Director - Shawn Burkett (Don't Fuck in the Woods, Betsy)
Starring - Mike Pleska (Trespassing, 13 Slays Till X-Mas), Brittany Blanton (Squatch'd, Thrust), and Dale Miller (The Wicked One, Last American Horror Show)
Release Date - 2023
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Do you believe?"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I’ve been watching and reviewing films from Concept Media for around ten years now. Co-founders Shawn Burkett and Ryan Stacey were the first filmmakers to give me a chance when I was brought on to Horror Society 11 years ago now. The pair has released some killer genre films over the years and they never fell to stir up excitement from me when they announce a new film. Sometime ago Shawn started promoting his bigfoot horror film Stranded. While I’m not a believer, I do have a big interest in cryptids so I’m always open to a film in which both worlds collide. Sadly, I started seeing less and less news about the film until it had completely skipped my mind. That changed when I started seeing press releases from Wild Eye about the DVD and digital release of the film. Around this time Shawn reached out to me to review the film. Like always, I want to thank Shawn for sending this one over.
The film follows a trio of siblings who are on a late night trip to scatter their late mother’s ashes deep in the woods. However, car trouble leaves them stranded in the middle of no-where. As animosity and attitudes collide, they soon realize they are not alone in the woods and something lurking in the dark has it’s sights set on them.
I knew very little about Stranded going into it. I knew it had several Concept Media regulars appearing in the film and was centered around bigfoot but that was the extent of my knowledge on the film. While I’ve seen some seriously impressive horror films centered around bigfoot, a good portion of them fail to give genre fans a memorable film with the hairy cryptid. Stranded is a decent film but it’s claustrophobic setting and lack of location makes it feel like it’s a lot longer than it actually is. The acting in this one is solid. We have some familiar faces returning with Brittany Blanton, Scott Gillespie, Payton Pleska, and Mike Pleska along with several more that I’m sure I’m forgetting. I love how tight knit the Concept Media family is and their ability to tackle different roles when the need arises. With that being said, I didn’t care for the characters in this one. The cast does a great job with what they were given but the characters are not likable and I was expecting them all to catch a bloody death at the hands of bigfoot. It’s not often I come across a film like this because there is always one character you find yourself connecting with but this one just didn’t have one. The story for this one works especially in an indie production standpoint. It’s revolves around one location which just happens to be someone’s car that’s parked in the woods late at night. While this is brilliant and an easy way to save money, I found it to be a bit boring. I was expecting a bit more cat and mouse in the woods with the siblings fighting for their lives. The film really needed to utilize the woods more and work on the pacing. Finally, this is not a bloody or violent film. The movie relies heavily on atmosphere rather than practical effects. With that being said, I fucking loved the look of bigfoot. This is the best looking bigfoot I’ve seen in a horror film. It’s menacing and eats up the scene. I wish he was utilized more but I understand why his appearance was limited. Overall, Stranded is a solid entry in the bigfoot horror sub-genre but It’s nowhere near the top of my favorite Concept Media films. It’s dark, brooding, and the creature looks fantastic but a film taking place majority in a car hasn’t worked for me since The Battery. It’s still worth a watch so check it out.
Starring - Alyss Winkler (Slaughterhouse Slumber Party, Space Babes from Outer Space) and Brian Papandrea (Amityville Vibrator, Thrust)
Release Date - 2022
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I’m sure a lot of you are sick of hearing about my October horror binge but I was not expecting the response that it received this year. When I posted at the end of September asking for indie horror films to add to my month long binge I was expecting a handful or so to add to my stack. I was not expecting the 100 or so films to be sent over from filmmakers, actors, producers, and so on. It was a bit overwhelming and to prevent me from having a panic attack I decided to watch them all but give myself until the end of the year to check them all out. One of the films sent my way was The Grim Findings of Claudius from Kyle Putra. The film starred my good friend Brian Papandrea and the always beautiful Alyss Winkler. I want to thank Kyle for sending this one my way for review!
The film follows the awkward Claudius (Papandrea) who is trying to find love but is just too backward to find it. He really wants to be with a waitress at a local restaurant but she is creeped out by him and his unusual demeanor. He waits one day to speak with her after her shift and accidentally spooks her resulting in her hitting her head. He takes her back to his place, that he shares with his “grandmother,” to nurse her back to health. Things start out innocently enough but in his warped mind the two are a couple and the next logical step is marriage and intercourse. This is just the beginning of the madness unfolding inside his home and she is about to bear witness to it all.
I had no idea what The Grim Findings of Claudius was about or even what kind of film it was. I was grateful that Kyle reached out to me to review and I always look forward to any film starring Brian and Alyss. With that being said, I had a lot of fun with this one. I loved the writing, the characters, and the location. It’s a well put together film that I think some genre fans will enjoy. The acting in this one is great. Alyss is great as the abducted woman. She spends about 90 percent of the film screaming or bound and gagged which doesn’t really give her a chance to show her acting chops. I would have liked to see her character have a more prominent role in the film aside from being tied up. On the opposite side of the coin, Brian was tasked with bringing a character to life that has a lot of personality and is a bit more complex. I love how into the character he gets and the humor goes a long way with this story. These two work very well together and the performances really contrast one another. The story for this one works hard not to be cliched and I really respect that. I’ve seen dozens, if not hundreds, of films following someone who stalks and abducts women. From the beginning we get someone who does abducts a woman but does it out of sincerity. He tries to take care of her when she hits her head. We then have a little Psycho moment, a lot of forced romance, and plenty of laughs. I think the film is very well written and everything is put together to create a film that does stand out but some genre snobs may not appreciate it. Finally, don’t expect a bloody flick. This is a character driven piece that focuses more on the story and the situation they find themselves in over blood and gore. Overall, The Grim Findings of Claudius is not going to be for everyone but I found it to be very enjoyable. I highly recommend checking it out.
Director(s) - Chalit Krileadmongkon (The Beast Below) and Pakphum Wongjinda (Possessed, The Mirror)
Starring - Chanya McClory (Bad Guys, The Stranded), Mike Angelo (Wuxin: The Monster Killer, The Misfits), and Benjamin Joseph Varney (After Dark, Friend Zone)
Release Date - 2022
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Unmask the monster"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Several weeks back Well GO USA sent me a few of their releases for review. Both of these films looked fantastic but I wasn’t able to check them out in a reasonable time frame. I was in the middle of my October horror binge and was sent a few television shows to review during that time as well. Once I was caught up I decided it was time to finally check out one of the films. The first one I went with was the 2022 Thai horror film Creepy Crawly which was originally released under the title The One Hundred. The trailer for this one looked a lot of fun and I was really looking forward to checking it out. I want to thank Well Go for sending this one over!
The film follows a young woman who was visiting abroad and is now in a hotel quarantining after returning home. However, the hotel is about to be overrun by carnivorous centipedes and one giant creature with the ability to absorb it’s host to look like them. The creature is after a specific person that it needs to prolong it’s life but the survivors are banding together to survive.
I went into Creepy Crawly knowing absolutely nothing about it but I was pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and love that the story could be followed up with so many different situations and scenarios. With that being said, it’s not going to be making any year end lists but it was an enjoyable film. The acting in this one is very well done. While the characters are dull and often blend into the background, the cast does a great job with the roles they were given. The story for this one is very enjoyable. It blends drama, action, and horror together without one aspect over powering the other. While the characters are cliched and unoriginal, the quarantine hotel becoming overrun with man-eating bugs and a shapeshifting creature is fantastic. The film is evenly paced and we have very little downtime which is great considering how fast paced the film actually is. It’s non-stop action with a lot of family drama and a horrifying setting. It works very well together to create something genre fans can appreciate. Finally, the film has several bloody deaths with a mix of solid visual and not-so solid visuals throughout. The visual effects when mixed with the make-up effects is very efficient but the overall creature and the visual effects for it looked horrible. It stands out and the effects just makes the film feel cheap. Overall, Creepy Crawly is a fantastic late night creature feature if you are in the mood for something atmospheric and fast-paced. While the creature and it’s visual effects didn’t hit the mark it was going for it still delivers. I highly recommend it.
Director - Samuel Bodin (Marianne, Batman: Ashes to Ashes)
Starring - Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Cloverfield), Antony Starr (The Boys, Xena: Warrior Princess), and Woody Norman (The War of the Worlds, The Last Voyage of the Demeter)
Release Date - 2023
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Sooner or later, family secrets creep out"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
At the beginning of my October horror binge I was sent the horror film Cobweb on blu to review. I added it to my watch list and as Halloween approached I decided to check it out the weekend before Halloween but I got sidetracked. I foolishly popped an edible and before I realized it I had started watching the wrong fucking movie. Halloween came and went before I realized that I had not watched the Cobweb yet. However, after a few friends told me they enjoyed it, I decided it was time to finally check it out.
The film follows a young boy that is heavily bullied at school and very sheltered at home. His mother is a former school teacher that became a stay at home mom when she became pregnant while his father is very domineering and strict. At night he begins to hear something scampering before someone behind the wall starts talking to him. It’s a little girl claiming to be his older sister who was locked away by their parents. She tells him they are mean and they are responsible for a little girl going missing several years before. He believes her and tries to release her but is caught by his parents. That night he poisons them and tries to release her only to discover she is something much more sinister that his parents had locked away to protect him.
I was very curious about Cobweb but I was concerned when I first hit play that it would be another horror film similar to Stephen King’s The Boogeyman. I was so afraid that it was another film where a teen or pre-teen was being haunted by something sinister. While this is somewhat true in some respect, the story gives us more of an unexpected spin that I was not expecting. I really enjoyed this one and seriously hope we get a follow up film soon. The acting in this one is fantastic. Anthony Starr, who is know for his portrayal of Homelander on The Boys, is fantastic in his role as the father. He is always intimidating in his roles and this one was no exception. He carries the film along with his on screen wife Lizzy Caplan and their son Woody Norman. These three make the film and I couldn’t imagine the movie having the mood and tension that it has if someone else was cast in these roles. The supporting cast works great as well but the focus is on these three and they nail it. The story for this one is another “kid in a haunted house” type film but there is more to it than that. The “haunted house” angle is swapped with something sinister living behind the walls. While it still follows the same theme as other haunted house tales we have some unexpected events that the viewer doesn’t see coming. I really enjoyed the twists that popped up and the characters backstory. These blend together so well and leaves the film open to another film if we are lucky. Finally, the film has plenty of blood and several quick deaths that we don’t really get to enjoy. Also, we get a CGI creature that did feel out of place with the film. I wanted to love every aspect of this film but the use of the visual effects and the cheaply made creature was a big turn off in my opinion. Overall, Cobweb is a solid horror film with an amazing cast and a decent enough story. While I was not a fan of the visual effects, I did enjoy the rest of the film. This one needs to be seen by genre fans. It’s a lot of fun.
Director - Jon Devlin (Erecting a Monster, The Missing Left Sock)
Starring - Jon Devlin and Jessica Reagan Asher
Genre - Horror
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Near the tail end of September I made a post on Facebook asking filmmakers if they had any films that needed review for the site. I needed a couple more movies to round out my October horror binge. I did not expect the response the post received. I had several filmmakers send over 100 films my way for review. I was going to begin turning people away at a certain point because I did feel overwhelmed but I decided to just mark them all down in the order I had received them and review them all without the time crunch of doing them all in October. One film is a short from Erecting A Monster director Jon Devlin. The short, Felo-de-se, is around 5 or so minutes long and though it does have a rather short run time, I decided to wait until after October so I could give the film the attention it deserves. I want to thank Jon for the support he has sent Horror Society and myself over the years. I truly appreciate it.
The film follows an awkward man who has built an unhealthy obsession with a woman in his neighborhood. What he doesn’t know is that this woman he has secretly been stalking is reaching her breaking point and is considering something drastic. When he finally gets brave enough to confront her his warped sense of knowing her leads him to a situation that he never expected.
I’m an ignorant guy and I’m fairly certain my reviews paint that picture. I’m not a smart man by any means and it blows my mind every time a filmmaker asks me to review their movies. I say this because I had no idea that Felo-de-se meant suicide. I had no fucking clue but as I was putting this review together I discovered that it was a fairly used term that can be found in some popular films, television, and music. Now, looking back at the film and it’s title I feel like a fool but I am glad I went into it not knowing it’s meaning because I think it would have taken away from the ending. The acting in this one is great. It’s a very small cast but the two work very well together. Devlin has showed a wide range of acting through his various shorts and features but this one is probably my favorite type of character he’s portrayed. The awkward and creepy characters are rarely done correctly but Devlin goes all in. I loved the character and would seriously love to see him tackle another role with a similar character. His female co-star, Jessica Reagan Asher, is great as well. She does a great job in her role which is impressive considering her imdb page has no other credits under her name. It would be a damn shame if she doesn’t appear in other genre efforts. The story for this one is short, sweet, and mostly to the point. Not knowing what Felo-de-se means did leave me unprepared for the ending which I think is the best way to see this film. While the title does fit the short I would suggest changing it so those that are familiar with the phrase would not miss out on the shocking ending. I love the build up and how the ending hit the viewer. Finally, the film has some blood but those expecting a gory short will be very disappointed. The film doesn’t really offer up any type of make-up effects but the point of the story is the characters and the situation they find themselves in and not the red stuff. Overall, Felo-de-se is a solid short from Jon Devlin. He’s a fantastic actor and one hell of a filmmaker who I wish would stop teasing us with shorts. Fucking make a feature film already!
Director(s) - Daniel Myrick (Under the Bed, Believers) and Eduardo Sanchez (Supernatural, Yellowjackets)
Starring - Heather Donahue (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Morgue), Michael C. Williams (Altered, Satanic Hispanics), and Joshua Leonard (Depraved, Torn Hearts)
Release Date - 1999
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary... a year later their footage was found"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Getting old is something we all have to come to terms with and while I don’t think I’m that old I would be lying if I said being in my mid-thirties felt like it did when I was in my mid-twenties. One of the weirdest things about getting old is remembering specific moments in your life and how long it has been since they happened. When I was elementary and middle school I lived through some of the most iconic pop culture moments from the forming of NWO in WCW, the first Playstation, Tamagochi and DigiPets, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski, and the marketing around The Blair Witch Project. I remember how exciting it was to talk with people at school about it. So many kids my age thought the movie was real and while I sometimes played into the hype I knew a movie depicting real deaths would never be allowed in theaters. Honestly, I can’t think of another horror release that caused such an stir like this one did with the public. I wasn’t able to watch it in theaters and by the time it made it’s way to VHS the cast had already been interviewed several times which ruined the image that the film was real. I remember thinking the film was alright but nothing that would stick with me over the years. Hell, I still think about the weeks or months leading up to the premier of the movie when people thought it was real but I have never had the desire to revisit it. A few weeks back I received the UHD steelbook release of the original film along with the 2016 sequel. I wanted to check them out during my October horror binge but couldn’t get them worked in. After spinning a few horror titles and an animated Batman film I figured now was the best time to check it out.
The film follows three filmmakers who hike in deep into the Maryland wilderness to film a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch. Along the way they find themselves lost and low on supplies and at night strange things happen at their camp site. As tempers come to a boil the three realize they are not alone in the woods and the legend is true.
Some genre fans incorrectly label The Blair Witch Project as the first found footage film which is the furthest from the truth. While it wasn’t the first to use this style of filmmaker, it was the film that revitalized it when it showed just how lucrative it could be to make a found footage film. While The Blair Witch has catapulted the found footage style films to popularity that is still seen to this day, it is a fairly dull film that doesn’t really come into it’s own until the last 15 or 20 minutes. I respect the hell out of the marketing for the film but the movie itself is nothing special. It’s solid for a first time watch but I believe that many fans remember the hype and rumors surrounding the film during it’s initial release and it heavily influences what they thing of the film itself. The acting in this one is other-worldly. I seriously hate reviewing the acting in found footage films because the cast is trying so hard to make it feel like they are recording themselves doing the most mundane tasks. These scenes are usually abysmal to watch and when I’m not rolling my eyes I’m checking the display to see how much is left of the film. I can’t say the same about the acting in The Blair Witch Project. Their small talk, banter, and other dialogue just feels genuine. It doesn’t feel forced or as awkward to watch as the found footage films that soon followed. The story for this follows a legend that filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez created prior to production and built the mythos just for the film’s purpose. Many argue that the Blair Witch was a legend prior to the film’s release but that is not the case. However, when you have a marketing campaign like this one anything can happen. We have a strong background centered around the lore of the witch and when you add in a group of amateur filmmakers documentary their adventure into the woods searching for any hint of the witch’s existence is pure gold. The found footage aspect does make it feel more genuine than if it was a standard film. I respect the hell out of it but it’s because of the found footage style and attention to detail that makes it a mediocre film. I would have preferred a more traditional approach to the story with more attention toward the legend itself and not their journey. Finally, the film has zero effects. We get some rock piles, stacks of sticks, and noises in the dark and that is all the movie needs to strike fear in the viewer. No one in the production of this film was setting out to create a classic or something with such longevity. They wanted to make a movie that people thought was real and once the luster wore off then so did the scares. I couldn’t imagine sitting in a theater with a group of people who went into thinking the people on camera had died or was missing but I bet it was an amazing experience. It’s the mindset that they are dead that made this movie so fucking eerie. Overall, The Blair Witch Project s a film with tremendous historical important for cinema. It was the film that forever made found footage a staple of the genre and it’s marketing and advertising campaign is something that was never seen before or we will see again. The film itself is one of those horror films that is considered the middle of the road. If you have never seen it by this point I would recommend it for a first time watch but it’s not something I would recommend revisiting after sometime or double dipping on the film. Considering the rarity of the blu I would say this UHD is worth it.
Director(s) - Kevin Altieri (Stripperella, Transformers Prime), Boyd Kirkland (Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Wolverine and the X-Men), and Frank Paur (Gargoyles, Spawn)
Starring - Kevin Conroy (Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie), Dana Delany (Tombstone, The Batman), and Hart Bochner (Die Hard, Supergirl)
Release Date - 1993
Genre - Action/Sci-Fi
Tagline - "The dark knight fights to save Gotham City from it's deadliest enemy"
Forma - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I’ve been lucky enough to watch and review several of the animated Batman films over the last five years or so. The DC animated universe releases or films that I often get very excited for and when they find their mark they are seriously enjoyable. The great thing about the DC animated films is that they are continuously releasing new films while remastering and re-releasing some of the older films. When I was a kid I remember seeing TV spots and posters for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. I remember immediately thinking of the Don Coscarelli film Phantasm and my imagination took over as I imagined Batman taking on the Tall Man and his legion of undead dwarves. Sadly, I never got around to seeing it and over the years I had completely forgot about it until I received the UHD release for review. I had heard nothing but good things about this one and I couldn’t wait to dig into it. I want to thank WB and DC for sending this one over.
The film bounces between Bruce Wayne at the beginning of his crime fighting career when he was romantically involved with a beautiful and current day when leaders of the organized crime world are being hunted down by a caped villain. Everyone, including the police, suspect that the one behind the murders is Batman forcing him to work quickly to uncover the real killer while exploring his own past.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is based on the Batman Animated series and features one hell of a voice cast. While I do see why so many Batman fans enjoy this animated feature I will admit I am a bit underwhelmed. I absolutely loved the animated series as a kid but this film didn’t really have the same appeal and flow as the show. I was recently sent the show on blu for review and was able to revisit this classic series. While it has been some time since then I can still remember it very well. The film is decent but it is nowhere near the level of the show. The voice acting in this one gave me chills especially now after the passing of long time Batman/Bruce Wayne Kevin Conroy. It wouldn’t be an animated Batman film with Conroy if it didn’t have Mark Hamill as The Joker. We also have appearances from Stacey Keach, Dana Delany, and so many more. The voice casting in this is so impressive and everyone does a phenomenal job. The story for this one has a fantastic character arch and one hell of a reveal. However, the impact of the film is lost in the film’s flashbacks that throws off the flow of the film. The pacing is all off and the film’s climatic moments is made ineffective with the random flashbacks. The film needed a more traditional story that moves in a linear path instead of back and forth like it is. Finally, I love the film’s animation style. It’s the same style as the animated series and is more a traditional take on American cartoons. I love the look and it works well with the action sequences and the various assortment of characters. We also get the classic Gotham backdrops that was seen in the show which is another thing that I loved about the show. The back drop and still paintings look so fucking good. Overall, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is one of the more popular Batman animated films but I can think of better ones. However, it’s still a fantastic film that deserves a watch. The UHD release looks gorgeous and should be in any fan’s collection. Check it out.
Starring - Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets, The Book of Boba Fett), Chris Messina (Devil, Birds of Prey), and Vivien Lyra Blair (Bird Box, Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Release Date - 2023
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "It's not real. It's not real. It's not real"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Some of my favorite horror films are adaptations of Stephen King’s work. I’ve read some of his works over the years and while I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read I would be lying if I said I’ve read them all. I do enjoy reading but my day job and writing for Horror Society doesn’t offer up much in the line of free time. As much as I enjoy his novels, I would still rather watch the film and television adaptations. Some of my favorite films are adaptations of his work. I grew up with films like Silver Bullet, Pet Sematary, Maximum Overdrive, and Creepshow on repeat. His career is legendary and when I see a film has his name attached will automatically draw in my attention. Several months back I started receiving press releases for a new King adaptation. The Boogeyman was produced by Disney under their recently acquired 20th Century Fox brand and had a June release this year. I had heard mixed things about it but that is expected when King’s work is adapted to film. I wasn’t able to check it out during it’s theatrical run but decided to watch it recently on Hulu. I was sent a code sometime back to review but decided to host a giveaway around Halloween for one lucky fan on our Facebook page.
The film follows a therapist and his two daughters who are trying to pick up the pieces after their mother passed away unexpectedly. A unexpected man appears wanting to be seen by the therapist and later kills himself in one of the rooms in his home. The youngest daughter starts to believe that something is living in her closet while her older sister starts seeing strange things around the home. They suspect that the man’s death in their home was the beginning of something much more sinister and they soon learn that the boogeyman is real.
I went into this one really excited to see another Stephen King adaptation. While I was not familiar with the book, I had high hopes for this one despite the mixed reception it had received up to this point. I’m not one of those people that have to read the book and pick apart the movie. I always view the film as a separate installment that is inspired or influenced by the original novel, comic, video game, and so on. While I don’t know anything about the source material I can say that The Boogeyman is easily the worst of the King adaptations. It’s predictable with unlikable characters and one of the most generic monsters I’ve seen in recent years. The acting in this one is solid but I was expecting better performances. The characters are very unlikable and one dimensional. The cast delivers decent enough performances but their one dimensional characters that are unlikable makes their performances feel worse than they actually are. The story for this one is so predictable and is similar to other films I’ve recently reviewed including the indie horror slasher The Pumpkin Man. There has been so many films depicting teens or kids fighting their own version of the so called Boogeyman over the years that it makes this film feel almost like a blatant rip off of those films. What makes it even more depressing is that it’s from the mind of a true horror master. I would assume at this point that the book would be better with King’s own style of horror but this film is paint by numbers and easily forgettable. I hate being this way and having so much negative to say about one of the films based on his work but it is one of the worst films of the year. Finally, the film is not a bloody one and if you are looking for iconic horror moments like we’ve seen in many of his other films then you will be very disappointed. We get a horrible CGI monster that looks like the aliens from A Quiet Place but much worse. Overall, The Boogeyman is the biggest dud of the year and the biggest disappointment in my opinion. This is one film I cannot recommend.
Back in September I was doing some scrolling on Instagram when I came across a post from WNUF Halloween Special director Chris LaMartina about the blu release of the classic SOV horror film Cannibal Campout. He was sharing that he had copies of the blu available in his store. I wanted a copy of this for my collection but I couldn’t figure out the connection this release from Terror Vision had with LaMartina. I soon realized why when I was browsing his store and saw that his wife’s horror host persona Aurora Gorealis had an episode featured in the special features of the release. I also saw that a collection of episodes of her Shocktail Hour with Aurora Gorealis was available on DVD. While I was a bit bummed it was only available on DVD I still snagged a copy with the intention of adding it to my October horror binge. Sadly, I wasn’t able to squeeze it during the month so I added it to my November watch pile to check out. I’m glad I did because it was a lot of fun.
The collection features three episodes where we follow Aurora Gorealis as she mixes drinks, deliver puns, and a host of other characters to contribute various segments to each show.
The three episodes follow themes such as werewolves, zombies, and blobs.
I knew Chris’ gorgeous wife Melissa was a horror host but that was the extent of it. I never had the luck of seeing anything related to her Aurora Gorealis character, however, after watching this collection I can see that I was seriously missing out. I lived in an area that didn’t have their own regional horror host and I couldn’t piggy back off of other channels to get something like that but I did have the Elvira tapes at my local video store to enjoy. While Shocktail Hour continues in the horror puns and macabre themes, it doesn’t rely on sexual humor like Elvira does. Elvira is an icon and for good reasons but she is not something that I can watch with my kids unless I want to lie to them about what she meant when she said “I’ve never had complaints before” when someone asks how her head is. Shocktail Hour is something I didn’t know I was missing in my life and I seriously hope they consider releasing more collections. The acting in this one is great. I don’t know Melissa LaMartina but I can only imagine that this is an extension of her personality. She is this character and she does a phenomenal job in the role. The supporting cast is fun and their characters fit the show very well but it’s LaMartina and Aurora Gorealis that makes this what it is. The story for this one is a mix of a variety show meets The Ghouligans and I’m here for it. The jokes are funny for the most part, the skits and other aspects always fit the theme of the episodes, and I love the characters in each episode. While I can only speak for these three episodes, I can only imagine how enjoyable the other ones are. Finally, the film is not a bloody or gory one. Instead, we get some fun make-up effects, a lot of costumes, and a campy set that takes the viewer back to classic shows like The Munsters and Addams Family. Overall, Shocktail Hour: Werewolves, Zombies, and Blobs is a fantastic watch for genre fans who enjoy the campy side of the genre. I highly recommend snagging this. You will not be disappointed.
Director - Ryan Sheets (The Pumpkin Man: Demon of Fall, The Letters of Wailing Creek)
Starring - Esteban Abanto, Matthew Beaton (Bloodshine, Human!), and Barbara Desa
Release Date - 2023
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Some tales are better left untold!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
Way back in September I started preparing for my October horror binge. I always try to sneak in as many horror or Halloween titles that I haven’t seen so I spend the month before ordering movies to add to my watch pile. I went to Scream Team Releasing’s website when I was ordering movies to snag some of the releases I haven’t seen yet. I bought The Barn Part 2, 10/31 Part 3, HeBGB TV, Beneath the Old Dark House, and The Pumpkin Man. I watched the four previously mentioned films during my October binge but I completely forgot about The Pumpkin Man. I was organizing my movies when I found the blu and realized I had fucked up. I decided to check it out instead of waiting until October of next year.
The film follows a teenage girl who is obsessed with the local legend of the Pumpkin Man. It’s said that he is a sacrificial demon that can be summoned to extract revenge on those that wronged the summoner. She visits a tour of the home of the witch that conjured him all those years ago where she finds her spell book. She convinces a few of her friends to meet one night and do one of the rituals found in the book. The do and accidentally summon Pumpkin Man who begins a bloody rampage through their little town on Halloween.
The Pumpkin Man is one of the main reasons I made an order at Scream Team Releasing. I started receiving press releases for the blu and VHS release sometime back and knew this would be a perfect addition to my October. I hate that I missed it during my month long binge but after finally watching it I can safely say that I subconsciously skipped it for a reason. It was a generic Halloween slasher that borrowed heavily from classic films like Pumpkinhead and Hocus Pocus. I really wanted to like it but it was so middle of the road that I found myself watching the clock more than the film itself. The acting in this one is fairly well done. The characters, though cliched, fit the film very well and it gives the cast something to work with. The cast really does fully dedicate themselves to their roles which results in some solid performances for most of the film. However, some scenes felt like the cast was being rushed or some things were changed on the fly resulting in them being unprepared for what was really needed for the scene to work. The story for this one feels inspired by films like Hocus Pocus and Pumpkinhead. We follow a town obsessed with their town’s history especially the story of the Pumpkin Man in a similar manner as the town in Hocus Pocus. We then follow teens who sneak into the home of the witch and steal something that has magical importance just like Hocus Pocus. We then move into the raising a pumpkin-headed demon that kills people much like the classic horror film Pumpkinhead. Honestly, this sounds like a movie I could seriously get behind but it’s the long, drawn out scenes with very little significance to the story that drags this one down. Also, the mythology around this film is just missing something that makes it stand out from other films. I have a feeling that several key moments in the story was changed during filming which didn’t help the story get the big push that it needed. Finally, the film has some bloody moments that fit the film very well. The effects are very well done and the Pumpkin Man looks awesome. The mask does resemble Stingy Jack from Chris Seaver’s Death O’ Lantern but you can only go so many directions with a pumpkin mask. Overall, Pumpkin Man is not a new Halloween classic to toss into your October rotation. I wanted to love it but this was one I struggled to finish. Skip it.
