Mini Macabre Review #3

The Stuff

Borrowing elements from The Blob and seemingly mixing it with something like a cousin to They Live, The Stuff is a corny romp into sci-fi goofs of the 80s. The special effects are where this movie really shines. While there weren't a whole ton of scenes featuring people getting mutated by The Stuff, the ones they do have are both goofy and gross all at the same time--and that's exactly what you come to this type of movie for.

Unfortunately, uneven pacing and choppy storytelling make the movie less than it could be--even for a silly B-movie where you expect character development to be the bottom of the totem pole. In the end, it's a fun and gooey movie that will appeal to most fans of 80s horror--but not my favorite.

Mini Macabre Review #7

 Black Sabbath

They just don't make them like this anymore. Black Sabbath is an Italian anthology horror film that is truly chilling and frightening without all the gimmicky gore, sex, and special effects of the modern era of cinema. Having recently watched a few newer anthology flicks (and being completely disappointed in them) this film shows that no one has matched these types of films from the era. Split into three parts, Black Sabbath offers up three bite-sized horrors, each with its own merit and worth. The first story is your traditional set up where a woman is home alone and is receiving threatening phone calls from someone who is watching her every move. Seeing the old apartment in this one was a real treat. The second story is the gem of the collection, starring Boris Karloff as an Italian style vampire. This one feels like the great Hammer vampire flicks of the same era, all while making it even scarier somehow. The final story might be the most frightening. It features a house call nurse who steals a ring from one of her dead clients. As luck would have it, the ghost comes back for some very shocking revenge. Don't watch this one at night unless you want to see that ghost's horrific face floating over your bed while you try to go to sleep! After watching a few modern duds this past week, this was a real pleasure to watch.

Mini Macabre Review #6

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale

As I've bee going through and searching for decent Christmas horror movies from the past few years--and have been mostly disappointed on every front--I realized I already have a new one that I love that I haven't shared! Now, I forgot about talking about this here on my blog because it is a TV episode and not a full-fledged movie. However, why shouldn't I review my favorite show's Christmas episode when it is the only stand out slice of Christmas chills I've found in many years? My favorite TV show growing up was always Sabrina The Teenage Witch. So, it should be no surprise that when Chilling Adventures of Sabrina hit the "airwaves" it would quickly fall in line as my new favorite show. I've always loved this little witch and the new show is no expectation.

Better than that, in the same tradition of the original live-action Sabrina TV show, Netflix released a Christmas episode. I was in heaven, to say the least. This episode is perfect--especially for a neo-pagan like myself. We have a few different storylines going on here between an evil mall Santa, to Sabrina summoning her dead mother's ghost, to the infestation of spirits that haunt the Spellman household for the holiday season. Yule can't get much better than with good ol' Sab.

This episode hit all the right spots from chilling to funny. It keeps the spirit of the holidays while not being afraid to spook us--all without using an excess of blood, gore, or sex just for shock factor. (You know how much I hate sex and violence just for sex and violence sake).

In the end, this may be my personal most perfect Christmas TV episode of all time. Thanks, Sabrina! 

Mini Macabre Review #5

All The Creatures Were Stirring

Have you ever seen a creative project that was trying too hard to be too many things at once? Well, All The Creatures Were Stirring is that type of movie. A touch of Saw, the paranormal, creature features, the Twilight Zone, slashers and even Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol come together to make this uneven and somewhat unsatisfying movie. I personally believe that if you are going to make an anthology style horror movie, such at this one, it is better to keep a consistent theme and tone throughout--rather than this smorgasbord of rather mediocre attempts at every sub-genre that exists. That isn't to say the movie didn't have its good moments. I thought the black and white Twilight Zone style episode was in excellent taste for a Christmas movie (especially since those old school anthology tv and radio shows always did Christmas episodes). However, much of the rest of the movie falls short. the acting is wooden much of the time, the writing a bit faulty, and many loose ends or left untied. Most of all, for a Christmas movie, it has very little holiday cheer to accompany the lack of scares. At least I can give it credit for not being discuting and disturbing just for the sake of it.

Mini Macabre Review #4

Better Watch Out (2016)

A disturbing and unhappy little Christmas movie without any of the chilling cheer of many other holiday horror classics. I haven't disliked a horror movie this much in a very long time. Rather than the combination of goofy fun slasherific kills and a touch of Christmas humor and holiday chills (like you might find in Black Christmas), this movie falls more in the camp of Wes Craven's despicable Last House on the Left . . . only with children involved. Need I say more? While there is no explicit sexual violence, the motives for the killer are misogynistic and come with rather unsettling sexual overtones--made all the more unsettling by his age. Halfway through, I had actually hoped this would turn into a sort of Tales from the Crypt sort of vibe where the killer gets their disgustingly satisfying just desserts in the end. But no, this holiday "home invasion" flick is something that just isn't worth watching again . . . or for the first time even.

Mini Macabre Review #2

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II

What if Freddy Kruger was a girl? She would be Mary Lou. This is a seriously wonderful hidden 80s horror gem that should not be overlooked due to it's unnecessary re-titling as a Prom Night sequel. It is a stand alone film that has no connection, plot wise or thematically, to the original slasher classic (which of its own merit is a fantastic film). Hello Mary Lou is a much more supernatural affair about a ghost of a dead prom queen coming back to take vengeance, Carrie style, on the high school she once attended. As a result, you get a ton of awesomely crafted dream sequences with some trippy imagery akin to Nightmare on Elm Street. Not to mention the references to countless other horror movies and writers throughout the entire film. However, even without recognizing the connections to other horror flicks, this is one fun film on its own. This movie deserves a proper remaster and blu-ray release.

Mini Macabre Review #1

Pulse (Kairo) 

I love horror movies. They are my favorite hobby. My favorite pass time next to table top gaming.

Those of you who don't know, I used to be a horror publicist and journalist. I ran multiple horror blogs and magazines and wrote for others. In those, I always did movie reviews.

Now, being a full time horror/crime writer, I don't have as much time for writing lengthy reviews and I no longer run a dedicated horror blog. But I didn't want my love of horror movies to dissapear from my online presence.

Therefore,  I am starting this new post entry here on my own author blog called Mini Macabre Reviews. It'll be mini reviews of horror movies and other horror related things of 500 words or less each. And, since I recently signed up for Shudder, I'll have many movies to review.

So without further ado, here is the mini review of the Japanese movie Pulse:

Pulse is a good spooky movie about a techno-ghost apocalypse. However, the story can be a bit confusion, slow, and convoluted at times. However, this doesn't detract from the overall tense and foreboding atmosphere that this movie presents so well. The story isn't as complex as it seems after a first viewing. Things just aren't blatantly explained in a basic way (treating the audience as ignorant) such as in most western media. The ideas are interesting and disturbing and still ring true to today's technologically centered world. Not the best in Asian horror, but still a good film with a lot to offer if your willing to be patient.