Hey Gore-fam!

This week we thought we’d take a dive headlong into the dizzying hand-held world of found footage horror to align with Found Footage Horror Week over on Instagram. Given that we’re also fanatics of mysteries and unsolved crimes, we took to Amazon Prime and chose Renny Harlin‘s The Dyatlov Pass Incident (a.k.a Devil’s Pass.)

Along the way we talk about the untimely passing of effects legend John Carl Buechler, as well as what we’ve watched recently, including The Umbrella Academy and Await Further Instructions. We also take a heated detour into the Marvel fandom and get hyped for the upcoming Us.

Join us! – Instagram, Patreon and Redbubble await.

-Sarah & Phil.

In light of the saddening news of Luke Perry’s passing this week, we decided to go full 1990′s with a retrospective of the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Did we love it? “Does the word DUH mean anything to you?!”

We also take some interesting detours while discussing what we’ve recently watched, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Ghost Stories and Star Trek : Discovery. We even treat you to the World’s worst ASMR, so get your fangs stuck into an hour and a half of conversational goodness.

Don’t forget to check out our new merch HERE and become a Patreon from as little as $1 a month HERE!

-Phil, Rosie & Sarah.

Phil is back this week, so the full RG line-up is here to discuss Women In Horror Month! Recognising women in a male dominated genre is something that’s close to our hearts so we were excited to record this bumper show for you. Join us as we discuss regular stereotypes and tropes, and the female contribution to horror over the decades. We concentrate quite heavily on GP favourite The Witch and get on quite the philosophical debate about whether rape/revenge movies are a valid form of entertainment or simply pure exploitative trash. We’d love to hear from you about which side of the debate you fall on! Get in touch via Instagram (@radiogorepress) or send us an email to radiogorepress@gmail.com.

-Sarah, Phil & Rosie.

Join Sarah and Rosie as they discuss what they’ve watched in the last fortnight including Netflix’s art World critique Velvet Buzzsaw, the latest in the long running Puppet Master Franchise and how baffling it is that no-one has thought to make a Hoarders horror movie yet. Then settle in for their rundown on their recent trip to the movies to watch Adam Robitel’s high concept thriller Escape Room and complain about “the youth” ruining the cinema experience. Enjoy!

-Sarah & Rosie.

There has been a wealth to choose from but here’s Sarah’s top 5 of the year, in no particular order.

• Hereditary

With a peerless performance from the always incredible Toni Collette and a slew of incredibly shocking and memorable set pieces, Hereditary marked Ari Aster as one to watch. A grim slow-burn that chronicles the descent into misery and darkness of a family that endures one tragedy after another, Hereditary is undoubtedly going to reach the status of future classic, and will continue to divide audiences and unite critics. A truly unforgettable and intensely affecting experience.

• Overlord

Marketed as simply a Nazi zombie flick, Overlord manages to rise above its premise and seamlessly meld genres. It’s a truly harrowing war film, an effective shocker and a gnarly body horror all in one neat package. With a tremendously capable cast, Overlord is one of the years most enjoyable horror movies, and squeezes in some humour and a surprising amount of heart to boot. A real all-rounder.

• Halloween

There seems to be very little middle ground in the criticism of Halloween; audiences either loved it or hated it. Knowing the comedy calibre behind the movie and their decision to ignore everything beyond the 1978 classic, I was initially unsure, but the obvious love for the franchise oozes from every frame. Some elements work better than others, but seeing Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her star making turn in a film about three female generations of the Strode family and the damage that second-hand trauma can inflict, Halloween remains interesting while providing some affectionate and cheeky nods to the original. John Carpenter‘s reworked score is a particular highlight!

• Upgrade

Starring Tom Hardy-alike Logan Marshall Green in a demanding role as a recently crippled grieving husband, Upgrade is a cyber-action flick from genre alum Leigh Whannell. It exists in a near future and creates a really well rounded heightened reality for its inventive story to take place in. Featuring a wonderful Hal 9000-inspired disembodied voice, some incredible action pieces and a snappy running time, Upgrade is incredibly deserving of a place amongst this years top films. As an added bonus horror fans can take extra pleasure from spotting the handful of Easter eggs littered throughout.

• Summer Of 84

Unfairly written off as a Stranger Things rip-off or as “too slow” by some audiences, Summer Of 84 is much, much more. From the team behind the enjoyable but over-hyped Turbo Kid comes a suspenseful mystery with an unexpectedly simple premise; what if your neighbour was a serial killer? Boasting a fun and believable camaraderie from its young cast, Summer Of 84 is both a fun shot of nostalgia and something much darker, going to places you might not expect.

• Turd-Scooping Wooden Spoon Award – The Open House

An astonishingly mediocre jumbled mess of a film that wastes it’s cast, gives us zero payoff and asks more questions than it answers. With a damp squib of an ending, The Open House manages to be boring, nonsensical and willfully anti-climactic.

Lockhart, a dead-eyed, ambitious Wall Street type is tasked by his superiors to travel to a wellness spa in the Swiss Alps to convince his company’s CEO to return to New York with him and complete important business. On arrival, the picturesque buildings and hauntingly beautiful surroundings immediately seem suspiciously perfect to the young businessman. When he fails on the first day to retrieve his boss, he travels back to the nearest village with a local driver, falling foul of a deer in the road on the way, which results in a horrific (but brilliantly realised) car crash.

When Lockhart wakes up from having blacked out, he’s back at the wellness centre, with a cast on his leg and greeted by the primary care-giver Volmer, who at once appears all too serene but vaguely menacing in his calm and purposeful gait. It’s only when Lockhart struggles to make contact with his CEO, meets the only other young patient; Hannah, and undergoes the spa’s unusual take on homeopathy that he starts to realise he’s in the middle of a deeply sinister waking nightmare.

A Cure For Wellness is a wannabe literary gothic horror in modern clothing. From the creepy interiors, to the occasionally overbearingly moody soundtrack, to the constant undercurrent of unsettling dread, it has most of the hallmarks of films like The Phantom Of The Opera and Wuthering Heights, but lacks the depth required to nestle amongst the greats of that ilk.

The lighting and cinematography are incredible from the first frame, however. The Swiss Alps are all sumptuous greens, subtle blues and spectral off-whites. The interiors of the impressive Wellness Centre (actually a German castle) are the perfect backdrop for Lockhart’s slow descent into madness and provide a feast for the eyes.

Dane DeHaan, despite occasionally looking like a rejected Leonardo DiCaprio clone, fills the shoes, or rather slippers, of the central character well. He reacts in believable ways and while initially starting the film as a loathsome money-chaser, he morphs into a much more sympathetic character the more emotional turmoil he’s subjected to. Mia Goth and Jason Isaacs are also perfectly good in their roles as patient and Doctor, respectively. Goth lends her character a much needed childlike innocence while Isaac veers more towards the theatrical, particularly towards the finale. The other patients and sanatorium staff are, at once, just the right side of suitably ominous but unnervingly congenial.

Taken as a whole, A Cure For Wellness is a stylish and compelling psychological horror, but when picked apart, one could definitely argue for a case of style over substance. While there’s plenty to engage the viewer, the story is also riddled with plot-holes and takes far too long to arrive at a handful of rather obvious conclusions. It does, however, benefit from one or two wince-inducing set pieces that may make even hardened viewers squirm in their seat.

A Cure For Wellness feels like an odd piece for Gore Verbinski, whose only other real foray into horror was 2002’s remake of The Ring, to tackle given his propensity for favouring more action packed material of late. Nevertheless, his film-making panache is surprisingly well suited to the story here, faltering and blowing it’s wad only in the final third. A more well versed horror film-maker may have done well to end the film a good thirty minutes before the actual climax, without feeling the need to tie up every last thing in a messy, fire-singed bow.

Ultimately, A Cure For Wellness isn’t a bad film, quite the opposite in fact. For the most part, it’s interesting, well-acted and absolutely gorgeous to look at but the ending left a Tim Burton flavoured bad taste in this particular horror fan’s mouth. It’s a solid piece of film-making, undermined only slightly by its cartoonish ending, so by all means, give it a couple of hours of your time and draw your own conclusions.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars

The Devil’s Candy succeeds in doing the one thing that seems to go under-valued by lesser directors, and that’s give us a handful of characters to invest in. The Hellman family are relatively normal people, they have a dynamic that feels real and wholesome, and they give the audience people to actually root for.

What solidifies Byrne as a talent to watch though, isn’t his visual flair or his knack for writing three-dimensional characters, it’s his ability to present alternative culture in a realistic way. So often are we shown characters that subscribe to a particular subculture and are wafer thin caricatures, usually there solely for comic relief. Byrne’s films present these people carefully and lovingly. Their music preferences and affinity for black clothing and body modification aside, the Hellman’s could be any other American family, and that’s what makes them great. Given that The Devil’s Candy was made in the same year as the hilarious Evil Dead homage Deathgasm, maybe we’re entering a new advent of diverse horror movie protagonists…although perhaps I won’t hold my breath.

Ethan Embry cements his well deserved comeback as the charismatic metal-head patriarch Jesse, and Shiri Appleby shows some under-used acting chops as his loving, bread-winning wife Astrid. Rounding out the cast are Kiara Glasco as just-the-right-side-of-precocious teen Zooey and the ever dependable, but somewhat typecast bad guy Pruitt Taylor Vince as Ray Smilie, who ironically, never smiles.

Where The Devil’s Candy really shines though are the truly tense moments in between the dialogue. The use of deafeningly loud guitar riffs, Pruitt Taylor Vince’s affinity for playing quietly intense weirdos and a bizarrely claustrophobic unease that runs throughout all add up to a memorable experience.

Special mention also goes to the attention to detail; the artwork being outsourced to an actual artist giving the film a more credible feel and original music by Sunn O))) rounding everything out nicely.

At the risk of using a rather tired quote, The Devil’s Candy is a bare bones horror movie that really cranks everything up to 11, and is a winning antidote to the usual slew of teens-in-peril movies that we’re used to because of it. Despite some moments being telegraphed quite early on, it’s not a film that ever feels predictable. There’s a climactic scene that dances on the outskirts of cheesy but Byrne somehow plays it with a straight face and manages to pull it off, so everything considered The Devil’s Candy is a must see for fans of original horror.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Evan is a down-on-his-luck chap. His Mum has just passed away after what we’re lead to believe was a lengthy and aggressive illness, he’s just lost his job after a drunken punch-up in a bar and he seems less than successful with the ladies in his life. He does, however, have a valid passport and a reason to flee the US after the police come knocking on his door.

After a somewhat bloated pre-amble through Europe, Evan winds up in rural Italy where he finds a job and lodgings with a local eccentric farmer Angelo. On his first day there, he meets the intoxicatingly beautiful Louise who he immediately forms a tentative bond with after a clumsy encounter.

Over the next week we’re treated to glimpses of their fledgling love affair, all passionate encounters, gleeful teasing and deep and meaningful conversations about their respective pasts. It’s here that the obvious comparisons to Richard Linklater‘s seminal Before Sunrise come into play. The similarities end there though as we start to see that Louise is hiding a dark, primordial secret that may tear them apart before their bond is cemented.

Spring has only two central characters, with only a couple more notable characters on the outskirts of the story, but the directors have utilised their location with such affection that Italy begins to feel like the third wheel in Evan and Louise’s romance, constantly vying for the viewers attention. The handful of locations are shot in such a sumptuous, dreamy way that it almost works as an advert for Italy’s tourism board. The lighting, the framing and the colour grading all mesh incredibly well to make a film that’s truly stunning to look at. The vibrant reds and shots of insects peppered throughout also serve to remind us of the films dark edge whenever things start to feel a little formulaic.

Lou Taylor Pucci has been plugging away in the indie scene for well over a decade now and horror audiences will know him best from his turn as meek Necronimicon-toting Eric in Fede Alvarez’s sublimely bloody Evil Dead remake. Here he’s incredibly believable as a down-to-Earth fuck-up with hearts in his eyes. It’s not a career-making turn but he gives it his all and is a perfect match for Nadia Hiliker’s hyper-confident, exotic Louise. It’s a fine pairing and they’re fun to watch together for the most part.

My only real complaint isn’t with the film itself, but the way it was marketed. After seeing the trailers, I was eagerly awaiting a more traditional creature feature and was initially disappointed, but after a second and third viewing and a lot of percolating I’ve come to appreciate Spring for the unique experience that it is. It’s perhaps a tad too long and there are a couple of cockney wideboy stereotypes in the first third that quickly start to grate, but the comical and sometimes surprisingly tender exchanges between Evan and Angelo and the realistically charming and imperfect relationship of Evan and Louise more than make up for it.

Spring is a beautiful and simple movie with an unusual and entertaining twist, the mixture of practical effects and restrained use of CGI works well and although the last fifteen minutes sees a change of pace, it’s more satisfying than it has any right to be. This is definitely one for a more open-minded horror audience but if you’re not averse to very human storytelling alongside your gore then you’d do well to give Spring two hours of your precious time.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

I’d put myself somewhere in the middle of that sliding scale. I like his musical output just fine and consider myself a fan of House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devils Rejects and The Lords Of Salem, but feel that his Halloween re-imaginings should have remained a concept and not been inflicted on an unsuspecting public. I always go into his work with an open mind and think of myself as fairly neutral though. As far as Zombie is concerned I’m Switzerland. Or I was, until I watched his latest offering.

31 (because it takes place on Halloween) follows a ragtag group of carnival workers who swear, spit and grunt their way through an unpleasant first act, setting themselves up as a bunch of people the average horror audience would justifiably hate. There wasn’t a single character I could align myself with, and while I know that’s not necessary to elicit empathy, in this case it certainly would have helped.

Once we’re introduced to this particular band of misfits, they’re quickly kidnapped and held in an undisclosed facility for the bizarrely convoluted entertainment of a ludicrously hammy Malcolm McDowell, who appears to be dressed as John Malkovich from Dangerous Liaisons. The “game” is that our heroes must survive 12 hours whilst being stalked through a labyrinthine prison by a gaggle of deeply unthreatening clowns with imaginative names like Sex-Head, Death-Head and Psycho-Head. All the while, the three spectators give them odds on suspected chances of survival.

I’d love to break down the core of what the rest of the film entails but the camerawork was so shaky, shoddy and unforgivably bad that it was often difficult to tell what was even happening. The close-ups, jittery death scenes and grindhouse-style filters made it unwatchable at times, and while I imagine the aim was to recall 70’s era schlock, it just fell flat for me.

A lot of column inches on a lot of blogs and websites have gone to great lengths to criticise Zombie for always seemingly insisting that his paramour Sheri Moon Zombie always takes the lead role in his projects so I won’t say much on the subject for fear of repetition. What I will say is that it’s either an egregiously bold or mind-bogglingly stupid idea to keep casting a woman who has gone on record several times to state that she never wanted to be an actress, and still doesn’t. If love is blind then in this case it appears to be deaf as well.

The whole cast actually seemed to be giving it their all though, and it’s always a pleasure to see Meg Foster as there are too few roles for women of a certain age in genre pieces. Malcolm McDowell was Malcolm McDowell, Jeff Daniel Phillips was a sleazy version of his character from The Lord Of Salem and Richard Brake monologued a lot at people in what I suspect was supposed to be a menacing way. The fault lies mostly with the weak script though, as the delivery was admirable given what they had to work with.

The most pervading and sickening aspect of the film for me were the seemingly constant threats of sexual violence throughout. “Put down your feminist pitchfork, you needlessly verbose, liberal leftie”, I hear some of you cry. On a more serious note though, I recognise that 31 is a throwback to a simpler time but I feel like film-makers should be utilising more imaginative shock tactics in place of an archaic, sexist trope in 2016. Nothing about 31 felt truly shocking and everything that was supposed to shock just felt cheap and immature.

Despite everything I’ve said thus far, it almost feels cruel to criticise the film too much. Rob Zombie famously crowdfunded the project and offered his fans genuinely badass perks and so as someone who didn’t contribute to the project I almost feel as though 31 isn’t for me from the word ‘go’. Maybe if I had more allegiance with the director I’d have been more forgiving or viewed it more favourably. Sadly though, it just didn’t do a lot for me, and isn’t a film I could recommend in good conscience. I’m sure Zombie achieved what he set out to do but unfortunately I can’t force myself to care.

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars

Peltzer is a put-upon young chap who suffers emotional abuse at the hands of his domineering girlfriend Deetz, and humiliation at work in his thankless office job. After a particularly gruesome accident involving, you guessed it, a ‘snapped banjo string’, he manages to accidentally summon his imaginary friend Ronnie who has no trouble enacting the vengeful carnage that Peltzer is too meek to act out on his own.

Director Liam Regan made Banjo following on from the success of his short film Confessions Of Peltzer, which in turn was loosely inspired by Regan‘s own experiences. It was a fun, if squirm-inducing tale that definitely warranted further investigation, and Banjo fulfills the promise shown.

The jaunty, unusual score harks back to lost 80′s gems and gives the film a vintage feel which smacks of borrowed nostalgia, but in the best possible way. Even if you can’t quite put your finger on what it reminds you of, there’s something about it that’ll trigger a gratifying familiarity.

With lines like “Now make like a tampon and get out of my bloody hole”, there are no qualms about what kind of an audience Banjo is trying to attract. It’s littered with genuinely amusing, vulgar one-liners but also takes its comedy cues and beats from surprisingly traditional formats, which not only works but adds to the offbeat experience. The script can never really be accused of being perfunctory as it aims to entertain in every scene and, for the most part, achieves just that.

Banjo also proudly declares its influences with references to things like Henenlotter Hospital and, most obviously the character Deetz, along with appearances from The Human Centipede 2 and 3′s Laurence Harvey and a cameo from the face of Troma himself (no, not Toxie).

Antagonist Ronnie is a monstrous creation but gives Banjo a much-needed cartoon-y edge that prevents it from ever stepping into uncomfortably serious territory. Without giving too much away, Ronnie’s prosthetic appearance might seem a curious choice but one that works in the context and highlights the disconnect with reality.

The most unexpected aspect of Banjo is that it essentially works as male rape-revenge movie, which, in the name of equality, I’ve been bemoaning the lack of for some time. The scene in question, and the one directly after it, will make you cross your legs in discomfort regardless of your gender, and silently beg for Peltzer to get his revenge. It won’t necessarily make you think deeply about actions and their consequences but it’s an effective conceit nonetheless.

I think the best part of Banjo is that it looks phenomenal. On what must have been a comparatively miniscule budget, Regan has made a film that is lit absolutely beautifully and that almost always belies its modest beginnings.

While it’s not a perfect film, Banjo is a pleasantly surprising indie gem, which might not be the best phrasing given that little about it is actually pleasant. It’s a gruesome ride through the psyche of a troubled man and is filled with unabashedly abhorrant characters. But it’s also genuinely funny in places and is so unashamed in its influences and, unlike a lot of other modern horror movies, it wasn’t made just to exist, but to tell a story that it’s writer and director wanted to tell and so it’s sheer lack of cynicism makes it worth a watch. If you’re a fan of low budget, Troma-esque, obscene fun then give it your time.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

Aaron, a videographer, (Patrick Brice) answers a peculiar ad on Craigslist requesting the services of someone to document ‘a day in the life’. When he turns up at his destination, he meets an affable, if over-eager and excitable man named Josef who soon informs Aaron of his cancer diagnosis. His plan is simple; create a video for his unborn son in order to leave him a legacy. Despite his initial reluctance Aaron agrees and the two set out to make a suitable visual birthright.

To begin with Creep starts out like most other found footage movies but after a first half that’s almost entirely devoid of scares, it switches gear into something much stranger and less predictable, following an inappropriately hilarious confession from Josef involving a wolf mask and a weirdly predatory sexual encounter with his wife. At which point it becomes difficult to tell if Josef is really who he says he is.

Josef is a peculiar and terrifying creation. At first glance he’s pleasant, earnest and refreshingly free of inhibitions but as the film wears on he becomes frightening in his calm but obsessive nature. It’s nice to see Mark Duplass playing against type and with this and his production credit on the wickedly funny Bad Milo, it goes some way to erasing his involvement in the dismal Black Rock and making the Duplass Brothers much more interesting players in the horror field.

Patrick Brice not only co-stars, as the only other character that we see on screen, he also takes the mantles of writer and director. One wonders whether or not his roles were borne of necessity or desire but he balances each well.

Much of Creep‘s charm comes from it’s balance of cringeworthy humour and sheer oddness. You’ll find yourself hiding your face behind your hands on more than one occasion but it’s hard to know whether it’ll be because you’ll be flinching from ill-at-ease laughter or fright.

Creep is a quiet, deliberate film that’s low on scares but high on atmosphere. It’s no thrill-ride but it’s surprisingly satisfying and mystifying in equal measure, although it certainly won’t be for everyone. Given the announcement that it’s the first film in a trilogy I’m very interested to see where Brice sees this theme going.

Although Creep is less of a horror movie and more of a psychological (or should that be psychopathic) character study, it manages to serve as an effective slice of tension whilst also offering us a dose of awkward humour and a character that’s fun and engaging enough to spend 90 minutes with. It’s an odd little film and will likely split audiences but if you’re in the market for something a bit different, that’s also an antidote to the slew of run-of-the-mill found footage flicks, then you should probably consider checking it out.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Lincoln is a heavy metal loving teenager with dyed black hair (so far, so cliche) and an abusive father figure who one day reacts to his bullies in a rather violent way. This sees him promptly shuttled off to a wilderness retreat for troublesome delinquents where his bullying continues, but where he also meets a manic pixie dream goth who wins his fragile teenage heart through doe-eyed stares, laboured flirting and lots of lip biting.

After Lincoln accidentally awakens the spirit of another bullied, now deceased resident, the other inmates start turning up slashed to bits and the fingers are pointed at him. Will his love for Kaitlin save him, or will he submit to the supernatural forces at play?

Some Kind Of Hate is not a subtle film, and it’s hard to tell if it was meant to be. With a by-the-numbers grinding soundtrack that supplements the loud jumpy sound effects littered throughout, it plays out like a grubby, overly-loud version of a 90′s Gen X flick.

The performances are a mixed bag for the most part. While it honestly feels like everyone is giving it their all, which makes it almost painful to then criticise them, they just come across as caricatures of characters from other films. Ronen Rubinstein is woefully miscast and is far too big to play someone who can’t, or won’t, take care of themselves in a physical fight, and Grace Phipps, although incredibly pretty, seems to have channeled Twilight-era Kristen Stewart and unfortunately turned the performance up to 11.

The worst offender by far though, is the script. What might have read as profound on the page does not translate to the screen, instead sounding emabrassingly amateur. When, towards the end of the film, one character makes a sincere declaration of love out of nowhere, it prompted ripples of laughter from the entire audience, which is never a good sign.

My biggest gripe is that as an ‘alternative’ individual who was bullied as a teen, making your protagonist a mumbling, shuffling weirdo who is as much of an arsehole to his peers as they are to him will not endear me to your film. I saw nothing of myself in the character of Lincoln, instead hoping his cringeworthy diatribes about how death metal makes him feel would come to a premature end, along with his miserable life. The whole thing felt like a desperate attempt to appeal to an alternative crowd without any first-hand knowledge of what actually fuels them.

Most troublingly though, Some Kind Of Hate is not only borderline insulting to people who’ve actually been bullied, reducing them to grudge-holding pseudo-psychopaths who’d have their tormenters murdered given half the chance, it’s also worryingly flippant in the way it deals with self-harm. It seems to veer between glorifying it in one scene and then condeming it in the next without ever coming down on either side of that debate. Horror films aren’t known for their tact, nor should they be, but if your core audience are the people you’re representing on screen then it would pay to be less careless with the subject matter.

The only positive things I can say about Some Kind Of Hate are that as a teenager, it’s a film I probably would have loved. It’s curious then that Mortimer chose to make it so violent given that the people it’s sure to appeal to the most won’t legally be allowed to watch it. It’s also competently made and certainly looks fantastic, with decent cinematography.

With a better script, and a more restrained approach, Some Kind Of Hate could have been a fun supernatural slasher, but as it stands it’s a mess of a film. It may appeal to hardcore fans of gore, despite the repetitive kills, but it certainly won’t do anything for most adult audiences who want more from their modern horror fare.

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars

Anne and Paul have lost their son in a tragic car accident and have moved to an old house in New Engand in order to start afresh and heal their deep emotional wounds. While Paul remains pragmatic and skeptical, Anne is sure she can feel a presence in their new house and suspects it to be their dead son. Enlisting the company of a couple of acquaintances who are familiar with the spritual plane, they soon learn that their house may contain far more malevolant entities than they’d hoped, and the cagey townsfolk might know a bit more about it than they’re letting on.

Haunted house stories are ten-a-penny and We Are Still Here does nothing new for the sub-genre, but it’s clearly so lovingly made that it’s likely to win you over regardless. It’s shot beautifully and, despite being almost exclusively set in a single location, somehow manages to utilise the snowy surroundings to great effect. The bright white landscape is juxtaposed perfectly with the dimly lit house and the two are blended seamlessly.

Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig, as the grieving home-owners, have helped to create the rarest of breeds in the horror genre; a pair of ridiculously likeable characters whom you cannot help but root for. Equally, Larry Fessenden and Lisa Marie are a nice foil for their rational disbelievers and effortlessly provide some much-needed occasional levity to punctuate the seriousness. It’s really nice to see that some filmmakers still see the value in slightly older genre actors and favour using them over the usual slew of insufferable, tight-bodied charisma-vacuums that normally populate modern horror. More of this please!

The sumptuous 70′s inspired feel is akin to that of films like House Of The Devil and the whole film has a pervasive vintage quality which is oddly appealing. From the decor, to the clothing, it’s slightly disorienting and makes it hard to pin an actual date to the film (although the maths within the story would tell us that the 70′s is a safe bet).

Haunted house movies are usually pretty blood-free affairs, so also it’s refreshing to see one that handles its gore just as well as its chills. The final act is a gleefully claret-soaked sequence of scenes that are a perfect argument for choosing practical effects over CGI.

On the flipside, the mystery is a fairly flimsy one, and not enough time is afforded to the townspople whose story could have been just as interesting as our protagonists’, so in one or two places the action seems to arrive without enough build up. It’s a minor complaint in an otherwise fun and well-constructed movie though. It might be a bit too much of a throwback for some audiences who want something a little more modern, but if you’re in the market for a slow-burn, well-acted, beautiful and thoroughly entertaining indie gem, please seek this out at your earliest convenience!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

David works in a film archive centre with his softly spoken colleague Claire. One day she asks him to check out some new reels that the centre have acquired and David is startled to learn that the films contain violent images taking place in his house, more than a decade earlier. To add to his mounting stress and paranoia, he sees his wife in the throes of a passionate affair with an artist and the following morning she’s mysteriously disappeared, naturally leaving him as the police’s main suspect. When she turns up dead, floating in the nearby canal, Davids grip on reality weakens and his world starts to crumble.

The Canal is pumped full of atmosphere, similar to that of Kill List and The Borderlands, which is, perhaps, unsurprising given Robin Hill‘s involvement in all three projects. Some jarring jump-cuts aside, Hill‘s editing works masterfully to give the film a grimy feel and to add uncertainty to our protagonist’s sanity. It’s a film that’s steeped in darkness and the bleak cinematography and direction both manage to reflect this really well.

Despite mastering a deep feeling of unease throughout, the director Ivan Kavanagh sadly falls into the trap of relying on many of the standard tropes that we’ve become used to seeing in this type of film and so there are few surprises in terms of how the story develops. With the exception of a couple of well placed scares and some disgustingly unforgettable imagery in the final throes, The Canal doesn’t tread much in the way of new ground.

However, it does boast some wonderful performances. Rupert Evans, while not necessarily providing us with a likeable main character, does fit the cuckolded, newly grieving husband and father to a T. His son, played by Calum Heath, manages to do what few child actors can; and that is to act his little socks off whilst also being genuinely endearing (The Babadook could have taken a few notes here.)

On the flipside is Antonia Campbell-Hughes, whose sole technique seems to be to whisper her lines almost inaudibly and manages to turn a potentially intriguing sidekick into a simpering drip. Steve Oram‘s cynical cop is brilliant, but almost feels like he’s from a different film entirely. His northern accent and black humour seem ill-judged considering the tone, but he does provide occasional levity amidst a rather depressing set of events.

The Canal is a film I wanted to like. It had many elements that I look for in a horror film, and for the most part, it pulled them off adeptly. Ultimately though, some elements were simply too disjointed and too bogged down in unending misery for it’s own good, so instead of being memorable, The Canal just manages to be a decent watch. Not bad but not great.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Young coder Caleb works for an Apple-like conglomerate called Bluebook. One day he receives a notification that he’s won a company-wide lottery that will award him the chance to go to Bluebook mogul Nathan’s secluded estate for a week long glimpse behind the proverbial curtain.

Once there, Caleb is soon informed that has actually been brought in under false pretenses and that he’s got the option to take part in a mind-blowing experiment involving artificial intelligence. Being a curious fellow, Caleb quickly agrees and is given the task of being the human component in a Turing Test; a test to ascertain whether or not an AI can succesfully convince the tester that it’s intelligent and independent enough to pass for human. When it’s revealed that the AI in question is housed in the body of beautiful young woman named Ava, things start to get complicated and ethical lines are blurred.

Ex Machina is screenwriter and novelist Alex Garland‘s directorial debut and it’s breathtaking. It helps that his trio of stars are all exciting up-and-comers (two of whom will soon be seen in the next of the Star Wars franchise) but his directing prowess can’t be denied. Visually the film is stunning, but the performances are what ground the film in some much needed reality. Domhnall Gleeson is just the right mixture of inquisitive and morally malleable and Oscar Isaac is perfect in his portrayal of a dangerously egomaniacal genius. Alicia Vikander, though, is the real star. She gives Ava the perfect combination of manufactured innocence and worrying mystery, and manages to recreate the movements of a humanoid robot so well that you may start to wonder whether she’s real or not.

Without believable interaction and flawed characters the sci-fi elements might have seemed far-fetched, but even as someone with limited knowledge of computing and robotics, the events seemed terrifyingly plausible to me.

It’s this level of believability which provides the film with its horror, and why I’ll defend its inclusion on this site. The work that companies like Boston Dynamics are doing and Google’s desperate acquisitions of any and all technological breakthroughs that they can get their hands on certainly lends the film much weight.

The world in which these characters inhabit is sparse and clinical but also feels completely realistic. Outside the complex is lush greenery and impressive waterfalls which punctuates the sobriety and foreboding throughout, and provides a reminder of what Ava is missing out on.

Ex Machina is an almost perfect psychological sci-fi thriller. It’s a film that requires mutliple viewings and will undoubtedly leave you thinking about perceived morality and the events that transpire for days or even weeks after. Magnificently acted, well written and directed and a terrifying glimpse of what could very well be our future. I, for one, am skeptical about welcoming our robot overlords.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Jay is a young girl on the verge of leaving her teenage years behind. Through a brief introduction we learn that she’s beautiful but introspective, longing for a fairytale life that urban Detroit just can’t provide. On a date one evening, Jay has sex in a car with a new potential boyfriend, but rather than it being the magical, fulfilling night of her dreams, she’s left with a rather terrifying sexually transmitted reminder once the date is over. It Follows is a film best seen with fresh eyes, so to say too much more than that would be a disservice to both the reader and the film.

The genius of It Follows comes directly from its sheer simplicity. Many of the tropes we’ve become familiar with as horror fans are present and correct, but they’re used in such a graceful way that It Follows always feels completely original.

We’re so accustomed to seeing horror movie dames fall foul of murderous psychopaths once they pop their respective cherries, that the notion of sex being used as a storytelling device or metaphorical weapon isn’t anything new. What sets It Follows apart from its contemporaries however, is the use of the sex act itself as a literal means of creating a threat.

It’s also refreshing to see the subject matter presented without judgement. Writer and drector David Robert Mitchell doesn’t appear to have any agenda here, neither demonising nor lauding promiscuity or teenage sex. Our protagonist here is simply a normal teenager who gets very, very unlucky.

Although a simple story, Mitchell has come up with a solid foundation for his movie world, and a set of well thought out rules that are presented without excess exposition. Not without gaps though, the audience is left with much to ponder long after the credits have rolled, in the best possible way.

Maika Monroe, fresh from a co-starring role in The Guest is perfect as the central character. Jay is pretty, and appears to know it, but is quiet and mercifully devoid of ego, whilst also just being normal and believable. Her friends are also cast well, providing naturalistic performances that wonderfully complement the beautiful cinematography and gorgeous framing in almost every scene. The film is almost completely devoid of parental or authoritarian figures, and combined with the stark Detroit landscape, this only serves to amplify the principal character’s alienation.

It Follows is relatively light on jump scares and there’s almost no bloodshed to speak of, but it more than makes up for that with an almost claustrophobic tension that’s ramped up by a masterful 80′s inspired synth score. Since 2011′s Drive, electronica soundtracks have become de rigueur, but they’re seldom done as brilliantly as this.

Having been favourably compared to a slew of contemporary horror classics, It Follows is not shy of acclaim, but don’t let the hype machine ruin your viewing. It’s gorgeously shot, with likable protagonists who make realistic decisions and a moody atmosphere and palpable threat. This is the original horror that the fans have been demanding for so long. Watch it at your earliest convenience.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

The film begins with a brief, dream-like sequence that gives us a taste of the intense relationship between our protagonist Ig (Radcliffe) and his girlfriend Merrin (a positively ethereal Juno Temple). A minute later and we learn that Merrin is dead, the victim of a rape/murder that Ig is being blamed for. The audience is to assume that Ig is innocent but all signs point to his guilt, not least the fact that soon after he begins sprouting devil-like horns from his forehead.

Rather than playing out as a horror film, the remainder is actually a very surreal murder mystery. Visually, it’s a feast of memorable set pieces but sadly they lack the cohesion to gel them together properly and form an enthralling storyline, which isn’t helped by the distinct lack of character development.

Horns certainly has a unique premise, and the way in which our protagonist begins to notice the titular temple growths, and more importantly the way everyone around him begins to react to his new facial additions is handled really well, and provides some much needed levity in a film bogged down by darkness. It’s not made instantly obvious why people are reacting the way they do but figuring it out provides some solid, if confusing, entertainment.

For a film so steeped in religious iconography, it’s difficult to ever really work out the message that’s being preached here. Having spent a considerable amount of time mulling it over, I’m still uncertain as to whether Hill is advocating faith or, in fact, the the absence of it. It definitely seems like a film that doesn’t definitively fall down on the side of good or evil, but instead explores the many shades of grey in between.

Horns boasts a fantastic central performance by Radcliffe, who seems eager to play against type and show his range, and certainly succeeds here as he smokes, screws and smoulders through the film, throwing in the occasional, sometimes ill-judged, wisecrack. Juno Temple, although restricted to flashback scenes that help us piece the puzzle together, shines in her relatively brief screen time. She’s a fearless actress, both emotionally and physically, although her American accent does falter on occasion. The rest of the cast is rounded out by familiar faces Max Minghella, David Morse, Kelli Garner and Heather Graham, all of whom stay on just the right side of cliche.

In addition to the solid performances, Horns is also sound-tracked terrifically. It bounces effortlessly between The Pixies, Fever Ray, David Bowie and even Marilyn Manson‘s pounding Depeche Mode cover. Rather than feeling like a shrewd effort to appeal to its core demographic, each song feels tremendously well placed.

It’s also really nice to see Alexandre Aja doing something outside of his existing ouevre, even if it hasn’t quite paid off in this instance. It’s directed incredibly well, and his visual flair is present and correct but it’s marred by a hackneyed script and erratic editing.

Sadly, despite the visual prowess, acting talent and polished soundtrack, Horns is simply too disjointed and schizophrenic to ever really work as a complete piece, feeling more like a series of set-pieces than a coherent film. Instead of living up to it’s promise, Horns unfortunately plays out more like a big budget student film and never delves deep enough to be meaningful; a regrettable case of style over substance.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Having hated Dead Hooker In A Trunk but having loved American Mary, it’s safe to say that I was mildly skeptical but having witnessed the progression between those two films, also vaguely confident that the Soska’s were up to the task of improving on the mythos of Jacob Goodnight. What I wasn’t expecting was a slasher that was so poorly characterised, badly acted and by-the-numbers, that it makes Texas Chainsaw 3D look revolutionary.

Beginning where See No Evil ended, but picking up with a group of morticians, awaiting the body of gargantuan serial murderer/Mummy’s boy Jacob Goodnight (played by WWE star Kane), See No Evil 2 does a decent job of initially making us engage with Danielle Harris‘s likable birthday girl Amy before quickly introducing us to her friends. They’re, at best, a lazy run-down of two dimensional charisma vacuums and at worst, a parade of insulting stereotypes.

Having to work late in the wake of Jacob Goodnight’s killing spree, it soon becomes apparent that Amy’s friends have conspired with her boss to bring her birthday party to her at work. Because who doesn’t want to get drunk and party among dead bodies? Glossing over the group’s absurdly lax attitude to being around the very recent victims of a notorious, possibly supernaturally aided, serial killer is one of the films main crimes. I doubt anyone watches a WWE film expecting innovation but the preposterously nonsensical plot borders on disrespectful to the audience at times and in the wake of the wonderfully OTT No-One Lives I expected more than this.

Katharine Isabelle, previously so wonderful in American Mary, is so inherently loathsome and bafflingly hysterical here that her role comes a little too close to parody for my liking. Aesthetically, she’s got all the makings of a tremendously successful scream queen, and lord knows, the girl can act when she wants to, but roles like this will do absolutely nothing for her credibility.

The only real standout here is Harris but at this point in her career, she’s become so used to this kind of role that she may well be phoning it in so well that the audience will fail to notice when compared to the other actors. Even Kane, hired predominantly for his bulk, shows more enthusiasm than most of the cast, and he simply spends most of the film lurching through hallways and scooping out eyeballs.

See No Evil 2‘s biggest sin is that it’s never obvious what the Soska’s were aiming for. It’s not scary enough to be an effective slasher, it’s not quite bloody enough to be a satisfying (but empty) gorefest and it’s completely devoid of humour to take the edge off. What promised to be a fun flick is actually a damp squib of a sequel, six years too late. Saving it’s only subversive moment for the anti-climactic ending does nothing to heighten what’s come before it either. The only real saving grace is that the Soska’s reduced their now infamous cameo’s to non-speaking roles as cadavers at the beginning.

Maybe I was spoiled by the near perfection of American Mary but I certainly expected more from the twins, and See No Evil 2 doesn’t deliver in any category. Avoid.

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

Exists is about a couple of brothers who take a trip to their Uncle’s remote woodland cabin with a few of their friends in tow. One of the brothers, naturally, insists on filming the events. On the way, the friends hit something with their car and although they’re spooked, they continue to the cabin and settle in, despite the faint knowledge that something else may well inhabit the woods. Before long, Brian (Chris Osborn) thinks he sees something lurking in the trees so he sets up cameras to catch whatever it is and prove to the others that he’s not just a vaguely paranoid stoner.

The first fifteen minutes of Exists verge on laboriously mediocre but once the action starts it’s relentless and you simply won’t care about the fact that most of the characters are often loathsome and two dimensional – and although they make their fair share of ridiculously bad decisions and sometimes react in detrimental ways, they show an admiral level of self preservation that’s usually lacking in the sub-genre.

At times, Exists leans a little too far toward cliché but the effectiveness of the scares and the sheer enthusiasm that pours out of the second half more than make up for it. It’s also a film that will likely please Bigfoot fanatics, managing to nail the sounds, visuals, strength and visceral terror that should be associated with it. Sanchez obviously did his homework and it’s paid off.

The Bigfoot himself is a beautiful creation. This is not the hairy-wetsuit-Bigfoot from the Lance Henrikson bomb Sasquatch, it’s not the played-for-laughs wookiee-a-like from Harry And The Hendersons and it’s not the completely unseen presence from Willow Creek, this Bigfoot is a brilliant combination of prosthetics, makeup and animalistic acting. Not an ounce of CGI in sight!

Many of the scenes take place in broad daylight and normally that would be a cardinal sin for a low budget horror film, but the fact that it frightens so effectively, even when well-lit is a testament to the Bigfoot they’ve created and the conviction the makers must have, quite rightly, had in it.

The direction is minimal and somewhat erratic, as with most found footage efforts, but it’s hard to find too much fault in it as it certainly serves its purpose. Although he tripped a little with the woefully misjudged Seventh Moon, after Altered and Lovely Molly, Sanchez definitely goes further toward proving that he’s the more talented of the Blair Witch duo.

Exists is a rare thing; not only is it a good found footage movie, it’s also a good Bigfoot movie. Although the characters are disposable, the threat is very palpable, the pace is swift and the running time is brief. It’s not terribly original and the storytelling medium used is certainly well worn, but it does have some quietly subversive moments, including a Final Boy and a surprisingly long-lived black character.

Make no mistake, Exists is cinematic fluff, but it’s fluff at its entertaining best if you approach it in the right way. You won’t concern yourself with the ‘why’ or the ‘how’, you’ll just be content to sit back and indulge in a joyful slice of Bigfoot action. Better yet, watch it back to back with last years wonderful Willow Creek and you’ll be in for a double bill of Sasquatch treats.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

The premise of the film is pleasingly simple, obviously inspired by a mixture of 80′s action, horror and dark comedy. Barrett and Wingard have mentioned in countless interviews that their inspiration came from back-to-back viewings of The Terminator and Halloween and although those references might not be immediately apparent, there’s the unavoidable, pervasive aura of both of those classics throughout.

All American ex-soldier David shows up on the doorstep of the Peterson family one day. He maintains that he was a friend of, and served alongside their now deceased son and had promised to check in on them out of loyalty. Although the family are initially suspicious of the stranger, they’re very quickly won over by his calm demeanour and easy charm and allow him into their home for an increasingly extended period of time.

Although David appears to have a positive influence on all aspects of the Peterson’s lives, daughter Anna’s suspicions about him are raised and once she starts digging into his background, dark secrets are unearthed. To give away any more would be to do the film a disservice. It really is a very simple story, and watching it play out is incredibly tense, compelling and thrilling.

Although it’s presented as something of a slow burn thriller, The Guest is actually very funny in places. There are knowing winks to other movies, sly glances and incredibly dark humour to be found at every turn and I found myself laughing uncomfortably far more than I thought I might.

Dan Stevens as David is a revelation. As someone who has thus far avoided the phenomenon that is Downton Abbey, despite being British and female, Stevens hadn’t been on my radar before now. His slight Southern American drawl is perfect and he provides just the right amount of charm and menace to make the Petersons, and the audience, fall under his spell. It could have quite easily tipped into odious smarm in the hands of a lesser actor but Stevens excels, both in the acting stakes, and the physical ones, during the films more action packed moments.

The rest of the cast pulls their weight admirably too. Maika Monroe seems to be making a name for herself as something of a minor Scream Queen and in The Guest she provides the audience with a protagonist to root for. Thanks to a combination of clever writing and decent acting chops, she elevates Anna into someone we like, and whom we want to survive. Leland Orser provides many of the lighter moments of comic relief in his role as the possibly alcohol dependent Peterson patriarch and Brendan Meyer (whom I just can’t believe isn’t related to Chloe Moretz!) is the bullied, downtrodden son. Brief but welcome appearances from Lance Reddick, AJ Bowen and Ethan Embry help round out the cast.

As evidenced in You’re Next, Wingard has an ear for a catchy tune, and he’s soundtracked The Guest with an eclectic mix of modern electro and 80′s synth-goth-pop which provides the perfect musical backdrop for a film so steeped in nostalgia but with such a fresh voice too. The importance of sound in film can never be over-stated and Wingard seems incredibly, refreshingly aware of that fact.

Although The Guest isn’t dramatically original, it’s short, it’s punchy and it left a nihilistic smile on my face for a long time after the viewing. Seek it out at your earliest convenience and sit with baited breath to see what Wingard and Barrett focus their collective talents on next.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Hot on the heels of their Freak show, Sarah & Phil veer into Brit-horror-comedy territory with the wonderfully macabre Sightseers. Taking time to really delve into Ben Wheatley’s superb caravan-of-death opus, they stop along the way to provide a mini review for new release Willow Creek, which explores similar ‘couple on camping holiday’ themes. Tenuous, but we make the rules here. Enjoy.

As always, please do get in touch. You can find us on Facebook by searching for “Radio Gorepress”, on twitter, or by emailing mail@gorepress.com. We’re always ready and willing to take your suggestions on board!

-Sarah & Phil.

The plot revolves around Wood’s character Tom Selznick, a gifted concert pianist who suffers from crippling stage fright. His actress wife and two friends are there to support him on his return to the stage as he prepares for his first performance in six years. Following a swift intro regarding the titular piano, we’re then literally following our protagonist as he makes his way to the theatre and deals with his increasing nerves as he prepares to take to the stage.

As Tom Selznick assumes his place in front of the eagerly awaiting audience, to perform an ‘unplayable’ piece of music, the same piece that previously caused him to metaphorically choke on stage all those years ago, he finds a note inside his sheet music that launches an incredibly well directed, visually stunning and masterfully tense second act.

Horror fans will find lots of familiar faces here including Alex Winter, Dee Wallace, In Fear’s Allen Leech and Red State’s Kerry Bishé. They all do really well with an occasionally poor and perfunctory script, and even the most casual cinephile will instantly recognise John Cusack‘s voice as the Kiefer Sutherland to Elijah Wood‘s Colin Farrell. Wood is going from strength to strength in the horror genre of late and this is another entry into his vast résumé. Despite looking forever baby-faced, he’s one of the most surprisingly versatile actors of his generation.

The story-line is ludicrous but most viewers will be having so much fun getting caught up in the taut piano concerto scenes that they’ll barely notice the silliness until the rather preposterous ending. It’s also ridiculously simple, which goes some way to proving that complicated plots aren’t necessary in order to make a genuinely suspenseful thriller.

Director Eugenio Mira makes what must have sounded dreadfully boring on the page, into a visual feast. He utilises every camera trick in the book but instead of seeming too showy or overconfident, it elevates the film above it’s shoddy script and makes it obvious that those involved must have been having a blast.

Grand Piano is a film that won’t ever warrant repeat viewings, and will likely infuriate viewers looking for realism or airtight plots, but it’s an adequately accomplished slice of glossy neo-giallo tension that will provide 80 minutes of breathless, lively fun if you let it.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

The Sacrament revolves around a couple of VICE reporters who go looking for a man’s missing sister; an ex junkie who’s been on a sober living compound for some time and whose location is currently unknown. With only a brief communication telling them where to meet their helicopter pilot, the reporter, camera operator and the brother of the missing woman are taken to a remote village full of serene people who believe that their leader; the mysterious ‘Father’, has created ‘Heaven on Earth’ for them at Eden Parish.

It doesn’t take long for cracks to show in the veneer of some of the inhabitants and the reporters are thrust into a bizarre cult-like scenario with devastating results.

Touted as a found-footage movie, The Sacrament is actually a regular movie, complete with titles and a soundtrack, that just happens to utilise found footage elements as a storytelling technique. It’s a genuine relief that it’s mostly free of shaky-cam, although the uncertainty of who may survive to edit the footage does dampen the tension somewhat.

The Sacrament is chock full of the usual West crew, including AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg and Amy Siemetz. Some people aren’t a fan of the incestuous way that these multi-talented actors/writers/directors all employ one another for their own projects but personally I find it fascinating to watch. Particularly actors like Siemetz and Bowen, the former who is just an out and out chameleon and the latter who has proved himself time and time again to be one of the best actors working on the indie scene today.

They’re all wonderful here, and the rounded characters provide one of the films real strengths. Much like The Innkeepers, they are enough to keep you glued to your seat despite the lack of any real action in the first two acts. In addition to the gamut of West regulars, one of the real standouts is Gene Jones as the enigmatic Southern preacher ‘Father’. He recalls the same religious fervour and latent malevolence as Michael Parks character in Kevin Smith‘s similarly themed Red State, and is incredibly menacing whilst remaining totally calm and seemingly benevolent.

Spoilers:

The real drawback to The Sacrament is it’s inherent similarity to The Jonestown Massacre and if you’re at all familiar with the events that took place then you’ll know exactly which direction the film will take and there’ll be absolutely no surprises. The only real surprise is that West chose not to declare the basis in truth and sell the film as a fictionalised version of the real mass suicides as that, to me, would have made much more sense, given that using an existing publication sets the film firmly in our World. In fact, the film is even presented as though the events within were real so with that in mind, it seems doubly odd not to acknowledge The Jonestown Massacre given that it’s almost identical in all but name.

While it’s not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, The Sacrament is much like all of West’s films in that it simply…happens. The events unfold in his usual meticulously plotted way but there’s not much in the way of scares or shocks to qualify it as the horror film it sets out to be. There are some memorable moments, including an eye opening self immolation, but the film is otherwise forgettable, which is a shame.

As I mentioned previously, I’m of two minds when it comes to West’s fare so if you’re a staunch fan then please do check the film out as you’ll undoubtedly find much to appreciate but if, like me, you’re unsure then tread with caution. Either way, it’s surely worth a watch.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 stars

Ada is a pretty teenager who lives within a small community in an unnamed hillbilly-populated village in Southern America. This particular community, however, has a peculiar set of customs that extends beyond brewing their own moonshine. At the centre of their village is a muddy pit and in it dwells an unseen, mysterious creature that demands regular sacrifices. It’s a ritual accepted by everyone and involves one of their number, the dimwitted Dawai, receiving a vision of the impending sacrificee and turning their face into a clay jug. The ‘why’ is unclear but it’s an interesting plot device and results in a strangely memorable image.

Our protagonist Ada is a put-upon girl who’s involved in an incestuous sexual relationship with her brother and when she finds out that not only is she pregnant, but that she’s the latest ‘Jug Face’ and must be sacrificed to The Pit, she schemes desperately to save herself.

Whilst some of the accents seem a little unnaturally thick and exaggerated, the acting at the centre of The Pit is solid. It’s nice to see Sean Young leaving her days of being notoriously ‘difficult’ behind her and finally accepting the meaty roles that she deserves. She’s a primal force of an overbearing backwoods Mother and abandons all vanity to don unflattering, frumpy dresses and bad hair. Sean Bridgers is also noteworthy, providing us with perhaps the only truly sympathetic character in the whole film. Larry Fessenden is surprisingly great throughout too, at once an idiotic yet tyrannical patriarch. At the films heart though, is Lauren Ashley Carter whose wide eyes and pretty girl-next-door looks make her the perfect central character.

Produced by Lucky McKee, his influence is all over The Pit, in the best possible way. The tone is reminiscent of much of his fare and it also reunites Lauren Ashley Carter and Sean Bridgers from 2011′s The Woman. It’s bare-bones storytelling, with almost no effects to speak of, an unsuccessful and misplaced apparition/ghost aside.  What effects there are are practical and tangible and all the better for it. It goes some way to proving that with a decent story to tell, effects and big budgets are largely unnecessary in this field.

The Pit is compelling while also being a tad predictable. It’s obvious from the outset that there are no happy endings here but it’s still a fun ride to watch the inevitably macabre events play out.

The name change, from Jug Face in the US to The Pit here in the UK, is a curious decision as Jug Face is much more evocative and distinctive, which is a real shame.

While The Pit’s storyline of an omnipotent being demanding sacrificial deaths isn’t a new one, it’s given a pleasingly original spin with interesting characters and an unfamiliar setting. For those who don’t mind their horror with a healthy dose of melodrama, you could do much worse than to check out The Pit.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

After another brief hiatus, Phil and Sarah are back with a stonker of a show focused on found footage horror. They spend the first half getting some mileage out of the uber popular, and some would say done-to-death sub-genre, focusing on five honourable mentions, and their personal favourites!

The second half of the show is dedicated to an in-depth review of recent Brit-horror The Borderlands. Did they love it or loathe it? It’ll come as no surprise to dedicated site visitors that they were quite taken with this effective little chiller so join them for their journey into the belly of the beast.

As always, please do get in touch. You can find us on Facebook by searching for “Radio Gorepress”, on twitter or by emailing mail@gorepress.com. We’re always ready and willing to take your suggestions on board!

-Sarah & Phil.