Midnight Prowlers

Director - Samspicolli

Starring - Lola Nevarez, Katie Stephens, and Cat Cutlass

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Be careful what you prey for"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm become a big fan of Blood Sick Productions recently.  I've collected all their releases by this point but I haven't had the time to review everything up to this point.  A few weeks back I had a Blood Sick and Donald Farmer double feature when I reviewed Little Bo Creep and Blood Bitch Baby.  I love their raw no budget style and how it mixes so well with the stories they release.  Sometime ago I bought a copy of their release Midnight Prowlers but never found the time to check it out until now.  I decided to work it into my October horror binge and finally check it out.  I'm glad I did.

     The film follows a new girl and her group of female friends who head out for a girls night.  They go out once a month when the moon is full to have a good time but as the night rages on, things take a bloody turn for the men that are unlucky enough to cross their paths.  

     I knew absolutely nothing about this film besides what little bit of the story was given away by the artwork.  I had no idea that the movie was a monster movie that had a run time of around 20 minutes.  I was expecting a feature length film but that is entirely my fault for not taking the time to read the entire description when I bought the film.  The acting in this one is pretty fucking solid.  The cast, from what I can find, had no prior screen experience yet they absolutely killed it in this one.  There was a few instances where the dialogue was a bit flat and awkward but the overall film was very well done.  The story for this one did throw me off a bit.  I was expecting a female gang style film with some fight scenes and a lot of attitude.  However, a 20 minute movie that switches it up at the end was a lot of fun especially for genre fans.  With that being said, I would have loved more of the ending with more of it being explored.  Maybe a sequel or a feature length remake could expand on this.  Finally, the film has some blood and minimal effects but nothing that would stand out among horror fans.  Character development and story was more important than memorable deaths.  Overall, Midnight Prowlers is a solid half hour for horror.  The cast really impressed me with how little experience they have and the story is enjoyable.  Check it out.  

Onlyfangs

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

Starring - Kansas Bowling (Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, The Third Saturday in October Part V), Drew Marvick (Pool Party Massacre, XXX-Mas), and Nina Lanee Kent (Nite Time Creatures, Murdercise)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Work sucks.  Be a vampire"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I grew up with some of the best vampire films to grace the silver screen outside of the classic Hammer horror and Universal monster movies.  Movies like Fright Night, Fright Night II, The Lost Boys, Children of the Night, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Near Dark, and the list can go on for days.  While zombies may be my favorite sub-genre of horror, I will always have a soft spot for a good vampire flick.  A few years back filmmaker Paul Ragsdale and his partner Angelica De Alba announced their new film OnlyFangs.  This was one that I've followed closely since it was announced and couldn't wait to check out.  A few days back Paul hit me up with a link to finally to review it almost two years after I made my first post about the film.  I want to thank Paul and Angelica for sending this one over for review!

     The film follows a group of insanely gorgeous vampires who cross paths with a wannabe monster hunter.  He proposes that instead of killing him, he create an app for incels to to subscribe to monthly and they would get to drain them.  This turns out to be rather lucrative for them and they become a pop culture phenomenon.  This popularity brings attention to them from a conspiracy theory nut with backing from a local politician, as well as, the evil vampire that had enslaved them for years.

     I went into Onlyfangs knowing it was a vampire flick featuring some of the hottest actresses in indie horror.  However, I was not expecting the film that I actually saw.  There was several things I didn't like about it but the film as a whole was a lot of fun and one that ties with GatorBlade Film's Fatal Desires for being the sexiest film of the year.  The acting in this one is great.  I loved the cast that A&P Productions put together with some familiar A&P faces meeting up with several genre favorites that have not worked together previously.  Drew Marvick never disappoints.  He is a natural in front of the camera and always delivers memorable performances.  His character here is a bit more bland that his previous roles but he is able to work with it to give us something fun and enjoyable.  Nina Lanee Kent is as talented as she is sexy.  She absolutely murders her role as a ruthless vampire and has cemented herself as one of my favorites and an actress that I look forward to seeing in future projects.  We also have another memorable performance from one of my favorite indie scream queens, Jessa Flux.  I've been fortunate enough to watch and review two other films of hers this Halloween season with Blood Sick Production's Little Bo Creep and Blood Bitch Baby.  While I loved her performance here, I feel she was underutilized or that just may be because I'm biased.  We also have great performances from cult filmmaker and actress Kansas Bowling and actress Adriana Uchishiba.  Kansas does a fantastic job as the film's light hearted vampire looking for love while Adriana delivers a very intense performance as a very aggressive vampire.  The supporting cast is great as well but if I was to mention everyone that delivered amazing performances I would be here all day.  The story for this one reminded me a lot of the erotic vampire flicks that you would find in the mid to late 90s.  We have beautiful women who use their vampiric abilities and modern technology to line their pockets with cold hard cash.  We then toss in a subplot with conspiracy theories and liberal snake people trying to take over America.  I love all of this and love how they all work together to make a fun vampire film that is unlike anything I have seen before.  With that being said, I was not a fan of the scenes featuring influencers and online personalities reacting to the ladies and their app.  There was too many and they were extremely awkward to sit through.  The movie would have been so much better if these were removed.  Finally, the film has a lot of blood and some make-up effects.  The kills are exactly what you would expect from a vampire film and they look fantastic.  However, the film does have some not so great visual effects that stand out more then they should have.  Overall, Onlyfangs is a great modern spin on one of horror's most enduring monsters.  While I did have an issue with the amount of reaction videos used in the film to bloat the run time, I still enjoyed the overall film.  It was a lot of fun and featured one hell of a cast.  I highly recommend checking this one out when you have the chance.  

     

Veerana

Director(s) - Shyam Ramsay (Hotel, Purana Mandir) and Tulsi Ramsay (Saboot, Tahkhana)

Starring - Jasmin (Divorce, Sarkari Mehman), Hemant Birje (Adventures of Tarzan, Kabrastan), and Sahila Chaddha (Sau Saal Baad, Naaasamajh)

Release Date - 1988

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Sex, blood, and hairy monsters in a feast of Bollywood horror!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few years back I was introduced to Bollywood horror by Mondo Macabro and Massacre Video.  I've always been open to international titles but a lot of my time was spent on Italian giallo and Japanese splatter.  It wasn't until I watched Mahakaal, or the Bollywood Freddy Krueger, that I knew I had been missing out.  Since then I had snagged the Bollywood collection from Mondo Macabro and watched several of the ones I could find on streaming.  These are truly unique films that I can't put into words how amazing they truly are.  A few weeks back I was sent a few new releases from Mondo Macabro to review.  Among those films was the 1988 Bollywood horror film Verrana.  Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over!

     The film follows a young woman who is possessed by the soul of an evil witch that was killed after draining the blood from several locals.  

     I knew nothing about Veerana before I tossed it in but I knew if it was half as fun as Mahakaal then it would be worth it.  This movie did not disappoint.  From the musical numbers, to the effects, and even the humor I was not expecting, delivers.  I really enjoyed this one and can see myself revisiting it a few more times before the year is over.  The acting in this one is inconsistent but not bad.  We have some serious performances that are extremely serious and make the horror aspects of the film feel really creepy.  On the other side, we have some extremely campy and comical acting that I was completely expecting.  It was performances like this that made me fall in love with Bollywood horror especially with the horror releases from the 80s.  The story for this one is a bit more bold than the other Bollywood horror films that I've previously seen.  It's not overly complicated but it does have a lot going on at times.  We have an evil witch, a cult, a possessed woman, a complex family subplot that I never fully understood, and some laughs that almost feel out of place but was still very enjoyable  I really like this mix, especially with the typical Bollywood musical numbers, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a straight forward story with a little more emphasis on the cult.  Finally, the film has some great make-up effects and some beautiful sets.  I loved the look of the witch and the scenes when the was possessed.  The make up effects are great and really stand out with the film.  I would have loved some memorable gore but I knew I wasn't getting that going into it.  Overall, Veerana is a must see for Bollywood horror fans.  I may not be adding this to my October rotation but I can see myself revisiting this one a few more times.  I highly recommend it.  

The Last Horror Film

Director - David Winters (Thrashin', Space Mutiny)

Starring - Joe Spinell (Maniac, The Undertaker), Caroline Munro (Slaughter High, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad), and Judd Hamilton (Starcrash, A Talent for Living)

Release Date - 1982

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The Cannes Film Festival a cast of thousands...but only one killer!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror has a lot of underrated icons.  I hear names getting tossed around all the time with underrated attached to them.  Many of them are actors that I truly feel are underrated but one that I never hear mentioned is the late Joe Spinell.  Many know him from Maniac and Maniac II but his career from the early 70s to late 80s is absolutely brilliant appearing in the films The Godfather, Rocky, sequels to both, Taxi Driver, Vigilante, Rapid Fire, The Undertaker which is my personal favorite.  One of his more popular films is the 1982 film The Last Horror Film which was also released under the title Fanatic.  This Troma released film has been seen my many over the years after finding releases on VHS and DVD.  Recently, Troma put the film out on blu and was kind enough to send it over for review.  It had been years since my last viewing of this early 80s classic and this was a great reason to revisit it.  

     The film follows a taxi driver from New York (Spinell) who travels Cannes to attend the film festival in hopes of convincing horror starlet Jana Bates (Munro) to star in his film.  However, as he tries to get close to her, he finds himself blocked by different members of her entourage and staff.  Soon after his arrival, members of her group are brutally murdered.  As he struggles to get close to her, more and more people are missing or found murdered leaving many to suspect who the killer really is.

     The Last Horror Film is a great flick.  I truly is.  In fact, it's one of the better films that Troma has released over the years.  However, it's not my favorite Spinell flick.  Hell, it probably doesn't even break in the top 5 if I'm being honest but it's still a solid film especially if you are looking for something from the early 80s with some blood.  The acting in this one is great.  Caroline Munro does a fantastic job as a rising star known for horror films.  She really embodies the role and makes her scenes a lot of fun.  The same can be said for the supporting cast.  They all really get into their roles and deliver great dialogue and grounded interactions.  With that being said, the star is Spinell and he does not disappoint.  He delivers an unforgettable performance and several scenes that always gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I've seen this one.  His career may have spanned almost 20 years but I wish he would have lived a little longer just so see how many memorable performances he had left in him.  The story for this one is basically a slasher set against the backdrop of the Cannes Film Festival.  The movie was shot guerilla style with no permits as guests and tourists flocked around the streets and locations.  That makes the film feel raw as fuck if you ask me.  This makes the story with the obsessed fan wanting to direct his obsession in a movie while her entourage is getting murdered feel even more tense.  I also liked the news footage and audio playing at random times about the Jodie Foster stalker that tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan.  I don't know if this was the inspiration for the film or added to give the story layers but I really liked that bit of American history added to the story where it was relevant.  Finally, the film has several deaths. They feature a lot of blood along with some solid make-up effects and props but isn't the most gruesome especially for what was coming out at the time.  Overall, The Last Horror Film is one of the better slashers in the Troma catalogue.  While I would recommend Blood Hook before this one, this is still a must see for genre fans, fans of 80s cinema, and anyone looking for films featuring the late Joe Spinell.  I highly recommend it.  

She Loved Blossoms More

Director - Yannis Veslemes (The Field Guide to Evil, Light Well)

Starring - Sandra Abuelghanam (When I Smile My Eyes Close, Rapsodos), Aris Balis (Whack, Reflections), and Alexia Kaltsiki (Delivery, Dead Europe)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Sci-Fi/Comedy/Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometimes I get a press release in and the movie really peaks my interest.  I have to be selective with my time when I want to review a movie but sometimes a movie comes through my email and I have to see it.  That happened recently when I received the press release for the Greek erotic body horror film She Loved Blossoms More.  The artwork fucking sold me on the movie and I had to reach out for a review link.  As soon as they replied I quickly added it to my October horror binge and jumped on it after I watching the two horror shorts Stalker and The Only Way.  

     The film follows three brothers who enjoy sex with a pretty young blonde and time travel.  After indulging in narcotics and some raw sex, the brothers decide to travel to another plane of existence in order to see their mother but something strange happens when they test it on their female companion.  

    I went into this one extremely excited only to find myself greatly disappointed.  The movie is one of the most beautifully shot films I have ever seen especially for the budget the film has.  The cinematography, locations, sets, and effects are all breathtaking but the movie is a difficult one to finish.  While checking out Letterboxd and IMDB I see that I was with the majority on this.  I seriously wanted to like this one but it's a hard pass for me.  The acting in this one is decent for what it is.  Most of the film is nude dry humping and sitting around getting stoned with dialogue extensive scenes.  While it's not the worst acting I've seen, the film itself doesn't give the cast a chance to truly act.  The story for this one has so much fucking promise but is unable to find any traction.  The outline for the film is something that looks great on paper following three brothers who build the extraordinary to see their deceased mother one more time.  However, the film falls apart somewhere between the paper and filming.  The beautifully filmed scenes and nudity doesn't do enough to hold what little bit of story we have together.  In fact, if you trimmed down a lot of the bloated scenes you would be left with a movie that ran maybe 20 minutes and even then it would be difficult to follow.  Finally, this film has some seriously impressive visual and practical effects.  The visuals look great but the practical effects are gorgeous.  It's not a gory film but some of the scenes will stick with you for years to come.  Overall, She Loved Blossoms More is a movie I was so excited to see and was very disappointed with it.  While I did like some aspects of the film, most if it was a chore to sit through.  I hate to say it but this is one I would recommend skipping.  

Deathstalker

Director - Steven Kostanski (The Void, Psycho Goreman)

Starring - Daniel Bernhardt (The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Logan), Patton Oswalt (Star Trek: Strange New World, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), and Christina Orjalo (That's So Weird, The Big Comfy Couch)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Action/Adventure/Horror

Tagline - "Evil has many names.  Adventure has only one..."

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in elementary school an estranged uncle of mine gave me a couple tapes.  My dad was convinced that he stole them from a video store where he lived but we had no idea where they truly came from.  The tapes were Jason Goes to Hell, Halfbaked, and Conan the Destroyer.  Those three films would leave a huge impact on my childhood with the Conan tape opening up the door to so many sword and sorcery flicks.  I would rent a lot of these films over the years including the 1983 Roger Corman produced Deathstalker.  I enjoyed the film a hell of a lot and even enjoy the sequel to some extent.  In fact, I watched the first Deathstalker not too long ago, long before I knew a remake was in the works.  Anyway, a few weeks ago I received a press release for the release of the new Deathstalker film from director Steven Kostanski.  Kostanski is one of my favorite modern filmmakers and I couldn't wait to see what he would do with this classic tale.  I also wondered how he would incorporate his Astron-6 brothers into the film.  I reached out to Shout and they were kind enough to send over a review link to check out.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows Deathstalker (Bernhardt) who has gave up his birth name and wonders the world pillaging and killing those that stand in his way.  He finds a man dying on a battlefield and retrieves an amulet from him not knowing that it was cursed.  This sends him on a quest to reverse the curse but in doing so he will need someone who knows magic.  His first stop is the free a small magician named Doodad (Oswalt) and the pair set out to reverse the curse and put a stop to an evil Dreadite army before they awaken an evil force to take over the land.

     Director Steven Kostanski has released some of the most unforgettable horror films of the last 15 or 20 years with movies like The Void, Man-Borg, Father's Day, Psycho Goreman, Frankie Freako, and Leprechaun Returns.  This made me wonder what direction he was going to take his reimaging of Deathstalker.  Was it going to stay true to the action adventure style of the classic, was it going to be heavy on the horror, or would it be a beautiful medley of action, adventure, and horror.  The movie is exactly what the world needed and defies genres.  The acting in this is exactly what you would expect from a reboot of a film originally produced by legendary Roger Corman.  The cast is stiff, clunky, and delivers their dialogue like Mitch Hedberg delivers his one liners.  However, it fits the film and almost pays homage to the films that inspired it.  The characters are hulking barbarians, cut throats, and any other form of bad ass men you would find in the Golden Axe games.  The cast really gets into character and it makes the scenes a lot of fun.  The story for this one a typical sword and sorcery style adventure mixed with Power Rangers the Movie and Warriors of Virtue with a lot of blood and gore.  We get a simple plot where a sword swinging adventurer goes on a quest to stop a curse while a group of undead warriors try to stop him.  This is textbook fantasy if you ask me.  We then get some comedy and some monsters that remind me a lot of the creatures from Power Rangers.  They all have elaborate backstories and it adds a little more to the film than the predictable villains you would find in other films like it.  Finally, the film is overflowing with amazing practical effects.  We get a lot of gore, fantastic creatures, and amazing deaths.  The deaths look great and the effects make this one stand out above the rest.  Overall, Deathstalker is a must see for fans of monster movies, sword and sorcery, and Steven Kostanski.  This movie is better than I expected and I know this will be very controversial but this is one of the few remakes that surpass the original.  While I dig the original film, this is going to be a day one purchase for me and one I can see myself revisiting multiple times without tiring of it.  I highly recommend it.  

The Only Way

Director - Kyle Grogan (Don't Plan on Selling it)

Starring - John Moody (Don't Plan on Selling It), Sophia Moody, and Izzy Blanchard 

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     This year I've returned to one of my favorite sub-genres when I decided to rewatch The Walking Dead series.  I decided to check out the spin off series when I finished the original run and in between seasons I was checking out some zombie flicks here and there.  I've always been a fan of the sub-genre but found myself burned out with the popularity of The Walking Dead when the original series hit season 5 or so.  That's when I stopped watching the show and would only watch zombie films here or there.  I guess that has changed and I found myself digging the show from where I left off for the most part.  A few weeks back I was contacted by director Kyle Grogan to review his horror short The Only Way.  I added it to my list and decided that I would watch it during my annual October Horror Binge.  

     The film follows a father and his young daughter who are fleeing from a horde of the undead where they barricade themselves in a room with no escape.  As the undead start to hammer on the door with relentless force, the father takes drastic measures to save his daughter.

     I went into The Only Way knowing absolutely nothing about the film and was surprised by what I saw.  Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the film but I was not expecting to see the simplest short I have ever reviewed.  I was amazed by how much fun so little was.  The acting in this one is very well done.  The main cast, which I assume is a real life father/daughter duo, do fantastic together.  They have very little screen exprerience according to their imdb pages but they nail it.  You really do feel for them as they find themselves trapped.  The story for this one is so god damn simple, yet it works perfectly for a short about zombies.  The film makes great use of it's location and and doesn't overstay it's welcome.  We get straight into the meat of the story and then move on.  We have no filler or pointless scenes, unneeded dialogue, and bloated plot points.  Finally, we don't have gore or bloody deaths.  We do have some blood but nothing worth noting.  Overall, The Only Way is a great short about the lengths a father will go to save his child.  Its short, sweet, and worth a watch.  Check it out.  

Stalker

Director - David Cholewa (Dead Shadows)

Starring - Sandra Hohenadel (Nos Tempetes Bipolaires, La Meilleure Moi)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Evil has many faces"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I go through phases where I get to review several short horror films back to back before going months without seeing another one.  It has been sometime since my last review of a horror short so I was due for a little double feature.  A few weeks back I was asked to review the short Stalker from director David Cholewa and starring Sandra Hohenadel.  It looked very interesting and the artwork pulled me in so I agreed to check it out.  I'm glad I did!

     The film follows a young woman who finds herself walking through what looks like a parking garage late at night.  However, she soon finds herself being followed by something sinister and it's not just a man with ill intentions.  

     Stalker is not the film I thought it was going to be and I think that is what made it so much fun.  The title is a little deceiving but the artwork itself does point you in the right direction.  The acting in this one is good but the film is essentially a one woman show.  The film's lead, Sandra Hohenadel, goes through the entire short without any dialogue but is still able to bring out several emotions through her mannerisms and facial expressions.  The story for this one is super short and simple.  It makes you think she is dealing with a sleazy stalker with ill intent but you find out near the end that it is something much more.  I uses it's short run time wisely and doesn't drag the story out longer than it has to be.  This works out but if it was much longer then it would have overstayed it's welcome and took away to impact of the ending.  Finally, the film is not a gory one.  We do have an interesting creature and some visual effects.  While they are not the best I've seen, they are far from the worst.  Overall, Stalker may not be among the best horror shorts I've seen, it was still very enjoyable.  I know a lot of genre fans will appreciate this one so check it out!

Contamination

Director(s) - Neil Chase (Where Did I Go, Spin the Wheel) and David Heacock (Boneyard Racers, Babageddon)

Starring - Neil Chase, Brandon Horth (Spin the Wheel), and S-Raj Kumar (The Zombie Apocalypse in Room 14F, Smile: It's Only the End of the World)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Action/Thriller

Tagline - "The danger is within"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     My October horror binge is in full swing.  I've seen some awesome horror titles so far this month and I don't plan on slowing down anytime soon.  As I was looking at my planned list of movies to watch this month I realized that I had an action thriller I needed to review.  While it was not a horror film in a traditional sense, it still looked enjoyable with just enough suspense to get me in the holiday spirit.  The film, Containment, was directed by Neil Chase and David Heacock.  I want to thank Neil for reaching out and allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check it out.

     The film follows a group of soldiers who are tasked with recovering sensitive information from a secret lab thought to be compromised.  What they don't know is that the facility is ground zero for a virus from out of this world that can infect those that come in contact with it.  

     I went into this one knowing very little about it besides some of the info Neil sent over when he asked me to check it out.  While I wish it was a bit more horror-centric, I still enjoyed it for the most part.  It's a military centered thriller with some sci-fi elements that works.  It may not be making it's way to everyone's October watchlist but it still needs to be seen some other time during the year.  The acting in this one is pretty well done.  The characters are very generic and exactly what you would expect from a film centered around career soldiers sent on a special forces operation.  The cast does a decent enough job portraying them in front of the camera.  I would have liked them to have a bit more personality about them but it fits the film and they do a solid job.  The story for this one is I had seen a few times before but with some minor changes.  The basic premise is a group of soldiers go to a secret facility, in Alaska I believe, to retrieve the data from their research.  The people there are infected by an extraterrestrial virus that can jump from host to host just by contact.  I've seen similar stories like this, especially from the SyFy original age, that followed parasites, alien spores, zombie virus, and even a vampire like disease.  Hell, I think the plot is almost identical to a Dean Cain flick about zombies.  With that being said, it is enjoyable but way too long for the story we do have.  A good 20 minutes or so could be trimmed while keeping the story intact.  Finally, the film has way more visual effects than I was expecting.  These do stand out and are not necessary for the progression of the story.  Also, the film doesn't really showcase on screen deaths like I would have liked.  We get a lot of gun shots and deaths associated with that but the effects are minimal or non-existent for most of them.  Overall, Contamination is a enjoyable action thriller that works for the most part.  I would like to several things changed to improve the quality but it's fun as is.  Check it out.  

Dirty Boy

Director - Doug Rao (War Hero, Jubilee)

Starring - Stan Steinbichler (Vienna Blood, Zero Chill), Susie Porter (The Monkey's Mask, Cargo), and Graham McTavish (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Highlander)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "What's done in the dark... will be brought into the light"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I grew up in Appalachia in one of the poorest counties in the U.S.  The average income, when I was in elementary school, was $11,000 a year.  People struggled to feed their families and had long term place for employment to turn to.  Most of the population in this county turned to religion as a way to cope with their financial struggles and hardships of living so far from amenities.  I think that my interest in cults is due to my unique upbringing in these hollows in West Virginia.  Seeing how fanatic many of these people were and how far they would go in the name of their religion really scared me.  I strongly believe that religion is the scariest thing on the planet, so I jump on any movie I see that is centered around a religious cult.  A few weeks back I was sent a few press releases for the religious cult thriller Dirty Boy.  The trailer really peaked my interest so I reached out to them for a review link.  With Halloween rapidly approaching, I went ahead and worked it into my annual October horror binge.

     The film follows a young schizophrenic in a cult deep in the woods.  The cult keeps him heavily medicated and isolated from the others.  However, as he slips between paranoia, hallucinations, and lucidity, he discovers that the cult has been killing those in their ranks that disagrees with them and plan on using his mental illness to finger him for the murders.  With the help from one of the female cultists, he tries to escape but is caught.  As they try to enforce a more strict regime for him, he is able to once again free himself and fight his way out of there.

     Dirty Boy is a flick that I knew absolutely nothing about until I received the press release.  The trailer really intrigued me and I was really looking forward to checking it out.  We don't get a lot of titles centered around cults and I was hoping that this one brought that sense of dread and real life terror that they are known for.  This one was unable to duplicate that feeling of dread but it was still a solid watch.  The acting in this one is very consistent and very well done.  The film doesn't have any one cast member shining above the other.  We have every one feeding off each other and contributing beautifully to the scene.  While some of the characters are a bit flat, the cast does the best with what they were given.  The story for this one has it's moments but not what I was expecting.  The film focuses more on the schizophrenic character and his struggles mentally with his health along with the way the cult ostracizes him.  While the cult aspect does play a huge part in the character's development, it's not explored as much as I would have liked.  I wasn't expecting the mental health aspect when I agreed to review and I really did enjoy that original spin on the cult sub-genre but I want more history on the cult itself.  Finally, the film is not a bloody or violent one.  While people do die, it's not the deaths that the film focuses on.  Instead, the film is very character driven instead of focusing on the deaths.  Overall, Dirty Boy was not a bad film.  In fact, I liked it for the most part.  However, it was not what I was expecting.  I was expecting a bit more atmosphere and a focus on the unhealthy obsession with religion.  While it did not deliver on that, it did give us a decent film.  Check it out.  

Amityville Barbi vs. The Evil Dead-O's

Director - Ronin James

Starring - Jessa Jupiter Flux (Blood Bitch Baby, Debbie Does Demons) Korey Fackler (Dark Haul, Gotham), and Anthony Hoang (Death House, Spring Break Zombie Massacre)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Her dream home is a nightmare"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     It's not often that I get to have a double feature of flicks featuring one of my favorite indie horror starlets.  I recently sat through two Blood Sick Production films after I bought them for my collection and decided to review them.  The first film, Little Bo Creep, was a fun little creature feature.  The second, Blood Bitch Baby, starred Jess Jupiter Flux and was the main reason I bought the film.  I found myself greeted with an opportunity to check out another film starring Flux when I finished with those two.  The film is Amityville Barbi vs. The Evil Dead-O's from director Ronin James.  I had posted about this one sometime back and was looking forward to it.  I want to thank my friend Matt Burns for mentioning and for Ronin James for sending this one over for review.

     The film follows Barbi (Flux) who is tasked with fighting the forces of darkness when she's not being the beautiful star she was born to be.  

     I went into this one expecting to find a finished film but found myself questioning what it was that I was watching.  I contacted the Facebook page for the person that sent it over for review and they confirmed that this 11 minute film was just the intro.  They sent it out to a select few for review to stir up interest so they could secure the funds to finish the film.  I'm glad I was able to check out this work in process because it was a lot of fun!  The acting in this one is great.  Flux is the obvious star as the ass kicking hottie.  This one is a bit different than her normal scream queen rolls.  In this one she is diving fist first into fight scenes with choreography and more action than her previous films.  She does a phenomenal job and shows just how versatile she is as an actress.  The supporting cast in this is solid as well, with most of them showing long careers in stunts, but it's Flux that is the star.  The story for this one is alright when you consider that it's just the intro to the actual film.  We don't have enough to meat on the bone, so to speak, if it was to stay as is as a short.  All we have is Barbi kicking ass with some narration giving us some insight to her backstory.  It's fun but we need more to it than it is.  Finally, the film has some great visual and make-up effects but it doesn't really offer up the practical gore effects many of us want.  The visuals look great and I loved the make-up effects of the Evil Dead-O's.  They look straight out of the Ash vs Evil Dead series.  Overall, Amityville Barbi vs. The Evil Dead-O's may not be finished but I can already tell that it's going to be one of the better horror titles to release in recent years.  It's almost like a fan film for the entire genre.  I really enjoyed what I saw and hope they are able to complete it very soon.  Check it out.  

Blood Bitch Baby

Director - Donald Farmer (Demon Queen, Vampire Cop)

Starring - Jessa Jupiter Flux (Fatal Desires, Crackcoon), Angel Nichole Bradford (31 Kills of Halloween, Return of the Corn Zombies), and Mel Heflin (Beaver with a Cleaver, Cheerleader Camp Elimination)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've reviewed several Donald Farmer flicks by this point and I always feel the need to comment on how long his career has spanned.  His earliest works were in the early 70s and he's still releasing several films a year.  That's impressive regardless if you are a fan of his or not.  He is a polarizing filmmaker.  I love some of his films and others I can barely finish.  That doesn't make him a horrible filmmaker.  In fact, it shows just how diverse of a filmmaker he really is.  Farmer, during his 50 year career, has worked in almost every sub-genre of horror you can think of.  I recently picked up two Blood Sick Productions releases for my collection and decided to review them after I got them in.  I started this double feature with Little Bo Creep and finished it with this one, Blood Bitch Baby.  

     The film follows Countess Bathory (Flux) who has made a deal with the devil for eternal youth as long as she can provide him with a mother to bare his young.  She begins a plan to lure in someone in the guise of taking care of her mental handicapped sister and once she has her in the home, she will use her to carry her master's spawn.

     Blood Bitch Baby was a blind watch for me.  I knew nothing about it besides the fact that it was directed by Farmer, starred three of my favorite indie scream queens, and was released by Blood Sick Productions.  I knew absolutely nothing about the story going into this one but it didn't matter.  It had Jessa Flux, Mel Heflin, and Angel Bradford which is all I needed to buy it.  The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from an indie production.  We have some stellar performances along with some that show inexperience and dedication.  My three favorite scream queens deliver the performances I expected from them.  All three are phenomenal actresses.  While many would immediately comment on their looks and move on, I feel it's important to comment on their on screen talent.  Yes, they are undeniably beautiful, but they do fantastic jobs in front of the camera.  Blood Bitch Baby is no exception.  All three are great with Flux delivering her most intense role to date.  I was very impressed by how far she was able to go in her role.  This is definitely among her more memorable performances here.  The story for this one is a spin on the Countess Bathory legend that has found it's way into horror for decades now.  In fact, I think this is the third film I've reviewed about her this year.  All films featured a beautiful woman who is doing something with blood to remain youthful looking.  This one does have a bit of a different spin on it with some memorable characters but at the end of the day it's the cast that makes this one stand out from the others instead of the uninspired story.  Finally, the film has some blood and not the deaths I was expecting.  This film once again features the creature from Little Bo Creep.  I would have liked something a bit different, especially after watching these two films back to back, but it wasn't bad.  The puppet looks good and I really love the color of the blood.  Overall, Blood Bitch Baby doesn't have the most memorable story but the creature and performances from Flux, Heflin, and Bradford makes this one a must see for indie genre fans.  Check it out!

Little Bo Creep

Director - Donald Farmer (Bigfoot Exorcist, Cannibal Hookers)

Starring - Cacia Rose (Tent Burner, Kentucky Paranormal Incidents), Brewce Longo (Busted Babies, Farces of Death), and Jimmy Kelley (Camp Massacre, Dead Start)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I would hate to review a film by director Donald Farmer and not mention how impressive his career has been.  He started directing in 1974 with a series of shorts before tackling his first feature length film in 1987.  Since then he has given genre fans several classics from the video store era along with some modern indie horror hits.  He's a filmmaker that has earned his stripes and should be mentioned with the great regardless if you dig his work or not.  Personally, not all of his films resonate with me but I respect the hell out of him for doing what he has done for so long.  A few months back I saw that Donald Farmer had partnered with Bloodsick Productions to direct two horror titles.  I quickly snagged them both and added them to my watch pile with intentions to watch them during my annual October Halloween binge.  However, my list grew substantially since then and I decided to go ahead and check them out starting with Little Bo Creep.

     The film follows Little Bo Creep (Rose) who is searching for her lost sheep.  She seems to be a very sheltered young woman who knows absolutely nothing about the world around her which leads to most taking advantage of her.  Things take a little more sinister turn when she crosses paths with a local pimp who wants to use her innocent look to bring in new customers.  What he doesn't count on is for Little Bo Creep to have a little creature in her care that has a taste for blood.

     Little Bo Creep is not what I was expecting but I had a lot of fun with it.  I've really enjoyed MOST of these old children's stories getting reworked into horror and this one delivered for the most part.  The acting in this one was great.  Director and actor Brewce Longo delivered my favorite performance of the film as the sleazy pimp.  I was not expecting a performance that would define the film from him but he did a phenomenal job.  I also liked Cacia Rose's performance.  It took me some time to warm up to her character but by the end of the film you find yourself really liking her.  The supporting cast does a solid enough job but it's these two that carry the film and offer up unforgettable performances.  The story for this one is clearly a modern sleazy spin on the popular nursey rhyme.  It is extremely predictable but the ride to the end is a lot of fun.  The characters fit the story very well and offer up a lot of humor that I was not expecting.  You add in the creature aspect and you get something a lot of fun that you can double feature late at night with a slew of other no budget creature features.  Finally, the film has some blood and a wild looking creature puppet but those looking for gore or a high body count will be very disappointed.  The kills we get fit the film very well but the film's lack of budget is very evident. I did like the look of the creature but would have loved to see some gore to go along with it.  Overall, Little Bo Creep is a surprisingly solid spin on a classic story many of us heard hundreds of times growing up.  The cast is great and I love the look of the creature.  I highly recommend snagging this one as soon as you can from Bloodsick Productions.  It's well worth.  

Dream Eater

Director(s) - Jay Drakulic (The Forgotten Son, Escape the Night), Mallory Drumm (The Forgotten Son), and Alex Lee Williams (Hellmington, Practice Makes)

Starring - Robin Akimbo, Jay Drakulic, and Brittany Drumm

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "It won't let you sleep"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm pretty opened minded when it comes to horror.  I can venture into any of the sub-genres and find something I like.  While I do like some sub-genres more than the others, there is a few of them that I rarely find something fun when I dip my toes into the water so to speak.  One of the sub-genres that I tend stay away from is found footage.  There has been a few found footage flicks that I've liked over the years but not enough to say I'm a fan of the sub-genre.  While I know that I don't really care about them, I still cross paths with some that peak my interest.  A few days back I received a press release for the new found footage flick Dream Eater.  It looked interesting enough and decided to check it out when I was asked to review it.

     The film follows a couple who rent a home deep in the woods for a little getaway.  The young man struggles with sleepwalking that seems to be progressing.  His girlfriend hopes this trip, along with some virtual counseling, will help treat his past trauma and move them closer to treatment.  However, the further she probes into his childhood the more she learns about his life before he was adopted and the cult his mother was apart of.  Is the sleepwalking from his traumatic upbringing or is something supernatural going on?

     I went into Dream Eater knowing very little about it and was a bit disappointed to find that it was like every found footage film that I had seen.  I know there is a growing number of genre fans that love found footage.  Hell, I wish I was one of them but I'm not.  I understand the aesthetic of the found footage film but they bore the hell out of me.  Sadly, Dream Eater was no different.  I really liked the idea behind it but the actual film was a tough one to finish.  The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from a found footage flick.  The cast does have what I would consider a natural conversation.  One of my biggest complaints about found footage is the pointless dialogue and the forced conversations that they have.  However, this one does feature more realistic conversations that are easy to sit through.  The story for this is what I would consider to be a brilliant foundation for a found footage film that falls apart due to it being a found footage film.  I absolutely love movies centered around cults.  Honestly, we don't get enough indie horror features focused on the topic and I was really fucking excited when the film mentioned this.  However, the film doesn't really explore the lore as much as I would have loved.  We get a few little nods here or there to explain what is happening in the film but that is about it.  If the film gains traction, I would love to see a prequel with more focus on the cult because I was bored to tears the way it is.  Finally, the film is not a bloody flick.  The movie focuses on jump scares and intense sense of tension and atmosphere but that is about it.  Those of you looking for unforgettable gore and a body count will be very disappointed.  Overall, Dream Eater is a standard found footage film that doesn't redefine the genre but does contribute to it.  It is dark and tense at times but it wasn't for me.  I wish I could have liked it but this is one sub-genre that I struggle to enjoy.  Fans of found footage will enjoy it but if you are like me then you may want to skip it.