There's a Panic Brewing with these Stills for "Satanic Panic"

RLJE Films recently released stills for their upcoming film "Satanic Panic". The film stars Hayley Griffith (“The Loudest Voice”), Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day franchise), Jerry O’Connell (“Billions”) and Rebecca Romijn (X-Men franchise).

"Satanic Panic" hit theaters in limited release and VOD on September 6th.

Plot Synopsis:

Sam’s first day as a pizza delivery driver is not going according to plan. At the end of a long day and not enough tips, her last delivery turns out to be for a group of Satanists looking for someone to sacrifice. Now in a fight for her life, Sam must fend off witches, evil spells and demonic creatures, all while trying to keep her body – and soul – intact. Starring Hayley Griffith (“The Loudest Voice”), Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day franchise), Jerry O’Connell (“Billions”) and Rebecca Romijn (X-Men franchise).

Review: "Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich"

It’s been a while since I had the chance to write a review with all the stuff happening on this site. Why not start off my return to writing reviews with what I have to say one of the year’s most controversial horror films of the year, “Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich” which is being co-produced by Fangoria.

The film is about a comic book creator (Thomas Lennon) who returns home to his parent’s house after being divorced and dealing with the death of his brother. When he goes to his brother’s room, he finds a puppet stored in a box made by the infamous Andre Toulon. He realizes that he can sell it at the 25th anniversary convention celebrating the infamous Toulon murders at a hotel. So he brings his best friend and new love interest along. Soon, the puppets come to life and unleashes a wave or carnage that hasn’t been seen in any Puppet Master” film. Now, he must find out what makes the puppets come back to life and stop it before they kill everyone in the hotel. The film also co-stars Michael Pare, Charlyne Yi, Barabra Crampton and Udo Kier.

If you’re going into this Puppet Master thinking that it would be like the original Full Moon series, then you will be very disappoint as the magic of those films are replaced with shock and awe. Still, this “Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich” is a very good film as this the most horrific killer toy film that I ever seen.

The film directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund goes a very good job providing bloody action and shocking moments. One of the things that made this good was the fact that both directors made sure to keep the action moving. Whether it was the way that they directed the death scenes to how they handle the action especially with the puppet movements, everything is done in a way that it gives you a shocking and gory feel that quite frankly I’m not used to seeing in a Puppet Master film. It made this film entertaining and serious as there were some of the scenes that had a horrific and Troma like feel to it. The other thing that makes Laguna and Wiklund’s direction was the fact that performances were very good. They make sure that the performances had a serious tone while maintain the cast chemistry. It made the characters interesting and help moved the shocking tone along which made it feel different compared to other Puppet Master films. This film also has a very good lead performance from Thomas Lennon which also help made this very good.

But if there is one thing that made this film great, it was the film’s haunting score by Italian Composer Fabio Frizzi. Yes, the same one behind the scores of Fulci’s “Zombi 2” and “The Beyond”. He does a great job making sure the score had a very dark and creepy feel to it. It helped drive the film’s sinister tone which made the film darker than Richard Band’s original score. I would put up with there with some of his Fulci scores as his best work.

The one thing that I worried about this film was the fact that the screenplay was written S. Craig Zahler. Given his track record and the fact that I read reviews making me thing that this film was going into Troma territory and that it wouldn’t work considering I’m a major fan of the Puppet Master series. While it has material that might be considered offensive to some, for me it worked enough that I had a good time with this film even though the material felt overkill especially in the first half of the film.

What I liked about the screenplay was the fact that it does a very good job with the way that it builds up it’s lead character. I liked how Zahler does a very good job making sure that Thomas Lennon’s character is likeable. Whether it’s the way that he develops the character or making sure he is the focal point, it made the character interesting enough that I was interested in the character. The other thing that made the screenplay really good was the fact that this had a comic book like feel to it. Whether it was the over the top violence, or the film’s opening credits or the way this film ends, it gave a feel that you were in a comic book at times which made it different from the original films.

“Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich” is definitely not a film for everyone. With over the top gore, intense action and a great score, this is a film will shock you and leave you wanting more.

Review Rating: Four Stars

Film Review: "Mayhem"

I love it when I come across a film where you’re drawn into it with the talent involved. This was the case with “Mayhem”. The film is directed by Joe Lynch who co-directed “Chillerama” and was one of the stars of “Holliston” which is a very funny show that ran on the defunct Fear Net and is out DVD and Blu-Ray. The film also stars Steven Yeun who was one of the original cast members of “The Walking Dead” and Samara Weaving who made waves this year in Netfilx’s “The Babysitter”. The people involved made me excited for this film.

The film is about a lawyer (Steven Yeun) whose day isn’t going that great. First, he was terminated from his job, then he finds out that he’s been infected with a virus and stuck there as the building is quarantined. To make matters worse, he gets locked in a room with a former client (Samara Weaving) who hates him and his former employer. He is team up with her as they extract their revenge at the law firm and settle things for good.

When I first heard about the film, I thought that this was going to be like “The Belko Experiment” and that would be it. Boy, was I wrong. “Mayhem” had me hooked from the first minute in as it had a more of a fun tone and was completely different from that film. One of the major reasons that I liked this so much was Joe Lynch’s direction. He makes his directing so good here as the action sequences are balls to the wall bloody. He makes sure that they are presented in a way that it keeps you entertained as everything had that fun horror feel to it. It’s something that was needed as made this film one of those fun films to watch. The other thing that I liked about Lynch’s directing was the fact he manages to make the performances fit the film’s twisted tone. Whether it was making the chemistry between the actors work to making the violent scenes feel cartoonish, it made everything onscreen work which makes this films one of the better horror films of 2017.

I also liked it that the film has two very good lead performances from Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving. Both of them had great chemistry with each other whether it was in the beginning of the film to all the chaos that goes on through the film. They made the dynamic between the two main characters work. It’s important for that to work because you’re invested in the characters. If that didn’t work, then it would’ve felt like any other horror film where the violence is center stage.

The screenplay written Matias Caruso was very good from start to finish. One of the things that I liked about his screenplay was the way that he tells the story from the main character’s point of view. This could’ve been a film where the over the top violence were the main focus but by using the narration device, it allows the main character and the story to be the focus and not the violence. It made this a much better film than “The Belko Experiment”. The other thing that makes this good was the fact that the dark humor works so well here. It’s done in a way that you’re having a good time and not sitting there being bored as it complements the film’s twisted violence. That’s how dark humor should work.

Definitely check this film out as was a very fun film from start to finish. With its twisted humor and violence and its lead performances, “Mayhem” is bloody fun.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Film Review: The Haunting of Alice D

When I first heard about this “The Haunting of Alice” I noticed that had appearances from Kane Hodder from Friday the 13th fame and former WWE/ECW/TNA wrestler Al Snow. It got me interested almost immediately. It also helped that it has won a couple of awards on the film festival circuit.

The film is about a haunted house in the late 1890’s known as the Davenport House where a young girl killed her captors committed suicide after dealing with years of slavery and brutality. Fast forward to today, where the latest owner of the house is throwing a party with drugs and prostitutes. Soon, strange things begin happening at the house as the ghost of Alice D is haunting the halls and out for revenge. Now, the partygoers must a way to survive her before their souls become permanent residents inside the Davenport House.

Sometimes with supernatural films, I can get very bored very quickly as they tend to move at a slow pace. Thankfully “The Haunting of Alice D” doesn’t follow that trend, as this film was an intense chiller that focuses on scares and characters.

One of the reason that this film worked so well with me was it direction. First time director and co-star Jessica Sonneborn does a very good job with the direction. What make her direction work was the fact that she’s able keep everything moving at a good pace including the dialogue scenes. It helped kept my interest and not drift away into scenes that typically slow the film down like some supernatural films tend to do. She also handles the horrific aspects well. Sonneborn does a good job making sure the action feels creepy and frightening. It helps with making horror aspects work onscreen as I was glued to the screen. Another thing that makes the direction good was the way she directs the performances. I liked how Sonneborn makes sure the cast had good chemistry with each other. It made the performance good especially towards the end of the film.

The screenplay also written by Sonneborn does a very good job providing scares that is needed to keep you on edge. She makes sure that they are timed well enough so it can go into the film’s story and characters. This helps makes the scary and bloody moments work so well. The other thing that I liked about the screenplay was the fact that it spends time with its characters and the mythology of the story. By doing that, it helped make me interested in the characters and the backstory on the house that the film has. Things like this is always needed for a supernatural film to work. This film has these things along with the supernatural elements help the screenplay work

. If you’re looking for a film that leave frightened, then this film will do that to you. “The Haunting of Alice D” is supernatural that will keep you on edge to the end.

Review Rating: Four Stars.

Be Frightened by "The Haunting of Alice D" on DVD

RLJ Entertainment recently send us over information for the upcoming release of "The Haunting of Alice D". The upcoming film stars Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), Al Snow (WWE Wrestler), Juan Riedinger (Narcos), Josh Hammond (Jeeper Creepers 2) and Megan Hensley (TheCrazies). 

No special features were announced.

"The Haunting of Alice D" hits retail on May 3rd.

Press Release:

RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brings you the THE HAUNTING OF ALICE D. Written and directed by Jessica Sonneborn (Dog Eat Dog), the film stars Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), Al Snow (WWE Wrestler), Juan Riedinger (Narcos), Josh Hammond (Jeeper Creepers 2) and Megan Hensley (TheCrazies). THE HAUNTINGOF ALICE D is available on DVD and Digital Video.

SYNOPSIS: In the late 1890s, Davenport House was a famously successful brothel, ruled with an iron fist by an owner notorious for his cruelty and insatiable greed. Virtually imprisoned inside these walls, young Alice was forced to endure years of brutality and sexual slavery – until she took murderous revenge on her captors and tragically ended her own life. More than a century later, the latest Davenport heir is hosting a decadent bash in the newly renovated mansion – complete with drugs, prostitutes and just one rule: anything goes. But the “fun” has barely begun when strange, terrifying things begin to happen. Suddenly, the legend of Alice’s tormented ghost proves to be very real as the guests discover firsthand that vengeance never rests in peace!

Halloween Themed Horror Film "All Hallows Eve 2" Spooks Your Home in February

RJL Entertainment recently released information for their upcoming DVD release of the horror anthology film "All Hallows Eve 2". The film stars Andrea Monier (The Black Water Vampire) and Damien Monier (Grim).

"All Hallows Eve 2" hits retail on February 2nd.

Plot Synopsis:

RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brings you the new sequel to the Halloween-themed horror movie ALL HALLOWS’ EVE 2. Directed by Bryan Norton (Seven Hells), Antonio Padovan (Once Upon a Time, Inc.), Marc Roussel (The Last Halloween), Ryan Patch (If I Give My Soul), Jay Holben (Hunger), The Kondelik Brothers (Airplane VS Volcano), Elias Benavidez (A Boy’s Life), Mike Kochansky (Mr. Tricker’s Treat), and Andres Borghi (Alexia), the film stars Andrea Monier (The Black Water Vampire) and Damien Monier (Grim). ALL HALLOWS’ EVE 2 is available on Digital Video and on DVD for an SRP of $27.97 on Feb. 2, 2016.

Alone on Halloween, a young woman finds a mysterious VHS tape on her doorstep—a tape that shows a series of gruesome and ghastly tales that appear to be all too real. But these terrifying glimpses of damned souls are not the only horrors that stalk her. A sinister, pumpkin-faced killer is using the videotape as a portal into our reality; and if he makes it through, this twisted trickster seeks only one “treat”: Blood.

"Condemned" Set to Scare Your Home DVD & Blu-Ray

RLJ Entertainment recently send us over information for the upcoming DVD & Blu-Ray release of "Condemned". The film stars Dylan Penn, Ronen Rubinstein, Lydia Hearse and Jon Abrahams.

No special features were announced.

"Condemned" hits DVD & Blu-Ray on Janauary 5th.

Plot Synopsis:

Fed up with her parents’ bickering, poor-little-rich-girl Maya (Dylan Penn) moves in with her boyfriend who is squatting in an old, condemned building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. With neighbors that are meth heads, junkies and degenerates, this depraved hell hole is even more toxic than it appears: After a virus born from their combined noxious waste and garbage infects the building’s residents, one by one, they succumb to a terrifying pathogen that turns them into bloodthirsty, rampaging killers and transforms their building into a savage slaughterhouse.

Sci-Fi Thriller "Painkillers" Makes its Way to DVD

Image Entertainment recently released information for the upcoming DVD release of "Painkillers". The film stars Tahmoh Penikett (“Battlestar Galactica”), Lesley-Ann Brandt (“The Librarians”), Erica Durance (“Smallville”), Julia Voth (“Package Deal”) and Colm Feore (“Gotham”).

No special features were announced at this time.

"Painkillers" hits retail on January 12th.

Plot Synopsis:

PAINKILLERS tells the story of a squad of marines sent on a classified mission deep in the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan, but when they find the mysterious item they were sent for… it’s not what they were expecting. The next thing they know, Major Cafferty (Penikett) and the surviving squad members wake-up in a military medical facility with no memory of what happened or even who they are. Using an experimental drug, doctors try to “reboot” the soldiers’ memories, but one by one they fall prey to bizarre hallucinations and homicidal fits of rage. Only through snatches of resurfacing memories does Cafferty begin to question the true motives of the hospital staff and discover the shocking, deadly reality behind the otherworldly artifact they found.

Frightening NSFW Stills for the Virus Chiller "Condemned"

RLJ Entertainment recently send us over still for their latest release "Condemned". The film stars Dylan Penn, Ronen Rubinstein, Lydia Hearse and Jon Abrahams.

"Comdemned" hits theaters in limited release and VOD on November 13th.

Plot Synopsis:

Fed up with her parents’ bickering, poor-little-rich-girl Maya (Dylan Penn) moves in with her boyfriend who is squatting in an old, condemned building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. With neighbors that are meth heads, junkies and degenerates, this depraved hell hole is even more toxic than it appears: After a virus born from their combined noxious waste and garbage infects the building’s residents, one by one, they succumb to a terrifying pathogen that turns them into bloodthirsty, rampaging killers and transforms their building into a savage slaughterhouse.

"Some Kind of Hate" Unleashes Terror on DVD & Blu-Ray

RLJ Entertainment recently send us information for the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release of "Some Kind of Hate". The film stars  Ronen Rubinstein (Detachment, It Felt Like Love), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Teen Beach Movie), Maestro Harrell (Ali, “Fear the Walking Dead”) with Spencer Breslin (The Happening, Meet The Parents) and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho).  

No special features were announced.

"Some Kind of Hate" hits retail on November 3rd.

Press Release:

RLJ Entertainment, (NASDAQ: RLJE) brings you SOME KIND OF HATE. Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer (Holidays), the film stars Ronen Rubinstein (Detachment, It Felt Like Love), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Teen Beach Movie), Maestro Harrell (Ali, “Fear the Walking Dead”), Lexi Atkins (Ted 2, The Boy Next Door), Sierra McCormick (Disney Channel’s “A.N.T Farm,” Land of the Lost), Noah Segan (Looper, Brick), Brando Eaton (American Sniper, Cabin Fever: Patient Zero) with Spencer Breslin (The Happening, Meet The Parents) and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho). SOME KIND OF HATE is available on DVD for an SRP of $27.97 and on Blu-Ray for an SRP of $29.97 on Nov. 3, 2015.

In SOME KIND OF HATE, relentless bullying has turned Lincoln’s (Rubinstein) life into a nightmare. But he soon learns the true meaning of terror when he is sent to a remote school for troubled teens and the harassments start all over again. Only this time, someone is watching – a teenage girl named Moira (McCormick) who was driven to suicide by vicious bullying years ago. When Lincoln accidentally summons Moira from the grave, he unleashes a vengeful and unstoppable force on a mission of blood-soaked revenge.

"The Invoking 2" is Set To Terrorize Your Home This Halloween Season

RLJ Entertainment recently released information for their upcoming DVD release of "The Invoking 2". The anthology film is directed by Jamie DeWolf (Smoked), Jay Holben (Black Tar Road), Corey Norman (The Hanover House), Adam O’Brien (ZombieWorld), Patrick Rea (Nailbiter), and first time director Jamie Root and stars Allen Lowman (Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula), Meghan McNicol (“Motives & Murders: Cracking The Case”) and Chara Gannett (Justice is Mind).

No special features were announced.

"The Invoking 2" hits retail on October 6th,

Press Release:

RLJ Entertainment, (NASDAQ: RLJE) brings you The Invoking 2. Featuring terrifying tales of the supernatural, The Invoking 2 is directed by Jamie DeWolf (Smoked), Jay Holben (Black Tar Road), Corey Norman (The Hanover House), Adam O’Brien (ZombieWorld), Patrick Rea (Nailbiter), and first time director Jamie Root. The film stars Allen Lowman (Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula), Meghan McNicol (“Motives & Murders: Cracking The Case”) and Chara Gannett (Justice is Mind). THE INVOKING 2 is available on DVD for an SRP of $27.97 and on Digital HD on Oct. 6, 2015.

Although hundreds of disturbing paranormal events occur every year, most of these chilling encounters go unreported… until now. Bear witness as hapless victims experience the unspeakable terror of confronting demonic forces, murderous poltergeists and other evil entities that are dead set on claiming their souls. Descend into an abyss of waking nightmares as these bloodthirsty, malevolent spirits seek to possess their prey and drag them—kicking and screaming—to hell.

Official Trailer for the Haunting Supernatural Film "Pay the Ghost"

RLJ Entertainment recently send us over the official trailer for their upcoming theatrical release "Pay the Ghost", The film stars Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) and Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead).

"Pay the Ghost" hits theaters in limited release on September 25th.

Plot Synopsis:

Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) stars in this intense and chilling thriller about one man’s desperate search for his missing child. One year after his young son disappeared during a Halloween carnival, Mike Lawford (Cage) is haunted by eerie images and terrifying messages he can’t explain. Together with his estranged wife (Sarah Wayne Callies, The Walking Dead), he will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery and find their son—and, in doing so, he unearths a legend that refuses to remain buried in the past.

"Pay the Ghost": Official Trailer

Film Review: Roadside

When I first heard about “Roadside”, I was interested considering that it looked like one of those thrillers that I would enjoy. It has a mysterious killer plus the trailer and story looked interesting enough to check this film out and review it.

The film follows Dan and Mindy Summers, a couple who on the road along a mountain highway that is desolate and quiet. They are forced to stop in the middle of the road when a tree falls on the road and blocks their way. Before Dan can get back inside his car, he finds out that a mysterious man hiding in the woods is threatens him and wife with a rifle that is aimed at them. This forces both Dan and Mindy to play his sadistic game in the freezing cold. They must find a way out of his dangerous game, before becoming his latest victims.

I was hoping that I would’ve liked “Roadside” considering that Eric England’s last film got a lot of praise. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. I couldn’t get into this film at all. This film was a flat out boring thriller from start to finish. It’s also possibly the reason why this film too so long in being released than his last film “Contacted”.

This was one of those films, where it was hard to sit through. The main reason for that was England’s direction. This felt very flat in all aspects. He doesn’t do a good job making sure the scenes stand out. The problem of that was the fact that his film takes place in one area for most of the film. Still, that is something that should’ve been corrected with the way he directs his cast. Instead, I was waiting for this film to end. Speaking of the performances, they weren’t good at all. England doesn’t make sure the performances had a certain level of intensity to them. This is supposed to be a suspense thriller, instead this felt like a drama. The reason for that was that I didn’t buy into the performances. He doesn’t make sure that they are different from each other. Instead, you have main performances that feel flat and going on one note. When that happens you’re not feeling intensity, you’re feeling bored.

The screenplay written by England was also bad as the direction. One of the things that makes this screenplay bad was the fact that the characters weren’t interesting. They weren’t giving much personality, as they felt flat. It made me not care about anything in this film. The villain felt like it was something out of the “Scream” films with his voice. The other thing that made me not like this screenplay was the fact that scenes had no tension. Most of the reason for that was that it stays at one place for a good chunk of the film. It didn’t do anything to make me feel frightening enough to be engaged with the story. This and the fact that the villain didn’t make things scary, it made this film very boring film to watch. It also didn’t help that the mysterious villain and the deaths were predictable. When that happens, you lose all suspense like this screenplay did.

I was really hoping that “Roadside” was going to be one of thrillers that keeps you interested and entertained, but I was wrong. Instead, this film is one of those films that you pass on bye when seeing it stranded on the side of the road.

Review Rating: One Star

"Digging Up the Marrow" Review

When I first heard that Adam Green was having a new film, I was excited as I thought it was going to be like the “Hatchet” films or “Holliston” because he also stars in this. But when I started to read the synopsis, I could tell it wasn’t going to be a fun time like those two are. Instead, “Digging up the Marrow” looked more like his more serious films like “Frozen” and “Spiral”. Still I wanted to check this because his serious films tend to be his best ones.

The faux documentary follows Green as he is contacted by a mysterious man who believes that monsters are real and hide in the woods. Along with his Cinematographer Will Barrett, the two set to interview him and discover that they might be some truth to this. As they get closer to the truth, they don’t know what to believe as things about the mysterious man start coming to light and something or someone might be haunting them during their search for the truth.

“Digging up the Marrow” was for the most part a departure from Adam Green’s previous films. The film had a different feel compared to most of his films. Still, this is one of Adam Green’s best films, as I would put that up there with his best film “Frozen”.

One of thing that I enjoyed about this film was Green’s direction was that he takes a different approach in the way he has this film filmed with its faux documentary style. It helped make the film have its realistic tone to it that is needed if you’re trying to have it feel like a documentary with interviews with real people and realistic action. It made some of the scenes work well with the style it was going for.

The other thing that Green does very well was the way that he directs the acting. The acting was good, as it kept things interesting especially when it’s just Green and Will Barratt talking. You had the typical Adam Green performance that see on “Holliston”, but it works very well here as you needed a character to have a personality to keep you interested. It helped keep me interested as he tries to find proof of monsters. But the main star of the film is Ray Wise. He was great in this film. What I liked about the performance was the way he makes his character very dark. This didn’t feel like the typical Ray Wise performance that you would see from him. From the way that he talks to how he approach the character, everything had a dark feel to it. It made his character standout and very interesting to watch.

The screenplay also written by Green was very good. This screenplay does a very good job keeping your interest. Whether it was the way that he approaches each of the characters to how some of scares are built up, it manages to deliver to the point it kept my interest throughout. I was very interest in the film’s end result because of it. The other thing that I liked about the screenplay was the way that he makes the William Decker character very interesting. Whether it’s the way that the character’s dialogue was written to how Green makes the character very mysterious, everything helped make this character very fascinating to see on screen. This is makes this film very good from start to finish.

This is one of those VOD releases that you should find a way to check out, as this is the first film this year that’s very good. “Digging up the Marrow” is a very fascinating film that is both entertaining and scary. This will make you believe that monsters can be truly scary.

Review Rating: Five Stars.