Contained within its roster are the latest works from the makers of Mandy, Idle Hands, Goodnight Mommy, Let Me In, Some Kind of Hate, and Starry Eyes!

“The Early 13 is an exciting tradition for us, and has really become the unofficial start of the festival,” said NFF co-founder Jason Tostevin. “We do it because we want to give everyone a sense of the breadth and depth of the program that will take shape in October.”

This year’s Early 13 consists of seven features and six shorts…

Features:

• Daniel Isn’t Real (Midnight Feature) – Regional Premiere
• Eat, Love, Brains (Horror Comedy Feature) – North American Premiere
• The Girl on the Third Floor (Horror Feature) – Regional Premiere
• The Lodge (Thriller Feature) – Regional Premiere
• The Obsessed (Late Night Mindfuck Feature) – World Premiere
• Reckoning (Midwest Premiere, ) – Midwest Premiere
• Swallow (Thriller Feature) – Second-Ever Screening Worldwide

Shorts:

• Boo (Recurring Nightmares Short)
• Changeling (Midnight Short)
• Gaslight (Thriller Short)
• Limbo (Late Night Mindfuck Short)
• Lippy (Horror Short)
• Reunion (Horror Comedy Short)

“We choose the Early 13 each year based on their high scores with the jury, and also for their alignment with the spirit of the fest and the tone of that year’s program,” said co-founder Chris Hamel. “Just like the full lineup, there is something for every genre fan in this preview.”

Festival darling Daniel Isn’t Real hails from Some Kind of Hate director Adam Egypt Mortimer. Horror comedy Eat, Brains, Love is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jeff Hart (Undead with Benefits) and is directed by Rodman Flender (Idle Hands, Leprechaun 2). The Lodge is the latest effort from both Hammer Films and the directors of Goodnight Mommy. That’s just three of the seven features listed above. I haven’t even brought up the fact that the remaining four come from those responsible for genre favorites such as Cheap Thrills, We Are Still Here, Torment, and A Horrible Way to Die. Given the fact that the eventual final program will see at least a dozen more features and well over 100 more shorts announced, their full 2019 lineup is sure to be a delight for any horror fan who decides to attend.

Nightmares Film Festival returns to Columbus, Ohio’s Gateway Film Center on Thursday, October 24^thand runs through Sunday, October 27^th. VIP passes for the fest are currently available and going fast, so if you’re planning on attending, I suggest you get cracking! Since the Early 13 are the only programming decisions made before the final submission deadline on September 13^th, anyone interested in submitting their feature, short, or screenplay for consideration is still very much encouraged to do so.

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*This is for films on American Netflix as of February 20, 2016.

Hellions

Our own Chris Coffel wrote a fairly positive 4-skull review of Hellions, and while there may be a few opposing opinions out there, you could do a lot worse than Hellions, the latest film from the director of Pontypool (a film that actually made my last “Netflix Gems” list). The film centers around Dora (Chloe Rose), who must face off with a bunch of mysterious masked children on Halloween while also dealing with a rapidly accelerating pregnancy. It isn’t the most coherent film, but it sure is visually stunning and has several creepy moments.

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Lincoln Taggert (Ronen Rubinstein) has it rough. Coming from a broken home, he’s constantly bullied in high school. So much so, that he one day reaches his boiling point and stabs one of his bullies in the face with a fork. The result has Lincoln being sent to a reform school called Mind’s Eye Academy. While there, Lincoln hits it off with goofball Isaac (Spencer Breslin), and even starts to have a budding romance with a girl named Kaitlin (Grace Phipps). However, Lincoln’s bully issues resurface, thanks to Willie (Maestro Harrell). Fed up, Lincoln accidentally conjures up the spirit of Moira (Sierra McCormick), a girl who was also bullied at the academy and ended up dying because of it. Moira seeks revenge on behalf of Lincoln, but in doing so, ends up putting everyone at the school in danger.

Credit to Mortimer and co-writer Brian DeLeeuw for putting effort into character development with this one. Rather than just focusing on the protagonist in Lincoln (who is expertly played by Rubinstein), Mortimer instead devotes time to giving many of the characters some meat. Lincoln is presented as someone with whom to be sympathized, but also has a dark, brooding side. Even after all he’s been through, he won’t succumb to the mindless revenge Moira seeks to dole out to his tormentors. Likewise, Kaitlin is a character that has her own demons, but is also likeable and the romance between her and Lincoln is believable. Isaac could’ve been one of those one-note comic relief characters, but again Mortimer puts in a sympathetic element to the character that endears him to the viewer. Heck, even the bullies are given attention from the development side, instead of being stuck in the stereotype mould. This all makes for a multi-layered set of characters that are far more interesting than what you’d normally expect to find in a film like this. It also helps that the actors get it, and in turn put forth some good performances.

Which brings us to Moira. Again, Mortimer and DeLeeuw give the character a bit of depth rather than being a monotonous antagonist. Moira is presented as a tragic character, and is made to be sympathetic, up until she starts killing more indiscriminately. How she kills is a rather interesting twist, as well: Any damage she inflicts on herself is reflected back onto the victim, and any damage inflicted onto Moira is reflected right back. As such, Moira’s method of killing is largely relegated to slashing herself. However, this starts to become less impactful after the third kill, leaving many of the kills to blur together and not stand out. Furthermore, the film at times seems obsessed with focusing on the act, which isn’t exactly the most pleasant to watch over and over. I get it, but the constant reliance on it ventures into torture porn territory, not to mention the suicide overtones. Eventually, Lincoln figures out how to hurt Moira back, which by that point the viewer will have figured it out as well. This unfortunately leads to some inconsistencies with the “rules”.

The film’s first misstep is when it bends its own rules regarding Moira. Moira explains to Lincoln that his anger brought her back. So logically, Lincoln telling Moira that he no longer needs her causes her pain. Later on, it’s discovered that inflicting damage to oneself causes that damage to be inflicted onto Moira. But by the end of the film, even with that occurring, Moira still isn’t dead. So she gets her skull bashed in, with nothing happening to the person doing it. It might seem nitpicky, but it bugged me. Then there’s the film’s assumption of the viewer accepting its passage of time. While the obvious outcome of Kaitlin and Lincoln’s relationship is a given, the film assumes that just having the two interact on-screen for less than ten minutes is justifiable enough to make the leap. The same goes for the friendship between Isaac and Lincoln. It’s disappointing, especially after the film made a point to try and give these characters more than just a single purpose.

Some Kind Of Hate deserves more praise than complaint, however. The acting is largely well done, and the script by Mortimer and DeLeeuw definitely attempt to give the characters more dimension than what you’d normally expect from a film like this. However, the lack of attention to certain subplots, the inconsistencies with it’s own rules, and just the general reliance on a specific type of kill holds Some Kind Of Hate back from being a truly great indie gem. It’s not a bad movie by any means, and is unique in its approach. That alone warrants a viewing. Whether the film’s pitfalls (and subject matter) prevent it from being a repeatable viewing is up to the viewer.

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In anticipation of the film’s release, we’ve got a stream of two tracks from composer Robert Allaire‘s score. Allaire got quite creative with his compositions for this film. For example, in a scene where a razor blade is used, Allaire used a razor blade on various instruments to create dissonant and dangerous sounds.

Patrick’s review didn’t think much of Some Kind of Hate but Zac says the film will, “…burrow into your skin, and refuse to leave.”

Some Kind of Hate‘s synopsis reads:

Relentless bullying has turned Lincoln’s life into a nightmare. But he soon learns the true meaning of terror when he is sent to a remote school for troubled teens and the harassments start all over again. Only this time, someone is watching – a teenage girl named Moira who was driven to suicide by vicious bullying years ago. When Lincoln accidentally summons Moira from the grave, he unleashes a vengeful and unstoppable force on a mission of blood-soaked revenge.

Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer, from a script by Mortimer and novelist Brian DeLeeuw (The Dismantling), Some Kind of Hate stars Ronen Rubenstein (It Felt Like Love), Sierra McCormick (Disney’s “Ant Farm”), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Disney’s Teen Beach Movie), Spencer Breslin (The Happening, The Kid), Lexi Atkins (The Boy Next Door, Zombeavers), Noah Segan (Looper), and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho).

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In lingering on the ramifications of bullying, and touching on those who “move on” from it, Some Kind Of Hate will have you cringing by the inciting incident. The editing ensures that when the protagonist, Lincoln ( a moody and effective Ronen Rubinstein) is smacked around, you feel the jarring loss of control yourself. When he’s reprimanded for lashing out, and sent to a juvenile rehabilitation camp in the middle of nowhere, the script makes you feel his lust to be anywhere else.

It’s inside this chakra focused new age healing commune, that we’re introduced to our cast of expendable teens. Right away you’ll feel just how different Some Kind Of Hate is from other slashers. Each of these characters is deplorable in their own regard. It’s a notable departure from most slashers, because this isn’t about an assortment of fun-loving teens unleashing evil. In fact it’s quite the opposite. It’s about the evil you find in yourself when you’re lost in a moment of transition.

In the dregs of this commune, Lincoln feels lost. He’s tormented by a group of listless assholes and he inevitably becomes consumed with rage. In his moment of ultimate vulnerability a real flesh and blood hot girl, Kaitlin (Super lovable, and ultimately desirable grace Phipps) , and a vengeful self-destructive spirit girl, Moira (a fearless Sierra McCormick), befriend him. The horror really begins to spin out of control as both of these relationships develop.

Throughout the runtime the most inviting character on the screen is the blood-drenched Moira, but within that Mortimer presents the arid desert as a character unto itself. The script pushes the on screen torment in a way that will have you considering your own past sins, and forces you to realize you can’t really escape who you once were.

The moodiness of the script and visuals is sometimes undercut by a jarring and inconsistent soundtrack, which is at times pounding, and at others perfectly on point. But there is such a sliding scale that it’s impossible to anticipate what sort of song will carry the transition into the next scene. It’s a missed opportunity, but ultimately not one that detracts too much from the experience.

The themes are heavy, the visual are beautiful, and the trope reversals are constant. Some Kind of Hate ultimately becomes better than the revenge stories that inspired it. Because it understands that amidst psychological torment there are real physical consequences that are under the surface. It isn’t afraid to get under your skin, and linger there because it wants to drive you into feeling uncomfortable.

And when it really excels, it shows the complete loss of control wrought by bullying and torment. Things escalate all too easily, and Mortimer’s script shows an intimate understanding of the dangers of real-world bullying. Moreover, it provides a sound solution and shows that the cycle of violence only ends when someone decides to walk away.

It essentially takes everything you thought you knew about the revenge sub-genre and offers constant reversals among a sea of social commentary. It’s the type of thing Wes Craven would ultimately be proud of because watching Moira’s reign of terror should be mandatory in any middle school. This is a movie that will teach you about real-world horror. It preaches the pitfalls and horrors of real violence, and the perfectly embodies the consequences of psychological violence.

Some Kind of Hate is a bold and brutal film that will challenge your conception of yourself. It’ll bring you back to the worst parts of your teenage years and force you to reexamine the roles you played in the arena of public school bullying. It’s unflinching, chilling, and ultimately required viewing. This isn’t your standard empty minded slasher flick; this is a challenging deconstruction of real world issues with an incredible horror twist. It’ll burrow into your skin, and refuse to leave.

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Ever since the post-Scream era ushered in a new wave of contemporary slashers, the subgenre has gradually felt more and more stagnant. And with the rise of VOD, a slew of indie slashers have struggled to be heard, with most falling short. Enter into the ring Adam Egypt Mortimer’s Some Kind of Hate, a ghostly slasher that’s entertaining enough, but never manages to delve into its characters deep enough to make its emotional horror feel effective.

The acting is there, but Some Kind of Hate stays on the surface too long without really exploring the people it’s putting in mortal danger. There’s a connection that’s missing between the characters and the emotion. The film is miles ahead of most indie horror films, don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t feel as engaging as it should be.

Ronen Rubinstein stars as Lincoln, a bullied metal head whose home life is just as shitty as his social life at school. Finally pushed too far, Lincoln fights back (in a glorious freeze frame title card), only to earn himself a mandatory stay at a new age youth camp in the desert. He finds some solace in this group of troubled teens, but the situation quickly devolves and he finds himself the target for abuse once again.

[Related Posts] Read All Stanley Film Festival Reviews Right Here!

Lincoln seeks refuge in an abandoned building near the camp, shaking with anger and wishing somehow he could get back at his new tormentor Willy (Maestro Harrell – Randy from The Wire!). There in the darkness, Lincoln’s wish is granted. A vindictive spirit named Moira (Sierra McCormick) answers Lincoln’s angry prayer, igniting a violent path of vengeance throughout the camp.

The concept of Moira is awesome. Her method of ghostly revenge is directly tied into powerful real world issues like self-mutilation and suicide. It works incredibly well on a visceral level, but lacks a real emotional punch due to a weak backstory for Moira and everyone else. Also, she talks a lot, which takes away from the visual impact of her cuts and the horror playing out on screen. What should be an empathetic character turns into an abrasive presence.

Lincoln is made out to be a tortured soul, but besides a glimpse at his abusive father, it’s never really clear why he’s such a prime target for bullying. At the camp, he also becomes the sexual interest for cheerleader turned bad girl Kaitlin (Grace Phipps), which doesn’t seem plausible. All of his issues stem from flimsy character roots, making it tough to really get invested in him like we should.

Amidst all the flashes of gore and rage, Some Kind of Hate fails to deliver on an emotional level. It’s an interesting film for sure, but without a connection to the characters, it’s tough for the horror and drama to make an impact.

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“Some Kind of Hate tells the story of a troubled teen who’s subjected to severe bullying. He accidentally conjures Moira Karp, a teenage girl pushed to commit suicide by bullies years ago. Moira is now a vengeful and unstoppable force on a mission of gruesome retribution. But when she goes too far, Lincoln must prevent her from spiraling out of control in this passionate and vividly violent take on the supernatural slasher.”

The buzz-worthy film made its world debut at the Stanley Film Festival on May 2.

Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer, from a script by Mortimer and novelist Brian DeLeeuw (The Dismantling), Some Kind of Hate stars Ronen Rubenstein (It Felt Like Love), Sierra McCormick (Disney’s “Ant Farm”), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Disney’s Teen Beach Movie), Spencer Breslin (The Happening, The Kid), Lexi Atkins (The Boy Next Door, Zombeavers), Noah Segan (Looper), and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho).

Produced by Dallas Sonnier, Jack Heller, Amanda Mortimer, and Gabriella Revilla Lugo, the deal was negotiated by Caliber’s Sonnier and Heller on behalf of the filmmakers and Ward on behalf of RLJE/Image Entertainment.

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“When a troubled teen is subjected to severe bullying, he accidentally conjures Moira Karp. Once a teenage girl pushed to suicide, Moira is now an unstoppable force on a mission of gruesome retribution. But when she goes too far, he must prevent her from spiraling out of control in this passionate and vividly violent revision of the slasher horror genre.”

Ronen Rubinstein, Grace Phipps, Sierra McCormick, Noah Segan, and Michael Polish all star in the supernatural slasher that looks like all kinds of bizarre!

Check out the Some Kind of Hate trailer below from Caliber Media!

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As I turned off I5 just north of Santa Clarita I started to get sort of excited. Most of the time when I travel to a set, it’s on a sound stage. And, since I write for a horror site, if I visit a set in Los Angeles (an increasing rarity) it’s usually at the Linda Vista Hospital. But here I was, embarking on the rarest of adventures – a rural location in the great outdoors. Even if the movie turned out to be a total dog at least I wouldn’t be cooped up inside.

But Some Kind Of Hate doesn’t look like a dog. It looks pretty great from what I can tell. For one thing, there’s the aforementioned location at VT Ranch in Castaic, CA. When I pulled up and saw all the cabins and the sprawling campgrounds amongst the rolling hills, I immediately felt at ease. Not only is this movie in my favorite subgenre (the slasher), it takes place in my favorite setting for that subgenre (a camp). While there don’t seem to be a lot of hard partying counselors on site (the tone of SKOH is played a little more straight), the location and its genre-befitting geography are perfect.

After parking outside the camp I make my way up a steep hill to a gathering of people. The top of the hill looks like a cross between an innocent meeting spot and the place where pagan sacrifices take place whenever you imagine such things. I immediately recognize Noah Segan (Starry Eyes, Looper, Deadgirl), Grace Phipps (Fright Night 2011) and Ronen Rubinstein (who I had literally just seen a week or two earlier on the New York set of Condemned). They’re joined by Zombeavers‘ Lexi Atkins and a few other key cast members. Segan and Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho) are seated across from the younger cast as Polish’s character performs what seems like an intake session.

The camp is basically a reform school for troubled kids and Polish is the almost cult-leaderish figurehead. His character interrogates the subjects with the measured, authoritative tone of a man who is trying so hard to be compassionate you wonder if he has any real sense of the emotion at all. After the scene breaks (the prevailing winds force the actors to go through this several times due to sound issues) I head down the hill with Segan to get a private interview with him and Phipps. It’s a colorful exchange to say the least, bordering on philosophical, and I can’t wait to share it with you when I publish my full piece later this year.

After that I spend several hours milling about. I eat lunch with the cast and crew, chatting with Rubinstein, Mortimer and Polish (the latter of whom turned down acting gigs for the Wachowskis and Spielberg in order to focus on directing, but made an exception here). I investigate the campgrounds. And then I head up the hill for more shooting… where the peaceful gathering place I first stumbled upon has transformed into the location for something far more horrific.

You’ll have to read my full piece later this year to find out exactly what that is (and to check out those interviews), but I’ll say one thing. Mortimer (along with his co-writer Brian DeLeeuw) is dead serious about the slasher genre. You may have heard titles such as A Nightmare On Elm Street bandied about in association with this project and that’s no accident. While Some Kind Of Hate obviously has little in common with that film’s dream world, it does share a goal that should be paramount to anybody aiming to make a mark in the subgenre – a truly iconic villain.

Come back next time. There will be gore, I promise.

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Completing the cast are Michael Polish (Big Sur), Noah Segan (Looper, Deadgirl, Starry Eyes), Lexi Atkins (Zombeavers), Spencer Breslin (The Happening), Maestro Harrell (“Suburgatory”), Jasper Polish, Jeremy Hawkins and Brando Eaton.

The film co-written by Brian DeLeeuw, “follows Lincoln, a tightly wound kid who is a favorite target for the local high school bullies. Sent away to a remote desert reform school, the harassed teenager accidentally summons a vengeful spirit, herself a victim of bullying, to exact retribution on his tormentors.” The film is said to draw influence from A Nightmare On Elm Street, Let The Right One In and Carrie.

Caliber Media is in post on a number of films including Condemned, Dark Was The Night and The Scribbler. They also produced one of our faves, Bad Milo. Caliber Media partners Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller arranged the financing and will produce alongside Amanda Mortimer and Gabriela Revilla’s Revek Entertainment.

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