Renfield

Director - Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War)

Starring - Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road), Nicolas Cage (Mandy, Ghost Rider), and Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Raya and the Last Dragon)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy/Action/Crime

Tagline - "Sucks to be him"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Looking back at my childhood and teenage years I realize that I’ve always been a fan of Nicholas Cage. I loved the movies Con Air, Face Off, Once Bitten, Valley Girl, Raising Arizona, Gone in 60 Seconds among so many more. His career is legendary but what really stands out with his career is the films he’s worked on in the last decade or so. He has found a new wave of fans with his appearance in films like Mandy, Color Out of Space, Willy’s Wonderland, and the Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. I seriously love the new films of his and look forward to any new project he’s involved with. When I heard that he was cast as Dracula in a horror comedy from Universal I was fucking excited. I know many of my friends on social media were quick to dismiss the film and once again claim that Cage will agree to any role. While the latter may be true, I was beside myself with excitement. I couldn’t wait to check it out but would have to wait until a home release due to work and home life. I received the blu release of the film not too long ago and knew I had to watch it. I’ve now watched the film three times since I received it and I fucking love it. 

      The film follows former lawyer turned servant Renfield (Hoult) who has decided to take his life into his own hands and try for freedom after decades of serving Dracula. They have relocated to New Orleans where Renfield has been attending a support group for people in abusive relationships. He has been feeding the abusive partners to Dracula but along the way has used the group to help him get out on his own. He befriends a female police officer with a grudge for the local organized crime family that responsible for her father’s death. This leads Renfield to embrace leaving Dracula but once Dracula discovers his plans he sides with the crime family to seek revenge on Renfield for turning his back on him. 

      I’ve seen a lot of love for Renfield which is a good thing. I hope companies like Universal continue to take risks with horror properties and give fans something a little different than the same stories told over and over again but set in different decades. We could have got another Dracula by the numbers tale like the dozens of films before it. Instead, we get a unique hybrid of comedy and action that dips its toes in horror without becoming a traditional horror film. Honestly, I love it and I would love to see a shared universe with other Universal Monsters but the side characters are in the spotlight. Movies like Frankenstein but we follow Fritz or Wolfman with focus on Bela. It’s a fun concept that leaves us with endless possibilities without simply retelling the same story over and over. The acting in this is a lot of fun. I’m also a fan of Nicholas Hoult after watching him in Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road, Jack the Giant Slayer, and as Hank McCoy in several X-Men films. This is nowhere near my favorite performance from him but he was great. His character carries the film and it’s one that has similar traits to other characters he has brought to life in the past. With that being said, he really did commit to the role and the action scenes were a lot of fun and something I wouldn’t usually associate with his name. We also have great performances from Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz. I really liked the characters and how they fit into the film but it’s obvious that they were typecast just like Hoult was. With that being said, I was very disappointed by how little Cage was actually in the film. I know his character was taking the back seat in the story but I was hoping we would have a lot more of Cage as Dracula than what we actually got. The story for this one is, at it’s heart, an action comedy set against a classic gothic tale. Essentially, the film is a coming of age tale that took over 90 years for Renfield to come to terms with the life he has with Dracula. We then get some organized crime, a lot of comedy, and some horror moments that blends together very well. It does slow down at random times during the middle portion of the film but picks it up during the last leg. Finally, the film has some blood and gruesome deaths that feature a great deal of practical effects and some visuals. I also enjoyed the various stages of make-up effects on Cage. As the film progresses we see him healing from a near fatal attack from vampire slayers which was cool to see with each passing scene he was in. Overall, Renfield was way more enjoyable than it should have been. It’s goofy but its pulls you in. I highly recommend this one especially if you dig pop corn flicks. Check it out.

Murdercise

Director(s) - Angelica De Alba (Streets of Vengeance, Slashlorette Party) and Paul Ragsdale (Cince de Mayo, Slashlorette Party)

Starring - Kansas Bowling (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, B.C. Butcher), Nina Lanee Kent (Nite Time Creatures, Slashlorette Party), and Jessa Flux (Space Babes from Outer Space, Voorhees Night of the Beast)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "The deadlist aerobics video ever made"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Around 15 or 20 years ago we saw a big trend in indie cinema where filmmakers tried to capture the look and feel of horror films from yesteryear. Filmmakers tried to capture the tone and grittiness of classic exploitation films, the style and trends of the 80s horror, and the classic S.O.V. horror films of the 90s. Honestly, I’m all for filmmakers recapturing the look and feel of films I grew up with but for every film that does it successfully we have another handful who failed miserably. Several years ago I met filmmaker Paul Ragsdale who is one half of the filmmaker duo behind A and P Films. Paul had just released his slasher film Cinco de Mayo through Slasher//Video and added me on Facebook to discuss the release. I was lucky enough to review it and the rest has been history. He is one of my favorite indie filmmakers in the game along with his partner Angie. The pair has released some beautifully shot homages to 80s and 90s cinema while delivering some top notch horror for fans to ingest. Since Cinco de Mayo, they have been responsible for the indie horror hits Streets of Vengeance, Slashlorette Party, and their newest title Murdercise. Sometime back Paul reached out to review Murdercise and I quickly accepted the offer but work and family life stopped me from getting the review up in a timely manner. I want to apologize to Paul and Angie for the delay. 

      The film follows a movie producer who is filming an aerobics video with funds from someone deep in organized crime. He hires a group of beautiful young ladies who are using this shoot as a stepping stone to get their acting career off the ground. However, one of them in a true red blooded American who believes in Good, Regan, and fitness. When the producer is away she is left in control of the shoot but she doesn’t like the sleazy way the film is being shot with her idea of the film being more on fitness. Things take a bloody turn when she finds one of the actresses trying to fuck one of the film crew. She decides to take the morality of the shoot into her own hands and the bodies start piling up. 

      A and P Films has some pretty big shoes to fill after their Streets of Vengeance and Slashlorette Party releases. Both of those films are phenomenal indie films that have huge followings. I knew Murdercise was going to be another hit but I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. It’s easily one of their best films to date and they did one hell of a job at taking movie fans back to a time when the video store was a huge piece of our lives and scream queens were teaming with distribution companies to release various horror workouts. I loved this one and really look forward to their next film. The acting in this one is fantastic. We see some familiar faces with some A and P regulars along with some other indie genre favorites. We see another A and P collaboration with adult cinema star Ginger Lynn, Pool Party Massacre director Drew Marvick, and the gorgeous Nina Lanee Kent and Krystal Shay. Also appearing in the film is indie filmmaker and actress Kansas Bowling who has appeared in the films Psycho Ape, Tales from the Grave: The Movie and The Third Saturday in October Part V along with indie scream queen Jessa Flux who is known for films Shingles: The Movie, Debbie Does Demons. The Secret of Cuck Island and many more. This is a very enjoyable cast and the characters they brought to life made the film what it is. The story for this one is not a traditional slasher in a sense but does borrow heavily from the sub-genre. What we have is a loving tribute to direct to video horror and late night television with a good mix of memorable characters and murder. It works and is the kind of film genre fans can watch on repeat without getting tired of it. There is a few scenes that felt a little out of place or was maybe over my head but they do not take away from the overall film. Finally, the film has some fun deaths. The practical effects are nothing elaborate but they do fit the style of the film and story. We get a lot of blood but if you are looking for a gore soaked flick then you will be very disappointed. Overall, Murdercise is exactly what I was wanting. This movie made me miss shows like USA’s Up All Night and direct to video slashers. It’s a lot of fun and something I thing not only indie horror fans but pop horror fans will love. Check it out.

A Question of Silence

Director - Marleen Gorris (The L Word, The Last Island)

Starring - Edda Barends (The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank, Intensive Care), Nelly Fridja (Flodder, Flodder in America), and Henriette Tol (Flying Kicks, Intensive Care)

Release Date - 1982

Genre - Drama/Crime

Tagline - "They have never met before... but they agree to kill together"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’ve spent the last week or two watching indie slashers and shorts for the site. These are the types of films that people have come to expect me to review and I love doing it. I love looking at all the hard work and passion come to life before my very eyes. It truly is exciting to spend this time watching something that someone has put so much time and heart into. Even if I don’t dig them all I still find it enjoyable to watch indie productions. I’ve also found myself more open to international films regardless of release year and budgets. It’s almost like an anthropological study with some of the older international films that I watch. I love seeing the style and culture of these films especially if they are from bygone years or decades. Recently, Cult Epics has been dipping their toes into international waters. They’ve sent over a handful of films recently from the 60s through the 80s from all over the world with their latest effort being the Dutch mystery drama A Question of Silence. 

      The film follows three women from various backgrounds and social standings who find themselves in a retail store at the same time. They have never met each other before and have no connection to one another. However, when one of them is accused of stealing the other two surround the shop keeper and the three brutally murder him while other women watch in excitement. A psychiatrist studies the three and determines that they are not insane but releasing pent up anger from living in a male dominated society. 

      A Question of Silence was controversial when it was released due to it’s subject matter. Men with little dick energy found themselves playing the victim in this film as women came together to make a stand against the way they were expected to be treated. A drama from 1982 was showing the world how women were treated as the "inferior" gender and some accused the film of telling women to take up arms against the males. Controversial or not, A Question of Silence is a fantastic film with a story that is considered a feminist classic from a director that has contributed greatly to the feminist movement. The acting in this one is great. I’m not familiar with the cast at all but I loved the personality and chemistry with each other. The cast does a phenomenal job in their roles and really do an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The story for this one is intriguing and works but I can see why some men in the early 80s lost their fucking minds seeing a film depicting women rising up and taking control of their lives. Even to this day women all over the world are being oppressed and forced to believe that they are inferior. I really liked the mystery angle that this drama uses but it’s a no brainer as to why the murder takes place especially once you get the peak at the lives of the three ladies before the murder was committed. It’s a brilliant film that could be redone today and still have the same impact. Finally, this film is not the bloody mess most of us horror fans are looking for. It’s story driven with just one death that we don’t get to fully enjoy. Overall, A Question of Silence is a powerful piece of feminist cinema that anyone can truly enjoy especially if you don’t have your head up your ass. It’s a well done film that does shed light on what its like for women even in today’s world. I highly recommend this release from Cult Epics.

Grandma

Director(s) - Bobby Canipe Jr. (Karate Ghost, Mom n' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s/90s) and Dustin Ferguson (Stale Popcorn and Sticky Floors, Cocaine Cougar)

Starring - Michelle Bauer (Demonwarp, Beverly Hills Vamp), Brinke Stevens (Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity, Beyond the Gates of Hell), and Angel Nichole Bradford (Debbie Does Demons, Mothman)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Slashers have always bee a favorite of mine. While I was introduced to horror with Tom Savini’s remake of Night of the Living Dead I found myself truly obsessed with slashers. I never really fell into the slasher craze of the 90s following the successful release of Scream and the various clones trying to cash in on the film’s success. However, 80s slashers and the indie no budget slashers of the 00s and 2010s were my bread and butter. I couldn’t get enough of these and this is something that is still with me. While I do indulge in the random 80s slasher, I still find myself obsessed with indie slashers. I will go out of my way to add them to my collection and when I see one pop up in various horror groups I immediately look into it. Sometime back filmmaker Bobby Canipe Jr. was sharing news on his S.O.V. inspired slasher Grandma. I jumped into his Facebook messages and requested a review link which he was kind enough to send over. I want to thank Bobby for sending it over for review. 

      The film follows a young woman who finds herself inheriting some money which she uses to purchase an old bed and breakfast out in the country. She takes a few friends with her to clean up the place before opening it up but is unaware of the local legend about the original owner. She was a little old lady that a lot of the locals called Grandma and her food was well known among locals. However, what made her meals so special was that she was killing tourists that were staying in her bed and breakfast to feed to her patrons. Now, the murders start again after this group of twenty-somethings open the doors for the first time in decades. 

      Grandma is not one of those films that tries to capture the look and feel of 80s slashers. That has been a big trend the last decade or so and I understand the logic behind it all. Movie fans grew up on these films and want to contribute to them. However, they rarely pull it off. Instead, Grandma tries to take the viewer back to a time when shot on video horror was in it’s prime. Slashers were shot for next to nothing and found their way into video stores or fell into obscurity to be found decades later when relatives were cleaning out their deceased loved one’s belonging. Grandma does an exceptional job at taking viewers back to this time while delivering a well rounded no budget slasher. Honestly, I enjoyed it and it’s one of my favorite indie films of the year. The acting in this one is very well done. It’s better than most of the original S.O.V. era films that I’ve seen and I really enjoyed the casting. The characters are fairly generic but the cast does a fantastic job at bringing them to life in front of the camera. With that being said, there is room for improvement. I don’t mean that negatively because I really liked the cast but some scenes were a bit awkward at times. The dialogue during these few scenes just didn’t feel right and fell flat. The story for this one has elements of the classic slashers we all love but does have that cheesy spin that made S.O.V. so appealing to many of us indie fans. We have the victims getting picked off one by one, a masked killer with a local legend, and deaths fitting to the film. I really enjoyed this but I would like a follow up film connecting the killer to the legend of Grandma or more of a backstory as to why he does what he does. Finally, the film has plenty of blood and some cheap effects here and there. I really liked the style of deaths we get and how they pay tribute to other slashers. However, the effects do show the film’s budget. Personally, I liked them but pop horror fans may not appreciate them as much as I do. Overall, Grandma is aimed for a specific group of horror fans and I think it finds it’s mark. It’s not only a loving tribute to S.O.V. horror but a great entry in the slasher sub-genre. I highly recommend it.

Don't Open the Box

Director - Sean Breathnach (Beyond the Woods, The Tower)

Starring - John Ryan Howard (Gateway, The Man with the Hat)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’ve reviewed a lot of terrifying and bone chilling films over the years. Most are feature length while a few are shorts. I have a soft spot for the shorts coming my way from filmmakers, actors, producers, and so on. They are quick to the point and often waste very little of my time. I find it difficult to turn down a film for review but I find it damn near impossible to tell a short no. Sometime back Irish actor and filmmaker John Ryan Howard hit me up to review his short Don’t Open the Box. I tried to review it a lot sooner but work and my home life got the best of my time so I want to apologize to John for taking so long to get this up. 

      The film follows a father who receives a package late one evening. Not knowing who it is from, he opens it unleashing something sinister that traps him and his daughter inside. 

      I knew nothing about Don’t Open the Box aside from the fact that we shouldn’t be opening the box. However, at just a few minutes long I knew I would be seeing everything the short had to offer in just three minutes. The short was enjoyable for the few minutes that it runs but it doesn’t really offer enough substance when compared to other shorts like it. Don’t take this the wrong way because I did enjoy it but the story was just a little thin even for three minutes. The acting in this one works for the short. The cast is extremely small, consisting of two people, but the cast makes it work. We don’t get the typical dialogue set up and creation of personalities due to the short run time but they deliver solid enough performances to make the film work. The story for this one is decent for a short but the extreme short run time does work against it. If the movie was stretched to 15 minutes or half an hour we would have a lot more to enjoy. It works for what it is but I have so many questions that are not answered. Finally, the film has some visual effects that impressed me for a no budget short but if you are looking for a bit of the red stuff then you will be very disappointed. Overall, Don’t Open the Box could be a bit more suspenseful or story driven but it is a decent enough watch as it is. No film is perfect and this one shows that but it does entertain which is all we can ask for. Check it out.

Swamp Woman

Director - Sean Donohue (Death-Scort Service, The Hart-Break Killer)

Starring - Sushii Xhyvette Holder (Kill-Cam, Death Blow), Lunathyst (Sushii's Sex Seance, Satan Lives: The Rise of the Illuminati Hotties), and Joel D. Wynkoop (Doomsday Stories, Family Snapshot)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’ve been lucky enough to review some seriously impressive indie horror releases over the years. While some, like most indie horror, has faded into obscurity, there is a few that have developed a cult following. Sean Donohue and his indie production label GatorBlade Films has released several films that have gained a huge following. His slasher trilogy Death-Scort Service is still being talked about in various underground horror groups while his film Naked Cannibal Campers is a go to film for myself. Aside from his slashers and other horror films like Dead Residence, The Hart-Break Killer, Cannibal Claus, and Joe Vampire, Sean also directed the Florida horror documentary Blood, Guts, and Sunshine. Sean doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and recently asked me to review his newest horror film Swamp Woman. This was another one of his films that I was very interested in so I eagerly accepted the offer to check it out. I want to thank Sean for sending this one over. 

      The film follows a brilliant female scientist that has created a serum that can bond a living specimen with their surroundings. This ground breaking serum has caught the eye of a rival scientist who sends over a group of goons to steal it. However, she doesn’t give up on her hard work without a fight resulting in her coming in contact with it and left for dead in the swamp. When she finally makes her way out of her would be murky grave she finds herself part of the swamp and thirsty for revenge. 

      Swamp Woman is nothing like the previous films from Sean Donohue and GatorBlade Films. While it doesn’t shy away from their trademark nudity and beautiful women, it does adopt a more comical side that is mostly absent from the films that he has given genre fans in the past. I really enjoyed it and I think fans of GatorBlade Films will appreciate it but I can see some of the more pop horror fans really disliking it. The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect with a lot of the cast being returning faces seen in several other GatorBlade and Reaper Films. We once again see regulars Sushii Xhyvette Holder, Lunathyst, Joel D. Wynkoop, Bob Glazier, and Donohue himself along with a brief cameo from director and producer Chris Leto. I liked a lot of the characters and how they were approached but the most memorable and entertaining performance comes from Wynkoop who delivered a funny and cheesy performance that was almost a parody of the classic mad scientist characters from the drive-in era. The story for this one has moments that remind me that I am watching a Sean Donohue film but for the most part it feels completely out of his wheelhouse. Instead, it feels like he was watching a lot of direct to video sci-fi and action movies or a Sy-Fy original movie marathon and had the idea to parody those films with Swamp Thing. Honestly, I liked it and when you combine that with the gorgeous ladies he is known to work with along with the sense of humor you have something extremely entertaining especially if you drink a few or pop an edible. Finally, the film has some blood and nudity but it doesn’t have the gory deaths that most of us are looking for. We get some practical effects and green body paint but those expecting kills on par with Death-Scort Service then you will be very disappointed. Overall, Swamp Woman is a film I’m surprised Sean made but I’m glad he did. It’s a lot of fun especially if you go into it not expecting his typical sleazy gore flicks. This is the Sy-Fy original movie parody set in Florida that we needed. The only downside is that Sushii is painted green while spending most of the movie nude. Regardless, I highly recommend it.