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[MHHFF Review] ‘Blood Punch’ Is a Supernatural Film Noir on Meth

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From the writers of Power Rangers R.P.M. and The Tigger Movie comes a wildly morbid and original film: Blood Punch. While its pedigree may sound a bit too kiddie for a horror film, you’ll never see Blood Punch on the Disney Channel, oh no. It’s a twisted and clever film that’s been kicking much ass on the festival circuit and just last week it damn near blew the roof off of the screening I caught at the Mile High Horror Film Festival. It’s like a supernatural film noir on meth, with heaps of dark humor and a madcap edge that cuts deep. And as its name suggests, Blood Punch is a very, very bloody affair.

Much of what makes director Madellaine Paxson’s film such a blast is experiencing the curveballs as they come at you, so I won’t reveal too much of the sharp plot. Milo (Milo Cawthorne) is a brilliant and sweet guy whose knack for cooking meth led him to a drug rehabilitation center. There he’s tempted by pseudo femme fatale Skyler (Olivia Tennet), a chain-smoking harlet with a filthy mouth and silver tongue. She convinces Milo to bust outta rehab and flee with her to a secluded cabin where he’ll cook meth for one day, for one big pay off. Feeling an attraction to Skyler he can’t shake, Milo signs on for this wholly crazy scheme. The only problem is Skyler’s boyfriend, Russell (Ari Boyland), a psychopath she affectionately refers to as “the devil.”

Well, Russell isn’t really the only problem. The cabin was once the site of an epic Native American war, where the full moon raged for an entire month. The blood spilled there left a bit of a paranormal mark on the joint.

From the moment they arrive at the cabin, Russell sets Milo on edge – explaining how much he adores guns and admitting he knows Milo and Skyler knocked boots in rehab (awkward!). From this point forward, Blood Punch makes you second guess everything you thought you already had figured out. Russell is not as dumb as he seems, Skyler is not as one-dimensional as she seems, Milo is not getting played the way he seems, and the cabin is not what it seems. The film frequently toys with your expectations like a kid in a sandbox – building little structures then smashing them up.

Milo’s first hint that things are way, way off is when he awakes to find a video of himself he doesn’t remember recording in which he chops two of his fingers off. But Milo has all his fingers? Blood Punch is full of reality distorting moments like this, but it never feels like writer Eddie Guzelian is trying to outsmart us or yelling “Gotcha!” in our faces. As wild as the story gets, it flows very organically. The only instance where it feels like they’re maybe getting too absurd is when their drug buyer is introduced. Blood Punch sharply veers off its course there. However, considering how much it’s played with our expectations up to this point, it’s easy to overlook the craziness of this scene.

All three main actors are alumni of New Zealand’s version of the Power Rangers and their history truly shows on screen. The chemistry between them all is so thick you could cut with a hatchet (a weapon utilized heavily in the film). They all get their turn to shine as well, without hogging the spotlight. This is an ensemble film, for sure. Ari Boyland does a solid job playing the (heavily armed) prep school bully from hell. His biting delivery is unnerving, giving the sense he could take your head off at any moment. With a smile, of course. Olivia Tennet brings the heat with a seductively rugged performance and Milo Cawthorne anchors them all as the tight-lipped voice of reason (except when he’s losing his mind).

Darkly comedic with a seriously warped set of sensibilities, Blood Punch takes us down the road to hell, which here is paved with blood and meth (with some peyote as a stiff chaser). It’s fun as hell and smart enough to pull all the right moves without rubbing its twists in your face. There’s a film noir from 1948 called Road House (no relation to the Swayze throat ripper) about a violent love triangle that implodes at a secluded cabin. Blood Punch reminded me a bit of that classic, but in broad daylight with a Twilight Zone affection for screwing with our minds. It’s a helluva trip.

Blood Punch is currently without a distributor, which will hopefully be remedied soon because genre fans need this movie in their eyeballs, ASAP.

Patrick writes stuff about stuff for Bloody and Collider. His fiction has appeared in ThugLit, Shotgun Honey, Flash Fiction Magazine, and your mother's will. He'll have a ginger ale, thanks.

Indie

“Bite Size Short: Her House of Horrors” Announce Short Grant Program!

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Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.

The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:

“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.

“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.

“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.

“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”

Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.

WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.

To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.

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