Editorials
Bloody Disgusting’s 2022 Summer Horror Movie Preview!
It’s nearly that time of year again when the summer months ignite the box office and herald in a slew of big summer releases. Only this year, the busy summer months are getting a head start, beginning with a packed May for horror releases.
This summer belongs to horror between streaming platforms, digital, VOD, and theatrical releases. It’s a densely packed slate, and this is only the tip of the iceberg for what’s ahead.
To help you prepare for a summer of screams, here’s what is coming soon…
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – May 6 (Theaters)
Doctor Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens to door to the multiverse, where he traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities to face a dangerous new adversary. Director Sam Raimi’s sequel promises to “make fans of Evil Dead II very happy.”
The Sadness – May 12 (Shudder)
Director Rob Jabbaz’s feature debut deserves all the content warnings and then some. The plot sees a couple desperate to reunite amidst a city ravaged by an evolved virus that transforms the afflicted into bloodthirsty sadists. It’s extreme horror in the most stomach-churning ways (our review).
Firestarter – May 13 (Theaters/Peacock)
In the new adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, a young girl develops pyrokinetic abilities. She gets abducted by a secret government agency that wants to harness her powerful gift as a weapon. It’s directed by Keith Thomas (The Vigil) and stars Zac Efron and Michael Greyeyes.
The Innocents – May 13
Writer/Director Eskil Vogt’s coming-of-age horror drama follows four children discovering supernatural powers over the summer holiday. Their innocent play takes a dark turn, and strange things happen—emphasis on dark.
The Found Footage Phenomenon – May 19 (Shudder)
Shudder’s latest documentary tracks the origins of the found footage technique and how it transformed with technological changes throughout the last few decades. It features interviews with integral found footage directors whose films impacted the horror genre.
Men – May 20 (Theaters)
Harper (Jessie Buckley) retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal after a personal tragedy. But someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her in Alex Garland’s shape-shifting folk horror movie.
DASHCAM – June 3 (Theaters and VOD)
Host director Rob Savage’s latest captures an abrasive musician’s (Annie Hardy) wild night as she steals her friend’s car and agrees to transport an older woman. She finds herself caught up in sinister forces that threaten everyone around her (our review).
The Passenger – June 3 (Theaters)
A group of strangers sharing a ride has their trip interrupted when the driver hits a woman hiking in the dark of night. They decide to help her, but quickly learn that something is wrong and that they shouldn’t have let her in at all.
Watcher – June 3 (Theaters)
Watcher stars Maika Monroe as a woman who moves to a new country with her fiancé and becomes tormented by the feeling that someone is following her. V/H/S/94 director Chloe Okuno channels Roman Polanski and Alfred Hitchcock for her moody, paranoid thriller (our review).
Jurassic World Dominion – June 10 (Theaters)
Two generations unite for the first time in what’s promised to be the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era. Four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed, dinosaurs now roam and hunt among humans. It’ll determine whether human beings will remain the planet’s apex predator once and for all. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill.
Crimes of the Future – June 10 (Theaters)
David Cronenberg is back! In his latest, “As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body under goes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, whichi s when a mysterious group is revealed… Their mission –to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.” Crimes of the Future releases in NY and LA on June 3 before expanding on June 10.
Gatlopp – June 16 (VOD)
In this supernatural comedy, “A group of old friends reunites for a nostalgic evening of fun and games after a decade apart. After one too many, they decide to play a drinking game, but it’s quickly revealed that this game comes with supernatural stakes. Mischief leads to mayhem, and the group realizes that if they can’t come together to win the game by sunrise, they will be forced to play for eternity – in hell.”
Story Game – June 21 (Screambox)
A horror anthology that brings to life three legendary Japanese ghost stories. Three friends try to outwit and scare each other with scary stories while camping in Hawaii. But only one can win the Story Game.
The Black Phone – June 24 (Theaters)
Ethan Hawke as a sadistic killer known as “The Grabber” in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson.
A 13-year-old boy locked up in his kidnapper’s basement receives unlikely help from past victims who call through a broken telephone. The latest by director Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister) brings the scares and a pair of remarkable lead performances in this adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story (our review).
Neon Lights – July 12 (VOD)
In this horror thriller, “Guests begin disappearing in an off-grid location, during a family reunion of misfit siblings and their offspring.”
Welcome to Hell (Bienvenidos Al Infierno) – July 12 (Screambox)
Lucía lives secluded in a remote cabin in the middle of a forest with her mute grandmother. She thinks she’s safe after escaping El Monje Negro, the dark and ruthless leader of a black metal band and father of her unborn child. Only El Monje Negro intends to sacrifice Lucia and the baby in a ritual.
Bed Rest – July 15 (Theaters)
Julie Rivers (Melissa Barrera) is pregnant again after years of attempting to start a family. Mandatory bed red causes her to unravel, prompting a battle as Julie must face past demons and questions of mental stability. Lori Evans Taylor directs the supernatural thriller.
She Will – July 15 (VOD)
She Will is the directorial debut of Charlotte Colbert and stars Alice Krige as Veronica Ghent, who, after a double mastectomy, goes to a healing retreat in rural Scotland. There she confronts past traumas as a mysterious force grants her the power to enact revenge (our review). Malcolm McDowell also stars.
Nope – July 22 (Theaters)
As is the trend, plot details remain shrouded in mystery for writer/director Jordan Peele’s third horror movie. Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) reteams with Peele on the enigmatic film, with the cast also including Steven Yeun (“The Walking Dead,” Mayhem) and Keke Palmer (“Scream”). Nope looks to be THE summer horror to watch here in 2022, involving aliens and more.
Pennywise: The Story of IT – July 26 (Screambox)
Co-directors John Campopiano (Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary) and Christopher Griffiths (Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser) team to deliver an in-depth look into the creation of Stephen King’s iconic villain through dozens of interviews with cast and crew.
Hypochondriac – July 29 (Theaters)
Will (Zach Villa, American Horror Story: 94) is an upbeat potter with a selfish boss but a supportive boyfriend in Luke (Devon Graye, I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore). Behind that plucky demeanor lies a dark past and history with mental illness. After receiving a call from his mother after a decade of silence, Will begins exhibiting bizarre symptoms and spirals into obsession in this psychological horror movie (our review).
Bodies Bodies Bodies – August 5 (Theaters)
The latest A24 horror movie revolves around a party game turned deadly for a group of affluent 20-somethings trapped inside by a hurricane. It’s a biting social satire with a body count, starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Pete Davidson, Rachel Sennott, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, and Lee Pace. Read our review here.
Resurrection – August 5 (VOD)
Margaret (Rebecca Hall) leads a successful and orderly life as a career woman and single parent. That careful balance is upended when an unwelcome shadow from her past, David (Tim Roth), returns, carrying the horrors of Margaret’s past with him. Writer/Director Andrew Semans delivers a gripping psychological thriller unafraid to get grim (our review).
Beast – August 19
This Universal survival thriller finds Idris Elba’s character on a trip to South Africa, only for him and his two teenage daughters to be hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savanna has but one apex predator.
Dark Harvest – September 9
Set on Halloween 1963, Norman Partridge’s horror novel Dark Harvest is headed to the big screen, with David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night, “Hannibal”) directing. Every fall, teen boys in a small Midwestern town participate in a hunt to catch Sawtooth Jack.
Salem’s Lot – September 9
James Wan is producing the new take on Stephen King’s vampire story Salem’s Lot for Warner Bros. and New Line, with Gary Dauberman (It, The Nun, Annabelle Comes Home) attached to write and direct the film. The plot sees an author return to his hometown, only to find it under the sway of a bloodthirsty vampire.
Prey – Summer (Hulu)
Director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) helms the Predator sequel set in 1719. Amber Midthunder (“Legion”) stars as a Comanche woman who goes against gender norms and traditions to become a warrior. Release date for this one forthcoming, so stay tuned.
Which Summer Horror movies are you looking forward to most? Let us know!
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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