FrightFest never fails to illuminate the creative genius of the horror genre, and it also provides a glowing platform for new filmmakers. Jack McHenry may only have one feature to his name, but the aesthetic brilliance within his debut film HERE COMES HELL pays captivating tributes to the vintage eras of Hammer House, Tourneur’s Noir, … Continue reading Here Comes Hell
THE DARK RED shows a great deal of promise early on, with all the markings of a successful entry into a popular genre, but given the dip in quality after the halfway mark, it’s unlikely that any secret cult will be scheming to get their hands on this film anytime soon. Ben Johnston reviews from FrightFest 2019.
The end result is a satisfactorily fun and exciting film, but for full marks, EXTRACURRICULAR really needed to show its working. Ben Johnston reviews at FrightFest 2019.
In this well-edited and entertaining documentary, Penny Lane lifts the lid on what is perhaps the strangest religion of all. Chris Dobson reviews.
Many effective horror films unsettle their characters by forming a narrative of doubt. It is this exact sense of dubiousness that I TRAPPED THE DEVIL, Josh Lobo’s feature directorial debut, uses to great effect. Ben Woodard reviews at FrightFest 2019.
There is clearly thought behind FEEDBACK, but its execution and lack of clarity did not translate that thought onto the screen. Sammy Andie Bennett reviews at FrightFest 2019.
PAIN AND GLORY is a beautiful portrait of an accumulation of decades of personal experiences, decisions, connections and creative expression. Pedro Almodóvar turns his skill for dissecting passion and desire inward to create a character study that is both intensely personal and relatable on account of the heartbreak and soul-stirring it conjures. Jim Ross reviews.
An allegorical tale of depression in a godforsaken environment, the film is an accomplished work that offers value to both the Western and horror genres. Murray Ferguson reviews at FrightFest 2019.
COME TO DADDY mines the father-son conflict as the primary source of uneasiness, revising expectations about the importance of filial responsibility and raising important questions about the status of contemporary masculinity. Tina Kendall reviews the FrightFest 2019 choice.
The uniquely melancholic lament of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, belied by the fairy-tale title, suggests Tarantino’s misty-eyed romanticism for cinema has perhaps clouded the clarity of his own artistic vision. Jim Ross reviews.
