Author: Michael Williams
Why are horror and exploitation films so popular? Why do fans willingly submit themselves to the gruelling, torturous experiences that these genres provide? The simple answer is it feels good to be scared. Movies like Night of the Living Dead (1968) or Faster Pussy Cat, Kill Kill! (1965) allow fans to experience unique, unusual and
Hugo Ruíz’s debut film, the brutal and unflinching One Night with Adela [Una noche con Adela] (2023), is far more than a simple revenge thriller; it is an indictment of Spain’s generational trauma stemming from the institutionalized sins of infant abduction. Following a single, wrath-fueled night, the film presents a gut-wrenching, 21st-century Taxi Driver–esque story, focusing on
During the current trend of “elevated horror”—films that explore personal trauma with visceral, cathartic violence—Jeffrey Primm and Dominic Arecelin’s 213 Bones promises to be a refreshing throwback to simpler horror movies. It’s a straightforward slasher that follows the familiar formula of the genre without delving into someone’s deep, intrapersonal nightmares. The movie’s premise brings together
Director/writer Gerald Johnston and writer Akela Cooper’s M3GAN sequel isn’t just reheated leftovers. Instead, it serves up a familiar dish with bold new seasoning and fresher ingredients. M3GAN 2.0 ups the ante, embracing its Summer Blockbuster status with more explosions, action, and striking visuals in the next chapter of the saga of the dancing doll
Aimee Kuge’s directorial debut feature, Cannibal Mukbang, dares to ask, “How far would you go for love?” This unsettling yet darkly compelling film explores some of society’s most intimate, and often destructive, relationships: with food, with sexuality, and with one another. Through the visceral lens of performative social media and the primal taboo of cannibalism,
To me, the greatest American rock and roll band will always be The Cramps. Led by singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy Rorschach, draped in vintage Frederick’s of Hollywood outfits, fueled by their schlocky B-movie obsessions, and lyrics brimming with enough double-entendres to make Mae West blush, the Cramps delivered a masterclass in glorious
Exhausted after a long day of hiking, Daniel, Donna, Mark, and Sally gather around a fire at their campsite. It’s the first night of their spooky hiking tour through a haunted forest. As darkness creeps in, the four friends huddle together, joined by their mysterious guide, who promises an unforgettable experience. Their chaperone reveals the
I first saw Alejandro Jodorowsky’s surreal, bildungsroman film, Santa Sangre, in 1989 on VHS tape. Watching it was like watching a slasher about a killer with a twisted Oedipal Complex that takes place in the slums of Mexico City while on LSD. This unusual and dark fantasy left a powerful impression that 33 years later,
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
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