Christina Ortega

About Christina Ortega

Writer, bookworm, geek in too many fandoms to name, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago White Sox fan.

Posts by Christina Ortega:

Your Next Viewing: THE MANDALORIAN Is A Welcome Addition to the Star Wars Universe

Christina Ortega

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few months, you know that Disney has officially launched their own streaming service, DisneyPlus. This service has a huge library including films released from the vault, Marvel movies, nostalgic TV shows and movies (Eek! Boy Meets World, Camp Nowhere!), original shows, and all things Star Wars. I was able to sit down last night and give DisneyPlus’ original Star Wars series The Mandalorian a try. What is The Mandalorian? Here’s the official trailer: The Mandalorian – Official Trailer 2 | Disney+ | Streaming Nov. 12 Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones) stars as the title character. The series is set after the fall of the Empire and before the First Order. There is no muss, no fuss, no big set up: viewers are just planted directly into the Star Wars universe, see the Mandalorian pick up a bounty, encase him in carbonite […]

Review: CREPITUS Features a Creepy Clown, But Not Creepy Enough

Christina Ortega

If you’re a fan of the horror genre, you would probably agree that in these films, clowns and children can be creepy, right? So when I read the official synopsis of Crepitus, I was excited. I just knew I’d meet a new creepy clown to scare my coulrophobic friend with and was excited to see the havoc it would wreak. What or who is Crepitus? Here is the official synopsis from Indican Pictures: Seventeen year old Elizabeth and her younger sister, Sam, are thrust into circumstances more terrifying than living with their abusive, alcoholic mother when they are forced to move into their deceased Grandfather’s house. Frightened beyond belief, they begin to learn horrible things about their family history. Nevermind the ghosts in the house, there is something far worse that takes an interest in the girls … a cannibalistic clown named Crepitus. Sounds creepy, right? It wasn’t. Let’s start […]

FANTASY ISLAND: The First Trailer Lands Online For Blumhouse’s New Revival

Christina Ortega

What’s your fantasy? Nothing kinky, now. Is it a tropical island? What about a tropical island that can make your wishes come true? In Blumhouse’s upcoming film Fantasy Island, “The enigmatic Mr. Roarke, makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.” Now you’re probably thinking that this may sound slightly familiar and you’re right; written by Jillian Jacobs and Christopher Roach this film puts a more than slightly creepy twist on the TV series from the 1970’s. Need to know more? Check out the trailer above, and set your calendars for Valentine’s Day 2020 if you’re up to make the trip!

Your Next Viewing: THE FARE

Christina Ortega

Do you ever get that feeling at work where you feel like you’re just doing the same ol’ thing over and over again? Like you’re stuck in your own version of Groundhog’s Day? This is what happens in The Fare, only it’s not just a boring routine: Harris (Gino Anthony Pesi) and his rider Penny (Brinna Kelly) are actually trapped in a time loop. Written by Brinna Kelly and directed by D.C. Hamilton, The Fare gives us a creepy twist on the concept of the main characters being stuck in a time loop. Here is the synopsis from Epic Pictures: When a charming woman named Penny (Kelly) climbs into his taxi, Harris (Pesi) finds himself entranced. That is, right up until she disappears from the back seat without a trace. As he desperately tries to make sense of what happened, he resets his meter and is instantly brought back to […]

Your Next Viewing: RED LETTER DAY

Christina Ortega

If you could kill anyone and get away with it, who would you kill? No one? What about someone in your neighborhood? Still nobody? Okay, what if the situation were to kill or be killed? You probably have a different answer now. Cameron Macgowan’s Red Letter Day puts this kill or be killed twist on the seemingly pleasant life in suburbia in this survival thriller. Want to know more? Here’s the skinny: While adjusting to a new life in a quiet suburban community, a recently divorced mother (DawnVan de Schoot), and her two teens receive mysterious red letters instructing them each to kill orbe killed. As the bloodshed begins, they find themselves in a race against time to protect theones they love from the people they thought they knew. This film grabs your attention from the first scene even before the title card. It slowed down a bit to set […]

BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL IV Closes With A Bang, Winners Announced!

Lee B. Golden III and 1 more

The fourth-annual Brooklyn Horror Film Festival closed out its events with a sold-out screening of Joe Begos’ VFW at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park this month. The film is one of 100 films and events hosted across Brooklyn with other active venues like Cobble Hill Cinema, IFP Made in NY Media Center and Long Island University’s Kumble Theater. The annual New York City festival was launched in partnership with ALTER, Blood Manor, IFC Midnight, Spamflix and VFW producer and horror magazine Fangoria who also shepherded the closing night events. The festival was recognized by Vulture as after reportedly welcoming more festival attendees, film guests and putting on more events than ever before. One of fest’s more key moments went to the horror jury who awarded Adam Egypt best director and best picture for his latest thriller, Daniel Isn’t Real which Samuel Goldwyn Films is releasing theatrically and on VOD December 6. […]

Review: BELOVED BEAST Is Beastly, But Not Beastly Enough

Christina Ortega

I have to start by saying that I love all things horror and I know that a good horror movie does not have to have only action and goriness to make it entertaining. I was excited to be able to screen Jonathan Holbrook’s Beloved Beast for this website. Thrilled when I saw that the run time was nearly three hours long. Intrigued by the synopsis. And now that I’ve seen it, I want more, but in an unfulfilled sense… Let me backup. If you haven’t already seen the trailer for this film, here is the synopsis, straight from the words of Indican Pictures itself: Nina (Sanae Loutsis) is only twelve years old, when she loses her parents in a car accident. Now living with her aunt, Nina is no longer in the best of company. Escaping into her imagination and into the woods, she meets a strange, masked man. He […]

Sil And The Devil Seeds Of Arodor

Upcoming Release: DOCTOR WHO Villain Gets Own Drama

Christina Ortega

If you’re a Whovian, you may remember Sil the alien from the planet Thoros from the Colin Baker-era of Doctor Who. Sil will now be the star of their own film. Actor Nabil Shaban plays the title character again in Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor. So what is Sil up to now? Here is the summary from Koch Media: Sil is worried. Very worried… which doesn’t keep his reptilian skin in the best condition! Confined in a cold detention cell on the moon, awaiting a deportation hearing while on trial for drugs offences committed on Earth, he faces a death sentence if the application is successful and he is found guilty. His powerful employers at the Universal Monetary Fund aren’t too pleased about that. Not at all… As time runs out and friends desert him, Sil must use all of his devious, vile, underhanded, ruthless, and amoral business acumen […]

DANIEL ISN’T REAL Trailer: With Imaginary Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies?

Christina Ortega

Imaginary friends have existed since before the 1890’s, which is when the first studies on imaginary friends were done. Usually, the person with the imaginary friend understands that they are not real. It seems to be common among children. But what happens when the person is an adult and their imaginary friend comes back? This is the premise for Daniel Isn’t Real. And no, it has none of the light-hearted wackiness that was in Drop Dead Fred. This a dark and twisty take on an adult with an imaginary friend. Here’s the synopsis from the Samuel Goldwyn Films website: Troubled college freshman Luke (Robbins) suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel (Schwarzenegger) to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control […]

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DOCTOR WHO Announces Upcoming Comic Series with Some Old Favorites

Christina Ortega

It’s simple math, really: 10 plus 13 equals a roaring good time. How could it not? If you don’t speak Whovian, I’ll break it down for you: At New York Comic Con, Titan Comics announced that in the next series of Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor, the title character will be teaming up with the tenth doctor to take on — pause for dramatic effect — and don’t blink! Yes, everyone’s favorite stone statues, the Weeping Angels, will be returning, too! If you’re a fan of the TV show you might remember when David Tennant was in the iconic role, his doctor faced the Weeping Angels in “Blink” who are, you guessed it, aliens. The two doctors will team up to save London from not one but two alien races. According to David Tennant’s website: “Not only will this second season see the return of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Thirteenth Doctor, […]

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SPUTNIK Trailer: Your Next Favorite Space Horror Film

Christina Ortega

Space travel has its own sense of wonder: exploring the unknown, going where no man (person) has ever gone before, and finding out if we’re really alone in the universe. It’s all fun and games and excitement — until it isn’t. Russian director Egor Abramenko’s first feature film Sputnik takes viewers to space and back and promises to be full of chills from fear, not excitement. According to Screenanarchy, the …story revolves around a young doctor called in by the military to evaluate a cosmonaut returned from a mission under unusual circumstances … and let’s just say he didn’t exactly return alone. There are no subtitles in the trailer, but you can tell what is going on based on the visuals and the facial expressions. The threat and fear are clearly conveyed. Check it out here: Ooh. I definitely cannot wait to see this film!

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Your Next Viewing: HARPOON (2019)

Christina Ortega

Have you ever looked at someone in your life and wondered why you were friends with them? Besides laughing out loud, this thought crossed my mind while I watched Richie, Jonah, and Sasha interact. In fact, the film opens with Aristotle’s explanation of types of friendship. Rob Grant’s Harpoon is labeled as a comedy/horror and it delivers on both. Well, if I’m being honest, I laughed more than anything and wondered why these three amusing jerks were still friends. So what is it about? Here is the summary from the press release: Rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension emerge when three best friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean desperate for survival. With plenty of alcohol and very little food and water, emotions run high and their delusions become a reality. As the days stretch on and death seems inevitable, their terrifying truths float […]

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER: Andre Øvredal Set To Direct For Amblin

Christina Ortega

Filmmaker Andre Ovredal (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) wants to direct The Last Voyage of The Demeter. The film has just docked at Amblin Pictures and Bradley Fischer, Mike Medavoy, and Arnold Messer have already been named as producers. So what is the film about? In Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, Demeter was the name of the ship that carried Dracula from Transylvania to London. The ship washed up on shore with one survivor in the novel. The script for The Last Voyage of the Demeter was written in 2002 by Bragi Schut and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it “tells the tale of that journey, in which the crew is slaughtered one by one by a mysterious passenger.” This is not the first time the project has found a port somewhere though. It was previously at Phoenix Pictures, Millennium Films, and more. Maybe Ovredal and Amblin Pictures will […]

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BELOVED BEAST: A Trailer to Hold You Over Until its Limited Release

Christina Ortega

An escaped mental patient and a twelve year old meet in the woods…have I got your attention? Beloved Beast, directed by Jonathan Holbrook, is an upcoming horror film that runs three hours long. The cast includes Meredith Binder (The Oregonian), Tabitha Bastien (The Wonderland Murders), Sheila Houlahan, and Lance Carver. Here is the official synopsis: 12 year old Nina loses her parents in a car accident and is forced to live with her unstable Aunt Erma. Except her aunt dabbles with drugs, partying and every other thing an aunt shouldn’t do. When Nina meets a stranger in the woods, instead of running, she brings him home. Not realizing that the man she has brought home is an escaped mental patient with a penchant for murder… There will be a limited release in theaters on October 11th in Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago. If you can’t make it to […]

HELL HOUSE: Indie Film’s Cast Revealed

Christina Ortega

Indie horror film Hell House has announced its cast. The cast will include Stefanie Scott (Insidious: Chapter 3, Insidious: The Last Key), Odessa Adlon (Fam, Nashville), Jess Weixler (It: Chapter 2, The Good Wife), Gene Jones (No Country for Old Men), and Michael Abbott Jr. (The Death of Dick Long). Hell House focuses on “the complicated relationship between small town high school peers Dawn (Scott) and Makayla in the Deep South, on the eve of a religious-themed Halloween attraction or “hell house” grand opening, and the various townspeople who try to keep the two apart, with disastrous results.” Written and directed by Andrew Gori, the movie is set to start filming this fall. Stay tuned for more details!(DEADLINE)

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Your A-To-Z Guide To Zombies

Christina Ortega

The month of October is synonymous with Halloween which is synonymous with hot cider, corn mazes, scary movies, and murder. You know, normal fall stuff. Often featured in these scary tales are the creatures known as zombies. But they’re not all the same. Don’t believe me? Keep reading. Let me present to you, your A to Z guide to zombies: Alice in Zombieland One of my favorite things to try is retellings, especially retellings of Alice in Wonderland. This series, White Rabbit Chronicles, is written by Gina Showalter and the first book is called Alice in Zombieland. This version shows Alice as she tries to avenge her family and becomes a zombie slayer. Badass Zombie Killers This is a great card game for two to six players. The game sounds simple enough: you put together a badass weapon to fight off the zombies. And I’m not talking about a chainsaw: […]

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THE HIT LIST: September 30, 2019

Lee B. Golden III and 1 more

I’m eager for a night out later this week if I can make it happen. It would be my fourth night out with friends this year too so, it’s sorely needed. For now, time for another pitch of some awesome stunt reels and action performance content from around the web. There’s more than a load of gems here to start with and that especislly goes for action star favorite, choreographer and performer Tim Man. Following that are reels featuring the explosive talents of Lauren Mary Kim, Patrick Chu, Niahlah Hope, Luciano Arnieri, Jen Bennett, Jeff Karr, Angela Sippel, Jarmin Runes, Milena Brewster, Caleb Cole, Brandy Lewis, Zac Andianas, Anna Puig, Donald Brooks Jr., Kat Redner, Jacob Pattison, Nikki Tomlinson, Oscar Casellas, Karina Beverly Ho, Alejandro Gil, Jacqueline Rosenthal, Tristan McConnell and Chole Bruce, with a fight choreography medley by Robert Dill, and a team reel by Legionarius Stunts. Folks attending […]

Trailer Breakdowns: A Look At Sophia Takal’s BLACK CHRISTMAS

Christina Ortega

So if you’re reading any articles on this website, I’m going to assume that you are a film fan. What degree of a film fan you are, I don’t know. You could spend every hour possible watching films, discussing them, or reading reviews about them. You could be really picky about what you watch. You could let the critics or overly hyped awards dictate what you watch. Or you could just watch whatever the hell you want and to hell with what others say. But you still read the occasional review. So why not a trailer review? Now, I know what you’re thinking: why are you reviewing a trailer rather than the movie itself? Isn’t judging a movie by its trailer the equivalent of judging a book by its cover? Well, to answer the latter question, no, it’s not. A trailer is meant to make you want to go to […]

Your Next Viewing: THE LINGERING On Blu-Ray

Christina Ortega

If you’re a horror fan and are looking for a new film to watch, you have got to check out The Lingering from directors Ho Pong Mak and Derrick Tao! I was lucky enough to have been able to view this film before it’s available for purchase. Young Dawa and his mother are waiting for his father to come home to celebrate New Year’s Eve with them. Instead, they spend the night locked in a basement hiding from a strange presence. Is the home haunted? Years later, Dawa must return to his childhood home and the presence is still there! Interested? Before I say anything else, let me start by saying that I enjoyed this film. There is no blood or gore; it is just a good old-fashioned ghost story. It was released in Hong Kong and the spoken language is Cantonese, so I had to watch it with the […]

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KILLER STUDIES: An Interview With Filmmaker/Author John Borowski

Christina Ortega

In early September, I attended HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis. Hosted by the magazine of the same name, it is a horror movie, television, and pop culture convention. A whole weekend full of all things horror! It was at this convention that I met independent filmmaker/author John Borowski. I’m not a stalker or anything, but since I heard him lecture, I’ve picked up a book of his, watched two of his films, and have followed him on three forms of social media. Nope, not stalking. If you are interested in true crime tales, you may already be familiar with Borowski’s work. He has written books and made films about Ed Gein, H.H. Holmes, and Albert Fish. I recently interviewed him via email, so other true crime geeks like myself could get to know him better: What drew you into the true crime genre? It was my love of horror films and […]