Gruesome Magazine - Horror Movie Reviews and Interviews

This week, the Grue-Crew take a look at a pair of films featuring offspring of famous Hollywood actors. The first film this week is BLOOD BOUND from director Richard LeMay, featuring a young woman targeted by a demonic cult looking to claim her soul. The second film is IO from director Jonathan Hubert, featuring a woman desperately searching for a way to survive on a desolate Earth after most of the population has fled to IO.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and Rafe Telsch share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films.

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 051
BLOOD BOUND - IO

Every 25 years, it begins. Bound to an ancient pact, a family of unlimited power descends upon a small rural town to sacrifice four human lives, one being a member of their own family. This Rosemary’s Baby meets Drag Me to Hell thriller takes a dark look into how far the human spirit can take one soul in it’s most desperate hour. - IMDb

Director:  Richard LeMay
Cast: Joseph Melendez (The Americans), Eden Brolin (Beyond), Rosa Arredondo (Roswell, New Mexico), Gerald McCullouch (C.S.I), and Cobra Kai’s Vanessa Rubio

Release:  Available on VOD January 15, 2019, from Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment.

As a young scientist searches for a way to save a dying Earth, she finds a connection with a man who's racing to catch the last shuttle off the planet. - IMDb

Director:  Jonathan Helpert
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Anthony Mackie, Danny Huston

Release: Currently Available on NETFLIX

This week, the Grue-Crew take a look at films streaming on NETFLIX and SHUDDER. The first film this week is COLD SKIN from director Xavier Gens, featuring a scientist heading to a remote island to study weather but instead discovers an inhuman race of creatures. The second film is BIRD BOX from director Susanne Bier, featuring a woman struggling with becoming a mother when the apocalypse strikes.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films.

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 050
BIRD BOX - COLD SKIN

In 1914, a young man arrives at a remote island near the Antarctic Circle to take the post of weather observer only to find himself trapped in a watchtower besieged by deadly creatures which live in hiding on the island.

"[Cold Skin] felt so much like a good turn of the century novel. You have the protagonist as the narrator of his own sort of memoir and it has that kind of Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe feel." - Vanessa

"[Cold Skin] raises a lot of issues about how we treat others who are different from us.." - Jeff

"There were moments in [Cold Skin] I thought were really strong. Most of them involve 'Friend' and the creatures when he is learning about them or becoming close to them." - Doc

Director: Xavier Gens
Cast: Ray Stevenson, David Oakes, Aura Garrido

Release: Currently Available on Shudder.

Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.

"I really enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the way the different characters play against each other. There are a couple of things that I was, ‘Eh,’ but overall, I have to say I’m on the side of the people that really enjoyed the movie." - Vanessa

"[Bird Box] has a substantial amount of depth to it … I really enjoy her (Sandra Bullock's character) story arc. I really dig this movie." - Rafe

"I thought it was the story of Mallory’s evolution
(Sandra Bullock’s character) . I’ll admit it. I cried at the end." - Jeff

"The cast is phenomenal!" - Doc

Director: Susanne Bier
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevatne Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver

Release: Currently Available on NETFLIX

This week, the Grue-Crew present two films from IFC Midnight. We start off the New Year with a tale of Hazing Horror and a yarn about a college girl out of her element. The first film this week is PLEDGE from directors Daniel Robbins, featuring a trio of college nerds looking to join a fraternity only to choose the worse option possible. The second film is RUST CREEK from director Jen McGowan, featuring a college girl lost in the Kentucky wilderness running from drug dealers with only a meth cook to aid her escape.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films.

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 049
PLEDGE - RUST CREEK

A group of college freshmen pledge an exclusive fraternity but soon realize there's more at stake than they could have ever imagined.

"Once you get into the meat of it - the hazing - and the things that take place after that, that’s where the tension really ramps up and the characters really stretch their legs, especially our three potential club members. We see some really strong acting from (Zack Weiner, Phillip Andre Botello, and Zachery Byrd) and some really strong character development." - Vanessa

"It’s really well made; it looked really good and I didn’t see a weak spot in the acting anywhere. … It’s a well-told story." - Jeff

"I really liked this film. I had a good time with it. … The environment that they find themselves in is presented in such a seductive way that they are all in until they realize that they shouldn’t be and it’s too late." - Doc

Director: Daniel Robbins
Cast: Zachery Byrd, Phillip Andre Botello, Aaron Dalla Villa

Release: OPENING IN THEATERS AND VOD ON JANUARY 11TH from IFC MIDNIGHT

An overachieving college student gets lost on her way to a job interview. A wrong turn leaves her stranded deep in the Kentucky forest. The woman must defend herself against the harsh elements and a band of ruthless outlaws. She is forced into an uneasy alliance with a strange loner who has unknown intentions.

"I loved the Sawyer character because … (she) really shows her character and personality in small moments, in quiet moments. You see her strength and her perseverance and her willingness to do whatever it takes to survive and not give up." - Vanessa

"Micah Hauptman as Hollister just oozed sleaziness and immorality. He was the stereotypical backwoods, bad guy and he did it so well." - Jeff

"The director did a great job! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing whatever Jen McGowan (will put) out next because I think she has quite the eye and the knack for telling a story." - Doc

Director: Jen McGowan
Cast: Hermione Corfield, Micah Hauptman, Sean O'Bryan. Jay Paulson

Release: In Select Theaters & On Demand January 4th

This week, things are not always what they seem. The grue-crew dive into a Yuletide anthology film and head to the psych ward for some demonic mumbo-jumbo. The first film this week is ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING from directors David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry, featuring a variety of horrific tales for the holiday season. The second film is THE HARROWING from director Jon Keeyes, featuring a rogue detective on the hunt for a demonic secret tucked deep inside an asylum.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films.

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 048
ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING - THE HARROWING

When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they're treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holidays. From boring office parties and last-minute shopping to vengeful stalkers and immortal demons, there's plenty out there to fear this holiday season.

"A Christmas horror anthology? I loved it. I had so much fun watching this!" - Vanessa

"I liked this. I liked anthologies in general and the trouble with anthologies most of the time is that they’re uneven. … This one, at least for me, 4 out of 5 are thumbs up and the fifth one, I really liked the idea, but I wanted to see a lot more." - Jeff

"It certainly is successful for what it is, what it sets out to do. I really like the tone and the feel and the execution of the interstitials, the little theater scenes. … Of course, as much Maria Olsen as you can put into your film, do it!" - Doc

Director: David Ian McKendry, Rebekah McKendry
Cast: Graham Skipper, Matt Long, Megan Duffy, Constance Wu

Release: Currently available on SHUDDER

Haunted by the ritualistic killing of his best friend, a vice detective determined to discover the truth goes undercover into a forensic hospital and is plunged into his own personal Hell where demons might be real.

"It does a really good job at keeping you unsure as to what’s going on because you get two stories here and you have to decide who’s telling the truth and who’s not." - Vanessa

"This is a really complicated character to play and … I thought Matthew Tompkins did a really good job. I was impressed with what he did." - Jeff

"It’s a solid entry. It’s an impressive introduction to a new director (Jon Keeyes). It will be interesting to see what he does next." - Doc

Director: Jon Keeyes
Cast: Matthew Thompkins, Arnold Vosloo, Michael Ironside

Release: Available on VOD and on Demand December 25, 2018 from Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment.

This week, it's all about bumbling stoner bros - it's a stretch. The grue-crew head to Norway for a Yuletide gruesome treat and visit with Nicolas Cage one more time for 2018. The first film this week is CHRISTMAS BLOOD from director Reinert Kiil, featuring a supernaturally charged unstoppable killer Santa. The second film is BETWEEN WORLDS from director Maria Pulera featuring plenty of over the top Nicolas Cage and supernatural hi-jinks.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 047
Between Worlds - Christmas Blood

Murderer gets caught after terrorizing and killing people during Christmas night for the past 13 years in Norway. After being in solitary for almost 6 years, psychopath escapes a couple days before Christmas night. Police track next target of the psychopath to be in a small village in the northernmost part of Norway. Group of friends are having a reunion in the same village and unexpectedly end up being in part of Santa's plan.

"They go all the way with their horror (in Norway) and I did not expect the graphic of violence and gore as we saw. To its credit, it’s done well and it’s shocking…" - Vanessa

"Think Michael Myers at Halloween, only Santa Claus at Christmas, and it goes on year after year after year until he has over 100 kills." - Jeff

"We get a head on top of a snowman. That’s always fun! That’s a party right there!" - Doc

Director: Reinert Kiil
Cast: Julianne Aga, Pernille Baggeranas, Ida Malene Smith Bakke

Release: Christmas Blood will be available December 11th on DVD and several VOD platforms including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube/Google Play, Vudu, FandangoNOW and DISH

Joe meets a mother who can contact spirits when suffocating. Her daughter is dying when Joe helps the mother spiritually contact the daughter and save her. Unfortunately, the spirit in the daughter's body is now that of Joe's dead wife.

"The female characters (Franke Potente and Penelope Mitchell) really did a lot of heavy lifting in order to be the grounded characters in this movie." - Vanessa

"I thought the story started to drive (the movie) a little more towards the last third, as opposed to Nicholas Cage’s wackiness (driving it)." - Jeff

"Man, this is a goofy stupid movie…but, at the same time, I think it’s something special."  - Doc

Director: Maria Pulera
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Franka Potente, Lydia Hearst

Release: December 21, 2018, In Theaters and December 18, 2018, On Demand

This week, it's all about cabins...and more cabins...maybe. The grue-crew travel to meet up with a groovy Santo to battle Krampus while they also head to a remote cabin on a lake where death follows. The first film this week is SLAY BELLES from director Spooky Dan Walker. The second film is THE CABIN from director Johan Bodell featuring a grumpy couple outracing an even grumpier killer.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 046
The Cabin - Slay Belles 

It's Christmas Eve, and three cosplaying women come across the malevolent Christmas demon Krampus. The girls must team up with Santa Claus himself to battle the creature and save the world.

"The Adventure Girls really represented these strong badass characters … they’re afraid but they’re also fearless and that’s fun to watch. Especially when they’re kooky and crazy and just so over the top." - Vanessa

"The Krampus had some interesting explicit body parts." - Jeff

"Having Barry Bostwick as Santa was inspired! … See Slay Belles for a delightful performance from Barry Bostwick. … When he was on, I was very happy." - Doc

Director: Spooky Dan Walker
Cast: Barry Bostwick, Kristina Klebe, Susan Slaughter

Release: ON DEMAND EVERYWHERE DECEMBER 4TH, 2018

When a couple visits a remote cabin and cross paths with a compulsive liar, their vacation takes a dramatic turn for the worse.

"The dialogue was not very believable to me. I didn’t care about the characters. I wasn’t engaged in their story and their journey." - Vanessa

"I thought there was a lot of good suspense and tension and I had some breath-holding going on in certain parts. I enjoyed the last two-thirds of it." - Jeff

"There’s a lot of rowing across that lake!" - Doc

Director: Johan Bodell
Cast: Christopher Lee Page, Caitlin Crommett, Erik Kammerland

Release: Available on VOD/DVD December 4 from High Octane Pictures.

This week, it's all about sexual horror...maybe. The grue-crew travel to a remote castle for a spooky, sexy mystery and navigate to check out a horrific cam feed. The first is THE HOUSE OF VIOLENT DESIRE from director Charlie Steeds mixes Old Dark House with some modern sexual tension and horror. The second film is CAM from director Daniel Goldhaber explores a gallery of fears and terror when a cam girl finds someone who looks just like her has taken over her feed.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 045
Cam - The House of Violent Desire 

Awoken by screams in the night, young Evelyn Whipley is found drenched in blood and mysteriously bound to the bed - A Gothic Horror set in the 1940s, a psychosexual thriller disguised as traditional Ghost Story.

"When (the father) comes back and he’s completely covered in blood and naked and hairy and screaming and coming in from a storm and making all these accusations about his family and his wife and himself, that’s when it got more exciting." - Vanessa

"It is beautifully shot. It looks really good and it’s pretty well acted although there’s some excess." - Jeff

"It plays out like a really drugged-out, sexed-up Dark Shadows series of episodes." - Doc

Director: Charlie Steeds
Cast: Carl Andersson, Rowena Bentley, Peter Cosgrove

Release: Currently available on VOD and Streaming Media

Alice, an ambitious camgirl, wakes up one day to discover she's been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself.

"Madeline Brewer really was able to embody a great representation of a woman, the ability to be all these different things and seen in all these different ways and be strong and scared at the same time." - Vanessa

"Cam is Daniel Goldhaber’s first feature and I’m impressed with how well he handled this. It could’ve been a tough concept to get across, … and it could’ve been confusing but I think he did it very well." - Jeff

"Building a world, drafting this Alice-Lola character, tackling a variety of themes … keeping them focused and together, there’s so much going on and it’s incredibly fascinating." - Doc

Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Cast: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters

Release: Currently available on NETFLIX

This week, it's all about eyeball horror...maybe. The grue-crew head to ballet school to get their Giallo groove on and travel to Argentina to have a devil of a good time. The first is BLOODY BALLET from director Brett Mullin follows a young woman who tries to warn her friends that a horror from her past has returned to kill them all. The second film is LUCIFERINA from director Gonzalo Calzada tells a frightening possession story where a young nun faces demons of her own.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 044
Luciferina - Bloody Ballet

When a beautiful ballerina dancer, Adriana Mena (Kendra Carelli), lands the lead role in the upcoming Nutcracker performance, she's forced to face her demons as jealousy and tension begin to provoke the supernatural.

Director: Brett Mullen (w/ Matt Cloude)
Cast:

• Debbie Rochon ... Dr. Carlina Cassinelli
• Caroline Williams ... Ms. Valli
• Katie Carpenter ... Berna
• Kendra Carelli ... Adriana Mena (as Kendra Staub)

Release: In the tradition of Suspiria, and featuring horror icons Caroline Williams and Debbie Rochon, Bloody Ballet arabesque’s onto November 13, 2018 from High Octane Pictures.

Luciferina

Natalia is a nineteen-year-old novice who reluctantly returns home to say goodbye to her dying father. However, when she meets up with her sister and her friends, she decides instead to travel the jungle in search of mystical plant. There, instead of pleasure, they encounter a world of Black Masses, strange pregnancies, bloody deaths and for young nun Natalia, a sexually violent clash with the Devil himself.

Director: Gonzalo Calzada
Cast:

• Sofía Del Tuffo ... Natalia
• Marta Lubos ... Hermana Gregoria
• Pedro Merlo ... Abel
• Malena Sánchez ... Ángela
• Francisco Donovan ... Mauro
• Stefanía Koessl ... Mara

Release: Film will be Released on Blu-ray & DVD November 20; Digital HD December 4, 2018

This week, the Grue-Crew fall prey to a cult of demon worshipers and avoid the trappings of a serial killer with dastardly intentions. Two new films are reviewed this week. The first is THE HERETICS from director Chad Archibald follows a young woman who is running from her past only to be abducted once again to face a fate worse than death. The second film is THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER from director Duncan Skiles tells a coming-of-age story where a young boy suspects a notorious killer's identity may reveal the monster to be too close to home.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 043
The Clovehitch Killer - The Heretics

A notorious cult kidnaps a young girl, and sacrifice themselves by the light of the locust moon. The next morning the girl awakes, caked in dried blood and surrounded by corpses...but safe - or so she thinks. Years later, the locust moon is about to rise again and the girl is captured once more by a surviving member of the cult. She is taken to a remote cabin where she learns that a demon has been growing inside of her all these years, and before the dawn, it will rise.

"From beginning to end, I was engaged in the story, so yeah, kudos to the director and everybody in The Heretics!" - Vanessa

"It was a fun watch. I was in it the whole way. … It’s definitely worth a watch." - Jeff

"Chad Archibald did a great job and I’m looking forward to more from him. … This has definitely solidified him as one of the talents to keep an eye on." - Doc

Director: Chad Archibald
Cast: Nina Kiri, Ry Barrett, Jorja Cadence

Release: The Heretics available on Demand November 6 and DVD January 5 from Uncork’d Entertainment.

A shocking revelation turns a teenage boy's world upside down in this chilling look at the evil that can lurk below even the most wholesome surface. Tyler Burnside is a Boy Scout, a volunteer at his local church, and the dutiful son of an upstanding, community leader dad. Only one thing troubles the quiet Kentucky town he lives in: the unsolved murders in which ten women were brutally tortured and killed by a psychopath known as Clovehitch-that rocked the community more than a decade ago. When Tyler discovers a cache of disturbing images in his father's possession, he begins to suspect that the man he trusts most in the world may be Clovehitch-and that his deadly rampage may not be over. With unrelenting tension, director Duncan Skiles crafts a picture-perfect vision of the all-American family-and then piece by piece rips it to shreds.

"Two minutes in and I was in love with Dylan McDermott. I’ve never seen him do anything like this before. He’s almost completely unrecognizable because he so becomes this character." - Vanessa

It’s not your everyday serial killer movie. I think the script and the acting and the direction are excellent at taking you on the journey through this film and keeping you guessing. I think Dylan McDermott, Charlie Plummer, and Madison Beaty really excel." - Jeff

"This is a great surprise because it is not what the trailer suggests it is. It is a far richer, far deeper, far more interesting piece of film and the relationship between these characters is a big part of what makes this work." - Doc

Director: Duncan Skiles
Cast: Charlie Plummer, Dylan McDermott, Samantha Mathis

Release: In Theaters, On Demand and Digital HD: November 16, 2018 from IFC Midnight

This week, the Grue-Crew are terrorized by a werewolf, a serial killer, and a witch...in the window. Two new films are reviewed this week. The first is BONEHILL ROAD from director Todd Sheets tells the story of a mother and daughter's night of terror escaping one hell only to land in another. The second film is THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW from director Andy Mitton follows a father and son to a remote fixer-upper home...whose previous resident still resides... in the shadows.  Doc Rotten and Vanessa Thompson from Horror News Radio along with Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era share their thoughts about this week's awesome collection of streaming horror films. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 042
The Witch in the Window - Bonehill Road

Emily and Eden Stevens escape one violent situation only to dive headfirst into another. Terrified and alone they are stranded in the dark woods only to be chased into a horrific scene in a house or horrors. They must work together to get out alive. But what is worse? What is on the inside or out?

"It’s a little confusing, but kind of fun to watch. I can’t lie. … There’s just so much going on." - Vanessa

"There’s a ton of gore in this." - Jeff

"I did like Eli DeGeer and Ana Rojas-Plumberg as the mother and daughter. … Once they got on the road and you got to know them, I was really getting into their performances and their characters." - Doc

Director: Todd Sheets
Cast: Eli DeGeer, Ana Rojas-Plumberg, Linnea Quigley

Release: Out now on VOD from October Coast and WildEye Releasing

When Simon brings his twelve-year-old son, Finn, to rural Vermont to help flip an old farmhouse, they encounter the malicious spirit of Lydia, a previous owner. And now with every repair they make - she's getting stronger.

"It’s got a story that unfolds in a way that you don’t really expect, especially when you get to the end. It’s a lot more touching than I thought it would be and very subtle in the way that it’s telling a haunted house story. It’s doing it in a unique way and that’s hard to find." - Vanessa

"The ending had kind of a twist to it that I wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t sure where they were going to go with that and it gets a little sort of mind-bending in a few places."  - Jeff

"I just really dug these characters (father and son). I dug these actors (Alex Draper and Charlie Tacker) and I dug this relationship and how they were trying to repair not only the house, but themselves, and that symbolism was really working." - Doc

Director: Andy Mitton
Cast: Arija Bareikis, Alex Draper, Charlie Tacker

Release: Out now on SHUDDER