Guitar and bass rhythms reek of an industrial tinge; each strum and note exuding a rusty tone that builds over time, accumulating into this rough, dark air. In contrast, while those lighter moments aren’t fluffy and sweet, they’re melancholic and radiant. These shades are two sides of the same coin, working with one another to exude a psychedelic heaviness. As one makes their way through Plague God, they may find the escalating noise and doom qualities overpowering, slowly immersing them into a fascinating and grim dreamscape.

Album opener “Rise from Ruins” begins in deep darkness; an ambient haze plays out as a steady drumbeat enters, the atmosphere overwhelming with ominous vibes. The guitars kick in – distortion riding off the rhythm – the vocals roaring outward, sounding harsh and violent. The track then drops into a minor period of static buzzing, all before shifting back into that initial rhythm. The escalating drum flow brings an added frenzy to the mix – which only continues to evolve in the following tracks. “In Spirit In Spite” shifts the aggressive direction of the previous cut into more oppressive waters; the vocals here have morphed, giving off a sound that is anything but human. The instrumentation continues at a menacing pace for some time before slowly transforming; the distortion and mechanical fuzz of the instrumentation remains, but the progression takes on a much more tranquil, meditative state. The minimalism allows room for a spoken word component, offering listeners the intimacy of some haunting poetry. These types of contrasting dualities are stunning, offering an essence that has the means to send chills down one’s spine.

Through their music, Absent In Body exude raw industrial doom and death. The booming heaviness and periods of minimalism psychically call to mind the existential feelings of sadness and loss many people are going through throughout the world. There is a remarkable emotional presence to this music; through intense droning, abrasive playing, lyrics, and grandiose atmosphere – Absent In Body provides music that transports the mind.

I hope this is only the start of what is to come with Absent In Body. Even if this is to be the only release they put out, Plague God is an extraordinary fusion of styles, backed by excellent songwriting and stellar performances. These musicians not only bring their years of experience to this project but combine those experiences to present something captivating. Plague God is a record that moves – through gripping intensity and grim stillness.

The post [Review] Absent In Body’s ‘Plague God’ Is a Trip Through Surreal Darkness appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Over the course of heavy metal’s history, the definition of what is metal has been tested with the genre expanding into new forms of heavy music. Among those who have been at the front of this expansion is that of Blood Incantation. When it comes to their sound, there are very few that reach the level of sonic surrealness like the Denver, CO technical death metal outfit. With their 2015 release of Starspawn and their 2019 follow-up Hidden History of the Human Race, Blood Incantation has blended heavy instrumentation with that of the tranquil – creating a complex duality that is enchanting and haunting all at once.

To say that Blood Incantation follow-up on this quality in their latest release Timewave Zero would be an understatement. Timewave Zero is not so much the band playing to their metal prowess, but a greater representation of their artistry. Once again, the band pushes the envelope on what heavy music can be, creating a presentation brimming with surreal soundscapes and ominous tones.

To address the elephant in the room – Timewave Zero is an ambient record. However, in its roughly 40-minute runtime (a little over an hour if you count the bonus digipak track), the record pulls the listener into a cosmic journey very in tune with that of Blood Incantation’s previous material. Of the two songs that make up that 40-minute runtime, the band offers a grand demonstration of droning magic – one of rich atmosphere that lulls the listener into a place of tranquility and mystique. With familiar sonic touches reminiscent of such acts like Pink Floyd and Sun O))), the material of Timewave Zero unravels like a tapestry of dream-like wonder. This is an experience to vibe too, to allow one’s mind to escape and exist in the moment. To see what each musical touch elicits within the mind.

Ambient music like this very much involves a subjective element; what I experience in terms of tranquility may be different than what you or someone else experiences. But in what Blood Incantation has crafted through these songs is a remarkable expansion of their death metal material. Whereas past works may include a mix of brief and extended sections of ambient instrumentation, Timewave Zero shows the greater picture of cosmic wonder and eeriness the band can create. There may not be the typical metal instrumentation fans know them for – but in the domineering droning, distortion, and ambiance of this music – the band offers darkness that is alien and fascinating.

Blood Incantation is one of the most impressive bands working today in metal. On Timewave Zero, what the band trade-in are blast beats and killer riffs for an experience that transports the mind into a place of meditation; music that flows with a deceiving gentleness – calm, but also with an intensity that simmers, rises, and breaks through. Timewave Zero is a breathtaking work of psychedelic heaviness and a great chapter in heavy music’s ever-expanding definition.

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How far is this mother willing to go to protect her child? Who were those people? What was the cult all about? These are the questions the film prompts immediately into the viewer’s mind, the writing establishing effective pacing in how information is provided to the audience. However, while the mystery behind David’s illness and the cult are captivating, Son’s real strength – what allows it to be so psychologically harrowing – is that of Laura. For though Son may pull viewers in with its supernatural/cult angle, what delivers greater horror is the heartbreak she endures.

Please note major spoilers to follow regarding Son’s plot.

The men tailing Laura at the beginning of the film already get us curious as to what they want with her; it isn’t too long before Laura brings up to a detective named Paul (Emile Hirsch) that a cult from her childhood is after her son. Why is this cult after the son? Why are they resurfacing now at this time in Laura’s life? Well, when Paul’s partner Steve (Cranston Johnson) does a little digging around, he finds out some additional details about Laura’s past.

Laura describes the cult as an organization that believes they are working towards resurrecting some sort of deity; the research done by Steve however shows that Laura’s actual name is Anna, and that she was forced into a sex trafficking ring. When the latter information is presented to us, it throws off some of our understanding and gets us to question what may be going on. This is a horror movie, so we expect some level of twist and turns involved – is Laura right and the cult is some form of evil religious group, or is Steve correct and this woman is undergoing a delusion? Though the film ultimately ends with an explicit choice regarding this, much of the narrative does toy with the audience’s expectations.

Because Laura is not a delusional, trope-ridden character – though she does suffer with PTSD – she displays a great level of comprehension regarding her state of mind. She understands the horrific environment she was raised in and that she was abused – she just believes that things went down somewhat differently when it comes to that abuse. In the years since her escape, she has sought treatment to help improve her mental state. At one point, she brings up with another character her efforts to address her trauma and her fear of slipping into psychosis. Laura isn’t the type of horror stereotype where one can just write her off as completely detached from reality; she is more aware of things than people give her credit for.

Part of the symptoms that make up PTSD is how one’s trauma can distort their past. Laura isn’t trying to cover up anything, what she believes is genuine to her. This element of Memory Distortion has a remarkable power to stir intrigue within the audience, keeping us hooked and curious as to where plot points will eventually lead. As viewers who may already watch a bunch of horror movies, and possibly a good number of psychological films, we are sort of trained to be cautious in how much we trust characters. How much can we trust what we’re seeing on screen when it comes to David? Does he really need human blood and flesh to survive? Could this be something Laura fabricated to cope with the new trauma of him being sick? When Laura walks into a room and finds him eating someone for the first time, she covers for him by taking the victim’s blood and writing the cult’s message on the living room wall – “He Is Coming.” She also includes their symbol alongside the message, implying that they are the ones who killed the victim.

I think this moment is brilliant in how it plays into the psychological narrative and audience interpretation. When the detectives arrive to the house, they think it’s Laura who killed the person and feel she wrote the message in a disillusionment. Perhaps stemming from archaic horror tropes we’ve seen a hundred times from other horror movies, we don’t know where to put our trust when it comes to character perspective. At this time in the movie, we haven’t learned enough about the cult to confirm how active they are as an organization. The cops could also just be ignorant as hell regarding the horrors that are after Laura and David. Regardless, it does bring a what-if element to the story, even if we are aware of David’s bizarre condition and things do become more explicit overtime (in terms of what is going on).

Son may have some supernatural and cult-focused intrigue working in its favor, but its core horror is that of the psychological. The narrative not only works to present the chaos and anxiety wreaking havoc in Laura’s mind, but is also gets the viewer to question the logic of actions taking place. The detail provided into exploring Laura’s trauma is both heartbreaking and remarkable. Her character thankfully escapes the role of problematic stereotyping, allowing her to be a fleshed-out character with agency. Playing into the concept of Memory Distortion creates a layer of curiosity and narrative distance as well, keeping the audience on edge and wondering what plot details could be real and what could be delusions.

Sometimes trauma in films is handled in such a gross, over the top way; a character may be completely detached from reality and be overtly neurotic. Or they’ll be plagued by an abundance of hallucinations, and it takes this giant moment of revelation to reveal that they’ve been living some kind of lie. While PTSD can certainly have a domineering brutality on some, this isn’t always the case for everyone, and those previous examples are dramatized Hollywood tropes to sell an idea of PTSD. Laura’s trauma is a realistic depiction, one where she is aware of herself, surroundings, and to a decent degree, her past.

Son provides a nuanced approach in exploring trauma. While it can be bloody, gruesome, and chilling in its supernatural aspects, the most devastating part of Son’s horror is the pain Laura holds and her efforts to save David. As his condition worsens, Laura’s state of mind also begins to chip away; not only because of having to relive trauma of her past, but because her son is also dying. When we see her with David by her side – the little boy in an agonizing, weakened state – it’s horrific. Son conveys a great deal of sadness that provides a painful essence throughout its runtime. Not so much dread or melancholy, but just this roaming sadness. That these good people are having their life teared apart.

If you have not checked out Son yet, I strongly encourage you to watch it. It is currently streaming on Shudder and can also be rented on YouTube. Not only is it one of 2021’s best horror movies, it is also a captivating work of psychological horror – one that displays great care in its haunting nature.

You can explore our Unveiling The Mind article archive here.

The post ‘Son’ – The Remarkable Exploration of Trauma in One of 2021’s Best Horror Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Noise music is certainly effective when it is abrasive and clashing with no restraint, and while this is a quality The Body is known to present in their material, the music throughout Enemy of Love is calculated in its flow and presentation. The album’s first single, “Barren of Joy,” makes for a strong example of what the record offers as a whole. Much like that of 2018’s I Have Fought Against It, But I Cannot Any Longer, there is a psychic presence consistently being fed through each track; the emphasis on distance and heartache growing gradually through distortion, droning, and the battering of instrumentation.

Atmospherically, The Body has always displayed a keen understanding of hypnotic presentation; in how they craft individual songs and how those songs work as a progressing tracklist, it is possible to experience a sense of disorientation. Whether it is the bombardment and frenzy of noise and electronic components or the dizzying vibe of descending into a droning abyss, Buford and Lee are masters in pulling listeners into nightmare worlds. OAA lends his skills in elevating these qualities, building upon the duo’s already abrasive, and oddly entrancing performances. Some cuts find themselves giving off a more vibrant approach, such as that of “Miserable Freedom,” where the rhythm exudes a danceable vibe (even if it is laden with industrial eeriness). That is part of the charm to The Body’s work though – the haunting discomfort they convey through music brimming with unnerving tones, while also exuding an entertaining quality.

It appears The Body never runs out of creativity. One might assume that the genre of noise lends itself to repetition – and frankly it can through the bombast of distortion and clashing instrumentals – but The Body is always demonstrating new tactics, or at least fresh spins, to their haunting material. Buford, King, and Wilson all come together on Enemy of Love to present a record reeking of misery – a work that blasts and whirls and encompasses one in horror.

The post [Review] The Body & OAA Come Together to Unleash Agony and Hurt on ‘Enemy of Love’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Besides the upcoming The Texas Chain Saw Massacre game being developed by Gun Media, how many Texas Chain Saw Massacre games have been released? Well that would be just the one. The 1983 Atari 2600 title (developed by VSS, Inc). The game involves a point-based system, the player taking control of Leatherface and being tasked with taking down trespassers. As the player cuts people down with a chainsaw, they must also dodge their way through obstacles. The game ultimately did not sell well due to its graphic and upsetting nature; below we’ve included a picture of this game, but do brace yourself for this depiction of this graphic NSFW violence: 

Wow, hope you handled that better than I did. 

Beyond the 1983 game, there are no other main video game entries for that of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. But, like many of his fellow slashers, Leatherface has made several cameos in other games. Having been featured in the popular horror title Dead By Daylight and even making an appearance in Call of Duty’s multiplayer, Leatherface has also been a playable character in Mortal Kombat. In Mortal Kombat X, Leatherface was one of the several out-of-universe DLC characters players could control, with his main weapon obviously being that of a chainsaw. To me, this is the most interesting use of Leatherface in a game, for while it’s cool to see him take on the chasing slasher approach and… wield an AK-47 in Call of Duty, I think it’s wild as hell to see him rip through Sub-Zero. 

But more common than that of Leatherface and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre games is that of what they’ve inspired. Characters that come to mind right away are Resident Evil 4’s Chainsaw Men/Chainsaw Sisters. I know I’m not alone when I say that – when I played RE4 for the first time – the Chainsaw enemy freaked me out. The Chainsaw people are relentless foes; unlike that of many other enemies in the game, they do not slow down. Even if you shoot and keep them down briefly, they get back up and continue their chase. This captures the ferocity of Leatherface, making for a brilliant tribute to the villain. Speaking of Resident Evil, there’s no way I can’t bring up Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. I’m not the first to point this out, but the Baker Family and the atmospheric air throughout Biohazard cries Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The southern gothic dread has a remarkable similarity to that of the 1974 film, immersing the player in an environment where all feels ominous and dangerous – for if a threat isn’t hot on your tail at the moment, it constantly feels as if everything could go wrong in a second. 

I’d also consider Manhunt’s Piggsy to be a nod towards Leatherface. The iconic slasher may never have worn a pig mask in all his bloody endeavors, but the fleshy, gory texture of Piggsy’s mask feels like a callback to Leatherface’s human masks, not to mention Piggsy’s mannerisms (and part of his backstory) echoing that of the slasher. A cannibalistic murderer, Piggsy is so removed from reality, only able to comprehend and act on the drive to kill. His urge to kill is without limits, providing him a terrifying rush of enjoyment. Hell in this regard, Leatherface might be a bit nicer, but we can see how Piggsy plays into the sort of murderous rampage that fuels Leatherface at times. 

Enemies who use chainsaws are a popular archetype in games, with tributes to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Leatherface ranging from mainstream titles to indies. One indie game that really caught my attention is Meat Saw; a camping trip goes horribly wrong when you encounter a chainsaw-wielding maniac. While the killer is vicious in his efforts to slay you down, the environment that makes up Meat Saw is fantastic; a grim setting that reeks of blood, morose imagery, and dreadful tension. On a similar note is Chain Saw, another title that involves escaping another chainsaw slasher, but which includes multiple narrative endings to spice things up. There’s also that of Hill Billy Highway Horror (which has a neat Slender-like presentation). As you make your way through the game, the revving of a chainsaw grows nearer and nearer; with limited knowledge of how close the oncoming threat is to you, you need to haul ass before you’re cut into pieces! 

The gaming tributes to Texas Chain Saw Massacre also go beyond that of video games. A particular shout-out I want to give is to that of Magic The Gathering, and a card they released just last fall in their Innistrad: Midnight Hunt set: The Meathook Massacre. Magic has a clever way of paying homage through imagery and card titles, and this is very much the case when it comes to horror and The Meathook Massacre. An obvious nod to that of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the card offers an ability that “cuts” other creatures’ health, chopping them down into either a weakened state or outright killing them. 

These games not only nod towards the legendary horror franchise, but they also build upon what has been laid out by Leatherface and the archetype he helped shoot into mainstream horror. Crazed chainsaw wielders have been around before Leatherface, but that of Gunnar Hansen’s performance in the original film has cemented the visual of the horrifying chainsaw-slashing lunatic. These games may not be literal Texas Chain Saw Massacre games, but they embody the madness, rush, and atmosphere of the films, as well as everything that makes for its central antagonist. And the games covered here only chip at the surface of all the tributes that exist in the name of Leatherface and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. 

Between the new Netflix film and the new game coming from Gun Media, I am beyond thrilled to see so much love for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre! What are your hopes for the new game, and which of these games have you played already? If there are other titles that bring The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to mind, make sure to shout those out in the comments! 

The post A History of ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ Games, Leatherface Cameos, and the Series’ Influence on Gaming appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Written and directed by Johannes Roberts, the first 30-ish minutes of Welcome to Raccoon City sold me. I’m not going to get into anything super spoiler heavy, but the film weaves together narrative elements from both the first and second Resident Evil games. Tonally, the setup feels very much like George A. Romero’s The Crazies – which I was totally in for and found to be a great approach.

What I felt hurt the film was everything that played out after that setup. Once the ball gets rolling on the action, the film displays issues in pacing and focus; combining familiar story beats of the first two games is a cool idea, but the film loses track in providing an entertaining, fleshed out narrative. By the time the credits rolled I was bummed out; what started as an intriguing survival horror adaptation ended up being a mix bag of somewhat thrilling suspense. That said, if there was one great personal positive I got in watching Welcome to Raccoon City, it was the reminder of how much I love the Paul W.S. Anderson Resident Evil movies starring Milla Jovovich.

Frankly, while Resident Evil 4 was the first title I ever played and it forever sold me on the games – it was that of Anderson’s 2002 Resident Evil movie that first captured my attention. To be clear, I had always had an appreciation for Resident Evil; ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to get my hands on the games (I just never had the means to purchase any of them). But renting a movie was something I could do, and when I got a hold of that 2002 flick, I was thrilled with what I saw.

It has been almost 20 years since the first film’s release and the fondness I’ve developed for these movies remains strong. Are most of them a mess? Absolutely. But I feel like their brand of messiness is in line with the games themselves; the chaotic, sci-fi absurdity of the movies reflects the over-the-top action-horror of the Resident Evil games.

While I tend to associate the initial run of Resident Evil movies with Anderson, it’s important I note that he did not direct the second and third films of this initial film series (he did write the screenplays for both though). That said, he did write and direct every other entry. While Resident Evil: Apocalypse is my favorite of them all (I can hear one particular member of the Bloody Disgusting team going, “Are you kidding me?!” right now) – Anderson’s approach to filmmaking is an essential component as to why I love these movies.

A criticism I could understand other viewers having regarding these films is the level of cheese found throughout them – but hasn’t Resident Evil always had that edge to it? Granted, there’s a good deal of heavy subject matter to be found, but there is also a level of goofiness. Hell, a lot of the plots are that of off-the-wall sci-fi adventure thrills. What aids in making Resident Evil games scary is how the gameplay immerses players in suspenseful situations against horrific monsters. With that in mind, I don’t think Anderson created great works of horror, but good action-horror flicks.

Personally, Anderson is the only name that comes to mind immediately when I think about video game adaptations in movies. If you’ve read some of my past work, then you know I am a hardcore fan of video game adaptions; even the most awful of adaptations bring me a lot of happiness given my love for the medium of games and the stories I have come to enjoy. In my opinion, Anderson truly knows how to adapt these works. Arguing the cinematic quality of his films is a whole other conversation, but when it comes to faithful interpretation and expansion of the source material, Anderson delivers. Specifically, I look to 1995’s Mortal Kombat for example (which I’ve written about before). Anderson presents audiences with a very goofy take on the acclaimed fighting game – but I ask, what is missing from this film? You got the fan service. Check. You have decent enough fighting that most people can get behind for a good chuckle or rush. Check. And, you have a serviceable enough story to help push the plot towards the next fight scene.

The struggle with many game adaptations is the focus on gimmicks; the over emphasis of video game Easter eggs tends to overshadow that of the characters and story, making for shallow viewing experiences. What Anderson does though is provide those eggs, while also understanding how action films should play out. Hell, I wasn’t too crazy for his take on Monster Hunter – but I still had a good time with it as a fun action movie.

Anderson’s Resident Evil movies follow this as well, and I argue that they are faithful adaptations and interpretations of the games – in the sense of how they expand upon the material. He may be taking bits and pieces of narrative found within the games, but Anderson is telling his own original story – his own Resident Evil fanfic. You’re going to find Tyrant, Jill Valentine, Nemesis, Chris Redfield, and a plethora of other awesome characters from the games, but they are not always going to mirror what it is you experienced in those games.

I have always felt that Anderson’s Resident Evil movies are fine companion pieces within the franchise; that if you can accept the lack of survival horror tension and get along with wild action and cool looking monsters, you’re going to find enough of an experience to cater towards your Resident Evil itch. There may be some cheese to the performances, but these movies deliver kick ass thrills and bad ass monsters. There are enough Easter eggs within these movies that take care of my Resident Evil needs; I know I’m not getting something that 100% reflects the stories of the games I adore, but I know I am experiencing movies that care about their source material and want to pay homage to it.

I really, really wanted to love Welcome to Raccoon City. What bothers me the most about it is that I saw such a huge potential in its setup that leaned into a tone Anderson did not cater too in his movies. I was ready for a more survival horror-like experience on screen, but alas, I didn’t find myself invested after the action and narrative began clashing together. I’m still glad I got to see it though and I applaud Roberts on his work, it’s just that – when it comes to the Resident Evil movies I love to see – I’ll always go for Anderson’s take on action-horror.

Do you enjoy Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil movies? Were you a fan of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City? The new movie is now available on 4K, Blu-ray, and Digital.

The post The Awesome Action-Horror Appeal of Paul W.S. Anderson’s ‘Resident Evil’ Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Written and directed by Lee Ann Kurr, Student Body sets up a lot of intrigue within its first act. While its premise is relatively straightforward, the dynamic among the group is interesting enough to get viewers hooked in and anticipating potential issues. Thanks to some brief photos in Jane’s locker, the viewer is offered a glance into how close her and Merritt used to be. Questions regarding their relationship and how each individual feels may begin to arise within the viewer, further stirring intrigue as to how things between them may become more emotional when a killer begins stalking the group. Ultimately though, much of the appeal established early on fades away overtime, the film struggling to find solid ground in expressing anything of emotional depth.

There is a fun “Who is the killer?” approach to the masked mad person (especially since there are several people who are not a fan of the central cast). The action-suspense component of the film is serviceable, offering some thrills there and then. On a thematic level though, Student Body is a bit messy in what it is striving to cover. There are a couple times where the dynamic between teachers and students is brought up; how students know so little about their teachers, and how those teachers have power over students. To the film’s credit, this is explored, though not to any extent that offers much to mull over. Another issue is a recurring conversation Mr. Aunspach has with Jane regarding her friendship with the group and her natural intellect; it sounds like he’s trying to say something of significance, but it’s all nonsensical talk that conveys little meaning.

The friends give off a genuine closeness; as they share inside jokes among one another and shoot the shit, they provide a relative relatability as high school kids. What makes the group more interesting though is how some of them engage with Jane. Given that Jane’s relationship to Merritt is the core focus among the friends, it’s weird how the film opts to explore their history, because not much is explicitly covered. To be fair, there are enough clues to piece one’s own idea together (given how Merritt acts in situations), but the writing between these two doesn’t come across as fleshed out as it could, especially given the importance of their history.

As the conclusion of Student Body approaches, it feels like there are a lot of neat ideas present, but little gets the full treatment to be explored on a more meaningful level. The silent conflict between Jane and Merritt has its moments of intrigue that audiences will certainly want to learn more about, but the writing doesn’t dig deep enough into their past and eroded bond. All these flaws come together for a film that, while it has some neat characters and interesting enough suspense, ends up coming across muddy in what it is striving to express and show.

Student Body comes to VOD outlets on February 8, 2022.

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Written by Jordan Wayne Long, Tara Perry, and Sean Anthony Davis, directed by Wayne Long and Matt Glass, Ghosts of the Ozarks is at first a puzzling and mundane tale; it is only after going along with the film for a great deal of time that its thematic points begin to shine, but even those are a tad too muddy in delivery.

Prior to arriving to the town, James comes across a man looking to do him harm. After a brief altercation, a red fog approaches the two and sucks James’ assailant into its clouds. Later, James finds out that these are the spirits that linger around the town that Matthew oversees. Matthew strives to protect the inhabitants of the town from the outside and ensures James that he has nothing to fear within these walls.

This ghost element is by far the most interesting aspect of the film, and yet, there isn’t much plot action surrounding the subject. The townsfolk are complacent and accept the existence of the spirits, with James being mostly apprehensive in believing. One might assume that these ghosts are a prominent component to the film, and to be fair, they do make several appearances in-person and through a couple of James’ dream sequences. Those moments are scarce though, for Ghosts of the Ozarks spends most its time meandering to and from sequences of James’ daily life.

From the friendly Lucille (Angela Bettis) to the charming Douglas (David Arquette), to the cool Torb (Tim Blake Nelson) and the sassy Annie (Tara Perry), the town is home to lots of good folks that James interacts with. Some of his conversations involve the ghosts outside the walls, but a lot of the plot focuses on him getting used to his new doctor role – while teasing that all may not be what it seems. Besides some minor creepy moments there and then and a couple dead bodies, the primary focus is on James’ life and his random duties within the town. As a mystery film, Ghosts of the Ozarks prompts one big mystery for the audience to wonder – is anything really going to happen plot wise? The audience may become more curious over time as small bits of detail are hinted at, but those points linger more in the background, rather than getting the proper time to build up on suspense.

Well, things do happen, just much later into the film. Which is wild because the performances from the main cast are excellent. Each person has a presence to them that is easy to latch onto, enjoy, or be intrigued by; so, it’s a damn shame how wasted those performances feel for a great chunk of the film. There is a point that Matthew repeats which makes more sense as the film reaches its third act. Apologies for the vagueness, for the point does represent a big twist. By the latter second act and third act, a lot more begins taking place narratively, making for a nice payoff regarding all the mystery that has been building up. Yet, it all feels like a lot thrown at the viewer just a little too late.

Ghosts of the Ozarks indulges too much in its meandering pacing, keeping its interesting narrative points just in sight, but never exploring far enough to hook the viewer into its greater mystery. While the characters are great, those characters linger among a mundanity that isn’t all that investing. Stick around long enough, eventually Ghosts of the Ozarks will treat viewers to an intense narrative – but that thrill burns out and feels lackluster, ending the film on an odd gray note.

Ghosts of the Ozarks is now available on VOD outlets.

The post ‘Ghosts of the Ozarks’ Review – Horror Western Loses Itself to Sluggish Pacing and Muddied Mystique appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Written and directed by Jeremiah Kipp, Slapface struggles much in terms of pacing; we spend a lot of time with Lucas and the monster (Lukas Hassel), and with that of Tom and his girlfriend Anna (Libe Barer), with events sort of just playing out. However, Slapface is primarily more interested in being a character study, which it works best at being. Life for Lucas and Tom has become fractured, with Tom trying to hold it together emotionally for his younger brother, while also acting abusive towards him. At one point when Tom brings up Slapface to Anna, he expresses that it is for them to blow off steam – when you really watch these moments though, they’re predominantly one-sided. Including the harassment that Lucas receives from other bullies – and considering the bullying his girlfriend Moriah (Mirabelle Lee) endures – Slapface’s thematic focus is on bullying.

Through this lens, the monster exists more as a metaphor, displaying how Lucas internalizes the bullying and violence done to him, and how his suffering is festering. Even with some violent scenes that involve the monster, it is those scenes where Lucas is being picked on or Tom is being cruel where the film provides its darkest moments. As the prominent voice of reason, Anna strives to tell Tom how he should reach out for help and look out for Lucas, only for Tom to lash out at her. Tom too internalizes his trauma like Lucas is, slowly evolving into his own form of monster. The cycle of the brothers’ lives is toxic, consumed by unresolved trauma and abuse. With a consistent tonal drive that’s dreary and heartbreaking, there are only slivers of cheer to be seen in Slapface.

While the film struggles with a narrative pace that meanders at times, Slapface is a mean-spirited story with purpose. Tom is too stubborn and problematic to reach out for healthy assistance, and Lucas is too young to know how to reach out. The world of these brothers is bleak, with Lucas finding his only solace in a monster that is misguided and violent. Even with its minor speedbumps, this film works as an important and harrowing exploration – shining a light on real life pains that need to be addressed.

Slapface is now streaming only on Shudder.

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Having grown up in a foster home and wanting to learn more about who her family is, Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton) comes across a lead that may help her find some answers. With her boyfriend Jake (Nolan Gerard Funk) joining her, the two take off to a southern plantation that is somehow tied to her past. During their trip they encounter occult totems, as well as a symbol sketched in random places. It doesn’t take long for the couple to sense something is off and they decide to leave – that is until a cult stops them from doing so.

Written by Robert Sheppe and Mark Young, directed by Richard Ragsdale, The Long Night is a film brimming with ominous atmosphere. While Taylor-Compton and Funk offer fine performances, their characters lack any sort of substance; that said, the environment that surrounds them, as well as the story, more than make up for that (for the most part).

The Long Night has a great amount of mystique to it that builds overtime. Random images appear around Grace, a robed figure appearing in the distance, and the cult symbol appearing randomly on Grace’s phone – there isn’t any great explanation to any of this, and it all works brilliantly to draw out curiosity. The ominous intrigue grows more powerful when the cult is introduced; again, there is no understanding as to why they are present at first and terrorizing Grace and Jake, which makes their presence more unsettling. Along with the creepy visuals that pop on screen at times – as well as some psychedelic sequences – the film also includes a captivating score, the string work putting in a lot to amplify suspense and discomfort.

These elements all come together to provide a great overall tension throughout The Long Night. There are some cheap jump scares at times, though some do play into the film’s great aura of supernatural intrigue. Accompanying the powerful atmosphere is also some moments of brutal violence. At first, we don’t know what to expect from the cult; suffice to say, they are willing to get their hands bloody. What is more interesting though is what they are fully capable of doing; while they have weapons, they also have supernatural talents they can use to torture others.

Even when details surrounding the cult become more explicit – the audience probably being able to piece some points together – the film maintains a strong mystique and keeps its audience in the dark as to what may unfold. Where things do get a tad iffy though is that of the film’s final moments. Whereas so much of the film leaves the viewer in the dark, the finale throws a lot out narratively and sort of gets silly. What does end up taking place is neat, but its execution is equally as weak.

That said, even with a somewhat disappointing conclusion, The Long Night still makes for a worthy watch. With its stellar atmosphere, grim violence, and chilling tone, The Long Night evokes a spell that’ll lure viewers into a gripping experience.

The Long Night is now available on VOD outlets.

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The reasoning behind the couple’s vacation involves a tragic loss they have suffered; Jaelyn is struggling with trauma and the couple are doing what they can to be together and heal. This background does allow for sincere moments of emotion – yet ultimately doesn’t do much for the movie. From the moment this film starts, there is a jarring tone to the dialogue. As one of the first scenes involving the couple plays out, one comes to feel a sense that these are actors striving to act like a married couple, rather than provide performances that make us feel they are one. From there, The Requin unravels into a work of goofy and bland melodrama.

It is very tough to take much of anything serious throughout the film. To The Requin’s credit, while there are those more emotional moments that provide some depth to the characters, there’s also the initial shark encounter, which does make for strong tension. That is until you see the sharks. Some of the CGI is cartoonish, totally undercutting scenes that should be thrilling or suspenseful. That said, the CGI could honestly be forgivable if it weren’t for everything else. The Requin suffers the most from weak writing, a tonally odd narrative, and lackluster performances.

Outside of the early scenes where we learn why the couple are away, so much of their performances either over sell on emotion, or under sell when something should be more seriousness. The latter tends to pertain more to that of Tupper’s performance. Silverstone’s efforts to convey fear and anxiety provide a discomfort that is like hearing nails scratch across a chalk board. Though some scenes with her do convey a genuine feeling of distress, several scenes feel like that initial one where we first hear the couple talking to one another; here is a person being told to act scared and panicked, rather than provide a real essence that they are feeling those things.

While a lot of the dialogue either comes across too goofy or melodramatic, the story also goes to some weird tonal places at times. When the film strives to convey something that’s meant to be serious, it unfortunately falls victim to the melodramatic writing – conveying more silliness than heartfelt sincerity. One can tell there is a serious intent behind this work – and in some few cases, that intent shines through. However, those brief periods can’t do much to save this movie from its glaring issues. With a rough script, wonky CGI, and lackluster performances, The Requin has little to offer in terms of thrilling aquatic horror.

The Requin is now available on VOD outlets.

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Directed by Maximilian Elfeldt, and written by Michael Varrati, the film is set in modern-esque times like that of Bram Stoker’s Dracula; however, the setting and the titular villain aren’t the only similarities to be found. To Dracula: The Original Living Vampire’s credit, this film makes for an intriguing remix of Stoker’s classic horror novel. Lead investigator Amelia Van Helsing (Christine Prouty) is on the hunt for a serial killer who preys on young women. Working alongside Captain Renfield (Stuart Packer) and her scientist colleague Jonathan Harker (Ryan Woodcock), Van Helsing’s case takes her down a journey that forces her to question all she knows. And while things are already intense, the situation escalates to new levels of suspense when Van Helsing’s girlfriend Mina Murray (India Lillie Davies) is kidnapped. With her partner’s life on the line, Van Helsing’s pursuit of Dracula (Jake Herbert) becomes even more hot blooded.

As you can read from that intro alone, there’s a lot being played around with regarding the characters, as compared to their roles in the original text. And frankly, it all chalks up to a decently good time. The opening scene brings the audience right into this random, flirtatious encounter between a young woman and that of Dracula; we are then treated to a decently goofy sex scene, then cut away to the woman screaming out. This brings us into our introduction of Van Helsing and Renfield, the two analyzing a crime scene where the young woman from before is now found dead. The two comment over a news article stating how the recent killings are like those that happened a hundred years ago.

The writing behind the dialogue, as well as the acting, lean into melodrama, but never to an over-the-top degree that is obnoxious. And though it is that of a nice quality, the 3D aerial shots of the city may get a few chuckles out of folks. More importantly though, a lot of this comes together to make for an experience that is playful in essence, but still intense at times. Even if there is an air of corniness throughout, the actors do a great job of selling the seriousness of everything. The one exception to this is that of Herbert’s Dracula – who is a lot of fun to watch, but who is also difficult to take seriously at all.

Prouty and Woodcock steal the show, with some of the most engaging moments involving them. Given the film’s modern-like setting, there is a great back and forth between the two regarding science and the possibility of the supernatural. This Jonathan Harker, though he is a man of science, likes to keep the supernatural in mind; that maybe, there is some validity to the things we can’t explain. Van Helsing strongly opposes this, sort of hammering it throughout the film the importance of relying on facts and science. The dialogue of these scenes does come with a tinge of over dramatic flair, but it’s also compelling to watch them go back and forth. While the core suspense to that of the serial killer mystery is interesting enough, a big part that helps to make this movie more appealing is how fun these characters are.

The film is much like reading a pulpy detective novel; there is some cheekiness to the characters, but you get invested in the thrill of the hunt. Much like one of those novels, the film displays an effective pace that pulls the audience into the thick of thrills. Dracula: The Original Living Vampire has a vibe to it perfect for watching with friends; the actors nail a level of seriousness in their performances that can hook an audience, even if they are aware of an overall tonal silliness. It is neat to see such a remix of the classic vampire story. If you’re cool with such a reimagining that doesn’t lean in hard with scares, but knows how to have fun with its actors and story – Dracula: The Original Living Vampire has you covered.

Dracula: The Original Living Vampire is now available on VOD outlets.

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When I finally got the chance to see the first movie adaptation, Mortal Kombat 1995, I was in awe. The action and characters I loved were all there and they all kicked ass. The movie has become one of my personal favorite works of nostalgia; every couple years I’ll revisit it, and I still find that initial wonder. With another new Mortal Kombat movie on the way, I wanted to revisit and speak to what makes the 1995 film so awesome. For while it may be a shlocky action flick, it is a film that pays excellent homage to its source material.

I have a deep love for film adaptations of video games (as I’ve shared in the past, like when I wrote about 2005’s Doom). Games were one of my first major loves in life, so having the opportunity to see them come to the big screen has always excited me. I’ve always been aware of the issues that plague these adaptations; to be fair, I see a lot of those points. On a production level, there’s more focus to presenting easter eggs rather than actual storytelling. It’s more important that character X is shown, rather than presenting them with depth.

Though they admittedly aren’t the most dimensional, Paul W.S. Anderson‘s Mortal Kombat provides enough detail to latch onto the iconic characters from the games, or at least portray them in a bad ass light. The audience is given a convincing motivation for Liu Kang to join the Mortal Kombat tournament, providing a personal element to an overall off-the-wall action movie. Sonya is also given a purposeful drive that leads her to the tournament, though her revenge storyline is wrapped up relatively quick. Johnny Cage is the comedic relief which makes for some great comedic beats. And of course, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are epic as all hell.

The Mortal Kombat movie elicits a great adrenaline rush equal to its video game counterpart. From its characters to the fight scenes themselves, the movie is a brilliant blend of ‘90s action cheese. Some may take cheese as a negative thing – as if a work is too goofy – but there is such a thing as purposeful, well-done cheese. Mortal Kombat 1995 is a type of action movie we just don’t get much of anymore; a form of ‘90s action cinema with nonstop ridiculous fun. Anderson’s movie contains a plethora of eccentric battles where people are throwing punches and drop kicking one another. The fighting choreography isn’t the strongest – compared to when I was 10, I notice now, for example, how many times the camera will cut away before a punch lands. But thanks to the kinetic speed in which the actors are moving, the high-octane music, and ironically, the movement of the camera, each fight is given ample feeling and aggression. 

The best examples of this, in my opinion, are the Johnny Cage vs. Scorpion fight, as well as Liu Kang vs. Reptile. Both fights display brutality and technique in each character’s martial arts move set. Reptile and Scorpion push Liu Kang and Johnny in their battles respectively, acting as a challenging force to overcome. Each fight not only makes for a spectacle to witness, but also an intriguing representation of beloved video game characters coming to life to throw down.

The film not only delivers on action-packed fun, but it also has its fair share of nods directed towards the source material. Goro is a beast to deal with in the game, and you know what, he’s a beast in the movie as well. On an interesting note, Shang Tsung feels more like a threat in the movie than he did in the initial Mortal Kombat (given that his appearance in the first game is brief). We get the likes of Kitana and Raiden, each who contribute to the film; though they may not have much going for them as characters, they at least bring an additional element of fun to the plot. The movie includes multiple characters from the game, and rarely does anyone feel shoehorned in. For the most part, everyone has some sort of genuine role within the story (whether small or large).

While directors and writers should care to craft a story of quality, it’s also important to capture the spirit of a game being adapted. It is important to understand the experience of the game. Mortal Kombat is an intense, dopamine-fueling action experience, and director Paul W.S. Anderson got that and properly translated it to the screen. He may not have created a stellar high-class action film in the process, but he did make a movie that understood what the game was about and what it offered to its players. And for that, I applaud the guy. 

Mortal Kombat 1995 is so much friggin’ fun. It is equal parts goofy and awesome. The characters are a blast, never meant to take too seriously, but enough to enjoy and want to follow. The film hits the right notes when it comes to fan service, providing several iconic characters and letting them beat each other up in classic MK fashion. If you are like me and adore Mortal Kombat, if you’re excited for the new movies, I heavily encourage you to check out Anderson’s take on the material. Even if you’ve seen it already, give it another whirl – you may find it’s a wonderful little blast from the past. 

The original movie from 1995 was of course followed up by a sequel, 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but maybe I’ll save my thoughts on that one for another time.

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Lilly (Samantha Aucoin) and Astrid (Jana Morrison) may not have it all that easy, but they at least have each other. Though the two are at the brunt of many jokes made by bullies at school, they have a powerful bond and do all they can to lift each other up. They are an eccentric duo, finding fun in the name of science and randomly observing others. After an attempt to fit in at a party goes poorly, the two take off and hold a little ritual to burn some possessions related to their bullies; but what is meant to only be an innocent act of catharsis ends up accidently opening a portal to a monster world.

When a monster by the name of Brutus (Olivier Renaud) appears before them, he shares that it is now up to the girls to obtain body parts from 10 other monsters, or otherwise the world will be destroyed. Created by Noelle Stehman and Betsy Van Stone, “Astrid & Lilly Save the World” proves to be a hilarious time with a great deal of heart.

Without a doubt, “Astrid & Lilly Save the World” is funny as all hell – and very much so thanks to the titular duo. Aucoin and Morrison have excellent chemistry together, their dialogue banter and antics giving off a sincerity to their friendship. Accompanying them is also a plethora of other characters, each bringing their own charm and humor to the show. That of the high school cast come across as genuine and never like shallow stereotypes. This is very much so with characters like Valerie (Christina Orjalo) and Sparrow (Spencer Macpherson), who each bring a playful angle to their respective personalities. The dialogue is sharp and witty, making for a strong presentation that doesn’t try to force this idea of, “This is how kids talk nowadays,” but rather provide authenticity. Then you have the likes of Tate (Kolton Stewart) and Candace (Julia Doyle), who play more into the show’s emotional focus.

Because while “Astrid & Lilly Save the World” involves a lot of comedy and sci-fi/horror flavor, it’s also a sincere and touching story about overcoming bullies and loving oneself. Coming back to that of Lily and Astrid, we see over the course of episodes how the two not only start to believe more in themselves, but how those who used to bully them begin to ease up and respect them more. The trajectory of their growing self confidence is inspiring and makes for a compelling drive to follow them as they take on monsters.

Speaking of those – the monsters of this show offer a great variety in look and abilities. Each monster has a specific power to them, as well as a specific way they feed; one example is that of the Tearjerker, who drinks the tears of others and can weaken people by bringing out what makes them sad. To defeat the Tearjerker, Lily and Astrid are required to use specific means; what is neat about this approach is how it plays into the duo’s already established lifestyle. They both are into investigative work, so it is second nature to them to put the effort into tracking down monsters and attempting to find their weaknesses.

Along with already offering a solid premise, the show sets out early on to prompt several questions for that of the duo and the audience. Can Brutus be trusted? And what is going on with the cult-like activity at the nearby church? If the first three episodes are anything to go off of, “Astrid & Lilly Save the World” looks to only get funnier and more intense as it plays out. With superb humor, a great cast, neat monsters, and strong execution regarding thematic focus – this is absolutely a show to not miss out on.

“Astrid & Lilly Save the World” premieres January 26, 2022 on SYFY.

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Walking down the corridors of the Baker Family plantation constantly had me on edge; the game utilizes a brilliant level of minimalism that knows how to sucker players into a flow that is relatively chill, only to uppercut with blends of disturbing and violent horror. Biohazard proved to be a remarkable comeback for the Resident Evil games. While sales weren’t horrific for the games previously, many fans wanted a return to those classic mechanics and horror vibes of the earlier entries. And as the franchise’s new protagonist Ethan Winters, one feels a sincere means of disempowerment as compared to the militaresque characters players took on in the past. 

I could go on about the many reasons I love Biohazard, but there is a specific element to this game that really got to me, something that has stuck with me for the past five years since its release. You may be a tad surprised, because while that element is not so much a quality of horror – it very much plays into the potential of how invested we become in horror: Romance.  

There and then throughout Resident Evil’s gaming history, one will find a line of dialogue or two that reflects some level of romantic gesture or feeling. The overwhelming majority of these are surface level with not much exploration or detail; it wasn’t until Biohazard that we got something much different in terms of character relationships.  

A lot of the appeal behind Ethan is his “normality;” not to be repetitious, but he isn’t some trained military person, he’s just a dude. This is a quality found in other horror games that have effective immersive play; if you’re playing a badass warrior, you’re going to feel like a badass through gameplay. Ethan is weak, he fumbles and is not strong in terms of combat. This is felt through gameplay; whereas in Call of Duty controls may feel more fluid, there is somewhat of dissonance in how Ethan acts. I very much liked this quality in him being a protagonist, but I found a greater appeal to him in being a husband, and that of the narrative involving him saving his wife Mia. 

When you start Biohazard, you’re introduced to a cutscene that involves Mia on screen sending Ethan a cutesy message. It’s a tad cheesy, but it’s endearing as well. This moment took me back at first; I had never experienced a Resident Evil title be so forward in presenting a romantic relationship. When it comes to protagonists saving loved ones, I’ve experienced more narratives involving parents attempting to save their children or vice versa. Exceptions exist of course where you play a character striving to save a romantic partner, like that of Shadow of the Colossus. It’s just that I found this romantic element to be much more striking in a Resident Evil game.  

Besides the past couple titles being much more action-driven, Resident Evil has always been more of a plot over characters type of game; yes, there are fan-favorite characters, but I feel that the appeal of Leon, Claire, and Jill is more so because of their actions in a narrative, and perhaps not so much their character depth and personal lives. Frankly, I don’t find Ethan’s personality to be anything special, but I was really into his love for Mia and playing as a husband desperate to get his spouse back. 

At the time of Biohazard’s release, I was a little over a year away from when my wedding would take place. I was engaged at the time to my now spouse, and well before the day we got married, I have always felt and known that there is nothing I wouldn’t do for them. It is an extreme example of course, but in Ethan taking off to the Baker plantation to rescue Mia – I could see myself doing something just like that. 

In a genre full of grotesque monsters, horrific torture, and existential madness at times – it’s wild the power love can have within a horror story. Romance has had much more spotlight in that of horror cinema, displaying a plethora of characters that’ll go to the ends of the Earth to save those they love. Love is an essence that can push us towards incredible bravery, and even drive us to act irrationally or violently. Horror and love have a bizarre similarity to them, given the intense emotional responses both forms of storytelling can elicit out of audiences. 

While I’ll be honest and say I wish Biohazard pushed a little deeper into this element of the game, but what was present was enough to inspire me to progress. Though there are additional layers to that of Biohazard’s story, it is the romance of Ethan and Mia that serves to push the player forward, as well as for what makes the stronger moments of emotional horror. Especially in that early scene where we find Mia in the cell and move with her through the house. I could sense that something was wrong, that the game had to be messing with me – it couldn’t be this easy to find Ethan’s missing wife. When it turns out she is infected with something and turns on you… I can’t really remember the last time I felt so conflicted in a game.  

The gamer portion of my brain wanted to fight back and defend my avatar, but the gooey-romance portion of my brain was invested in not hurting Mia. The fight forces the player to kill Ethan’s spouse, the one he has been missing for so long. That final moment of the Mia boss fight – when the player may assume she is down for the count permanently – watching her fall in defeat left me cold. It was a brand of horror no other game had made me feel.  

This angle to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is remarkable within the franchise and a quality with so much potential to be expanded upon. It was an angle that worked to get me even more excited for Resident Evil: Village; with Ethan now having a child, I was intrigued to see how that dynamic would be explored through the game.  

Am I saying Resident Evil needs to undergo a brand change and become this more serious form of storytelling? No of course not. Resident Evil wouldn’t be what it is without a certain level of cheese, sci-fi action, and intense survival horror gameplay. But if developers want to create immersive horror experiences that get players to feel – that encourage them to progress forth in action – what a hell of a way to do than with love. It would be awesome to see future Resident Evil games explore this subject, even just a little more. I imagine a new entry that introduces new characters – maybe another intimate, unnerving setting – and what one’s journey might be like if we felt inspired to protect and save characters our protagonist loves.  

Years ago, before Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, I never thought a Resident Evil title would get me to talk about romance as much as this. But that’s part of the remarkable quality that is Biohazard. 

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Netflix’s The House is a fascinating look into such horrors. The general premise behind The House is that it is a stop-motion anthology that revolves around one house, involving three separate stories of different characters within different time periods. The film contains a plethora of brilliant voice acting, including several talents such as: Mia Goth, Claudie Blakley, Matthew Goode, Mark Heap, Miranda Richardson, Helena Bonham Carter, and many more. And though the characters may be that of small puppet-like beings, do not mistake The House as something meant for children. There is a deceptive coziness to The House that aims to throw off the viewer and, at first, hide its underlining ominous intentions.

For the purposes of this review, there is a significant point I want to address before moving forward. Though chapter three does contain some eerie moments, and I will be including it in the overall score of this review – I think it’s fair to say the chapter is far removed from typical horror genre fare. That said, chapters one and two make for remarkable horror – the kind that have the power to keep us up at night and question our surroundings.

The opening chapter, “I – And heard within, a lie is spun,” takes place out in the countryside. We aren’t told much, but we can see that our protagonists are not well off. A little girl approaches her father, mentioning something about some people coming to the house; she asks her father if these are good people, to which the father says, no. Later, the family is offered to have their home remodeled – all they must do is live in this house designed by a reclusive architect for an unknown amount of time. While the house is decadent and the family are treated to good food, one of its odd curiosities is how the floor plan is constantly changing. The little girl may go upstairs to her bedroom, and when she decides she wants to come down later, the stairs have been removed by that of construction workers. Then there’s the odd case of the architect’s errand man, who lingers about the house and cries to himself.

THE HOUSE. Matthew Goode as Raymond in THE HOUSE. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

Through incredible writing and direction, The House does a superb job keeping the viewer at a distance when it comes to fully understanding what is taking place. In the second chapter, “II – Then lost is truth that can’t be won,” we follow an individual renovating a house he’s looking to flip – but one can sense that there is something not right about the situation. With minor exceptions that come in the form of truly unsettling imagery and moments, The House’s brand of horror is that of creeping dread and slowly unraveling sanity. This film looks to get under the skin and rattle its way into one’s mind. There is a haunting element to much of the first chapter that conveys an air of stress; that as we the audience watch this family exist within the house, we are getting the feeling that something horrible is happening. Chapter two offers a similar quality, although, it presents it in a different aesthetic to catch viewers off guard.

And even if the third chapter, “III – Listen again and seek the sun,” strays far from genre horror, it makes for a strong conclusion to this anthology, given what the film is exploring. Frankly, after taking in the grim tones of the first two chapters, the finale does make for a nice shift in gears. Though, it would have been awesome to see the film conclude on a horror note.

What I’ve touched upon here doesn’t even cover the depths that The House traverses, for each chapter offers intriguing themes to mull over and that add to the creepy atmosphere. Overall, The House is a brilliant horror with a Lynchian vibe that aims to consume the audience within its own walls; to lure them in with deceptively cute visuals and charming stop motion, bringing them deep into nightmares.

The House is now streaming on Netflix. Directed by: Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, and Paloma Baeza. Screenplay by: Enda Walsh.

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The Runner, written, directed, and produced by darkwave act Boy Harsher, “Follows a strange woman as she travels to a small, forested town where her violent compulsions are slowly revealed.” Accompanying the film is the official soundtrack from Boy Harsher, featuring vocals from Kris Esfandiari of King Woman, Cooper B. Handy of Lucy and Mariana Saldaña of Boan. While the record works to provide additional depth to the film, it also stands as a riveting work of industrial electronica – able to stir one into dance, while also working its way under the skin.

Darkwave is an intriguing genre of electronic music, given its duality of evocative dance flair, while also striving to capture ominous energies. Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller of Boy Harsher are geniuses when it comes to establishing and maintaining this quality throughout their material. From the opening cut of “Tower”, the act lulls the listener into a ride of hypnotic ease and eeriness; the ethereal nature of Esfandiari’s voice plays off the high-pitched keys and low tones of synth, creating a progression that feels dream-like. Each sonic element works together in minimalism and abundancy to create a psychic tangibility to the music, but also, existing apart to present something surreal.

The poppier side of things can be heard in tracks like “Give Me a Reason” (which continues playing to an underlining air of darkness), as well as “Autonomy” (the drum clap and key work providing more of an upswing in vibrancy, while keeping a touch of eeriness within the mix). Vocally, Esfandiari, Handy and Saldaña bring an added depth to these cuts, their respective singing building upon a given composition’s haunting or exhilarating direction.

While the music straddles these two categories of atmospheric presence though, there is a strong variety to be found throughout the album. Matthews and Muller use a range of industrial and electronic blends that allow for compositions to flow with entertaining and enchanting fluidness. This is music to get lost to, but it also serves as an added emotional vehicle for the film’s narrative. Moving to and from tracks, the soundtrack does tremendous work immersing the audience – the serenity of one cut bleeding its way into the intensity and thrill of the next, aiding in progressing the emotional story being told.

The grim, catchy appeal of Boy Harsher’s music is present throughout The Runner soundtrack. The progression throughout The Runner soundtrack carries the listener through moments of pulse-pounding bliss, to those of unsettling darkness.

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As Brewer’s men head deeper into the forest, however, they will come to find that Nazis are not their only major threat in these woods, but also that of a supernatural enemy.

World War 2 stories with a supernatural or science fiction spin aren’t that rare to come by, but Warhunt’s take on supernatural-action horror is an excellent venture into madness. Directed by Mauro Borrelli, written by Borrelli, Reggie Keyohara III, and Scott Svatos, Warhunt unravels into psychological and violent chaos; as the military outfit go deeper into the forest, the more their minds become warped. Through strong writing, the film displays effective pacing in delivering action and plot detail. We get brief glimpses of supernatural happenings with no context, these moments making for great surprise and prompting intrigue as to just what the hell is happening. A black mist appears at times, almost as if it is taking the shape of something. It isn’t until much later that the film becomes more explicit regarding the evil trailing the group.

Trust me when I say there is a Predator-like quality to Warhunt in how the supernatural enemies loom over their prey.

Though there are Nazis to fight off, they take up smaller screen time compared to that of the supernatural evil. Even with killer shoot outs that take place, it is the grim aura and suspense of Warhunt that stands out most. There is a good consistency to action beats throughout the narrative; they may not be full of blazing guns, but in how the supernatural evil works to psychologically mess with the military men, things get both gruesome and violent. The camera work and sound design allude to little details and keep the characters (and by extension the audience) in the dark, establishing a consistent haunting tone, and the feeling that something horrible is always nearby.

The performances are solid across the board. Stand outs are that of Knepper and Rourke, who both lean in on charisma (even if Rourke is under utilized for a lot of the movie). Rathbone makes for a bad ass who also gets the audience to question further what is going on. Why is this random guy joining the outfit so skilled? What does he keep writing down? His secrecy is a cool way to not only help get the viewer invested in the mystique of the story, but also make him a fun character to follow.

Warhunt may be among many other titles that lean into a fantastical World War 2 story, but damn is it a compelling one. With excellent atmospheric tone and gripping suspense, Warhunt is a kick ass supernatural action horror that delivers chills and blood rushing intensity.

Warhunt is coming to theaters, Digital and VOD on Friday, January 21.

The post [Review] With Grim Atmosphere and Bloody Violence, ‘Warhunt’ Is a Killer Horror-Action Flick appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by The Snygg Brothers, written by Jasmin Flores and Zachary Snygg, the film revolves around the work of Raymond Castle (Tom Cikoski), a famous horror writer who has passed away. Sometime after Raymond mysteriously dies, his daughter Jasmin (Jasmin Flores) goes to visit his home. Upon getting into his laptop, she finds a video dedicated to her where her father discusses his will. While she gets a lot of financial benefit from his passing, she also acquires a book about black magic that Raymond purchased. He shares how the book allows to bring spells to life just by writing stories about them.

Jasmin initially writes her deceased father off as nutty and continues to search the rest of his computer, locating an audio book recording of his. Raymond shares that the recording is of his famous short story collection, Monsters in the Closet, and begins to tell a tale. It isn’t long after Jasmin listens to the story though that some surprise guests appear and start chasing her down.

Through Raymond’s audio book recording, Monsters in the Closet plays out as an anthology – with the moments in-between stories showing what is taking place with Jasmin. There is decent variety to these shorts, with the common factor found throughout each being their embrace of schlock. This is where Monsters in the Closet succeeds most, for this anthology of grim comedy will surely pull several chuckles out of audiences.

When watching something with a schlocky tone, one must keep in mind that there is going to be a decent level of cheese; in this film’s case, there are obvious moments where the actors are having fun with their roles and playing into such cheese. Such a short that excels at this is the second, titled “Home Improvement.” This short involves a young couple who buy a home and strive to fix it up, only for the house to be more of a nightmare than they imagined. When something goes wrong, they both laugh hysterically and shrug it off, the couple striving to maintain a lovey-dovey mentality with each other. With both actors leaning in with straight-faced and over the top acting, their interactions make for funny, even ominous banter. For what is even more interesting about the short is how the humor eventually morphs into something more malicious. Don’t get me wrong, Monsters in the Closet is much more of a comedy with horror elements sprinkled throughout, but this short actually has a strong unnerving nature to it.

This is the only short to really pull that duality off however, with the film’s stronger component being its humor. I mean this in the best way possible – but the humor is very dumb. In “Zombies,” a woman who is slowly turning into one of the living dead gets a look at herself in the mirror, noticing she has a major gash going across her neck. To try and fix this, she grabs a first aid kit and places several super small band aids across this major cut. It’s ridiculous and I couldn’t help but chuckle throughout. For the most part, the actors understand what this movie is trying to sell, with each going in on the schlock unapologetically.

When it comes to the action and violence found among these shorts, one can expect just as much cheese. With quick cuts constantly being used to avoid stabbings or limbs being chopped off, the camera can fly around at times and be disorienting. While this could be an irritating element to some, I found it over time to be another decent component to the film’s overall cheese. Given the level of makeup used throughout the film, it doesn’t matter how fast the camera moves around – the gory bits are still relatively neat to look at (some being more effective than others in terms of grossness).

Of course, not everyone is going to be on board with schlock. It’s a niche form of storytelling that either wins people over or is scoffed at right away. Even in Monsters in the Closet’s case, not every element lands; with some dialogue that comes across cringe, and moments of violence that are just corny and lack a funny or horror appeal, there are several points where the vibe is just bland. When it comes to these issues, the film is somewhat of an endeavor to get through – though, when the funny bits return, they are welcomed.

If you’re looking for an anthology that is focused on sharing tales of horror, then you are not going to find much of that at all here. That said, if you want some horror flavor spiced up with goofiness, Monsters in the Closet will tickle that funny bone.

Monsters in the Closet is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] ‘Monsters in the Closet’ Is Pure Schlock That Mostly Delivers on Grim Humor appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For a long time now, I’ve been craving a serial killer narrative with greater depth. Something that doesn’t rely on just thrills, but conveys a story that disturbs and moves. I want a game to get under the skin much like how David Fincher’s Seven does in its serial killer story – presenting a narrative with grim, moral exploration. So, I wonder: What would a game like that involve? When it comes to mechanics and narrative, what would it take to elevate the serial killer subgenre of gaming?  

A Puzzle With All The Pieces Just Needing To Be Arranged 

Outside that of the Scream and Friday the 13th inspired slasher games, other titles have touched upon more of the Seven-like serial killer narrative. Heavy Rain and the Condemned games are the first to come to mind, each making for decent efforts to provide intense, emotional stories (to varying quality respectively). Mechanically, each game offers a strong quality that is essential in building an effective detective game where one hunts down a killer. 

The obvious is that of investigation mechanics; the main means of interaction is the player moving about environments and striving to piece clues together. Much like we’ve seen in titles like the Batman Arkham games, this provides an immersive form of play if the player is to take on the role of a detective; this gets them into the dirt and grime of crime scenes, forcing them to be up close and personal when it comes to horrific violence. I’d love to see a game further expand upon this type of mechanic in greater detail; make us dig for evidence that leads us to our next destination; create an array of puzzles that revolve around discovering clues. 

Another crucial element is creating a cinematic approach to gameplay exploration, much like that of Heavy Rain and Until Dawn. Providing investigative mechanics allow for players to engage with the world in an important manner – but besides that – I feel there needs to be a greater emphasis on plot outside of that, and not trying to layer on any other mechanics (i.e., combat). When you strip away fighting and only provide focus to exploration and investigation, one is left with a greater means to feel present in the story. There aren’t a bunch of enemies charging at them, no combos, or strategies to be mindful of, just the present in trying to find clues and absorb the atmosphere. 

Though these games include elements of combat – to varying degrees – L.A. Noire and Judgment are titles that display a decent balance in juggling both essential qualities. However, both games lack any sort of horror element, making for fun detective games without a doubt, but offering little to make for unnerving experiences. So then, what would it take to narratively craft such a game? 

Pain, Loss, And Anger – Feelings In Hunting Down A Killer 

The general setup to any “detective hunts serial killer story” is relatively simple – it’s just that. That premise is the foundation to the plot. But to have such an experience make an impact on the player, it should involve some form of emotionality. While I’ve seen different games portray violence and emotional depth differently, what I don’t think works well are when these types of games get too “gamey” (i.e., relying on overt combat in trailing a killer), and opt for more play than plot. Such levels of engagement can create a distance and attitude of, “I’m going to get the killer, but these dead characters are just NPCs, so whatever.”  

What would be a great countermeasure to such a mindset is creating a plot and gameplay experience where the player gets to take on multiple roles – such as that of the killer’s victims. Imagine a little side story where you are playing as a character you come to really like; you get to spend time in their shoes and see what their daily life is like. You develop a connection with them, only to find them in a situation where they are tortured and killed. This creates anger and a drive to push the player further into the story, making each action as the detective more important. 

While completing objectives is crucial to help push a story forward, there needs to be just as much focus provided to the story. Imagine what it would be like to play a game where you felt super invested in catching a killer – like the game was really drawing upon you emotionally. If you’ve seen the film, think about Clarice from The Silence of the Lambs and how much her efforts make us root for her; think about how upsetting it feels to across the victims of Buffalo Bill. Now imagine yourself in the midst of such a story where everything depends on your actions – and you feel an emotional weight in all you do. This also applies to any detective character we may play as. Perhaps there is a side mission where the detective character is trying to celebrate a family member’s birthday, only for his thoughts to be clouded by horrible visions of what he has seen. 

I also think it’s important for these types of games to pull us out of the heavier, more violent parts of the plot to (ironically), pull us deeper into the thick of things. These games could use moments of mundanity to emphasize the pain and suffering the killer has brought on. Think about the initial dinner scene in Seven where Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow are all sitting together; at this point in the film, Freeman, Pitt, and the audience have already seen some brutal stuff, but now we have a chill, friendly dinner gathering. The reason a moment like this works so well in the film is that – if the audience is to get constantly bombarded with violent imagery – there’s a chance they may grow distant from the characters and view the experience like torture porn. Having that dinner, having those quiet moments, allows us to connect and care more for characters, and that is a quality that serial killer video games could easily tap into.  

There is so much room to create rich characters we feel for in these haunting dramas. There are whole layers of dark intrigue and gripping character dynamics that not only engage with the player on an entertainment basis, but also draw upon sympathy and empathy. 

The Great Hunt To Come 

I think when it comes to games that revolve around serial killers and slashers, too many keep things safe in presenting stories that only touch upon the aesthetics of gore and violence; like, “Look how crazy this killer is because he rips people’s faces off.” That’s cool and all, but I don’t want to just play around the typical beats of a serial killer narrative – I want to be on edge, uncomfortable, like being in the midst of a manhunt. 

A lot of horror games have seen tremendous growth over the years, and such growth is possible for the serial killer/slasher subgenre. There’s plenty of room and need for more action-driven horror flair, but I hope we see developers craft narratives that lean towards somber exploration and uncomfortable emotional impact. Journeys of hell, vengeance, and revenge where we as the player feel sincere anger towards the monster we are trailing.  

The post Scream in Your Hands: How To Evolve the Serial Killer Subgenre In Video Games appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Written and directed by Nick Gregorio, Old Strangers never comes out and bluntly says the words “COVID,” but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together when our characters are wearing masks and talking about “Quarantine life.” Establishing a reality we can relate to brings a surreal immersion to the film, providing a means for the audience to connect with the characters. The relationship between the friends is endearing – the three have not seen each other for a while, and the joy they express in finally being together and talking in person is cute. That said, when the three go on a hike, they come across an alien-like plant that infects one of them, introducing a new nightmare into their lives that will test their friendship.

This is a relatively short film, clocking in just a little under an hour. Given that timespan, Old Strangers displays great use in pacing, getting audiences interested in the characters just enough before shifting into the more suspense-driven portion of the narrative. After the one friend becomes infected by the plant, his mood shifts drastically, his behavior growing odder as time passes. Whereas we meet a group of friends that are adorable and warm with each other, a rift begins to take shape within the group due to the infected friend. This creates a lot of tension in wondering how much further the individual will become in their aggressive behavior, while further prompting the question of what that plant even is.

The afflicted friend’s behavior is explained away at first given the personal struggles they have endured during quarantine life. This is a great tactic to not only throw off the other characters from expecting anything greater that may be wrong with the friend, but it also provides a (relative) relatability for that of the audience. But as details begin to come together, the story never explicitly says why said things are happening – it’s more so up to the audience to piece together visual clues. A longer movie could have allowed for interesting concepts to be expanded upon, but in what Old Strangers offers – there’s a great deal of mystique to prolong interest and curiosity.

One of the best pieces of advice for any story is “Show, don’t tell,” and it’s awesome to see what Old Strangers offers in doing just that. While some viewers may be itching to know more details regarding some sci-fi concepts, there is a neat intrigue in a film only allowing you to know so much. A likeable cast pulls us into a decently relatable scenario where we can empathize with the characters, their dynamic becoming more stressed as their situation worsens. Though brief, Old Strangers hits the nail on the head in delivering an engaging story with palpable tension and unease.

Old Strangers is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] ‘Old Strangers’ Is a Brief Thriller With an Engaging Story and Palpable Tension appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It has been 15 years since this movie was released, and in all that time, it still holds up to me as an absolute blast. To be fair, I’m somewhat bias when it comes to Ghost Rider, given that he is my favorite Marvel character alongside Daredevil and Venom. If you aren’t aware of the character, Ghost Rider’s origin dates back to 1972 (which hey, 2022 marks the character’s 50th anniversary!). He is a skeletal being whose body is engulfed in flames and is imbued with demonic powers, allowing him a plethora of violent tactics to lay waste to his enemies. While there are several iterations of the Spirit of Vengeance, the 2007 movie follows that of Johnny Blaze.

After Johnny makes a deal with a demon to save his father from cancer, a horrible accident takes place, driving Johnny away from the life he knew. Years pass and Johnny is now living the life of a famous motorcyclist – though he is still haunted by his past. Just as things seem like they’ll be taking a more positive upswing though, the demon returns and tells him it is his time to pay him back. Johnny is given the task of taking down several other demons, transforming into the Ghost Rider in order to vanquish them.

Starring the iconic Nicolas Cage as Johnny, 2007’s Ghost Rider is among the Marvel movies that came out pre-Iron Man and MCU blow up. This was a time when comic book movies – for good and bad, though I lean towards good more – had an individuality and artistic voice to them. Ghost Rider is a ridiculous movie with a lot of fun to offer, infusing its action with horror appeal. Whereas Blade is much more of an overtly horror movie in terms of aesthetics, Ghost Rider makes for a relatively gentler approach (given its PG-13 label), but utilizing what creepy imagery it has to excite and get the viewer wanting more.

Though the film offers a romantic component that is decently emotional, it makes for more of a small accompanying piece to the greater action and motorcycle mayhem. While each version of the Ghost Rider has their own vehicle, the most popular form of vehicle has been motorcycles. Even if you’re lukewarm on the fight scenes in the 2007 movie, it’s tough to deny the bad ass appeal of Ghost Rider taking off on his bike. In the wake of his travels, he leaves behind ruined earth and flames; to see him tear through city streets, to see him speed up giant skyscrapers – I live for it and want it all in my eyeballs.

Again, Ghost Rider is a PG-13 take on action-horror within the MCU, and while I don’t think the new Doctor Strange is going to go as violent as that of any of the Blade movies, I believe there is an incredible future in particular for Ghost Rider in the MCU (and to further push the films into horror). For one, there are already some promising big actors alluding to their interest in the role – such as the awesome zombie slaying Norman Reedus and the living perfect human being Keanu Reeves.

The reason why I specifically bring up Ghost Rider of the horror-centric Marvel characters is because he touches upon the one component of “MCU superpower” to not be explored as much yet – the realm of spirituality.

As of right now, the Marvel movies have touched upon the mythological, magical, technological, and cosmic in terms of superpowers, which leaves the spiritual. One could argue that Dr. Strange is proof of spiritual powers, and that is valid, though I feel there is greater room to expand on the power archetype.

Ghost Rider’s supernatural abilities are that of the spiritual, given that his origin is very much tied to demonic forces in Hell. This creates a new dimension for Marvel to work with in terms of more demonic enemies, as well as possible moral complexity in their stories. What does Ghost Rider mean to the rest of the MCU cast? What implications does he bring to the table? One of the character’s most iconic powers is that of the Penance Stare; this ability allows Ghost Rider to inflict serious pain, if not kill someone, depending on their level of sin. What would this mean for some of our beloved Marvel characters who may be hiding a few skeletons in their closet? Given that Ghost Rider is driven to seek those who have done wrong, could Ghost Rider make his entrance into the MCU as a possible antagonist at first? With these concepts alone, Marvel has the means to introduce a whole new layer of world building, while also revamping one of its most iconic, creepy characters.

Since the 2007 film and its 2011 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, there has been very little screen time for Ghost Rider. His most noticeable appearance in recent years has been his time on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show. With the new Doctor Strange movie on the horizon this year, Marvel finds itself in a great place to further expand into horror. And with the new Blade movie coming out sometime in the future – it’s a great time to be a horror-loving Marvel fan. Which is why it would be amazing to see Ghost Rider return and tear his way through the MCU, stirring up mayhem wherever he rides. For now though, I totally encourage folks to revisit 2007’s Ghost Rider (or to check it out if you haven’t seen it yet, cause it is a hell of a time).

The post ‘Ghost Rider’ at 50: Revisiting the Nicolas Cage Movie and Exploring the Character’s Future in the MCU appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The ghost haunts the family from the start, attempting to take Danny away. It isn’t long though until she succeeds and Carly, Andrew, Veronica, and Jorge set out to save the boy. Though The Legend of La Llorona struggles under the weight of some cheesy presentation and surface level suspense, it still offers an emotionally strong narrative to become invested in.

Narratively, the film presents an intriguing premise with a good amount of mystique and curiosity to carry viewers along. What really helps to elevate the overall experience though is potential care the audience can develop towards the family. Each actor provides a sincerity to their role that displays a family making efforts to heal from tremendous pain; in how they support one another and come together, there’s a lot at work to win audiences over and root for them. Watching as Carly and the other adults attempt to find and save Danny is the real driving force and where one may feel most engaged.

It’s a real shame then how comical a lot of the La Llorona interactions are (even though her backstory also provides a powerful, heartbreaking factor to the narrative). While the ghost herself has some creepy moments in chasing down and haunting people, a lot of her animation comes across goofy. This version of La Llorona is also very strong and has the means to go after the family beyond that of her regular grounds; so, while the investigative work behind stopping her is interesting, it’s tough to feel a level of seriousness when people are pulling out shotguns and pistols and trying to blast her away.

For a film that includes a decent amount of heavy subject matter – with a strong emphasis on parenting – one can’t help but chuckle when these scenes come up (because it happens more than once). Where the film could have leaned in more with tones of dread and other supernatural horror, La Llorona can come across like a cheesy threat. In fact, though they feel like an odd shove-in of side characters, the relatively small amount of screen time the cartel characters get make them the more unnerving threat to the family.

There’s a lot of promise in the beginning of The Legend of La Llorona, and thankfully, some of those stronger qualities of the film remain consistent throughout. It’s just a letdown then when the film presents more surface level chills that undercut the moments of eeriness and somber auras. Had there been more attention provided to the atmosphere, and maybe less oddly abrasive action, The Legend of La Llorona may have offered more ghostly power to creep audiences out.

The Legend of La Llorona is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] ‘The Legend of La Llorona’ Hides Emotional Ghost Story Inside Cheesy Presentation appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

When one thinks of Amityville, an immediate association may be that of the classic 1979 film The Amityville Horror, so it’s neat to see a horror film set in the same location offer such a drastic shift in tone. That said, while there are eventually some okay action sequences in the second half, the film struggles with horrid pacing and tonal issues – making for much of the viewing experience to feel like a drag.

With a plethora of side characters introduced from the start, our main cast involves that of the police officers within the Amityville station. A good portion of the screen time, along with the more emotionally driven aspects of the film, is devoted to that of Sgt. Dash (Scott C. Roe). Alongside him are Lt. Howie Stevenson (Tank Jones), Officer Malloy (Troy Fromin), Officer Nina Rossi (Kelly Lynn Reiter), and Detective Lance McQueen (Mike Ferguson). Given that the great majority of the film takes place in the precinct, the quantity of characters establishes the promise of chaos in such a confined place. However, what is really bizarre is how much the film opts for a slice of life sort of focus on these characters, keeping the whole acid rain stuff in the background. For a large chunk of the film, we spend most of our time with the officers in the precinct, listening to them talk about an array of subjects.

That said, among these conversations is the somewhat heartfelt, yet awkward relationship between Sgt. Dash and his son Jimmy (Kole Benfield). There is a distance between the two, but Dash wants to mend things – his desire and efforts coming across genuine, allowing for a sincere emotional bond that brings added tension to the narrative when things go to hell. That is frankly though the deepest Amityville Uprising goes in terms of action, emotion, or suspense.

The action is relatively conventional as compared to a plethora of other infected-based horror stories. Those who come into contact with the acid rain not only have a painful reaction that involves their skin boiling and peeling off, but in time, they become zombie-like. When the infected do make their way into the precinct, the close quarters work in favor to create a claustrophobic aura, making for tense periods as characters slowly navigate their way down hallways.

Accompanying this action though is a decent amount of cheese. Some of it seems on purpose – and in those cases, the humor is effective. But in some moments where something serious or ominous is attempting to be portrayed, it can be laugh out loud goofy. Depending on one’s taste, this can pull you out of the suspense or make for a fun cheesy time. That said, when looking at the greater picture in what the film presents, the cheese factor is odd; particularly in the narrative moments where it aims to explore story beats that are meant to be emotional.

A more problematic issue for the film however is its pacing. It takes a decent 40 minutes to get the ball rolling on anything action related. The acid rain topic becomes more of a side piece – getting more attention via brief interluding scenes where folks come into contact with it, or it being a topic of conversation on news stations. This is baffling. The attention to setting up the characters is nice and all, but that establishment undercuts a good deal of what could have been provided to the action-horror component of the film.

This is unfortunately one of those films with a neat premise but weak execution.

Amityville Uprising is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] Zombie Horror Movie ‘Amityville Uprising’ Has a Neat Premise But Weak Execution appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by Jamie Patterson and written by Christian J. Hearn, The Kindred follows Helen (April Pearson), the woman who got hit by a car. Waking up in a hospital bed, her husband by her side, she learns that she has been in a coma for a little over a year. Along with her body being in rough shape, Helen is also struggling with amnesia; she knows that, prior to the accident, she was at her father’s place, and the person who died before her was him. She learns that, while she was in a coma, she gave birth, and that her husband had to sell their home to take care of hospital bills and their new child. With nowhere else to go, Helen and her family move into her father’s old place – which appears to be haunted by several ghost children.

The Kindred has a great deal of tension going for it throughout its runtime. As the audience witnesses Helen’s accident and her dad’s suicide, several questions come to mind. Why did Helen appear so distraught? Why did her dad take his own life? And just like the viewer, Helen is also in the dark when it comes to details – making her journey to discover the truth all the more intriguing. Even if the pacing is a little slow at first, the film’s overall investigative angle maintains an engaging draw; as Helen digs deeper into the history of her father’s home, every little bit of info she discovers unveils something darker, drawing her and the audience towards a horrifying discovery.

Along with the narrative itself making for a satisfying thriller, what works big time in The Kindred’s favor is that of Helen herself. She has just come out of a coma, trying to work through past trauma, having lost her home, and now having to learn what it means to be a parent; it seems that the film is throwing a lot at this woman, and it is. But none of that is ever presented in a melodramatic, “woe is me” sort of lighting; instead, we see a person striving to make the best of their new life. She wants to be happy, but she is lost. There is a weight on top of her, and she cannot let it go. Helen is someone who one can’t help but feel sympathetic for, which in turn creates an additional means to invest the audience in her mission.

As far as the supernatural horror is concerned – though the appearance of the creepy kids makes for dull jump scares at times, there are several moments that effectively deliver eerie vibes. The use of shadows within Helen’s home allows for a claustrophobic presence, making the physical proximity of these children unnerving.

Where the film struggles the most though is in its efforts to say something of substance from a thematic standpoint. A major theme throughout The Kindred is that of parenting – the love of having a child and what we take on from our parents. Given how early conversations regarding these topics appear in the film, it doesn’t take much to assume that they are part of some greater narrative endpoint. But – and I’m keeping things vague as to avoid spoilers – what the film ultimately strives to convey comes across flat. It’s an angle that, while interesting on paper, isn’t fleshed out enough to make for a meaningful enough statement. I can’t say the ending is super random or out there, but the shift in direction feels a tad jarring. Which is a shame given how the film’s journey leading up to the conclusion is intriguing and heartfelt.

From the moment The Kindred starts with Helen panicking down the hall, a lingering unease is presented upon the viewer – with morbid curiosity only intensifying as the story plays out. Helen’s internal suffering and her desperation to find closure make her sympathetic and someone to care for. And yet, even with a lot of decent suspense and character depth working in its favor, The Kindred drops the ball with its ending. An ending that strives to say something, but ultimately, makes for a muddied message that does little to elevate what the film’s themes are attempting to explore.

The Kindred is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] ‘The Kindred’ Makes for a Heartfelt Thriller with a Weak Sendoff appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

An important note that I want to share is that, while the below includes albums that have been officially announced with dates (or are at least in production/rumored), there are always a plethora of amazing records throughout a given year that arrive in under the radar. While the below includes records from incredible acts that you should be super excited for, make sure to keep in mind that other surprises are sure to appear throughout 2022.

Without further ado though, let’s look at some of those kick-ass records coming out!

Shadow of Intent – Elegy (1/14)

Not going to lie – I got into this band very much because of the “Halo” tag, but Shadow of Intent have proven themselves to be more than a gimmick (even if the gimmick is very cool). For me, I was really impressed with 2019’s Melancholy – which is a great work of melodic death metal and symphonic metal meets deathcore. Given alone what the band have shared from their single “Where Millions Have Come To Die,” Elegy looks to be another killer chapter for Shadow of Intent.

Mizmor – Wit’s End (1/14)

A.L.N. of Mizmor knows how to captivate and move listeners. Blending traits of doom, noise, and death metal, Mizmor is a remarkable force of existentialism and emotion. Wit’s End looks to continue down the path of heavy material the one-man act is known for; offering two tracks of breathtaking avant-garde sound, Mizmor once again invites listeners to experience a record of grand exploration and depth.

Boris – W (1/21)

This is one of those bands that I will be forever amazed by. Discovering them back in 2019 with their release of Love & Evol, Boris is an impressive force of noise, rock, and punk. Their 2020 collab with noise artist Merzbow is one of my favorite records of recent years, making for an experience of surreal sound that thrills and entrances. Given Boris’ incredible history of genre fusion and remarkable skill in technical performance, I am excited for what this band has in store for us with W.

Boy Harsher – The Runner soundtrack

The darkwave duo of Boy Harsher has a movie coming out this year called The Runner! Accompanying the film is a companion soundtrack, displaying the act’s awesome skills in creating captivating and chilling industrial dance music.

Korn – Requiem (2/4)

Frankly, I was never a huge Korn fan in my teenage years; it wouldn’t be until young adulthood with 2013’s The Paradigm Shift that the band really grabbed my attention. Korn has remained consistent in their later years, providing material that pulls from their earlier nu metal work, while blending in touches of electronic flair. Which is a good thing, given how their music works to both excite, while also providing lyrical substance when it comes to their subject matter. I won’t be surprised to hear Requiem kick a lot of ass.

Venom Prison – Erebos (2/4)

Following up that of 2020’s Primeval, Venom Prison is looking to charge ferociously into the new year. From the album’s single “Pain Of Oizys” alone, Erebos sounds to be a riveting work of crushing death metal. The menacing thrash appeal to Venom Prison’s music is enough to get anyone’s blood rushing, and this time around they are looking to push the boundaries of their artistry. When it comes to the new age of death metal, Venom Prison is a band you don’t want to miss out on.

George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – Corpsegrinder (2/4)

While Corpsegrinder has been known to guest star on other albums, the Cannibal Corpse frontman is looking to unleash a solo effort this year. Containing a plethora of heavy genres, we can expect anything Corpsegrinder is working on to shred eardrums and faces off.

Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor (2/11)

Zeal & Ardor is one of the best musical acts I’ve discovered in all my years of music listening. 2016’s Devil Is Fine astounded me in its fusion of black metal meets electronic meets blues meets gospel meets soul presentation; a breathtaking work of musical ferocity that gets the blood rushing and unnerves. The depth to Manuel Gagneux’s material is remarkable, and he has only continued to expand upon his array of style. Gagneux has a brilliant talent for infusing his music with emotional depth, reflecting upon the cruelties and injustices of our world. Whatever he has planned for us in his upcoming self-titled effort, I am confident it will be breathtaking.

Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero (2/25)

One of my favorite heavy bands of today, Blood Incantation is a fantastic force of psychedelic death metal. With a jazz-like mentality to their compositions, Blood Incantation weave together pummeling instrumentation and mesmerizing ambiance to create surreal works of cosmic brutality. Their upcoming release looks to not only expand upon this quality, but to take things to a whole new sonic level for them. Blood Incantation is the closest we’ll probably ever get to communicating with the stars, so make sure that Timewave Zero is on your radar.

Animals as Leaders – Parrhesia (3/25)

The prog metal outfit has released a plethora of riveting, forward-thinking records throughout their career, and Parrhesia continues that trend. The instrumentation of Animals as Leaders has a tranquil, magical power to draw audiences into sonic landscapes of exciting wonder. In how guitar melodies swirl and contort, in how drums beat down alongside intricate bass rhythms – Animals as Leaders know how to craft songs of wonder.

TBA Releases:

Avenged Sevenfold

Fans eagerly anticipate a new release from one of heavy metal’s biggest bands. Avenged Sevenfold has always been proud to wear their influences on their sleeve, pulling inspiration from the great metal acts of thrash and groove to create their own brand of stadium rocking tunes. Whereas 2016’s The Stage was a great demonstration of the band further expanding upon their sound, it won’t be to anyone’s surprise that whatever the band has planned for us next will be a banger.

Coheed and Cambria

I love a band that uses music to tell stories, and it was the sci-fi epic tale found within the songs of Coheed and Cambria that got me into them. Throughout their career, the band has only evolved as a prog outfit, building upon their technical prowess and pushing themselves into new territories of style and play. The first couple singles released at the time of this writing are an absolute blast, providing a great rush and promising direction for Coheed’s upcoming album.

Revocation

Very excited for these New England metalheads to be releasing a new album! Following up 2018’s The Outer Ones, the band share that their new album should be out sometime in the fall. Expect a whole lot of thrashy death metal chaos!

Ghost

I’ve always found Ghost to be a fun band; maybe they aren’t meant to be fun, but I feel they have always been effective in creating dark pop-rock music. There is a tongue-in-cheek nature to their material that works to be playful, while still a little creepy. Their recent new track “Hunter’s Moon” (which is featured on the Halloween Kills soundtrack) is a whole lot of fun, and I expect nothing less from a new Ghost record but some good, creepy joy.

Rammstein

When it comes to moving a crowd, very few reach the level of extreme that is Rammstein. The German metal act has taken over the world with their ferociously catchy blend of industrial music, creating tunes that get folks riled up to dance and break things all at once. Their 2019 album made for another great chapter in the band’s discography, and I’m sure their next release is only going to rage with even more pop-industrial-metal fire.

Slipknot

2019’s We Are Not Your Kind is not only an impressive effort from the Des Moines, IA metal act, but also a brilliant return to form. Pulling from their musical history, the record is a remarkable fusion of style and depth, with touches of Iowa, Vol. 3: (Subliminal Verses), and All Hope Is Gone heard throughout. It appears that the band has a couple of releases they are looking to put out, with one involving music with a Radiohead-like sound to it. These songs are outtakes recorded during the creation of All Hope Is Gone, but the band does have another studio album in the works. Expect whatever Slipknot has planned for us to be heavy as hell.

Wednesday 13

When it comes to musical homages to horror, there’s no way one cannot mention Wednesday 13. While I will forever mourn the loss of The Murderdolls, Wednesday 13 is a kick-ass force of horror rock flavor; with a plethora of killer records like Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying, and the Dead, Calling All Corpses, and Necrophaze, Wednesday 13 knows how to entertain the ghouls and freaks.

Halloween Ends OST (John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, Daniel Davies)

With the final chapter in David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy arriving this year, we can expect an official record component from none other than the Master of Horror himself (with the help of his son and godson as well). Given what we’ve heard from the past two Halloween soundtracks, expect Ends to ride forth with electronic guitars and some fun, chilling synth. This will be a record to get one’s blood rushing.

*Album I hope releases this year – new Job for a Cowboy

Job for a Cowboy is one of the best gems in modern death metal and I am in need of a new record from them. Since that of 2014’s Sun Eater (which FYI, if you haven’t heard this record, get on it!) – the band has been on hiatus. With several members working among different bands (some even coming together for a new act called Serpents of Gnosis, who put out a record back in 2019), there has only been little pieces there and then regarding news of a new JFAC record. Here’s hoping 2022 is the year that these underdogs of technical death metal release a spanking new offering of metal ferocity!

What 2022 records are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!

The post Bloody Disgusting’s Most Anticipated New Albums for 2022! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Olivia (Dennice Cisneros) is a struggling novelist who lives on her own. When she isn’t having a spat on the phone with her sister, Olivia likes to sip wine and enjoy her advent calendar. And oh yeah, she loves vampires. She is currently working on a vampire story, and from the big book of vampire short stories she reads, to the set of plastic fangs on her Christmas tree, to her Nosferatu t-shirt – she is a true fan. Depictions of vampire-obsessed fans have been common in media since that of Twilight’s pop culture dominance; but whereas many of those representations tend to be demeaning, Red Snow offers a positive angle. Olivia isn’t defined by her love for vampires – she isn’t one note; her appreciation of the monster archetype speaks to her passion for storytelling and creative writing.

Olivia’s life takes an interesting turn when one day a bat flies into her home; checking on said bat, she sees that it’s wounded and takes it inside to heal. When she hears a loud noise later where the bat is resting, she checks on it, only to discover the bat is now a grown naked man with fangs. The vampire introduces himself as Luke (Nico Bellamy) and says he is in a weakened state due to being attacked. Once he is rested though and had the chance to drink some blood – pigs blood that is, acquired by Olivia – Luke finds himself confronted by her. She is enamored by his existence and wants to ask a hundred questions. As the two spend time with each other though, they’ll have to contend with a vampire hunter searching for Luke, as well as a couple of violent vampires lingering about Olivia’s home.

The relationship between Olivia and Luke is very much the core of the film; the chemistry between her intrigue and his charm allows for multiple laugh out loud moments. The self-aware, tongue-in-cheek presentation is perfect; it never feels like the characters are trying to wink at you. Rather, the comedy is both surreal and natural. An example is Olivia’s fascination for Luke: Though it’s a tad odd how thrilled she is to meet him – to the point she is comfortable asking him questions almost right away – she still takes safety precautions. Through the writing and Cisneros’ delivery, there is a surreal element to Olivia’s interactions, but they are also believable. The characters aren’t shy about name dropping several big vampire properties and authors known for writing such stories; this could come off as corny in a lot of cases, but how they are used in Red Snow makes for fun comedic moments.

While much of the film plays out like a comedy with drops of horror playfulness, there does come a dramatic spin later that provides a great twist. This shift not only brings a nice punch to the narrative – playing into the already solid pacing – it also provides a greater depth to Olivia’s story. And while Olivia and Luke may have most of the spotlight on them, the vampire hunter Julius King (Vernon Wells) and the vampires Jackie (Laura Kennon) and Brock (Alan Silva) all bring a unique charm to the film.

Too much self-awareness and trying to hammer jokes in a forceful manner can kill the vibe of a comedy; when it comes to horror comedies, it at worst can make the experience feel vapid. For Red Snow though, everything is a delight. It is awesome to see how the film displays such admiration for the vampire subgenre; never being mean in its joking, the writing goes far enough to playfully poke fun at tropes, but also pay homage to the monster mythos and pop culture. With the looming self-awareness that Red Snow embraces, it’s great to see all the actors in for the ride. Everyone brings a great performance, and the film’s effective pacing in comedy and action make Red Snow a jolly (and bloody) holiday horror comedy.

Red Snow is now available on all VOD outlets.

The post [Review] Tongue-in-Cheek Awareness Makes ‘Red Snow’ a Delightful Holiday Horror Comedy appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A couple of notes before diving into my top picks: First, these are my top picks, and not an effort to say these are the best records of the year objectively. Also, while Haunted Riffs has involved a lot of metal, I’ve also included my favorite non-metal records.

Without further ado, here are my top 10 records of 2021!

10. Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy

With Zombie being one of the longest-running artists I’ve been listening to, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy is one of my favorite records from him. It sounded like a great fusion of arena rock with some industrial touches and other fun musical flavors. In these sounds, Lunar Injection comes off to me like a fresh spin on Hellbilly Deluxe, with Zombie providing a range in tongue-in-cheek horror lyricism as the band delivers rocking metal cuts. You can read more of my thoughts regarding the record via my review.

9. John Carpenter with Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies – Lost Themes III: Alive After Death

Easily my favorite film composer of all time, John Carpenter always knows how to grab the listener’s attention. My love for Lost Themes III is very much the same when it comes to why I have enjoyed the previous Lost Themes records – John, Cody, and Daniel know how to create remarkable atmosphere. Their brilliant fusion of electronic, industrial, and rock are captivating, creating soundscapes that are dreamy and riveting.

Again, you can read my full review of the record for more.

8. The Body & BIG|BRAVE – Leaving None But Small Birds

To be real, while I sincerely appreciate and enjoy folk music, I can’t claim to be a veteran listener of the genre. That said, I am a huge fan of The Body and all their noise material, so when I heard they had a new record coming out – I was already on board. Having not experienced much of BIG|BRAVE prior, I didn’t know what to expect from Leaving None But Small Birds. But when I heard the record’s first single – I think this was the fastest pre-order I have ever jumped on in terms of music releases.

A stunning and grim display of folk instrumentation, creating a haunting experience that is beautiful and chilling.

7. Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready

When I first came across Lingua Ignota’s All Bitches Die, I knew I was listening to something that would forever change how I listen to music. She is the main reason I started listening to noise, and her follow-up LP Caligula is easily one of my all-time favorite records.

While the record involves some similar elements found among the past two albums, Sinner Get Ready is a whole other experience. Heartbreaking, angry, and ethereal all at once, Sinner Get Ready is a devastating venture of folk; Lingua Ignota once again delivers powerful emotion that is raw, unnerving, and significant.

6. Body Void – Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth

Pure dread. Pure doom (well, with a little bit of noise in there as well). Body Void is unrelenting and I adore the utterly crushing nature of Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth. In just four tracks, these folks annihilate eardrums. This is music to churn the soul, that washes over one’s skin and creates a physicality of unease. It’s madness and brutality and incredible. A work of grim distortion, space, and technical chaos. I love it and if you somehow have not checked it out – prepare yourself for one of the year’s heaviest records.

5. King Woman – Celestial Blues

I came across King Woman through their debut LP Created In the Image of Suffering. I had never heard doom performed that way before and found myself in awe of the music. Unlike the more abrasive display of doom I had heard previously, King Woman offered something more – calming, yet heavy. In their instrumentation and the vocals and lyrics of Kris Esfandiari, King Woman easily became an act I would follow moving forward. This is why when I finally got to hear Celestial Blues, I was astounded.

Let alone the record plays off of one of my favorite pieces of literature ever, Esfandiari and the band once again amaze. The intimacy of this record is remarkable, tapping into the energies that great doom is capable of, all while creating a rich, personal experience. You can check out my review of the record here.

4. Mountain Goats – Dark In Here

Having come across Transcendental Youth back in college, that record got me to fall in love with the Mountain Goats. John Darnielle is one of my all-time favorite lyricists, his words providing an immersive power to each song. With a lot of personal struggles I went through this year, I found a lot of comfort in Darnielle’s words, as well as the soothing instrumentation of the band.

I wrote a review of the album via Treble Zine, which you can read here.

3. John Carpenter with Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies – Halloween Kills OST

While my thoughts on the Halloween Kills film are sort of “meh,” there is no doubt in how much I love the soundtrack. It was a joy getting to talk with John Carpenter about the process behind the film’s music and experiencing the thrill and chills of each track. Much like Lost Themes III, the Halloween Kills OST is brimming with electronic finesse, along with touches of heavy rock instrumentation. “Unkillable” is a standout cut, making for one of the most pulse-pounding songs I’ve heard in a film.

2. Khemmis – Deceiver

I’ve been following Khemmis since their 2016 LP Hunted and have been blown away by their approach in creating doom. The epicness of their music overwhelmed me with adrenaline and melancholy, making for an unexpected duality that I find nothing short of fascinating. With their fourth LP Deceiver out, Khemmis once again strike gold, presenting a record that is packed with emotion and technical prowess. Throughout Deceiver’s runtime, listeners will find a plethora of thrills and feeling – the music exuding a sonic physicality of sorts.

Khemmis has not only released another solid album in their discography, but has crafted a banger I’ll love for the rest of my life.

1. Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell

There and then we stumble upon works that hit us in profound ways. Engine of Hell is one of those works for me. I am a relatively new fan of Emma Ruth Rundle, having discovered her music with 2018’s On Dark Horses, and then exploring the rest of her catalog afterwards. In a world where so many heavy bands try to take the approach of pummeling listeners with aggressive instrumentation or violent lyricism to cause a reaction – it’s wild what Rundle does with just her singing, a piano, and a guitar.

This record is sincerely haunting, riddled with heart and agony. It is extortionary in the existential depths it traverses; touching and painful in how much Rundle willingly opens herself to the listener. I wrote about the record for Treble Zine, and honestly, I could go on and on with praise. This is a really special record – absolutely give it a listen.

Thank you to all the readers who have been following Haunted Riffs! Stay safe, keep on headbanging, and enjoy your holidays!

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Written and directed by Eduardo Rodriguez, The Darkness of the Road is a psychological ride of constant tension and unease. It’s also a difficult film to discuss in terms of narrative; for the reader’s benefit, all I’ll say is that much of the narrative revolves around the two women trying to find the missing Eve while striving to avoid the monster that stalks them. This story, and its many surprises, are blanketed in an aura of gloom; the grim air becoming thicker over time as the story dives deeper into haunting territory.

While the film has varying levels of action and violence throughout, it is much more of a slow burn emotional horror that plays out in dream logic. Somewhat Lynchian in approach, the narrative flow feels off from the start; even in how the audience is introduced to Siri and Eve, something isn’t right about how scenes transition from one to another. A blue light plays over many scenes, further enhancing that dream-like atmosphere. In the way, conversations are held and actions play out, there’s a disconnect that gets under the skin. Like how something may happen to Iris that Siri witnesses, the latter running over to the former, just for the big moment to dissipate and oddly fade away.

The dream logic presentation of The Darkness of the Road only builds, becoming more of a greater presence that consumes the characters. The film maintains a strong balance between disjointed presentation and cohesion; narrative beats never feel so out of left field, but sometimes the occasional jump in logic takes place. While there could be some confusion in processing all the narrative detail, the film is best experienced when letting go of reason. In fact, when I stopped questioning things as much, the oddities began to make more sense to me regarding the film’s bigger picture. To some viewers, this flow could potentially be disorienting; the narrative is committed to the dream-like direction and is unapologetic in how surreal events play out.

Where there are numerous scenes involving quiet contemplation or conversations between characters, those moments of action stand to provide additional layers to the greater narrative. One scene, in particular, makes for nightmare fuel, providing an uncomfortable physicality in the pain one character goes through. The monster itself isn’t as much of a satisfying element to the story – that is, until one gets to the ending – then one starts to wonder what the monster might actually be.

The Darkness of the Road is a film best enjoyed if one goes in blind. The film’s tonal focus on gloom and dread only builds over time, allowing for an atmosphere that, while technically present since the beginning, becomes more and more tremendous with time. Its dream logic makes for a gripping narrative that may not thrill a ton, but provides a sincere air of discomfort and anxiety. The dedication provided to the plot’s surreal flow may take a little getting used to, but this is a nightmare one does not want to miss out on.

The Darkness of the Road is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] ‘The Darkness of the Road’ Is a Psychological Nightmare Ride Filled With Chills appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Part of the film’s uneasiness comes through in silence; when Rose and Tommy are together, the silence between them is sad. The stress in Tommy’s voice when trying to speak to or connect with his wife creates a heartbreaking air, an element that is only intensified as Rose strives to keep their spark alive. With the camera lingering on still moments between them – the sound of buzzing bugs in the background clashing against the silence – the film establishes this tremendous dread. This air is by far one of Hurt’s strongest qualities, for as the audience spends more time with Rose and Tommy, the atmosphere only grows, becoming more stressful, sad, and even angry at times.

Starting within act one and leading into act two, the couple decide to head out to one of their favorite Halloween attractions; Rose loves Halloween, and after Tommy has a minor breakdown in their home, he says the two of them should take off. The film does a great job of “showing and not telling,” as one is able to piece together that Tommy is struggling with PTSD. His internal struggles manifests in different ways, with Rose trying her best to focus on the good, even while her sister Lily (Stephanie Moran) attempts to point out that something is wrong with him.

There is one brief flashback to the couple’s wedding night where we see them laughing and smiling among loved ones. During their time at the haunt, the two are laughing and enjoying themselves. When taking these moments in alongside the more depressing scenes of the couple’s relationship, it is relatively easy to form a sincere care for these characters. Given the rollercoaster of sorts the film provides within acts one and two, I was rooting for Rose and Tommy to grab hold of that beautiful spark that was once in their relationship. However, Tommy ends up having an anxiety episode and leaves Rose – which is where the more explicit horror-driven portion of the film kicks in.

For a while, I thought Hurt may take the approach of “emotional horror” – conveying a narrative that is swaddled in mystique and aiming to unnerve the audience via tones of distress, uncertainty, and dread. To be fair, that’s a whole lot of what Hurt does – a big portion of it in fact. Yet, there is also a physical element in terms of stalker-esque horror. This stalker portion is a double-edged sword for the film – making for effective tension, but also contributing to the film’s one big issue.

Funny enough, the marketing behind Hurt mentions it is from the producers of The Strangers and The Dark And The Wicked – and just like those two films, Hurt is very much about using a mean spirited approach. But, whereas those other films use their mean-spirited narratives to say something, Hurt’s messaging is muddy at best, if not cruel and pointless at worst.

In its first and second acts, Hurt is a brutal film in terms of dreadful atmosphere and violence; hell, most of the physical violence happens off screen, but the sound design is so effective, one’s mind could run wild with upsetting possibilities. And when there is actual onscreen violence, it is horrifically gruesome. The dynamic between Rose and Tommy is gripping, offering viewers a plethora of feeling and creating a genuine means of connecting with them and hoping for their best. The atmosphere of Hurt is intriguing and chilling throughout, almost reaching a level of physicality in its tension.

There is so much going for Hurt, but its ending leaves a lot to be desired. The twist does little to liven the experience or provide anything of substance to the core relationship of the film. Where there is so much great character building, Hurt’s conclusion of violence has very little to say about the pain of its characters.

Hurt is now available on VOD outlets.

The post [Review] ‘Hurt’ Devastates With Emotional Tension and Dread-Filled Atmosphere appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by Mickey Reece, written by Reece and John Selvidge, Agnes starts out like a typical demonic possession film. Father Donaghue (Ben Hall) is called upon to investigate a convent of nuns and confirm if there is any demonic activity among them. The victim in particular is that of the titular Agnes (Hayley McFarland), who is the woman from the beginning yelling at the other Sisters and has continued to lash out violently and spew blasphemous language. Accompanying Father Donaghue is Benjamin (Jake Horowitz), a priest in training. When the two arrive at the convent, they must do what they can to save Agnes, all while striving to avoid temptation and the evil that lurks among them.

One might say that’s a straightforward premise when it comes to these types of films. However, not only does Agnes struggle in terms of tone when it comes to this portion of its story, it also introduces a major tonal shift within its last 48 minutes. For a film that is roughly an hour and a half, this shift is super abrupt; while it does cling to one of the film’s thematic points, it does so much to erode any of the suspense or horror that had been building up.

At one point, I couldn’t help but wonder if Agnes was trying to be a dark comedy. Several actions and lines of dialogue are delivered in janky or uncomfortable manners, with upsetting and serious subject matter being handled in a cartoonish fashion. The film has several scenes that are baffling as a result, and it’s hard to determine the tone Reece and Selvidge were aiming for; when an effort is made to convey an action or line in a serious nature, it is met with a goofy reaction that undersells the severity of the matter.

For example, in a scene where Father Donaghue is attacked by a possessed Agnes, the latter channels the words of a young child and yells out that he touched their “wee wee.” When Father Donaghue, Benjamin, and some nuns are talking afterwards, Father Donaghue asks how she could know that, and everyone shrugs it off, with Benjamin mentioning that he thought everyone knew. If the moment is trying to sell us something that is meant to be shocking and convey a serious matter, it is poorly executed and vapid.

Tonal issues like these hurt the overall plot throughout Agnes. There’s somewhat of a looming thematic point regarding lust and temptation – but minus a couple brief scenes where there are images of people hooking up and horny nuns talking about people being attractive, there is no real effort to cover these topics. It’s a thematic point that is incredibly surface level. How the narrative decides to handle Agnes and her affliction is also quite the letdown, considering where the film ends up by its conclusion.

To talk about that ending, we must talk about Mary (Molly C. Quinn). The biggest theme within Agnes is crisis of faith; to the film’s credit, more time is allotted to the topic through several characters – but primarily that of Mary. When it comes to her though, her narrative path only goes so far, hinting towards the greater depths the film could have explored. Without giving too much away, those last 48 minutes take on a super intense tonal shift. Minus a couple scenes, Agnes ends up playing out as and concluding like a crisis of faith drama. It has the beats of that type of drama, with feel-good moments alongside trials and struggle – but ultimately ends on a baffling final scene where Mary and the audience are left only with questions.

To be fair, there is some interesting character work being done through Mary; early on, the film provides her some additional focus, which ends up making more sense when that greater shift comes. She is a character with a whole lot of potential, and given all she has gone through, there is an air of anticipation to see how events will play out for her. But in its exploration of those struggling with faith, Agnes doesn’t say much at all. A lot of attention is given to conversations surrounding purpose – yet in those – the film feels restrained in how much further those conversations could go. Some neat ideas to ponder, sure, but nothing that challenges the audience or pushes boundaries of thought.

For what it’s worth, the cast are really giving it their all here; it’s just that no amount of self-awareness or effort from anyone within the film can save it from its story. It’s sad to say in a way, but there is a strong story within Agnes – unfortunately, there’s little of substance here, and what is present is bogged down by messy writing and thematic and tonal direction.

Agnes is now available on all major VOD outlets.

The post [Review] Demonic Horror Movie ‘Agnes’ is Possessed By Weak Writing and Messy Thematic Exploration appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A group of guns for hire are called upon to save a scientist named Chole (Kristen Kaster) from an old Cold War bunker. With the scientist trapped inside and a local militia working their way to break into the facility and steal some research, it is up to the group to extract the scientist and lead her to safety before it’s too late. But as the group come to find out, Chole is aware of a very dangerous secret – one capable of endangering the group’s lives, and that of the whole world.

Within the cinematic DNA of Death Valley, one will find strains of Resident Evil and Predator. The narrative surrounding the facility and the monster inside is a solid homage to the iconic bio-horror game, whereas several of the enemy confrontations the hired guns face off against make for riveting Predator-esque engagements. That said, those influences are only worn proud on the film’s sleeves, so to speak – for Death Valley’s blend of science-fiction, horror, and action stands on its own.

The opening displays the facility in full panic as Chole strives to escape, only to be locked inside with the monster. The monster itself makes for a cool presence throughout the film and keeps our characters on their toes with their backs against the wall. An interesting comparison that caught my eye – but the monster’s blindness, and even its physical design, share some similarities with that of Resident Evil’s Lickers. This isn’t a problem by any means – the monster of Death Valley is more of a hulking humanoid with its own means of causing mayhem – but the uncanny similarities did catch me by surprise. On an additional fun note, Ninaber adds another monster role to his acting career, given that he plays the monster!

– Death Valley – Photo Credit: Shudder

The more dramatic narrative beats of Death Valley are nothing too wild; besides some stilted lines of dialogue, each actor is serviceable in their role. Beckett (Jeremy Ninaber) and Marshall (Ethan Mitchell) are a good mix of humorous and cool – even if each can be a little cheesy in emotional delivery at times. With good bits of drama and comedy sprinkled there and then, Death Valley is at its strongest when focusing solely on the action. A big gun fight towards the beginning makes for one of the more riveting sequences of the film, whereas the monster focused sections bring about a new form of adrenaline. It’s a great shake up between pulse pounding moment to moment action, and that of a more survival horror situation.

A twist towards the end makes for an intriguing blend of drama and cheese, but that also speaks to one of the film’s greater qualities. With very few moments of melodrama, Ninaber maintains a narrative pace that delivers thrills and effective downtime; working with a solid script, each actor plays into the science-fiction mystery taking place within the bunker, while also exuding a careful balance of unease and tactical finesse while avoiding the monster.

In its runtime, the film sets up a lot of intrigue that has the means to pull the audience into its world. With what little world building is involved, I’d love to see how Ninaber could expand on concepts if he were to revisit Death Valley down the road. He has outdone himself here with a killer flick, offering viewers an action-packed rush – his creepy monster creation making for a brutal display of menace. In its riveting suspense and great science-fiction horror atmosphere, Death Valley is a wild time you don’t want to miss out on.

Death Valley is now streaming exclusively on Shudder.

The post [Review] With Great Survival Horror and Action, Shudder’s ‘Death Valley’ Knows How to Thrill appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As a child, Milton was picked on by some metal head bullies, which in turn planted a hateful seed within him. As an adult, Milton has become a hardcore fanatic, using his homilies to spew vitriol towards people. The head priest of the church sees that Milton has God’s message all wrong, so when Milton is suspended from his religious duties, he goes off on a bender and gets into a car accident. His body is tossed into a nearby creek where radioactive waste resides, mutating him into a monstrous being (played by Trent Johnson). In all his rage and superhuman strength, Milton heads forth to slay those he judges unworthy of God’s love.

Death to Metal – directed by Tim Connery, written by Connery and Kevin Koppes – succeeds most when it comes to its violence and gore. Whether it’s Milton impaling people with a wooden cross of his, shoving his mutated fingers into eye sockets, or stabbing people with broken beer bottles, the movie has a plethora of killer scenes that straddle the line of comedic and gross. The concept behind Milton – being a mutated evil priest – is cool as hell and not something seen all that often. There is a cheekiness to much of Milton’s dialogue, but it’s all with purpose. When he’s preaching bigotry, Kilborn’s performance captures the ridiculous ignorance of the character; as mutant Milton, Johnson’s words provide a chilling creepiness. Milton is a compelling villain that does much to carry Death to Metal and keep it interesting – for when it comes to everything else – the film struggles to thrill.

Where Death to Metal suffers the most is in the acting of most of its cast – particularly that of Zane (Alex Stein) and Mariah (Grace Melon). As two of our leading characters, both have the emotional range of a blank piece of paper. So many lines of dialogue from them – and in general, for the most part – are spoken in such a matter-of-fact straight way. Whether intentional or not, this can be real funny at times given the under-dramatic delivery of something being said. However, while one could find this straight delivery comical, the humor lands mostly flat. In a movie that involves heavy metal, it feels like there should be a lot more energy among the cast.

After being kicked out of his band and being dumped by his girlfriend, Zane asks Mariah to go with him to a big metal show coming up. Mariah, who is not a metal head, reluctantly agrees and Zane helps to prepare her with metal knowledge and clothes. The film does little catering to metal heads in terms of fun nods or musical insight; when Zane introduces Mariah to the bands that will be performing at the show, it is fun to hear him talk about Mutilated By Zombies and what makes them a solid tech death band, or what to expect out of the two-piece stoner act Telekinetic Yetti. That is farthest the film goes when it comes to fun fan service, besides a couple seconds where Slayer is mentioned and the several band tees that are present among the cast.

The lead up to the show – where Milton’s killing spree shifts into high gear – is somewhat of a drag. Besides those moments with Milton killing random people, the audience is left to wade through flat jokes and stilted performances; but then, in the second half of the movie, things start to pick up. It isn’t a whole 180 by any means, but performances start to have more animation to them, dialogue is a bit funnier, the comedic beats hit harder overall, and things get a whole lot bloodier.

It may sound like I’ve been dumping on Death to Metal a lot, and while there is no denying the glaring flaws throughout it – there’s also a fun movie here. The B-horror violence and gore is a blast, and when the comedy lands, it’s sincerely funny. But much of the acting in Death to Metal feels restrained up until its halfway point; ironically, the most extreme heavy metal energy of the film is the evil priest Milton.

Undersold expressions and ham-fisted deliveries of dialogue will sometimes get the occasional chuckle out of the audience, but that doesn’t make up much for the strong lack of comedic air. However, if you can forgive those moments of staleness, you are still going to be treated to a fun, gory time full of kills and heavy music.

Death to Metal is available now on VOD.

The post [Review] ‘Death to Metal’ Misplays Its Comedic Chords, But Makes It Up With Violent Gore appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Where Wired Shut sets itself apart from other home invasion films is in the relationship between these two characters. Directed by Alexander Sharp, written by Sharp and Peter Malone Elliott, the film makes for an intimate drama-thriller involving a daughter who has been wronged by her father and that father wanting to be better. Let alone that this dramatic element makes for a compelling dynamic, it also serves to present an intriguing twist on the home invasion genre.

The audience doesn’t know much about Reed up front; what little exposition does come through is in how the audience sees Reed struggle to write, as well as the text that appears onscreen. Given that he can’t talk, we get glimpses of texts from others reaching out to him and his replies. The film takes its time to coast along and settle on quiet moments where Reed is alone. This time helps to build upon the sense that Reed is frustrated and feels lonely. At one point, we see him pull up a social media profile of a young woman – who the viewer learns later is his daughter – and then purchase a very expensive camera lens. Things pick up when Emmy finally arrives to his home. The two have minimal interaction beyond that of short, heated conversation – the latter coming from Emmy since Reed can’t talk. Emmy mentions going to school for photography, hence Reed buying the camera lens for her.

What is intriguing about their interactions is how much the visual and auditory elements of the film say about their relationship. While Emmy does vocally speak to the specifics regarding the anger she has for her father, so much of their distance is conveyed through atmospheric detail. Several scenes have a blue tint to them, highlighting an air of coldness; much like the scenes from earlier where it was only Reed in the house, the film continues to use silence as a powerful tool in conveying emotion. The camera continues to linger for long periods of time – whether it’s on someone’s face or on a room as a whole – communicating how far apart these two are.

The strain between Reed and Emmy is authentic, which in turn helps to establish an even more tense mood when the home invasion portion of the film kicks in. Preston (Behtash Fazlali) breaks into Reed’s home, looking to crack a safe of his full of cash. Without getting into spoilers, I can’t say much about who Preston is, but suffice to say, his role is a major element that plays into the dynamic between Reed and Emmy. What I can say is that he is a real intense guy – cruel, abrasive, and a genuine threat. However, Fazlali plays the character a little too intensely. Nothing against the guy’s acting, but the character’s super unhinged nature dips into melodrama. Though Preston’s eccentric nature can be effective at times, he can be jarring, with some actions of his coming off much goofier than they should be. The conclusion of the home invasion being such a moment, where there should be a greater air of seriousness and stress – but the scene plays out very comically.

That said, Stadel and Sharp offer strong performances that sell the father and daughter’s distance between one another; the father-daughter angle making for an interesting twist when it comes to those striving to survive a home invasion. Compared to a lot of other films in the subgenre, Wired Shut proves to be an effective home invasion thriller with heart.

Wired Shut is now available On Demand.

The post [Review] ‘Wired Shut’ Makes for a Home Invasion With Heart and Emotional Tension appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As an ex-dancer who is paraplegic, Eva spends her days working a crap insurance job where she is ridiculed by her boss, swimming, and sitting around the house with her dog. Struggling with a lack of self-confidence, things are far from easy for Eva. But when her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier) comes over for her birthday and gifts her an antique Advent Calendar from Germany, Eva’s life changes in drastic ways.

As an object, the calendar itself is fascinating to look at; it is made of wood, designed with intriguing shapes, and decorated with ominous art. As far as the more supernatural side of the calendar goes, that is by far the strongest appeal of The Advent Calendar. Upon receiving the calendar, Eva and Sophie read a message on the back of it that roughly translates to, “Dump it and I’ll kill you.” When Eva opens the first door to the calendar, the moment cuts to that of a mysterious, eerie looking figure; the scene then transitions back to Eva, who takes out a piece of chocolate and eats it. Opening the second door, the moment cuts again to the figure, its monstrous humanoid form sparking intrigue and uneasiness.

Without ever saying too much, the film’s narrative direction does a stellar job keeping audiences in the dark when it comes to the mysteries of the calendar. Up front, Eva and the audience learn that there are rules to the calendar; Rule One for example says that there is candy within it, and once one piece is eaten, all pieces must be eaten. However, as events in Eva’s life erupt in magical (and sometimes horrific) ways, she starts to learn that the items within the calendar stand for something greater than she could ever imagine. As she continues to unlock each door, she must decide how far she is willing to go for a holiday miracle – even if it means sacrificing loved ones.

The premise of a haunted Advent Calendar is an interesting idea – the film providing an excellent job in delivering the supernatural consequences of Eva’s actions as she experiments with the calendar and becomes more obsessed with it. Yet, for as much as Eva makes for a compelling character at times, she is also the film’s weakness (specifically, her role within the plot and means of progressing it).

At first when Eva begins to piece the connection between the calendar and real-life events, one may assume the film is going to take the stereotypical approach of, “Character makes major discovery, character will now try to learn secrets behind discovery.” The Advent Calendar doesn’t do this, which is fine – but instead, its plot meanders. Life and the major events that happen around Eva just play out; besides her drive to further pursue the items behind each calendar door, most of the film is her just experiencing what happens. Minus a scene later where she goes to meet someone, Eva exists mostly as a character who waits to do what is needed of her next.

Eugénie Derouand as Eva – The Advent Calendar – Photo Credit: JEAN-CLAUDE LOTHER/Shudder

This stagnancy also hurts the emotional delivery of several scenes. When Eva learns what the calendar can offer her, she opts to go all in for the final reward (so to speak). But rather than enduring a tug-o-war sort of mentality in having to make brutal and upsetting decisions, her reactions and thought process are almost matter-of-fact. When it comes to a particular decision involving a loved one, it’s almost startling how relatively calm she is; besides some minor hesitancy, she just goes for it, and it feels like what emotional tension the film is trying to convey is vapid. Hell, there is one scene where she is witnessing something sad, is very upset by it, but then way too quickly gets over it. The film takes little time to allow Eva to sit with these heavy moments and feel them out, deciding to just move on after something happens so she can get to the next door in the calendar.

The counter argument to this issue could be that she is super driven to reap the benefits of the calendar, so nothing is going to get in her way. Except, the film throws in an odd twist near its end that completely uproots almost everything Eva has done prior. It’s a realization that undoes much of any significant action she made – and all Eva does is go with the flow. This speaks to the greater issue regarding the messy emotional delivery The Advent Calendar struggles with; when it comes to the major story beats where Eva has to act, it is as if she has said screw it and has given in to this supernatural power. We don’t see much remorse from her, and really, we don’t see that much joy out of her when some good stuff does happen. At the heart of Eva’s experience is very much cold obsession.

The Advent Calendar stumbles much when it comes to everything outside its neat premise. Where the film does succeed in providing a rush of tension and suspense through its bloodier moments and use of the supernatural, its protagonist and her drive struggle to convey an experience of substance. It’s very much a matter of the film telling us this is the emotion we the audience should be feeling, that feeling coming across weak for the most part. The Advent Calendar is unfortunately a film that is more so a great premise with some cool moments, but has little to offer in terms of satisfying drama or depth.

The Advent Calendar is now streaming on Shudder.

The post [Review] ‘The Advent Calendar’ Offers Few Treats Inside Its Cursed Doors appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Freddie Carlini of creative agency Bright Light is a fellow gamer who shares similar passions with myself. For him, games have become so much more than just great fun and memories – they’ve also become a career. Some of you may be familiar with Carlini’s previous game, Mixtape Massacre. Pulling inspiration from ‘80s horror, Mixtape Massacre functions as a board game/card game hybrid that pays homage to that era of horror filmmaking.

Through his creative insight, Carlini knows what makes a game engaging – which is also why his agency is on the verge of releasing a new title. For fans of tabletop games, and those who enjoy aquatic horror, Carlini is excited to release FLOAT: A survival game where players must work together (or not) to survive the terrors of the deep. Utilizing cards, a board display, some minis for further immersion, and more, Carlini and his team weave together their personal interests and experience into the design of FLOAT, making for a game that looks to submerge players into aquatic tension. The game’s Kickstarter campaign has already concluded, but you can still sign-up to be notified when pre-orders for the game go live!

With FLOAT really catching my attention, I wrote to Carlini to see if I could learn more about the game. Not only did he share the design philosophy and background in creating FLOAT, he also shared what he learned in making Mixtape Massacre, his own experience growing up with games, his drive to create games, and what tabletop games have to offer for entertainment within the horror genre.

Michael Pementel: Have you always had a love for games? If so, what kind of games are you into?

Freddie Carlini: Absolutely. As far back as I remember, I’ve always played games, be it board games or video games. When it came to tabletop games, I of course played the classics like Monopoly, Clue, etc. with my family, but also got into things like Magic The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. I used to love this game called RAGE. It was a werewolf card game. I even dug some IP releases when I was really young, like Dick Tracy or Batman and stuff like that.

MP: Where did the itch to create games come from? Was it something you always wanted to do?

FC: It was definitely when I was young. Be it creating characters for games never to actually be or drawing on graph paper with my Dad’s 8-Bit game ideas, I just loved creating worlds and coming up with ideas. Getting lost in your imagination and creating things is my happy place for sure. I think my real itch/kick in the ass was when I quit drinking and got sober about eight years ago. I was going to game nights with friends, and during one of the nights, I was kind of looking around the table at the game options noticing a real lack of the horror stuff I enjoyed, as well as the fact that everyone was getting frustrated with spending two hours reading a rulebook and not really playing the games. I think that for me was the final inspiration to try to create something, and led to our team, Bright Light, doing our first game, Mixtape Massacre.

MP: What were the challenges in creating Mixtape Massacre? How were those challenges met in creating FLOAT (if they were present at all)?

FC: I think most of the challenges are similar challenges anyone has when creating something. It’s a lot of asking yourself a cycle of questions like: Is this fun? Does this make sense? Will people like this? Is there an actual market for this? How do we market this?

At the time, when doing Mixtape Massacre, the Kickstarter tabletop community was still fresh and the resurgence of the tabletop game market was literally being talked about. I remember only a week before we went live with Mixtape Massacre on Kickstarter, the Today Show was airing a segment called, “BOARD GAMES ARE BACK.”

Today it’s way more saturated, so going out with a new product, no established IP, is a lot harder. It’s why you’ll probably notice a lot of the games that blow up are sequels, or riffs or reskinnings [sic] of preexisting games, because there’s an established audience for the game, making it easier to market for. Or they’re products from a large company with a big foot in the market.

For FLOAT, a lot of the challenges were the same. But I will say for Matt (Matt Corrado, co-owner/my business partner at Bright Light/illustrator and designer), I think the challenge for him was we kind of had left the comfort of Mixtape, so we were starting over in terms of discovering a look and style for the game. So, he spent a lot of time sketching and pitching ideas to Merrijoy Vicente [designer on FLOAT and Project Manager at Bright Light] and I based on discussions the group would have about look and style, characters, and that kind of thing. The gameplay was also a challenge, but only because, we purposely wanted this to be a different game entirely from what we did with Mixtape. But at the same time, still wanted to keep it approachable both for new players, and for more hardcore gamers, so that it was a game you could jump into without a lot of lead up or prep.

MP: What sort of feel or atmospheric presence did you want FLOAT to have as players play the game?

FC: Well, if I am being honest, my biggest irrational fear is the ocean. This is stuff that dates back to incidents when I was a kid. I am terrified of the ocean. It’s where the idea for the game came from. And I think part of that fear is the whole “what lies beneath” aspect. So, I think in terms of atmosphere, since a lot of this game is drawing cards, we wanted to create that same anxiety of “what lies beneath” and the fear of reaching for a new card. What am I going to draw? When the next day starts, what creature will be trailing our ships? And most importantly, you’re afloat in the middle of the ocean. There is no escape from the situations that arise.

MP: How did the main concept behind FLOAT’s gameplay come to be?

FC: In truth, the game FLOAT is now, is not the game it was three years ago. When we first started working on it, it was a completely different game, especially in terms of gameplay. We put it on the backburner when we launched our second game for Mixtape Massacre, Escape from Tall Oaks, and when we came back to it, more had changed. Some of FLOAT’s original mechanics actually got moved into Escape during its development.

Over three-plus years, it was a game we always came back to, and then always shelved as we were continually expanding the Mixtape Massacre universe. It almost became this tug of war of making current customers happy and creating new content for Mixtape Massacre, while at the same time wanting/needing to do something new to stay happy creatively. And that’s not to say we’re not happy making stuff for Mixtape. But being able to step away and do something new and different was very exciting for the team.

When we got back to FLOAT, I’d say the biggest change was [that] there was originally movement required of each player each turn, whereas now, the game is on a seven-day (three parts to a day) track that all players move together on each round, rather than separately. The board also went through a big evolution from the original board. The player station boards also evolved with each player having their own danger meters, water meters, etc. I’d say in some ways the game was a little simpler than it is now.

As sharks are part of my irrational fear, the main enemy when we first started FLOAT was just a shark. But now, the game has multiple creatures with different effects and stats.

MP: What are some works of aquatic horror you enjoy?

FC: Aquatic horror is probably my favorite sub-genre of horror. When I was young, my two big gateway films into horror were Ghostbusters and Jaws. Jaws has stayed with me to today. Shark movies are the only films that actually make me lose my cool and cower in my seat. My friends will tell you it’s more enjoyable most of the time watching me watch a shark movie than watching the movie.

I love aquatic horror, so picking favorites is hard, but I’d say some of them would be: Jaws, Deep Rising, Deep Star Six, The Shallows, Underwater, The Lure, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Dead Calm. Some would probably call Dead Calm a thriller, but meh, whatever. And I’d say, from the films I listed, you’ll probably see a lot of inspiration from all of these movies in FLOAT.

MP: What do you think makes for good survival game experiences? How do you present those qualities through FLOAT?

FC: As I said, I think anxiety is important. That feeling of like, what is below us? What’s to come? I also think, be it in FLOAT or with Mixtape, we like to play on tropes from horror films. I think we all love as a team the idea in horror movies and survival films, that as the situation and film progresses, the people also become the monsters, so we give players certain cards and choices to betray and hurt those around them, or afflictions, that makes them dangerous to their crew.

MP: In general, what is the process in creating a tabletop game? Is your team wearing multiple hats when it comes to roles regarding who builds what and who writes what?

FC: For our current games, it usually starts with some brainstorming and ideas on my end, as well as some wireframing. When I feel like I have something “good,” I bring it to the team (Matt Corrado and Merrijoy Vicente) and we will kick it around and see if it has legs. We also are very keen on making sure it’s not redundant with other games out there. If it’s original, then it is even more exciting. From there, as a team, we develop and test, bringing in friends for testing when we feel the concept has reached a good point. MJ and I tend to do a lot of the writing and dev. Matt handles illustrations and design concepts. I help with some of the designs. But we all contribute to the different aspects.

We’re a small team, so yes, it’s definitely a process of everyone wearing different hats, and sometimes all wearing the same hats depending upon the task.

There’s also the marketing side. You need to have an audience. Luckily as Bright Light is a creative agency, we have years of experience in putting together creative and marketing. But even marketing for us, can be very hard in a saturated market like tabletop games.

MP: In designing a tabletop game, what is important for a designer to keep in mind in creating an immersive experience?

FC: This is going to sound like a simple or cheap answer but, I think of that GIF of that kid, “Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!” That, for me, when it comes to a game, is most important, because if everyone is having

fun, then the experience is a good experience and something you’ll want to repeat. If the experience is good, then it’s something people are going to come back to and revisit. After that, the theme and look of the game. If anything, the theme should be adding to that fun.

MP: Do you think physical tabletop games have any qualities that lend themselves to the horror genre? Specifically in terms of creating fun or tense atmosphere within horror-driven narratives.

FC: As I said with FLOAT, the anticipation/anxiety when drawing cards is there. Even the rolling of the die. More so, when you’re playing in groups, it’s the continuous question of what is everyone else doing around you? How is this going to affect me? And most importantly, as I sit here watching others actions, what will be my actions when it’s back to being my turn? Those are definitely some of the tropes and elements you see that make great horror films.

But the biggest quality or element I see in tabletop games that lends itself well to the genre, or at least the most obvious, is a group of people trapped in a room, all working together or against each other on a task. If that doesn’t scream “horror,” I don’t know what does.

MP: With Mixtape Massacre and FLOAT now under your belt, what new lessons have you taken away in designing games? Especially after FLOAT.

FC: There’s a lot of lessons and things I’ve taken away from making this a part of our business these last six years. But I think there’s three main important lessons I’ve taken away from this experience:

· There is no overthinking when designing and developing a game. The more you think about it, the more you question it. [and] the more likely you are to find the cracks in it.

· Playtest. Playtest. Playtest. And then…playtest some more.

· Find your audience. Build your audience. Because without an audience, a good or bad game doesn’t matter if you don’t have the people to play it; or in the case of a Kickstarter, having the people to back it.

–

A big thank you to Freddie Carlini for his time in answering my questions – I am super excited to get my hands on FLOAT! While the Kickstarter for FLOAT has concluded, you can still sign-up via email to be alerted when pre-orders go live!

The post [Interview] Gaming In The Deep: An Interview With ‘FLOAT’ Designer And Creator Freddie Carlini appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The band’s music elicits a fantastical air, providing thrills through aggressive performance and exciting sounding melodies. The lyrics also play into this, conveying heartfelt and sorrowful passages that express the struggles and tribulations one may endure through life. It’s doom metal that feels like an epic adventure, and in the band’s new record, Deceiver (out now via Nuclear Blast), Khemmis deliver their most spectacular adventure yet.

“Avernal Gate” makes for a killer opening – the tranquil guitar plucking offering a calm before the storm. Blasting drums pummel forth, the guitar work giving off a wicked-sounding ferocity. The vocals exude bravado alongside booming guitar tones and distortion. Shifting between slower pacing and that of a more explosive performance, the track makes for a rollercoaster of heaviness. “House of Cadmus” also opens with a gentle start, though, the air comes across a tad more ominous. The vocals play beautifully into the melancholic guitar melodies, the emotional presence of the track expressing a grandiosity of doom flavor.

A fascinating quality to that of Khemmis’ music is how it has the potential to imbue listeners with so much emotion. A track can ride and buck with such delightful vibes – the guitars and drums speeding away – but then shift and take on a grim air. It’s a duality that one does not find much of within doom, making for an extraordinary outlier within the subgenre. Each track on Deceiver captures this appeal to various degrees, allowing for a musical experience with many twists and turns in emotional delivery.

Through gloomy distortion and the pounce of instrumentation heard on “Living Pyre”, Khemmis create this essence of perseverance and turmoil; feeling such energies may be a subjective experience, but with such heavy instrumentation comes a sonic physicality of sorts, and the band knows how to effectively leverage that. Their songwriting has only improved with each record, with Deceiver providing some of the tightest work the band has ever done when it comes to such tangibility. Concluding the record is “The Astral Road” – the most exhilarating track Khemmis has unleashed, making for a pure surge of adrenaline and heavy metal glory.

There is a loveliness to Khemmis’ music; in how the band displays heartache and triumph – through lyrics and instrumentation – their performances are nothing short of stunning. Deceiver is another superb chapter in the history of the band’s career. It not only offers remarkable technicality and grand atmospheres, but it also represents the greater technical and emotional range that doom is capable of offering.

The post [Haunted Riffs Review]: Khemmis Capture Epic Doom on ‘Deceiver’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Chelsea Wolfe grabbed the attention of listeners and critics alike with her 2015 LP Abyss – a fascinating work of metal, noise, and goth rock – making for music that captures the surreal space of dreaming. Stephen Brodsky is another musician you may have heard of, especially given his many technical contributions to incredible acts like Cave In, Mutoid Man, and Converge. Together, these three shaped Bloodmoon: I – a stunning work of heaviness, chilling ambient space, and intriguing genre blends.

The opening title track has Converge frontman Jacob Bannon speaking in a whispery tone, solemn key work gently playing underneath and alongside him. Wolfe’s singing lingers in further building upon the track’s creepy-esque tone. The minor guitar wail and distortion fit her voice perfectly. As the instrumentation picks up in intensity, the rhythm establishes a hypnotic flow. The listener may feel in a trance; the underlining guitar rhythm lulling them deeper, each word spoken by Bannon and Wolfe soothing. That is until Bannon barks with his trademark Converge vocals. An added metallic beat brings a new dimension to the progression, maintaining a sense of tranquil flow, yet elevated and thrilling.

This sort of fluidness to instrumentation and vocals allows for Bloodmoon: I to be a consistent surprise throughout. There and then listeners will come across some conventional approaches – like “Viscera of Men,” which plays in a way like a typical Converge track. But where a track like this also detours from such material is in how much the instrumental presentation expands on atmospheric direction. Like a chilling goth metal act, the banging drums and booming bass exude this great theatrical presence, the guitars fueling the almost horror-like vibe.

Where we see more drastic shifts, in terms of Converge, are in cuts like “Coil”. While there are moments of sonic pouncing, there is a restraint in heavy metal presentation. The ethereal tone is perfect for Wolfe’s voice, but overall lends itself wonderfully to all the vocal contributions. The genre blending becomes more apparent the further one gets into Bloodmoon: I. “Flower Moon” is a grunge cut with an added punch, whereas “Lord of Liars” is both noise and math rock.

It isn’t even the range in sound and style that make up the record that’s impressive, but also the range in each song. Converge, Wolfe, and Brodsky have crafted a work that is brimming with constant surprises. The technical and vocal twists and turns are tough to predict, with listeners discovering beautiful gems of hard-hitting and gentle emotion. Where one may possibly view Bloodmoon: I as just a record that highlights some killer artists, it is more so a fusion of these brilliant minds. Each artist is not only providing their strengths, but playing off the strengths of each other. Bloodmoon: I is not only a stellar collaboration from some of the best artists in heavy music, it also makes for a brilliant end cap to the year.

The post [Review]: ‘Bloodmoon: I’ Displays the Brilliance and Musical Intrigue of Converge, Chelsea Wolfe & Stephen Brodsky! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Belief is a gray element within life – belief can inspire good or evil. Belief can allow us to find hope or stir others with fear. In the wrong hands, people can craft belief into a weapon. The latter is very much at the heart of Hellbound, directed and written by Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan). The Korean Netflix show sells an intriguing premise – in this world, an angel appears to certain people and tells them when they will die and go to hell; on the specific day and time as given to them, three monstrous beings will appear and send the person to hell.

A new religious organization in the form of The New Truth arises from these supernatural tragedies, holding public hearings and spreading information across the web about how these attacks are God’s will. That because people run amuck sinning, God is now taking a more active stance in punishing. People begin to take the words of The New Truth to heart, striving to live a life without sin. The thing is though – how can anyone know if The New Truth is indeed telling the truth?

Though the supernatural angle of the show offers a gripping narrative shrouded in mystique, Hellbound is so much more. Sharing some similarities with that of this year’s Midnight Mass, Hellbound is an exploration of belief – how fanatical belief is dangerous, how institutions can manipulate people, and our effort to find meaning in life.

Episode one drops the audience right into one of these supernatural attacks. It’s a regular morning in a café; people enjoying each other’s company over coffee. One man sits alone however, nervously staring at his phone. Noting the day and time, the sound of boom is heard – then three massive beings crash through the café window and charge at the man. These beings – all black and having a mass like Marvel’s Hulk – throw anything and anyone out of their way to get to the man. He runs out of the café and into the street, the three beings running after him and slamming through cars. Once they get a hold of him, they horrifically beat and tear into him, all before taking part in an act where a bright white light appears and burns the man down to his bones. Once complete, the beings run off and disappear into thin air.

The violence of these acts is sincerely gruesome. In fact, when it comes to any act of physical violence Hellbound portrays, the show is in no way subtle in how its shown. Considering his work on Train to Busan, one might say that Yeon is more than experienced when it comes to action. The show’s cinematographer, Byun Bong-sun, captures these horrific moments – and the show’s few fight scenes – in gruesome glory; the impact of each cracked bone, bit of torn flesh, and all-out pummeling is on full display. But Hellbound’s horror is much more than that of the physical or even supernatural.

As The New Truth gain power over the public, the narrative places much focus on character and public interactions with that of the religious group. At the head of this group is Jung Jinsu (Yoo Ah-in), who shares a charismatic charm like that of Death Note’s Light. Jinsu is a gentle man, considerate and kind to those he is among – but of course, a cult leader always has a few secrets in their closet. He tells people how God is trying to teach them a lesson; that these monsters only target sinners, and God is trying to help guide humanity towards salvation and a life without sin.

Going beyond that of just preaching, Jinsu decides to start making these attacks purposely public – calling them Demonstrations, where audiences can partake in watching sinners be punished. These Demonstrations begin to pick up in viewership, stirring a greater mass hysteria and fear. The New Truth then begins implementing the Demonstrations as a means of outing sinners; meeting these people, The New Order will record them and have them voice their sins, while also sharing personal details about their families. Because of this, people become super loyal to The New Truth, willing to track down sinners and act violently against them.

In opposition to Jinsu, the show introduces us to detective Jin Kyunghun (Yang Ik-june) and attorney Min Hyejin (Kim Hyun-joo). Both Jin and Min see the actions of The New Truth as exploitative and insidious, especially when a small gang known as the Arrowheads begin to associate themselves with The New Truth, the latter using the gang to their benefit at times. While neither Jin or Min make for remarkably deep characters, each is significant to the plot – fueling the narrative’s progression and contributing to the show’s thematic exploration.

While the mystery behind these supernatural attacks is always present throughout the show, the stronger horror in Hellbound is the manipulation and abuse brought on by the cult. Hellbound holds nothing back in how the cult discuss public psychology with one another, taking careful approaches in how they present information. The methodical nature of these conversations is unnerving, for this is a group who know how to use people: Through fear.

A common phrase one may hear in life in terms of when something horrific happens, is that, “No one can explain why God does what he does,” or, “We need to trust in what God does.” The New Truth embraces these types of statements to further enhance their power and sway public interest in their favor. Jinsu speaks about how man-made systems fail us, how governmental structures don’t take care of or protect people. But God will protect you; God always cares about you, and because he cares about you, he is using these monsters to teach something of value. As more and more people become brainwashed by The New Truth, the show’s dramatic aura takes on a grimmer tone. This is even more so when it comes to the mid-series twist – which I’m obviously not going to share here. Suffice to say, it’s major moment that the audience has to sit with, the particular moment emphasizing a specific existential horror.

The second half of the show flows with an even deeper insidiousness when it comes to The New Truth and Arrowheads. A new protagonist arrives with Bae Young-jae (Park Jeong-min). Speaking to Bae would unfortunately dip into spoilers, but his importance to the narrative is along the lines of Jin and Min, if not greater. It’s real tough to find faults in Hellbound. The last-minute twist in the last episode may throw some viewers off; only because, in its six episodes, Hellbound feels as if it has told a completed story. That last twist does allude to a second season (at this time, there is no official word on a second season), but in what the show has provided so far, Hellbound is nothing short of fascinating.

Yeon’s Hellbound is a brutal, haunting take on how institutions can use people. It’s a show about the dangers of fanatical systems and how people can lose themselves in trying to find meaning. This show stands among the likes of Midnight Mass and Ti West’s The Sacrament, making for one of the most haunting works of religious/cult horrors around.

Yet, for all the grim existential ideas the show prompts – towards its end – it offers a moment of light. For as much pain and misery that does exist in the world, there are also miracles and good.

The post Netflix and ‘Train to Busan’ Director’s New Series “Hellbound” Stands Tall Alongside “Midnight Mass” [Review] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

When it came to gameplay, the parkour was invigorating. I loved the freedom in movement and the intensity the animations gave off. When I fought against infected and other humans, it felt challenging and immersive; having to think on my toes, the positive stress of such engagements brought about a lot of diversity in my fighting. And the infected at night provide such an exhilarating air of badass and creepy.  

After playing the game, I sat down with its Lead Designer Tymon Smektala to learn more. I asked him about Dying Light 2’s approach to difficulty, the new focus placed on designing the infected, what horror influences he brought into the game, the parkour animations, and his philosophy in creating horror. 

Please note that this interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Michael Pementel: Dying Light 2 is very much an action game, but with a foundation in horror. What’s the challenge in making sure suspense is always present throughout gameplay, while also making sure the player feels empowered? 

Tymon Smektala: That was actually a challenge; that was one of the founding problems we wanted to overcome with the second game. With the first game, we started looking at the data [regarding how] people were playing. We realized that a lot of them – I would say maybe 80% of our players – started skipping the night. They just basically weren’t playing the night part of the game at all; which is a problem when you make a game where the day/night cycle is one of the most important things in the game – then suddenly no one is playing the night part. So we felt that we overdid it, we made it too scary, too overwhelming for players, and basically they didn’t feel they have anything to say when it comes to night; they felt they were basically being punished by all the infected. 

We wanted to keep that intensity, and what we are doing in the second game is slowly introducing it. When the game starts it’s not that scary, but it gets scarier, more gruesome, and more infected appear [as the game progresses]. Another thing is that the crowds get more intense, they see you quicker. It really starts getting more on your nerves. Another thing we did is give players new tools to overcome that challenge. I think this is what was lacking in the first game; it was just scary night and the only thing you could do is try not to get seen by the Volatile. When they saw you, you could just run to a safe zone, but right now, we are giving players more tools to play with the horrors of the night. Things like a UV flashlight, which kind of works like [what you see] in the Alan Wake games. 

MP: What was the team’s approach to difficulty in Dying Light 2? Before you can even start creating a game, you sort of need to think about difficulty – particularly thinking about the kind of experience the player is to have, so you can build according to that. Was the difficulty the first thing the team needed to tackle? 

TS: No I don’t think so, but you have to start [considering it] at one point or another. Of course, the thing you do as a game designer is a lot of playtesting; me personally, I have about 5000 hours played in Dying Light 2, everything is kind of easier for me. It’s not the same experience – I don’t get scared that much, I don’t feel the same emotions that a player would feel if he were to run the game for the first time and see everything that happens. We do a lot of playtesting, see what other people are doing and get data from that, then polish [as need be].  

When it comes to difficulty, I would say that Dying Light 2 is a little bit easier than the first game. Dying Light one was quite famous for it being quite overwhelming at the start; you were feeling helpless maybe a little too much at the start. On the regular difficulty, we tried to keep the same experience, but maybe make it a little bit more accessible. Maybe a little more space to make mistakes. Then there is another difficulty mode which is stylized specifically for the veterans of the first game. If you played the first game – and I advise any player who has spent a lot of time in the first game to choose that difficulty – you will get the real Dying Light experience. Where it is very hard in the beginning, but then you get to earn that empowerment – you get to earn better weapons, you start feeling more powerful. It’s really the most satisfying way to play the game for me, personally.  

MP: Coming into Dying Light 2, what changes/improvements did the team want to make when it came to the infected? Specifically, what changes did you all want to make to their behavior and how they interact with and attack the player? Also, how many types of infected can we expect throughout the game? 

TS: There are around 10-12 types of infected in the game. We wanted to make the infected different from humans. The humans are basically those smart guys; they are intelligent, they can even learn from what you are doing. If you try to overuse one attack on humans, they will learn from that and eventually they will start avoiding that move and you will be forced to start doing something else. The infected can’t do that, they don’t have that kind of intelligence. What they do is work in groups. They may use brute force, but when it comes to groups – when looking at different group constitutions – you start seeing different synergies happening between them. So, it’s different when say, you have a Spitter – who has those toxic range attacks – and you surround him with Biters. It now becomes like a puzzle for you to figure out how to get to this guy, because it is hard to get to him straight since he is surrounded by Biters. So you start using parkour to maybe climb on a lamppost and jump on the Spitter from the lamppost.  

We have created different tactical challenges using different group constitutions. […] Another thing that happens is that, as you play the game, the infected learn new behaviors. All of them have three very different tiers of behaviors. As you get better throughout the game, they evolve with you and start sporting different behaviors and visuals. So even if you have a guy like the Demolisher – when the game starts, and the Demolisher kind of looks like the one you remember from the first game – but as the game develops, you start seeing bigger and more powerful Demolishers, maybe some with some spikes. It really gets scarier as you play the game. 

MP: What horror influences were used in shaping the infected (or the game in general)? 

TS: For myself… I’m not sure if you count District 9, the sci-fi movie, as a horror movie, it kind of isn’t. But one of the most memorable scenes from that movie that really keeps popping in my head from time to time is the moment when they were opening the alien spaceship. The [characters] were entering it and seeing all those different life forms in the dark; they were doing something crazy like standing in a very creepy way. Kind of reminded me of the final scene from The Blair Witch Project. We wanted to capture that feeling with our Dark Places. When you enter the Dark Places, especially if you enter during the day when they are full of infected, you really get that feeling that some of them are bending, some of them are standing and shaking. One of the inspirations I can call out for sure, inspiring me for the game, is that scene from District 9 and how it connected in my head with that Blair Witch Project moment; where they were running through the building and suddenly there was this guy standing in the corner. Nothing special [about that scene], but it was so scary. It really made you creep out. 

MP: What was the conversation around creating Dark Hollows? What sort of variety can players expect from those? Are there varying degrees of difficulty? 

TS: Yes of course. The locations vary in terms of what you can get out of those places. You go into Dark Hollows to get valuables – in short, money, so that you can go to shops and maybe buy some weapons. You go to Forsaken Stores to get craft resources […]. In terms of the feeling you get from these places, some of them are a little emptier, but may be full of that chemical stuff that kind of works like radiation. Some of them are full of Volatiles; if you make a mistake in the Dark Place, which is patrolled by the Volatiles, the ultimate predator, it’s sure you’re going to die. We have tried to make, maybe not everyone different, but include some variations and diversity within them.  

MP: Between both Dying Light games, the philosophy of the infected is super intriguing. These monsters have an inner turmoil with their humanity – you don’t get a lot of that in media. Where did that idea come from? 

TS: That is something we’ve wanted to have since the beginning of the first game. It was very important for us to create something unique. It started with the Virals from the first game – the Virals had this behavior we called “Humanity,” which you could trigger out of them randomly at some point while fighting them. Maybe you hit one of them hard and suddenly he starts showing a human side of him – [displaying a reaction that’s along the lines of], “Don’t hit me!” It really felt emotional, and we tried to keep the emotion [and hope that presence] might be powerful, and find different ways of expressing that with the infected in the second game. 

MP: Dying Light 2 involves a lot more player choice. What range can we expect in terms of complexity? As a designer, how do you craft an experience where choices convey a sense of tension and importance? 

TS: That’s a heavy one. I think for every choice, you have to build it up first. Players need to understand the stakes that come with decisions; that’s obvious, but it isn’t that easy to make. All of the choices that we have in the game have some type of exposition, some type of element where the characters that are involved in the choice show their humanity to you. Of course, those are NPCs – you can be emotionless about them and say, “Those are just pixels on the screen.” But because we show them first as those characters, that maybe they have some human flaws, hopes, some fears, we instill a little bit of humanity in them. When you make a choice – again, you can be a cold bastard and say, “I don’t care, I will get what I want in my game as a player,” – because of those elements of humanity that we are showing, we are not only referring to the Stay Human title [of the game], but we are also making the choice a little bit more difficult for you.  

When it comes to how impactful the choices can be – the choices work on three different levels. The first level involves the main story missions, where you make the biggest choices. There are quite a few of them and they allow you to do crazy things. […] Then there are little bit smaller ones in side missions. […] And then there is the third level – the City alignment system – which allows you to shape the city around you by introducing various gameplay elements like: ziplines, trampolines, car traps, huge UV light lamps, etc.  

You get complexity because you have three different layers of choices; when you combine them, you basically end up with hundreds of combinations this world can have.  

When you play co-op, it’s always the host who makes the decision. When you play the game and open it for outsiders or friends, you make the choices. You shape the world around you, you decide what the story is. […] Then when you finish that game, you start wondering, “Okay, what would have happened if I made different choices?” You can then go online and start visiting other people’s games and see different versions of the story – what other choices people are making and experience those. […] Maybe you could say nonlinear narrative and co-op don’t work together that well, but actually they do. I do believe that – that’s my personal bet – that the nonlinear structure of Dying Light 2 will support playing in co-op for hundreds for hours. 

MP: What is the challenge in animating all the parkour animations? Is it all done through mocap? 

TS: It is partially mocap. All of those animations are captured using mocap, but there are two caveats to that. The first one is that it isn’t just random mocap, we are working with David Belle – the inventor of parkour, the guy who made parkour popular through a couple of his movie appearances. It’s not just mocap, it’s mocap of one of the best guys who is doing parkour in the world. The other thing is that, we get that mocap data, and we tweak it, improve it, and make it work in the game. Basically, we have to tune every aspect of it – every hand movement we have to correct and make it a little bit better using the mocap data. Not [changing things] however you want, but in using the POV camera from David Belle and other parkour guys we asked to help us with this. So it’s like a combination of modern technology, the talent of our animators, and the help from the best parkour guys on the planet. Through all of that, you get to experience what we have here. 

MP: What was your philosophy in creating horror in Dying Light 2 and what sort of presence do you want your world to give off emotionally? 

TS: Emotionally, I would go back to the subtitle of the game – Stay Human. When you finish the game, [that sentiment] makes a lot of sense. I hope that reflection, that thought… just think about it when you finish the game.  

When it comes to creating horror, for me personally, I think one of the things that adds to it a lot is music. Regarding the game’s music, we are working with Olivier Deriviere; he has done quite a lot of horror, or at least very emotional soundtracks like A Plague Tale: Innocence and Vampyr. He is working with us, and it isn’t like he is just sending us his music saying, “Use it however you want,” he’s very deeply involved in the process of making the game. The best thing about him is that he’s not just a music composer, he’s a guy who understands games and that games are interactive. He creates music that uses that interactivity; there are a lot of hidden mechanics in the game that change the music depending on how well you run, how surrounded you are [by enemies], how well you fight, and where exactly in the world you are. All of those elements change and add little elements to the music. I think, based on his previous experience with other games, he understands emotion building and horror very well.  

He’s also a crazy guy; he created a unique instrument just for our game. He wanted to express the feeling of modern dark ages, so he created a medieval instrument that plays in a very traditional way but uses modern materials. Something completely crazy. I think we have some videos about it you can find on YouTube.  

I think he really captured the seriousness of some of the things we touch on in our game and feelings of being overwhelmed, maybe a little helpless, and overcoming all that through your actions.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is out February 4, 2022 on all major consoles and PC.  

The post [Interview] ‘Dying Light 2’ Lead Designer Tymon Smektala on Overcoming the Monsters and Horrors of Night appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In this preview, you’ll find my thoughts and notes on the story, environment, and mechanics of the game. Please note that while some story details will be shared, there will be no major plot spoilers.

Striving To Find Hope In The Modern Dark Ages

You don’t need to have played the first game to understand the story and world of Dying Light 2 Stay Human (DL2); this is a world where a viral outbreak has taken over humanity, except these events are much further into the future of such a world. DL2 takes a more personal approach to storytelling this time around; the player assumes the role of Aiden, a man who enters the City with hopes to find his missing sister. The writing provided to Aiden and his goal comes across sincere, providing a more intimate drive to progress the narrative and see where things head.

His mission isn’t all that’s taking place within the City, however, for players will come across an array of NPCs (who are associated among different factions). Compared to other NPCs that stand still and spew objective directions, these characters (for the most part) feel authentic. In my interactions with the few NPCs I spoke to, I found some of their dialogue and stories to be moving. In all the relationships made – bonds will be tested.

Who Lives And Who Dies – Your Actions And Consequences

DL2 follows who the player chooses to help. Throughout the game, options will pop up on screen allowing the player to make decisions aligned with a specific character/faction. These factions are the Peacekeepers – who are a militaristic force within the City, and that of regular survivors. Decisions not only impact the emotional narrative direction, but also what assistance is given. In helping one side, players may get additional support when it comes to combat; the other side may provide aid when it comes to navigating the landscape.

I didn’t get to see a great variety of choices, yet in what I did experience, I found myself tense. Some of these sequences are timed, requiring a relatively fast answer. When it comes to Aiden advancing towards his goal to find his sister or potentially helping others, DL2’s choice/consequence mechanics keep players on their toes. These moments can make for great moments of drama, for not every choice is an easy one.

A World To Explore And Challenge You

The parkour from Dying Light is back and better than ever. With more animations available for different moves, players have additional means to traverse the environment. While many movements require the player to look in a particular direction, parkour navigation is overall very fluid. Running, climbing, and jumping feel natural in the City, allowing the player means to find intriguing items or evade enemies.

That said, there will be times where things need to be taken a little slow. More specifically during missions, Aiden has the means to enter Investigate Mode; this provides him the opportunity to “sense” the area and find footprints or blood spatter (which he may need to follow for some reason or another).

But say you need a break from all the running, sneaking, and jumping. A feature DL2 offers to assist in travel is that of the paraglider; a useful tool that can help players cover larger ground in a shorter amount of time. Gliding to and from buildings can help one land safely; or if a player needs to cover more space, by hovering over steam vents, they can be lifted higher into the air and drift further.

With nice touches of environmental storytelling, the City makes for an intriguing landscape to explore. As an open sandbox, players can follow main storyline objectives from point to point, or can trail off the path and go looking around as they please. There was a location called Trinity that really sold me; this is where I got my first look at how humans have adapted to the struggles of reality. For all the misery around them, I saw people laughing at a bar, tending to gardens, and having a simple conversation with one another. The NPCs felt more authentic and it was surreal to walk about a place where one could feel life. As a world taking place in the “Modern Dark Ages,” it was interesting to see the settlements humanity had established after the rise of the infection. Locations like Trinity are more like small hubs, with the player being able to discover other locales that were once inhabited by humans.

Speaking of, when it comes to exploring some of those places once lived in by humans, one of the coolest features in DL2 is exploring infected nests (known as Dark Hollows). Similar to infected dwellings like those in I Am Legend, the player has the means to infiltrate these nests. The game follows a day/night system that provides focus to particular enemies (see the following section for more detail), but this is additionally important when it comes to infiltrating nests. During the day, one will find a lot more infected inside these nests, whereas the nests will contain few infected at night. Why would one want to even set foot in such hellish locations you ask? Well, that’s because of the possibility of finding large sums of money that’ll let you get more weapons and such. If the player decides to venture into one of these places, they’ll need to do everything they can to be quiet. Also keep a lookout for other dangerous locations that offer superb goodies, such as Forsaken Stores.

There’s Going To Be A Lot Of Blood

Enemies are essentially broken down into two categories; very much like the first game, there are humans and the infected. The infected are always present but don’t stand as much of a threat during the day. Though their gang mentality can be tough to deal with, the sunlight hours are for the humans. Minus one moment where a boss stood mostly still as I shot him with arrows from atop a roof, the AI responds to combat well, blocking and attacking when Aiden’s defenses are down. Their weapons and movement can be challenging, pushing players to think and find the best opening for an attack.

Where I personally found combat and survival to be an absolute rush however was at night – when the infected run supreme. Besides those infected that still linger with a Romero-esque stumbling, players are bound to come across those of 28 Days Later variety. One infected on its own isn’t much – unless it’s one of those special types like a tank or those who spew out poisonous gases – but get a group together, then it’s time to start hauling ass. Where I wouldn’t mind stumbling from a rooftop jump during the day, at night is a whole other ordeal. Falling in the wrong place among infected can lead to disastrous results, as swarms of them can pile on quick. At night, one’s best bet is to use parkour skills to avoid run-ins with the infected.

During my playtime I came across a few different types of infected, though each did offer distinct challenges in how I confronted them. Techland shared that there are even more types as well. Along with the enemies provided via the day/night cycle, the real strength of that system is how it forces one to rethink strategy. Many of the actions one would go about during the day won’t work at night, requiring the player to adapt and shift strategy depending on time of day and who they are facing off against.

How You Survive – Fight, Parkour, Craft

For DL2, Techland stressed that they wanted to provide a strong focus on how first-person combat feels and looks; given that most of the combat is melee-based, the developer strived to create a flow to battle where the player feels the weight of their actions. Well, they hit the nail on the head there (or better yet, landed a critical blow to an infected skull).

Where some first-person combat experiences lend themselves to janky visuals and movement, DL2 succeeds in creating a flow that delivers on satisfying visuals and conveying heft to objectives. Take a swing with a big axe fashioned out of a pipe and sharped post-sign – the arm movement animation conveys the stress and effort Aiden is taking in his attack. Much of this is also thanks to the game’s use of stamina, which is tracked via a meter and will decrease with each of Aiden’s attacks. When the meter depletes, his attacks will be slower and he will sound exhausted.

DL2’s weaponry is also delightfully inventive. From blades fashioned out of hardware tools, to crossbows assembled from trash, the imagination and visuals behind the game’s weaponry make for haunting DIY projects. These weapons can also be built upon depending on items one may find in the City. Through the game’s crafting system and working with Craftsmen NPCs, players can further add to a weapon’s strengths, which can involve such power-ups like elemental-esque factors. At one point I crafted a blade that was coated in flames thanks to materials I had mixed.

Players can also level up Aiden and improve their combat and parkour abilities. There is one skill tree for combat, another for parkour, and then a smaller, more general tree for stamina and health. The combat and parkour trees allow players to take on new tactics and build Aiden into whatever specialist they want him to be, where the health/stamina tree provides an additional layer to one’s survival. Do you want to take more hits and live, or do you want to be able to throw more hits without being tired as fast?

Alongside the means of improving one’s skills and weapons, exploration rewards players with materials that allow for other useful tools. Means to heal, throwable weapons, fireworks and other means to distract enemies, etc. The crafting system is by no means difficult to get a grip on, allowing for one to not stress out too much on (they just have to be willing to find the parts for whatever it is they want to make). Other small touches to building upon Aiden’s skills is how players can customize his clothing options. Such decisions allow for improvements in strength and defense, along with other useful advantages.

A Brutal World Just Waiting To Be Explored

Upon my playtime with the game, Techland expressed that there could be some minor issues in gameplay (development of the game is still in progress). Over the course of my four hours, I ran into barely any issues. There was one case where a NPC’s mouth wasn’t moving when they were talking and one infected stuck in a broken-down truck – but otherwise – super-smooth playing. Most importantly, my time playing Dying Light 2 Stay Human got me hooked and wanting to see more.

I am intrigued by what this game sets up regarding Aiden’s primary mission, the NPCs players can interact with, and the potential for greater moral choices. While the daytime allowed for some fun and intense missions, I found myself with sweaty palms when it came to the night missions; the infected make for a thrilling threat, and one of the more compelling infected-zombie type combatants I have played against in some time.

A strong appeal for such games as Dying Light 2 Stay Human may be that of the infected-zombie monsters, but such games are far more interesting when there is human emotion at work. Though Techland would not comment much to avoid spoilers, they have expressed that that sub-heading – Stay Human – may mean more than just being infected. For whatever horrors lie ahead, I’m ready to venture forth and discover the dark secrets of the world. And while I did not get to try it out myself, the game will involve a multiplayer system, so that way you and your friends can battle the hells that await you within the City.

Keep a lookout for more news on Dying Light 2 Stay Human as it arrives! The game releases on Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch on February 4th, 2022.

The post [Hands-On Preview] ‘Dying Light 2: Stay Human’ Shows Great Promise For Techland’s Zombie Epic appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by David Verbeek and written by Verbeek and Hugh Travers (screenplay contributor), the film follows a group of five friends who are incredibly well off. At the start we meet two women who are in fancy clothes and in a stunning Lamborghini. They meet up with a few other friends at a lounge and have a conversation; in the middle of that, another party nearby makes noise, causing two of the friends to get up and start fighting that group. During this fight, text appears on screen alongside each friend, detailing what family they come from and said family’s estimated economic worth. Let’s say that none of the families are below the one billion mark. And while the friends start the fight, the other group is removed from the lounge.

Here the film provides a nuanced manner of letting the audience know who we are going to be following. But for all their wealth, the friends are bored and seek thrills. It is on a trip into the forest where they come across more of a thrill than expected. After taking part in a mystical ritual, the group awakens to find that they have fangs, believing they’ve become vampires. It is here where Dead & Beautiful alludes to the idea that its intention is to explore that vampire-wealth dynamic – but what begins as an interesting thriller devolves into a vapid effort to examination such a relationship.

An issue that begins to creep up over the course of an otherwise interesting narrative is the lack of character detail or depth. Anything that is shared about these characters is in a vague manner; Lulu (Aviis Zhong) has several flashbacks that share childhood imagery; her friend Mason (Gijs Blom) speaks to studying Buddhism in school, and Anastasia (Anna Marchenko) has a little obsession over her phone. With the exception of Alexander (Yen Tsao) – who gets a little more development later, along with Lulu – there isn’t much else to these characters outside their actions. Which on one hand would be fine since the film’s narrative does involve a lot of intrigue and mystique, but, when aiming to explore such themes of greed, corruption through wealth, and one’s morality, there isn’t much for the audience to gather about these people.

The real driving force throughout the film is the overall suspense surrounding the transformations. There’s one scene where the group is trying to get into a building and one friend points to the distance and asks if something may be a problem. As the rest of the group turns around, the camera points to the horizon and shows the sun coming out. It’s a great moment that speaks to the mysteries of the film and what exactly is going on with the friends. The film also isn’t shy about playing things tongue-in-cheek, throwing in mentions of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and poking fun at vampire tropes. These comical moments are fun early on, but become overshadowed by the darker aspects of the story. As urges among a particular character grow, the group begin to worry about their humanity.

However, all the suspense, all the intrigue, and the possibility of something deeper gets horribly undercut by a crammed third act. While one could piece together and understand that these characters are meant to portray the “rich snob” archetype, they aren’t really selling it. Besides the expensive clothes, nice cars, and that one character’s urges, no one does anything to convey a moral complexity. And so, in an attempt to say that everything previously is meant to be viewed as a commentary of sorts, the film throws in a twist and a brief couple lines of character exposition in its third act. The twist itself is interesting, but the context is given in such a blunt manner, one may get a decent chuckle out of it. And to add insult to injury, the twist gets overshadowed by another twist that closes out the film – one that provides an aura of confusion and meanness.

The worst crime of all that though is how poorly the film strives to tackle any subject of substance. When it comes to the concept of “being a vampire” in a greedy, using people sort of way – it all comes across vapidly due to the surface level attention given. With greater plot points arriving in the third act and with little runtime left, the viewer may feel that a lot was just thrown at them; it may not be too far off to question, “Why is all of this coming up now?”

It’s a shame because what Dead & Beautiful sets up is cool. It’s a neat spin on the vampire archetype and offers a premise that alludes to critiques on class divide and the evils of greed. But the film doesn’t achieve that; had the writing established more fleshed-out characters, given us people to feel for or to judge, then maybe those themes could have been more prominent. Instead, due to a rushed and muddled conclusion, Dead & Beautiful’s intriguing story crumbles, giving out to bland exposition and sentiments.

The post [Review] Vampire Movie ‘Dead & Beautiful’ Hesitates to Bite Deep appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The genre of brutal slam lends itself to a lot of technical repetition, which over time can turn exhilarating instrumentation into monotonous sound. 200 Stab Wounds are by no means a slam band, but in how they use the genre’s sonic traits, they craft an experience that maintains an aura of menace throughout. Rather than just bash and shred away on their instruments, the band constructs compositions that not only go hard, but fuel the record’s overall dark presentation. Catchy rhythms, intricate shifts in time signature and tone, along with playful uses of tempo and sonic intensity make it so going from track to track, the listener is constantly being fueled with adrenaline.

The drum work and revving guitar rhythm at the beginning of “Skin Milk” are a small taste for how delightfully exhilarating the instrumentation is to become. Throughout the song, the band builds upon their performance, upping and slowing down the intensity of their playing throughout – allowing for tempo to create a hysteric appeal. “Tow Rope Around the Throat” sees the band carrying forth a similar rhythm, but also expands upon the band’s musical template with more fluctuation in drumming patterns and rhythmic shifts. The vocals provide a grueling, somewhat mucus-like texture to tracks; in “Itty Bitty Pieces,” it feels as if the words are clinging onto the guitar rhythm, the two working together to present this icky vibe.

The technical work throughout the record isn’t anything extreme or out there, but it is essential in keeping the material engaging. In blending multiple forms of heavy music, there is no obnoxious repetitiveness or clashing of concepts – the craft behind this work is topnotch. Through fun rhythms, moments of melody, and throwing in random (welcomed) surprises in technical flair, these nine tracks keep listeners on their toes and anticipating what will come next.

Slave to the Scalpel is not just a killer record, but also prominently highlights the talents of 200 Stab Wounds. As a young band within the death metal scene, this is an act to keep an eye out for. The fresh brutality the band brings into their instrumentation – keeping the elements of brutal slam interesting through intricate technicality – offers a death metal experience that thrills and chills.

The post [Review] 200 Stab Wounds’ ‘Slave to the Scalpel’ Is Vicious, Gory Death Metal #HauntedRiffs appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Which is why over these decades Godzilla has been confronted by an array of extraterrestrial threats – beings matching his mass and threat level, those able to go toe-to-toe with him. These villains come from a variety of different backgrounds and origins, providing intriguing spins and reflections of Godzilla’s own origin. For as much as the great titan is an unstoppable, existential creature – he is also a being of our own creation. Birthed from the horrors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, Godzilla represents humankind’s cold indifference in destruction; the violence we do to one another and the violence we commit to ourselves and the planet.

With Godzilla vs. Kong making for one of the biggest blockbusters of this year, it really feels that a new age of Kaiju mayhem is before us. The MonsterVerse finally taking shape. With that in mind, I ask myself, “What would a rebooted Godzilla film series need to do to shake things up from past films?” I immediately thought of the many villains Godzilla has gone up against and could go up against in the modern MonsterVerse. Then I started thinking about about new threats he could face. The new kinds of dangers, stories, and characters that could challenge him and tap into the socio-political roots of his creation.

What follows are my ideas of where new Godzilla films could go, providing insightful thoughts based off the thematic source material and fun concepts for other big monsters.

In many cases a hero/protagonist is only as good as their villain/antagonist counterpart – though the former doesn’t always fit appropriately with that of Godzilla. He is a creature of chaos; whether in control or stomping about in pure rage, this is a monster that requires competition on a great scale. For all intents and purposes, the Godzilla narrative tends to be split in one of two ways – humans vs. Godzilla or Godzilla vs. “insert big monster bad guy.”

With the exception of militaristic firepower to fight back, the human-driven approach in Godzilla movies lends itself to more of a socio-political focus, such as Shin Godzilla’s greater attention to how governments react in times of great upheaval. There’s this excellent YouTube video from CineFix – IGN Movies and TV that covers how Shin predicted the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and that immediately got me thinking about how government action/inaction could be used to elevate the themes of Godzilla.

Going beyond that of debates about how to handle the monster’s attacks – what if Godzilla’s actions reflected that of political action? What if, instead, Godzilla’s actions were more so a reaction to socio-political anger, cruelty, and harm? Say you have a global conflict taking place and that’s how Godzilla is introduced – as politicians push back on progression, enact transgressive policies, or peddle bigoted ideals, the monster becomes greater in its destruction. A Godzilla film presented through this lens sort of plays off what Shin did but provides another layer of ominous exploration; how a country can become a monster in how it treats its people. In a way, this concept also plays off 2016’s Colossal and the 2018’s Netflix anime Devilman Crybaby, given how the former portrays a greater embodiment of a particular theme, and how the latter explores that of political dynamics and global conflict.

With the majority of Godzilla’s villains are extraterrestrial beings, several represent greater themes. Monsters such as Hedorah are a stand-in for humankind’s self-destructive acts towards the planet, with other creatures like Biollante serving as further extensions on ecological horrors. Suffice to say, the Godzilla franchise has already covered a solid ground of thematic exploration – however, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for fun twists on such concepts.

At this point in 2021, the damage brought on by climate change is undeniable; the great anxieties that future generations will have to endure due to the lack of efforts to prevent it. One can draw lots of parallels between Godzilla and climate change – but I’d love to see him go up against a monster that embodied that terror. Not just another version of Hedorah to be clear, but a new creature that captures the existential dread of climate change. Where rather than just portray a being who can shoot out acid and embodies pollution, the monster’s abilities have a devastating impact on the planet over the course of a film. Perhaps a monster that has the power to erode the planet, thus hurting Godzilla’s habit in some manner, requiring the two to clash. Its powers would have the means to destroy plant life, plague the atmosphere, and cause other devastating destruction that would not immediately destroy Earth, but make existence sufferable, eventually leading to its demise. Godzilla films don’t need to be dry-cut artsy flicks about heavy themes, but in conveying something of this subject matter, filmmakers have themselves a great bridge between entertainment and insightful dialogue.

Now to be fair, this idea was sort of tackled in 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and it wasn’t the most effective dialogue around. I personally think there is still potential in this idea, but it’s going to have to take a story that gets people to feel. Having a monster that reflects that horror may be what is missing in the equation.

Whether a monster is meant to reflect something on a thematic scale or not, such a threat needs to be bad ass. In specifically focusing on alien-like beings, Godzilla already has the door to imagination wide open; there is no limit to the types of monsters audiences could see on screens. Particularly though, I see two ways the Godzilla franchise could further expand its villain palette. One is through mechs – I’m talking something along the lines of Pacific Rim (or even a slightly toned down Gundam). Granted, it would be a hell of a rush to see a fully optimized Gundam going up against a new form of speedy, ferocious Godzilla.

Mechs aren’t anything new to Godzilla; Mechagodzilla (to a degree) and Jet Jaguar are a couple examples of mechs in the franchise. Here there lies potential though to not only present a new spin on a previously established character archetype, but also to convey something on a human level. The human stories in Kaiju flicks are typically the weak points of a given film; many point to the human stories as speed bumps along the way to the awesome fight scenes. What would the drive be to create something that could stand up to Godzilla? Who the hell would have the courage to take on such a menacing beast? What would you even need to create to have a chance? Where something like this sets itself apart from the likes of Mechagodzilla (and its portrayal in Godzilla vs. Kong) is in how the story is told. If a filmmaker can create a character that isn’t just some mad billionaire, but someone who is driven by revenge or something of the ilk, that offers something a lot more intimate to connect with. An angle to consider when blending substance with style.

My second consideration is somewhat of a large leap, so bear with me – Lovecraft. No, I’m not saying have Godzilla fight Cthulhu (personally would love to see that), but pull visual and thematic concepts from that of Lovecraft (e.g. Bloodbourne style). This approach offers Godzilla’s trademark alien direction in a whole new light. What if Godzilla went up against an armada of Lovecraftian-esque beings; horrors beyond his own imagination that challenge his might. While Godzilla’s list of iconic villains is extensive, what if the lens of Lovecraft were used to introduce a whole new variety of creatures into this new MonsterVerse? What would it be like to see Godzilla go up against a titan that was not only physically powerful, but also capable of psychic attacks? Many of Godzilla’s fights involve hand to hand combat (so to speak), so providing an added layer of combat throws a unique spin into battles. Without psychic abilities of his own, how would Godzilla use his radioactive energy to fight back? Perhaps we could even see powers that play off that of the Shin version.

As far as the other great titans that exist within Toho’s cannon – there are so many possibilities for who Godzilla could come up against next. Godzilla vs. Destroyah. Godzilla vs. Gigan. You name it.

This year’s Godzilla vs. Kong was my most anticipated movie of the year – the original 1962 film being my major introduction to both titans and kicking off my lifelong love for Kaiju. I had an amazing time watching the 2021 film and see the potential for a great series ahead. I want Kaiju movies to set off a new cinematic world that shock and thrill audiences; where they are more present in theatres and we see the storytelling medium expand.

Godzilla has several eras of cinema under his scales – the MonsterVerse of today is an extension of that legacy and the chance to build upon it. While the King of the Monsters deserves all the attention when it comes to his flick, I think the path forward will also be determined by the foes he faces.

The post How Existential Horrors and New Villains Could Shape the Future of Godzilla Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

On Cradle of Filth’s 13^th studio album, Existence Is Futile (read my review), vocalist/lyricist Dani Filth finds himself both intrigued and unnerved by existentialist thought. Humans continuing to destroy the planet and overpopulation make up for some of the thematic subject matter Filth explores throughout Existence Is Futile. But while existentialism has a means to sometimes lean in towards negativity, it’s also a train of thought capable of bringing about positivity – something that Dani also acknowledges through the record.

In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, Dani and I talked about the creation of Existence Is Futile. We also discuss existentialism through the lens of the famous occultist Aleister Crowley, growing as an artist, the band’s 1998 album Cruelty and the Beast, and of course, horror movies.

Michael Pementel: At this point in the band’s career, why is now the time to release an album revolving around existentialism?

Dani Filth: I consider the last three records, which are Nuclear Blast records – we signed for three albums – [they make up the ideology of a] trilogy. We started with Hammer of the Witches, which is medieval based, about 15^th-16^th century; then Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay, which is all about the Victorian age and our obsession with the macabre. Existence Is Futile felt like it needed to be a bit more modern, within context obviously. I think after four years of being out on the road, playing in a lot of sprawling metropolises – it just felt like the places were overpopulated. Obviously, when you’re on tour, that’s where you’re playing the biggest places. […] Although we’re having a great time – the best time of our lives in fact – I feel like there’s this undercurrent of existentialism, regarding the planet being chocked by people. I don’t know, it just came across my mind. We were writing on the road, and if I was at home in England, in a park beyond my house, maybe the [record] would have come out a bit more different.

MP: As much as Cradle of Filth’s music has involved horror, it has also very much been about history. How does Existence Is Futile fit into that scope of subject matter?

DF: When you’re writing lyrics, there’s not like a little instruction manual. I presume, the horror inherent in reaching Armageddon – or conclusion to, or whatever human life is pertaining to – is quite rife on this record. On Existence Is Futile, we’re kind of talking about future events; a lot of the songs deal with prophecies. There’s a lot of self-exploration, as you would expect from an album about existentialism. The potential end of everything. The fear of the unknown. Uncertainty of state. Meaningless of life or the meaning of life. But I also think despite the album title [coming across] very horrific, seemingly bleak, and nihilistic, it can also be seen in various aspects. I think one of them is the fact that if life is truly futile – that there is no overarching grand scheme of things, no golden ticket at the end, no Saint Peter, no hell – [that concept] literally wipes away all religion in a blink of an eye. [This] means we’re all just a lucky accident and we just get on with it and embrace everything for its fleeting nature.

MP: Well on that note, I wanted to ask you about Aleister Crowley’s perspective when it comes to life and its fleeting nature. His belief is that – in general – life should be indulged while we possess it, knowing we will die. How does that approach resonate with you?

DF: In respect to that, if you take that mantra to heart – when you’re in the darkest hours, the dark nights of the soul, etc. – and you’re being very introspective in a very negative way, you don’t really think about, “Yeah I feel like shit now, and it may go on for weeks or months, but it’s going to change.” [During those times], think about all the masses of things you really like about life, even if it’s just Star Wars movies, eating Pâté, horror movies, a celebration of Halloween. Then that mantra kind of rings true – use that as a catalyst to go on and think of better things in your darkest hour. Pulls you back from the brink of the abyss.

MP: Given Cradle’s career, how have you grown as a writer? How have your habits evolved over time when it comes to maintaining your wellbeing?

DF: […] When you’re young on tour, you go a bit crazy with everything. After being on the road for at least 25 years, you know when to party and when not to party; when to eat well and not to eat well. You know the tricks of the trade on how to get through a tour. Bands come and burn themselves out in four days. Especially as a vocalist, given that’s what I do, and getting older. But you also have to enjoy yourself a lot more. Like if you’re not partying every night, you’re going out and exploring. [During our time in Boston], I went out, had to have a lobster roll, visited Harpoon Brewery, caught a movie, went to the mall – all socially distancing of course.

MP: On your current North American tour you’re playing Cruelty and the Beast in full. Where did the interest in performing that come from?

DF: [Having released the remixed/remastered version of Cruelty and the Beast back in 2019] was the catalyst for our extended world tour. It was more like, “We got this coming out, we might as well continue touring.” Basically, we toured Cruelty and the Beast everywhere: New Zealand, Australia, South America. We just felt we owed it to North America [to perform the album]. The tour was booked prior to knowing when [Existence Is Futile] was coming out. We finished the album, literally a year ago, but saw no point in releasing it during the pandemic when we couldn’t support it or whatever. So, when the opportunity came to be one of the first Guinea pigs coming to the States […] we just took the chance. We thought, “Well great, we can play Cruelty to the American audience and include some new songs.” It’s a percussor to a bigger tour coming next year.

MP: What is it about Cruelty and the Beast that stands out to you now after all these years?

DF: I think it was the album that really catapulted us; I don’t know how to say it – it got us big basically. It was also painstakingly hard for me because of the lyrical concept and [approach to telling a narrative]. Centering that around the music and everything was very laborious. It was a great feeling to have actually accomplished that in the end. It was also great having Ingrid Pitt, who was a famous Hammer Horror actress [and who voiced the character of Elizabeth Bathory on the album], god bless her soul, involved as well. The artwork as well – everything is very special about it. We achieved the beginnings of success with Dusk & Her Embrace; everyone was looking to Cruelty and the Beast to see if we could follow that up. I think it did. It was special. It was definitely worth remastering and remixing it a few years back as well. […] Long story short – big album for us, a game changer.

MP: You’ve done some acting, most recently in Baphomet (2021), as well as Cradle of Fear (2001). Have you wanted to do more acting and film work?

DF: Well yeah. I take opportunities as they arrive. I’ve been offered to do lots of weird things, not necessarily acting. […] I’ve always wanted to do a Cradle of Fear 2, but the first one – it fitted snuggly into a period of our time where we had plenty of time to do it. I know we just had a pandemic, but people weren’t working during the pandemic and it was hard enough to get people to work on a movie even of that caliber. […] I’ve got some ideas; I’m starting to formulate the beginnings of a script. Because I know there are people I can call upon to come in and make a film look glorious. But the bottom line is, films cost a lot of fucking money. A lot of money. Catering budgets. Location shots. It’s a real labor of love. It is something that would have to be balanced against the band. I would want it to be good, I don’t want it to be like, “Oh god it’s another guy from a band bringing a shitty movie out.” I would want the film to be good.

MP: Have you considered other creative paths? Or is Cradle more of a top priority?

DF: Well that’s my job, so yes it is. I have enough poetry for books. It just, I kind of hold back on that. Cradle is my entire work/life. Also getting older, you suddenly realize you can’t immerse or burn yourself out being creative all the time. I’m starting to find things to calm me down; other avenues that aren’t all related to business. Because essentially a band is a business. That’s what it is. I’m not looking for any excuses because people go to work every day. This is our work. It’s pretty much 24/7; going on tour is 24/7 because you’re away from home. The great thing though is that we love what we do, we love everything that surrounds it.

MP: What recent horror films, or films in general, have you enjoyed?

DF: That’s a really good question, one that I can literally never answer. I must say, I haven’t found anything incredible. I saw a good film on the plane – I was surprised it was on the plane. It wasn’t a B-movie, but it was a super indie movie, it was called: The Wolf of Snow Hollow. I thought the lead character, the policeman, was very Bruce Campbell. I really enjoyed it. I watched Godzilla vs. Kong and The Quiet Place Part II which I really enjoyed. I thought the whole premise about Godzilla vs. Kong was like – “Fuck it we just want to see you fight, we don’t care about a stupid elaborate story [used to make everything] all possible.” Currently watching The Deep Ones when I get a chance in the back lounge of the tour bus. But when somebody asks that question – and I’ve done interviews for horror magazines – I always ask, “Can you give me some examples of horror movies you suggest are great?”

*Writer’s note – I recommended Titane*

MP: What scares you?

DF: Your rudimentary things; things that scare other people I seem to delight in. The whole horror genre, anything related to the occult, or death, stuff like that – I just can’t give a pinch of salt. In fact, my house is like a Victorian museum. I seem to forget when I have a workman come in; big burly workman who come in to quote me for a job and never turn back up again like there’s something going on here.

[Regarding what scares me], normality or the existential things that everybody deals with I guess. But creepy shit, no. A fear I guess of going back to a rudimentary life governed by other people. Nobody likes being told what to do, but, I fucking hate more than most. I’ve always done things, not in a selfish way, but just in my own way. I think the band is an extension of that, with like-minded people. We try to make the confines that we are in – timetables, being here/being there, getting things done – lenient and as fun as possible. Because there are no rules to life – [there are just] laws imposed by other humans. You don’t have to take it; you can break out of that mold. Being put back into that “coffin” is probably the scariest thing of all. And of course, the rudimentary things that come with getting older, like cancer and other morbidities.

MP: Well to conclude our conversation, with the band releasing its 13^th studio album – where’s your creativity at?

DF: Bear in mind we have just been through a year and a half of lockdowns and restrictions. [In that time], the band has written a lot more music, but there is no need to release it for the sake of it. Creative-wise, we are still as fervent as we’ve always been. Sometimes I find it a little tricky; we come out with something [and look to share] stories, reflections, passions, and intimacies forward in new ways. Sometimes it is a little hard. It’s kind of like writing a book and going to a library and going, “Oh fuck this, there are too many books. Somebodies always got a story.” […] I think I like this new album because it’s rooted in a little bit more than just mythology; it’s modern – in the way I address the [content], it’s sort of in that classical format – but it hasn’t steered away from any Cradleisms [sic].

Bloody Disgusting and I would like to thank Dani for his time in taking part in this interview. Existence Is Futile is out now and you can read my review of it here.

The post Into the Abyss of Existentialism: An Interview With Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

With their 13th album, Cradle of Filth’s Existence Is Futile reeks of their trademark evil. Here, the band venture into existentialism, touching upon a variety of subjects that speak to the darkness that consistently pokes and prods at humanity; how violence, war, and cruelty have evolved to a global gloom that looms over existence. It is a much broader exploration than compared to the more niche subjects the band has covered in the past, but the lyrics still capture and give off a haunting essence. That said, the greater quality to Existence is Futile is that of the instrumentation.

Each Cradle of Filth record plays out like a cinematic experience; album openers set the stage for terror and chills, each track building upon the suspense. Existence is Futile is no exception to this approach. Once the atmosphere has been established in “The Fate of the World on Our Shoulders”, the record goes off with “Existential Terror”. The bass and drums work together to give this thunderous, steady pounce, the guitars exuding a radiant tone. The duality of this beating down and airy atmosphere weave through each other during the song’s runtime, the overall aura coming together for an ominous, triumphant presence. This quality reaches a higher level of ferocity in “Crawling King Chaos”, the hook making for a savage rush of drums and heart-racing thrashing.

The band has perfected their form of theatrical heaviness over the course of their career, crafting experiences rich in gothic and supernatural horror. While they aren’t showing off anything new or experimenting all that much on Existence is Futile, the presentation is still top-notch in terms of production and performance. Though only a band of just a few people, Cradle of Filth gives off an orchestral-like presentation. Daniel Firth’s bass and Martin Škaroupka’s drumming work to create a booming backdrop as guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek Šmerda craft rhythms and melodies that exude a catchy menace. An additional layer to the heavy instrumentation comes in the form of Anabelle Iratni’s key playing, orchestral work, and use of lyre that – alongside that of Škaroupka’s orchestration – elevate the chilling tone of the music. To top all that off, the vocals of Dani Filth and Iratni provide a brilliant duality to songs – one demonic, the other haunting and lovely.

The album is paced effectively with a few interludes, but otherwise, Existence is Futile is a consistent wicked ride. “Black Smoke Curling From the Lips of War” continues the chaotic speed, the tempo slowing down at times to provide room for Iratni’s singing and to emphasize the sound of the keys. “How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose” comes across like a ramped-up 69 Eyes song; a playful sounding guitar rhythm flirting throughout the mix, offering a smooth and fun jaunt at times – the gothic flare at full blast. Concluding the album is “Us, Dark, Invincible,” which brilliantly captures the album’s theme – that in the face of existential doom, we must embrace it and celebrate life. Anthemic in its flow, the song makes for one of the more upbeat swings among the tracklist – but don’t assume it sounds cheery. Blast beats and vicious sounding riffs take over the composition as Filth screams, shrieks, and roars. The sound of keys spews forth over the hook, offering this thrilling sensation that provides a feeling of strength and invincibility.

While not offering much that is new to the band’s sound, Cradle of Filth still hit the mark on stunning presentation with Existence is Futile. The band’s chemistry is terrific, for they continue to display their mastery over theatrical atmosphere and thematic direction. This is an album that, for all its exploration of gloom and despair, makes for a joy of grim delight. Love them or hate them, Cradle of Filth fucking rock.

The post [Review] Cradle of Filth Bring Spectacular Thrill and Despair on ‘Existence Is Futile’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Since that of the 1978 film, its 1981 sequel, and the non-conical Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Carpenter has remained distant from the Halloween franchise; that is until the 2018 entry directed by David Gordon Green, written by Green, Jeff Fradley, and Danny McBride. The 2018 film stands as a canonical sequel to the 1978 film – disregarding all the other films. Green set out to create a new trilogy within the franchise, the next chapter being this year’s Halloween Kills. Though Carpenter is not acting as director or taking part in the writing of these films, his creative contributions take form in each of the film’s musical scores.

While Carpenter is acknowledged so often for his filmmaking, the impact of his music cannot go ignored. There’s an interesting story where, upon sharing the original Halloween with an executive – where no music or sound was present – said producer did not like the film. It wasn’t until the executive saw Halloween with its score that it captivated them.

Throughout so many of his films Carpenter has created his own scores; his passion for electronic music coming to him early in life, partially thanks to his father’s musical work and discovering the synthesizer through the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956). This latter point has been of great influence on him throughout his career, electronic music making for the overwhelming musical presence in his films. Even in his personal material the synthesizer is a strong component within his craft. It’s an instrument heavily used throughout the horror genre – its sounds straddling auras tranquil, unsettling, ethereal. Speaking to the synthesizer’s prominence and relationship to horror, Carpenter says, “It’s [used because it’s] cheap, that’s why. I don’t know why that connection is there, but the synthesizer has a unique sound. It’s like none other; I knew that early on.”

Whether making his own music or scoring Halloween Kills, Carpenter works alongside his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. In starting work on the soundtrack for this film, Carpenter expresses what he and the team brought into the scoring process. “We started on the Halloween movies with two things. One, we have the midi from the original score; by that I mean, we have the original score I did years ago – the various songs with that. Then we tend to update them, adapt them, and use parts of them there and there. Once we’re dealing with the movie and we’re watching it, then we can work with new material – that’s all improvised.”

Part of this updating comes in the form of the revamped Halloween theme – perhaps one of the most iconic songs in horror next to The Exorcist theme. This time around, the song kicks with an added industrial tinged bass, an added choir-like singing section sprinkled there and there. Compared to the late ‘70s, there’s so much more musicians can do today with audio equipment – with such new innovations inspiring Carpenter’s reinterpretation on the classic tune. “[There] are brand new sounds that are constantly being updated,” he says in discussing the restyled take on the Halloween theme. “That’s where the inspiration comes from. Brand new sounds, it’s unbelievable. We’ve come a long way since 1978.”

When working on the music for Halloween Kills, Carpenter tends to approach the material knowing that a tone will be involved, while primarily relying on having the visuals present before him. “I generally know what I want to do in terms of atmosphere [coming into a film], but we score to the movie. It’s exact; I want the final cut in my computer and then we start scoring to it. I don’t think about [particular musical ideas] ahead of time.” In further discussing how he translates image/action to music, he shares, “There is no one rule for all of it. Depends on where we are in the story, or what the characters are involved in or generally the thematic material going on. There are a lot of things taken into account. But there are no rules. Sometimes you can counterintuitively score something; go in the other direction, go soft, quiet – sometimes that works.”

Much like the previous soundtrack, the material on the Halloween Kills soundtrack displays an array of sonic intrigue; from gently flowing compositions stirring with mystique, to the most riveting of adrenaline rushes, eliciting the feel of a stalker in pursuit of his prey. One such track that reflects the latter is the record’s first single, “Unkillable.” “It was fun to see it take shape,” Carpenter states regarding the origin of the song. “We just went with the scene; the scene guided us.”

While most of Carpenter’s time with Halloween is now predominantly based around music, the passion for his and Hill’s character is still ever present. Yet though Michael tends to get a lot of the attention from fans, Green’s films aim to elevate that of 1978’s final girl – Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Curtis has appeared in other Halloween films since the first two, however, the Laurie in this new trilogy displays new depth – a woman hurt by horrific trauma, yet also strengthened, ready to face her demon head on. Given that progression and all Curtis has done in her career, Carpenter is beyond proud of her. “Jamie’s awesome. She well deserved the [Golden Lion for Lifetime] Achievement award at the Venice Film Festival. She has developed into such a fine actress – she is a force of nature. Her character [Laurie] – she is a person.”

Whereas other iconic slashers have had their fair share of reboots/remakes over the years, Halloween by far has been among one of the more adapted works (for good and bad). But for Carpenter, these tributes and interpretations bring a great joy. “It’s fabulous. All of this is fabulous. Never expected this. It comes out of nowhere; it’s great, it’s a gift. Everything about the movie business is surreal. There’s nothing normal about it.” He expresses added praise for Green’s vision and what he has done with Halloween’s story and its characters. “[David] is a really talented director. He took Halloween by the throat. I’m very impressed with him as a director.” And these aren’t just nice words, for Carpenter is thrilled for Halloween Kills. “[The film] kicks ass. It’s the ultimate slasher movie. This is a horror film times ten. That’s what I love!”

Though its sometime away, Carpenter waits with equal excitement and patience in scoring Green’s final entry in this new Halloween trilogy, Halloween Ends. As far as potential musical ideas, Carpenter stands by his practice. “We are going to wait and see. The tone of the movie is the most important thing, where the characters go is the most important thing. We’ll wait and see. It’ll be great I tell you.”

I and Bloody Disgusting would like to thank John Carpenter for his time in partaking with this interview. You can catch Halloween Kills in theatres and on Peacock this weekend.

The post Behind the Music That Kills: An Interview With the Master of Horror, John Carpenter appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Enhancing the narrative is the show’s brilliant use of visual stylization, the show morphing overtime to display an acid-like frenzy of violence and animation. One sequence may start out in live action, only to change into 8-bit aesthetics, then shifting into Claymation, to then end in a first-person shooter like style – all of that and more taking place within just a couple minutes.

In the second part of my interview with Shankar, we discuss the visual direction behind GoJ; the decision in creating the show this way and including so many styles, as well as how that flow and editing reflect the creator’s own thought process. We also discuss what it has been like to see the show develop over time, where it fits among his Bootleg Universe, his work in animation, and what Shankar looks forward to in the future.

Michael Pementel: When writing the story, were you actively imagining scenes in a particular visual style?

Adi Shankar: I think sometimes, for my personal creative process, I’ll be thinking of four different things. I’ll be thinking of a visual style and a character; it’s literally four disparate things, four different projects. Then all of a sudden you wake up one day and realize that it is all the same project. Really early on, the story was originally designed to be told in a vlog format; it literally was going to be people sitting and talking into the camera. I knew the broad strokes of the story I wanted to tell. I thought a vlog series was the way to get this out really quickly, but obviously, the project expanded. […] I had a note of all these different art styles I was seeing on the internet. I knew I wanted to do something that cross pollinated mediums. Though, I am not one of those kinds of people who loses sight of the story to have “epic visuals.”

If you’re telling an epic story about a world in chaos, and you’re doing it in a classical filmmaking style, I think you’re missing a point. The audience should feel chaotic while their watching it. Not, “Oh wow this is a very pristine, eloquently told story about the world.” Many different artists from all over the world brought so much to this.

MP: Can you speak a little more to that?

AS: People who know me well [and see this], would be like, “Wow this feels like I’m having a conversation with you.” In interviews sometimes, people will say, “Man you take these long pauses, you stop talking;” that’s not because I’m not thinking, it’s because there’s literally a thousand things that have happened in my head that I cannot verbalize. I’m more in control of [that thought process now], so it isn’t as crazy and chaotic, but that’s how it used to me. So [when it comes to the array of visuals and editing style within GoJ], that isn’t a choice I made, I just don’t understand why every other product isn’t made this way.

Movies and TV shows – and I understand I’m not in the norm here – but they move too slow for me. When I watch things, I feel like not enough things happen. That’s why the pacing of the show is what it is; it isn’t normal pacing. The [pacing is reflective] of how I consume information.

MP: What was it like seeing this show evolve overtime and creating the next entry in your Bootleg Universe?

AS: There was a Sam, Ken, and Graham – obviously I didn’t do this all myself, there was a team – they would say that I would just sort of stare at the screen and just keep going, “That’s so crazy.” I didn’t understand what I was doing before, and I think maybe now I have more clarity, in terms of initially creating the Bootleg Universe and GoJ. In my head, all I thought I was doing was figuring out how to make things cheaply. It only clicked for me pretty recently that’s not at all what I was trying to do. I just never believed that a corporate entity would ever give me the resources necessary to execute a vision on a big scale. I was constantly approaching things in a way like, “How do we make it now? How do we make it cheap?”

With GoJ, I think you can draw a direct line to this from the Bootleg Universe fan films; it was really like, “Hey how do I do one of these things bigger, longer, and just do it.” So, it was the same kind of path for me emotionally as those films.

MP: What’s it like reflecting on your work with the Bootleg Universe now?

AS: It’s interesting because if someone had gone back in time now and talked to me back in 2012, and been like, “Dude what you’re actually doing is coming up with really interesting ways to do stuff and interesting stories around a known IP,” had someone explained that to me, I’d probably had done a hell of a lot more of that. I had a notebook full of ideas; I had a Green Lantern one, a Captain Planet, an Alf idea. I would write them out and think, how do you make this? I didn’t know how to make them then. If someone had had that conversation with me, they would have said, “Dude you’re making these art projects.”

MP: Given all the work you’ve done, what draws you to a project?

AS: […] I’m just trying to generate my own content. Not in a control freak kind of way. I think it’s clear when you see the show, see the body of work that came before it, that there’s a guy with a point of view. What’s great about the point of view is that it can be imprinted onto anything. Literally anything. You can put it in a 1950s gumshoe story, you can put it into heroes. I need creative latitude to imprint my work with a point of view, because I’m not really interested – nor have the skillset – to make vapid content that just entertains but doesn’t say anything. I don’t know how to do that well. So it has to say something and I gotta be in control of what I’m saying.

There have been so many years of struggling with – what is my voice? What am I trying to say? Why am I trying to say this? You eventually figure it out; life is a continual process of figuring that out. I don’t think things draw me to a project, I think projects just start happening. That’s the best way to describe it.

MP: A lot of your prominent work as of recently – and what you have in the pipeline – is animation based. Is that intentional? Is animation something you want to solely stick with moving forward? How has your experience with GoJ changed your approach to craft?

AS: I’m getting back into live action, but more importantly – live action is now starting to emulate animation. At least in the way it’s made. […] In terms of narrative scope, with animation, you are only limited by your imagination. Versus live action which, until pretty recently, you were restricted/limited by your budget. Big movies look a certain way, small movies look a different way. Animation is just a medium to tell a story, and while the art quality, style, and shots may vary depending on budget, the scale of the story can be the same.

I just feel like, given where I was at in my life over the last few years, animation was the right medium for me. Five years from now, I see myself existing in live action, animation, and video games simultaneously.

I knew how to direct, but I didn’t direct before [GoJ]. [Through this project], it wasn’t as simple as [directing] actors on a stage; I was learning how to direct in live action, CGI, Claymation, 2D animation. So I walked away from the project with a baseline skillset that has now gave me the tools to create stuff that is mixed media or exists within a couple of those mediums, or one.

MP: After all your work on GoJ, how are you feeling now that its release is near?

AS: Well, it took over six years to make it, so that’s a huge weight off my shoulders. Part of this project came about because I was incredibly clinically depressed. This show kind of helped me get healthy; it was like a transmutative process. I didn’t start the show as the guy who finished the show. […] It’s not like I went through this experience, got healthy and then made this as a result of that – I had this experience and started making the show during it. Making this was like the worst experience of my life, but it also involved some of my best memories. When I look back on it in 10 years, I’m going to be happy that I went through it.

I would like to thank Adi Shankar for his time regarding these interviews. Keep a look out for updates on The Guardians of Justice as they arrive!

The post The Mind Behind ‘The Guardians of Justice’: An Interview With Adi Shankar – Part 2 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Following up on his wildly successful Castlevania anime on Netflix, he eagerly anticipates the release of his new show, The Guardians of Justice (GoJ). On GoJ, Shankar is the creator, producer, a writer, and director. With several nods towards classic comic book characters, GoJ is so much more. It surpasses the realm of media remix Shankar has created in the past, playing out as an adrenaline inducing acid trip of violence and style. A murder mystery meets superheroes meets political satire that takes place in a warped reality reflecting our world – resulting in pure chaos and intrigue.

While the show won’t be out on Netflix until early next year, GoJ makes its premier at Cannes this week. In a two-part interview with Bloody Disgusting, I spoke with Adi Shankar about GoJ. In part one, we discuss the origins behind the show – the influences that helped to shape the show and what the work personally means to Shankar. We also discuss comic book cynicism and his personal relationship with comics growing up, as well some of his favorite characters from GoJ.

Michael Pementel: In a way, is GoJ a reaction to how overpopulated the mainstream has become with superhero stories?

Adi Shankar: I don’t think it’s a reaction to the superhero genre becoming hyper mainstream. In a way it’s just a love letter to the superhero genre. Superhero films aren’t even a genre anymore; GoJ is a love letter to the motifs, the world, and style that is the literary device of superhero stories.

MP: If the show is a love letter, why lean into a cynical atmosphere?

AS: I feel like comic books – the superhero genre in particular, at least the era I grew up reading – existed in a cynical paradigm. They felt authentic to the superhero genre. […] They themselves were cynical of superheroes. Superheroes have been around for a long time – they’ve always been popular – but you effectively had two companies, for all intents and purposes, that controlled two superhero universes. So, when you talk late 80s, early to mid-90s, the comics started getting alt-fictiony [sic], cynical, and existential about their own existence as a genre.

MP: What are the comic book stories from your youth that hit home for you?

AS: I really didn’t understand what I was reading content wise when I was young. We’re talking early to mid-90s at this time, but I had no idea what I was reading because of all the back stories that took place years ago – without that context, a lot of it felt confusing and overwhelming. So my entry point to superheroes were actually these trading cards; you could look at a character, be like, “That character looks cool,” then you could read the back, and in a paragraph, learn about who this character is. Through these trading cards I came to understand what was going on in the stories.

At this point in my life, I was more drawn to the artwork than I was to the stories. Because at this time I’m a blank canvas; I hadn’t read a superhero story, so I don’t know what’s a cliché and what’s new or innovative.

As I began to get more into reading comics, I was really drawn into cross over events. Someone once handed me a stack of random comic books, and among them was one called Maximum Carnage, where you had all these different characters and it was centered around an apocalyptic type of event. There was also the Fatal Attractions mini-series where Wolverine famously lost his Adamantium. It was cool because [the X-Men were on] a space station and had this Buzz Aldrin vibe to their spacesuits.

MP: What are some other works of media and/or artists that aided in influencing GoJ and that you wanted to pay homage to?

AS: John motherfucking Carpenter. There’s absolutely no one more responsible for revolutionizing genre cinema than John Carpenter. There was a fusionairy [sic] impulse that Carpenter had that is at the heart of what I wanted to do with The Guardians of Justice. Now obviously we’re fusing different things; Carpenter was fusing Tales From The Crypt with Howard Hawks, I’m melding a filmation [sic] style to like, darkness and global chaos.

Another influence, Natural Born Killers, the Oliver Stone film. Now I’ll be clear, I did not like Natural Born Killers, I did not like the plot, the story. Though, what I watched it for was the visual ingenuity Oliver Stone achieved. The film shifts wildly between different formats, from sitcom to outlaw animation. I don’t want to say it unlocked a world of potential in my mind, because I was already speaking those terms – I was wondering why movies didn’t do that [regarding varying stylization]. The film proved to me that the format of a scene could shift depending on the creative necessities at the moment.

Regarding other inspirations and homages: Mortal Kombat. There are major fight scenes that literally become Mortal Kombat [regarding] the onscreen text and announcer. Another influence is Kung Fury. I watched Kung Fury and I thought it was absolutely genius. I thought that shit should be winning awards everywhere.

There’s also Paul Verhoeven. I mean, I think this is a cheat one, because to say that Paul Verhoeven was an inspiration – he is an inspiration for 90% of movies that come out now. Also Saturday morning cartoons. Ultimately the show is a Saturday morning cartoon, just done partially in live action. Lastly, though there are more influences, the Animatrix.

MP: What is your favorite character from GoJ and who was your favorite character to write?

AS: There’s a superhero panda in the show; the fuckin’ panda is sick. His name is Teen Justice Panda. So that’s cool.

Regarding favorite character to write, the President. I wrote him as how I felt what people outside America hear when the American President speaks. As someone who straddles both worlds [being an immigrant] – I’m very American, but I’m also not – I’m able to thread this needle that was easy for me to do because of this unique background that I have.

MP: On a personal level, what does GoJ represent to you?

AS: One way to kind of view this project is that, this is a love letter to everything I loved about America growing up. Both good and bad. There’s really two geneses to this. The first, I was walking around a Wal Mart the year I moved to America by myself full time which was 2001. It was September, a few days before 9/11, and I thought, “Man you know what would be really cool? If someone made a DVD of different takes on superheroes.” The second genesis, months before this project began, I was experiencing some pretty intense sadness and depression. Which, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who reads this or who hasn’t watched the show yet, but that [depression is reflective within GoJ]. But that’s when this project came up. As the project progressed though – and the execution of this idea – so much of my life has been America. American comic books, American TV shows, American pop culture, American propaganda, etc. In a lot of ways, GoJ is a remix of everything that has influenced me. […] There’s a lot in there that are homages to video games, cartoons, literary stuff, and cinema.

MP What is it you wanted to say through GoJ?

AS: I was just trying to explore the intersection between mythology, power, and fascism, and how logos plays to that. The show is as much Wag The Dog and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – it’s more that than a superhero story. I wasn’t trying to make a superhero show. I like superheroes as a concept, but I don’t care about them on a cellular level because they are just constructs. This project is how I see America. This is like an outsider’s view of America.

Keep a look out for later this week when we publish part-two of my interview with Adi Shankar, where we discuss more on The Guardians of Justice, as well as dig into his creative background.

The post The Mind Behind ‘The Guardians of Justice’: An Interview With Adi Shankar – Part 1 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Very few works of media have struck me in the way Silent Hill 2 does. As much as I adore this game, it also provides me an air of misery that’s difficult to ignore. A darkness that both fascinates and chills me. A haunting depth that is intriguing to observe, but also, eerily relatable. 

There are numerous retrospectives that cover Silent Hill 2’s history (perfect given that the game just celebrated its 20th anniversary). This feature is not a retrospective, this is something much more personal (though there are aspects of the game I will be revisiting and exploring). 

If you’re familiar with any of my writing, then you know I have a strong passion for psychological horror. Silent Hill 2 isn’t just my all-time favorite work of psychological horror, it’s my favorite work of horror in general. I am blown away when I think about what the game accomplishes thematically through both its narrative and gameplay structure; the level of detail provided throughout its runtime, as well as its breathtaking horror are masterful. It’s an experience that touches upon a great fear I have felt, one that invaded my younger life (while still popping up from time to time as an adult).

I’m far removed from the person and actions that make up protagonist James Sunderland – but what the town of Silent Hill does to his mind – that’s a hell I am familiar with.

Among the many elements that have cemented Silent Hill 2’s legacy are its thematic depth and exploration. The craft of the video game narrative has reached greater heights since that of 2001; Silent Hill 2 however, was something beyond that of its contemporaries. It not only provides a story of heavy and mature subject matter, but details its themes and characters in a nuanced manner. It also uses its environment to further elevate its themes – the thick, ominous fog and decrepit landscape intensifying feelings of dread.

At its core, Silent Hill 2 is about grief and trauma. Shifting away from the cult-driven supernatural horror of the first game, Silent Hill 2 embraces psychological horror – said horror coming in the form of exploring the psyche of its protagonist James. Spoilers incoming. After the death of his wife Mary – who suffered from an illness – James gets a letter from her, inviting him to the town of Silent Hill (once considered their special place). As James ventures through the town, meeting its various monsters and other people within, layers of James’ mind begin to peel back. It is only later that the player finds out that, in his frustrations over Mary’s suffering, James actually killed her. 

In portraying the mental state of James, the game utilizes an extraordinary and chilling blend of supernatural and psychological framing. One comes to find out as they play that this version of Silent Hill contains a mystical power – one capable of drawing in damaged people and warping their minds. The monsters James combats are physical manifestations of his inner struggles, be it: anger, repression, guilt, and so on. They are almost literal interpretations of his inner demons.

This physical manifestation of James’ psyche is what has captivated me for all these years and is a major reason why I love Silent Hill 2. The framing of monsters and environments to represent internal suffering has always been a fascinating concept to me. It’s very much the reason I fell in love with films such as The Babadook and Relic. The mind is a difficult terrain of horror not just to navigate, but to portray to others. Much more so in the past, stories pertaining to mental anguish or mental illness have relied on over-the-top presentations; someone dealing with a manic episode, schizophrenia, or depression is shown throwing themselves and banging their head against a wall. Now this isn’t to say that Silent Hill 2 doesn’t have its moments where it goes a little over the top, but throughout its overall presentation, it provides a much more subtle and intimate portrayal of what one’s own lonesome hell may be like. 

The town of Silent Hill turns the mind of the individual on itself; it forces them to endure grueling, terrible monsters and environments that pull from their trauma and suffering. The town’s power forces these people to confront themselves and exist within a madness – a horror that I used to fear greatly. 

I absolutely believe that my mental illness has played some role in my passion for horror; that my difficulties have created an added bond of sorts with that of the macabre. A reason I have been drawn to art and entertainment of the dark, if you will, is because said art almost feels validating to my existence. Not the zombie infestation or slasher fests sort of dark, but those works pertaining to psychology. There are several disorders portrayed in cinema, games, and literature that I don’t have – but to see a representation of mental struggle, it makes me feel seen.

I’ve written other articles speaking to my troubles with depression, but the most brutal of my uphill battles has always been OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an… interesting disorder in our cultural discourse. I think that, among all the other mental illnesses that exist, it is by far one of the most used in terms of jokey statements. “I am very OCD, organization is super important to me.” Let alone these types of statements being ignorant, they also have the means to detract from what else OCD is capable in dealing out to those afflicted with it. In particular, the aspect that involves intrusive violent thoughts.

It shocked me some years ago when I came across an article from The Atlantic that actually talked about this form of OCD, only because it’s a side of OCD you don’t commonly hear about. While the thoughts are different from person to person, what this side of OCD does is spring abrasive and abrupt thoughts and visuals within one’s mind – specifically, something violent and/or shocking. This creates an immediate sense of repulsion and disturbance within the person, for these thoughts always pertain to something they would never do or think. Many of these thoughts may involve causing some sort of violence to a person, sometimes a loved one. It could be something like a thought where the individual lashes out and attacks someone with a weapon; perhaps the image of a random kitchen knife sets off an intrusive thought of violence, the OCD then working its way to layer on a fabricated narrative that the individual wishes to enact something cruel. The abrasive nature of said thoughts takes over the individual, the trigger kicking off the Compulsive component to OCD. The person will strive to go about a ritual that aims to rid them of such repulsion; this action is meant to not only reassure themselves of who they are, but may also serve as a repentance of sorts for feeling such shame. 

I am someone who has struggled with such OCD and horrific violent visuals, and every time something like this has come up, I’d repeat over and over that I am not a monster or some evil person. I’d repeat over and over that, I was sorry and repeat that I would never do such things. The thing is though, regardless of such awareness of myself, the initial repulsion also kicks off the Obsessive component to OCD; I’d become so disgusted with myself that I couldn’t let go of the thoughts. I’d allow them to linger and damn myself, saying that I was worthless and vile. The disorder tricks one into believing they are some kind of monster – it gaslights one to question their own sanity. In my case, a loving family and a therapist couldn’t convince me all the time that I wasn’t some vile bastard – my OCD had a hold of me. 

During those years where my OCD was at its worse, there were times I felt horribly alone within my head. Thankfully, over time with love, support, and finding community and art, I began to develop strong coping mechanisms and live a much happier life. 

In the horror that I watch, read, and play, I’ve seen very few reflections of this sort of agony – that is, until Silent Hill 2.

Silent Hill 2 isn’t about OCD, it isn’t even explicitly about mental illness – what it is about, however, is a story of a person who is suffering. Someone who is broken so badly, that their world and mind are turned inside out. Now, I’ve always viewed the events of Silent Hill 2 as James being punished for his actions, Silent Hill drawing him in and making him see the error of his ways; the parts of himself that have turned ugly. But in seeing James’ world transformed and him losing himself, that idea of disconnect chilled me (still chills me to this day). Granted, there are leagues of difference between James and I – but in a somewhat thematic, parallel line I can draw between the two – the game gets me to think back to my younger years. Those moments where my OCD was super rough, a particularly graphic thought striking and upsetting, and how I believed that I was cursed. What the town is doing to James, though fantastical, hits incredibly close to home regarding my sense of mental imprisonment. 

As mentioned earlier, one of the grueling things about OCD is the game it plays with one’s mind; how it ensnares someone in a warped reality that bashes them with negativity, tricking them into believing that there is something wrong with them. I’ve gone on to meet numerous people in my life with similar OCD, and in no way shocking, not one of them has a violent bone in their body. But that hasn’t stopped the disorder from attacking them and pushing a false narrative onto them. 

That idea that I was some horrid person, that I was capable of harming people, that I deserved punishment – it all consumed me. When I was a kid and my OCD was really bad, I had this tremendous fear that not only was I actually this disgusting person, but that I would be forever trapped in this mentality. Plagued by horribly violent and cruel visuals, destined to be aware of my sense of self, but to also feel that my sense of self was a lie.

In experiencing how the town of Silent Hill manipulates James, I feared that a similar horror may happen to my mind. Not that I would stumble into a cursed mystical town that would mess with me, but that I was not actually aware of my reality and would reach a point of mentally snapping; having to live in a spiral of denial, hiding myself from the freak I was. In the way that James hides from his actions, hides from who he is – and to see how Silent Hill punishes him for that – I was afraid that would happen to me with my OCD. 

The town of Silent Hill and that of the OCD-ridden mind have quite a lot in common; their cold indifference seek to take over, to immerse a person in a terror in which they must navigate on their own. Because when I think about the dark streets and corridors that make up Silent Hill, when I think about the monsters that are tucked away, waiting behind corners for James to turn – I think about the loneliness of it all. The player and James left to confront his mind with no sense of comfort. And when I think about all that, I think about one of the shittiest thoughts that one might struggle with when it comes to mental illness – that at the very end of the day, when you’re awake at night, you’re all alone in your head – you’re all alone in your personal hell.

I’m in a much better place today, though, mental illness never completely goes away. At best, one learns ways to help them through life. In some quiet moments, I reflect on that isolating place OCD has put me in, the kind of place it can still bring me into from time to time. But when I also reflect on Silent Hill 2, rather than it triggering a great negativity out of me, I come to find a twisted sense of clarity. 

In my younger years, with some exceptions, I went to horror for thrills. Some people do sports, I do slashers and demons. The darkness thrilled me and still thrills me to this day. It was very escapist, until I started to think more deeply into what some of that darkness meant. 

As I’ve seen with myself and through others, horror has a means to heal. Through monsters, characters, and set pieces, horror has the means to touch upon subjects that may very much reflect our own reality. The losing of a loved one, the battling of addiction, the agony brought on by mental illness – the genre tackles these and so much more when it comes to the horrors that may take place in our lives. As an artist once told me some time ago, the fantastically grim can aid us in better processing life. 

And that’s why for as much as I can find Silent Hill 2 depressing, it doesn’t break or scare me. I used to fear some bizarre reality where my mind would take over and trap me into living horrifying intrusive thoughts – where I am trapped in a reality where I believe I am some kind of monster. But, I know all of that is just a bunch of anxiety bullshit. I could have let OCD consume me – wrapping myself up in a world of panic and second-guessing – but I didn’t. When I think about Silent Hill 2, it actually proves to me how far I’ve come as a person. The rawness I’ve experienced from Silent Hill 2 has provided me with strength; strength to look deeper in myself, strength to go to loved ones, strength to ask for help.

There are very few video games that even come close to the nuanced psychological depth that Silent Hill 2 offers. In the cannon of psychological horror, Silent Hill 2 stands as one of the genre’s most significant and fascinating works. In revisiting Silent Hill 2, its atmosphere of despair grips me; its characters, particularly that of James, still unnerve me. For me, it’s so much more than a brilliant video game – it’s true horror. Horror I can feel – horror that, to some degree, I can relate too. 

Personally speaking, when living with mental illness, one may sometimes feel they are destined to be doomed. That there is no way out of one’s hell. Silent Hill 2 very much leans into this pessimistic side of things – but that doesn’t mean it’s true. Ironically, Silent Hill 2 makes me feel seen and aware of my being. I love how far down into the darkness the game goes; how willing it is to guide the player into such haunting, intimate terrain. This game is one of those works that makes me feel alive. To me, it is horror that heals.

Silent Hill will always be my special place. 

The post Of Lonely Hells: Looking Back On ‘Silent Hill 2’ Through The Lens Of OCD appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.