Tag: horror

Halloween 2020: Horror movies and supernatural thrillers in theaters on All Hallows’ Eve

October 1, 2020

by Carla Hay

There are numerous horror movies available to watch on TV, computers or mobile devices, but for Halloween 2020, there are some horror flicks and supernatural thrillers that will be released in theaters in October. Horror and supernatural movies released before October 2020 that should still be in theaters during the Halloween season include “Rent-A-Pal” (not rated); “Ten Minutes to Midnight” (not rated); and “Shortcut” (not rated).

Here are the movies that have an October 2020 release in theaters:

Information in this article is about U.S. releases.

“12 Hour Shift”

Hospital nurse Mandy (played by Angela Bettis) is having a very bad day at work, where’s she’s doing a 12-hour shift. She’s been illegally selling organs of dead people, and now one of those sales has gone horribly wrong because she’s been paid for a stolen kidney that is now missing. Mandy has to find another kidney before some thugs come after her and her ditzy cousin Regina (played by Chloe Farnworth), Mandy’s partner in crime who lost the kidney. “12 Hour Shift,” written and directed by Brea Grant, has a dark comedic tone and cast that includes David Arquette, Mick Foley, Nikea Gamby-Turner and Kit Williamson. The movie, which is rated R, opens in select theaters and on VOD on October 2, 2020.

“The Call” (2020)

Taking place in 1987, some teenage friends play a prank that goes too far at the home of sinister married couple Edith Cranston (played by Lin Shaye) and Edward Cranston (played by Tobin Bell). The teens then find themselves back at the home, where Edward tells them that they can inherit $100,000 if they make a phone call and can stay on the line for 60 seconds. Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., “The Call” has a cast that includes Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders and Judd Lormand. The movie, which is rated R, will be released in select theaters on October 2, 2020.

“Come Play”

 Oliver (played by Azhy Robertson) is a lonely young boy who is overly attached to his cell phone and computer tablet. These devices become portals for a mysterious creature to enter the world, and Oliver’s parents (played Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from this monster. Written and directed by Jacob Chase, “Come Play” (which is rated PG-13) is due out in theaters on October 30, 2020.

“The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw”

Set in 1973 on the outskirts of a remote Protestant village, a young woman named Audrey Earnshaw (played by Jessica Reynolds) and her mother Agatha (played by Catherine Walker) are accused of witchcraft. Mysterious deaths and plagues have been happening in the area, but Audrey and Agatha’s farm remains mysteriously unaffected. Written and directed by Thomas Robert Lee, “The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw” has a cast that also includes Jared Abrahamson, Hannah Emily Anderson, Geraldine O’Rawe, Don McKellar and Sean McGinley. The movie, which is unrated, arrives in select theaters on October 2, 2020, and on digital and VOD on October 6, 2020.

“Do Not Reply”

A young woman named Chelsea (played by Amanda Arcuri) connects with a man named Brad (played by Jackson Rathbone) over social media. When they meet in person at a Halloween party, he kidnaps her and brings her to his home, where he’s been keeping other abducted women. Written and directed by Walt Woltosz and his son Daniel Woltosz, “Do Not Reply” has a cast that includes Kerri Medders, Elise Luthman, Ashlee Füss, Ivon Millan and Thom Gossom Jr. The movie, which is rated R, is set for release in select theaters and on VOD on October 2, 2020.

“Don’t Look Back” (2020)

After a young woman named Caitlin Kramer (played by Courtney Bell) and several other people witness a man being murdered and don’t step in soon enough to help him, the bystander witnesses are mysteriously killed, one by one. Is it a coincidence or something else? And will Caitlin survive what might be revenge serial killings? “Don’t Look Back,” directed by “Final Destination” writer Jeffrey Reddick, has a cast that also includes Bryan Batt, Will Stout, Skyler Hart, Jeremy Holm, Jaqueline Fleming, Amanda Grace Benitez, Damon Lipari, Han Soto, Dean J. West and Stephen Twardokus. The movie, which is unrated, is set for release in select theaters and on VOD on October 16, 2020.

“The Empty Man”

When a girl goes missing, a former cop encounters a secretive group that’s trying to conjure up an evil spirit called the Empty Man. This movie is based on “The Empty Man” graphic novel series. “The Empty Man” written and directed by David Prior, has a cast that also includes James Badge Dale, Stephen Root, Joel Courtney and Marin Ireland. The movie, which is rated R, is set for release in theaters on October 23, 2020.

“Halloween Party”

A college student named Grace (played by Amy Groening) investigates the mysterious murder of her best friend after they set off a sinister Halloween-themed computer meme.  Grace gets assistance from a fellow student/computer whiz named Spencer (played by Jason Daley), and they find out that their college has a terrible secret. Written and directed by Jay Dahl, “Halloween Party” also stars Bradley Bailey, Scott Bailey, Zach Faye and Lisa Hackett. The movie, which is unrated, arrives in select theaters and on VOD on October 2, 2020.

“Love and Monsters”

In this movie, a Monsterpocalypse has devastated the world and forced humans to live underground to hide from the giant monsters that have taken over the world. Seven years after this invasion, Joel Dawson (played by Dylan O’Brien) reconnects over the radio with Aimee (Jessica Henwick), his girlfriend from high school, who is 80 miles away. When Joel falls in love with Aimee again, he decides to risk it all to go above-ground to reunite with her. Directed by Michael Matthews, “Love and Monsters” has a cast that includes Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt. The movie, which is rated PG-13, arrives in theaters, on digital and on VOD on October 16, 2020.

“Possessor Uncut”

In “Possessor Uncut,” an elite, corporate assassin named Tasya Vos (played by Andrea Riseborough) uses brain-implant technology to take over other people’s bodies and murder her intended targets. But then she becomes trapped inside a mind that can destroy her. Written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg, “Possessor Uncut” has a cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Abbott, Sean Bean, Rossif Sutherland and Tuppence Middleton. The movie, which is unrated, is due in theaters on October 2, 2020.

“Save Yourselves!”

The horror/sci-fi comedy “Save Yourselves!” centers on a New York City hipster couple in their 30s named Su (played by Sunita Mani) and Jack (played by John Reynolds), who decide to go on a weeklong getaway at a remote cabin and “unplug” from all technology. During their retreat, they find out that the world is being invaded by deadly fuzzy creatures that Su and Jack call “poofs,” which have reached their remote area of the woods. Written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, “Save Yourselves!” has a cast that includes Ben Sinclair, John Early and the voice of Amy Sedaris. The movie, which is rated R, is due out in theaters on October 2, 2020, and on digital and VOD on October 6, 2020.

“Spell”

Marquis T. Woods (played by Omari Hardwick) is a successful corporate attorney who travels by private plane with his wife and two teenage children to his West Virginia hometown in the Appalachian area to attend the funeral of his late father. But when the plane crashes, Marquis wakes up to find that he is being held captive by a crazy voodoo priestess named Eloise (played by Loretta Devine), who uses body parts for her rituals. Directed by Mark Tonderai, “Spell” has a cast that also includes Lorraine Burroughs, Hannah Gonera, Kalifa Burton, John Beasley, Steve Mululu and Tumisho Masha. The movie, which is rated R, is set for release in select theaters and on digital and VOD on October 30, 2020.

“Spontaneous”

In this horror/sci-fi comedy, Mara (played by Katherine Langford) and Dylan (played by Charlie Plummer) are two students in high school who fall in love with each other, even though their world is experiencing a mysterious plague where people are spontaneously exploding. Written and directed by Brian Duffield, “Spontaneous” has a cast that includes Piper Perabo, Ron Huebel, Hayley Law and Yvonne Orji. The movie, which is rated R, is set for release in theaters on October 2, 2020, and on VOD on October 6, 2020.

“Synchronic”

New Orleans paramedics and best friends Steve (played by Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (played by Jamie Dornan) are on the scene of some gruesome accidents that are being blamed on a mysterious new party drug. But after Dennis’s oldest daughter disappears, Steve finds out the horrifying truth. Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and written by Benson, “Synchronic” has a cast that includes Katie Asleton and Ally Ioannides. The movie, which is rated R, is set for release in theaters on October 23, 2020.

“Tar”

For 40,000 years, creatures have been living under the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Barry Greenwood (played by Timothy Bottoms) and his son Zach (played by Aaron Wolff) have had to shut down their office business because of city construction on the land. But the construction triggers a nightmarish reaction from a creature down below, and the humans above have to fight for survival. Directed by Wolff, who co-wrote the movie with Timothy Nutall, “Tar” has a cast that includes Graham Greene, Tiffany Shepis and Max Perlich. The movie, which is rated PG-13, is set for release in select theaters on October 2, 2020, and on digital and VOD on October 20, 2020.

“The Wolf of Snow Hollow”

A small-town sheriff has to solve a series of murders that happen only when there’s a fool moon. He doesn’t believe in werewolves, and he’s also having problems at home with his wife and rebellious teen daughter. Jim Cummings is the writer and star of “The Wolf of Snow Hollow,” whose cast also includes Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster, Jimmy Tatro and Chloe East. The movie, which is rated R, is set for release in select theaters and on digital and VOD on October 9, 2020.

SPECIAL RE-RELEASES

“The Addams Family” (2019)

Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, “The Addams Family” is the animated version of Charles Addams’ comic-strip that ran in the New Yorker from 1938 to 1988. The comic strip , which is about a spooky clan that has a hard time fitting into a “normal” world, would go on to spawn a live-action TV series in the 1960s, an animated TV series in the 1970s and live-action films in the 1990s. The all-star voice cast of “The Addams Family” animated film includes Oscar Isaac as patriarch Gomez Addams; Charlize Theron as matriarch Morticia Addams; Chloë Grace Moretz as daughter Wednesday Addams; Finn Wolfhard as son Pugsley Addams; Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Gomez’s brother; Snoop Dogg as Cousin Itt, Gomez’s cousin; Bette Midler as Grandmama, Gomez and Fester’s mother; and Allison Janney as reality TV host Margaux Needler, the story’s villain. “The Addams Family” is rated PG-13.  Cinépolis will show the movie on October 23, 2020. The screenings for Alamo Drafthouse locations will vary by location, and audience members are encouraged to wear costumes.

“Annabelle”

The 2014 film “Annabelle” is an origin story of the evil doll Annabelle from “The Conjuring” movies. In the movie, a loving husband has given Annabelle as a gift to his pregnant wife. And all hell breaks loose. Directed by John Leonetti, “Annabelle” has a cast that includes Annabelle Wallis, Alfre Woodard, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Eric Ladin and Brian Howe. “Annabelle,” which is rated R, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 9, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Annabelle: Creation”

In this 2017 prequel to “Annabelle,” a dollmaker and his wife, who are grieving over the death of their young daughter, welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home. Little does this couple know that a doll named Annabelle will unleash some deadly terror on the people in the home. Directed by David F. Sandberg, “Annabelle: Creation” has a cast that includes Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto, Stephanie Sigman and Talitha Bateman. “Annabelle: Creation,” which is rated R, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 2, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Beetlejuice”

Tim Burton’s classic 1988 horror comedy tells the story of deceased young couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), who haunt their former home and try unsuccessfully to scare away the house’s new residents: Charles and Delia Deetz (played by Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) and their moody teenage daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder). In desperation, the Maitlands conjur up the obnoxious ghost Betelgeuse (played by Michael Keaton) to enlist his help in terrifying the Deetz family into moving out of the house. “Beetlejuice” (which is rated PG) will have screenings at several movie-theater chains. Cinemark will show “Beetlejuice” on October 2, 2020, while Cinépolis will show the movie on October 9, 2020. The screenings for Alamo Drafthouse locations will vary by location.

“Casper”

Based on the beloved ghost character from Harvey Comics, this 1995 live-action/animated movie tells the story how a greedy heiress, an after-life therapist and the therapist’s daughter find some ghosts in an old mansion. Casper is a friendly ghost, but the same can’t be said for Casper’s ghost uncles Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie. Directed by Brad Silberling, the movie’s cast includes Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle and Amy Brenneman, as well as the voices of Malachi Pearson, Joe Nipote, Joe Alaskey and Brad Garrett. Alamo Drafthouse locations will show “Casper,” which is rated PG, with screening information varying by location. Audience members are encouraged to wear costumes.

“Coco”

In the Oscar-winning animated 2017 film “Coco,” a Mexican boy named Miguel, who is an aspiring musician, travels to the Land of the Dead to learn more about being like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. “Coco” (directed by Lee Unkrich) has a voice cast that includes Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía and Edward James Olmos. “Coco,” which is rated PG, will have screenings at multiple movie-theater chains. AMC Theaters and Cinépolis will show “Coco” on October 9, 2020.

“The Conjuring”

Based on a true story, the 2013 film “The Conjuring” shows how paranormal investigators/married couple Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) were called in 1971 to help a family who have moved to Harrisville, Rhode Island, in a farmhouse that is possessed by an evil spirit. Directed by James Wan, “The Conjuring” has a cast that includes Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston. “The Conjuring,” which is rated R, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 23, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Conjuring 2”

In the 2016 film “The Conjuring 2” (the sequel to “The Conjuring”), it’s 1977, and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) go to London to help a single mother who is raising four children in a haunted house. Directed by James Wan, the movie’s cast includes Frances O’Connor, Madison Wolfe, Simon McBurney and Franka Potente. “The Conjuring 2,” which is rated R, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 30, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Craft”

In this 1996 film, four teenage girls in high school find out that they have the power to practice witchcraft. Directed by Andrew Fleming (who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Filardi), “The Craft” has a cast that includes Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, Skeet Ulrich, Christine Taylor and Breckin Meyer. The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain is showing “The Craft” (which is rated R), with the dates varying by location. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Curse of La Llorona”

The 2019 film “The Curse of LaLorona” is based on the Mexican folklore of La Llorona, the ghostly weeping woman who drowned her children and then committed suicide. In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking a troubled widowed mother who is being investigated by social workers. Directed by Michael Chaves, the movie’s cast includes stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez and Marisol Ramirez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen and Roman Christou. “The Curse of La Llorona,” which is rated R, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 23, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Exorcist”

The 1973 classic “The Exorcist,” directed by William Friedkin, is often ranked as the scariest horror movie of all time. In the story, Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn) is distraught when she sees her 12-year-old daughter Regan (played by Linda Blair) begin to act strangely, such as speaking in tongues. When Regan starts levitating, Chris is convinced that Regan might be possessed by the devil. Chris asks a local priest named Father Damien (played by Jason Miller) for help. He then requests to perform an exorcism, and the Catholic Church sends an exorcism expert Father Lankester Merrin (played by Max von Sydow) to assist in the exorcism. “The Exorcist,” which is rated R, received 10 Oscar nominations (including Best Picture), and ended up winning two Oscars: Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing. The Cinépolis theater chain is showing “The Exorcist” (which is rated R) on October 23, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Frankenstein” (2011 National Theatre stage production)

In 2011, Fathom Events released a screening of the U.K.’s “Frankenstein” National Theatre stage production, starring Jonny Lee Miller as Dr. Frankenstein and Benedict Cumberbatch as Frankenstein’s Creature. Directed by Danny Boyle, this special screening (which is not rated) is getting a re-release in select U.S. cinemas on October 28, 2020. More information and ticket purchases are available here.

“Friday the 13th” (1980)

The horror legend of Jason Vorhees began with 1980’s original “Friday the 13th” film (directed by Sean S. Cunningham), a classic slasher flick where a serial killer is on the loose and murdering teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake. According to local folklore, Jason Vorhees was a boy who drowned in the lake due to bullying. Did he really die? And is he out for revenge? The movie’s cast includes Kevin Baker, Betsy Palmer, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, Harry Crosby and Adrienne King. The 40th anniversary of the release of “Friday the 13th,” which is rated R, will be celebrated with a restored and remastered release in select theaters on October 4, October 6 and October 7, 2020. The screenings will include a featurettes called “Secrets Galore Behind the Gore,” with commentary by special-effects and makeup artist Tom Savini, who worked on the movie. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Ghost”

The pottery-making scene in the blockbuster film “Ghost” has been widely parodied, but this 1990 film remains a fan favorite for romantic supernatural movies. “Ghost” tells the story of banker Sam Wheat (played by Patrick Swayze) and potter Molly Jensen (played by Demi Moore), a live-in couple who are deeply in love. Sam is tragically murdered, and Molly believes his spirit is contacting her, with the help of a sassy psychic named Oda Mae Brown (played by Whoopi Goldberg, in an Oscar-winning performance). The 30th anniversary of “Ghost” will be celebrated with Turner Classic Movies commentary in select theaters on October 24 and October 25, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Ghostbusters” (1984)

The original 1984 “Ghostbusters” movie is considered a horror-comedy classic. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the movie tells the story of three paranormal investigators (played by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis), their first recruit (Ernie Hudson), their socialite client (played by Sigourney Weaver), her neighbor (played by Rick Moranis), and how they stumble upon ghosts and demons in New York City. The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain is showing “Ghostbusters” (which is rated PG), with the dates varying by location. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Halloween” (1978)

John Carpenter’s “Halloween” is considered one of the most influential horror movies of all time, and certainly one of the top films representing the “slasher” subgenre of horror flicks. The mask-wearing, knife-wielding, mute serial killer Michael Myers has become a much-parodied and imitated horror icon, but at the time that “Halloween” was released, many of the terror-inducing elements of this movie were considered groundbreaking. The slow-burn suspense of “Halloween,” which spawned numerous inferior sequels, can be fully appreciated on the big screen, considering that most modern “slasher” movies follow a formula of someone getting killed every 15 to 20 minutes. Jamie Lee Curtis, as teenage babysitter Laurie Strode, made her movie debut in “Halloween,” one of many horror films in which she’s had a starring role, including the 2018 movie sequel of the same name. Donald Pleasence also stars in the original “Halloween” as Myers’ psychiatric doctor, who doggedly tries to find his patient after Myers escapes from a psychiatric institution. The Cinépolis theater chain will have a screening of the original 1978 “Halloween” (which is rated R) on October 30, 2020. More information and ticket purchases are available here.

“Hocus Pocus”

The supernatural comedy film “Hocus Pocus,” directed by Kenny Ortega, tells the story of three ancient sister witches (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) who are accidentally conjured up by a teenage boy (played by Omri Katz) after he and his family move from Los Angeles to Salem, Massachusetts. “Hocus Pocus,” which is rated PG, will have screenings at several movie-theater chains. AMC Theaters, Cinemark and Cinépolis will show “Hocus Pocus” on October 2, 2020. The screenings for Alamo Drafthouse locations will vary by location.

“The House With a Clock in Its Walls”

Based on the children’s novel written by John Bellairs, the 2018 movie “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” tells the story of an orphaned 10-year-old boy who goes to live with his uncle in a creepy hold house and finds out that the town in inhabited by witches and warlocks. Directed by Eli Roth, the movie’s cast includes Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan, Colleen Camp, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Vanessa Anne Williams and Sunny Suljic. The Cinépolis theater chain will have a screening of “The House With a Clock in Its Walls” (which is rated PG-13) on October 30, 2020. More information and ticket purchases are available here.

“It”

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, the 2017 blockbuster “It” (also known as “It Chapter One”) is a story that features one of horror entertainment’s most terrifying clowns. When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of 13-year-old misfit kids who call themselves the Losers Club are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgård), whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries. The movie’s cast include Jaeden Martell as Bill Denbrough; Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom; Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh; Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier; Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris; Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon; Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak and Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers. “It” author King has a cameo in the movie. The Cinépolis theater chain will have a screening of “It” (which is rated R) on October 2, 2020. More information and ticket purchases are available here.

“It Chapter Two”

In this sequel to the 2017 horror blockbuster “It,” the members of the Losers Club once again join forces in their quest to get the evil clown Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgård) out of their lives. It’s now 27 years since the Losers Club last saw Pennywise as 13-year-olds in their hometown of Derry, Maine. Pennywise is back, and the adult members of the Losers Club reunite to do battle against him. The cast of “It Chapter Two” includes Jessica Chastain as the adult Beverly, James McAvoy as the adult Bill, Bill Hader as the adult Richie, Isaiah Mustafa as the adult Mike, Jay Ryan as the adult Ben, James Ransone as the adult Eddie, and Andy Bean as the adult Stanley. Reprising their roles as the original members of the Losers Club are Jaeden Martell as Bill, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie, Finn Wolfhard as Richie, Sophia Lillis as Beverly, Chosen Jacobs as Mike, and Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben. Bill Skarsgård returns in the role of Pennywise. The Cinépolis theater chain will have a screening of “It Chapter Two” (which is rated R) on October 2, 2020, with tickets available here.

“Jack-O” (RiffTrax version)

RiffTrax comedy stars Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett give their running commentary during the 1995 campy horror flick “Jack-O.” In this R-rated movie (directed by Steve Latshaw), Jack the Pumpkin man is an evil warlock who rises from the grave to seek revenge on the Kelly family, who are descendants of the man who buried Jack years ago. The movie’s cast includes Linnea Quigley, Maddisen K. Krown, Gary Doles and Ryan Latshaw. The RiffTrax version of “Jack-O” is set for select theaters on October 21, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Lights Out”

In the 2016 film “Lights Out,” a young woman named Rebecca and her kid brother Martin experience a terrifying evil spirit when the lights go out. They begin to suspect that it has something to do with their mother. Directed by David F. Sandberg (in his feature-film debut), the movie’s cast includes Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Billy Burke, Alexander DiPersia and Maria Bello. “Lights Out,” which is rated PG-13, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 9, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Lost Boys”

This 1987 comedic horror film is about a group of teenagers who discover that a gang of teenage vampires has invaded the California beach city where they live. Directed by Joel Schumacher, “The Lost Boys” has a cast that includes Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Jamie Gertz, Dianne Wiest and Edward Hermann. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have various screenings of “The Lost Boys,” which is rated R. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Memories of Murder”

Originally released in 2003, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho’s “Memories of Murder,” which is based on true events, follows the hunt for a serial rapist and murderer who has been targeting a small province in 1980s South Korea. Three detectives are at the center of trying to solve the case: Park Doo-man (played by Song Kang-ho), the leader of the trio; Cho Yong-koo (played by Park Kim Roi-ha), his aggressive cop partner; and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung), the youngest of the trio. (In real life, the killer was caught in 2019.) The rerelease of “Memories of Murder,” which is rated R, arrives in select theaters on October 19 and October 20, 2020. These screenings will include an exclusive prerecorded conversation with filmmakers Bong Joo Ho and Edgar Wright, the director of “Shaun of the Dead” and “Baby Driver.” More information and ticket purchases can be found here. The VOD release of “Memories of Murder” is on October 27, 2020.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas”

The 1993 animated musical “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—produced and conceived by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick—tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, who accidentally goes through a portal to Christmas Town.  When he returns to Halloween Town to celebrate Christmas and share  his knowledge about Christmas, chaos ensues. Danny Elfman, who wrote the film’s songs and score, provided the singing voice of Jack. The voice cast also includes Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, and Ed Ivory. “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which is rated PG, will have screenings at several movie-theater chains. AMC Theaters and Cinépolis will show “The Nightmare Before Christmas” on October 16, 2020. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have a costume element for their screenings of the movie, which vary by location.

“The Nun”

In this 2018 prequel in “The Conjuring”/'”Annabelle” universe, “The Nun” tells the story of a Catholic priest sent by the Vatican to investigate a nun’s suicide in Romania. Directed by Corin Hardy, the movie’s cast includes Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Charlotte Hope, Ingrid Bisu and Bonnie Aarons. “The Nun,” which is rated R, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 2, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Poltergeist” (1982)

In the original 1982 “Poltergeist” movie, the Freeling family, which has three underage kids, has moved into a new house, where strange things starts happening and the youngest child mysteriously disappears. Directed by Tobe Hooper, “Poltergeist” has a cast that includes Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Dominique Dunne, Heather O’Rourke, Oliver Robins and Zelda Rubinstein. The 2015 “Poltergeist” remake flopped with critics and audiences, unlike the original “Poltergeist.” The 1982 “Poltergeist” film, which is rated PG, will have screenings at AMC Theaters on October 16, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Psycho” (1960)

The most influential film ever directed by Alfred Hitchcock is 1960’s “Psycho,” a horror masterpiece that is considered the “grandfather” of slasher movies. In the beginning of the movie, embezzler Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) is on the run from the law with stolen cash, when she checks into the creepy and isolated Bates Motel, whose caretaker is Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins). What happened to Marion in her motel room’s shower became one of the most iconic horror scenes in movie history. It isn’t long before Marion’s sister Lila Crane (played by Vera Miles) goes looking for Marion, and she also ends up at the Bates Motel, where Lila discovers how dangerous the Bates Motel really is. “Psycho” spawned the 1983 sequel “Psycho II” (starring Perkins and Miles) and director Gus Van Sant’s 1998 “Psycho” remake, both of which got mixed-to-negative reviews. The “Bates Motel” TV series, which was on the air from 2013 to 2017, was the origin story of a teenage Norman Bates. The 60th anniversary of “Psycho” will be celebrated with an uncut version of the movie (and Turner Classic Movies commentary) in select theaters on October 11 and October 12, 2020. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Scream”

This 1996 classic film features a masked serial killer on the loose with an ultimate target: high schooler Sidney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell). The psycho also likes to call his victims before he murders them. Directed by Wes Craven, “Scream” has a cast that includes, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich and Drew Barrymore. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have various screenings of “Scream,” which is rated R. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“Shaun of the Dead”

The 2004 horror comedy “Shaun of the Dead” shows what happens when two best friends (played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) try to survive during a zombie apocalypse in England. Directed by Edgar Wright (who co-wrote the screenplay with Pegg), the movie’s cast includes Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have various screenings of “Shaun of the Dead,” which is rated R. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Shining”

“The Shining” is director Stanley Kubrick’s version of the Stephen King novel, which tells the story of an aspiring writer named Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson), who takes a job as a live-in caretaker of the historic Overlook Hotel in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain area during the hotel’s off-season. He moves there with his wife Wendy Torrance (played by Shelley Duvall) and kindergarten-aged son Danny Torrance (played by Danny Lloyd), who shows signs of having psychic abilities. The hotel cook Dick Hallorann (played by Scatman Crothers) notices Danny’s unusual abilities, which Dick calls “the shining.” When Danny’s visions become more menacing and Jack starts descending into madness, it’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose. The 40th anniversary of the release of “The Shining,” which is rated R, will be celebrated with Turner Classic Movies commentary in select theaters on October 17, October 20 and October 22, 2020. More information and ticket purchases from can be found here. In addition, the Cinépolis theater chain will have a screening of “The Shining” on October 16, 2020, with tickets available here.

“Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight”

The 1995 film “Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight” features a serial killed named The Collector who’s on a murderous rampage. Directed by Ernest Dickerson, the movie’s cast includes Billy Zane, William Sadler, Jada Pinkett, Brenda Bakke, C.C.H. Pounder, Dick Miller and Thomas Haden Church. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have screenings of “Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight,” which is rated R. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)

The original 1974 film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” introduced horror audiences to the chainsaw-wielding serial killer Leatherface. In the movie, a group of unlucky young people end up being targeted by cannibals. Directed by Tobe Hooper (who co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Henkel), “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” cast includes Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have screenings of the 1974 version of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” which is rated R. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

“The Thing” (1982)

In the original 1982 version of “The Thing,” which is rated R, 12 researchers at a remote Antarctic research station discover a deadly alien that had been buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Directed by John Carpenter, the movie’s cast includes Kurt Russell R.J. MacReady, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis and Thomas G. Waites. Alamo Drafthouse locations will have screenings of the 1982 version of “The Thing,” which is rated R. More information and ticket purchases can be found here.

Review: ‘Ten Minutes to Midnight,’ starring Caroline Williams, Nicole Kang, Nicholas Tucci, William Youmans and Adam Weppler

September 29, 2020

by Carla Hay

Caroline Williams in “Ten Minutes to Midnight” (Photo courtesy of 1091 Pictures)

“Ten Minutes to Midnight”

Directed by Erik Bloomquist

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed U.S. city, the horror flick “Ten Minutes to Midnight” features a predominantly white cast (with a few Asians) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: After working at the same radio station for 30 years, a DJ gets bitten by a vampire bat and has conflicts with her lecherous boss and a much-younger rival who wants her job. 

Culture Audience: “Ten Minutes to Midnight” will appeal primarily to people who like horror that mixes zaniness, bloody gore and timely social issues.

Nicole Kang and Adam Weppler in “Ten Minutes to Midnight” (Photo courtesy of 1091 Pictures)

Horror movies often get stereotyped as nothing but mindless (and often bloody) killfests. But “Ten Minutes to Midnight” defies some horror clichés while still paying homage to retro horror movies of the 1980s. “Ten Minutes to Midnight” also achieves a rare balancing act of depicting serious social issues (without being preachy) while still maintaining a sense of gory fun.

Directed by Erik Bloomquist (who co-wrote the “Ten Minutes to Midnight” screenplay with his brother Carson Bloomquist), “Ten Minutes to Midnight” goes against the typical horror trope of having the lead female character as a woman under the age of 40. Caroline Williams (a real-life “scream queen” in many horror movies) is in the lead role of Amy Marlowe, who’s in her 50s and has been doing the same late-night slot at the same rock radio station for the past 30 years. The radio station—WLST-FM, nicknamed The Pulse—is a small operation in an unnamed U.S. city.

Amy loves her job and her audience, but she’s become jaded and insecure about how her age has affected her career trajectory. Based on some of the things that Amy says in the movie, it seems that she didn’t necessarily have huge ambitions to move up the radio ladder to a more desirable time slot. She stayed in her late-night shift because it was comfortable and she wasn’t perceived as a threat to other DJs who were much more aggressive and interested in getting more coveted time slots. Amy also didn’t move on to working at radio stations in bigger cities.

And what she gets in return for her loyalty isn’t sitting too well with her. She’s essentially been “asked to retire” from the station. It’s another way of a company telling an employee that the employee is considered too old to work there anymore. The company doesn’t want to fire the employee and possibly get sued for illegal age discrimination, so the employee is usually offered a retirement “exit package” as an incentive to leave.

It’s unknown if Amy got a great “exit package,” but the movie begins on the night of one of her very last shows on the air at WLST. Her retirement party has already been planned to take place the next day at the radio station. On this particular night, things aren’t going too well for Amy. There’s a hurricane that’s about to hit the area. And she’s gotten bitten on the neck by a flying creature, which she’s pretty sure was a bat. (The movie doesn’t show her get bitten.)

The title of the movie comes from the fact that Amy likes to go on the air 10 minutes before her time slot officially begins at midnight. When she arrives at the station to start her work shift, Amy tells the front-desk security guy named Ernie (played by Nicholas Tucci) about the bite on her neck and asks to use the first-aid kit. The wound consists of two parallel punctures on her neck, to make it obvious that Amy is eventually going to turn into a vampire.

Ernie’s creepy demeanor throughout the movie is “off,” as if there’s something mentally unbalanced about him. He’s got “crazy eyes” and he likes to carve wood with a knife while he’s sitting at his desk. And he’s also very strict about following “safety protocol” during a hurricane, which means that he’s not going to let people leave the station during the storm.

Before she goes on the air, Amy stops off in the office of her sleazy boss Robert, also known as Bob (played by William Youmans), who tells Amy about a newly hired female employee. Her name is Sienna Waller, who recently graduated with a master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Sienna has moved back to her hometown to help take care of her ailing mother. Bob tells Amy that Sienna will be “shadowing” Amy so that Sienna can see how Amy does her job.

It’s obvious that Bob is grooming Sienna to replace Amy. And this rankles and offends Amy. Bob tells Amy that he met Sienna when she was a senior in high school, and he told her to contact him when she needed a job or career advice. Amy immediately assumes that Bob (who’s old enough to be Sienna’s father) has been sleeping with Sienna.

Bob responds to Amy’s assumption by saying this about his relationship with Sienna: “It’s harmless flirtation. You loved it when it was your turn. Play nice.” It’s at this point it’s clear that the tension between Amy and Bob is more than about her being forced to retire from WLST.

In the radio studio, Amy’s trusty engineer Aaron (played by Adam Weppler), a tattooed guy in his 20s with two ring piercings on his lower lip, starts reminiscing about how he grew up listening to Amy. (Weppler is one of this movie’s producers, along with Erik and Carson Bloomquist.) Aaron says his mother used to listen to WLST a lot when he was a kid and he would often fall asleep while the radio was playing. If he woke up and heard Amy’s voice, it meant that he was up past his bedtime. Aaron tells Amy that her radio show was comforting to him as a kid and he’ll always be a fan of hers.

Aaron might have intended for this conversation to help Amy feel good, but it probably just makes her feel old. And soon, her insecurities about her place in the radio world become even more apparent when Sienna (played Nicole Kang) shows up. Sienna is young, attractive and intelligent—which apparently makes Amy feel even more jealous that Sienna is probably going to replace Amy.

And the claws immediately come out. Amy and Sienna exchange some catty comments to each other that start when foul-mouthed Amy accuses Sienna of sleeping with Bob. Sienna replies that sleeping with the boss might have been the way Amy got her job, but Sienna says she’s too smart for that. Instead, Sienna says that she just made Bob think that Sienna was interested in sleeping with him. Sienna also makes some underhanded remarks about Amy’s age.

This argument is one of the best scenes in the movie not only because it’s kind of hilarious to watch but also because the dialogue is very realistic. It’s what women often really think (but usually don’t say out loud) when they’re faced with a female rival on the job. When age, sex appeal and ambition are very real factors that can determine whether or not a woman gets hired or promoted, especially if there’s a lecherous boss like Bob, it can touch some sensitive nerves that are connected to a woman’s ego.

People would like to think that women should only be judged by their talent, intelligence and personality in the workplace. But the #MeToo movement has proven that women (who are more likely than men to be survivors of sexual misconduct) are also judged by how they handle sexual misconduct. And the movie touches on that gray area that sometimes happens when a fling between a supervisor and an employee is consensual, but there’s always an imbalance of power. The implication is that if the employee who engages in this type of affair gets a raise, promotion or other career benefit, it’s because the employee slept with the boss.

And in its own subtle way, the argument scene between Amy and Sienna is also a commentary on the generation gap between these two women. In Amy’s Generation X, sexual harassment was dealt with in a less harsh way than in Sienna’s Generation Z that is experiencing how the #MeToo movement has made a big impact on how sexual harassment is handled. Social media, which has had a major influence on exposing #MeToo allegations, also didn’t exist for most of Amy’s radio career.

In an effort to embarrass Sienna and catch her off-guard, Amy makes a sudden decision to make Sienna her impromptu “co-host” for the night. Amy decides she’s going to do an “Ask Amy” segment where listeners can call in live on the air and ask for her advice. The segment doesn’t go very well, as Amy insults caller after caller.

Amy’s bitter rage finally explodes in an epic rant and meltdown that ends with Amy viciously biting Sienna’s wrist. While a shocked Sienna screams out in pain, Amy runs into the ladies’ room and starts rummaging through a garbage can. When Amy sees a bloody tampon in the garbage, she starts chewing on it. Yes, it’s that kind of movie. And it leaves no doubt that Amy has reached the “blood lust” stage of turning into a vampire.

Amy’s meltdown could be blamed on her altered state of mind, but one of the clever things that the movie does is leave it open to interpretation that Amy had a lot of anger building up inside her anyway. She’s feeling underappreciated and is being forced out of a job before she really wants to leave—not because the quality of her work has been going downhill but mostly because she’s gotten older. And so, she probably feels she has nothing to lose by going on this rampage, since she’s already been labeled a “washed-up has-been” anyway.

Meanwhile, someone like Bob (the one who most likely made the decision for Amy to “retire”) is older than Amy but no one questions his usefulness because of his age. It’s a gender double standard that exists in many industries but particularly in a male-dominated industry such as radio. And it’s not just a double standard for someone’s age either. Ever notice that male radio DJs are allowed to be overweight, but that’s rarely the case for female radio DJs?

When Bob calls Amy into his office, she’s unapologetic. He tells her that luckily for her, the second half of her on-air rant (which had the worst parts of the rant) actually wasn’t heard by the audience because of a weird fluke where solar flares temporarily stopped the radio signal from functioning. Bob (who expresses only a little concern about Sienna’s well-being) says he won’t fire Amy because he wants to give her a chance to redeem herself. He sleazily puts his hands between Amy’s legs and tells her that she has the rest of the night to figure it out.

And then, all hell breaks loose, but not always in ways that viewers of this movie might expect. There are several scenes in “Ten Minutes to Midnight” that have a hallucinatory quality where the viewers have to decide if what they’re seeing is part of the characters’ reality or if it’s the figment of a character’s imagination. The violence isn’t gratuitous, but might be too intense for some viewers.

Mixed with the horror is the absurd wackiness of the Ernie character, who’s like a security guard who takes his job seriously for all the wrong reasons. (“Ten Minutes to Midnight” is one of the last on-screen roles for Tucci, who died of cancer in March 2020.) And in a certain part of the movie, there’s a role-playing scene that’s absolutely bonkers and works very well for this movie’s unhinged sense of humor.

All of the actors in this movie are well-cast, but it’s the hostile dynamic between Amy and Sienna that stands out the most. Because vampires stop aging when they first became vampires, Amy’s issues over aging are quite ironic, considering that she’s turning into a vampire. Williams’ portrayal of Amy is thrillingly “go for broke” in how she realistically portrays the anguish of the “human” Amy and then the frightful blood lust of the “vampire” Amy.

The movie’s visual effects are adequate for this type of low-budget film, whose cinematography is reminiscent of 1980s horror flicks from Wes Craven. The real attraction of “Ten Minutes to Midnight” is to see how the characters go off the rails when they’re stuck inside the radio station with someone who’s turning into a vampire. If people want to see an entirely serious and grim horror movie, “Ten Minutes to Midnight” is not that film. There’s enough offbeat hilarity in the movie that will bring some laughs with the expected chills.

1091 Pictures released “Ten Minutes to Midnight” in select U.S. cinemas on September 17, 2020. The movie is set for release in virtual cinemas on October 15, 2020, and on digital and VOD on January 19, 2021.

Review: ’12 Hour Shift,’ starring Angela Bettis, Chloe Farnworth, Nikea Gamby-Turner, David Arquette, Kit Williamson and Mick Foley

September 28, 2020

by Carla Hay

Angela Bettis in “12 Hour Shift” (Photo by Matt Glass/Magnet Releasing)

“12 Hour Shift”

Directed by Brea Grant

Culture Representation: Taking place in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1999, the horror comedy “12 Hour Shift” has a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few African Americans) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A drug-addicted hospital nurse, who illegally sells organs to make extra money, has crazy and horrible experiences during a 12-hour shift.

Culture Audience: “12 Hour Shift” will appeal primarily to people who like horror served up with a lot of dark and absurdist comedy.

Chloe Farnworth in “12 Hour Shift” (Photo by Matt Glass/Magnet Releasing)

What do you get when you cross a drug-addicted nurse with a cop killer, some thugs, a stolen kidney and wacky patients during a very long work day that stretches into the night? You get “12 Hour Shift,” an apologetically bloody and bawdy horror comedy that is not for people who are easily nauseated or for people who want a serious horror film. Written and directed by Brea Grant, “12 Hour Shift” is as rough around the edges as the story’s main character, but if you’re up for the bumpy ride, be prepared for an offbeat look at the type of hospital that could be a patient’s worst nightmare.

In “12 Hour Shift,” which takes place in 1999, the action centers around Mandy (played by Angela Bettis), a hospital nurse in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Mandy has a prickly personality and a serious addiction to prescription drugs. She’s the kind of addict who doesn’t hesitate to steal prescription medication from a patient who’s unconscious.

At the beginning of the story, Mandy is seen smoking in a parking lot before she begins what will turn out to be the 12-hour shift from hell. It’s clear from her interactions with a co-worker in the parking lot that Mandy isn’t concerned about being a well-liked employee. When she goes inside the hospital, she snorts chopped-up pills in a storage room before she begins a double shift.

Mandy doesn’t just make money from the salary she gets from the hospital. To make extra money (presumably to support her drug habit), Mandy has been involved in some illegal transactions: She’s been selling the organs of dead patients who are in the hospital’s mortuary.

The hospital is understaffed, so viewers have to assume that Mandy has the time and the ability to remove people’s organs without anyone else noticing. Viewers will have to ignore a huge plot hole that’s not explained in the movie: What about the bodies that have to go to a medical examiner to determine the cause of death? That would expose a pattern of organs going missing from bodies at the hospital, which would trigger an investigation.

At any rate, “12 Hour Shift” is a dark comedy that’s not entirely rooted in realism. If people know before seeing this movie that the story takes some situations to extreme and absurd levels, they will enjoy the movie better. People who want a more straightforward, conventional horror movie should look elsewhere

During this particular 12-hour work shift, Mandy is doing her usual routine of handing off the bags of stolen organs (which include intestines and a kidney) in a small cooler container that she leaves near the hospital’s back entrance. Her accomplice is ditzy Regina (played by Chloe Farnworth), who is Mandy’s cousin by marriage. Regina gives Mandy the payment in cash, and Mandy goes back into the hospital.

However, Regina makes a big mistake when she takes the cooler with her but accidentally leaves behind a bag of organs at the back entrance. When Regina meets with a low-life thug named Nicholas (played by Mick Foley), she notices that a bag is missing. Nicholas is incensed because in that bag is a kidney that he needs right now.

When Regina frantically returns to the hospital’s back entrance, the bag that she left behind is gone. Regina goes to Mandy to tell her the bad news about the missing kidney. Mandy is furious, of course, because she knows that she could be in a lot of trouble since she was already paid for the kidney and she doesn’t want to give any of the money back. And so begins the zany quest for Mandy and Regina to find another kidney before Nicholas and his fellow thugs come looking for them to do who knows what if they don’t get a kidney for him.

There’s someone else who’s in on the organ sales schemes: Mandy’s no-nonsense co-worker Karen (played by Nikea Gamby-Turner), who gets her share of whatever cash that Mandy gets for the sales. Karen usually acts as the lookout while Mandy does the dirty work of removing the organs. And now that there’s a race against time to find another kidney, things are going to get pretty desperate.

But wouldn’t you know, this is the one shift where Mandy has to deal with some other intense situations, since she works in the emergency-room ward. A drug-overdose patient comes into the hospital. His name is Andrew (played by Aaron Preusch), and Mandy has a past with him that she’d like to forget.

An admitted cop killer named Jefferson (played by David Arquette) is brought to the hospital under police custody, and he becomes a pest because he tries to make moves on the hospital’s female staffers. Jefferson says, “I murdered a cop. I hate cops, but I love blondes.” Meanwhile, clueless Regina is enlisted to help find a dying patient from whom Mandy could steal a kidney. And it should come as no surprise that Regina (who shows up in a hospital uniform and high heels) makes a disastrous decision.

Meanwhile, there’s a running gag of a hypochondriac named Mr. Kent (played by Tom DeTrinis) who keeps showing up at the hospital to insist that he get a room, even though there’s nothing physically wrong with him. There’s an emergency medical technician named Derrick (played by Thomas Hobson), who might or might not be able to help Mandy. And there’s a weepy nurse at the hospital named Dorothy (played by Tara Peary), who asks, “Is there any more cake?,” as if her her day would be ruined if there’s no more cake in the employee break room.

The violence in the movie can get very gruesome, but some of it is so over-the-top, it’s not meant to be taken seriously. Arquette (who is one of the film’s producers) seems to know that his goofy public persona doesn’t make him entirely convincing when he’s supposed to play a dangerous criminal, so he hams it up quite a bit in this movie. Farnworth’s Regina is playing a stereotypical airhead, so there really isn’t supposed to be much depth to this role.

It’s Bettis’ portrayal as the hard-nosed Mandy that’s the performance to watch. Mandy might be facing a lot of trouble for her illegal antics, and some dangerous thugs might come after her, but Mandy’s got this tough “I don’t care/Just give me my money and drugs” demeanor that indicates she not to be messed with easily. There’s really no deep message in the mayhem and chaos that ensue in “12 Hour Shift.” In its darkly comedic way, the movie will make you think twice about what could happen if you’re unconscious in a hospital and a drug-addicted nurse wants to steal your medication or maybe one of your organs.

Magnolia Pictures’ Magnet Releasing will release “12 Hour Shift” in select U.S. theaters and on VOD on October 2, 2020.

Review: ‘The Stylist,’ starring Najarra Townsend, Brea Grant, Millie Milan, Sarah McGuire and Davis DeRock

September 27, 2020

by Carla Hay

Najarra Townsend in “The Stylist” (Photo courtesy of Method Media/Sixx Tape Productions)

“The Stylist”

Directed by Jill Gevargizian

Culture Representation: Taking place in Kansas City, Missouri, the horror film “The Stylist” features a predominantly white cast (with a few African Americans) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A lonely hairstylist has a secret life of a serial killer who collects the scalps of her female victims. 

Culture Audience: “The Stylist” will appeal primarily to people who like gripping psychological thrillers with stylish, 1970s-inspired noir aesthetics.

Brea Grant and Najarra Townsend in “The Stylist” (Photo courtesy of Method Media/Sixx Tape Productions)

“The Stylist” takes some of the best elements of 1970s noir horror movies and serves them up in a more modern setting while also appearing to be somewhat timeless. The movie is a tension-filled journey into the disturbed mind of a serial killer who is deceptively mild-mannered to the outside world. Anchored by an effectively chilling performance by Najarra Townsend, “The Stylist” (which was filmed on location in Kansas City, Missouri) is an impressive feature-film debut by writer/director Jill Gevargizian, who brings an almost hypnotic quality to this memorable horror film. “The Stylist” feature film, which had its world premiere at the 2020 edition Fantastic Fest, is adapted from Gevargizian’s short film of the same title.

On the surface, hair stylist Claire (played by Townsend) seems to be an introverted person who can do wonders with people’s hair. She has a loyal base of clients and she is very accommodating and helpful to all of her customers. Claire is also a very lonely person, since she doesn’t have much of social life outside of her job at a small, somewhat bohemian-styled hair salon. She lives alone and only has a her female Chihuahua named Pepper to keep her company.

In the beginning of the movie, Claire meets a new customer who is visiting Kansas City on a business trip and has come into the salon for an evening appointment. The customer’s name is Sarah (played by Jennifer Seward), and an attentive Claire finds out what kind of hair service that Sarah wants. Sarah accepts Claire’s offer to have a glass of wine while Claire styles Sarah’s hair.

Claire and Sarah make small talk, but it isn’t long before Sarah opens up about her life, as people often do when they talk to a hair stylist. Sarah is married and has a 12-year-old son. But Sarah admits that she isn’t very happy in her marriage and that while she’s on this business trip, Sarah has been cheating on her husband with a “boy toy” whom she says she’ll probably never see again.

“I’m only human,” Sarah says as an excuse for her infidelity. Why is Sarah telling Claire this intimate secret? Because, as Sarah explains, she’ll probably never see Claire again either. It’s the kind of realistic dialogue that makes the people believable in “The Stylist” screenplay, which was written by Gevargizian, Eric Havens and Eric Stolze.

Sarah and Claire end up being the last people in the salon as it closes for the night. And then, Claire’s true nature comes out. The glass of wine that Sarah was drinking had been spiked by Claire. Whatever drug was in that wine has now kicked in and Sarah has passed out. Claire then takes a knife and removes Sarah’s scalp. The scalping is shown and heard in all of its gruesome details.

The movie doesn’t show what Claire does with Sarah’s body, because it does show what Claire has done with the scalp when Claire is at home. In a candle-lit room filled with a giant mirror, Claire wears the scalp and mimics the conversation that she had with Sarah, almost as if she’s reliving it but also playing the role of Sarah. It soon becomes clear that more than just wanting killing Sarah and taking her scalp, Claire also wants some piece of this woman’s life, however fleeting that feeling might be.

The rest of the movie show’s Claire going on a killing spree where she collects her female victims’ scalps. She’s careful enough to hide the bodies so that it’s a mystery over whether or not the women are missing or dead. And she does quite a bit of stalking of potential victims while having various private meltdowns in her home and in her car.

Claire is able to maintain a façade that everything is normal in her life. However, viewers might notice that she has some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder, because it bothers her to do anything out of her routine. When she waits in line at her favorite coffee shop the day after she killed Sarah, Claire notices that there’s a speck of Sarah’s blood on one of Claire’s shoes.

The speck is only something Sarah can see, but the sight of it bothers her so much that she becomes agitated while she’s waiting in line and tries to use her other foot to scrape off the blood. The behind-the-counter barista named Dawn (played by Sarah McGuire) notices that something is bothering Claire, who tries to act like she’s just having a bad day. Another sign of her obsessive compulsiveness: The barista knows exactly what Claire is going to order, because she orders the same thing every time she’s in the coffee ship.

One of the things outside of Claire’s comfort zone is being a hairstylist at a wedding. She’s refused requests in the past to take wedding jobs. However, one of Claire’s loyal clients named Olivia (played by Brea Grant), who is an editor at a fashion magazine, has been begging Claire to be the hair stylist for Olivia’s wedding because another stylist bailed out of the job on short notice. Claire finally relents and agrees to Olivia’s hairstylist for the wedding.

The wedding and the preparations leading up to it set off a catalyst of events and emotions that have deadly consequences, as Sarah starts to become obsessed with being Olivia’s best friend. Claire’s need to be Olivia’s closest confidante is triggered when Olivia invites Claire to Olivia’s home to see Olivia in her wedding dress. The two women are alone together, and they both start talking about their families and their backgrounds.

Olivia and Claire both find out that they grew up without a father. Although Olivia’s mother is still alive and will be at the wedding, Claire’s mother died when she was 17. Claire says that he mother was only 35 and very drunk when she died, hinting that her childhood was probably unhappy because her mother had a drinking problem.

Claire also says that he mother was a hairstylist who would change her hairstyle every few months. “I never knew who was going to come home,” Claire says of her mother’s changing image. Meanwhile, Olivia opens up about her own troubled past, by telling Claire that she used to be a wild child and never thought she would end up getting married.

And what does Claire’s sudden interest in being close to Olivia mean for Olivia’s fiancé Charlie (played by Davis Derock)? He becomes an unwitting target of Claire’s disdain if he does anything that would Claire thinks is disrespectful to Olivia. Claire is the type to hold grudges.

Claire is also jealous of the bridesmaids who are in Olivia’s wedding party, including Olivia’s catty co-worker Monique (played by Millie Milan), who had recommended the hairstylist was who originally hired for the wedding. There’s a pivotal bachelorette party scene that is very well-acted, because it shows the first time that Claire is introduced to the women who are in Olivia’s inner circle.

All of the scenes in “The Stylist” have good acting, but the movie has added appeal because of its cinematography by Robert Patrick Stern. Colors are muted but spooky, as if to reflect the quietness of Claire and also the evil darkness that she has within her. And Claire is sometimes filmed from angles below and from the side that give the perspective of an observer who might know all of her secrets.

The way that Claire dresses (knee-high socks, velvet jackets in autumn colors) and wears her makeup (with a cat eyeliner look) evokes the aura of femme fatales of early 1970s horror movies, such as “Daughters of the Darkness” and “The Red Queen Kills Seven Times.” “The Stylist’s” musical score (by Nicholas Elert) has a similarly retro vibe to it. The “shabby chic” production design by Sarah Sharp is also perfect for this movie, since many of the characters in the film look like the type of people who hunt for fashionably vintage items for home decorations and to give as gifts.

Although there’s a lot of familiarity to this serial killer story, what stands out about “The Stylist” is that some of the characters that you would think would be killed end up not getting killed, while other characters have surprise murders. (Writer/director Gervargizian has a cameo as one of Claire’s murder victims.)

Claire comes across to many people as meek and unassuming, but her disturbed mental state comes out when she’s alone and babbling to herself. Townsend convincingly handles these scenes in a way that doesn’t become a laughable parody of mental illness. She brings a certain authentic humanity to the role that might make some viewers feel a little bit of sympathy for Claire. Gervargizian, who’s been a hair stylist in real life, also vividly captures the disarming comfort that comes from being in the care of a hair stylist, such as the close-ups of hair getting transformed in the hands of professionals and the feeling of elation that customers have when they like the results of what’s been done to their hair.

“The Stylist” is not a fast-paced movie but it’s not dragged down by dullness either. Under the skillful direction of Gevargizian, the movie takes a dark and harrowing look at what it must be like for a serial killer to lead a double life and hide in plain sight. In between the murder and the mayhem is a person who goes about a seemingly mundane and routine life. In its own disquieting way, “The Stylist” exposes that a serial killer who has a veneer of “normality” can be much more terrifying than an obvious, out-of-control psycho.

UPDATE: Arrow Video will release “The Stylist” for streaming on its website in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom on March 1, 2021. The movie’s VOD, digital and Blu-ray release date will be on June 8, 2021.

Review: ‘Rent-A-Pal,’ starring Brian Landis Folkins, Wil Wheaton, Kathleen Brady and Amy Rutledge

September 24, 2020

by Carla Hay

Brian Landis Folkins and Wil Wheaton in “Rent-A-Pal” (Photo courtesy of IFC Films/IFC Midnight)

“Rent-A-Pal”

Directed by Jon Stevenson

Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in Denver in 1990, the horror flick “Rent-A-Pal” features an all-white cast representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A lonely 40-year-old bachelor buys a mysterious “Rent-A-Pal” video, featuring a “pep talk” guy who might or nor might not have sinister intentions. 

Culture Audience: “Rent-A-Pal” will appeal primarily to people who like horror films that have a retro setting, but viewers have to be willing to tolerate the movie’s biggest flaws, which are the uneven pacing and a disappointing ending.

Amy Rutledge and Brian Landis Folkins in “Rent-A-Pal” (Photo courtesy of IFC Films/IFC Midnight)

Before Internet dating existed, some people in the VHS video era watched videotapes of potential partners through companies that provided these dating services. This video dating service is the catalyst for the story of “Rent-A-Pal,” an uneven and somewhat disappointing horror film that’s the feature-film debut of writer/director Jon Stevenson, who also edited the movie and is one of the film’s producers. It’s not a horrible movie, but there’s a big tonal disconnect between most of the film and what happens in the movie’s final scenes.

“Rent-A-Pal” takes place in Denver in 1990. The central character is a lonely, unemployed 40-year-old bachelor named David Brower (played by Brian Landis Folkins), who lives with his cranky, 73-year-old widowed mother Lucille (played by Kathleen Brady), who is suffering from early stages of dementia. They both live off of her Social Security and disability income.

There are times when Lucille is lucid and aware of reality. But many other times, her dementia makes her think that she’s young and that her husband Frank is still alive. She often mistakes David for Frank, who died almost 10 years ago. Sometimes David corrects her over this mistaken identity, and sometimes he doesn’t.

David is very much a stereotypical, unemployed middle-aged bachelor who lives with his mother. He lives in a “man cave” basement, where he likes to watch TV and movies. And because David is his mother’s only 24-hour-a-day caretaker, it doesn’t leave much room for him to have a social life. The movie gives a little bit of backstory on what David was like before this story took place. What is revealed is that he’s been a nerdy loner for pretty much all of his life.

Six months before this story takes place, David had signed up for a video dating service called Video Rendezvous, which is headquartered in Denver. The way that the service works is that members rent VHS videotapes of potential partners. In each videotape, there’s a series of video introductions by different potential partners. If the person renting the video sees anyone who might be a good match, they tell the dating service, which will then contact that person, who will then decide whether or not to contact the suitor who’s interested in meeting them.

The beginning of the movie shows David watching a “potential partners” videotape from Video Rendezvous, but no one interests him. One woman named Carla wants a macho man, which obviously doesn’t describe David. Another woman named Meg has a puppet with her, which is too weird even for eccentric David. Another woman named Susan seems like she could be a good match, because she says she loves snuggling up with someone to watch movies, but then she says she’s not interested in a man who lives in his parents’ basement.

These vignettes are examples of the movie’s low-key humor, which are sprinkled throughout the film. This humor isn’t enough to help when “Rent-A-Pal” goes off the rails at the end, but it’s an amusing touch to a mostly somber and dreary film. A lot of screen time is spent on scenes of David doing one of two things: being miserable at home or going to Video Rendezvous.

So far, David hasn’t had any potential partner in the dating service who’s requested to meet him. It’s why David goes to Video Rendezvous headquarters to update and improve his video introduction, where he has to give a brief summary of himself and what he’s looking for in a partner. He does this video update at the suggestion of a Video Rendezvous employee named Diane (played by Adrian Egolf), whose perky persona might remind people of the Flo character in those Progressive Insurance commercials.

Diane seems to be doing double duty at the company as a receptionist and a salesperson. Her chirpy demeanor doesn’t hide that she’s more concerned about making sales than she is about the feelings of the customers she’s dealing with in person or over the phone. When David goes to Video Rendezvous, Diane is attentive to him only when he’s going to spend money, because other times she can be a little dismissive.

David’s updated video session goes pretty badly, because he’s nervous and awkward in the video. When David asks if he can redo the video, the camera man (played by Josh Staab) lies to David and tells him it’s a great video. The reason why the camera man wants David to leave is because he’s got other customers to attend to and he doesn’t want David to take up any more of his time.

These are examples that the movie shows of how someone like David often feels “invisible” and made to feel not as important as other people. And we all know what can happen in horror movies (and in real life) when socially awkward loners feel ignored and mistreated and a lot of rage builds up inside of them. It’s all pretty obvious at this point where the movie is going to go.

In the meantime, during this visit to Video Rendezvous, while Diane is on the phone and ignoring David, he sees a pile of videotapes for sale next to the receptionist’s desk. One of the tapes is called “Rent-A-Pal.” David is curious, so he buys the video.

David takes the “Rent-A-Pal” video home and starts playing it. It’s essentially a video of a middle-aged guy named Andy (played by Wil Wheaton), who sits alone in a room and pretends to talk to the viewer. Andy introduces himself, asks the viewer some questions, and gives pre-fabricated lines, with the necessary pauses, to simulate that a conversation is taking place between Andy and the viewer.

Andy uses only a few props in his act. One of the props is a phone that’s on a nearby table. When the phone occasionally rings, Andy picks up the phone and then hangs up without talking to the other person on the other line. It’s so Andy can show the viewer that the viewer has Andy’s undivided attention. Another prop he uses is a camera, so he can take “selfies” with the viewer.

At first, David doesn’t have much interest in “Rent-A-Pal” when he watches the video. But over time, David becomes so obsessed with the “Rent-A-Pal” video that he knows all the lines by heart. The movie has scenes that keep returning to David watching the video, so that bit by bit, more of David’s backstory comes out when Andy asks him questions about his life.

David’s father Frank was a jazz musician who frequently traveled, so David was raised primarily by his mother. As the story goes on, in David’s “conversations” with Andy, viewers find out that David’s mother Lucille was frequently abusive to David. He loves his mother and is very devoted to her, but David also shows signs of deep resentment against her.

And when David was in sixth grade, he had a humiliating experience involving a girl named Jane whom he had a crush on at the time. Something happened that involved Jane (which won’t be described in this review), and David ended up being wrongfully punished. That experience traumatized him. It explains why he seems to be shy and self-conscious when it comes to dating.

Throughout the movie, much is made of the VHS videotape aesthetic. There are many closeups of the grainy look of well-worn tapes, as well as closeups of what tape looks like inside a VCR. There’s also a nod to reel-to-reel films, when David watches porn on this type of film projector. It should come as no surprise that his mother Lucille is very uptight and repressive (which almost always seems to be the case in horror movies where a bachelor lives with his mother), so it’s very predictable what happens in a scene where Lucille catches David masturbating.

Life gets better for David when he meets a younger, mild-mannered woman named Lisa (played by Amy Rutledge) through the Video Rendezvous dating service. After a disappointing missed connection, Lisa agrees to meet David for a date. Lisa seems to be David’s ideal woman, because she and David have so much in common. Lisa is shy, is interested in movies, loves jazz music, and she works as a caregiver in a nursing home. David and Lisa’s first date is at a skating rink, and the date goes very well.

But this wouldn’t be a horror movie without something going terribly wrong. In “Rent-A-Pal,” it seems as if Andy knows what’s going on in David’s life and he’s jealous that David might have found a girlfriend. When David watches “Rent-A-Pal,” Andy begins to talk to David off of the pre-recorded script, and Andy gets very angry if he thinks that David isn’t paying enough attention to him. The movie leaves it open to interpretation if these conversations are happening for a supernatural reason or if it’s all in David’s head because he might be mentally unraveling.

Because David and Lisa’s burgeoning romance comes so late in the movie, this “unhinged” side of Andy also comes very late in the film. Therefore, what happens in the final scenes seems very rushed. There are abrupt shifts in the movie’s tone and pacing, as well as in the personalities of certain characters. These rapid changes don’t look genuine or earned, given the way that the previous majority of the movie was filmed.

And unfortunately, Folkins’ acting falters in the last scenes of the movie, which are supposed to be the most impactful parts of this story. Folkins does an adequate job for most of the movie when his acting style is about “realism,” but then his acting style shifts to “over-the-top,” and it’s just not convincing. Because the movie rests largely on what the David character does, the quality of the movie is lowered when the lead actor has such a noticeable change in acting style and the result is an unnecessary mess.

Wheaton does a good job in making people guess how evil Andy might or might not be. Considering that Wheaton doesn’t have much to do in this movie but act alone in a room, it’s a fairly impressive accomplishment. Fortunately, “Rent-A-Pal” didn’t copy the horror film “The Ring” and have Andy crawling out of the television set, because it would’ve been a bad decision to rip off this idea. Brady and Rutledge are very good in their roles, but they are essentially supporting characters who don’t have as much screen time as David does.

However, “Rent-A-Pal” ultimately falls short because it couldn’t quite decide what type of movie it wanted to be. The majority of the film looks like it could have been a disturbing psychological study, much like Robin Williams’ 2002 movie “One Hour Photo.” But then, “Rent-A-Pal” went down a very unimaginative and cliché horror path toward the end of the film, where unoriginal bloody violence destroys the compelling psychological portrait that was being painted.

IFC Films/IFC Midnight released “Rent-A-Pal” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on September 11, 2020.

Review: ‘Antebellum,’ starring Janelle Monáe

September 18, 2020

by Carla Hay

Janelle Monáe in “Antebellum” (Photo by Matt Kennedy/Lionsgate)

“Antebellum”

Directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz

Culture Representation: Taking place in various parts of the American South, the horror film “Antebellum” has a cast of African American and white people representing the middle-class and working-class.

Culture Clash: The world of a successful, modern-day African American woman is somehow linked to a Southern plantation where she and other African Americans are mistreated and abused as slaves.

Culture Audience: “Antebellum” will appeal primarily to people who might think that a horror movie about the brutality of slavery would have some insightful social commentary, but the horrific abuse in the film is mostly exploitation.

Gabourey Sidibe, Janelle Monáe and Lily Cowles in “Antebellum” (Photo by Matt Kennedy/Lionsgate)

You can almost hear the gimmick pitch that got “Antebellum” made into a movie: “Let’s make a horror film that’s like ’12 Years a Slave’ meets ‘Get Out.'” Unfortunately, “Antebellum” is nowhere near the quality or merit of the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave” and “Get Out,” even though QC Entertainment (one of the production companies behind “Get Out”) is a production company for “Antebellum.”

The sad reality is that “Antebellum” just seems like an exploitative cash grab to attract Black Lives Matter supporters, but the movie is really a “bait and switch,” because there’s almost no social consciousness in the movie and nothing to be learned from the story. “Antebellum” is actually a very soulless and nonsensical horror flick that uses slavery as a way to just have repetitive scenes of African Americans being sadistically beaten, strangled and raped.

Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, who have a background in directing commercials, co-wrote and co-directed “Antebellum,” which is their feature-film debut. Normally, it’s not necessary to mention the race of a filmmaker when reviewing a movie. But because “Antebellum” is about the triggering and controversial topics of racism, slavery and the exploitation of African Americans, it should be noted that Bush is African American and Renz is white.

Just because an African American co-wrote and co-directed this movie doesn’t excuse the problematic way that racist violence against African Americans is depicted in the movie. “Antebellum” has this racist violence for violence’s sake, with little regard to making any of the slaves, except for the movie’s main character, have any real substance. It’s the equivalent of a mindless slasher film that doesn’t care about having a good plot or well-rounded characters but just takes perverse pleasure in seeing how the victims get attacked, tortured and possibly killed.

The movie doesn’t waste any time showing this cruel violence, since the opening scene is of a male slave named Eli (played by Tongayi Chirisa) being separated from his love partner/wife named Amara (played by Achok Majak) by a group of plantation supervisors in Confederate military uniforms. The group is led by the evil racist Captain Jasper (played by Jack Huston), who takes pleasure in torturing Amara, who is lassoed with a rope around the neck when she tries to run away in the cotton field. You can easily guess what happens next.

People who’ve seen any “Antebellum” trailers or clips might wonder why the movie’s protagonist (played by Janelle Monáe) seems to be in two different worlds: In one world, she’s a slave on a plantation during the Civil War era. In another world, she’s a present-day, happily married mother of a young daughter.

To explain why she exists in these two worlds would be a major spoiler for the movie. But it’s enough to say that the explanation comes about halfway through the film, and it creates questions that are never really answered by the end of the movie. “Antebellum” is supposed to take place in different unnamed cities in the South. The movie was actually filmed in New Orleans.

In the plantation world, Monáe is a quietly defiant slave who is secretly planning to escape with some other slaves. She has been named Eden by the plantation’s sadistic owner who goes by the name “Him” (played by Eric Lange), who assaults her and burns her with a hot branding iron until she agrees that her name is Eden. Later, he rapes her. The real name of “Him” is revealed later in the movie.

We don’t see Eden do much plotting to escape in the movie, mainly because the slaves have been ordered not to talk to each other or else they will be punished. It’s implied that Eden is the self-appointed leader of this escape plan because another slave named Julia (played by Kiersey Clemons) arrives at the plantation and expects Eden to fill her in on the escape details.

Julia, who is pregnant, tells Eden that she heard that Eden is from Virginia. Julia says that she’s from North Carolina. Eden replies, “Wherever you came from before here, you need to forget North Carolina.” Julia says, “That’s not possible for me. What are we doing? What’s the plan?” Eden responds, “We must choose are own wisely. But until then, we must keep our heads down and our mouths shut.”

Later, when Julia becomes frustrated by what she thinks is Eden stalling or not doing anything to implement the escape plan, she angrily says to Eden: “You ain’t no leader. You’re just a talker.” And since Julia is pregnant, you can bet her pregnancy will be used as a reason to make any violence against her more heinous.

Meanwhile, Captain Jasper has an equally racist wife named Elizabeth (played by Jena Malone), who is as ice-cold as her husband is quick-tempered. It’s implied, but not said outright, that she knows he rapes the female slaves. In an early scene in the movie, Elizabeth recoils when Jasper leans in to kiss her. She sniffs, as if to smell him, and says with a slightly disgusted tone, “Hmm. You started early.”

Meanwhile, the modern-day character played by Monáe is a sociologist and best-selling author named Veronica Henley, whose specialty is in social justice issues related to race. And in this story, she’s promoting her book “Shedding the Coping Persona,” which is about marginalized people learning to be their authentic selves instead of pretending to be something they’re not to please their oppressors. Veronica is well-educated (she has a Ph. D. and is a graduate of Spelman College and Columbia University) and she’s happily married. She’s prominent enough to have debates on national TV about topics such as racism and African American empowerment.

Veronica and her husband Nick (played by Marque Richardson) have an adorable daughter who’s about 5 or 6 years old named Kennedi (played by London Boyce), who’s very inquisitive and perceptive. After the family watches a debate-styled interview that Veronica did on TV with a conservative white male pundit (whose profession is listed “eugenics expert/professor”), Kennedi asks Veronica why the man was so angry. Veronica replies, “Sometimes what looks like anger is really just fear.”

Nick is the type of doting husband and father who will make breakfast for Veronica and Kennedi. Meanwhile, Veronica confides in her sassy single friend Dawn (played by Gabourey Sidibe) that she often feels guilty about being away from home when she has to work. Dawn reassures Veronica that she’s a great wife and mother and tells Veronica not to be too hard on herself. (Dawn, who is assertive and outspoken, has some of the best and funniest lines in the movie.)

Veronica has to go out of town to attend an African American-oriented conference called VETA, where she is a guest speaker. Dawn lives in the area, so they make plans to have dinner with Dawn’s friend Sarah (played by Lily Cowles), who is also single and available. Before Veronica meets up with them, she gets a bouquet of flowers delivered to her at her hotel. The flowers have a note that says, “Look forward to your homecoming.”

Veronica assumes that the gift is from Nick. But since this is a horror movie, viewers can easily figure out that Nick did not send those flowers. Some other strange things happen in the hotel room when Veronica isn’t there. And then, something happens after that dinner that explains how the plantation world and the modern world are connected.

Monáe does an adequate job in the role that she’s been given. And the movie’s cinematography, production design and costume design are actually very good. The actors who play the racists predictably portray them as caricatures of evil. The insidiousness of a lot of racists is that they hide their hate with fake smiles and polite mannerisms to the people they hate, but there’s no such subtlety in this story, since all of the villains are revealed early on in the story.

The biggest problem with “Antebellum” is the screenplay. The ending of the movie is absolutely ludicrous and it actually makes the African Americans in the story look dumb for not taking certain actions that could have been taken earlier. Therefore, “Antebellum” isn’t as uplifting to African Americans as it likes to think it is.

The tone of the movie is also uneven, because the slavery scenes are absolutely dark and brutal. But then the scenes with Sidibe and her sitcom-ish character are very out of place and dilute the intended horror of the movie. Sidibe is very good in the role, but the Dawn character was written as too comedic for this type of movie. And huge stretches of “Antebellum” are just plain boring, with no real suspense.

However, the main ridiculousness of “Antebellum” goes back to that plantation and the secret that’s revealed at the end of the movie. If people want to see the horrors of slavery depicted in an Oscar-worthy narrative film, then watch “12 Years a Slave.” Don’t watch “Antebellum,” which uses slavery as an exploitative gimmick as the basis for this moronic and not-very-scary horror movie.

Lionsgate released “Antebellum” on VOD on September 18, 2020.

2020 Fantastic Fest: programming slate announced

September 10, 2020

“The Boy Behind the Door” (Photo courtesy of Fantastic Fest)

The following is a press release from Fantastic Fest:

Fantastic Fest has gone virtual for a celebration of everything we love about the annual event: live online versions of classics like “Fantastic Feud” and “100 Best Kills,” badass repertory rediscoveries, and world premieres of the finest genre cinema 2020 has to offer. To make the party accessible to loyal fans and newbies alike, all new features and live events will be available FREE to view on the Alamo On Demand platform for anyone in the United States.

“Despite the many hardships 2020 has thrown our way, the Fantastic Fest team knew we needed to stick to our mission of celebrating and championing genre films from bold, diverse voices – new filmmakers and treasured alumni alike.” says Fantastic Fest programmer Logan Taylor. “While we have a much smaller selection than in previous years, we’re delighted to showcase 15 films that express our brand loudly and proudly.”
The festival will be bookended by unique spins on the werewolf film: opening with the charming and irreverent TEDDY by France’s Boukherma brothers and closing with Amelia Moses’s haunting thriller BLOODTHIRSTY (on the night of the full moon, no less)! If you’re still hungry for more werewolves after that one-two punch, join us for the Texas Premiere of Jim Cummings’ newest, THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW, on October 8th at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane!

While this year’s slate may be more modest in scope, every film captures the spirit of Fantastic Fest in its own unique way. Featuring 5 world premieres (with an additional 2 world premiere restorations) and 4 shorts blocks featuring 36 short films, the lineup amplifies talented female, queer, and racially diverse creatives from all over the globe. We might all be stuck on the couch, but we are still excited to bring a sampling of world-class films you’ve come to expect from Fantastic Fest directly to your home.

Quite fittingly and presciently, a theme of isolation and its transformational effects plays heavily throughout the lineup. So, in the spirit of Fantastic Fest and this theme, let’s make the most of the strange world we’re living in, come together through a virtual celebration, and enjoy some damn fine cinema!

All new features will be available FREE on our Alamo On Demand Platform for fans in the United States. Repertory titles will be available at special rates throughout the week-long celebration. We will also be presenting two exclusive in-theater-only screenings, Brandon Cronenberg’s highly anticipated POSSESSOR on September 23rd and Jim Cummings’ THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW on October 8th. The festival is also excited to welcome back Fantastic Fest alum Mickey Reece with a new documentary short MICKEY REECE’S BELLE ÎSLE screening in the the SHORTS WITH LEGS short film sidebar – stay tuned for an upcoming Alamo On Demand announcement following the premiere of the short about a collection of his films to be made available for the first time.

The Celebration of Fantastic Fest will be offering a number of interactive virtual film screenings with Scener, a watch party platform that enables millions of participants to simultaneously enjoy films together over immersive live video chat. This integration is built into the Alamo On Demand platform that will go live at Fantastic Fest and remain in partnership with AOD, providing public or private co-watching parties that are synchronized in real-time and paired with video, audio and text chat. Fantastic Fest interactive screenings will be taking viewers from preshow to a hosted intro, through the film, and all the way to the Q&A for a fully synced and effortless experience participants.

FEATURE FILMS

Secret Screening

World Premiere of the 4K Restoration

A special re-discovery of an explosive, death-defying, bullet-riddled, grenade-launching, flame-broiled, anti-human megattack. Free to view during the live secret screening and available for Virtual Cinema rental on Alamo On Demand afterwards.

Bloodthirsty

Canada, 2020

World Premiere, 82 min

Director: Amelia Moses

When indie singer Grey struggles to write her sophomore album, she teams up with a mysterious producer at his secluded cabin. Though their bond strengthens her music, it also starts to irreparably alter Grey’s body and mind.

The Boy Behind the Door

USA, 2020

World Premiere, 88 min

Directors: David Charbonier and Justin Powell

After Bobby and his best friend Kevin are kidnapped and taken to a strange house in the middle of nowhere, Bobby manages to escape. But as he starts to make a break for it, he hears Kevin’s screams for help and realizes he can’t leave his friend behind.

Cyst

USA, 2020

World Premiere, 69 min

Director: Tyler Russell

George Hardy (TROLL 2) stars as an overly-ambitious and just-a-little-crazy doctor who accidentally unleashes a giant, man-eating cyst that terrorizes the office in this horrifically funny deluge of gooey special effects.

Daughters of Darkness

Belgium/France/West Germany, 1971

World Premiere of the 4K Restoration from Blue Underground, 87 min

Director: Harry Kümel

The classic lesbian vampire tale reignites the screen as the lives of a young newlywed couple take a dramatically sexy turn after their paths cross with Elizabeth Báthory in a deserted Belgian hotel.Special Event: An interview with director Harry Kümel, moderated by Kat Ellinger.

Girl

USA, 2020

US Premiere, 92 min

Director: Chad Faust

When Girl (Bella Thorne) sets out to a no-name small town to track down her deadbeat father, she finds herself wrapped up in a situation far more dangerous and twisted than she expected.


How to Deter a Robber

USA, 2020

World Premiere, 81 min

Director: Maria Bissell

Two teens playing amateur detectives get more than they bargained for when they investigate the wrong cabin in this darkly comedic romp.


Laughter

Canada, 2020

International Premiere, 124 min

Director: Martin Laroche

Léane Labrèche-Dor gives an unforgettable performance as a woman who struggles with survivor guilt following a civil war in Quebec.

The Old Man Movie

Estonia, 2019

US Premiere, 87 min

Directors: Mikk Mägi & Oskar Lehemaa

Three children must aid their deranged grandfather in recovering his prized cow to prevent a rural cataclysm in this surreal and hysterically scatalogical stop-motion comedy.

Possessor

UK, Canada 2020

Texas Premiere, 103 min

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

In Brandon Cronenberg’s latest gore soaked sci-fi thriller, identity theft takes on a new meaning as corporate assassins can virtually take over other people to carry out their kills. Special Event: Join us before our official celebration for a special in-theater premiere September 23rd


The Queen of Black Magic

Indonesia, 2019

North American Premiere, 99 min

Director: Kimo Stamboel

Childhood friends Hanif, Jefri, and Anton take their families on a trip to the orphanage where they grew up to pay their final respects to the man who raised them. But they’ll soon discover that the secrets from their past refuse to stay buried.


The Stylist

USA, 2020

World Premiere, 105 min

Director: Jill Gevargizian

Few things in life hold more promise than a new hairstyle. But the women who visit stylist Claire’s chair get more than they bargained for, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “extreme makeover” in Jill Gevargizian’s first feature film, based on her acclaimed 2016 short.

Teddy

France, 2020

International Premiere, 88 min

Directors: Ludovic Boukherma & Zoran Boukherma

In a rural French town, twenty-something Teddy is scratched by an unknown beast and slowly undergoes frightening changes

AGFA presents Triple Fisher: The Lethal Lolitas of Long Island

USA, 2012

Austin Premiere of HD Restoration

Director: Dan Kapelovitz

Drew Barrymore, Alyssa Milano, and Noelle Parker are Amy Fisher in this meta-melodramatic mashup of three TV movies that would make Brian De Palma proud.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow

USA, 2020

Texas Premiere, 84 min

Director: Jim Cummings

A small mountain town full of quirky characters is thrown into chaos when dead bodies start piling up after every full moon in Jim Cummings’ supremely fun foray into horror.

Special Event: Join us after our official celebration for a special in-theater premiere, October 8th at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane.

SHORT FILMS

FANTASTIC SHORTS

A celebration of some of the year’s most fantastic short film offerings, spanning a myriad of genres and sensibilities.

Blocks 

Dir. Bridget Moloney, USA

Forbidden to See Us Scream in Tehran 

Dir. Farbod Ardebili, Iran/USA, World Premiere

I Love Your Guts 

Dir. David Janove, USA, Texas Premiere

Jack and Jo Don’t Want Die 

Dir. Kantú Lentz, USA, Texas Premiere

Please Hold

 Dir. KD Davila, USA, World Premiere

Solution For Sadness 

Dir. Marc Martínez Jordán & Tuixén Benet Cosculluela, Spain, World Premiere

(You’ll Make It In) Florida 

Dir. Phil Chemyak, USA, Texas Premiere


SHORT FUSE

A parade of short-form horror in all its permutations, from “Boo!” to “Eww!”

Abracitos 

Dir. Tony Morales, Spain, US Premiere

Blitzkrieg 

Dir. Alexander Lemus Gadea, Spain, World Premiere

Fish Whiskers 

Dir. Roney, Canada, World Premiere

Great Choice 

Dir. Robin Comisar, USA

Heat 

Dir. Thessa Meijer, The Netherlands, Texas Premiere

Milk Teeth 

Dir. Felipe Vargas, USA, Texas Premiere

Mime 

Dir. Ruwan Heggelman, The Netherlands, Austin Premiere

Mourn 

Dir. Joanna Tsanis, Canada, World Premiere

Otttie Dir. Paola Ossa, USA, Texas Premiere

Stuck Dir. David Mikalson, USA, World Premiere

The Three Men You Meet at Night 

Dir. Beck Kitsis, USA, Texas Premiere

SHORTS WITH LEGS

The experimental and the esoteric; shorts that upset conventions and defy expectations.

Düsseldorf 

Dir. Mike Lars White, USA, Texas Premiere

Emergency Action Plan 

Dir. Dylan Redford, USA, Texas Premiere

Hipolita Dir. Everardo Felipe, Mexico, World Premiere

How to Re-Caulk Your Tub 

Dir. Sean Pierce, USA, Austin Premiere

Lusty Crest Dir. Kati Skelton, USA

Mickey Reece’s Belle Île 

Dir. Mickey Reece, USA, World Premiere

They Salivate Dir. Arianne Boukerche, France, Austin Premiere

Unfinished Business 

Dir. Mary Dauterman, USA, Texas Premiere

DRAWN AND QUARTERED

After a 6-year hiatus, Fantastic Fest’s animation showcase returns!

Ghost Dogs 

Dir. Joe Cappa, USA, US Premiere

Homo ErecTattoos 

Dir. Tae-woo KIM, South Korea, US Premiere

Jimi 

Dir. Joren Cull, Canada, World Premiere

A Night in Camp Heebie Jeebie 

Dir. Dylan Chase, USA, Texas Premiere

Pilar 

Dir. Yngwie Boley, J.J. Epping & Diana van Houten, The Netherlands/Belgium, US Premiere

Routine: The Prohibition 

Dir. Sam Orti, Spain, US Premiere

The Shawl 

Dir. Sara Kiener, USA

Star Crossed 

Dir. Jon Frier, USA, Texas Premiere

Thin Blue Variety Show 

Dir. Gretta Wilson, USA, Texas Premiere

Tomorrow I Will Be Dirt: Scenes From the Afterlife of Lothar Schramm 

Dir. Robert Morgan, UK, North American Premiere

PARTIES AND EVENTS

“Fantastic Fest’s special events, parties and amiable mayhem are among the things that set it apart from any other festival,” says Zack Carlson, Creative Producer. “Any celebration of FF absolutely needs to include those traditions, and though the cold fist of 2020 may prohibit us from having a food fight or demolition derby, we’re still here to bring the good-natured chaos.”

Master Pancake: Invasion of the Bee Girls

USA, 1973

Director: Denis Sanders

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Master Pancake, John Erler, Owen Egerton and friends are revising one of the very first films they ever roasted back in the year 2000.

100 Best Kills: Decapattack!

FF’s life-defying clip show returns from the grave with a dazzling onslaughter of the 100 finest decapitations in the nation!

Fantastic Fest Triviadome

The Drafthouse’s beloved movie trivia night returns just for Fantastic Fest! Start coming up with your clever team name now and study up! Featuring a round in honor of Fantastic Fest tradition Nerd Rap, written and performed by superstars of years past.

Fantastic Feud

Filmmakers, journalists and various other movie megamasters collide in this no-holds-barred deathride of useless cinematic information and on-screen in(s)anity, all masterminded by Triviadome’s teeny-tiny host Maxim Pozderac.

King of Movies: The Leonard Maltin Game Challenge

Beat the Hollywood screenwriters and win glory and an exclusive Mondo Prize Pack! Enter to play against a trio of Fantastic Fest Favorite writers in Mondo’s brand new game KING OF MOVIES.

For 51 years, Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide served as the film geek’s Holy Bible, an annually updated softcover brick of a reference book, packed with thoughtful, witty, and occasionally weird capsule reviews of thousands of films. Those synopses are at the heart of King of Movies: The Leonard Maltin Game, a tabletop casual party game of creative invention and hilarious deception.

In King of Movies, it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen every film ever made or if you’ve never seen a movie in your life. The fun is in the fibbing. One player reads a movie title and the other players invent a short synopsis in Leonard Maltin’s unique style, with the goal being to trick the other players into thinking theirs is the real Maltin review. If you choose the real Maltin or you fool another player, you score.

IMMERSIVE SHOWCASE

Harkening back to the Satanic Panic Escape Room, VR debuts and Mondo Games First Looks of years past, this year features hand-picked selections of the best virtual escape rooms from around the world, curated by Cara Mandel (Story Experience Producer, Meow Wolf and Co-founder/CEO, Interwoven Immersive, Inc.) and Rachel Walker (Head of Programming & Creative, Drafthouse LA).

“As someone who was on track to completing 120 physical escape rooms, I was initially skeptical of how this beloved artform could be adapted to virtual play.” Says Mandel, “but I can now confidently say that these remote escape rooms are emerging as an exciting new artform unto itself. It has opened up this world to players internationally and is proving that innovative creators will thrive in any format. I’m so excited to be able to shine a spotlight on just a handful of the many wonderful online experiences available right now.”

Adds Walker, “The five selected experiences represent how escapes have adapted to the virtual space, in many cases providing an experience that simply could not be replicated in a physical room alone. It’s a thrill to be able to highlight them and support an industry going so outside of the box with narrative storytelling.”

All rooms will be keeping Fantastic Fest only scoreboards, with top times announced each day.                        

How to book: At 10:00 AM PST on Sept 11th, anyone who purchased a 2020 Fantastic Fest Badge prior to cancellation of our badged event will be sent an email with instructions on how to book the rooms at a discounted rate and have 72 hours to book. After 72 hours, instructions will be posted on FantasticFest.com and on Fantastic Fest socials. After another 48 hours, the Fantastic Fest holds on those slots will be opened up to the general public. Tickets will be booked directly through the rooms’ individual ticketing sites, so 100% of the ticket price will be going straight to the creators.

EVIL DEAD 2 REMOTE ESCAPE ROOM

Created by Hourglass Escapes (Washington)

Synopsis: You get a strange email from your paranormal investigation group “Gnostic Research of the Occult, Omens, Vampires, and Yetis” aka G.R.O.O.V.Y. Seems your leader decided to break into the old Knowby cabin and can’t escape…You and your team must guide him via his ghost gear technology through this misadventure so he can escape and find a way return the evil dead to their realm and escape before the cabin is sucked into the time-space vortex forever.                                                                                   

THE TRUTH ABOUT EDITH                                                      

Created by Mad Genius Escape Rooms (Oregon)

Synopsis: ​You may recognize Edith Humphreys, your sweet neighbor with 24 cats. You may have even helped her out, snooped around her apartment. But there’s something about Edith that doesn’t quite add up… she looks way younger than she is, she says she was born in 1902 but that she’s 97 years young… and she lives at a business called Mad Genius Escapes?! What is going on here…The Truth About Edith is an hour-long, cooperative, timed adventure sprinkled with interactive theater and a good dose of humor! This game is an eccentric mix of a video game, an escape room, and a great who-done-it story.         

EXORCIST ONLINE

Created by: Emergency Exits (Manchester, UK)

Synopsis: Exorcist Online will take you deep into the history of Crowley manor which was last owned by the infamous Aleister Crowley. You will join your tour guide via remote feed and control them on this haunted adventure. The real excitement is the history of Crowley’s mysteries and puzzles. This house has been famous throughout history as there have been many disappearances over the years. It is said that Aleister Crowley is still trying to trick and trap his victims from beyond the Grave. Enjoy the tour but DO NOT out-stay your welcome.

PROJECT AVATAR

Created by Legendary Quest (Ukraine)

Synopsis: Avatar is a traveler of worlds, whose vocation is to maintain a balance of good and evil on earth. Having traveled into a parallel realm, Avatar needs help from the support team (you!) to complete the mission and survive! This fascinating interactive live- action race against the clock is stylized as a video game, complete with cut scenes and a HUD, reminiscent of titles like Duke Nukem, Half Life and Tomb Raider. Players use voice commands to navigate the hero across a 2000 square foot warehouse, and complete tasks that appear along the way. Non-linear gameplay allows for over 100 different variations of adventure.

PURSUIT OF THE ARTIST ASSASSIN

Created by: Omescape (California)

Synopsis: In Pursuit of the Assassin Artist, you will be teaming up with a secret agent to discover the secrets of the world-famous modern artist. A live-action room created just for the virtual space, Pursuit employs a unique function of your character being able to die and come back to life with all the knowledge acquired previously. This allows for unpredictable gameplay, keeping both your team and the live actors on their toes. Filled with innovative puzzles and easter eggs that win you achievements, this brand new room is a shining example of how to create a truly immersive experience for a virtual audience.                         

THE BEST OF FANTASTIC FEST SIX PACK ON ALAMO ON DEMAND

We have curated a collection of over 120 (and growing) of our favorite Fantastic Fest films on Alamo on Demand. The programming team has curated six of our favorite films from this collection and for the duration of September, we are offering this “Best of Fantastic Fest Six Pack” for 25% off purchase or rental. Check out the six pack and the complete collection here.
 

ATTEND: This year’s Celebration of Fantastic Fest is open to anyone within the United States, no badge necessary. The majority of films and events are FREE to access, though some have limited capacity and will require an RSVP in advance. Instructions for accessing these films and events will be provided closer to the event.

For a complete listing of films, events, and pricing details when applicable, simply visit www.fantasticfest.com and click on the film or event link.

For the latest developments, visit the Fantastic Fest official site www.fantasticfest.com and follow the festival on Facebook &Twitter.

Review: ‘La Llorona,’ starring María Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kenétic, Julio Díaz and María Telón

August 15, 2020

by Carla Hay

María Mercedes Coroy and María Telón in “La Llorona” (Photo courtesy of Shudder)

“La Llorona” 

Directed by Jayro Bustamante

Spanish and Kaqchikel with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in Guatemala, the horror film “La Llorona” has an all-Latino cast representing the wealthy and the working-class.

Culture Clash: A convicted war criminal and his family are haunted by the sins from his past.

Culture Audience: “La Llorona” will appeal to people who like horror films that have social commentary beyond the usual scares.

Sabrina De La Hoz in “La Llorana” (Photo courtesy of Shudder)

“La Llorona” (written and directed by Jayro Bustamante) goes where few horror movies have gone before, by taking a well-known folk story and giving it a new spin that’s a scathing commentary on human-rights violations committed during war. The movie should not be confused with the vastly inferior 2019 horror flick “The Curse of La Llorona,” a not-very-scary movie that got a lot of criticism for being a “whitewashed” Hollywood version of Hispanic folklore. Instead, “La Llorona” is much better than the average horror flick because it makes a bold statement about the aftermath of war and how the pain doesn’t end after the war is over.

The movie begins with a striking scene of several women gathered in a circle, with lit candles all around, and praying in a chanting manner asking an unknown entity: “Come back to us.” The next scene is of a group of men who are being told, “Remember, you are heroes, not victims.” They are also told that they should wear dark suits, as long as they’re not black suits, and they must never lower their heads.

What do these two groups of people have in common? It’s made clear later in the story, but most of the activity in the movie takes place in a wealthy family’s mansion that is experiencing a lot of emotional turmoil. The family patriarch is Enrique Monteverde (played by Julio Díaz), a former government army general in Guatemala’s civil war in the early 1980s, when General Efraín Ríos Montt’s totalitarian regime fought against insurgent armies (many of whom consisted of indigenous people) that wanted a more democratic rule.

Guatemala eventually made a new constitution allowing free and democratic elections in 1986. But the civil unrest in Guatemala resulted in thousands of people being tortured and killed, with indigenous people as the target of much of the government’s genocide. And decades later, Enrique is on trial for these war crimes that he is accused of committing in 1982 and 1983. 

While he is awaiting trial, Enrique and his family have been living a semi-sequestered life in the mansion. His family members in the household are his wife Carmen (played by Margarita Kenétic); their daughter Natalia (played by Sabrina De La Hoz); and Natalia’s daughter Sara (played by Ayla-Elea Hurtado), who’s about 9 or 10 years old. Sara is aware that her grandfather Enrique is a controversial public figure, because she asks her mother Natalia, “Why do people say bad things about my grandpa?” When Natalia asks Sara where she heard these things, Sara tells her that it’s been mostly on the Internet.

One night, Enrique wakes up to the sound of someone taking a shower and breathing heavily in a nearby bathroom. When he goes in the bathroom to investigate, no one is there. The movie has many symbolic and literal references to water and drowning, in a nod to the La Llorona folklore, which is about a ghost woman who’s tormented by the memory of drowning her two young sons.

Is Enrique delusional or was he just dreaming? It’s clear that he has some mental anguish because he’s so freaked out by what he hears in the bathroom that he takes his gun with him. And when his wife Carmen (played by Margarita Kenétic) checks up on him in the bathroom to see what’s going on, he thinks she’s an intruder and he shoots at her and barely misses. The bullet instead hits the bathroom door frame.

The family’s chief maid Valeriana (played by María Telón) has also gone to see what all the ruckus is about. But Enrique, in a state of panic, grabs Valeriana and holds her as if she’s a hostage. During the chaos, Enrique and Carmen’s daughter Natalia runs into the room and sees what’s going on and calls out for the family’s trusted security employee Letona (played by Juan Pablo Olyslager), who manages to get the gun away from Enrique and calm things down.

This disturbing incident was witnessed by several of the live-in servants, who are all indigenous people. The next day, they band together with Valeriana to tell Carmen and Natalia that they want to quit. But Carmen and Natalia convince the servants to stay, by telling them that no other employers will treat them as well as they’ve been treated by the Monteverde family. This scene can be considered symbolic of Spanish colonialism in Guatemala, where indigenous people were kept subservient by Spanish invaders, who believed that they knew what was best for the native people.

It’s also the first real sign of the condescending attitude that Carmen and Natalia have toward people whom they considered “inferior” to them, especially if they are working-class and indigenous people. And it’s also the first indication of how Carmen and Natalia deny and enable Enrique’s bad behavior. Later in the story, it becomes apparent that Carmen is a lot worse than Natalia when it comes to the snobbery toward indigenous people and the covering up of Enrique’s crimes.

And the reason why Carmen has particular disdain for indigenous women is also revealed. (The reason why isn’t so surprising.) Carmen’s willingness to stay silent and cover up for her husband, in order to maintain her outwardly privileged lifestyle, is an attitude that is very common with the spouses of powerful men who are corrupt. 

During the trial, people testify about the Guatemalan government army’s vicious torture and killings during the civil war in the early 1980s. One of the witnesses is a woman who testifies to being raped by government soldiers, who then murdered her family. Enrique’s attorney argues that Enrique never ordered the Guatemalan army to kill a specific race or religion. Enrique testifies that any actions he took were to help better establish a national identity.

Enrique is found guilty, and the verdict causes an eruption of chaos in and outside the courtroom. Enrique looks like he’s about to have a heart attack, so he is rushed to a hospital. A huge crowd outside celebrates the verdict. It’s a mob scene of protestors and media that follow the family back to their home. Letona advises that the family stay fully sequestered in their home until the situation dies down.

While Enrique is recuperating in a hospital, Natalia and Carmen have a private conversation at their home. Natalia starts to question Enrique’s mental stability and wonders if they should get him psychiatric help and possibly put him in a psychiatric institution, but Carmen is against the idea. Natalia is also disturbed by the testimony of the prosecution’s witnesses, because she believes them, and she wonders if her father participated in the atrocities that he was accused of ordering.

Carmen’s response is to tell Natalia that many of the women who claimed that they were raped were “whores” who offered themselves to the soldiers, and those who were raped were violated by lower-level soldiers. Carmen says that although Enrique was never a faithful husband, she implies that his military ranking was too high to be a common soldier raping people. Carmen then questions Natalia’s family loyalty by asking, “Which side are you on?” She also asks Natalia if she’s turning into a leftie Communist.

And when Enrique is released from the hospital, it’s another chaotic event with a large crowd of angry protestors surrounding the ambulance that takes Enrique home. It’s revealed later in the story that Enrique’s guilty verdict was overturned. Although he won’t be incarcerated for his crimes, his home has turned into another type of prison.

As the protestors are gathered outside the mansion, they shout angry statements during all hours of the day, but Carmen and Natalia appear to be stoic about all the mayhem. There’s a scene of them sunning themselves outside in their backyard (Natalia is meditating), as if they want to tune out all the uproar surrounding them. But things become dangerous, as the protests start to become violent, with objects being thrown at the house and through windows.

During all of this uproar, a young woman with big, haunting eyes suddenly appears in the crowd. She is let into the house by Valeriana. Her name is Alma (played by María Mercedes Coroy), who has come to work as a live-in maid for the Monteverde family. It isn’t explained why she is in now in the family’s life, but she knows Valeriana very well, so it’s implied that Valeriana is the one who helped get Alma the job.

Alma immediately develops a bond with Sara, who wants Alma to teach her how to hold her breath underwater. It’s soon revealed that Alma has had a tragic life: Her two children (a son and a daughter) have died, and her husband has disappeared. Natalia’s husband (Sara’s father) has also been missing for the last few years, with no signs of foul play. Enrique is convinced that Natalia’s husband abandoned her because her husband doesn’t love her anymore, which is a theory that he cruelly brings up to Natalie when she talks to Enrique about her missing spouse.

After Alma arrives in the household, more strange things starts happening. Carmen begins having nightmares. Enrique does something very creepy, which makes it obvious that he hasn’t changed his ways. And there’s a pet frog that Sara has grown attached to that ends up being the basis for a startling scene in the movie.

“La Llorona” is not the type of horror movie where someone gets attacked or killed every 15 minutes. Instead, the seeping and growing terror is more psychological, although there’s still some disturbing violence in the movie. Alma is the catalyst for many of the things that happen later in the story, but the movie’s emotional center is really Natalia, who becomes increasingly conflicted as she starts to find out that the man she thought her father was directly contradicts with who he actually is.

Writer/director Bustamante has impressively crafted a story not just about revenge for human atrocities but also family betrayal. “La Llorona” has many scenes that are visually striking, beginning with the opening scene, that will send chills up the spines of people watching the movie. And unlike a lot of horror movies, “La Llorona” will make people think about the social issues raised in the film. The movie vividly juxtaposes the brutalities of war with the torment caused by the aftermath of war—and the film makes people wonder which is worse.

Shudder premiered “La Llorona” on August 6, 2020.

Review: ‘Skin Walker,’ starring Amber Anderson, Udo Kier and Jefferson Hall

August 10, 2020

by Carla Hay

Amber Anderson in “Skin Walker” (Photo courtesy of Cleopatra Entertainment)

“Skin Walker” 

Directed by Christian Neuman

Culture Representation: Taking place in Europe, the horror film “Skin Walker” features an all-white cast representing the wealthy and the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A woman goes back to her family home to confront dark secrets in her family’s past.

Culture Audience: “Skin Walker” will appeal primarily to people who like convoluted but stylish-looking horror films.

Udo Kier in “Skin Walker” (Photo courtesy of Cleopatra Entertainment)

The horror film “Skin Walker” (written and directed by Christian Neuman) is best enjoyed if people know up front that it’s the type of movie where a scene that looks like reality could be a delusion of one of the characters. The truth is revealed at the end of the movie, but “Skin Walker” deliberately confuses and plays guessing games with viewers as part of the overall psychological horror that the film intends to convey.

The story, which takes place in an unnamed European country, is told from the perspective of Regine Kirk (played Amber Anderson), who’s in her late 20s and living in a big city. Regine is a semi-Goth-looking woman whose somber aura indicates that she’s not very happy with her life. The beginning of the movie shows her at a nightclub with other young people wearing a lot of black and dancing to industrial music. She spends the night with the guy that she was dancing with at the club, and he drops her off at home the next day. Is he her boyfriend or is he just a fling?

The next day, Regine goes to work in a factory, wearing the same drab uniform as her other co-workers. One day, when she goes home, the guy from the nightclub is there, which gives viewers the impression that he and Regine live together. His name is Jacob (played by Nicolas Godart), and he informs Regine that someone is there to visit her.

The unexpected visitor is a mysterious bearded man, who looks like he’s in his late 30s or early 40s His name is later revealed as Robert (played by Jefferson Hall), and he’s there to tell Regine some unsettling news: Her younger brother Isaac, who was believed to be dead, is really alive.

Regine emphatically tells Isaac that her brother is dead, while Robert tells Regine, “You look just like your mother.” Regine angrily asks Robert, “How do you know my mum? I’ve never seen you before in my life.” As proof that he knows Regine, he shows her a photo from the summer of 1998, when she was about 6 or 7 years old, that shows Regine, her mother and Robert together outside having a picnic on the grass.

Robert then drops another bombshell: He tells Regine that Isaac is his son. “He killed your grandmother,” Robert tells Regine. “They lied to you. He’ll start looking for you. You need to come home.” At this point, Regine is so upset that she wants Robert to leave, so Jacob throws Robert out of the apartment.

What Robert has told Regine has disturbed her so much that she decides to go back to her large family estate in the countryside to find out what really happened to Isaac, who was born when Regine was about 7 or 8 years old. Before she makes the trip, Regine visits her mother Rose (played by Sophie Mousel), who is living in a psychiatric institution, and tells her mother that she’s going home. Regine’s parents divorced years ago, when Rose left her husband for another man.

Regine goes home to the type of isolated mansion that is often seen in horror movies. It looks “normal” on the outside, but the inside is cold, dark and foreboding. Her father Claus (played by Udo Kier) is mourning the death of his mother (played by Marja-Leena Junker), who does not have a name in the movie. Robert has said that Regine’s grandmother was murdered by Isaac, but Claus denies it when Regine confronts him with this information.

It’s shown in the movie’s many flashbacks that Claus had a love/hate relationship with his domineering mother. Regine was an only child until Isaac was born. (Juliette Gillis plays Regine as a child in these flashbacks.) And there are lingering resentments over Rose’s infidelity, which essentially broke up the family.

Claus isn’t very happy to see his estranged daughter Regine, whose other reason for coming back home is to attend her grandmother’s funeral. Claus coldly tells Regine, “I’d never imagine that you’d set foot here again. I want you to leave after the funeral. You shouldn’t be here.”

Meanwhile, Robert is seen at a local bar getting drunk and babbling about his “lost son” Isaac and how he has to find him. Robert believes that Regine’s family secretly sent Isaac to live in an orphanage and that Isaac is now out to get revenge on the family. Robert is also seen showing up unannounced at the family home and asking Claus if anyone knows about their arrangement. Claus says no.

What exactly is this secret arrangement? And what was it about Isaac that caused the family to possibly reject him? It’s shown in flashbacks that Isaac was born with a severe deformity. When Robert sees Regine has come back to the area, they have another confrontation where she tells him, “Isaac died a few days after birth. I saw him. He was deformed and incapable of living.”

But is Isaac alive? And if he’s dead, what really happened to him? Those questions are answered by the end of the movie, which also has a strange character named Dr. Mantell (played by Luc Feit), who’s supposed to be Rose’s psychiatrist, but somehow he’s followed Regine to the countryside. Dr. Mantell begins stalking Regine, and he starts inflicting some terror on her.

“Skin Walker” is the feature-film debut of writer/director Neuman, who has a lot of talent in creating the right imagery for this Gothic-inspired horror film. There are many scenes that are very stylishly filmed by cinematographer Amandine Klee in ways that seem to be inspired by classic Dario Argento movies that have a rich color palette but dark overtones to never let viewers forget that they’ve stepped into an atmosphere of menace and treachery. And although many of the scenes take place outdoors or in the spacious mansion, the movie conveys a type of emotional claustrophobia that adds to the horror.

As Regine’s creepy father Claus, Kier is effective in his role, but he’s played these types of enigmatic and weird characters before, so there isn’t really too much of a surprise in his acting. The movie is really about Regine. Anderson gives a very chilling performance as a troubled woman whose inner turmoil unfolds like layers in the story, which takes viewers down a proverbial rabbit hole with her.

Because the movie plays tricks on viewers about what is real and what isn’t real in the story, “Skin Walker” might frustrate people who are expecting a more straightforward narrative in this horror film. It’s the type of movie that will grow on people if they think back to scenes where there were clues that something was off-kilter. Remembering the story in hindsight might compel people to watch the movie again to see how those clues were hiding in plain sight and how the confusing messiness of the narrative is actually just like a tangled web that makes more sense if you see how the points connect with each other.

Cleopatra Entertainment released “Skin Walker” on VOD on August 4, 2020.

Review: ‘A Deadly Legend,’ starring Corbin Bernsen, Judd Hirsch, Lori Petty, Kristen Anne Ferraro, Dwayne Thomas, Summer Crockett Moore and Tatiana Szpur

August 3, 2020

by Carla Hay

Kristen Anne Ferraro in “A Deadly Legend” (Photo courtesy of Gravitas Ventures)

“A Deadly Legend” 

Directed by Pamela Moriarty

Culture Representation: Taking place in the fictional Pilgrim County somewhere in the United States, the horror flick “A Deadly Legend” has a predominantly white cast (with a few African Americans and Asians and one Latino) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A group of people encounter a curse that’s lasted for centuries and involves a vengeful witch.

Culture Audience: “A Deadly Legend” will appeal primarily to people who like low-budget horror films that are so bad that they’re almost hilarious.

Summer Crockett Moore and Daniella DeCaro in “A Deadly Legend” (Photo courtesy of Gravitas Ventures)

The horror film “A Deadly Legend” is so amateurly made that it looks like something that people from a community theater decided to do in order to get a feature film credit on their résumés. “A Deadly Legend” is the first feature film directed by Pamela Moriarty and written by Eric Wolf—and that lack of experience shows in every single minute of this sloppily made film. Kristen Anne Ferraro, who produced “A Deadly Legend,” also stars as the movie’s main protagonist, which explains why she has the lead role. It’s a lot easier to cast yourself as the star of a movie when you’re paying for the film.

And it seems like much of the budget was spent in hiring the cast’s veteran actors who have name recognition: Corbin Bernsen (of “L.A. Law” fame), Judd Hirsch (of “Taxi” fame) and Lori Petty (of “Tank Girl” and “A League of Their Own” fame), whose best career days are behind them if they’re now taking supporting roles in this type of bottom-of-the-barrel movie. Their level of experience is even more noticeable in “A Deadly Legend,” where they’re surrounded by people whose acting is so horrible, it makes Kim Kardashian in a movie look like the next Meryl Streep.

“A Deadly Legend” is a little overstuffed with characters, but the plot is fairly simple because it’s so derivative of dozens of other horror movies that have come before it: Some people uncover a longtime curse that involves a witch who’s out for revenge. And, of course, most of the horror happens when people are gathered in an isolated house. (The movie, which takes place in an unnamed state in the U.S., was actually filmed in New York state.)

The story takes place in the fictional Pilgrim County, where construction company owner Joan Huntar (played by Ferraro) and her lawyer Raj (played by Shravan Amin) are about to head into an important town council meeting. Joan and Raj want the town council to approve a major project for Huntar Construction: It’s the Pilgrim Lake Luxury Homes Project, where they plan to build homes in an undeveloped rural area. Joan and Raj are desperate for the town council’s approval for this project, since Huntar Construction is in dire financial straits and needs this project to stay in business.

At the town council meeting, one citizen is extremely vocal in expressing his disapproval of the project: Carl Turner (played by Hirsch), who owns an antiques store in town. Carl warns everyone at the meeting what will happen if construction breaks ground in the planned project area: “You’ll unleash what’s been buried for centuries!” Also at the meeting is longtime Pilgrim Lake resident Matthias Leary (played by Bernsen), who owns a crystal mineral shop in town. Despite Carl’s protest, the town council approves the project.

Joan is a widow with two teenage children: Krissy (played by Andee Buccheri) and her older brother Connor (played by John Pope). They are still grieving over the loss of Joan’s husband Bob (played by Jeffrey Doornbus), who died in a car accident. The car crash, which happened one night on a deserted road, is shown in the beginning of the movie to establish that something evil is lurking is Pilgrim County.

Bob was driving the car, and the passengers were Joan, Krissy and Krissy’s teenage cousin Amy Jones (played by Daniella DeCaro), when a young red-haired woman dressed in a white flowing dress suddenly appeared in the road. The car crashed when Bob tried to avoid hitting this mystery woman. It should come as no surprise to the audience that this woman is the ghost of a witch. The witch calls herself Luci (played by Tatiana Szpur), and she shows up again many times for the rest of the movie. (The movie reveals Luci’s backstory in a flashback scene that takes place in 1720.)

Ultimately, most of the movie’s characters end up in a remote lodge near the construction site, as construction begins for the Pilgrim Lake Luxury Homes Project. Because this is a low-budget film, the “construction” consists of one man operating a bulldozer. The lone construction worker on the site is a beer-guzzling roughneck named Mike Renfield (played by Eric Wolf), who is kept company by his kooky platonic female friend Wanda (played by Petty). Wanda brings some comic relief to the story, because it’s a running joke in the movie that Wanda keeps asking people if they have any beer.

Of course, the body count starts to pile up in this group of people who are at the lodge. In addition to Joan, Krissy, Connor and Amy, the other family members at the lodge are Bob’s sister/Joan’s sister-in-law Tina Jones (played by Summer Crockett Moore) and her husband Sam Jones (played by Dwayne A. Thomas), who are Amy’s parents. Sam works for Huntar Construction and is Mike’s no-nonsense immediate supervisor. Tina fancies herself to be a psychic—she holds a candlelit séance with the teenagers while wearing a T-shirt that says “I’m Not Weird. I’m Paranormal.”

Two other teenagers are also on the premises: quiet and mysterious Eli Leary (who is described as Matthias Leary’s grandson) and the outgoing and athletic Derek Rodriguez (played by Alan Pontes), who is Krissy’s love interest. Also at the lodge are attorney Raj and his divorced girlfriend Eva Chan (played by Jean Tree), who confides in Joan during a “girls talk” that Raj “saved” her from an abusive husband.

The pacing of “A Deadly Legend” sometimes drags, the dialogue is mostly forgettable, and the acting by most of this movie’s cast is so “train wreck” bad that it really is comical at times. Luci the witch is supposed to be terrifying, but Szpur’s sluggish portrayal makes Luci look like a Victorian Goth girl who’s taken too many opioid pills.

At least Petty brings some laughs as the somewhat unnecessary character of Wanda, because Wanda is so goofy that her personality is a welcome distraction from this often-boring film. But most of the other intentional humor in the movie falls very flat.

At one point in the story, Mike the construction worker is suspected of being up to no good, so his supervisor Sam goes to confront him. When some of the other people warn Sam that Mike could be dangerous, Sam replies, “I’m his boss. If he hasn’t killed me by now, he never will.” That’s what supposed to pass for humor in this awful movie.

And the visual effects are so messy and cheap-looking that they make the intended horror look very unconvincing. “A Deadly Legend” also makes a bizarre attempt to look “edgy” in a scene where someone has a nightmarish vision that shows an incestuous kiss between Joan and her son Connor, who exchange a large squid-like creature in their mouths during the kiss. It looks like a dumb stunt placed in the movie for “shock” effect. Ultimately, “A Deadly Legend” commits the worst sin of all for a horror movie: There is absolutely nothing scary about this terrible film.

Gravitas Ventures released “A Deadly Legend” on digital and VOD on July 24, 2020.

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