Movies
After a relatively long hiatus, the V/H/S series is back, reincarnated by Shudder. Not much has changed since the last time, several found footage shorts are loosely tied together by a central segment. Each director was given carte blanche, the only unifying factor is the found footage approach. Tjahjanto's short in particular is a real stand-out. Superb effects, great designs and lots of nasty gore. The Empty Wake and Storm Drain are simple but effective, Terror and Holy Hell (the wrap-around segment) are decent but clearly not up to par with the others. All in all, a jolly good time for fans of the found footage niche.Read all
ABCs of Death 2
A new reboot of the Leprechaun series didn't inspire much enthusiasm, but Kostanski was clearly the right man for the job. Returns is a proper update of the old material, carrying enough retro charm while escaping the clutches of the past. Don't expect anything too serious, it's all played for laughs, but it's jolly good fun.
Power Rangers meets 80s USA horror. Yes, this film is overtly and willingly cheesy, I'd even say it is a comedy first, horror film second. There are some amusing scenes and the atmosphere is light and breezy, but the comedy isn't all that, and not everything works as well as it should. Mimi's character's a bit of a miss, so is Psycho Goreman. The other creatures are more fun, the battles are cute, and there are some gory moments. To be fair, it's an easy watch that is properly paced and doesn't overstay its welcome, but I'd take Dupieux's alternate version over this one every time. Amusing, but it doesn't quite hit the mark.Read all