Most of the time we get such a backlog of short films and feature length indie films that we work hard to take them all on and review them before the year is up. In what we hope will become a new feature, “Shorts Round Up of the Week” is a column where we’ll be reviewing a round up of short films of varying quality. If you’d like to submit your short film for review consideration, submissions are always opened.
Tag Archives: Horror
Hereditary (2018)
The first time I was ever introduced to the work of Ari Aster was in 2010 when I watched his demented short “The Strange Thing About the Johnsons.” Much like “Hereditary,” it’s a very disturbing tale that focuses on a family and a heinous secret among the family that threatens to consume them whole. My words do the short no justice. “Hereditary” is very much in that vein, exploring the terror of mental illness, the idea of manifest destiny, the inescapable fate of inherited disease, and how overbearing and abusive loved ones can keep their power over us long after they’ve passed away.
The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
It’s a shame that “Prey at Night,” the long awaited sequel to “The Strangers” hit like a thud in 2018, because it sure is a top notch follow up to the atmospheric original we saw a decade ago. Where as the original was more an homage to the Manson family murders, “Prey at Night” is a slick hodgepodge of slasher and thriller nods and winks that paint our trio of Sack Face, Pin Up Girl, and Baby Doll as more aggressive individuals that spend less time tenderizing their victims before they go in for the ultimate kill.
The Strangers (2008): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]
Director Bryan Bertino’s horror debut is a masterful thriller about the presence of pure evil and the relentlessness of it. Some of the best horror villains of all time are those without much conscience or logic, and the trio of killers that stalk a hapless pair of married people in “The Strangers” are almost horror incarnate. While “The Strangers” is based on the whole Manson Family murders, truthfully it pits its focus on how purely evil humanity can be. Even when obscured by masks, the trio of stalkers prominently featured is human down to the core, acting without much rhyme or reason.
Ninja III: The Domination (1984): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]
Many years later, director Sam Firstenberg’s “Ninja III” is an out of left field mix of horror, action, and ninjas, all of which were very popular in the eighties. I was never quite sure what happened to “Ninja” one or two, but when I was a kid, “Ninja III” was a bonafide favorite of mine that I’d indulge in every time it was on network television. Thankfully I’m not alone as “Ninja III” has become a cult classic that stands alone, much like “Troll 2.” There’s just something fascinating about a young woman and aerobics enthusiast being possessed by the ghost of a ninja, who begins to seek revenge on his past foes.
Cinema Crazed 2018 Summer Movie Gift Guide
Summer is right around the corner and that’s great news for a lot of people. But us. That said, we wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves if we didn’t suggest some movies and movie related material for you, our loyal readers, to go through and get you through those scolding hot summer days. Remember that when you buy through us, you support Cinema Crazed, and if you can’t spare a donation, that’s just as good. So please, show us some love, if you can. Here are some suggestions for Mr. and Mrs. Movie Loving Public.
Abominable (2005): Special Edition [Blu-Ray/DVD]
It’s pretty tough to find a good Bigfoot horror film these days, and whenever one really good title for the subgenre comes along, you have to hold on to it and appreciate it. Ryan Schifrin’s “Abominable” is a fantastic entry in to the sub-genre that takes Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” injects a little lunacy, and rather than Raymond Burr, we have a hairy, vicious, super strong abominable snowman terrorizing a group of girls. While on paper that sounds like the formula for a potentially silly movie, “Abominable” is stellar. It’s creepy, darkly funny, gory, and has one of the best final scenes I’ve ever seen in a horror movie, barnone.