baker as Tane Henare
• Reanin Johannink as Jessica Valentine
• Mike Edward as Adam Harrison
• Andrew Laing as SMP
• Simon Ward as Richard Driver
• Mark Neilson as Randy Bateman
• Patrick Davies as Greg Winston
• Harry Love as Harold Beasley

Choice dialogue:

“I will not tolerate cannibalism on my set!”

Teaser:

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook

‘What role will you play?’

OMG… We’re in a Horror Movie!!! is a 2014 American comedy horror film directed by Ajala Bandele (who also stars) from a screenplay co-written with Tom Hatfield. As the title suggests, it concerns a group of friends who inexplicably find themselves trapped in a horror movie…

Main cast:

Ajala Bandele, Liz Fenning, Sharon Mae Wang, Brittany Anne Woodford, Brendan McGowan, Shanna Malcolm, Chris Hampton, Nils Jansson.

Official synopsis:

Six friends having a weekly board game night are interrupted by a booming movie trailer voice from the sky. Inexplicably, they find themselves trapped in a horror movie!

Who amongst them will turn into a homicidal killer? Who will be the sole survivor? And who will be the first to die in the shower? Struggling to break free from the stereotypes that would see them dead, each of the friends try to stay alive in whatever hopelessly desperate ways they can…

Review:

“If you’re expecting cheap parody-esque jokes with pooping and farting, they are pretty much non-existent here. The film is full of clever jokes found in the writing of the film that play on the expectations of a typical horror (and slasher, specifically) film.” Brendan W, Game It All

“Raunchy, offensive humor can be fantastic when the punchlines land, but in this sad case, they do not. To Bandele’s credit, he does try to draw laughs by breaking the fourth wall, but these efforts are horribly overshadowed.” Alicja Johnson, Screen Relish

“So many doors were opened when the cast was tossed into their own horror movie but they tried to play it safe by attempting to be a shitty slasher with no originality or entertaining values.” Blacktooth, Horror Society

“This movie might be some of the best horror satire I’ve seen in a long time.  I’ve seen some reviews that liken it to Tucker and Dale vs Evil and I have to agree.  In this movie nothing is as you expect it to be, and you just need to strap in and enjoy the ride.” Aubrey Bree, Nerd Squadron

” … big on ideas, but low on technical proficiency, good writing, acting, and story. It tries hard, withCommunity and Joss Whedon-esque aspirations of humour, but its characters irritate and most of its jokes fall flat.” Joel Harley, Starburst

“After a strong start, it’s fair to say that the film sags towards the middle and the running time of 107 minutes does feel a little over stretched … Mad, but kind of fun at the same time. Not all of the laughs land quite as you might want… ” Sinead Beverland, UK Horror Scene

Trailer:

IMDb | Official website | Facebook

WH

Alleluia is a 2014 Belgian-French psychological thriller directed by Fabrice Du Welz (Calvaire; Vinyan) from a screenplay co-written with Vincent Tavier. It stars Laurent Lucas, Lola Duenas and Helena Noguerra.

Plot:

Retells the classic “lonely hearts” case of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck — who targeted single ladies via personal ads, then moved in, stole their money and killed them (previously filmed in 1969 as The Honeymoon Killers and 1996 as Deep Crimson)…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Fabrice du Welz’s serial-murder jolly doesn’t quite dramatically press its central relationship enough to prevent the film from devolving at the last into a default bloodbath. But it’s disturbingly credible for a long time, its expert camerawork – all bifurcated faces and heaving pores – seeding the air with claustrophobia around Almodóvar regular Lola Dueñas and Laurent Lucas’ dysfunctional union.” Phil Hoad, The Guardian

“Alleluia may be a remake, butits somber look couldn’t be more original — all the better for the film to spring its nasty surprises on auds, none more unexpected than the way certain shots remain seared into one’s subconscious in the days and weeks that follow.” Peter Debruge,Variety

“Du Welz hardly unveils a simple account of unhinged, obsessive love. His is a demonic hymnal of passion, a darkly droll exercise in the delusory notion of love as an unhealthy obsession told with aggressive flourish. But at its prominent dark heart is an utterly captivating performance from Spanish actress Lola Duenas.” Nicholas Bell, ION Cinema

“The cinematography, courtesy of Manu Dacosse (Amer, Mobile Home) is appropriately gritty and grainy throughout, showcasing Du Welz’s extremely precise mise-en-scene that helps the story move forward both as a narrative and as a character study, with numerous intense close-ups allowing the actors to turn their deranged characters into frighteningly three-dimensional human beings.”Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

“Du Welz’s film becomes very repetitive very quickly, doubling down on heaving bodies and gushing arteries in order to sustain some sense of momentum. The director’s fetish for invasive close-ups and spatial incoherence comes to seem an aesthetic gimmick, promising a sense of intimacy that never comes to pass, as his film devolves into a genre film that presumes it has the imprimatur of psychological horror.” Christopher Gray, Slant magazine

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Lola Dueñas as Gloria
• Helena Noguerra as Solange
• Laurent Lucas as Michel
• Stéphane Bissot as Madeleine
• David Murgia as Père Luis

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

When Animals Dream – originally titled: Når dyrene drømmer – is a 2014 Danish supernatural horror mystery and the feature film directorial debut of Jonas Alexander Arnby from a screenplay by Rasmus Birch.

Plot:

Marie (Sonia Suhl) is a shy sixteen-year-old growing up in a remote fishing village in Denmark where she lives with her father Thor (Lars Mikkelsen) and mother (Sonja Richter), who is catatonic and confined to a wheelchair. She’s bothered by a strange rash that develops on her chest, only to become more unnerved when she begins to sprout hair.

Meanwhile, Marie begins working at a fish processing plant where her coworkers bully her under the false premise that it is hazing and not intended to be malicious. As Marie’s body undergoes more changes, she begins to realise that her family has been hiding strange secrets and that her mother’s current condition may relate to what Marie is currently going through…

Reviews:

“Tonally, this is more in line with Let the Right One In while channeling elements of Ginger Snaps. But make no mistake, this isn’t as sensational or wild or funny as the latter comparison. It’s a movie that lurks quietly in the shadows, stalking you until its ready to pounce and show you what big, sharp teeth is has.” Ryan Turek, Shock Till You Drop

“Initially too slow to share its obvious secrets, When Animals Dream only clicks into full-blooded horror mode in its final act when hairy, scary Marie embarks on a Carrie-style rampage of revenge against the neighbors who previously made her life hell. Stylish but slight, Arnby’s debut feature ultimately sticks within werewolf movie conventions, adding little fresh to the form.” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter

“This is a tremendous feature debut, haunting and elegaic, while not shying away from violence and sex. There is certainly no subtlety to the film; but then again, werewolves aren’t meant to be subtle.” Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Twitch

“There’s absolutely noting wrong with When Animals Dream. It’s wonderfully acted, lustfully crafted, and sinister when necessary – it’s just not the enigmatic wonder some are claiming it to be. Credit Denmark with creating a unique take on a werewolf story most studios would turn into yet another genre splatterfest, but Jonas Alexander Arnby ensures Rasmus Birch’s story is built with the right mindset.” Matt Donato, We Got This Covered

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Sonia Suhl as Marie
• Lars Mikkelsen as Thor
• Jakob Oftebro as Daniel
• Sonja Richter as Mother
• Mads Riisom as Felix
• Benjamin Boe Rasmussen as Ib
• Esben Dalgaard as Bjarne

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Evil is eternal’

Consumption is a 2014 American supernatural horror film written, directed and co-produced by Brandon Scullion (60 Seconds to Die: “Found” segment; December). It was originally known as Live – In Fear.

The film is due out in the US on DVD via Wild Eye Releasing on July 26.

Main cast:

Sarah Greyson, Arielle Brachfeld, David Lautman, Chris Dorman, Myles Cranford, Geoffrey Gould, Maria Olsen.

Plot:

A group of friends travel to the snowy Utah mountains for a weekend retreat. One brings with him a dark secret that could destroy their lives forever. As they prepare to face an ancient secret buried in the woods outside their winter resort, an unstoppable evil begins to grow, consuming them one by one…

Filming locations:

Brian Head, Utah, USA

Trailer:

IMDb

Goodnight Mommy – German: Ich seh, Ich seh (“I See, I See”), UK: Goodnight Mummy – is a 2014 Austrian horror film written and directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.

Plot:

After undergoing a cosmetic facial surgery, a mother (Susanne Wuest) comes back home to her modern, isolated lakeside house and her ten-year-old twins, Elias and Lukas (Elias and Lukas Schwarz). Her head is swathed in bandages, with only her eyes and mouth visible.

The twins are unnerved with their mother’s appearance and are further taken aback when she begins to exhibit strange behaviour. She pointedly ignores Lukas and appears to only acknowledge Elias in conversation.

Though it is the middle of summer, the mother orders the twins to keep the blinds closed during the day, imposes a strict rule of silence inside the house, and allows them to only play outdoors. The mother also acts cruel and lashes out at Elias physically when he displays mischievous or disobedient acts; something that the boys comment that their mother would never do.

The twins begin to suspect that beneath her bandages, their mother may not be the same person…

Reviews:

” … everything in this carefully controlled creep-out, gazing into mirrors and peering through shutters and tightly wrapped gauze. When it’s over, even those who have guessed its final twist (because we have seen it before) will immediately want to watch again, if only to check the logic of its shifting points of view.” Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times

“Goodnight Mommy plays on the nerves with expert cruelty—so much so, actually, that by the time the film belatedly comes clean about the plot secret everyone has already guessed, you’re too pummelled into submission to care. No, the twist isn’t shocking. But the movie around it sure as hell is.” A. A. Dowd, A.V. Club

“Franz and Fiala do a fine job of keeping the audience at arm’s length and – while telling clues are woven into the narrative – the complete picture only emerges once we’ve been subjected (and that is the right word) to an almost unwatchably grisly gear change. The violence is extreme when it comes, but by then it’s been earned.”Andy Psyllides, Sky Movies

“It is, accordingly, as classy as the genre gets, preferring unease to jump-scares, and psychosis to spooks. Martin Gschlacht’s stark cinematography adds to an overall sense of dread, and the viewer is often reminded of the similarly chilly terrain explored by the youngsters in Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and Caché.” Tara Brady, Irish Times

“The deliberate pacing and moments of cruelty might give the impression of a cold-hearted film, but the significance of what the children are doing and how this situation has been able to manifest is as frightening as the glimpses of visceral bloodshed. This is a potent and disturbing nightmare, with flawless performances and a rich imagination behind its grim façade.” Jonathan Hatfull, SciFiNow

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Legend becomes reality’

The Before Time is a 2014 American found footage horror film directed by Miguel Müller (Yolanda) from a screenplay by Scott Bunt and story by Rodrigo Goulart and Müller.

The film is being distributed on VOD and DVD by Supernova Films.

Main cast:

Danielle Baker, Jules Hartley, Phillip Andre Botello, Ted Jonas, Megan Hui, Sean Patrick McGowan.

Plot:

When two rival crews head into the desert to shoot a reality show based on a buried Navajo treasure, they discover that truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s more dangerous. Something wants them from digging deeper and from escaping the desert alive…

Trailer:

IMDb