Willow Creek (2014) Review
Jim (Bryce Johnson) is joined by his long suffering but supportive girlfriend Kelly (Alexie Gilmore) on a road trip to Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, on his birthday. He is a true...
View ArticleV/H/S (2012) Review
By James “Crypticpsych” Lasome “Tape 56” directed by Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die, Home Sick, You’re Next): As with other films like V/H/S, the best way to review it is to look at each...
View ArticleV/H/S: Viral (2014) Review
V/H/S: Viral is the third installment in a series of films centered on horror shorts with some kind of common theme. In this latest effort the focus is on teens obsessed with capturing the next video...
View ArticleUnidentified (2014) Review
Whenever a group of young men leave their wives and girlfriends to have a secret “corporate strategy” meeting in Las Vegas, trouble is bound to result. Luckily for the wife of one of the Vegas...
View ArticleTrollhunter (2011) Review
By James “Crypticpsych” Lasome Three college students, Thomas, Johanna, and Kalle (Tosterud, Mørck, and Larsen), are investigating a strange series of occurrences around Norway, and filming their...
View ArticleThe Visit (2015) Review
Going in, my expectations were neither high, nor low. After all, it’s been a good, long while since a Shyamalan film impressed. I didn’t want to set myself up for a great big fall, and if The Visit...
View ArticleThe Atticus Institute (2015) Review
There’s a point in some films where an immense change occurs. A moment when what you thought you were in for – turns out to be a disappointing pipe dream. Let’s be frank – it’s that pinpoint of time...
View ArticleBe My Cat: A Film for Anne (2016) Review
Be My Cat: a Film For Anne is an unusual and intimate portrait of a child-like man obsessed with Anne Hathaway. His bizarre plan to convince Ms. Hathaway to make a movie with him begins baffling,...
View ArticleVillisca (2016) Review
Caleb (Robert Adamson) and his gay best friend Denny (Jarrett Sleeper) are two amateur ghost hunters living in rural Iowa. Caleb has just completed his GED, after missing out on some high school late...
View Articlesxtape (2014) Review
sxtape sounds like a very promising film. Unfortunately it doesn’t come close to living up to its titular burden, and it does little more than mimic countless other found footage flicks. Found footage...
View ArticleQuarantine (2008) Review
Horror Queen Says, Bloody Thumbs Up! Writer-Director John Erik Dowdle succeeds in his portrayal of a large scale concept of horror encapsulated into the intimate view of a camera lens. In other words,...
View ArticleQuarantine 2 (2011) Review
LAX is hectic, but the lovely flight attendants make it on time to the flight to Nashville leaving this evening. This isn’t a full flight, but one of the flight crew (more attractive than I’ve...
View ArticleREC 2 (2010) Review
[REC] is an incredibly popular Spanish horror movie that had a huge impact on it’s own and spawned the English language remakeQuarantine which also did well in the United States. The concept in [REC]...
View ArticleREC 3: Genesis (2012) Review
By James “Crypticpsych” Lasome Franchises are interesting things. On the one hand, they develop rabid fanbases who are dying for the next installment and who cosplay as their favorite characters. On...
View ArticleREC 4 (2014) Review
The [REC] franchise has been an interesting and largely high quality zombie-like romp of infected humans running around chewing the unsuspecting survivors to shreds. The first film took the horror...
View ArticleParanormal Activity (2009) Review
By Horror Queen After dating for three years, Katie and Micah have just moved in together in San Diego. Since they’re both at home a lot (she’s a student, he’s a day trader) home is apparently the...
View ArticleParanormal Activity 2 (2010) Review
By Horror Queen As Paranormal Activity 2 opens, Katie’s younger sister Kristi brings newborn son Hunter home from the hospital and through various video clips taken over the following months, we’re...
View ArticleParanormal Activity 3 (2011) Review
By Horror Queen As we know from the first two Paranormal Activity films sisters Katie and Kristie Rey had a childhood like any other…oh except theirs involved a demonic presence that followed them to...
View ArticleParanormal Activity 4 (2012) Review
Paranormal Activity has been quite a phenomenon, spawning three sequels, and hundreds of millions of dollars in theater tickets, DVD sales and VOD fees; a pretty amazing feat for what is started as...
View ArticleParanormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) Review
It’s the sixth and supposedly final installment in this long-running and uber-successful horror franchise. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is a worthy and fun finale to a sometimes...
View ArticleParanormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) Review
The Paranormal Activity franchise started with a simple little film in 2009 that caught on like wild fire, based on some original usage of the first person “found footage” hand-held concept, and a nice...
View ArticleSkinwalker Ranch (2013) Review
Ever catch a flick that left you completely on the fence? We’re talking about the kind of flick that has a lot of good things going for it, but suffers from some major stereotypical errors; in the case...
View ArticleThe Sacrament (2014) Review
The Sacrament is a departure from Ti West’s previous films as he takes on religious cults in a movie that can’t decide if it’s found footage or not. Either way, it’s far from his best work. Ti West has...
View ArticleA Night In The Woods (2012) Review
By Ian Watson Repetition may have dulled the effect, but the ‘found footage’ format, done well, is still capable of harnessing the camera’s limited perspective to deliver a you-are-there immediacy as...
View ArticleNightlight (2015) Review
Nightlight is a far cry from a perfect film, but it does offer a few surprises and manages to stand out in the increasingly crowded found footage sub-genre. Found footage films are growing on me, I...
View ArticleThe Levenger Tapes (2016) Review
“Oh goody!” he said with a desert-dry sarcasm, “Another found footage film!” The Levenger Tapes is yet another The Blair Witch Project knock-off – but not to worry, that horror genre is only what – 17...
View ArticleThe Last Horror Movie (2003) Review
I’m 13 years too late. Regardless, I believe this film’s ship has sailed. The Last Horror Movie – released in the infancy stages of the out-n-out reality show blitzkrieg – may well have been...
View ArticleBlair Witch (2016) Review
As pretty much everyone is aware, The Blair Witch Project (1999) was made for a tiny $30,000 and was a horror sensation. Love it or hate it, The Blair Witch Project not only made a ton of money based...
View ArticleOccupants (2015) Review
It’s always tough to go into festival settings, and make the call as to whether the powers-that-be will accept your judgement when choosing to review a film. In the case of my bosses, the question...
View ArticleFound Footage 3D (2016) Review
My avid readers of 2 will know how often I’ve complained about, berated and generally hated on so many of the found footage films which slide across my desk (and hopefully into the trash). There may...
View ArticleCapture Kill Release (2016) Review
Capture Kill Release took home the top prize for Best Horror Feature at the 16th Annual Shriekfest in Los Angeles – following the film’s LA premiere. It’s another found footage film, folks – but an...
View ArticleNever Open the Door (2016) Review
You know it can’t be a good sign if you have to follow up a terrible film, by debating (because you despised the movie so much) on whether or not you should check out the special features on the...
View ArticleChupacabra Territory (2017) Review
With as much dripping sarcasm as I can muster through the power of the written word, let me just say this… “Yippee! Another found footage film!” It’s done. Stop it. It’s been done for a long time....
View ArticleThe Neighbor (2017) Review
In the new Mexican indie psychological thriller/art-house film, The Neighbor — there’s a line of dialogue from a cab driver/hit man about a drug cocktail he took, post-surgery for an apparent...
View ArticleThe Gracefield Incident (2017) Review
If my first inclination is to begin a film review with a giant sigh of exasperation and the tired exclamation of “ugh” – you know you’re in for a real treat. The Gracefield Incident is another found...
View ArticleAltar (2017) Review
Altar (the new film from writer/director Matt Sconce) is my third film in a row which I’m reviewing – which happens to be found footage. But before you get your panties in a bunch, as I almost did –...
View ArticleFriend Request (2017) Review
Let’s consider expectations for a moment. Feels like lately that most modern of institutions, social media, has turned life into an echo chamber, a bully pulpit, a political bullhorn, an utterly...
View ArticleThe Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007/2017) Review
The Poughkeepsie Tapes was released overseas in 2007, but Americans will get their first (legal) look at the movie by the sibling filmmaking duo of Drew and John Erick Dowdle (who would go on to helm...
View ArticleThe Shift (2017) Review
Sigh. How long has it been? **checks files** Hmmm… I can’t locate the last time that I used my beloved, and now patented quote from Mommie Dearest – when I come across a film which I must review –...
View ArticleCannibals and Carpet Fitters (2017) Review
It was another first for me during this year’s horror festival season – as I got to know Richard Lee O’Donnell while he was in town from overseas – to oversee (see how I did that?) the World Premiere...
View ArticleLike. Share. Follow. (2017) Review
I like to pride myself on the fact that I read people pretty well. It’s not a fail-safe system mind you – but I would rate myself at about 90% accuracy – when first meeting someone. Now you might...
View ArticleStill/Born (2018) Review
Written by Colin Minihan (the director behind It Stains the Sands Red and Extraterrestrial) and directed by Brandon Christensen – Still/Born isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely worth a look – namely for...
View ArticleDemon House (2018) Review
Back in Chicago, I used to work for a theatre company which was housed in an old building, complete with a cobweb-filled basement (which had its entry from the outside in a typical city alley). The...
View ArticleGhost Stories (2018) Review
You know it’s coming. You’ve seen enough horror flicks to recognize that there’s gonna be some sort of twist and/or major reveal at the film’s conclusion. The trick is – will the filmmaker (s) actually...
View ArticleShow Yourself (2018) Review
Almost, but not quite. Show Yourself has an interesting concept, but it ultimately doesn’t make the grade. Travis (Ben Hethcoat – also credited as Associate Producer) is a successful actor. He takes a...
View ArticleClickbait (2018) Review
My avid readers of 4 know that I like to take a movie quote and mix it up to suit my writing needs – when it comes to reviews. Tonight’s episode brings us a quote from The Breakfast Club. At the film’s...
View ArticleThe Moose Head Over the Mantel (2018) FilmQuest Review
Not only were there similarities in the story/concept between last year’s critically acclaimed A Ghost Story and the new release The Moose Head Over the Mantel – But there was a striking similarity...
View ArticleThe Witch Files (2018) FilmQuest Review
When one of the stars of the new horror/comedy, The Witch Files responded to my question for a brief pitch – it was exactly as I had expected (based solely on the poster art). The Craft meets Mean...
View ArticleCamp Cold Brook (2018) Shriekfest Review
The title might be a bit misleading. Camp Cold Brook would have you believe that you might be settling in for a Friday the 13th/slasher knockoff. And if you’re like me, you’ll refrain from reading too...
View ArticleLook Twice (2018) Short Film Review
Look Twice is a short film I screened at this year’s FilmQuest (the 5th annual) in Provo, Utah. Night shift security guard Darren (Darren Lee Campbell) arrives to take over for co-worker Larry (Rick...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....