It's NFL training camp season, and because I cover the Tennessee Titans, I have been quite busy. But that doesn't stop me from mixing in some horror movies with the constant stream of The X-Files I have on while working. The latest film I stumbled on was the 2025 indie horror flick, House on Eden.
Plot: Setting out to film their next paranormal investigation, Kris, Celina, and Jay encounter a malevolent, ancient spirit that resides in an abandoned house deep in the woods.
As a found footage movie, this already falls into a love/hate area of cinema, and it ultimately is plagued by many of the same elements that are found in the genre. The storyline is a bit thin, and it created an uneven feel throughout, although the movie does pick up as it goes on. The performances are decent, although the characters are flat and rigid, and the scares are light, but there are a couple that hit home. To me, the biggest letdown was the ending, which felt a bit rushed. In the end, this was an average found footage film made on a lower budget, and another in the YouTuber trend, and I do find that refreshing. For me, I won't be putting this one into high rotation, but I may revisit it in the future when I'm not swamped with work and can fully lock in.
I have officially survived the great alien invasion of 2024. I guess I will have to wait until the next apocalypse to occur for some excitement. Hopefully, it will be zombies, we haven’t had one of those in a while. Since there was a cool asteroid going through the sky in Siberia last night, I settled down and watched some Sci-Fi with a comet, the 2013 entry Coherence.
Plot: Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.
This low budget entry is a picture of minimalism and definitely shows what can be accomplished if you limit yourself. Is it perfect, no. In fact there are some elements within the film that really don’t matter and are left alone. The atmosphere was tense, although it could have been more claustrophobic, which would have put it over the top. However, the performances are solid and the overall storyline and feel is outstanding. It does have some pacing issues and this one will definitely fit into the love it or hate it arena, but that is just fine. In the end, I thought this one was pretty good and kept me engaged for the entirety. It’s not a typical Sci-Fi entry but if you enjoy potential mind-bending trips give it a shot. Plus, any film that can dive into Schrodinger’s Cat is definitely worth watching.
It's been a long week and I seem to have come down with a small cold. Hopefully, the preemptive strike with medicine helps keep it at bay. While trying to keep myself from overdoing it yesterday, I decided to kick back and watch some horror. That's when I stumbled upon the 2021 short, Scream of the Blind Dead.
Plot: Virginia wanders a deserted, haunted landscape and wakes up the ghost of an ancient and bloodthirsty blind female knight. As the wraith relentlessly pursues her prey, the truth about Virginia's dark past is revealed.
Growing up I loved the Blind Dead series. It was fun to watch and always interesting. This short that paid homage to that classic series was also fun to watch. Taking a surrealistic approach to the storyline, this one uses tremendous visuals, a haunting score, and a heavy atmosphere to create something different and entertaining. Yes, the lack of dialog will turn some viewers off, but it shouldn't. This was a fun flick and one that should be seen. Check it out.
As I stated yesterday, I didn't the day inside a Mountain Devil marathon. Actually being a bit jealous, as I know and have didn't time in the field with some of the researchers featured in the series. Oh well, that's what I get for moving away from the area a few years ago. With they being said, here is Mountain Devil 3: The Bigfoot Invasion from 2021.
Plot: This mockumentary explores the sightings of Aliens and Alien Spacecraft in Pennsylvania in the 1970's. While at the same time, sightings of a large hairy creature many know as Bigfoot were sighted at the same time.
I really liked the source material in this one. Being from the area, I am familiar with many of these cases and absolutely loved the content. However, while the interviews and stories were good, the execution of the reenactments were hit and miss. The performances by the cat were uneven to say the least. Since of them were just bad. While txt did take away of the effectiveness of the source material. The effects and costuming were also rather uninteresting and to me tom away from the quality of the film. I understand this is a low budget entry, but the creatures looked really bad and unbelievable. In the end, while I did enjoy it, it was hard to watch. While I understand what was intended, the validity of the true stories was easily overlooked by the attempt at over the top dramatizations. It definitely isn't for everyone.
The cold is starting to frustrate me a little, although it is so much warmer here in Virginia Beach than it was when I was at home in Pennsylvania last week. While I was there I didn't time thinking about my days in the cryptid and paranormal community. When I got back yesterday I decided to continue that with a Mountain Devil marathon. Next up is 2022s Mountain Devil 2.
Plot: In 1976 a book was published titled "The Creature" that swept over Bigfoot enthusiasts and researchers all over the state of Pennsylvania. Since then, it has been the most quoted work on the subject of Bigfoot. But, who was the author and was there any truth in the story?
To me, movies like this are more about the information and story than the overall quality and technical aspects. This low budget investigative docudrama has an interesting story and drives into a unique piece of Pennsylvanian lore. While less about Bigfoot itself and more of an investigation into the origin and Prentiss truths in the book The Creature, this one is a mixture of interviews and dramatizations based on excerpts from the book. Featuring a large group out local investigators, it movie does provide some insight into the research that has taken place. Unfortunately, this one did drag a little and did not really drive into the Bigfoot mythos. Something that will definitely turn off some enthusiasts that are looking for a straight forward documentary. Fortunately for me, having grown up in the area, the focus on the local lore kept me engaged throughout. While there are side solid cinematography aspects, some of the material feels underwhelming and that does seem to impact the pace. In the end, this one won't be for all cryptid enthusiasts, but if you enjoy a piece based on a legend and the potential research of that legend, give it a shot.
It's already been a long day today, as my usual Monday trip for bloodwork was filled with miserable traffic. It took almost an hour and a half to reach the clinic, something that usually takes 40 minutes. Oh well, after a short nap, I figured it was time to not down a few things about last night's movie, 2022s Skinamarink.
Plot: Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished.
Ok, please tell me I am crazy, because I did not get anything from this movie. After hearing all the buzz and seeing the articles about its vital status, I really expected something different. For me, I did like the grainy look and thought the story was appealing, but this one was just way too slow. And, that is saying something because, I actually like slow dark movies, but I found this one just hard to pay attention to. There were some good moments, but those failed to capture my attention for an extended period. In the end, I applaud what was accomplished on such a micro budget, unfortunately, it was not for me and it's a movie that was just hard to watch.
In the middle of my marathon of the original Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mystery Hour, I decided that I wanted to take a break and catch a movie (recovering from transplant surgery does have some perks). So, after some debate with the voices in my head, I decided on the 1991 schlockfest Winterbeast.
Plot: People are being killed off near a popular mountain lodge, with a legend claiming that the mountain is haunted by a deadly Native American demonic curse.
I honestly don't know exactly what i watched and am quite torn. On one hand, this no budget schlockfest offers very little fit the viewer. It has almost no plot, the scripting is incoherent, the effects teeter between bad and worse, and the performances are far from good. Yet, i found this one rather entertaining on a so bad it's good level. This reminds me of what Mr. Lobo from Cinema Insomnia says, "they're not bad movie, they're just misunderstood." In many ways this is a movie that shows that anyone can make a true independent film, no matter hor good or bad, if they want to. With what I am sure is an extremely low budget (if any) and not a single know commodity (not to mention dated stop-motion effects), this one keeps you interested by wondering what features is coming next. Overall, yes, it is a bad film and a movie that on many levels, should necessarily be seen. But, in this case, check it out, you definitely find some of it hilarious.
A Blind Veteran’s Terrifying Ordeal in WHY MONA RAE?, Launches Indiegogo Campaign
A Cinematic Vision of Carnage Seeks Backers at All Levels
NEW YORK, NY - WHY MONA RAE?,,
directed by Lorenzo P. Adams and executive produced by Eric Hales has
officially launched its Indiegogo campaign. The indie creeper seeks to raise
$30,000 to complete the production budget that is set to start shooting this
winter in Essex, NY. Engaging perks and backer opportunities are available at
all levels including Producer and Executive Producer opportunities.
WHY MONA RAE?, Is a love letter from me to the horror fans of
today, yesterday, and some of the masters that helped advance the genre we know
today. The vision for WHY MONA RAE? is rooted in the concept of mental
and psychical trauma, tragedy, fear of the unknown, and the will to survive.
The film’s vision is loosely influenced by the suspense of classic thrillers
such as 1967's Wait Until Dark and 1990's Misery coated with the
intensity of 2016's Don't Breathe.
WHY MONA RAE? is a psychological horror thriller that tells
the story of a blind military veteran’s terrifying ordeal after being rescued
from a car accident by a pair of sinister Amish siblings.
The story is an intense and uneasy
rollercoaster ride of human emotions bottled up and exploding in front of
audiences. A front row seat to what trauma looks like when confronted with more
trauma.
Director/Writer Lorenzo P. Adams, coming off of his 2017/2018 period
piece horror short ROTARY which screened in genre festivals such as
Telluride, Frightfest UK, and Bloody Disgusting’s FEARNYC to name a few,
explains his impetus for creating for the horror audience of his generation. “I've
always been infatuated with things of the macabre, things that terrify us as
human beings and terrors that have a touch of reality. One of the themes in
this story is something that we all resonate with; fear of the unknown. Things,
people, and or environments that feel foreign or odd to us. We take this
journey with the protagonist as she is literally thrown into a world that is
unfamiliar to her in addition to the disadvantage of not being able to see the
world she has been thrown into. Creating a thicker layer of the unknown and
fear from the senses of Mona Rae.
The film will be shot at the vintage 1790 Crystal
Country Farm in Essex, NY. The production host a team of indie horror
filmmakers, such as Director of Photography and EP, Eric Hales, horror genre
darling Maria Olsen (Starry Eyes, Paranormal Activity 3, Percy Jackson),
Jeremy Gladen (I See You, The Theatre Bizzare), SFX MUA Rita Sylvester,
Co-writer/Associate Producer Ryan Lesica, and Associate Producer Connor Etter.
The film is anticipated to premiere Spring 2020
in NYC.
With your feedback, contributions, and support we
can fund a vision of carnage that you guys, the horror community will be proud
of.
After spending the day Saturday attempting to get some work done and failing miserably, I decided that I wanted to dive into some of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. After a search of my streaming services, I was a bit shocked at the lack of material available from this horror master. After some time, I settled on the 2007 indie entry Cthulhu.
Plot/ A Seattle history professor, drawn back to his estranged family on the Oregon coast to execute his late mother's estate, is reacquainted with his best friend from childhood, with whom he has a long-awaited tryst. Caught in an accelerating series of events, he discovers aspects of his father's New Age cult which take on a dangerous and apocalyptic significance.
When I saw this one streaming on Amazon Prime, I was excited. I was in the perfect mood for some Lovecraft and hoped this would hit the spot. Unfortunately, this one never came together in a way to quench my desire for something from the Cthulhu Mythos. While not terrible, featuring a few moments of creepiness, some bizarre moments that worked well, and a story that made the perfect vehicle to bring this to life, still, the movie never took off or came together in a way that made it entertaining. The performances were uneven, as was the cinematography, the political and sexual overtones weighted too heavily inside the story, and the scripting left the atmosphere behind. It really played more like a flawed comedy than a horror movie. In the end, if you are a fan of Lovecraft and anything from the Cthulhu Mythos, stay away. I know there are much better choices out there.
Last night when I picked up Annabelle, I also wanted some type of low budget horror. After walking through Family Video with Jo, she picked out the 2017 entry Clowntergeist.
Plot/ Emma, a college student with a crippling fear of clowns, must come face to face with her worst fear when an evil spirit in the body of a clown is summoned terrorizing the town she calls home.
With Halloween around the corner, it is nice to finally see
the weather changing. In fact, the chill has been a refreshing change from the
heat we had a few weeks ago. It is also a great excuse to watch horror movies
of some type every night. My next selection is the 1990 entry Metamorphosis.
Plot/ Dr. Peter Houseman is a brilliant geneticist who is
working on a serum, which will stop human aging, but his colleagues don't
believe in his work. When his skeptical benefactors threaten his university
funding, the doctor takes a desperate measure to justify his work. He
administers the serum to himself, but the results are unexpected and
horrendous.
This is one that I had no recollection of from my formidable
years in the late 1980s, so I expected some low budget cheese. Guess what, that
is exactly what I found with this one, and therefore, it may not have been quite
as disappointing as many other viewers will say. While this is nowhere near a
good movie, it isn’t terrible either. Sure, the production values may not be
the best with the movie feeling like it was produced a decade earlier, but it
still was not that bad. The performances were decent, the storyline (while
predictable) was interesting, and there were a few moments where everything
seemed to come together. Unfortunately, the pacing was terrible, which drug the
movie down tremendously, the special effects were bad, and the overall feel of
the movie was uneven. In the end, there was potential in this one, but they
never came close to being achieved. Yes, the movie isn’t terrible, but I
wouldn’t recommend watching it more than once (if you decide you want to give
it a shot).
After low-budget sci-fi flick, I decided to find myself a low budget creature feature and I found it at Family Video. Wanting something a touch different than my typical selections, I decided on the 2017 supernatural/werewolf flick Lycan (AKA Talbot County).
Plot/ When six college kids in a sleepy Southern town are assigned a group project to rediscover a moment in history when one of the students sets in motion a horrific fate when he proposes they head into the Georgia backwoods to tackle the legend of Emily Burt, the Talbot County werewolf.
Yesterday was much longer than I had expected, as Jolene’s softball friendly lasted a lot longer than I had expected and I was beaten down. I did find time to watch some television last night and I decided on the 2016 sci-fi entry Alien Arrival (AKA Arrowhead).
Plot/ A prisoner of war is offered a chance at freedom if he completes a dangerous rescue mission. His ship crash-lands on a desert moon, leaving him stranded. While struggling to survive, he discovers a deadly secret.
I was looking for something different when I picked this last night and that is exactly what this was. While it is nowhere near a perfect film, it does show that filmmakers can create something interesting no matter what the budget is. The cinematography and scenery were outstanding and the performances were solid especially considering the smaller budget used in this production. Yes, the scripting felt too detailed and there was may have been too much fluff written in, the pacing was uneven, and there were many inconsistencies littered throughout the movie that was extremely noticeable if you pay close attention to it. In the end, this was a solid debut entry and a movie that is much better than I expected when I selected it. Is it a perfect movie? No, not by any means; however, it is better than some of the films that show up on the sci-fi channel from time to time.
I debated this evening whether I was going to finish September off with a review or not. Spending all day at the softball field in barely 60-degree weather took more out of me than I expected. After some thought, I decided on the 2017 flick Charlotte.
Plot/ A teenage girl is babysitting at a new house when she is accosted by a vicious doll. In bondage, she is forced to watch terrifying stories on the television magically controlled by the unfriendly toy, each story graver than the next.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one out the other day on one of my streaming services, but what I can say is that this is nowhere near, what I thought it would be. This horror (Actually closer to comedy) anthology is nothing close that a killer doll movie and honestly that is what I figured it would be. While that was a nice surprise, my overall joy did not last long as many of the elements were average at best and really felt incoherent throughout. Yes, there were some entertaining moments and there was some blood, but that only seemed to fill in the disjointed feel. The pacing was off; the head-scratching moments were plentiful, and the performances were uneven (although that was somewhat expected). In the end, there is really nothing much that I can about this one and there is no way I can recommend it to anyone. Stay away.
Having suffered through a snoozer on Monday night, I had hoped that one of the new releases at Family Video would have helped put that out of my mind. After walking through, I finally settled on the 2017 true crime thriller Cabin 28.
Plot/ Based on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, this film follows a family who is terrorized at an isolated cabin by mysterious assailants.
I love movies based on true stories and I did like this story when I watched it in The Strangers, but in this one, there was something missing. While I do realize that this was made with a low budget, there were definitely some issues that should have been avoided regardless of the budget. Sure, the storyline is interesting and really disturbing considering the nature of the true crime story, but even with that, this one doesn’t build upon that in any way. The performances were uneven, the scripting has some mixed dialog and the decisions put on display make little to no sense, the soundtrack did not help set the mood or help build tension in any way, the costuming was more laughable than disturbing, and the worst part was that the film did a terrible job capturing the 1980s feel that should have been connected to it. Having grown up in the 1980s, there wasn’t even a piece of nostalgic gold for me to grasp. In the end, although I made it through the movie and found the source material intriguing, I cannot really remember any part of this film that stood out. Watch The Strangers or find the documentary, those would both be better options.
As I wait for the final two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return to start tonight, I decided to finish up one of the flicks I watched yesterday. That film is the 1959 low budget/ no budget entry Attack of the Giant Leeches.
Plot/ A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.
How can you not enjoy anything that Roger Corman is involved with? Honestly, just the name alone should draw you into a low budget schlockfest. That is exactly what this film is, although it actually offers some depth in the scripting department (albeit with some plot holes). This movie offers a solid combination of comedy, drama, and even some horror elements and a decent understanding of the cultures involved. Yes, the production values are limited by the low budget and there are some (okay many) laughable moments with uneven performances and low dollar effects, but that is part of the charm. In the end, this is a decent flick to spend some time on, even if it is a time that you are just searching for a few laughs.
After a few days of streaming, I decided it was time to hit
Family Video. Not knowing what would be there, I searched until I found
something that caught my eye. That movie was the 2017indie flick The 5th Kind.
Plot/ Three best friends try to get 'internet famous' by
filming their own survival show out in the woods. A weekend trip to accomplish
this project turns deadly when a mysterious and foreign visitor ends up in
their neck of the woods.
It has been a while since I sat down and watched a true
piece of no-budget indie cinema, and I am glad that I did that tonight. While I
am not going to sit here and say that The
5th Kind is a perfect film, but what was accomplished on the micro-budget
was better than some of the bigger budgeted flicks I have watched over the
years. Sure, the movie is dialog driven found footage without a tremendous
amount of action or effects, but that worked within the confines of the short
run time. The performances were uneven and the pace somewhat slowed, but those
issues were expected. At least the idea was interesting and you could see what
direction this one was moving in. Overall, it left me wanting more (of course,
I am also a huge believer in the subject). In the end, are there better movies
out there, absolutely; but this one is one that shows more than just potential.
With a larger budget and an elongated script, this could be something even
better.
Last night, I decided to spend my time focused on Twin Peaks: The Return, and I am glad that I did. This past episode was one of the most satisfying of the series and I can’t wait to see the final night. I did watch a couple flicks on Saturday and I have to finish those reviews. The first one is the 2017 low budget flick Transhuman.
Plot/Transhuman follows a young journalist into the underbelly of a transhumanist cult, spanning generations leading back to the Nazi’s during World War II.
I picked this one up at Family Video on a whim, mostly because the combination of journalism and cults seem to go together nicely. Unfortunately, the synopsis was the best part of the film. Okay, the acting, the production values, and the scenery were not bad either, but those facets are wasted in the film. Unfortunately, the lack of depth within the storyline truly takes its toll, especially for those that do not quite understand the transhumanism movement. In case you don’t know, Transhumanism is an international intellectual movement that wants to alter humanity by using technologies to enhance intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. Actually, a pretty deep subject that was lost somewhere among the multiple flashbacks that overwhelm this film. In the end, this one really does nothing to make it likable and it is in no way memorable. Stay away from it at all cost.
Last night I made it through a couple of movies, but unfortunately, neither did anything more than help me pass time. The first one of those was the 2016 flick The Blessed Ones (AKA Polaris and The Divine Ones).
Plot/The Blessed Ones shadows a tightly knit cult hiding in a remote desert enclave as they prepare for the impending apocalypse. Two dissenters try to escape through the vast desert wasteland as the cult embarks on a mass suicide pact.
When I read the synopsis of this one at Family Video, I was drawn in. Disturbed cults and serial killers are always great subjects to watch or write about. This low budget indie flick was an interesting film with a storyline that I thought explored many of the darker facets that exist within a cult. The problem is that the budget in no way helped bring what could have been an extremely entertaining and possibly surreal movie to life. Yes, there are some positive moments with solid cinematography and interesting concepts, but overall, the film felt disjointed, the scripting and performances uneven, and the pace felt predictable and forced, unfortunately, these flaws also left the film somewhat unmemorable and left me wanting more. In the end, while I loved the concept, it never really reached its potential. Yes, it has a few moments, but not enough to make it worth watching. Stay away.
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