Month: August 2023
The generally agreed definition of a snuff film is a real (not staged) filmed murder. In some cases, it is viewed for the purpose of arousal. However, this is somewhat incorrect, as by this definition, any video depicting the death of a person, purposeful or accidental, can fall under this moniker depending on the viewer.
Imagine if, in the early 1980s, nascent film directors John Hughes and Wes Craven met up with venerable science fiction author Ray Bradbury at a Northern California artist’s retreat. There, between the backdrop of the Santa Cruz mountains and the turbulent Pacific Ocean, perhaps over a fine Merlot and maybe some clandestine psychotropic herbs, the
Nighty Night: Midnight Nightmares is a 1986 independent Japanese horror anthology, directed by Hirohisa Kokusho. The film was certainly unrecognized upon its initial release, receiving an extremely limited VHS run in Japan but soon faded into obscurity. It wasn’t long before the film was considered lost media, with no known copies of these VHS releases
Johnny Z is a 2023 horror-action feature film directed by Jonathan Straiton. In a world overrun by zombies, an evil corporation profits off of the bitten with a serum that requires weekly treatments to keep them human. A half-human, half-zombie experiment subject escapes the facility and finds himself under the protection of a martial arts
Pareidolia is a 2023 short horror film directed by Aaron Truss, whose previous work includes the wonderful full-length documentary Cult of VHS (2022). Amazingly, this newest project was brought to life through crowd-funding, once again showcasing Truss’ love of and deep roots in the genre. The story follows a university lecturer, Sinead Chambers, who thinks
Good Boy is a 2022 Norwegian horror thriller written and directed by Viljar Bøe. This isn’t Viljar’s first time behind the camera; he also wrote and directed the mystery thriller Til Freddy (2020) and Theodor. Christian seems to live a life of luxury, whilst residing in a beautiful house and eating exquisite food without having any job to
My Mother’s Eyes is a 2023 Japanese science fiction psychological thriller, written and directed by Takeshi Kushida. No stranger behind the camera, Kushida is also the creative mind behind the short films FLOW (2003), KANNNON (2004), Reincarnation (2008), I AM A CAMERA (2013), The Earth was Bluish (2015), and VOICE (2018), as well as the
My attraction to horror movies goes deeper than enjoying the dopamine rush that comes from a well-made, scary film. Horror movies can broaden our horizons by introducing audiences to new people and places, inspiring us to learn and grow as individuals. Therefore, the work of Alice Maio Mackay, a teenage writer and director, is worth
Raging Grace outlines the exploitation and fetishisation of undocumented immigrants whilst simultaneously celebrating distinctive Filipino traditions and cultural heritage. Paris Zarcilla’s incisive directorial debut follows single mother Joy as she struggles to work two underpaid jobs to provide for her daughter Grace. The heart of Raging Grace lies in Maxene Eigenmann’s nuanced portrayal of Joy.
The Glenarma Tapes is a 2023 Northern Irish found footage horror film, written and directed by Tony Devlin with additional writing from Paul Kennedy. Although the film presents itself as a found footage film, it arguably could have benefitted from a different approach. Nevertheless, it’s a commendable debut from an emerging director whose prowess in