House on Eden (2025)

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. 

Shelby Oaks (2024)

I will admit that I have become addicted to true crime documentaries and YouTube over recent weeks since the whole Bricks & Minifigs / Reckless Ben - Salem Brick Trial has gone down. I know it's not horror, Sci-Fi, or some unexplained documentary, but man, it could be. The corruption being uncovered by the researchers has been incredible, and it is quickly developing into a "what not to do" expose. Seriously, Bricks & Minifigs, you suck! 

That being said, I decided I wanted to revisit a movie I watched a few months ago and enjoyed more than some people did when it was first released. The 2024 entry, Shelby Oaks. 

Plot: A woman's obsessive search for her missing sister leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.

This movie definitely feels like one people will love or hate. After rewatching it, I am somewhere in the middle. Yes, some of it felt disjointed, and the ending didn't truly hit home, but there were some positives with the atmosphere, the storyline, and some of the investigation angles. The performances were solid, and the idea was interesting. Unfortunately, besides the ending, the pacing was off, and the depth of the story appeared to lose its way the longer the movie went on, and this definitely held it back. Yes, it's not in any way groundbreaking, but it is entertaining and a fun watch with some creepy moments.

Hell House llc Origins: Carmichael Manor (2023)

I've taken a few days away from n the movies after going to see the final films in the Hampton Roads 48 Hour Short Film contest.  There were actually a few that could make cool features.  But, now time to get back at it.  Today,  I did kick back and watch something interesting the 2023 entry Hell House llc Origins: Carmichael Manor.

Plot: A group of cold case investigators stay at the Carmichael Manor. After four nights, the group was never heard from again. What is discovered on their footage is even more disturbing than anything found on the Hell House tapes.

When I saw this was coming out,  I wasn't sure what to expect.  I really liked the first one,  but the two sequels left a lot to be desired and did not match the overall promise of the first one.  Fortunately, this one is so much better than this two entries.  This one definitely delivers where this cime up short with an interesting story,  some tensiom and atmosphere, and a few decent scares.  Of course,  the characters and performances are uneven and there were some head scratching moments,  but it was a lot better than the other sequels. It may not be as good as the original,  but this one does a good job of building into the lore and keeping it entertaining. 

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)

I took a couple of days off from the blog to attend a few movies and take part in a couple of horror trivia contests. I love horror trivia, but I will admit, the questions that these people are asking are getting harder and more difficult to answer. Who knew how crazy the Polish movie poster for Alien looked like the Spaghetti Monster. In preparation for the next installment of this series, I revisited the Hell House LLC franchise, with Part 2, the Abaddon Hotel being my next entry.

Plot: It's been eight years since the opening night tragedy of Hell House, LLC and still many unanswered questions remain. Thanks to an anonymous tip, investigative journalist Jessica Fox is convinced that key evidence is hidden inside the abandoned Abaddon Hotel-evidence that will shed light on the hotel's mysteries.

Like with many sequels, this movie doesn't quite live up to the baseline established by the original. In fact, while not terrible, it misses the mark in a ton of ways. The performances are uneven, the characters are not as interesting, and the overall storyline is not as nuanced or effective as the original. Yes, there are some moments where things work and they make it interesting, but the performances of the cast do not come close to what was experienced in the original film. That is definitely something that hold this film back and prevents it from matching the feel and quality of the original. Not a terrible movie, but one that could have been so much more with a different cast. 

Butterfly Kisses (2018)

After a few day hiatus to get the house in order for my mother's visit and to enjoy my birthday, I finally have some time to sit back and relax.  During this days,  I did spend some time watching a few shows and movies. One that I found interesting was the found footage mockumentary Butterfly Kisses.

Plot: filmmaker discovers a box of videotapes depicting a disturbing student film project about an urban legend known as Peeping Tom. As he sets out to prove the footage is real, he becomes obsessed, along with the film crew following him.

Found Footage movies can always be a mixed bag and for a while I stayed away from them because it felt so repetitive. However, I seem to be on a hit streak, vacate this makes 2 in a row that I have thoroughly enjoyed.  This one has an interesting premise and is both somewhat comedic and mysterious. I really liked the way the footage was InfoPath into a rather layered storyline.  The performances were solid,  everything went together,  and there was a touch of atmosphere.  Sure,  there were a few bumpy moments in it, but those didn't really hurt what turned into an intriguing character study. If you like found footage,  check this one out. Oh, one last thing,  didn't Peeping Tom somewhat similar to the Hat Man?

Horror in the High Desert (2021)

Monday's are usually a day that I try to get caught up on stuff from the weekend,  especially with shipping items from weekend sales and planning out listings for the week.  Yesterday was much of the same, except for the traffic early in the day.  When I finally settled down,  I decided to check out 2021s Horror in the High Desert. 

Plot: Friends and loved ones gather to recall the events leading to an experienced outdoor enthusiast's disappearance in northern Nevada.

I will admit,  when I saw this one I thought it was a documentary and didn't realize that it was a found footage/mockumentary. In fact,  it felt that way until the last segment of the movie.  Based on a true story,  the scripting and performances were extremities believable and did really well.  Sure the first hour was slow,  but the ending sequence definitely picked up the pace. Overall, this movie was a great example of low budget indie filmmaking complete with a believable atmosphere, an intriguing story, and great character development.  If you like found footage/mockumentary style movies, check this one out.

The Deep House (2021)

Before binging the entire season of The Watcher last night, I did take some time to catch a movie. For me, this recovery from surgery does limit what I do because I seem to run out of energy rather quickly. Unfortunately, this means a lot of downtime and thus, a lot of movies and television. My selection for yesterday was 2021s The Deep House.

Plot: While diving in a remote French lake, two YouTubers who specialize in underwater exploration videos discover a house submerged in deep waters. Their dive turns into a nightmare when they discover the house was the scene of atrocious crimes.

This was a movie the I definitely liked the premise and atmosphere. The dark almost claustrophobic feel was definitely appealing. Unfortunately, while that was impressive, the movie lost something with the uneven storyline that seemed to drift between multiple ideas of what was transpiring with the characters. Couple that with the choppy dialog and things never built to the level that could have been achieved with a better backbone. In the end, this was an interesting film that does boast originality, unfortunately, it never reaches its potential. Good for a one-time watch.

Deadstream (2022)

I know, I know, it's a lot earlier than it has been for this post. But, I was up early to head to the VA hospital for my weekly bloodletting. Being a transplant recipient, that is one of the costs of being alive and surviving cancer. While,  it has only been a month since returning home,  I have totally accepted the miserable traffic that comes with early morning blood work. Last night, I decided that I would watch something involving a podcast/YouTuber, something that I have come to really enjoy.  My choice was Deadstream from 2022.

Plot: A disgraced internet personality tries to win back his followers by livestreaming himself at an abandoned haunted house. When he accidentally unleashes a vengeful spirit, his comeback event becomes a fight for his life.

This is a flick that I wish I would have watched earlier.  This was an interesting story and a new perspective on the haunted found footage subsets that seem too have overtaken the horror genre. The performances are solid, the effects work well,  and storyline is somewhat original while maintaining some of the constant elements known throughout horror. It was a really fun hour and a half (really 89 minutes) and a kibbutz that should be watched by every horror fan.  In fact,  I liked it so much that I am definitely going to keep track on the filmmakers in the future to see what they come up with next.