Gruesome Magazine - Horror Movie Reviews and Interviews

This week, the Grue-Crew witness the terror of Lovecraftian aliens, the ferocity of werewolf zombies, and the revenge of a woman wronged. First up is the feature film Island Zero from director Josh Gerritsen set on a remote North Eastern island facing a threat from beneath the sea... or is it from another dimension. The next film, Feral from director Coralie Fargeat, features Scout Taylor-Compton and Lew Temple struggling to survive a new type of creature feature. Rounding out the show is the theatrical release of Revenge from director Coralie Fargeat who makes an incredible impression with her first feature film - a film you will not soon forget. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 022
Revenge - Feral - Island Zero

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A fishing community on a remote Maine island finds itself suddenly cut off from the rest of the world after the ferry stops coming. When people start to vanish, the terrified survivors realize that someone - or something - is hunting them.

"What really holds this film together is the performance of Laila Robins as the doctor." - Jeff

"I do like the local color of it. It feels very authentic to the region." - Doc

Director: Josh Gerritsen w/ Tess Gerritsen
Cast: Laila Robins, Adam Wade McLaughlin, Teri Reeves

Students fight to survive a weekend in the woods.

"I think it’s well worth a watch. It’s got some serious tension (and) great effects." - Jeff

"I really enjoyed this! IFC Midnight has been killing it!" - Doc

Director: Mark Young
Cast: Scout Taylor-Compton, Olivia Luccardi, Lew Temple

Never take your mistress on an annual guys' getaway, especially one devoted to hunting - a violent lesson for three wealthy married men.

"My stomach was in knots the entire time. … This movie is 100% go almost from the start and definitely to the very end until it goes black." - Vanessa

"This is an excellent film. The tension builds from the outset. From the very beginning, every single second, I was waiting for something unexpected to happen, expecting something to come, literally every second of the runtime." - Jeff

"This is going to be one of my favorites films of the year, undoubtedly. It’s going to be very hard to beat. (Coralie Fargeat) is instantly at the top of my list of directors to look out for. I can’t wait for her to do another film." - Doc

Director: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe 

This week, the Grue-Crew survive an encounter with a ferocious sea-god, a walking nightmare, and... David Tennant. First up is the feature film Soft Matter from director Jim Hickcox featuring a dancing monster made of trash bags, duct tape, and really fresh Kicks. What? The next film, Gehenna Where Death Lives from director Hiroshi Katagiri, features Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen in the cast...for a few precious minutes - thankfully, the rest of the film is interesting as well. Rounding out the show is the theatrical release of Bad Samaritan from director Dean Devlin and it features David Tennant as a serial killer - what else do you need to know. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 020
Bad Samaritan - Gehenna: Where Death Lives - Soft Matter

Use my promo code - GRUESOME - for an extended 30-day FREE trial of Shudder to check out Downrange and Still/Born! Enter the promo code at http://gruesomemagazine.com/shudder to get your first month free.

Two graffiti artists break into an abandoned, reportedly haunted research facility in hopes of creating an art installation, but stumble upon a secret team of demented researchers who are in the process of resurrecting an ancient sea creature - who they now must fight in order to escape alive.

Director: Jim Hickcox
Cast: Ruby Lee Dove II, Hal Schneider, Mary Anzalone

A group visits Saipan to search for locations for their company's newest resort. As they find what they think is the perfect spot, they discover a hidden bunker on the property which they decide to explore. However, they soon find out that curiosity can kill. As each member faces their most private secrets and the secrets of the bunker itself, the results lead to a most shocking conclusion.

Director: Hiroshi Katagiri
Cast: Doug Jones, Lance Henriksen, Patrick Gorman

A pair of burglars stumbles upon a woman being held captive in a home they intended to rob.

Director: Dean Devlin
Cast: Kerry Condon, David Tennant, Robert Sheehan

This week, the Grue-Crew witness 7 archangels battling zombies, a class of Japanese schoolgirls running from killer wind, and a mad sniper cornering a group of friends on a deserted highway. First up is the feature film Angels vs Zombies from director Emmanual Saez featuring the End of Days where a detective teams up with Angels to save the world from...zombies. The next film, Tag from director Sion Sono, provides a mind-bending, bloody story a young woman racing to escape a living nightmare. Shudder delivers some gruesome gore with Downrange from director Ryûhei Kitamura as a group of friends struggle to survive a madman who has them trapped in his line of fire. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 018
Downrange - Tag - Angels vs Zombies

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Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends becomes targets for an enigmatic sniper.

“There are some really interesting shots where (the director, Ryûhei Kitamura) gives the camera lens a life of its own.” - Doc Rotten

“... I was pretty excited because we get a cameo from Graham Skipper!” - Vanessa Thompson

“The audio editing … is absolutely fantastic!” - Rafe Telsch

“You can see that we have a wide range of opinions here so find out for yourself.” - Jeff Mohr

Director: Ryûhei Kitamura
Cast: Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson, Rod Hernandez

A girl's life cascades into chaos as everyone around her suffers a gruesome fate while she herself becomes less and less certain of who she is and what kind of a world she lives in.

“I highly recommend seeing this! … This is a bizarre film. You will not see anything like it.” - Doc Rotten

“It’s an Asian horror genre offering that brings us lots and lots and lots of gore and then some. If you are a fan of horror and within that genre, you are a fan of the subgenre of gore, gore, gore, you are going to love this movie.” - Vanessa Thompson

“It is so surreal and there is a purpose behind that and when we get to that purpose, everything does fall into place very well.” - Rafe Telsch

“This is a far better movie than what it feels like at first viewing because of the message that is buried in it.” - Jeff Mohr

Director: Sion Sono
Cast: Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai

At the End of Days, seven archangels arrive to deliver us from evil. Get ready for the resurrection, the dead will rise.

“I did like (the actors who played) the lead cop (Philippe Coste) and the villain (Vincent Andres).” - Doc Rotten

“I loved the diversity there among the angels. I loved the way that they looked and the fact that they were kind of this quiet army.” - Rafe Telsch

“I enjoyed it! … I had fun watching this.” - Jeff Mohr

Director: Emmanual Saez
Cast: Philippe Coste, Manuel Gonçalves, Sonia Pérez

This week the Grue-Crew face down Lucifer on Elm Lake, spice things up with some mad scientist horrors, and run for their lives from some mon...mon...mon...monsters. First up is the feature film House on Elm Lake from director James Klass has a family facing an awakened dormant evil. The next film, Chimera from director Maurice Haeems, has Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) performing Frankenstein like experiments to save his children. Shudder delivers some gruesome Asian horror with Mon Mon Mon Monsters from director Giddens Ko proving that the true monsters are...the human race. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 018
Mon Mon Mon Monsters - Chimera - House on Elm Lake

Use my promo code - GRUESOME - for an extended 30-day FREE trial of Shudder to check out Cold Hell or Mon Mon Mon Monsters! Enter the promo code at http://gruesomemagazine.com/shudder

A couple and their young daughter move into a lake house that remained unsold due to the brutal, ritualistic murder of a family years ago. Soon, they realize that a dormant evil has awakened, a possessive force that has preyed on unsuspecting families like theirs for centuries.

Director: James Klass
Cast: Becca Hirani, Andrew Hollingworth, Faye Goodwin

A brilliant but disturbed scientist freezes his children alive, while he races to cure their deadly genetic disease by decoding the DNA of the immortal Turritopsis jellyfish.

Director: Maurice Haeems
Cast: Henry Ian Cusick, Kathleen Quinlan, Erika Ervin

A group of teenagers captures a man-eating monster.

Director: Giddens Ko
Cast: Eugenie Liu, Kent Tsai, Yu-Kai Teng

This week the Grue-Crew hides their faces from Screamers, grabs some wooden stakes for Corbin Nash, and listens to Martin Freeman tell his Ghost Stories. First up is the feature Screamers from director Dean Matthew Ronalds, a found-footage film chasing down the mysterious creator of a series of "screamer" videos. The next film, Corbin Nash from director Ben Jagger, reveals itself to be a surprising, unique vampire film featuring a nearly unrecognizable Corey Feldman in a featured role. Directors Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman weave a terrifying tale sitting somewhere between an anthology and a creepy twist in Ghost Stories. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 017
Ghost Stories - Corbin Nash - Screamers

Use my promo code - GRUESOME - for an extended 30-day FREE trial of Shudder to check out Cold Hell or Mon Mon Mon Monsters! Enter the promo code at http://gruesomemagazine.com/shudder

When an internet company decides to investigate a series of 'Screamer' videos, they are confronted with havoc and hell they could never expect.

Director: Dean Matthew Ronalds
Cast: Tom Malloy, Chris Bannow, Griffin Matthews

A rogue police detective in search of his parents killer is murdered and reborn the ultimate killer.

Director: Ben Jagger
Cast: Dean S. Jagger, Corey Feldman, Malcolm McDowell, Rutger Hauer

Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable 'hauntings'.

Director: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
Cast: Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse

This week the Grue-Crew discover a new form of a werewolf, race from a serial killer, and invite some guests over to Granny's house. First up is the feature At Granny's House from director Les Mahoney, where a devious, demented caretaker invites some guests over for dinner. The next film, Cold Hell from director Stefan Ruzowitzky, weaves a thrilling tale of a young woman (Violetta Schurawlow) on the run from a vicious serial killer. Director Fritz Böhm guides on a harrowing path with the coming of age horror film Wildling. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 016
Wildling - Cold Hell - At Granny's House

Use my promo code - GRUESOME - for an extended 30-day FREE trial of Shudder to check out Cold Hell which we review in this very episode! Enter the promo code at http://gruesomemagazine.com/shudder

Marion Rogers (Granny), an elderly lady in the small town of Haley, reluctantly accepts the mysterious Rebecca Torrance as her live-in caregiver, but eventually, the two form a strong friendship. Rebecca soon sells Granny on the idea of turning the house into a guest house for travelers looking for free accommodations., which, in turn, leads to revealing Rebecca's dark and fatal secret. A strange love triangle forms when Rebecca and Ted, a guest at the house, fall in love. This leads to a violent confrontation that will forever change the lives of all the residents AT GRANNY'S HOUSE. A typical Midwest house. A sweet little old lady. When a caretaker moves in to help out, Granny's House becomes a macabre place of death - and love.

“Bill Oberst’s performance is great. He adds that suspense that’s missing from what is actually happening in this movie.” - Vanessa

“I thought Rachel Alig who played Rebecca, the caretaker, did a good job of being really creepy." - Jeff

“... Rachel Alig did a great job. I loved her look when she was just staring at somebody and it was like, this woman’s crazy! She made me believe it.” - Doc

Director: Les Mahoney
Cast: Bill Oberst Jr., Rachel Alig, Laura Lee

Vienna, a woman is a witness to a murder in the neighbor apartment. But she is also seen by the murderer, and her life turns upside down as she tries to protect herself. The police won't help her but one detective gives her shelter...

“I absolutely love this movie. I loved it the first time I saw it and I loved it even more … (when) I watched it again.” - Jeff

“At the core, it’s the performances. I thought Violetta Schurawlow is fantastic, like star-making fantastic! I want to see her in something else.” - Doc

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Cast: Violetta Schurawlow, Tobias Moretti, Robert Palfrader |

A blossoming teenager uncovers the dark secret behind her traumatic childhood.

“I 100% recommend this to anyone.” - Vanessa

“I cannot praise Bel Powley enough.” - Rafe

“I like this a lot. I’d love to see this in a theater!” - Jeff

“It hits the mark. It really does. The cast is fantastic. The cinematography is really, really strong. It captures the mood and the atmosphere and the location. This is a fantastic film.” - Doc

Director: Fritz Böhm
Cast: Brad Dourif, Liv Tyler, Bel Powley

This week the Grue-Crew hide from the vengeful spirit of an angry assassin, run with "mary jane" on April 20th, and champion the gory adventures of our new favorite luchador. First up is the feature Killing Joan from director Todd Bartoo, where a murdered assassin returns from the grave to get her vengeance. The next film, 4/20 Massacre from director Dylan Reynolds, calls back to classic slasher tropes with style and gore. Director Ryan Prows delivers an impressive debut feature with his remarkable, gory luchador epic Lowlife. Long live El Monstro. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 015
Lowlife - Killing Joan - 4/20 Massacre

“This is a dismal trainwreck.” - Rafe

“I thought to myself, I feel like I’m watching a cross between The Room and a Uwe Boll movie" - Vanessa

“It seemed to me like they found a cheap, decent way to make the black smoke special effect and then built a movie around it.” - Jeff

“It is abysmal. It falls apart on just about every level you can consider from cinematography to composition to dialogue to acting, unfortunately, to the direction." - Doc

An enforcer for the mob enacts her revenge on those who wronged her.

Director: Todd Bartoo
Cast: Jamie Bernadette, Teo Celigo, Erik Aude

“You get some pretty good kills … you get some impending doom.” - Vanessa

“My favorite character was the stoner girl played by Stacy Danger.” - Jeff

“It does feel like a nice 80s slasher at the core. … it had that structure that you’re familiar with in those kinds of out in the woods slasher films and it delivered.” - Doc

A group of five women goes camping in the woods to celebrate a friend's birthday over 4/20 weekend. But when they cross the turf of an illegal marijuana grow-operation they must struggle to survive the living nightmare.

Director: Dylan Reynolds
Cast: Jamie Bernadette, Vanessa Rose Parker, Stacey Danger

“There are things about (Lowlife) I like better than Pulp Fiction. I’d have a hard time finding much wrong with this.” - Jeff

“I really enjoyed watching this. It pulled me in pretty early on, with each jump to a new vignette giving new information, new experience, the new story really kept it compelling.” - Rafe

“This movie is a classic, back alley gangster film with a darkly comedic twist to it.” - Vanessa

“This film grabbed me from the get-go. Every time a new chapter started, I was amazed at how my perception of the previous chapter was changed.” - Doc

The sordid lives of an addict, an ex-con, and a luchador collide when an organ harvesting caper goes very, very wrong.

Director: Ryan Prows
Cast: Niki Micheaux, Ricardo Adam Zarate, Jon Oswald

This week the Grue-Crew sing the praises of Paul Rudd's wonderful 70s-inspired mustache, avoid zombies building chair castles, and hide from an evil version of Laurie Holden. First up is the feature Mute from director Duncan Jones, neo-noir thriller with killer performances from Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux. The French-Canadian epic Ravenous from director Robert Aubert takes a unique look at the zombie apocalypse. Director Adam McDonald delivers chills and thrill with an emotional backdrop of loss, pain, and neglect with Pyewacket. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 014
Pyewacket - Ravenous - Mute

A mute bartender goes up against his city's gangsters in an effort to find out what happened to his missing partner.

Director: Duncan Jones w/ Michael Robert Johnson
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux 

In a small, remote village in upstate Quebec, things have changed. Locals are not the same anymore - their bodies are breaking down and they have turned against their loved ones. A handful of survivors goes hiding into the woods, looking for others like them.

Director: Robert Aubert
Cast: Marc-Andre Grondin, Monia Chkri, Charlotte St-Martin

A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother.

Director: Adam McDonald
Cast: Nicole Munoz, Laurie Holden, Chloe Rose

This week the Grue-Crew run up against a killer clown named Art, smack down some devils in Demon House, and get stoned with Bong of the Living Dead. First up is the feature Bong of the Living Dead from director Max Groah where a group of stoner friends finds themselves in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. "View At Your Own Risk" warns the tagline for Demon House from director Zak Bagans. Director Damien Leone and star David Howard Thornton craft a modern horror slasher with Art the Clown in Terrifier. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 013
Terrifier - Demon House - Bong of the Living Dead

Synopsis: A group of friends and zombie movie buffs have their lifelong dream come true. As their provisions run low, reality begins to set in and they realize that the zombie apocalypse isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Director: Max Groah
Cast: Tiffany Arnold, Eric Boso, Daniel Alan Kiely

Synopsis: Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans documents the most authenticated case of possession in American history.

Director: Zak Bagans
Cast: Zak Bagans, Jay Wasley, Billy Tolley

Synopsis: A maniacal clown named Art, terrorizes three young women on Halloween night and everyone else who stands in his way.

Director: Damien Leone
Cast: Catherine Corcoran, Jenna Kanell, David Howard Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi, Sylvia Ward, Pooya Mohseni

This week the Grue-Crew fight off a "putty-cat" from Hell, stare at the green trees in They Remain, and attempt to avoid a little bitty creature with great big teeth. First up is the feature Hell's Kitty from director Nicholas Tan where a cute, but vicious, kitty kills everyone who attempts to get close to his human. "Don't Turn Around" teases the tagline for  They Remain from director Philip Gelatt. Director Haylar Garcia tortures poor Penelope Mitchell with a supernatural flying beast in Apartment 212. The hunt is on for the diamond in the rough. Doc Rotten from Horror News Radio and Jeff Mohr from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era are joined by Rafe Telsch and Vanessa Thompson. 

Gruesome Magazine Podcast - Episode 012
Apartment 212 - They Remain - Hell's Kitty

Hell's Kitty is a comedy horror series based on the true life events of Nick, a Hollywood writer, and Angel, his possessed and very possessive pussycat.

Director: Nicholas Tan

Cast: Doug Jones, Michael Berryman, Courtney Gains

Two scientists who share a romantic history are tasked with investigating unnatural animal behaviour on the site of a Manson Family-style cult's compound.

Director: Philip Gelatt
Cast: William Jackson Harper, Rebecca Henderson

Jennifer Conrad is a small-town girl starting over in the big city. Fleeing an abusive relationship, all she wants is a chance to begin again. But it is hard to start over when something is eating you while you sleep . . . one painful bite at a time.

Director: Haylar Garcia
Cast: Penelope Mitchell, Kyle Gass, Sally Kirkland, Chris Johnson