Bryan Bertino who wrote and directed the now iconic horror film, The Strangers, delves into supernatural territory with this unnerving little film that occasionally misses the mark by leaning too heavily into its scares while presenting the idea of a demonic presence as more of a hunting animal, preying on the weakest, separating them from…
Tag: scares
Us (2019) – Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele who delivered the incredible Get Out, followed it up with Us, another highly enjoyable horror film layered with scares and social commentary. While there may be some flaws in the film it doesn’t change the fact that it’s hugely enjoyable, filled with fascinating twists and turns, and a fantastic performance by the always…
1408 (2007) – Mikael Hafstrom
John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson star in this big screen adaptation of the Stephen King short story. Cusack, who has always been a favourite of mine, is Mike Enslin, a writer who cranked out one good (and seemingly forgotten novel) and after a personal tragedy, which had him walking out on his grief-stricken wife…
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) – Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan has quickly become one of my favorite writer/directors and I realized that there were still a number of his titles that I hadn’t written about for the blog. So color me happy as I dig into some other examples of his work. Ouija: Origin of Evil is, in fact, a sequel to a…
Hell House LLC (2015) – Stephen Cognetti
The found footage sub-genre of the horror realm can be hit or miss. You not only have to be willing to be swept up into the tale, and the reality it presents, it also has to be engaging enough to keep the viewer involved. Therefore it has to have an interesting story, and at the…
Jeepers Creepers (2001) – Victor Salva
Back in 2001, I was still working in a video store, and I would take home all the new releases before they came out so I could watch them, and, according to the business model of the store, make recommendations. I enjoy my horror movies, and was intrigued by the idea of this one when…
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) – 4K Review
The third film in The Conjuring series, The Devil Made Me Do It, is available now on 4K from Warner Brothers, and once again plunges into the lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who give a real sense of humanity and emotional investment in their roles. This time,…
The X-Files (1998) – Chinga, and Kill Switch
This week’s instalment features episodes written by two guest writers. First up is Chinga which was written by Stephen King and given an X-files polish by series creator Chris Carter. The episode first debuted on 8 February, 1998. Predominantly a Scully (Gillian Anderson) story, with a bored Mulder (David Duchovny) popping up every now and…
Doctor Sleep (2019) – Blu-Ray Review
Mike Flanagan has been a name to watch since he appeared on the scene, and he’s become a huge hero to genre fans for his concentration on character and story as much as scares when it comes to horror films. And with Warner Brothers release of Doctor Sleep (available on blu and DVD today), he…
Toronto After Dark 2019: 8 (2019) – Harold Holscher
Toronto After Dark brings us a tale out of South Africa tonight with 8. Marrying the feel of a haunted house tale with the legends and myths of the tribes of South Africa this film plays almost as a gentle tale, and while light on real scares, there are some character moments that resonate and…
The Mind Reels 