Faces of Death (2026)

It has been a while since I reviewed a horror movie for this page, but tonight I felt it was the perfect time to get back on track. While I have watched quite a few since my last review, I decided that the 2026 reinterpretation of Faces of Death was the way to go. 

Plot: Margot Romero, a content moderator haunted by a viral tragedy, must track down a sadistic filmmaker who recreates legendary snuff cinema to silence the internet's obsession with her own past trauma.

Going into this one, I had no idea what to expect. Having grown up in the 1980s and watched the original entries in this legendary series, I honestly rolled my eyes when I first heard about the release. With all that being said, I was surprised by this entry and enjoyed the way the storyline sprinkled in the source material and created some lore. Although the film had uneven performances and lacked atmosphere, it was an easy watch with some good moments (even if the first kill was trash). While it does not compare to some of the other horror films of the year, it is a decent entry and a fun watch. I'm just glad I waited to watch it when it was streaming. 

Black Christmas (2006)

This has been a strange day, but that is somewhat normal around here. Between dealing with some business stuff around here and a couple football articles, I found myself scrolling on X and tik tok reading some of the latest in the crazy UAP/Drone flap reports. While doing that, I decided to put on some holiday horror before heading out tonight to watch a classic. Today’s selection was the 2006 remake of Black Christmas. 

Plot: On Christmas Eve, an escaped maniac returns to his childhood home, which is now a sorority house, and begins to murder the sorority sisters one by one.

I remember watching this in the theater when it came out and was rather disappointed. I was a fan of the original and felt like this one took too many liberties in trying to create something that wasn’t. Watching it today, I still have some of those same feelings, but I was surprised to see how well it held up and I can view it in a bit of a different light. This is a 90s slasher about a decade too late. The characters are flat, the storyline is all over, and there are some head scratching moments. However, some of the visuals are rather good and there is more to like than I originally remembered. In the end, it’s far from perfect, but if you view it as just a holiday slasher it is fun. The original is much better, but that is usually the way it is.

Dark Harvest (2023)

 

I decided that I needed a break from the world of Fallout 76 yesterday afternoon and decide to watch a few movies.  One I have watched before and this 2023 entry Dark Harvest.

Plot: Teens confront a legendary supernatural spectre that emerges from the cornfields of a small Midwestern town every fall.

At first glance,  I figured this was going to be another Slasher/Teenage based horror flick.  Fortunately,  I was wrong and this was quite entertaining and somewhat original campared to a majority of the movies coming out today. Although, the premise was a touch outlandish, there were some interesting elements within the storyline.  The performances were OK, the scripting decent,  the scenery and era fit,  and the effects were pretty good.  My biggest peeve was that I was able to figure out the twist about mid way through and spent the majority of the movie trying to figure out what was going to happen to rectify it. I did like the ending and the way it turned out.  But,  I'm sure some will watch and be turned off by both the end and the story itself.  In the end,  this was a fun movie and one I thought was a lot better than I expected.  I'm sure it will be polarizing, but if your look for some fun horror,  give it a shot. 

Thanksgiving (2023)

It's not often that I look forward to watching a slasher film.  Don't get me wrong,  I absolutely love them.  Unfortunately,  most modern entries are nothing compared to the ones I grew up with.  But that was different,  A son as I saw that 2023s Thanksgiving was streaming, I had to watch it.  

Plot: An axe-wielding maniac terrorises residents of Plymouth, Massachusetts, after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy. Picking off victims one by one, the seemingly random revenge killings soon become part of a larger, sinister plan.

Wow, this one was se much fun to watch.  While I'm sure that it will fall into the love it or hate it arena,  I hope more love it.  This one has everything you need to take a modern journey into the world of the classic slasher genre with an entertaining story,  over-the- top kills, and some really good effects.  Did,  since of it was headscratching, there were some holes in the story,  and I found it sonewhat predictable, but that did nothing to take away from the overall feel and experience. In the end,  this was a great watch and I'm actually hoping there is a sequel.  It is a holiday classic that with his become part of our Thanksgiving traditions. 

Freddy's Friday's (2023)

I took a couple days away as I continue to battle this cold.  Plus,  I've been caught up trying to finish a few quests in Fallout 76, last night being one with the Cult of Mothman, so that's been fun.  But,  today I decided to dive back into some horror with 2023s Freddy's Friday's. 

Plot: A detective begins to investigate a series of mysterious murders that are connected to a demonic book that brings dolls to life. As the body count begins to rise, the detective soon learns the curse of the demonic Friday and must find a way to stop.

If you thought this was gong to be a ripoff of Five Nights at Freddy's from looking at the cover, you would be so off base. That is what I thought as well,  until I started watching it.  Instead,  I found an erratic and strange low budget summoned demon slasher influenced film that had some masked, almost animatronic, looking killer's. While there was potential here, the casting, performances, effects, and execution was lacking throughout. It was really a hard watch. Yes,  I did find it interesting,  but not enough to recommend it to anyone. Stay away.

It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

I decided to take a break from Leave the World Behind to watch some holiday horror.  While this isn't anywhere near Halloween, there are some entertaining horror films that take place during this holiday season.  This movie from 2023 fits solidly into that realm,  It's a Wonderful Knife.

Plot: Winnie's life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. When she wishes she was never born, she finds herself magically transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. With the murderous maniac now back, she must team up with a misfit to identify the culprit and get back to her own reality.

When I say down to watch this one,  I was actually somewhat excited, the idea of a slasher take on a Christmas classic looked fun.  Unfortunately, the execution didn't meet my initial excitement.  While there are some positive with the cinematography and overall feel,  the scripting was extremely incoherent and the movie suffered from that.  The characters were flat,  the performances were uneven, and overall it felt rather predictable after an interesting start.  Now,  this is far from the worst movie in the genre,  but,  I'm positive that there are many better choices out there.  My recommendation, stay away.

Killer Book Club (2022)

October has been busy but also relaxing.  I have been able to catch up on some random horror movies as I prepare to continue my journey through spooky season.  So far,  the highlight was hitting the NARO for the classic,  The Thing last Friday.  Unforgivable,  it's not time to head back out to catch another classic,  so today,  I decided on the 2022 Netflix Original Killer Book Club.

Plot: Eight horror-loving friends fight for their lives when a killer clown who seems to know the grim secret they share begins to pick them off, one by one.

I know there are other movie or there for me to select,  but for some reason i decided on a slasher.  What i found was this uninspring  Scream knockoff,  Killer Book Club. From Spain, the dubbed dialog didn't flow,  maybe in the original Spanish, it would have been better. Unfortunately,  that was only the beginning.  The characters are rigid and unlikable,  the acting uneven, there is almost no atmosphere, and the scripting is almost a complete duplicate of Scream, making it tremendously predictable. he movie tries to pretend to be a "Spanish version" of Scream but it does not work. If there was a redeeming quality,  the soundtrack was at least entertaining.  Other than that,  there is no reason to watch it (and that isn't a good reason at all). Stay Away!

StageFright (1987)

It has been a slow few days with only a handful of sales coming through the store.  Skills It does make it easy to get the packages out,  it leads to trots to the post office that rings the flow of my day.  I really haven't made the progress in the shop that I had hooked for this week.  When it finally time to relax,  I decided to kick back with another classic 80s horror flick,  1987s giallo StageFright.

Plot: A group of stage actors lock themselves in the theater for a rehearsal of their upcoming musical production, unaware that an escaped psychopath has sneaked into the theater with them.

I love the giallo subgenre of horror. Since of my favorite films fall under that category and this is one that I hadn't seen.  Of course,  this is one reason I have Shudder because they offer many films that I haven't experienced along with a wide variety of newer horror.  Also known as Aquarius, this movie has to be regarded as one of the best slasher films or the era. Going away from the traditional slasher tropes of the day,  this one succeeds with outstanding and vivid cinematography that mixed with the uneven soundtrack works to create something dark and atmospheric. Yes,  some of the movie seems dated today, if you remember the 80s as well n as I do,  you should find it as refreshing as I did.  Directed by Argento apprentice Michele Soavi, you can see the influence with the combination of colors, thrills, and murders held tight within an interesting script.  This one is definitely a must watch for fans of classic Italian horror and the giallo subgenre. Check it out!

Fade to Black (1980)

Having just returned from a local indie comic show, I decided that I needed some downtime and wanted to revisit something from my youth. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, there was a lot of classic horror and this one was a favorite, 1980s Fade to Black.

Plot: A shy, lonely film buff embarks on a killing spree against those who browbeat and betray him, all the while stalking his idol, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.

Horror movies from the 80s are a mixed bag, but some stand tall. This is one that I love to revisit from time to time as it is quite memorable. Shot with a dark gritty style, this movie does a great job at creating an air of madness and demonstrates what can be accomplished with an interesting storyline. While it is somewhat predictable, there are many moments that are memorable and help create a feeling of despair. You can tell that this did have a lower budget, as the performances are uneven, there are some extremely disjointed moments, and the characters are somewhat unlikable, but those monents seem to add character to the film. While there are some flaws within the storyline that cause it to fall short of its potential, this movie is a fun and mindless trip back in time. It probably isn't for everyone, but fans of the 80s should enjoy it.

There's Someone Inside Your House (2021)

The weather has been so dreary the past few days making me want to do next to nothing. Because of this blah feeling, I have had time to watch some movies. One that I picked yesterday was the 2021 entry, There's Someone Inside Your House.

Plot: After moving to live with her grandmother in Hawaii, a teenager must confront her past after fellow students at her school are murdered.

While it one started with some promise and interesting ideas,  it quickly disintegrates into another in the long line of Scream wannabes. Unfortunately,  this one doesn't come close to matching that classic on any level.  There are some decent moments, as the cast does a good job with some solid performances and the cinematography makes it easy to watch, but those suffer from an overall lack of pacing that drags the film down. Plus,  the film never builds on the interesting seeds planted early in the film and those elements disappear into the boredom. In the end, this one isn't terrible, but it's nothing to write home about either. Stay away unless you absolutely love this genre.

Scream and Scream Again (1970)

Having spent many evenings working on these radio-drama scripts I have been contracted to do, I have found myself diving into many different genres over the past few weeks and it has been fun. Older movies seem to have such a wider appeal than the typical slasher or paranormal flicks that have overtaken horror and Sci-Fi in recent years. A perfect example of this is this 1970 entry, Scream and Scream Again.

Plot/ A serial killer who drains his victims' blood is on the loose in London; the police follow him to a house owned by an eccentric scientist.

It is funny, for years I thought I had already watched and reviewed this flick. For me, it was a great surprise when I decided to watch this bizarre weirdness. Starring Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing, this movie has everything you need to make a camp classic. It is truly a great mixture of horror, mystery, thriller, and Sci-Fi and most importantly, it was an easy watch considering the number of layers that are woven into the story. Honestly, you may feel lost at the start, but it is well worth watching and letting everything fall into place. The story is fun, interesting, and somewhat complex, the effects are solid (a little campy but solid), and all the performances are fun especially Price playing a mad scientist to perfection. Sure, it does have a few low budget head scratching moments and Price, Lee, and Cushing could have had larger roles (their screen time makes you want to see more), but overall the movie works on multiple levels and any flaws are easily overlooked. In the end, this is by no means the movie I expected or thought it was and that is a great thing. If you haven’t watched it, it will make great viewing as Halloween approaches. If you have seen it, check it out again.

Shakma (1990)

Although I planned to watch 7 Witches last night, the remote for the DVD player again seemed to disappear. So, instead, I decided to dive into Shudder for the 1990 creature feature Shakma.

Plot/ An experimental drug that is supposed to reduce aggression has the opposite effect on a baboon that is being experimented on by a group of medical students and their professor. While they are playing a fantasy role-playing game in their research facility, the baboon escapes and begins hunting them down.

Coming off the slasher craze of the 1980s, this creature feature takes on that genre in an amazing way. Yes, it is mindless and full of some awesome baboon induced blood and guts, but it is in no way anything more than a midnight low-budget schlockfest (although, the Dungeons and Dragons LARP is a nice twist). Even with the mild level of gore and a storyline that is rather predictable and cliché (other than the baboon madman), this movie is fun to watch and on par with some of the classic straight-to-video flicks of the era. Yes, the performances are uneven (Roddy McDowell is perfect though), the storyline is unbelievable, and overall the age of the film shines through in the technology, but that in no way makes this movie any less entertaining. In fact, after these decades, the movie is still just as cheesy and laughable as it was the first time I saw it. In the end, if you are searching for some campy fun, full of schlock and cheesiness than give this one a shot. Plus, it is on Shudder, so there is really nothing to lose if you have that service.

Night of the Demon (1980)

Once I finished with some classic 1950s sci-fi/horror, it was time to find something a little different last night to finish off my holiday weekend. After some searching, I settled on the 1980 exploitation/creature feature Night of the Demon from 1980.

Plot/ Professor Nugent and his students try to track down Bigfoot, but end up uncovering something more sinister at work.

This is the epitome of the classic no-budget drive-in exploitation flicks of the 1970s and early 1980s. While it is extremely flawed on almost every level, it is full of sporadic moments that make you laugh and keep you entertained. Yes, the micro-budgeted flick has a laughable and conflicting script, flat performances, uneven editing, rough special effects, and a myriad of head scratching moments, but that seems to only push this closer to the exploitation/grindhouse cinema of the day. Fortunately, the storyline is interesting with an interesting combination of creature feature and occult driven horror that take on many of the taboo narratives of the era. There are also some remarkable cinematography elements that work well with the soundtrack and gore, making it somewhat memorable in comparison to some of the other films from that period. In the end, if you are in the mood for a mindless piece of low budget exploitation schlock find this one. Sure, it isn’t close to perfect, but for what it is, it will hit the spot.

Freshwater (2016)

After suffering through Man Vs., I decided that I wanted to follow that with a straight low budget creature feature. Unfortunately, my selection, 2016s Freshwater, almost made me wish that I were trapped alone in the woods fighting a CGI alien.

Plot/ A new take on the classic story of a group of twenty-something kids' weekend of terror at the lake house.

And my streak of subpar movies continues. Luckily, I was somewhat prepared for that since this was a low budget creature feature, but it was still below what I had hoped for. This one was not all bad with an interesting soundtrack and a couple of decent performances. Unfortunately, the special effects, cinematography, editing, and scripting did not hold any weight and left the movie fall flat. In the end, this one is not worth your time; stay away.

The Bye Bye Man (2017)

Last night, I made a trip to Family Video to see what had come out recently. What I found was a wide selection of new horror flicks on the shelves. To start off these new choices, I decided on the 2017 horror/thriller The Bye Bye Man.

Plot/ When three college students move into an old house off campus, they unwittingly unleash a supernatural entity known as The Bye Bye Man, who comes to prey upon them once they discover his name. The friends must try to save each other, all the while keeping The Bye Bye Man's existence a secret to save others from the same deadly fate.

This one definitely has a unique approach to the slasher genre and a ton of potential. While I would class it as more of a thriller than a straight horror flick, there are just enough elements to keep it above water. The storyline was interesting, the casting decent, and the cinematography and filming were solid. Yes, some of the performances are uneven, there are minimal scares, and some of the scriptings felt rushed or disjointed, but those parts are easily overlooked. In the end, this movie will not be for everyone, but it is a decent PG-13 entry that makes for a great scary movie night with the kids.

Slasher.com (2017)

Last night, I spent the evening watching my beautiful and talented daughter Genesis perform with the West Virginia University Symphonic Band, and it was an impressive performance. The same thing cannot be said about the next movie up for review, 2017s Slasher.com.

Plot/ After meeting online, Jack and Kristy go on a weekend getaway to the woodlands of rural Missouri. While discovering each other, they soon learn of the terrorizing horrors that the forest has in store.

When I picked this one up, I almost immediately expected the worse. Unfortunately, I was right. While the movie started well enough, the overall quality and entertainment aspects continually fell throughout the film. In fact, that opening segment is the only highlight of this movie that I can remember with any clarity. The entire film just felt like an incoherent mess that did not match the title with the script. The performances are uneven, the storyline predictable and cliché with even the murder scenes failing to provide any entertainment values as the felt cardboard and over-edited. Trust me, it is that bad. In the end, there are a ton of movies that exist out there in the slasher genre that will be much more entertaining and memorable, stay away from this one.

Elder Island (2016)

Last night, I decided to spend some more time working on Surviving the Static, the accompanying blog to After the Static. That didn’t stop me from catching a movie as I worked. That film was the 2016 slasher, Elder Island.

Plot/ A group of men secretly buried a body on Graves Island, and the reign of America's first and only king ended; but for every end, there is always a new beginning, for evil was born that night. Five families have always controlled the Island. Five families share the Island's fortune; five families share its curse.

When I sat down last night to watch this one, I had actually forgotten the premise, which drew me in when I rented it. What I found was a decent slasher (that fit in perfect after the Scream Season 2 marathon). Somewhat based on an actual piece of history, this movie does a great job at weaving the slasher genre into the events. Along with that, the performances are decent, the idea compelling, and the overall feel is solid. Unfortunately, there are some pacing issues, the backstory almost drowns the main storyline at times, and the editing feels choppy and a touch incoherent at times. In the end, this was a decent slasher done on what had to be a smaller budget. It may not be the best one out there, but it was entertaining enough to keep my attention.

The Girl in the Photographs (2016)

Sometimes when I walk through Family Video I am drawn to something that it seems I had bypassed multiple times. That was the case last night when I stumbled upon the 2016 slasher The Girl in the Photographs.

Plot/ A bored young woman in a sleepy community called Spearfish starts receiving photographs of brutally murdered young women. Are they real or staged? The culprit is either a serial killer or some creep with a sick sense of humor.

It’s hard to believe that Wes Craven has passed on and this is the last movie he was involved with as Executive Producer. While it is nowhere near the quality of his classics, it does have an intriguing premise and it was actually a lot better than I initially expected with some solid cinematography and a few parts of the storyline that I really enjoyed (especially the end). Yes, some of the performances are uneven; some of he comedic moments fall flat, and it has too many clichéd elements that make it just blend in with all of the other films of the genre. In the end, this movie is just an average entry in the slasher genre and is by no means memorable. Yes, I did love the ending (and final sequences), but there was a lot of potential that was not met.

31 (2016)

As I was sitting here last night I realized that I was two posts away from hitting 1500 here on The Ringmaster's Realm and was debating what movie I wanted to review for that post. After some debate, I finally decided on a movie I feel that must be seen and truly embraced. While that movie will be reviewed tomorrow, for tonight, I have the 2016 Rob Zombie flick 31.

Plot/ Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, Hell-like compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.

Having decided to watch this as one of the first films on the new television, I was unsure of what to expect. Rob Zombie is one of the most polarizing filmmakers out there, and his films often sit in the love/hate realm. For me, I love his material, not because it is artistic masterpiece, but because it is a flashback to some of the no-budget grindhouse flicks from my youth. In this case, there is nothing much I can truly say about 31, as it is a trip into violence and gore. Sure, it lacks a coherent plot, it is full of mindless murders, blood, and guts, and the characterization is all over the place. It is what it is, a strange journey into the depraved mind of Rob Zombie. In the end, 31 is a movie that will be polarizing and a movie many will hate. Sure, I thought that it could be better, but it was a fun trip into the 1970s.

The Funhouse Massacre (2015)

I was so turned off by The Levenger Tapes that forced myself to sit through the greatest reality train wreck ever: the second debate. What can I say; a debate between a psychopath and a sociopath (take your pick either candidate fits my diagnosis) gives more credence to the fact I think someone has created a butterfly effect. To help me recover from that, I decided to kick back and watch something mindless; just like the 2015 horror/comedy/slasher The Funhouse Massacre.

Plot/ Six of the world's scariest psychopaths escape from a local Asylum and proceed to unleash terror on the unsuspecting crowd of a Halloween Funhouse whose themed mazes are inspired by their various reigns of terror.

After my last review, I definitely needed something mindless, and this movie fit that bill perfectly. To me, there is something about movies that pay homage to the classic VHS B-movie craze of the 1980s that makes me want more. This one has a great mixture of comedic elements and gore, takes place with outstanding pace, and offers some solid performances scattered throughout. Sure, some of the scripting is uneven with jokes that range from bad to worse, there is a lack of originality in the kills (although there is a decent amount of blood), and there are the typical clichéd moments that plague a lot of lower budget films. In the end, this one is just a mindless, yet entertaining horror flick that offers an interesting plot. It is definitely fun to watch (especially if you are not hoping for a masterpiece).