A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio (2019)

A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio (2019)

On a dark and stormy night, Rod, a radio DJ, spins tales of terror for his audience, but on this night, he gets a disturbing call that scares him intensely. A Night of Horror is an anthology featuring eight tales of terror, including a mother and daughter who takes photos of the dead, a woman being chased by a hunter in the woods, a prisoner facing punishment for his crimes, and a hairstylist secret for his perfect wigs. While not all the tales are perfect, they offer a great series of scary stories that are primarily original and reasonably well made as a collection. 

Pentagram (2019)

 Pentagram (2019)

Dir- Steven Larson

Four teens find themselves trapped inside a pentagram painted on the floor after one of them is taken hostage by a mysterious older man. He tells them that if they leave the circle or let the candles go out, they will be killed by a mysterious dark force. Pentagram is a 2019 indie supernatural thriller directed by Steven Larson, starring Chloe Farnworth and Rachel Warren. While the premise sounds interesting, the execution is mediocre, with insufficient tension or thrills to be a compelling thriller. The special effects are okay for a low-budget movie, but the film is pretty dull and ends all too abruptly. 

Midnight Devils (2019)

Midnight Devils (2019)

Dir- Abel Berry

Two women steal money from a drug dealer and hide in her grandfather's old house in the woods. It gets crazy when the drug dealer finds them along with a native American squatter who warns them that an evil creature has them trapped and wants to kill them all. Directed by Abel Berry, Midnight Devils is a home invasion-style film that plays heavily into the legend of the Wendigo. While the acting is mediocre, the creature design is pretty impressive for the Wendigo and other demons that appear. Despite being listed in the credits, Michael Berryman is only featured in a short cameo in the opening scenes.  

Getaway (2020)

Getaway (2020)

Dir- Toran Caudell

A young woman invites her two best friends on a weekend trip to a lake house looking for fun and adventures. She is kidnapped by the sons of a backwoods cult leader who wishes to punish her for her sinful activities and instead learns she may be harboring a secret. Getaway is a 2020 thriller directed by Toran Caudell and starring Jaclyn Betham, Scout Taylor Compton, and Landry Allbright. While the film looks to be another rape-revenge thriller, Getaway is an entirely different kind of movie that will surprise audiences with its twist and satisfying outcome. There isn't much in the way of blood and gore, but the real strength of this movie is the unique direction that director Caudell takes with its hunter prey theme and the performances of Ms. Betham, Allbright, and Taylor Compton. Getaway is a great horror thriller for fans looking for movies about strong and empowered women ready to fight back. 

Snowbeast (1977)

Snowbeast (1977)

Dir- Joseph Stefano

A Colorado resort town celebrating a winter carnival becomes the hunting ground for a bigfoot-like monster that attacks the locals and lone skiers. The Sheriff tries to downplay the attack by claiming it's a bear attack, but the resort owner's grandson turns to his friend, a former Olympic skier, and his ex-girlfriend to help stop this creature. Snowbeast was a made-for-TV monster movie directed by Joseph Stefano and starring Bo Svenson and Yvette Mimieux. The film is one of many men vs. nature movies released in the wake of the 1975 blockbuster Jaws. Unfortunately, the film does not show much of the creature and focuses on the down on his lucky hero and his wife. While the film is certainly not a classic, it is the perfect type of movie for RiffTrax commentary and is one of many B horror movies in their catalog.   

House of Shadows (2020)

House of Shadows (2020)

Dir- Nicholas Winter

A woman inherits a house from her mother that she did not know she owned. Once she arrives, she encounters a series of ghostly events that suggest the deaths of her mother and sister may be related to a curse she fears will take her next. House of Shadows is a ghost story directed by Nicholas Winter and starring Elena Delia. While the cast and setting are acceptable, the story is slow and predictable with terrible ghost effects. Overall not much happens that hasn't been seen before in better movies.  

Freaks (2018)

Freaks (2018)

Dir- Zach Lipovsky

A little girl who is kept inside and sheltered from the outside world wishes to be like a normal kid but soon learns there truly is something dangerous outside her door. Yet after escaping her father's control, she learns some secrets from a mysterious older man selling ice cream. Freaks is a 2018 sci-fi thriller directed by Zach Lipovsky and starring Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Grace Park, and Lexy Kolker. While the film at first seems to show a disturbed and paranoid father, the viewers learn that his paranoia is genuine and that protecting his daughter is his priority. Freaks has a great cast and expand on ideas shown in the XMen franchise without ripping off the mutants in peril storyline. Lexy Kolker stands out in an important role that helps carry this compelling and tight thriller. 

Carny (2009)

Carny (2009)

Dir- Sheldon Wilson

A small-town sheriff and his deputies encounter trouble when a traveling carnivals star attraction escapes and begins to kill random people in the community. Carny is directed by Sheldon Wilson and stars Lou Diamond Phillips. As one of the films of the Maneater series, Carny is a made for tv creature feature that was broadcast on the SyFy Channel. In this film, the central monster is a Jersey Devil, and as terrifying as the creature is, it suffers from the apparent low-budget CGI treatment. Despite this, the film is better than most of the other Maneater films, and Phillips performs well as the town sheriff.   

Freaks of Nature (2015)

Freaks of Nature (2015)

Dir- Robbie Pickering

In a community where humans, vampires, and zombies coexist, their balance is threatened when aliens suddenly arrive, bringing down an apocalypse. Three teens from each group band together to find a way to save their town and get rid of the alien menace. Freaks of Nature is a sci-fi horror comedy directed by Robbie Pickering and starring Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, and Josh Fadem. The film's absurd premise is half the fun as the trio of young actors is joined by a showcase of comedy actors, including Denis Leary, Keegan Micahel Key, Joan Cusack, Bob Odenkirk, Mae Whitman, and Patton Oswald. Directed in the same style as Shaun of the Dead and Cooties, Freaks of Nature is a fun and surreal comedy that throws together some crazy horror tropes for unique and out-of-this-world monster mash. 

Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz

Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz (2013)

Dir- Kieran Parker

A squad of Russian soldiers ambushing German supply trucks is captured by a secret unit of Nazi troops who pit them against zombified soldiers in gladiator-style fights. In the third installment of the Outpost franchise, director Kieran Parker presents an origin story that shows the creation of the army of the dead featured in the trilogy. As with the previous movies, this Outpost entry is also a war movie with Nazi zombies fighting soldiers who wander upon their forest hideout. The action scenes are pretty intense, and the zombies are vicious as ever in this third entry that will not disappoint fans of Nazi zombie movies.  

Chatroom (2011)

Chatroom (2011)

Dr- Hideo Nakata

A troubled English youth named William sets up an online chatroom and becomes friends with four other teens from very different circles. At first, William is helpful to his friend circle, but soon his real personality is exposed, revealing dark sociopathic tendencies. Chatroom is an English thriller directed by Hideo Nakata, best known for directing the original Ring movie. While most internet-centered films rely on the "screen life" style, Chatroom takes a unique twist on the internet chatroom phenomena by visualizing the areas the characters meet. While this is a hit and miss with the narrative, the cast is the best part of the film, with its impressive lineup of young English actors who would have successful careers in some of the biggest movie franchises of the decade. This includes Aaron Taylor Johnson, Imogen Poots, Daniel Kaluuya, Hannah Murray, and Ophelia Lovibond. 

Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)

Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)

Dir- Bo Arne Vibenius

A mute woman is kidnapped, drugged, and forced into prostitution by a well-dressed pimp. Seeing an opportunity to fight back, she learns the skills needed to get revenge on those who have wronged her. Directed by Bo Arne Vibenius, Thriller: A Cruel Picture is a Swedish exploitation movie that starred Christina Lindberg in the role of Madeleine. Thriller is one of several controversial rape-revenge movies that followed the release of The Last House on the Left in 1972. Although the film is known for its extreme sexual violence toward the mute and angelic Madeleine, the audiences were most disturbed by the uncut version of the film that features scenes of pornographic sexual acts. Banned in Sweden, the film was heavily edited but still faced problems with distribution due to the extreme sexual content and violence. Despite these issues, Thriller has become a cult classic due in part to the excellent portrayal of the mute woman by Christina Lindberg, who had no dialogue in the film. In addition, the film was a significant influence on American director Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill with Daryl Hannah's Elle Driver role.  

Animal Among Us (2019)

Animal Among Us (2019)

Dir- John Woodruff

After a deadly animal attack, two sisters try to reopen their family-owned summer camp, but problems arise when the author who wrote the best seller on the event learns that something dangerous may still be present. Directed by John Woodruff, Animal Among Us is a summer camp horror-comedy light on humor and carnage. Although the film is set in the camp, a parallel story involving the author, his pregnant wife, and his affairs does have some potential for conflict. Animal Among Us does offer a unique take on the summer camp slasher trope, but the low budget does hold back its potential. The cast is decent, with 10 Things I Hate About You actress Laria Oleynik appearing and Christine Donlon and Christian Oliver.     

Being (2019)

Being (2019)

Dir- Douglas C Williams

After a mysterious five-year disappearance, a man returns home to his family and endures an awkward gathering as they are disturbed by mysterious lights and intruders. What follows next will be a mystery as Federal Agents are sent to question the survivors. Being is a sci-fi thriller directed by Douglas C Williams and features an extended cameo by Lance Henriksen. The film is an alien invasion movie that keeps the aliens in the background and focuses more on the conflicts between the main character and a rival family looking to take their property. Unfortunately, while the film focuses on the family in peril dynamic, a much better story is ignored involving the federal agents that would have made this a much better movie had it been the focus. 

Playback (2012)

Playback (2012)

Dir- Michael A Nickles

High schools students looking to do a video project decide to reenact an infamous murder that occurred years before. Unfortunately, a former student who helps out becomes possessed by a sinister force that wishes to continue the murders and seek out its heir. Playback was directed by Michael A Nickles and featured Christian Slater, Ambyr Childers, and Toby Hemingway. Playback is a routine possession thriller that uses video and the internet instead of ancient books or demonic objects. While this does open the door for some great possibilities, we get a routine and predictable copy of an 80's demon movie. Christian Slater is easily the most recognizable cast member, but he is a side character and vastly underutilized.   

Under the Bed (2012)

Under the Bed (2012)

Dir- Steven C Miller

After spending two years away, a troubled teen boy returns home to help his younger brother fight a creature he fears might return to take them both out. Under the Bed, directed by Steven C Miller, is a modern retelling of the scary story all kids read and fear might come to them in the dark. Despite the silly premise, the film is quite terrifying, and the creature effects are impressive for the smaller budget this film likely had. Under the Bed plays out as an homage to the silly monster movies of the 80s like Monster in the Closet or Night of the Creeps. 

The Music Box (2018)

The Music Box (2018)

Dir- Josh Real

A single woman takes in her orphaned niece and moves them into a rented home, where the young girl finds a music box buried in the yard. They soon encounter a hostile spirit that takes over the young girl and terrifies the aunt, who fears their lives are at risk. The Music Box is a mildly terrifying thriller that follows a cursed object plot seen in many other horror movies, directed by Josh Real and starring Rachel Daigh. Unfortunately, the ghost scenes are not that scary, and the little girl is poorly cast, with her role being nothing more than a quiet child who refuses to give up her music box. Rachel Daigh is decent in her role, but the film is too cliched to stand out truly. 

Summer School (2006)

Summer School (2006)

A teenage horror fan has to attend summer school, but he dozes off and finds himself in a series of random horror movie-inspired events involving his classmates and the girl he likes. Summer School is a 2006 horror film with segments directed by Lance Henrickson, Troy McCall, Steven Rhoden & Ben Trandem. The film is done in segments involving vampires,  nazis, and creepy country folk, with the protagonist wondering if he watched too many horror movies. For a low-budget film, summer School differs in style from every other horror film while still being somewhat scary with its tropes. 

Inbred (2011)

Inbred (2011)

Dir- Alex Chandon

A weekend retreat for four troubled teens and their caretakers in the English countryside turns dark when the locals decide to kidnap them and put them through a series of humiliating and deadly events. Inbred was directed by Alex Chandon and starred Jo Hartley, Seamus O'Neill, and Nadine Mulkerrin. The film is quite violent, but its comedic tone helps steer it in a more darkly humorous style similar to Tuck and Dale vs. Evil. The cast is relatively unknown outside of the UK, but they contrast the city-raised delinquents and the rural townfolk who look in the same gene pool as The Hills Have Eyes cast. Inbred is a shockingly gruesome film that is also strangely entertaining if nothing more than to watch the battle between the city folk and locals. 

Unknown Visitor (2019)

Unknown Visitor (2019)

Dir- Isaac Rodriguez

A single woman has a door camera installed after telling a friend about some bizarre events in her new home. What happens next will be captured on her camera as her mental state is pushed to its limits. Unknown Visitor is a found footage movie directed by Isaac Rodriguez and starring Brittany Dunk and Jason Scarbrough. A low-budget affair, Unknown Visitor, is unique as it is one of the first-found footage movies done exclusively from the perspective of a door security camera. While the film does have some goofy moments, the terrifying scenes toward the end make this film stand out a bit from the routine and often derivative single-camera found-footage horror films. Unknown Visitor further proves that low-budget horror films can be made with a great idea and low-cost technology. 

Behemoth (2011)

Behemoth (2011)

Dir- WD Hogan

Strange seismic events startle a small town, resulting in bizarre deaths that leave town officials confused. The experts sent in to study the event learn that the nearby mountain hides a dangerous creature that threatens to destroy their town. Behemoth is part of the Maneater Series of SyFy movies featuring a monster; in this case, the behemoth is a mountain-sized tentacled creature that would put fear in even Godzilla. While we don't get too much screen time for the monster, it is a terrifying creature. The cast is ok, but the actors are secondary to the giant evil monsters like many of these Maneater movies.  

 

The Curse of the Black Dahlia (2006)

 

The Curse of the Black Dahlia (2006)

Dir- Dan Goldman

Facing a sudden deadline, a team of office workers agrees to work late as their team lead tries to keep them on task. However, the office building has a dark secret unknown to them. The evil presence is giving the team lead Jennifer (Kate Siegel) bizarre hallucinations related to the infamous murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947. Directed by Dan Goldman, The Curse of the Black Dahlia is a made-for-video movie that uses the Black Dahlia murder as a plot device for this otherwise mundane slasher. The sole highlight of the film is the star Kate Siegel who would go on to success in several horror movies directed by her future husband, Mike Flanagan.

Turistas (2006)

Turistas (2006)

Dir- John Stockwell

Backpackers traveling in Brazil become stranded when an accident wrecks the bus. They find a beach and bar where they party with locals, but they wake up with all their possessions missing the next day. Looking for help, they find themselves targeted by a more menacing group. Turistas was directed by John Stockwell and starred Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, and Olivia Wilde. Following the trope of vacation nightmare horror films, Turistas appears to be another torture porn-style film similar to Saw and Hostel. Again, there are scenes of bloody horror, but Turistas features fewer moments of extreme gore and instead spends much of the film walking through the rain forests of Brazil. As a cautionary tale, Turistas will undoubtedly scare off many who have a fear of foreign traveling while at the same time reminding others that Brazil is a beautiful country. 

Demons 2 (1986)

 

Demons 2 (1986)

Dir- Lamberto Bava

Residents in a high rise become trapped when a demon infects party-goers and causes a power outage that locks everyone inside. Among the people trying to escape are a pregnant woman and her husband, who fight their way through an increasing number of infected people. Demons 2 is a sequel to the 1985 cult classic Demons, both of which were directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento. Demons 2 follows the same style as the original, with a different setting and excellent makeup effects. While none of the characters carry over from the first film, Bobby Rhodes does appear as a fitness trainer turned demon slayer, similar to his pimp role in the first film. In addition, Argento's daughter Asia also appears in an early role as the daughter of one of the residents. While not as over-the-top gory as the first installment, Demons 2 is an outstanding followup that makes these two films' 80s cult classics. 

Dead Souls (2012)

Dead Souls (2012)

Colin Theys

On his 18th birthday, a young man learns that he has inherited a farmhouse from a family he never knew he was a part of years before. He then discovers a dark and terrifying presence in the house that waits for his return. Dead Souls is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Colin Theys, starring Jesse James, Magda Apanowicz & Bill Moseley. Dead Souls plays out like a more traditional ghost story than a modern horror film, with the frights being more subtle and relying more on the spooky setting and atmosphere. Jesse and Magda have great chemistry together, and it does help carry a film that tends to drag in parts. Nevertheless, dead Souls is a decent ghost thriller that will feel right at home as a made-for-TV movie.