Indie
[Review] ‘The Dooms Chapel Horror’ Brings Giant Monsters and Cults Together
As a reviewer for this fine establishment, I get a lot of movies coming my way and of them the indie’s are generally my favorites. They come with the most heart, the least amount of money, and thus they fall into my heart. Kyle inadvertently became the eye of blame when his idolized older brother is killed in a farming accident. Now, 10 years later he returns to his hometown to confront his parents and townsfolk that wrongly blamed him for his brother’s death. Kyle soon realizes a mistake he made after the accident could cost him and his friends their lives.
A cult, a monster, and angry townspeople are the glue that holds this awesome indie effort together. Dooms Chapel Horror is filmed in documentary style, as Kyle has come home with his girlfriend and cameraman to confront his past. So yes, that means it’s a found footage flick which is probably my only real gripe with it.
Bill Oberst Jr. almost steals the show as the cult leader, Jordan. His scrawny appearance mixed with an excitable personality make for a very unsettling performance. On the other side of the spectrum is Austin Madding as our main character, Kyle Cole. While the performance wasn’t finely tuned it was nice to see a newcomer give it his all. Madding is an all-American boy who could easily be your very own little brother and it’s his relatability and likeability that makes him stand out in this role. Throughout Dooms Chapel I felt for Kyle, I wanted him to get an apology from the town. Before I move on from performances I can’t forget cult member Samuel, played by Joshua Mark Robinson, who easily plays one of the scariest hillbilly psychopaths I’ve seen in recent horror efforts.
While the cult may seem the big bad for this Kickstarter passion project but what it really comes down to is a creature feature. Director John Holt and writer Jason Turner sought out to bring a monster worthy of practical monsters past and that’s what they did. The creature is great and never fear, buckets of blood come with it!
If I had to compare The Dooms Chapel Horror to another horror flick it would be Pumpkinhead. The entire time I was watching it I felt grimy and in desperate need of a shower. Dooms Chapel isn’t available yet but keep an eye out for this first-time duo’s exceptional small town horror.
As an added bonus, the original artwork (featured above) gives this throwback flick an 80s VHS feel.
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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