B movie star Rondo Hatton (The Creeper) suffered from acromegaly, which caused abnormal facial features that made him ugly on the outside. Robert A. Burns, art director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and several other horror films, was normal on the outside but couldn’t find long-lasting love. He saw himself as flawed on the inside [...]

If you’re a fan of “Doctor Who” or Doctor Strange, then the French film The Magical World of Andrew Bennett just might be for you. It’s a story that very much feels like a comic book movie at times, while still grounding itself in likable characters and even a revenge tale. Yet, it’s never so [...]

Give writer/director Mike Cuenca credit. He managed to shoot a wildly experimental and surreal film in six days during the fall of 2020, at the height of lockdowns. Like a Dirty French Novel isn’t for everyone. It’s a bizarre ride that often feels like five separate short films with a few zany interludes mixed in. [...]

No Man of God doesn’t tell us anything new about Ted Bundy. What more can be said about one of the most infamous serial killers of the late 20th Century? It does, however, showcase the uneasy relationship between Bundy and FBI agent Bill Hagmaier, who profiled the murderer before his execution at a Florida state [...]

Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) - Writer/director Perry Blackshear’s When I Consume You is not your average revenge film. Not only does it feature a soul-sucking demon, but it’s anchored by a heartfelt relationship between siblings. They help each other survive and overcome past trauma. Their story provides realism and a grounded narrative that should [...]

Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) - I’m all for slow-burn ghost stories set in shadowy English homes with creaky floorboards. I like a good bump in the night. Upon reading the synopsis of Martyrs Lane, writer/director Ruth Platt’s third film, I was excited and hoped for a chilling tale. However, the film’s big reveal takes [...]

Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) – A stranger comes to town is one of the most basic plot devices because it’s effective and creates immediate tension. Someone shows up to disrupt the static setting. In the case of writer/director Mark O’Brien’s black and white film The Righteous, that stranger unleashes spine-tingling terror upon grieving parents. Henry [...]