REVIEWS
Cinema, Blu-ray/4K, Streaming and VOD Releases - Reviewed By Fans For Fans
THE CREEP TAPES: SEASON TWO
THE CREEP TAPES: SEASON TWO - Blu-ray Review - Cheery killer Peachfuzz returns to play with another round of victims in his own, twisted fun way. Chris Ward reviews the Blu-ray of a second season that tweaks the formula just enough to keep things fresh and twisted.
BACKROOMS
BACKROOMS - Liminal horror goes mainstream as Kane Parsons mysterious and dangerous world makes the jump from YouTube to cinema screens. Iain MacLeod reviews a striking and eerie debut that more than delivers on the promise of its web series and suggests a new direction for horror cinema.
INSOMNIA
INSOMNIA - Second Sight release a 4K remaster of the original 1997 Norwegian thriller that sees Stellan Skarsgård go head to head with a twisted serial killer whilst dealing with the titular malady. Steven West reviews this stacked special edition of a film that contrasts noir tropes against a hellish perpetual daylight to great effect.
NORMAL
NORMAL - Don’t let the title fool you, Bob Odenkirk’s shoot ‘em up directed by Ben Wheatley is anything but. Iain MacLeod reviews this off kilter action flick that does just about enough to differentiate itself from the one time comedians other action films that have given his career such a shot in the arm.
THE DEVIL’S CANDY
THE DEVIL’S CANDY - Sean Byrne’s heavy metal themed horror arrives on 4K in a stacked special edition from Second Sight Films. Chris Ward reviews the whole package to see if the story and the scares match up to its rocking soundtrack
OBSESSION
OBSESSION - Be careful what you wish for as a young man's crush on his best friend takes a truly unsettling and terrifying turn in Curry Barker’s OBSESSION. Iain MacLeod reviews the film that will please his online fans as well as a new legion who will find much to admire in this expert mix of cringe inducing comedy and truly unnerving horror.
HOKUM
HOKUM - Struggling author Ohm Bauman visits the Irish hotel so beloved by his deceased parents only to discover the local legend of a malevolent witch could be the least of his worries. Iain MacLeod reviews Damian McCarthy’s latest film, that proves he is one of the genres most exciting talents with one of the scariest and most entertaining films of the year.
MOTHER MARY
MOTHER MARY - Anne Hathaway plays the titular and literally haunted popstar in need of a dress from her estranged friend played by Michaela Cole in David Lowery’s underwhelming attempt in melding horror and pop music together. Iain MacLeod reviews a film that plays everything in a timid coy fashion that becomes severely patience testing.
LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY
LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY - The Egyptian creature of classic Hollywood gets yet another look, but not really, in Lee Cronin’s sprawling, messy yet entertaining film. Iain MacLeod reviews the grisly take on an old favourite that is often at odds with itself in a number of ways.
EXIT 8
EXIT 8 - The Japanese video game adaptation arrives on cinema screens to kick off the new wave of liminal horror. Iain MacLeod reviews this eerily effective tale of a commuter getting lost in an subterranean infinite loop and finds much to be entertained and unnerved by despite an unfamiliarity with the source material.
SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY
SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY - Fans of Jess Franco and his muse Soledad Miranda will find much to enjoy here in yet another excellent presentation from Severin Films. Iain MacLeod reviews this deranged tale of revenge that highlights one of cult cinemas most memorable creative partnerships that was cut down by tragedy.
UNDERTONE
UNDERTONE - Debut director attempts to make podcasting spooky and terrifying in this tale of a female host trying to discover the truth behind a batch of sinister audio files. Iain MacLeod however finds nothing more to look at or listen to than a woman on her laptop and listening to spooky noises in a disappointingly thin attempt to update familiar ghost story tropes for the 21st century.
VAMPYROS LESBOS
VAMPYROS LESBOS - Re-released in a beautifully presented 4K special edition, Jess Franco’s keystone film seduces the viewer like never before. Iain MacLeod reviews this cult psychedelic, erotic classic that deserves to be recognised as Franco’s masterpiece.
THEY WILL KILL YOU
THEY WILL KILL YOU - A young woman takes a housekeeping job at the sinister, foreboding hotel unaware that it’s run by a bunch of evil Satanists. Unfortunately for them she has her own secrets and a big bag of weapons to back them up. Iain MacLeod reviews a film packed full of action beats that feels all too familiar and far too thin when it comes to the plot.
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME - The long, long awaited sequel finally arrives on cinema screens. Once more Samara Weaving returns to do battle with the forces of darkness who ruined her wedding night and now threaten not only her life but her little sisters too.Iain MacLeod reviews a fun sequel which also features the added bonus of Sarah Michelle Gellar to the genre that made her name.
THE BRIDE!
THE BRIDE! - Time for a re-evaluation? Steven West springs to the defence of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s recent revisionist take on Mary Shelley and her immortal creations and finds much to admire in a film that hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
THE DEVIL’S HAND
THE DEVIL’S HAND - The French horror classic, made in 1943 under Nazi occupation, receives a long overdue Blu-ray release from Eureka Entertainment. Iain MacLeod reviews this tale of a deal with the devil and the cursed titular talisman at the heart of a desperate artist's woes that still impresses with its dreamlike imagery and sinister atmosphere.