Film Review: "Echoes"

I’ve love Supernatural films when they’re done right. So when I first heard about “Echoes”, I was interested in this because of the quotes on the box. Still, I’ve been duped by films with good box quote and ended up hating up. So I went into this one with an open mind.

The film follows a young writer who’s having trouble sleeping at night. She’s having visions of a dead person. She decides to take a vacation to her boyfriend’s house in hopes of the vision would go away. But once there, she starts to find out that her visions are become worse. Is she losing her mind or she is she being possessed? Supernatural films tend to be hit or miss with me. It based more on how much scares the film provides. This film had a couple of scary moments but what made me enjoy this was the fact it felt more like a cerebral horror film than a straight up supernatural horror film.

Most of the credit goes to director/writer Nile Tims. One of the things that makes this very entertaining was the visuals that were in the film. Tims along with his director of photography does a very good job making sure the desert setting comes off very well on screen. It helped make some of the key moments in the film look very professional and added to the film’s dark mind bending tone. The other thing that Tims does very well is making sure the key performances were very good. Whether it was the way that he approaches his direction of his cast to having the performances fit them film’s tone, it kept me interested in the story and the main character. When that happens, it makes films like these good to watch.

Speaking of the performances, Kate French was very good in the film. What makes her performance good was the way she makes her character very dark. Whether it was dealing with her mental state to her character trying to find out what is happening to her, she does a good job with the way that she approaches it. It made her character very interesting enough that the performance is one of the best things in this film.

The screenplay written Tims was a good one. One of the things that his screenplay does well is develop everything. From the mental state of the main character to her trying to find out why she is being haunted, it makes the story and the main character interesting to watch. The story was a little slow at times but it works for this type of story. The other thing that I liked about this screenplay was the fact the film has a consistent tone from start to finish. Tims does a very good job making sure the tone of the film is very dark. It made all the psychological element work so well with everything that goes on in the film.

After a bad string of horror films, it was nice to enjoy this one. With its good direction and Kate French’s performance, “Echoes” is a creepy psychological film that keeps your interest.

Review Rating: Three and a Half Stars

"Pernicious" Invades San Diego Comic Con with Free Screening

Benetone Hillin Entertainment recently sent the horror chamber over information for the upcoming screening of their film "Pernicious", a film that recently received four stars on this site. The film stars Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore, Emily O’Brien.

The screening will be taking place on July 10th at the Hyatt Coronado Ballroom as part of San Diego Comic Con. The screening is free for all badge holders. Cast and crew from the film will in attendance for the screening.

For more information on this film, you can check the film's official website at: http://perniciousmovie.com/

Press Release: 

PERNICIOUS SCREENING AT COMIC-CON Those that haven’t been able to catch James Cullen Bressack’s Pernicious on the big screen will have another chance when the acclaimed horror film screens at San Diego Comic Con! Synopsis : Three young, beautiful girls arrive in Thailand to teach English for the summer, for what should have been the adventure of a lifetime. The girls find themselves in a nightmare situation when new friends go missing, bloody dreams haunt their sleep, and a stolen statue leads them down a dark path into Thai folklore and magic. Things only get worse when they realize not what, but who is haunting them: an 8-year-old girl, brutally murdered and sacrificed by her family decades ago.

Stars Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore, Emily O’Brien.

The screening is free for all badge holders at Comic Con. Cast and crew will be present.

PERNICIOUS Comic-Con screening details :
Friday July 10 10:10 PM
Hyatt Coronado Ballroom

First Look into Issue #4 of "Puppet Master"

Action Lab: Danger Zone recently send us over preview pages for issue #4 of their popular "Puppet Master" series which is based on Charles Band's most popular Full Moon series. The issue is written by Shawn Gabborin and illustration and color by Michela De Sacco (Pencils/Inks) and Yann Perrelet (Colors). The cover art by Standard Cover: Michela De Sacco (Pencils/Inks) and Daniel Morales (Colors), Jester Cover: Michela De Sacco (Pencils/Inks) and Yann Perrelet (Colors).

Issue #4 of "Puppet Master" hits comic shops on July 1st.

Plot Synopsis for issue #4.

After a lifetime of being manipulated by a succession of Masters, Andre Toulon’s Puppets may have finally found a way out. Is the psychic Madam Adon the savior they have been looking for? And if so, what is the price of freedom? The REBIRTH starts here!

Film Review: "Pernicious"

When I first I heard about “Pernicious”, I wasn’t sure that I would be interested in seeing this film. But lately, the film has been getting a lot of press from some of the major horror sites. Still, I wasn’t sure if this was all hype or this is a very good film.

The film follows three women (Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore and Emily O’Brien) who travel to Thailand for the summer to teach English. They are also looking to experience the sights of the country. But what is waiting for them is something they least expect. Their trip starts to become a nightmare when the people that just met at a night club all of a sudden go missing. If thing couldn’t get worse, they start having trouble sleeping as a statue haunts them. Now they must find a way out of their predicament before they sleep forever.

Going into this film, I wasn’t expecting much scares considering that this looked more like a torture porn film than a supernatural film. Thankfully, there was a balance between those two horror subgenres. “Pernicious does a very good job playing up as the elements of both subgenres as it works well here.

The credit goes to director/co-writer James Cullen Bressack, as the direction was very good. What I liked about his direction was that he’s able to make the film feel scary. From the way the gore effect were executed to how the scary images were effectively crafted on screen, everything gave me that edge of your seat feel. When that happen, it grabs you’re interest. Bressack also does a great job making sure the performance were also good. Whether its way the horror scenes were acted to making sure his cast makes their characters interesting, he does a great job making sure the performances fit the film’s bloody and creepy tone. Speaking of the performances, I thought the three main actresses Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore and Emily O’Brien were very good here. I liked how they had good chemistry with each other and the ability to play off of each other. They make sure that their performances fit the film’s tone and keeps your interested in the film. It’s one of the best things about this film.

The screenplay written by Bresack and Taryn Hillin was also very good. One of the things that I like about this screenplay was the fact that it blends both torture porn and supernatural elements so well. They did a great job balancing these element out as this film has some very scary moments that made me turn away from the TV. It’s something that I don’t see in many horror film, as neither subgenre over took the other. This story felt like both a torture porn film and a supernatural film rolled into one, as it works on both levels. The other that makes this work so well was the way that Bresack and Hillin develop everything. Whether it’s the development of the characters to how some of the scares were timed, everything is built up to something. It helped me enjoy this film a lot more as I was expecting something different.

This is one film that torture porn and supernatural fans will love, as this keeps you on the edge of your seat. With its very good direction and its scary moments, “Pernicious” will fright you in many ways.

Review Ratings: Four Stars

Official Preview Panels for Issue #4 of "Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla".

Action Lab Comics recently send the horror chamber over preview panels for Issue #4 of of "Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla. Issue #4 is written by John Reilly, illisrated by Artist Name(s): Tom Rogers (pencils), Dexter Weeks (ink, color, letters) and cover art by Michelle Nikolajevic.

Issue #4 of "Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla" hits stores on 6/24.

Plot Synopsis:

While Earhart fights her way through the Elsewhere dimension, Lovecraft and Tesla spend an evening graverobbing before attending Mark Twain’s retirement party. The critically acclaimed Action Lab series continues!

NSFW Preview Panels for "Mayday #3"

Black Mask Studio recently send the horror chamber preview panels for issue #3 of "Mayday. This issue is written by Curt Pires with illustrations by Alex Diotto & Chris Peterson and colors by Dee Cunniffe.

Issue 3 of "Mayday" hits comic shops on 6/24.

Press Release:

Rising star writer Curt Pires (Upcoming THE TOMORROWS from Dark Horse & THE FICTION from Boom!) teams up with rising star artist Chris Peterson (GRINDHOUSE from Dark Horse & upcoming BROKEN WORLD from Boom!) to make something truly unique. MAYDAY is a chance to go into the utterly bizarre world that lives in the shadows of Los Angeles.

When issue #1 came out it sold out at Diamond Black Mask scrambled to get a 2nd printing going for stores. Then the announcement that Tim Kring's Imperative Entertainment is developing MAYDAY for television has propelled this crazy little book into something even bigger. Issue 2 came out and upped the insanity on every level. This Wednesday issue #3 arrives.

A washed-up, drug-addicted screenwriter and a transgender bartender stumble onto a Satanic cult's plan to sacrifice people all across LA (geomapped in the form of a pentagram, of course) and bring on Armageddon. As our intrepid, damaged heroes embark on a suicide mission to stop the crazy cultists, even they wonder if this is all really happening or if they're just plain crazy. Probably both. The latest project from Curt Pires sees him teaming with art sensation Chris Peterson for a story that cuts to the very center of Hollywood mythology and depravity itself.

Solicitation for this issue: Mayday #3 is a comic book. With boys and girls and guns and pig people and holes in spacetime and Los Angeles. What are you waiting for? Just read it. You'll love it. Trust me, I'm a doctor.

Film Review: "Late Night Double Feature"

When I first heard about “Late Night Double Feature”, I was interested with this film because I thought it was going to be like anthology films like “V/H/S” and “Horror Independent Eight”. Instead, this felt different from those films.

“Late Night Double Feature is about a late night horror show called “Dr. Nasty’s Cavalcade of Horror” where the films “Dinner for Monsters” and Slit” are being screened. Amidst of all this during the show, an actress can’t stand the fact that she works for womanizing boyfriend and a host who’s drunk on the job and acts crazy around her. This leads to bloody chaos and a shocking ending.

This film was very surprising to watch, as I had the expectation that this was going to be one of those campy “Grindhouse” homages with the faux trailers and over the top violence. To my surprise, this film wasn’t that. Instead, this was a very shocking and serious horror film in tone from start to finish.

The first film “Dinner for Monsters was very good. Director/cowriter Zach Ramelan does a very good job making sure everything moves at a good pace. From the way that he directs his cast to how he gets the images to be dark and twisted, everything works so well. It’s what makes this segment work. The acting was also very good. I liked how the cast made their characters interesting and stand out in the film. When characters stand out in a good way, the film is more enjoyable to watch.

The screenplay written by Raven Cousens, Kelly Michael Stewart and Ramelan was surprising good. Again, I was expecting campy here, but the writers don’t go down that route. Instead, it has more of a shocking tone. Whether it’s the dialogue or how the story was created, everything had a dark and serious tone. It helped make some of the film’s shocking dialogue work.

The second film was “Slit”. I was hoping for a little less serious and shocking tone here, but this is the most shocking of the bunch. Writer/director Torin Langen does a very good job making this segment very brutal. Whether it’s the amount blood used to the tone of the film, he does a very good making it very dark and disturbing. It gives the segment its edginess feel. The two leads in this one were very good. Whether it was the way that each of the leads approached their character to the direction that they were given, they did a very good job making sure their performance fit the film’s brutal tone. The segment’s screenplay written by Torin Langen does a very good job with making the film’s story very dark. I liked how he makes the two characters very twisted and unlikeable. It allows for Langen to make you think the main character is up to no good and does something shocking stuff with the film’s tone and twist. It really got me interested in the story, as this was the best of the three main segments.

The final main segment in the film was the film’s wraparound segment “Dr. Nasty’s Cavalcade of Horror”. This was the only segment that had a campy feel to it but it was perfect for the segment’s tone. Director Navin Ramaswaran does a good job making sure that this had a late night feel with the way that he approaches his direction. It made the segment entertaining. Whether it’s the way that he had this film look to how he directs his cast, everything felt different. It was good to see that considering the two segments that it wraparounds are very twisted and brutal. The other thing that I liked was the performances. The cast had good chemistry with each other they made sure to keep the performances at the tone where it’s not too serious or not too campy. It also helps make the characters work.

The screenplay written by Kelly Michael Stewart was very different from the rest of the film. I liked how he does a very good job making the story interesting without becoming too campy and throwing things in the story that scratches your head. This could’ve gone that route but thankfully didn’t. The other thing that makes good was the way that Stewart develops his main character during the course of the story. Whether it was the segments that wrapped around the two other segment to the main part of this segment, it effective develops its main character. By doing that, it makes the segment not feel like a throwaway segment just to tie the two stories together. It’s something that most anthology films don’t do, but this focuses on the main character here.

I highly recommend you try and seek this film out on the horror film festival scene. “Late Night Double Feature is shockingly entertaining double feature that puts anthology films like “V/HS” and “Horror Independent 8” to shame.

Review Rating: Five Star