THOSE WHO CALL ** USA 2023 Dir: Anubys Lopez. 79 mins Arriving in a small Texas town, sisters Sandra (Yetlanezi Rodriguez) and Ana (Angie Sandoval) are hoping to use the trip to rekindle their relationship after years of being strained only to find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere. While they’re in the middle of the experience, they start to get hints of something supernatural happening around them that starts to hint at the presence of a sadistic pagan cult in the area trying to use them as the latest offerings in a gruesome human sacrifice ritual. Realizing there’s…
Author: Don Anelli
DR. SAVILLE’S HORROR SHOW *** USA 2022 Dir: Kevin R. Phipps. 98 mins Waking up in his torture dungeon, Michael (Michael Hanelin) is continuously tortured and tormented by the savage Dr. Saville (Allen Valor) mutilating him for a past indiscretion. While these events take place, the doctor begins telling him several scary stories to speed up the process: a bride determined to lose weight before her wedding is given a tapeworm implant that can’t be satiated, a heartbroken man getting through a break-up receives a supposedly-perfect replacement with murderous tendencies, and a loving father tries to protect his daughter from…
JOHNNY Z *** USA 2022 Dir: Jonathan Straiton. 95 mins After escaping from a government testing lab, Johnny (Michael Merchant) a half-human/half-zombie, seeks shelter with Jonray (Felix Cortes), who’s a friend of Crisanto (Jason Delgado), the person who helped him escape. Trying to help him adjust to the way of life around them, they decide to spend the time martial arts training at his compound on the outskirts of the dystopian society left behind. As their training continues, they realize that the head of the corporation that originally built him wants their property back and has stopped at nothing to…
RAGE ** South Africa 2020 Dir: Jaco Bouwer. 85 mins Arriving in a small coastal town, friends Roxy (Jane de Wet), Sihle (Shalima Mkongi), Kyle (Tristan de Beer), Leon (David Viviers), Tamsyn (Nicole Fortuin), and Neo (Sihle Mnqwazana) look at the occasion to party on the beach and drink themselves silly every night. The townsfolk, especially Hermien (Lida Botha) and her son Albert (Carel Nel), are welcoming. During a psychedelic trip on the beach, the friends witness a disturbing birth ritual, which could be a hallucination, or not. Soon fertility figurines start to appear at random places, and what is…
LAUNCH AT PARADISE ** USA 2022 Dir: Carrie Ann Quinn. 15 mins This sci-fi short, revolving around the blurred lines between life and death for John when he takes the risk to live forever, is fine enough for what it is although there are some drawbacks to be had here. That’s really only relegated to the technical qualities on display as there’s a fine technical sheen that looks far more impressive than expected for this kind of student project including some fine transitions and hallucinogenic effects that look quite nice. As well, the technique for resurrection attempted here seems to…