Movies
Stump the Band (V)
“I wanted to be surprised, I wanted to be shocked, I wanted to be entertained, but when all was said and done, I was—like the band—just plain stumped!”
Backroads Americana has surly taken more than its share of hits since DELIVERANCE made move-going audiences squeal like pigs over the fear of being felled-upon by redneck lunatics. This time around corporate retreats (See SEVERANCE) and teens in peril (See WRONG TURN) pass the torch to a “Rock Chick Band” that the writer and director never even bother to provide a name for.
The no-name-band of 4 sexy vixens, a lesbian roadie, an overprotective boyfriend and their lecherous manager are touring the northern US when a stop for directions leads them off the beaten path. The proverbial broken-down car and a skinny dip later and the unlucky seven land right in the arms of a group of whacked out country boys with a very literal foot fetish.
The fact that the filmmakers behind STUMP THE BAND couldn’t bother to name the band in the film shows a true lack of attention to detail in the production. Simply put, they could have called the band “Stump”, and then the film would work on so many more levels! Like the name of the band would be in the title and the more obvious joke would be that the fate that befalls the girls (having their feet cut off…get it…stumps!) would have been funnier. As it stands right now the film is neither funny nor frightening.
Given my affinity for a long-range of bad horror films involving rock bands (ROCK N’ ROLL NIGHTMARE and BLACK ROSES) I was really expecting to enjoy this film. In addition, ever since MISERY took a pretty sledgehammer to Paul Sheldon’s ankles, I’ve had a pretty weak spot for podiatric peril. I mean, SAW showed virtually nothing and I was damn near weeping like a kindergartner with a fallen ice cream cone when the guy from THE PRINCESS BRIDE started hacking off his freaking foot. So, it seems like a killer whose signature move is chopping off sexy girls feet was gonna send me through the roof. But, I didn’t even cringe once. I was too absorbed by the grade-school acting and irritating antics of the characters. It’s like horror movie 101—make the principal cast so annoying that you’re actively rooting for their deaths. I guess in that regard the film succeeds. In all other, including watchability it fails miserably.
Is it the backwoods drama that’s just getting overplayed, or is it the expectation that I was gonna see something fun—a kind of throwback to the ridiculous plot devices and situation that occurred all throughout the 1980’s—that’s really getting me down? I just can’t put a finger on it. In reality the acting is no worse than a dozen or more other no-budget flicks I see every month. I guess the dual promise of severed limbs and rock band road trip antics failed to deliver on my expectations. Perhaps I should shoulder a bit of the blame myself. I can’t express enough—once again—how much measured expectations must come into play when checking out direct-to-video flicks like this one. I wanted to be surprised, I wanted to be shocked, I wanted to be entertained, but when all was said and done, I was—like the band—just plain stumped!
This week’s big new horror release is of course Evil Dead Burn in theaters later in the week, but you don’t have to wait until this weekend to inject fresh nightmares into your eyeballs.
Five brand new horror movies have already released at home this week.
Here’s all the new horror that released on Tuesday, July 7, 2026!
Director André Øvredal’s (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Last Voyage of the Demeter) new movie Passenger is now available on Digital at home.
Here’s the synopsis for Passenger: “A few weeks into their van life adventure, a young couple witnesses a horrific accident that leaves the driver dead. Soon they’re being pursued by a demonic stalker who’s impossible to outrun and follows them wherever they go.”
André Øvredal told Bloody Disgusting in an exclusive chat, “It’s a road movie, which is what I really fell in love with. It’s totally unique for me as a horror movie. Bridging the road movie with a haunting, essentially, on the road. I think it’s the scariest movie I’ve made.”
The cast includes Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, Tony Doupe, Bonni Dichone, Devielle Johnson, Jessica Cruz, Miles Fowler, and Alan Trong.
The screenplay is written by Zachary Donohue (The Den) and T.W. Burgess (Mister Howl). Former Warner Bros production executive Walter Hamada, who steered the Conjuring and It franchises, is producing via his 18hz as part of his first-look deal with Paramount. It screenwriter Gary Dauberman is also producing via Coin Operated.
Supernatural horror, psychological suspense, and an eye-catching creature take center stage in The Leaching, now available on Digital from Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment.
“After waking up in a grave on her father’s isolated forest property with no idea of who she is or how she got there, Vivian must use her limited memory to piece together the nightmarish truth, all the while being tormented by the undead, a giant leech monster, and her ‘father.’
“Over the next few days, she will uncover the framework of a truly nefarious supernatural scheme, but will it be too late?”
The Leaching is written and directed by Evan Showalter (Ante Mortem, Bad Music Terry).
“The Leaching is an exploration of faith, the loss of self, and the monsters (literally) that emerge when people surrender themselves to something greater than they can understand,” says Showalter. “It’s an isolating horror film that plays with a very uncomfortable question.”
A film student finds herself trapped in a giallo nightmare in lo-fi horror movie City Wide Fever, which is now streaming exclusively on the Midnight Pulp streaming service.
The meta horror movie is from debut writer/director Josh Heaps.
In City Wide Fever, “Sam, a young film student, discovers a USB detailing the life and career of forgotten Italian horror director Saturnino Barresi.
“As she begins to investigate his mysterious disappearance, Sam finds herself pulled into a violent conspiracy eerily similar to those of the films she adores.”
Diletta Guglielmi, Angelica Kim, and Nancy Kimball star with Onur Tukel (Summer of Blood), Larry Fessenden (You’re Next), Carolyn Farina, and comedian Ian Fidance.
Paul Lê wrote in his review for Bloody Disgusting, “This isn’t just a case of throwback filmmaking that’s been achieved with contemporary technology; the director used era-authentic equipment to help create this striking and nostalgic piece of modern horror. The end result is a movie… teeming with enough verve and style to make it feel fresh.”
A Gen Z slasher that pays homage to ’90s teen slasher movies, You’re Dead to Me is now available on Digital outlets at home courtesy of distributor Dark Star Pictures.
In the slasher film, “Three high school seniors skip prom for a secluded weekend party free from parents, school, and responsibility, but their escape turns terrifying when they learn one of their classmates has been brutally murdered.”
Denise Richards (Valentine) stars alongside Siena Agudong (Sidelined: The QB and Me, Sidelined 2: Intercepted), Jessica Belkin (“Baywatch” ), Ella Anderson (“Henry Danger,” Song Sung Blue), and Conor Husting (“Boo, Bitch”, Hollywood Stargirl).
The film was directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz.
You’re Dead to Me was co-written by Sarah Howard and Terry Castle, the daughter of the legendary producer and filmmaker William Castle (House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler).
Steven Quale (Into the Storm, Final Destination 5) directed the supernatural thriller Black Box, which has now taken flight on Digital outlets courtesy of Aura Entertainment.
The film is based on the short film The Vessel, and an original screenplay from horror writer Stephen Susco (The Grudge, The Grudge 2, Texas Chainsaw 3D, Hell Fest).
Black Box (Flight 298) follows the supernatural events surrounding Vero Airlines 298 from New Orleans to Seattle.
Tom Brittney, Holly Leena White, Betsy Blue English, Dane Whyte O’Hara, Kaja Chan, Asa Ali, Boadicea Ricketts, Ceallach Spellman, Georgina Leonidas, Molly Belle Wright, Hanneke Talbot, Danny Mack, and Weronika Rosati star in Black Box.
Hammerstone Studios’ Alex Lebovici (Barbarian, Boy Kills World) and Jon Oakes (Drive, The Guilty) will produce alongside Capstone’s Christian Mercuri and David Haring (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Warren Zide (The Final Destination, American Pie), and Susco. Ruzanna Kegeyan and Roman Viaris of Capstone, and Clark Baker (Vessel) will executive produce.
What happened to Flight 298? Find out on Digital outlets now.
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