horror

HERE TO STAY And WHO IS LISTENING: Sheffield’s Latest Shorts Full of Chills and Spooky Vibes!

It is said that at this time of year, the veil between our realm and the spiritual world thins, making it easier for spirits to contact the living. Whether or not you believe the concept, it makes for a great background for some spooky films that deal with death and the afterlife. So what happens when we die? Christopher Sheffield just came out with two horror shorts that have some insight to this question: Here to Stay In this short, we meet Jude who is not really dealing with his grief of losing his friend Ben. Exhausted and not wanting to be at the funeral, Jude tries to get some rest only to be awoken by odd occurrences in this home. Is it a spirit? Is it Ben? Does he have a message for those he left behind? There is a lot packed into this under 7-minute short. It moves […]

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Your Next Viewing: A Night in the MORGUE Will Give You Chills

Christina Ortega

Sometimes when I am watching a film or TV show, I wonder where that booth was on Career Day. I don’t remember anyone talking to me about how to become a blood splatter technician à la Dexter, or an engineer like Jigsaw, or a morgue attendant. Ah, the paths not taken. Sorry, my unchosen career paths are not the point. The point of this article is to talk about Well Go USA Entertainment’s latest release MORGUE which, despite my opening, does not focus on a morgue attendant, but it does take place in one. The film opens with Diego Martinez arguing with his girlfriend and being teased because he says he does not have gas money to drive her friend home. Diego eventually takes a job as a security guard at, you guessed it, a morgue. Well, that should be easy, right? All he has to do is stay alert […]

Your Next Viewing: CENTRAL PARK

Christina Ortega

https://vimeo.com/522407846 I have only been to New York once and of course I had to hit as many of the tourist spots as I could including Times Square, Central Park, and Washington Square Park, where I had an intense and memorable encounter with a homeless person. True story. I’ll have to tell you sometime over a virtual cup of java. However, that encounter was nowhere near as life-threatening as what happens in Jinga Films’ latest release, Central Park. Harold Smith’s father has been accused of stealing money from his company and customers. It is all over the news. So Smith turns to his friends for some stress-relief which leads the group of teens to have a late-night party in Central Park including lots of drinks and some smoking. It’s all fun until they are attacked. Reminiscent of old style slasher films where the unsuspecting teens are targeted by an unknown: […]

Your Next Viewing: NIGHTMARE ON ELM, A Must-See for Freddy Fans

Christina Ortega

There is something about your “first” that just stays with you and moves you in a way that others that follow don’t. They may be meaningful in different ways, but not like the first. Take, for example, your first Doctor. No other Doctor can compare in quite the same way regardless of how many incarnations you may be a fan of. Or your first horror movie villain. Others may thrill you just as much, but it is not quite the same as that first kill you watch, that first villain laugh you hear, that chingy sound the razors make as they swipe at the sleep-deprived teen… If you haven’t guessed already, I am a huge fan of Freddy Krueger. He greeted me as I entered the horror film genre, ushered me through as I discovered other styles of scary movies, and has been my go-to when I want to watch […]

Fantaspoa Review: HISTORY OF THE OCCULT

Christina Ortega

For the first time ever we here at Film Combat Syndicate had the privilege of covering the annual Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival. This is Brazil’s long-running fest and this year was number seventeen! This year’s edition was supported by the Brazilian government and renewed the festival’s partnership with the streaming service Darkflix. The festival ran from April 9 to 18 and featured over 100 shorts and 50 feature films from over 35 countries. If you haven’t already read FCS’s coverage of films by Cathy (Cemetery of Lost Souls) and Vance (One Grave for Three Men), you should. You might find a new film for you to try. I was able to watch History of the Occult, which was not what I expected. Honestly, at first I thought I had clicked on the wrong screener because it opened with a mysterious conversation then turned into a political situation. There was a […]

An Evil Underground and Some Damn Good Music in THE RETALIATORS Teaser

Christina Ortega

If you’ve read any of my other articles you know that my interests are pretty wide and varied: from anime to comic book shows and movies to reading and so on and so forth. One interest that I have not been able to write about for this website yet is music. And now I get to write about music and movies? Yes! Let’s do this! Papa Roach. Ice Nine Kills. Escape the Fate. Five Finger Death Punch. No, I am not playing that game where you put together a fantasy music festival lineup. These are just some of the bands featured on the soundtrack of THE RETALIATORS. But wait! There’s more. Not only are these groups on the soundtrack, but they are also starring in this horror thriller. Seriously! So what’s it all about? Here is the synopsis from the official website: In THE RETALIATORS, an upstanding pastor uncovers a […]

AT THE DRIVE-IN Season 3 Premiere to Have Special Guest

Christina Ortega

If you’re a fan of horror films, you probably have a subscription to Shudder. If you don’t already have one, this bit of news may make you want to get one: THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS, a Shudder Original series, is set to return Friday, April 16th. Not only will fans get to see Joe Bob Briggs back in action, but he will have a special guest with him. Director, writer, producer, and actor Eli Roth. Roth is known for Cabin Fever, and Eli Roth’s History of Horror. Roth and Joe Bob will “geek out” over two horror classics. In case you aren’t familiar with the show, Briggs hosts double features and talks about their “merits, histories, and significance to genre cinema.” The third season will begin April 16th at 9pm ET/8c. If you don’t have a Shudder account, you have time to get one. Otherwise, the show […]

PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN Is Ready To Bathe In Your Blood. Or not.

Cathy LaFrance

In case you think horror films take themselves too seriously, check out PG: PSYCHO GOREMAN, an unexpected dark comedy. Written and directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void, The Divide, Father’s Day), the film turns the concept of “evil alien conqueror” on its head. Siblings Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord who was entombed on Earth millions of years ago after a failed attempt to destroy the universe. They nickname the evil creature Psycho Goreman (or PG for short) and use the magical amulet they discovered to force him to obey their childish whims. It isn’t long before PG’s reappearance draws the attention of intergalactic friends and foes from across the cosmos and a rogues’ gallery of alien combatants converges in small-town suburbia to battle for the fate of the galaxy. The film stars Nita-Josee Hanna (Books of Blood, 4teen), Owen Myre (“NOS4A2,” Alternate Ground), Adam Brooks […]

12 SLAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Cathy And Christina’s List Of Non-Traditional Holiday Thrillers To Enjoy This Season!

Cathy LaFrance

Sleigh bells and reindeer and sappy Christmas wishes: It’s that time of year when Lifetime and Hallmark play holiday movies back to back, and although the actors change and the music may vary, the plot basically remains the same: if someone is bitter, they find happiness thanks to Christmas; if someone is single, they find love thanks to Christmas; and so on and so on and can we get some better viewing options? If you agree with the above rant, have we got a treat for you! A couple of us here at Film Combat Syndicate decided to put together a list of non-traditional Christmas movies you should watch this month. In no particular order, here are the films as stored in the gallery below, or simply scroll down if you’ve opened this article via Twitter. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993) What it’s about: Jack Skellington lives in Halloween Town […]

Your Next Reads: TELL-TALE HEART, THE SHINING, And A Few More Horror Titles For Your October

Christina Ortega

So, if you’ve been reading my previous articles, you should know by now that although I love all things horror, I do not actually get scared by the movies and shows I watch or the books I read. Writing an article like this is a bit tricky because not everyone gets scared by the same things. Are you afraid of clowns? Read or watch It. Are you scared of ghosts? Read The Haunting of Hill House or watch The Conjuring. By now you’re probably assuming that any book I put down on this list will really terrify you if I’m labeling it as a “scary” book to read. No. Well, maybe. Adding a novel to this list doesn’t necessarily mean that it legitimately scared me, but I’ll explain why I’ve added each item to this list as you read on. Ready? Here we go. •Heart-shaped Box by Joe Hill Rock […]

Fantasia XXIV Review: Xia Magnus’s SANZARU Gives Gothic Chills

Christina Ortega

Since the Fantasia Film Festival is starting soon (August 20th to September 2nd, to be exact), we here at Film Combat Syndicate have been lucky enough to get early screening access to some of the movies that will be shown there. As you can read in our teasers of the first wave, second wave, or third wave announcements, there were plenty of films to choose from. One of my choices was the Gothic/horror film by first-time director Xia Magnus’s Sanzaru, and I have to tell you, with this film, Magnus has made me into a fan! Sanzaru focuses on Eveyln, a nurse, who is living with a Texas family while caring for the ailing matriarch. Here is the official synopsis: Evelyn, a young Filipina nurse, is living on an isolated estate while taking care of Dena, the aging matriarch of a Texas family. As Dena slips deeper into dementia, Evelyn […]

Fantasia XXIV Review: Steve Villeneuve’s HAIL TO THE DEADITES Welcomes You To The Club

Christina Ortega

Since the Fantasia Film Festival is coming soon (August 20th to September 2nd, to be exact), we here at Film Combat Syndicate have been lucky enough to get early screening access to some of the movies that will be shown there. As you can read in our teasers of the first wave, second wave, or third wave announcements, there were plenty of films to choose from. As a Deadite (a fan of The Evil Dead franchise), one of my first choices was Hail to the Deadites. If you have not heard of this one before, it is an 80 minute fan-made film focusing on the franchise. Directed by Steve Villeneuve, who is also a Deadite, the joruney for this documentary began in 2013, and includes interview clips with fans, cast members, and crew members, along with clips from conventions. Here is the official synopsis: Few horror franchises have inspired as […]

Your Next Viewing: AMC Shudder’s THE BEACH HOUSE (2020)

Christina Ortega

“Lovecraftian” and “cosmic” are just a couple of the adjectives I’ve seen used to describe the type of horror film that is The Beach House. How would I describe it? Weird, but watchable. Hear me out: Emily and Randall are a young couple (who, in my opinion, have grown apart but are forcing the relationship) and they decide that a retreat to Randall’s dad’s beach house will be just what their relationship needs. Once there, they meet an older couple, Mitch and Jane Turner, who are also using the beach house since they are friends with Randall’s dad. So what do you do in this situation? It wouldn’t be much of a movie if one couple opted to leave so they decide to go through a bunch of wine and when that runs out, they all partake in some edibles…and no, these aren’t just tasty treats. Here’s where things get […]

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RED SWORD (2012) Review: The Red Hood Tale That They’ve Never Told You

Mike Garcia

A long time ago, there was a tribe of werewolves that had no women. Throughout history, these desperate werewolves have attacked and raped human females as a way to continue their species, but werewolves have a terrible legend that every hundred years, on a night of the red moon, a girl will be born, destined to destroy the werewolf tribe. The red hood tale that you would never tell to your children, passed through the filter of the political incorrectness of Japanese V-cinema, in a twisted tale directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu, that turns the lovely and innocent Red Hood into an avenger, slasher of rapist werewolves, that carries a katana instead of a basket. An explosive bizarre twisted cocktail of action, horror and erotism, in which Asami portrays the character as an angel of death and justice, that fights her way through, under the excellent action direction of Shigeki Hayase […]

Your Next Viewing: THE BONE BOX

Christina Ortega

This past weekend was Friday the 13th, and rather than watch the series of the same name, I chose to spend my weekend watching a Kane Hodder documentary and Terror Films’ newest release The Bone Box. If you like psychological thrillers, you’ll have to give this film a try. Here’s the official synopsis: The film centers around Tom (Gareth Koorzen), a down-on-his-luck guy living with his Aunt (Maria Olsen). But his real troubles begin when his gambling debts catch up to him and he finds himself on the wrong side of a gun. In order to pay off the debts he enlists the help of Elodie (Michelle Krusiec), an undertaker’s daughter and recent divorcee with her own financial woes. Together they conspire to find freshly buried bodies in order to dig them up and steal whatever valuable possessions may have been buried with the recently departed. Soon after Tom has […]

Your Next Viewing: TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY

Christina Ortega

There are 11 films in the Friday the 13th franchise and Kane Hodder has only played Jason Vorhees five times. Yet his name is synonymous with both the movies and the character. To most horror fans, Kane Hodder is Jason Vorhees.But do you really know the man behind the mask? I heard Kane Hodder talk at the 2018 HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis and he mentioned a documentary, To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story, which is about his life and career. This past weekend I was finally able to watch it (what better way to celebrate a Friday the 13th?) and I cannot stop thinking about it. Told through a series of interviews, I got to learn about how Kane Hodder got into the industry, the accident he took years to talk about, and much more about him as a person and as an actor. I liked the format […]

THE TORMENT OF LAURIE ANN CULLOM Review: A Contained Nostalgic Horror Thriller With Fair Results

Christina Ortega

When I hear the phrase “based on true events,” I have two completely different yet equally strong reactions. I cringe, thinking of how I might have to suffer through what has become a too commonly used technique of “found footage” which really just means a bunch of shaky camera work that will more than likely make me feel like I need to throw up. The other reaction is a tiny squee of delight as I get to watch a true crime story come to life on the big screen (or my TV screen, whichever the case may be). The Torment of Laurie Ann Cullom warranted neither of these reactions. Advertised as being “inspired by actual events,” this indie horror film follows Laurie Ann who has become agoraphobic after suffering a brutal attack the previous year. Set in 1988, this tale of Laurie shows what happens when the true terror may […]

Your Next Viewing: ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (Final Girls Berlin 2020)

Christina Ortega

The 2020 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival ran from February 6 through 9 and we here at Film Combat Syndicate were lucky enough to have remote access to some of the feature films and shorts. One of the ideas guiding this year’s film festival was best described by co-director Sara Neidorf when she said, “Horror is a very elastic term and we’re excited to discover films that make us question and expand our conceptions of what horror can be, both in ways that are distant from and uncannily near our own realities.” The Argentinian film Rock, Paper, Scissors fits this above thought perfectly. Horror is not always an escaped mental patient, the teenage girl being stalked by what appears to be a superhuman, nor is it the monsters hiding under the bed. Sometimes horror is just not knowing who to trust. In Rock, Paper, Scissors directors Macarena García Lenzi and […]

Your Next Viewing: DARK WHISPERS (Final Girls Berlin 2020)

Christina Ortega

The 2020 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival runs from February 6 through 9 and we here at Film Combat Syndicate were lucky enough to have remote access to some of the feature films and shorts. My first film to view for the Film Fest was the Australian film Dark Whispers. This one was unique as there was an overall story that moved forward in between short tales. Here is the official synopsis: When Clara discovers her deceased mother’s revered Book of Dark Whispers, she can’t stop reading the strange stories within its mystical pages. Each weird tale reveals a new facet of the twisted human psyche…or, in this case, the not-so-human. From the horror of grief to roommate living disasters, from existential dread to right-swiping vampires, there’s something for all tastes. The horror anthology is brought to you by eleven female directors from across Australia. Each of the strange stories […]

SPIRAL: A Horror Legend Rebooted In The First Teaser

Christina Ortega

In October of 2004, I met a man who made me think about a very important question: how strong is your will to live? How far would you go to ensure that you kept living? Since 2004 there have been a total of 8 films with Jigsaw asking people this same question and testing them. Last year it was announced that Chris Rock was creating a *gag* reboot of the Saw films. And I cringed. And I gagged. Not another reboot, I cried out, shaking my fist in the air. Here’s what I knew at the time: According to Joe Drake, Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group chairman, this version “reimagines and spins off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer..” Rock has said that he has been a fan of the Saw films since they began in 2004 and is excited for the opportunity. He will be working with the series […]