Anthony T's Horror Collection: Episode 6

It's the first show under its new name. In this edition, I talk why I rebranded this show and show off some of the latest DVD and Blu-Rays that I picked up.

Anthony T's Horror Collection: Episode 6

Anthony T's Horror Show: Episode 13 With Guest Jordan Phipps (Close Calls, 10/31)

In episode 13, Anthony T has something to say on the whole Amazon purging indie films controversy, then he kicks off Women in Horror month on the show with an interview with actress Jordan Phipps as they talk about her latest film "Close Calls", After that, he talks about the passing and career of character actor Dick Miller and finishes the episode as he continues the Women in Horror theme as he recommends a short film from an acclaimed short film director.

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Anthony T's Horror Show: Episode 13

Review: "Close Calls"

It’s been a while that I’ve written a review given everything going on but couldn’t resist when reviewing when I heard about this film. I was first interested in reviewing this when I heard about it getting released by Scream Team Releasing which is my favorite indie horror label at the moment plus it had a cool premise. The film is about a teenager who is spending the night at home with her sick grandmother after she gets into an argument with her father. She starts to receive mysterious phone calls. This starts to drive her insane as she thinks that someone is stalking her and begins to feel like everyone is against her. Is this in her mind or is there truly someone out to get her?

The month of January usually is filled with films that you will forget by the end of the year. Very rarely do you get a film that you would consider for a best of list in January. Close Calls is that rare case as I liked this film a lot.

One of the things that makes “Close Calls” very good was the fact that writer/director Richard Stringham’s direction was very good. Whether it’s the way that he and his cinematographer Craig Wynn made the look of the film so dark to how Stringham keeps the action moving, it really is one of those films that keeps you on edge. He does that so effectively as it made the two hour run time go by at a good pace. This is an achievement that should be noted as I’ve seen many independent horror films go over ninety minutes in the past and most of them end up falling flat. Look at “Gehesha: Where Death Lives” as a great example. The other thing that makes this film good was the way Stringham directs his cast. He does a very good job making sure that he gets the performances that he needs to makes his work. Stringham makes sure that there is chemistry between the cast as it helped kept my interest in some of the films long dialogue scenes. This also helps the film overall especially with its long running time.

Speaking of the performances, I thought they were good but the one that stands out from the rest is Jordan Phillips’ performance as the lead character in the film. She does a very good job making her character work so well. Whether it’s the action scenes in the film’s final act to the way that she brings the character to life, Phillips brings a level of personality and intensity in the way that she approaches her character as it keeps you interest in the film’s story. I would like to see her get another leading role in the future as she definitely an actress to keep an eye in the indie horror genre.

Stringham’s screenplay was very good. I liked how this screenplay goes for more a Lucio Fulci/ Italian horror film type feel with the film’s story. This story felt like it had some inspirations from Fulci films such as “The Beyond” and “The House by the Cemetery” It made for some very weird and horrifying moments. This is definitely something you often don’t see that from American filmmakers. The other thing that I liked about the screenplay was the fact that it does a great job focusing on the main character. Whether it’s the problems that she has with her father to her being stalked, everything is done so well that it kept me engaged with the lead character and the film’s story.

Before I wrap up this review, Rocky Gray’s score was great here. It was one of those score that adds to film. I liked how it had that retro 80’s / Frizzi vibe going for it. It added to the film’s dark and dreadful tone which is needed for a film like this. I hope this soundtrack gets released on mp3 download as this is a great score and my favorite of his.

If you’re a fan of 70’s and 80’s Italian horror, this is definitely a film that you should check out as this has great direction from Richard Stringham and a great performance from Jordan Phillips. “Close Call” is a surreal and intense film that will make you fear picking up the phone every time the phone rings.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Anthony T's Horror Show: Episode 10 with Guest Mike Lombardo

In this edition, Anthony T tells you why you should support physical media, then he talks to director/writer Mike Lombardo about his film "I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday" recently released by Scream Team Releasing, then he reviews the film along with another Christmas themed horror film "Slay Belles".

You can visit Dark Discussions on the web at: http://www.darkdiscussions.com

Dark Discussions is also available on iTunes, Goggle Play and Stitcher.

Anthony T's Horror Show: Episode 10 with Guest Mike Lombardo

Review: "Bong of the Living Dead"

Scream Team Releasing has been putting out some good films like “The Sleeper”, “10/31” and “The Barn. So when I heard that they were putting out “Bong of the Living Dead”, I figured I check that film since the label has had a good track record with their releases.

The film’s about five stoner friends who love smoking pot and hoping for a zombie apocalypse. Then one day, it happens as the dead come back to life. All their hopes for smoking weed, having fun and bashing zombies don’t come true as it not what they dreamed it would be. Instead, it bring their friendship with each other to the test as they struggle to survive and keep their bond intact.

Going into this film, I was expecting that “Bong of the Living Dead” would be one of those silly films that would be forgettable or barely leave a mark with me because the title made me think that it would be one of those horror films that focuses more on the comedy aspects. But I was wrong, this is a very good film as this is one of the best indie horror films that I’ve seen all year.

The direction in this film was very good. One of the things that I liked about the film was the fact that director Max Groah does a very good job making sure that this zombie film is very entertaining from start to finish. From the way he directs the action to some of the film’s most gory effects to even having the title credits feel the end credits of the film, this gives this film a different feel compared to some of the other zombie comedies that have come out since “Shaun of the Dead”. It made this film very different from other zombie comedies. The other that I liked about this was the way that Groah directs his cast. He does a great job making sure he get the performances that he needs to make this film work as the performances here were very good. It helped make the film entertaining and keeping my interest throughout.

Speaking of the performances, I thought they were very good. The cast has great chemistry with each other which is always is a good thing when watching a film like this. When you notice that a film has that intangible, you know you’re having a great time watching it like I did here. The film also has very good performances from Tiffany Aspin, Daniel Alan Kiely and Eric Boso as the performances make the film a very fun and entertaining film.

The film’s screenplay written by Groah and Tim Mayo was very good. One of the things that I liked about this was their ability to balance the comedy and horror aspects. By doing that, it allowed the story and characters to develop which is key to making a horror comedy work. It made everything interesting and fun to watch. The other thing that I liked about this film was the fact that the characters were well written and how the story changes gears. Everything felt engaging enough to make that they come off as interesting while having a story that provides laughs and keeps you on edge especially towards the end. It’s something that makes this screenplay and film worth watching.

If you’re going into “Bong of the Living Dead” thinking that it’s just going a completely silly film like the “Evil Bong” series, then you’re going be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a film that has very good humor, gore filled action and fun story, then this is definitely worth checking out as I truly loved this and is one of my favorite indie horror films of the year. That’s why “Bong of the Living Dead” earns The Horror Chamber’s Seal of Approval.

You can order the film on DVD/Blu-Ray at: https://screamteamreleasing.com/products/bong-of-the-living-dead-special-collectors-edition-blu-ray-dvd-combo-pack

or VHS at: https://screamteamreleasing.com/products/bong-of-the-living-dead-vhs-signed-green-vhs