FrightFest: Hansel and Gretel – The 420 Witch
Incredibly fun with some fantastic gore, but falls just short of its own expectations.
FrightFest: Antisocial
Compare Antisocial to projects with similar production constraints, and there is no parallel in terms of cinematic experience.
FrightFest: The Dyatlov Pass Incident
The final act crosses the line between fantastical to slightly amusing ridiculousness.
Possession
Stark, exhilarating and utterly lacking in compromise, Andrzej Zulawski's film is an emotionally brutal watch.
A Seasoned Descent
In conversation with Paul Hyett on his directorial debut, The Seasoning House, and the transition from SFX to directing.
The Seasoning House
A sense of conviction and commitment to realism prevents the film from seeming an exercise in exploitation.
Infection Z
Flounders between drafts, as confused as its one-dimensional characters. A jarring edit does nothing to help matters.
Hellsing Ultimate Volume 5–8
Follows original events more closely and benefits from this with a much more coherent and progressive storyline.
La Belle Dame sans Merci
A read with huge amounts of intrigue; there are enough unanswered questions to leave the reader looking forward to part two.
Konga
A hoot from beginning to end, this is sheer B-movie lunacy of remarkably bad proportions, and all the more essential for it.
Slice & Dice: The Slasher Film Forever
Enjoyable enough, but is more fond nostalgia as opposed to a true study of the subgenre.
Evil Dead
Overall, what the film does, which is torture porn, it does well. But Evil Dead does not do The Evil Dead well.
Evil Dead 2
The extras on offer here earn this release its entitlement to the term 'special edition', where so many others fail.
I Didn’t Come Here to Die
Thoroughly unlikeable characters played by terrible actors spout unnecessary predictive dialogue in lieu of characterisation.
The Corridor
A movie which feels like the filmmakers knew what they wanted to achieve, but were unsure on how to go about it.
The Bay
Piecing together its story in multi-format, it's an interesting spin on found footage, but it falls victim to an over-zealous edit.
247°F
Two opportunities for interesting subplot that could alleviate the tedium of watching an unlikeable trio pant and bicker were missed.
Preserving Hammer History
We speak with Hammer historian Marcus Hearn about restoring Dracula in high definition for its incredible, definitive release.
The Fallow Field
That rarest of films, one that genuinely keeps you guessing to culminate in some palpable tension come the third act.
Dracula (1958)
This new cut includes previously excised moments, while the top-drawer special features are worth the retail price alone.
Midnight Son
Eschews many of the vampire subgenre's tropes to present something more akin to a quietly observed character study.
London Falling
An interesting slab of urban fantasy, but while Cornell is incredibly talented at setting the scene, he isn’t as gifted in capturing dialect.
Piranha
Schlocky good fun, but Piranha straddles the line between dull and entertaining, twiddling its thumbs between fish attacks.
Vampire Ecstasy
After I had viewed it as many times as I could stand, I had to put on Red Roses of Passion to restore my respect for Sarno.
Christmas Evil
A classic in its own unique way, embraced now for 30 years by those who savour off-beat films that foil expectations.
Deadbeats
An incredible amount of humour, some memorable characters, and contextualisation that adds extra depth.
The Night Child
As the epitome of seventies B-movie charm, it boasts the strong elements of enjoyable kitsch that one would hope for.
Excision
Masquerades as a teen horror comedy, but the real story is the degenerative mental condition of the lead character.
Some Guy Who Kills People
Wants to be a comedic horror film with hidden depths, but the horror is scarce and the humour largely average.
Stitches
Lacklustre, featuring little by way of horror or indeed comedy, relying on thinly spread visual gags over real thought.
Basket Case Trilogy
This limited edition steelbook is a sight for sore eyes; teeming with extras, no B-movie aficionado should be without it.
A Fairy Tale Influence
In conversation with Jack Zipes about the history of fairy tales, their enduring appeal, and influence on the horror genre.
The Devil Rides Out
As a classic tale of good versus evil, the film required a strong representative of either side, and does not disappoint.
Devil Bat Diary
As an independent piece of literature, it’s fun, original, and can stand on its own two legs aside from the movie.
Cube
Vincenzo Natali's debut holds a beauty in purity that matches the mathematical conundrum its characters find themselves in.
The Curse of Frankenstein
The transfer does not hold quite the same clarity as other recent restorations; an important package nonetheless.
Rosewood Lane
Really, this is average TV drama fodder at best, plodding its way to a clumsily made point that makes little sense.
The Thompsons
More concerned with style over substance; fast and fun, there is no pretence here for anything other than a bloody ride.
Frankenweenie
The puppetry is simply superb as is texture; it's excellent attention to detail from puppet-makers Mackinnon and Saunders.
The Harsh Light of Day
An arduous affair with a cringeworthy script that provides no value for the subgenres it attempts to straddle.
The Pact
Juxtaposes the supernatural with real-life threat, whilst holding a very strong point in maintenance of mystery.
Arachnoquake
There's very little to recommend this film; any comedy present is lacklustre, while the predictability is too pronounced.
Zombies At Tiffany’s
Fun, quirky and dark; this is a brilliantly authored piece of steampunk literature, and then some.
Santa Sangre
A trip that was calculated carefully, the near constant use of slightly off-key circus music adding to its hypnotic quality.
Dragon Wasps
The biggest mistake here is that the genetically-engineered insects of the title take a backseat. Truly dreadful.
The Devil’s Business
With a hell that breaks loose quietly, The Devil's Business metes its tension effectively to insidiously creepy result.