For fans that are expecting another documentary about Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, “Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares” ends up being much more about Englund the actor. While the documentary, clocking in at two hours, does explore a lot about Robert Englund’s time as Freddy Krueger, Gary Smart and Christopher Griffiths’ film is so much more about the actor and thespian Robert Englund. I’m quite happy that that’s the angle that they aim for, as “Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares” is able to set itself apart from so many other horror documentaries. Robert Englund is a seasoned actor and thespian who was classically trained and spent his life trying to perfect his craft.
Tag Archives: Horror
Brooklyn 45 (2023)
“Brooklyn 45” is a film that only Ted Geoghegan is capable of. It’s a ballsy, richly developed, and fascinating character study masking as a supernatural horror film. It’s like watching a stage play unfold on film with a seasoned, brilliant cast putting to life an absolutely compelling narrative. While “Brooklyn 45” features ghosts, and poltergeists, and some gnarly gore, it’s merely window dressing for a deeper look at the aftermath of a horrible war, and our grappling with the concept of death. Director Ted Geoghegan has a real flair for ensemble movies and creating genre entries that are just out of left field.
Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams (1984-1989) – Limited Edition [Blu-ray]
Charles Band and Empire Video and his sub-labels like Full Moon, Moonbeam, Action Xtreme and others were a huge part of the Video store shelves in the eighties and nineties. There was rarely a time where you could walk in to a video store without seeing something from Charles Band on the shelves. Now with Arrow Video unleashing their gargantuan “Enter the Video Store” box set for film collectors, fans can re-live a lot of their favorite titles from Charles Bands’ studios, along with a plethora of vintage extras and even some mementos for good measure. If you fancy yourself a Charles Band fan like I do, “Empire of Screams” will prove to be a treasure trove covering the his golden years from eighties with titles newly, digitally restored.
I’m assuming there’s a second box set planned spanning the 1990’s. Fingers crossed.
Influencer (2022)
One of the best things about “Influencer” is about how absolutely unprepared I was for it. I didn’t know what was getting in to with Kurtis David Harder’s film, as I knew almost nothing going in to “Influencer” and I ended up with what amounts to a pretty slick and tense crime thriller. “Influencer” is a movie that is absolutely disarming and completely out of left field, as director Kurtis David Harder successfully subverts a lot of expectations with thrillers of this ilk. The movie is set in a foreign, mysterious land, centered on two gorgeous American women that are traveling abroad. From that smaller concept, Harder uses this as a launch pad to introduce us to one of the more sociopathic and cunning movie villains that I’ve seen in years.
Five Websites To Find The Best Short Films, Part 2
Early Internet viral short “George Lucas in Love.”
Seven years ago I posted a list of five great websites you can find the best short films, and thankfully more indie film websites have continued popping up. The need for short films hasn’t thinned over the years, thank goodness. Short films are great launch pads for big time directors, they’re great for proof of concepts to sell to studios, and they can just be mini-masterpieces that, at most, are about thirty minutes.
Hell, major film festivals like Fantasia, Slamdance, and Sundance still have short film line ups, so there’s no denying short films are absolutely valid forms of filmmaking. If you find a great short film, time just flies. That’s the joy of being a film lover.
If you fancy yourself a connoisseur of short films, or are interested in reviewing them for your blog, or podcast, or tiktok, here are five I wholeheartedly recommend.
“Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” is an Exciting Introduction to the Wider “Gremlins” Universe
It’s been almost thirty five years since we saw any semblance of “Gremlins” entertainment rear its scaley head. Now in the midst of reviving old IP’s HBO and Warner take a shot on reviving Joe Dante’s classic film series. “Secrets of the Mogwai” is thankfully built very much in the vein of the classic 1984 film, and less like “The New Batch.” It’s a dark fantasy (with charming animation obviously influenced by LAIKA Studios) with a lot of harrowing action and terror, but also revels in the inherent awe and wonder of Gizmo and the concept of the Gremlins, twisted as they may be.
Pillow Party Massacre (2023)
One of the things I wish horror movies would stop doing is the meta-dialogue drop where a character proclaims “I feel like I’m in a horror movie!” to which someone replies “Well this isn’t a horror movie! This is real life.” Please stop that. I know I’m watching a horror movie. I don’t need to know that the characters know that we’re watching a horror movie. That said, “Pillow Party Massacre” is a mix of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Slaughter High” but with none of the fun hacking and slashing that goes with them. There’s nary a pillow party or a respectable massacre to be had.