From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Turistas (2006)

Posted on May 22, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. This time around we will be talking about the 2006 film Turistas, a horror thriller that deals with the horrors of human organ trafficking and the scares one could get when in a foreign country where you are the target of a group of people who want to do you harm. And what is very cool about this film is that the fine folks at IDW Comics gave it the comic book treatment, and like always, I wish more movie companies would team with comic book publishers to make this happen more often. So if you are ready, let’s head to Brazil and see what Dr. Zamora and his internal organ harvesters have in store for us as they slice and dice not only on film but also on the pages of a comic book! And before we move on, I want to also say that I truly do enjoy doing these From Horror Movie To Horror Comic updates as they are a great way to talk about two things I love: horror movies and horror comics. Plus I have always been a fan of comics that are based off films and will always try an cover as many as I can here on my blog.

Let’s start by taking a look at Dr. Zamora, the ruthless killer of the film Turistas, and his ways of dealing death to those who cross his path and don’t follow his orders. Dr. Zamora is a normal man who lives in a small village in Brazil and who takes care of the kids in the village with shots and healthcare, but is using stolen drugs from his victims to do so. Dr. Zamora has an army of armed men that do as he orders as many of them he pays well in drugs and cash making them very loyal to him and not minding taking the lives of others or bringing him tourists to do what he wants with. You see, Zamora is a doctor who steals the organs of tourists after he has his followers drug and take them back to his lab in the middle of the jungle so that he can harvest their livers and kidneys to give to the local hospital to save his people’s lives. He is skilled at cutting up bodies and taking the body parts he needs, but he is also very cruel in nature as he gets pleasure in killing the tourists as he truly hates them and everything they stand for. He is also very cruel to his own followers as he has no issues killing them if he feels they let him down, and uses their death to make sure others fear him. One of his major tools is fear as those who know him, serve him and are targets of his all fear him and his cruel ways. Dr. Zamora will end a person’s life not only with a scalpel but also will use guns in order to make his victims meet a bloody and painful end. He also will use sharp objects like a stick to jab into a person’s eye and into their brain showing how little he cares for life that he feels is below him. But while Dr. Zamora is very mean and evil he is just a man and can be killed like any normal person from beating, stabbing, drowning, burnt, shot and everything else that a person could die from. While he is not the most unstoppable nor brutal killer we have looked at, he is one of the top when it comes to medically killing you to steal your internal organs.

So now that we have taken a look at Dr. Zamora and his was of not only killing you but also stealing your kidneys, I think that it is time we take a look at the film he is from and that is Turistas from 2006. And like before I will be getting the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and then will write a little about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s dive into the water and swim around the waterfalls and hidden caves as we try and keep our guts in our own bodies were they belong.

Turistas (2006)

“A group of young backpackers’ vacation turns sour when a bus accident leaves them marooned in a remote Brazilian rural area that holds an ominous secret.”

Turistas was written by Michael Arien Ross and was his first screenplay, but he was not stranger to horror films as he was the editor on such films as Wrong Turn (2003) and 2001 Maniacs (2005). Director John Stockwell was no stranger to shooting films that are set on islands, tropical and beaches and had done such films as Blue Crush (2002) and Into The Blue (2005) and took the directing duty after it reminded him of being robbed by a gang of glue huffing teenagers in Peru and how the police did nothing about it, well they did offer him a chance to kill the kids for $300.00! The film would be distributed by 20^th Century Fox and would get a budget of around $10 million. It would be filmed in Brazil to capture the beauty of that country, and when casting they would hire such names as Olivia Wilde, Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Beau Garrett, Desmond Askew and Miguel Lunardi would be hired to play Dr. Zamora the films main villain. The film was shot very barebones with not a lot of crew and the insects were very bad during filming. The underwater stunts in the caves were the actors, and many times during the shoot Olivia Wilde would have some scary issues in the water. Once the film was done Paul Haslinger would score it and 20^th Century Fox would release it under their Fox Atomic label to theaters on December 1, 2006 and it would do ok for them bringing in $14.7 million. The film would be called Paradise Lost in the U.K and Ireland, and this was the first film to be released under the Fox Atomic label. The film would only last around 8 weeks at the first run theaters and was met with mostly negative reviews from critics, with Fangoria Magazine at least being a fan of it. The film was also meet with protests due to the negative image it shows of Brazil, and this hurt the film’s run in South America as it was blamed for trying to scare tourist away from visiting. The film would be released on home media in 2007 and found a bigger audience when the DVD would feature both the theatrical and unrated editions of the film for viewers to see as well as tons of extras including deleted scenes and director commentary. The film in 2006 was released with such other films as An America Haunting, Creepshow 3, Evil Bong, Final Destination 3, The Grudge 2, Hatchet, The Hills Have Eyes, Pumpkinhead: Ashes To Ashes, Saw III, See No Evil, Silent Hill, Slither, Snakes Of A Plane and Underworld: Evolution to name a few.

Turistas is a film that I can remember when it was released to theaters as well as Home Media, but it took me all the way until 2023 to watch it even though I had both the film and comic for a long while…and I am not sure why it took me that long in order to watch it as it has a interesting plot and truly I am shocked I didn’t see in theaters to be honest. When Turistas was released, it was during the start of what critics called “torture porn horror” that was started by Saw in 2004 as well as Hostel in 2005, and while this was very bloody, when it comes to the scenes of stealing the organs, it in my opinion is not in the same league as those films in the bloody violent department and is more of a solid horror thriller that has some gruesome moments. What makes this film standout is that they really did film in Brazil, and this made the scenery very beautiful and 100% the film’s standout actor was Olivia Wilde who played Bea, one of the poor vacationers that is kidnapped and captured for organ harvesting. And as you know, Olivia has gone on to be in many horror and sci-fi films over the years including Alpha Dog (2006), Tron:Legacy (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Lazarus Effect (2015), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and was not only one of the lead actresses but also the director of “Don’t Worry Darling (2022)! Another standout in this film was Miguel Lunardi, who played the lead killer Dr. Zamora, and he is fantastic as he looks crazy and also careless when he takes live, a very solid performance. It also very cool that Fox Atomic understood that making comic books to help promote their films was a good idea to draw in more fans to the theater and also it brings moviegoers to comic shops to get a copy of the comic they have just seen. The film’s gore effects work really well with some of the surgery shots being real as they filmed a real doctor at work! Turistas is a film that I did enjoy when I finally watched it, but also I feel has been lost in the shuffle over time as this era for horror films was a mixed bag of theater hits, direct to DVD duds and everything in-between. But if you like horror thrillers about tourists in deep trouble, give this one a watch.

Now that we have talked about Turistas as well as its main villain Dr. Zamora we should get to the comic book based on this film that was release by IDW to help promote the film as well as deliver another horror comic into the hands of readers. And first I would like to thank an Amazon Seller for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. And what is cool with this one is just like with the movie, this will be a first time read for me, and much like the movie, I am not sure why it took me so long to give it a read. But if you are ready, I am ready to see what Horrors that Turistas has in store for us.

Turistas # 0 **1/2
Released in 2006 Cover Price $3.99 IDW # 1 of 1

Buck Mercer is a tourist who lands in Cambodia as in America he strikes out with the ladies, and he hopes to find some cheap thrills with the prostitutes in this foreign land. Once there he finds a young woman but as they are walking back to a hotel room, Buck is robbed and breaks down as all of his money is gone that he brought. But the woman tells him that it is ok, she works on credit and the two head back and have sex. Buck gets money wired to him from his bank and he spends a week with the woman who still will not take any money saying she works on credit, all the while the woman is also taking to someone on a cellphone. One night the woman drugs Buck, and he wakes up in a bathtub filled with ice feeling terrible, bloody and his organs have been stolen! We then join Don and Kym Axelrod who are in a more remote part of Cambodia to visit small villages and try and help the people, and they are joined by a guided named Pham who warns the couple not to take any pictures of the kids as they have been having issues with human trafficking. But of course Kym breaks the rules and the villagers turn on her and Don who are told to run by Pham as the men of the village gear up to attack! Don is knocked out and wakes up in the jungle seeing a chopped off human hand holding one of Kyms earrings and he sets out to rescue her. Don fights off and kills some of the villagers only to find that Pham has set them up all along as he is going to sell Kym to the slave market and then plans on eating the heart of Don!

This is a very strange comic tie in to a film as it does not feature Dr. Zamora nor does it even take place in Brazil instead it features two different stories with two different styles of baddies with one being a prostitute who steals organs from visiting tourist and the other is a guide who along with a village human traffics tourist and even eats the organs of others! The first story is about a chubby loser type guy who has no game with women. While on vacation he falls in love with a lady of the night only to wake up in a bathtub of ice with only one kidney. The other story has a couple who travel to a village to help the people who have been dealing with human trafficking only to find themselves the ones who are in need of help from being trafficked. The kidney-stealing prostitute is smooth in her operations as she uses her good looks and her skills in bed to rope in a dope and then once she has gotten a buyer uses drugs to knock them out and then steal and sell their organs on the black market. While Pham and the villagers almost seem to have a fun time messing with the tourist before they sell them or in the male tourists case eat their hearts, to Pham and his people its clear that life is cheap as they seemingly sacrifice their own people in order to toy with Don who is trying to rescue his wife. And while these stories are pretty well done and creepy, I really did wish it would have been about Dr. Zamora and his ways of stealing organs and killing those who got in his way. Out of the two stories as well I would have to say they are both very much even in the entertainment factor as both have their own sinister charm. The comic is does have bloody parts and does have some gory violent moments that should please the horror comic reader who loves the splatter. The cover for this comic is pretty much the theatrical poster making it eye catching for the fans of the film, but not so much for those who are unaware of the film as its just a close up of a woman’s face. The interior artwork was done by Fabian Slongo, and is pretty good stuff as he captures the rawness of the violence and the style of art that IDW had during this time. Over all while this ties into the theme of the film Turistas, it does not fully feel like a movie tie in comic as the main characters and place of this film are not showcased here, but with that said, it still was a entertaining read and fans of this fight flick should still check it out. Speaking of checking out, take a look at the artwork below to see the style of Slongo used in this comic release.

Well it seems like this vacation is over and it looks like the good old organs are still intact, so that means we must have stayed clear of Dr. Zamora! On a side note I wish that both IDW and Fox Atomic would have remained teaming up as there could have been some cool and interesting horror movie comics released! I should also point out that Fox Atomic did break off and have their own very short lived publishing company and even did a graphic novel based on the remake of The Hills Have Eyes (but that’s for a future update).Well before we go our separate ways until the next update, I should let you know that our next one will take us to the world of Italian horror as I will be covering Demons and a comic released by a record label! So until next time, make sure to read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a spooky, creepy good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Alien 3 (1992)

Posted on April 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this update we are going to travel to the outreaches of space and where no one can hear you scream and the terrors of Xenomorphs are all around you! And for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update we will be talking about Alien 3 and the adaptation comic series done by Dark Horse Comics who did a great job of delivering great comics based around the Alien series as well as many other movies when they had the licenses. To be honest, I was really torn on what Alien film to choose to cover for this update as I could have gone with Heavy Metal’s graphic novel adaptation of the original 1979 film, or the Aliens adaptation done by a Turkish publisher or lastly Alien: Resurrection that of course Dark Horse Released…but I chose Alien 3 as this was the one series I had when I was younger so it holds a special place with me. So if you are ready, get into your space suit and let’s head out to see what terrors and chaos this Xenomorph has in store for us.

Let’s start by taking a look at the Xenomorph (also called Dragon) from this film and its way of dealing death to those who cross its path. This Xenomorph was born when a face hugger attached itself to a Rottweiler dog on a planet that is filled with prisoners who have turned religious, but some are truly still bad people. This alien takes on the characteristics of the dog host the birthed it and walks on all fours and moves very fast when charging at its prey. This Xenomorph is also very stealthy and can hide in the shadows as well as small places in order to sneak up on its prey. Let’s not forget about its strange and monstrous appearance that can frighten a person to death as its blackish, grey in color has a skeleton looking endoskin, long fingers and a small mouth that extends from his normal mouth that it can used to puncture the skin of a person putting a whole right through them. This Xenomorph also has sharp teeth that, if it chooses, could bite and rip flesh, and it will use them and its claws to shred a person like a wild animal. It also has a long tail that it can uses to impale a person as well as can whip it around causing injury. The Xenomorph can also spit acid and its blood is also made of acid and this will burn the flesh of humans straight through and will also burn through metal. The Xenomorph is also very strong and can lift a person up into the air very easily and it can also climb on walls and ceilings. It can also make weird hissing noises and when attacking sometimes will go into a frenzy slashing and biting its human prey. But while this dog Xenomorph is very dangerous and deadly, it is still a living thing and that means it can be hurt and killed with being shot being a big way to end its life, you can also drop boiling hot lead onto it and then cold water as this will cause it to explode. But while it can die, this Xenomorph is very dangerous as if it is able to breed and create more of its kind worlds could truly end and become overrun with its species.

So now that we looked at this canine infused Xenomorph, I think that it’s time we took a look at the film that spawned him and that of course is Alien 3 that was released in 1992 from Fox. Like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s run around this isolated planet and see if we can stay one step ahead of this Alien.

Alien 3 (1992)

“Ellen Ripley is the only survivor when she crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet’s maximum security prison. Once again, Ripley must face skepticism and the alien as it hunts down the prisoners and guards. Without weapons or modern technology of any kind, Ripley leads the men into battle against the terrifying creature.”

20^th Century Fox was very much behind making more sequels to the 1979 hit Alien and with the 1986 film Aliens being a big hit for them a third film in the series was put into motion, but that was after going through a ton of scripts and ideas as they could not find the right one they felt would take the story to a new place and not just repeat the actions of the previous two films. Some of the ideas pitched would have had the Xenomorphs being used as weapons to keep people in line by the Weyland Corporation with Ripley and Hicks having to fight them in a epic battle. Another idea would have the Aliens invading Earth with another being that it would take place on a prison world…the latter is what Fox ended up choosing. So with many rewrites and drama, the film’s screenplay would be written by many writers that include David Giler, Larry Ferguson and Walter Hill ,and after a big search and rehires the directors chair ended up going to David Fincher, who was a music video director. The casting would see Sigourney Weaver and Lance Henriksen return to play Ellen Ripley and Bishop and new names to the cast included Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Pete Postlethwaite, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Holt McCallany to name a few. Fox would give the film a budget of $60 million and would be shot in England, and the film had a stressful shooting schedule and time, but once done Elliot Goldenthal would do the film’s score and it would be released in theaters on May 22, 1992 and would do well for Fox as the worldwide box office bringing in $159.8 million and would end up being #28 for the year out of 200 films. The film was meet with very mixed reviews from critics and movie goers and it would gain its following over the years, mostly thanks to home media releases. In 1992 Alien 3 was released alongside such other horror films as Army Of Darkness, Candyman, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dr. Giggles, Demonic Toys, The Lawnmower Man, Hellraiser III, Dust Devil, Mindwarp, Tale Of A Vampire, RAAT, Critters 4, Waxwork II, Severed Ties, Stepfather III, Split Second, The Vagrant and Buffy The Vampire Slayer to name a few. Alien 3 is a film that still gets some hate over all these years but has found its fan base as well and is worth a watch if you enjoy the Alien film franchise.

I am going to start off by saying that I am a fan of Alien 3 and have never understood the hate that the film would get from critics and viewers who trashed the more dark tones and complained about the downbeat mood of the film. I do understand one complaint about the film and that’s the death of Hicks and Newt in such a lackluster off screen way from the start, as we all would have liked to seen them continue on, but instead we got to watch Ripley once more be the hero she is and help a group of prisoners try and survive as well as sacrifice herself in order to kill the baby alien that was growing inside her. The film also gives us one more scene with android Bishop played masterfully by Lance Henriksen who also appears briefly as Michael Bishop Weyland, a man who clams to have been the creator of the androids. But one thing that I noticed that stands out like a sore thumb in this film is many of the digital effects look bad, and I mean really bad now as sometimes the alien looks like clip art made into a gif and placed in the film. But while the digital effects are questionable, the practical effects look really good and the Xenomorph looks as scary as ever. Speaking of the Xenomorph, I really like that they hint that the alien takes on much of its hosts traits and in this case a dog as the alien behaves at times like a wild dog! One thing that kind of stinks is that the film’s own director David Fincher is said to hate this film as do many of the past cast who think Fox did the whole series dirty with this one mostly by killing off the characters from the second film early all with off screen deaths. I saw the film when released on home media and at this point had already played and beat the Sega Genesis game based around it, read the adaptation novel and had talked about the Alien films with family and friends all the time…and after seeing it the first time, I really enjoyed it, a feeling I still have about the film to this day. While I get that the film is not as scary as Alien nor as epic as Aliens, it was a nice follow up that pushed the story forward and try something new with Ripley and the universe this series was building. Don’t just follow the trends of hating on films before you even see them, and check this one out and make up your own mind as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So now that we have taken a look at the Xenomorph as well as the film Alien 3, we should get to the adaptation comic of the film that was released by Dark Horse Comics who for many years made some very cool comics based on films and shows as besides Alien they had comics based on Predator, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, The Terminator, The Thing, Gamera, Pumpkinhead and Darkness Falls to name a few. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s walk around the passage ways of the foundry located on Fiorina and see if we can stay out of the reach of the alien lurking around in the shadows.

Alien 3 # 1 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 3

A spaceship floating through space crash lands on the prison planet called Fiorina 161 with Ellen Ripley being the only survivor as Corporal Hick and Newt died, but an alien has also arrived on the planet via the crash. Mr. Andrews runs the prison planet and is not happy that a woman has arrived on the planet and order Doctor Clemens to keep her in the sick bay and not let he roam among the prisoners. A group of prisoners are sent out to retrieve the bodies and the wrecked ship, and their pet dog acts strange after making some noises. When Ripley wakes up, she finds out about the deaths of her friends and has Clemens take her to the ships wreckage and then learns that there are only 25 prisoners and one dog on the planet and they just work maintenance at the Weylend factory they all live in. Ripley asks Clemens to perform an autopsy on Newt as she tells him that it’s cause she wanted to make sure of the cause of death claiming it could have been from a sickness, but really she fears that the young girl could have an alien inside her as the wrecked ship had marks of acid blood being split. After the autopsy she finds that Newt really did pass away from the wreck and Andrews allows the Doctor to cremate the bodies and all the prisoners attend with one named Dillon saying the prayer. But while they all pay respects to the dead, the pet dog is sick and an alien is born from its torn apart body! Ripley shaves her head and finds that the prisoners really do not want her around as many of them in the past were killers and sexual predators of females, and she also has a bond with Clemens who is called out to look at a body of a prisoner that was knocked into a giant fan by the Xenomorph who spit acid in his face unknown to all of them. As Ripley goes to the scrapyard to find the body of android Bishop who would have the flight recorder of the crashed ship three prisoners on repair duty are attacked by the Xenomorph and only one is able to make a escape.

This adaptation comic from Dark Horse Comics starts pretty strong as it does a good job of staying true this far to the films plot and yet speeding up some of it in order to not only fit the film into three issues but also to keep it a little faster paced. The plot for the first issue to sum it up has Ellen Ripley waking up in a prison planet after the ship she was on wrecked and killed her friends, now she is stuck there with convicted killers and attackers who have now turned religious. But unknown to her the convicts are not the only threats that she has to worry about as a Xenomorph that was born inside a dog has also arrived and is looking to kill. While Ellen Ripley is tough, she is around some very dangerous men who nearly all have a history of violence towards women, so she really needs to be on her toes. Doctor Clemens is clearly a prisoner as well who seems to have changed his ways, but is not yet ready to share his dirty little secrets with Ellen who he has been treating. Clemens also seems to be respected by the fellow prisoners but also is on the annoyed side of Andrews who seems to not be filled in on all the goingson in the prison. And while Dillon is a dangerous man, it’s clear that he is trying to stay very loyal to his religious oath, and while he don’t like Ellen being there, he clearly has no want to hurt her. The Dog Xenomorph is very mean and quick and in this issue claims three lives that we see with one getting acid spit into his face! The issue does have some blood being spilt and violence making it a fun spooky read. The cover is really cool and eye-catching as it showcases a Xenomorph, and the interior art is done by artist Christopher Taylor and is good stuff and truly has that 90’s Dark Horse Comics look, and I have to praise his ability to draw the Xenomorph…and for those wondering the characters do not look like the actors who played them. A good issue for sure and is your average horror comic read based on a film, so if you are ready, let’s head to issue two and see what scares await us.

Alien 3 # 2 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 3

Ripley heads to the junk pile and finds the body of Bishop, but before she can get it back to the medical bay, she is attacked by some of the prisoners who are looking for a good time…but she is saved by Dillon, who beats up his fellow inmates with a crowbar and sends Ripley out of the area. Meanwhile Clemons is getting yelled at by Andrews for spending to much time with Ripley and not sharing any information with him as they have gotten a call that members of a very powerful corporation are on their way to get her. While at the medical bay Ripley learns from Bishop that a alien was on board the ship when they crashed and that all this information as been sent to the Weyland Corporation, he then has her terminate his life. The surviving prisoner of the Xenomorph attack is blamed for the murders of his fellow inmates and Ripley tries to warn Andrews and his assistant Aaron of the horrors that is roaming their prisoner factory, only for her to be mocked and ignored, as Andrews does not respect her at all and can not wait for the Weyland company to get her. Ripley goes back to Clemons and he comes clean to her that he was a drug addict doctor for years and that is what landed him there, but out of nowhere the Xenomorph attacks knocking Clemons’ head off and Ripley runs away to the mess hall where Andrews is holding a prisoner meeting and is his grabbed up into the ceiling by the Xenomorph. Ripley takes control and gets all the prisoners to set up a trap tat will seal the Xenomorph away from them all, and during this time she also learns that she has an Alien Queen in her chest! And also the crazed prisoner is free and thinks the Xenomorph is his friend.

The second issue has Ripley being attacked by some of the prisoners, being hated by the warden, finding out that a Xenomorph is in the prison factory, finds out that a company has interest in her, she is feeling sick and she watches as her only friend on the planet gets his head knocked off…so in other words she is having a very bad time on this planet! While Ripley is having a rough time, she is also a fighter as she does what she can to survive as well as try and warn the others of what kind of terror could be waiting for them around every dark corner. The one bad thing is that she also learns that the planet does not have any weapons as they do not want the prisoners to get ahold of them, leaving her pretty much defenseless against the alien. And when things get really bad Ripley also steps up and becomes the “leader” of the prisoners when they have to find a way to bring down the Xenomorph. Speaking of the Xenomorph, this alien is on a killing spree and is taking down the prisoners one by one and is doing so in such bloody ways, as that’s right this issue brings the blood and violence with the best kill being Clemons getting his head knocked off. The Prisoners seem very lost when their warden and boss Andrews is killed, and while some are for following Ripley others are not, but when Dillon puts his foot down that she is the one with leadership skills they all fall in line. The issue ends on a cliffhanger as Ripley discovers that she has an Alien Queen growing inside her, not to even mention that the Xenomorph is now on the attack causing panic with the prisoners. The cover for this issue is my favorite of the series as it really is a great cover that features the comic/movies monster. And like the last issue the interior art was done by Christopher Taylor, and again is good stuff if you like that Dark Horse Comics art style of the 90’s. And like before this, comic does a good job of staying close to the source material of the film and has some changes that makes it seem like a slightly new experience in that film’s universe. With that, let’s get to the third and final issue in this adaptation comic mini series.

Alien 3 # 3 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 3 of 3

Ripley discovers a message from the Weyland Company that alerts that they want the Xenomorph alive, and worse the Xenomorph has been captured but is set free by the crazed blamed prisoner who gets himself as well as another prisoner killed! The remaining prisoners all rush to the cell block and talk if they want to try and fight the Alien or just hide for the next 10 hours until the rescue ship arrives. Ripley meanwhile finds the Xenomorph and learns that it will not kill her cause of the Queen growing inside her, she makes a deal with Dillon that when they kill the alien he will in turn kill her to end this things bloodline…he agrees. After some harsh words with the fellow prisoners they come up with a idea that would have them trap the Xenomorph again and this time drop molten lead on it! The plan starts off smooth but soon goes into chaos as the Xenomorph starts catching and killing the prisoners until only Ripley, Dillon and one other are left alive…they are able to trap the alien and drop the lead on him, but during this time it is able to kill Dillon. The team from Weyland show up just in time to see Ripley drop water onto the melting Xenomorph and it explodes! And as the Weyland people try to convince Ripley to follow them to the ship so they can help her, she does not trust them and as the Queen in being born she leaps into the molten lead ending her life as well as the new Queens.

The saga of Ripley comes to an end…well at least until the next film and comic based on that film was released. In this issue’s plot Ripley and the remaining prisoners come up with an idea to kill the Xenomorph before the rescue team can arrive as they all know that the company wants to save the aliens life to use it as a weapon in wars. And while most of them all die they are able to kill the creature and Ripley is able to end her own life and destroy the Queen that was being born, ending the terror for now. Ripley really does want to die in this issue as she fears what will happen if any of the aliens are taken to Earth and knows that her death is the only thing that can stop it from happening as if they get their hands on the Queen growing inside her they could have an armor of them in no time. Dillon becomes a hero for sure as through this series he is the one who stops the other prisoners attack on Ripley, gives his life to try and bring down the Xenomorph and seems to truly be one of the prisoners who have found religion. The Weyland people are very much liars as they even send the creator of the android Bishop in order to try and get Ripley to follow them to their ship to “save” her and get ride of the alien baby…its clear they do not care about the people on the prison planet and really just want the power of the Xenomorph. And speaking of the Alien it really is a killing machine as it makes quick and bloody work out of many of the prisoners and while it is very dangerous it dies a painful death as hot lead and cold water don’t mix! The comic stays pretty close to the film and does change Dillon’s death as here he is dragged into the molten lead as in the film he is trapped with the alien and demands they drop the lead to try and kill the alien. The issue has lots of blood and kills and this helps add to the Horror of the comic, but to be honest lots of the scares comes from the dark mood and atmosphere. Like before artist Christopher Taylor does the interior art and its good stuff and the cover like before as well is really cool and eye-catching. Over all if you like the film Alien 3 or just the Alien films and comics in general, you should check this one out. Take a look at the artwork below to see the style used by Christopher Taylor in this comic mini series.

Alien 3 really is one of those films that you either love of hate, with much more being very negative about it…but if you like a more dark mood outing for the Aliens, then this is one I think you will enjoy. Plus once more I have to stress that I miss the days of Dark Horse Comics when they would make some amazing comics based on horror films, they seem to be lacking in that department lately. But with all that said our time with Alien 3 is coming to an end so I think that before we head our separate ways I would like to tell you that the next update of course will keep us in the world of horror films as we will be talking about the 1965 film Two On A Guillotine and the Dell Comic adaptation of the film. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next time for a evil magic show in a haunted house!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Predator 2 (1990)

Posted on March 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as this is one that has been on my list to cover for a while now as it is a film that I grew up a fan of and even had these comics shortly after it was released in my collection. The topic is Predator 2, the cool sequel that takes our alien hunter out of the jungle and into the concrete jungle of a big city! And in this one he takes on a strong willed cop and not a mercenary. Predator 2 is one of those films that got a comic that could have also been covered on a “Alien Invasion” update, but I feel it’s more fitting for a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” on as this film brings on the kills, blood and scares as The Predator stalks the streets and makes anyone armed the prey, and that means good guys and not just the bad guys! So if you are ready, let’s head out into the city heat and not only avoid the everyday criminals but also one that has came from outer space and wants to collect skulls as trophies.

Let’s take a look at The Predator from Predator 2 ,and his ways of dealing death to those he is hunting! The Predator is a massive alien from outer space who is using the city of LA, California as his hunting ground and he has the means and weapons to make many people dead. First he has the ability to cloak and become invisible to the human eye, making it possible for him to stalk and kill you without even seeing him. And when you do see him, his massive monstrous appearance strikes fear into the hearts of those unlucky to lay eyes on him as he is one ugly creature. He also is very smart and wears armor and a helmet with the helmet making him able to see body heat, bright lights as well as mimic the voices of humans, making his helmet a very important part of his arsenal. The weapons he has are his arm blades, two razor sharp blades that are on his wrist that can shred human skin and cut through bone, Combistick a spear with a blade at the end of it, Netgun a gun that fires a net at high speed that can capture as well as kill as it cuts through skin, Energy Flechette a missile that he can fire from his wrist, Smart Disc a circle blade weapon that he can throw and it finds its target can cut a person in half, Self-Destruct Device that he wears on his write that once activated and goes off is like a mini nuclear bomb, and finally he also has his Plasmacaster a shoulder cannon that locks on a target and can blow a massive hole through them. As you can see, his weapons are all tools to kill and can make short work out of almost all he comes across. The Predator stands well over 7 feet tall and is also very strong as he can kill a person with his bare hands in seconds; he is also skilled at hunting and messing with his prey in other words The Predator is one mean killing machine who if he wants you dead…you are. While the Predator is an alien, he can be hurt and killed like any other living being as guns, sharp objects, extreme cold and falls can kill or injure him and make his green blood spill. His pride in hunting can also do him in as even when hurt his passion to keep going kicks in and can cause him to make some mistakes that could lead to his death. But while he has weaknesses luck is the only thing that will help you if you come face to face with The Predator as he is one dangerous killer and is one of the more dangerous killers we have showcased on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update.

So now that we looked at The Predator from the second film in the series, I think it’s now time that we take a look at the film itself. I would like to remind you that I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts. So let’s try and avoid being hunted and chat about Predator 2.

Predator 2 (1990)

“LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his cocky detective partner Jerry Lambert (soon realize that what seemed a bloody feud between voodoo high priest King Willie’s Jamaican gangs and Ramon Vega’s Colombian drug gang is actually the work of a scary third party. Peter Keyes’s federal team shields the crime scene even for the LAPD, but after forensics proves it must be an alien, who keeps making victims, the chase brings them all together.”

The 1987 film Predator was a big hit for 20^th Century Fox and this sparked them having interest in doing a sequel and had screenwriters Jim & John Thomas to come up with ideas and after many failed pitches it was the idea of having The Predator hunting in a urban setting that got the green light. The producer of the film was Joel Silver and his first action was to bring Stephen Hopkins to direct, and he worked closely with the Thomas Brothers to try and get the film as epic as they could, and Hopkins was no stranger to horror as in 1989 he was the director for “A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child” and he was a good choice to helm this film. When casting the lead role of Lieutenant Mike Harrigan names like Steven Seagal and Patrick Swayze was brought up but Danny Glover ended up with the role, others actors brought in for key parts included Gary Busey, Bill Paxton, Maria Conchita Alonso, Adam Baldwin, Ruben Blades and Robert Davi and Kevin Peter Hall returned to play The Predator and in small cameo rolls was TV talk show host Morton Downey Jr. and adult film actress Teri Weigel. And while Arnold Schwarzenegger was supposed to return as Dutch, a pay dispute seen him leaving the film but Elpidia Carrillo returned in a very small cameo as Anna Gonsalves from the first film. The look and suit of The Predator had some minor changes and they even made the decision to have a skull from a Xenomorph as s set piece. The film has a normal stressful production and was released in theaters on November 21, 1990 and did well at the box office in American brining in $30,669,413.00 on a budget of around $20 million, placing in at # 38 for the year and beat out such other Horror Films as Child’s Play 2, Jacob’s Ladder, The Exorcist III, The First Power, The Guardian, Tales From The Darkside The Movie and Tremors. The film was also scored by Alan Silvestri and is a great follow up to the original and over the years has built up a cult following.

I am going to say this first thing I am a fan of Predator 2 and have been since it was released and behind the original film, it is my second favorite in the series! I had not only the film on VHS but also had the comic adaptation, the novel adaptation and had the video game for the Sega Genesis and I have never understood why this film over the years has gotten so much hate from critics and fans of the series. The film has an amazing cast with Danny Glover being fantastic as the badass cop Lieutenant Harrigan who is a great hero for as he really goes after and takes the fight to the Predator. I also like his fellow officers and team Danny Boy, Leona and Jerry as they all make such a great team and are played by some topnotch actors Ruben Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso and Bill Paxton. Plus it stars Gary Busey who was an actor I liked at the time and before he truly became all crazy and touchy to female fans at Horror and Comic Conventions. Plus I really liked that the second film took The Predator out of the jungle and dropped him into a big city and having it take place during a heat wave was a smart move as the hot climate mirrored the jungle, and doing like this made it not seem like a rehash of the first film. I also think that the film had some really cool and impactful kills as the deaths of both Jerry and Danny Boy are sad and the brutal killings of the drug pushers have you cheering as the Predator shows no mercy. Also the film is very quotable as I cannot count how many times I have done the speech given by one of King Willies men to one of their victims about voodoo and taking souls. It’s truly a great line, and I have also done the “Want Some Candy” line with a robotic sounding voice. The film when released as well I can remember the TV ads, the poster in the paper for screening times at the local theaters as well as it being on the cover and covered in Fangoria Magazine. Again to sum it up, I am a fan of Predator 2 and do not understand the hate the film gets and I think that if you are one of those who hate it and have not watched it in awhile, go back and re-watch it and remove the “its not like the first film” from your mind and I think you just might enjoy it.

So now that we have talked about The Predator as well as the film Predator 2, I think we are now at the point of this update that we review the comic based around said film! And to be honest, this is one that I have had on the list of comics that I wanted to do an update about and it has taken me way too long to get to it so I am really glad that the time has come for me to do so. I want to thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I want to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to L.A. as I hear they are having a bad heat wave and that The Predator has returned as he really has developed a taste for fresh beef straight out of the slaughterhouse here on Earth.

Predator 2 # 1 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 2

The year is 1997 and with the temperature reaching 109 degrees, a shoot out between the cops and some of the El Scorpios drug gang has broken out in the street leaving a cop bleeding to death and both sides exchanging gunfire. But when Lieutenant Harrigan shows up he is able to use his own car as a battering ram and gets the officers a chance to save the dying officer as well as take out a few of the gangs members. But Harrigan and his team that consists of Danny Boy and Leona are told to stay out of the building that the rest of the gang is hiding in as a special unit team has been called in, but Harrigan and his men don’t listen and go in and end up finding the bodies of many of the gangsters as they have been slaughtered and one member even falls from the roof to his death after seeing the outline of The Predator who was in the building and killed all the gang members. Back at the station Harrigan and his men are in trouble for disobeying orders, learns that a Federal Task Force has been called in to tackle the drug war and it will be run by an Agent Peter Keyes and he also gets a new part of his team with Jerry Lambert. Later that night the Predator attacks a group of the rival gangs member that are lead by King Willie who is a voodoo priest, and once more Harrigan and his men don’t listen to orders and get in big trouble when after Danny Boy is killed while looking into the murder scene. And Keyes and his men threaten Harrigan if he keeps interfering in their crime scenes. But after Danny’s funeral, Harrigan is on a personal mission to find the killer and even lets Keye’s know that his words mean nothing to him as Leona and Jerry stay with Harrigan and come up with a plan to find out who Keyes really is, what he knows about this killer on the loose and to find and track said killer to pay him back for taking out their fellow officer and friend. Later that night Harrigan meets with the drug lord King Willie to find out if he knows who this killer of his men as well as all the others is, and Willie tells him that the killer is from the other side before they part ways. The Predator then comes for Willie and ends the voodoo man’s life.

This is really a fun read, and if you are a fan of Predator 2 like I am this comic adaptation does the film justice as well as adds its own touch to the story as it takes away element from the film in order to speed up the story and make it fit into two issues. Like while much of the violence is around it is not as bloody as the film, the comic also has the events pretty much taken from the side of Harrigan as he acts as the narrator and moves the story along and moments that are cut from the panels are showcased in his words. The one part that I wish that was not cut from the story so much was Jerry Lambert joining the team as in the film it’s a really cool scene as they all kind of bust his balls, but in the comic he just kind of joins. The plot is very simple and has the city of L.A. in big trouble as a drug war is going on and the temperature is so high that tempers are out of control, and worse the cops are now having to find a killer who is killing people on all sides and that means the drug dealers as well as the officers…and things get worse when the government send a team in to take control and they are full of secrets and are hiding the truth from the cops. Lieutenant Harrigan is the hero of our story and is a cop who does not take crap from anyone, he breaks the rules all the time but it cause he wants to bring down the bad guys and do his job right and that is to serve and protect the innocent as well as watch the backs of his fellow officers. He is super skilled when it comes to shooting and his never back down attitude is what makes him the target of The Predator as he see’s Harrigan as the ultimate hunt in L.A. and he ain’t wrong. Harrigan’s team are much like him great cops who break the rules but get the job done and they are all very great characters and make a great team as Danny Boy, Leona and Jerry are the kind of partners you would want on your side if you were a cop. Keyes and his team are slimey as they threaten and use intimidation to try and get people to fall in line to what they want them to do. And while the feuding drug pushers are around they are a non-factor once The Predator enters the city as he makes quick work of them all including King Willie, who is a very powerful boss as well as a voodoo priest. I do wish that the comic was a little more bloody but I do think fans of the red stuff will not be let down by this comic. The cover is pretty cool and is a still from the movie and shows The Predator in all his glory, and the interior artwork is done by Dan Barry and is great stuff as he was working on many of Dark Horse Comics Predator series around this time. This is a great read and leaves us on the cliffhanger of King Willie being killed by the alien hunter, and makes me want to see what the second issue has in store.

Predator 2 # 2 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 2

Lieutenant Harrigan is visiting the grave of his friend Danny Boy when he finds apart of his friends necklace hanging from the tree and he knows that the killer is playing games with him. Once back at the station Harrigan meets up with Leona and Jerry who he tells to take the subway towards the slaughterhouse as a tip found on the body of Danny Boy leads them to the killer might be using it as a hideout and at one point Jerry confirms that while tracking Keyes he lost him around that area. But while on the train the Predator attacks and kills many of the civilians as well as kills Jerry and steals his skull as a trophy. And the Predator only let Leona live because she was pregnant, but when Harrigan arrives on the scene he see’s the Predator and gives chase for the alien through the streets of L.A. but losses him. As Harrigan keeps tracking The Predator he runs into Keyes and his men who finally inform the officer that the killer he is looking for is an alien who is the ultimate hunter and he is killing people in the city due to the high heat and the high crime rate as this is the perfect hunting ground for him. Harrigan then watches and Keyes and some of his men head into the slaughter house with the idea to capture the Predator in order to study its technology…they fail and are all killed by him. But Harrigan once more goes after the Predator and even is able to cut off one of the aliens hands! Harrigan tracks the Predator to his own ship and the two have a final showdown and Harrigan is able to kill it with his own Smart Disc, and as the Predator dies more of his kind appear on the ship and take their fallen friend away as one gives Harrigan a dueling pistol and allows him to leave the ship alive. The Predator’s ship takes off back to space as Harrigan looks to the sky and knows that they will return someday.

The second issue in this adaptation of Predator 2 does the film justice as well and is a great read for fans of the film as the plot of this second issue has Harrigan and the remaining members of his team going on the hunt for the one who killed their friend only for them to be the ones being hunted and Harrigan must come face to face with The Predator and have a showdown that will leave only one of them alive and the alien hunter learns he messed with the wrong cop! Lieutenant Harrigan in this issue has had enough as he totally goes against orders and even stands up to Keyes and his men letting them know that they don’t scare him and that he will do what he has to do to bring down the killer, and he does just that as even after finding out the killer is a massive alien he still goes after it full force and is able to cut the alien down to size using the hunters own weapon to end it’s life! Poor Jerry ends up getting killed in this issue and his skull and spine removed as Leona is left alive but is very much left in shock on what she has seen. The Predator himself is very skilled and also a little cruel as he seems to enjoy trying to bait and anger Harrigan throughout as he leaves Danny Boy’s necklace for Harrigan to find as well as removes Jerry’s skull right in front of him, but while The Predator is skilled I think he was also a little to cocky and that is why he ends up getting taken down in the end. Keyes and his men as well are way to cocky and think that they can just freeze and capture the Predator and they learn very quickly they are out skilled and out smarted and are left as dead as the meat hanging in the slaughterhouse! The second issue has some blood and cool kills and I have to say both human and alien blood is spilled. The cover for this issue as well is a still from the movie and is pretty great as its one of the most iconic images from the film, and like before Dan Barry is the interior artist and his work is great stuff and has the early Dark Horse Comics style and those who grew up reading such comics as Terminator, Pumpkinhead and Aliens from them will know what I mean. This is a very cool adaptation and while as I said moments from the film are missing or are condensed down it still is a very solid read and one I enjoyed back then and still do now. Checkout the artwork below to see they style of Dan Barry as I really do like the way he draws The Predator. Oh and I should also say for those wondering, the characters in the comic do not look like the actors from the film so those wanting to see Danny Glover, Gary Busey and Bill Paxton might be a little disappointed.

The film Predator 2 made for a great comic adaptation as the film is filled with lots of action and some great kills that are just perfect for pages in a comic book. The one thing is the first film from 1987 never did get the comic book treatment and that’s crazy as it really should have, as imagine seeing a drawn Dutch doing battle against the Predator in the jungle…that would have been awesome. And what is cool for fans of the Predator films is that over the years many different comic series have been made featuring them, and while Dark Horse Comics has the most released, even Marvel Comics more recently has released some issues. But as you can see, this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update has come to an end as we have survived the heat as well as the Predator, and I think that it’s time for me to tell you that our next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as we take a look at another Indie Luchador File! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as this Luchador was a true legend on the indies and really likes the color Blue!

Matt Goes To The Movies 2024

Posted on January 1, 2025 by bloodlinematt

It’s 2025! I hope that you had a great holiday season and were able to spend it with family, Friends, pets and plants as I know that is what I did. But 2024 was also a very interesting year for cinema in the theaters as Hollywood had a rough time with the actors’ and writers’ strikes in 2023 and this caused many films to be delayed and shifted around as well as allowed some more indie films to get their time to shine. But sadly for me, at the start of the year I had some medical issues that kept me out of the theater, so I saw way fewer movies than I normally do including missing some bigger released films like Dune Part 2, Madame Web, The First Omen, Gladiator 2, Kraven The Hunter, Joker 2, to name a few. But I still tried to go and see as many horror films that I could as I am always loyal to my favorite genre! This update might not be as epic as years past, but I do think that you all will have a blast sitting here at the Rotten Ink Theater with me as we talk about the movies I saw in the theater in 2024.

I only got to see a small amount of films in 2024, and the ones I did get to see were mostly horror as that is my favorite genre but I did get to see the following films Deadpool And Wolverine, Twisters and I.S.S. So yeah, not a lot to work with here, but I did still try and see every horror film I could…while I missed some due to health issues, I was able to checkout a good amount this year on the big screen so let’s just get to my countdown of the best horror films I saw in the theater in 2024!

# 41

Social media stars Sam and Colby along with friend Nate are heading to Nevada in order to investigate the legendary Skin Walker Ranch to look into all the paranormal goings on in the area from UFO sightings, skin walker spottings and even the ghost of a Native American shaman who is said to protect the land. The three friends stop at Boot Hill to visit the graves of the people killed in the old west town before starting their creepy investigation that takes them all over the ranch, hearing all kinds of noises, having some communications with the other side, getting spooked and finally learning what it is all about. This film is clearly made for a younger audience and is a weird mix of documentary and horror film as parts are clearly set up all the while they are also trying to tell you about the legends of the area. The film really does feel like one long YouTube video with very little scares being shown and lots of stock footage used over and over again to get the story moving. While this was not for me, I am very happy to see that the pairs’ fans really enjoyed the film and wish the pair of young filmmakers the best of luck on all their future projects. The film did well for the pair at the domestic box office bringing in $1,755,000 on an unknown budget, and I am sure this will lead to more of their paranormal investigating films to make it on the big screen.

# 40

In the White Pines woods an undead killer Johnny, who committed a massacre there many years ago, returns after his mother’s locket necklace is stolen from his grave by a group of friends who are staying at a nearby cabin. Johnny is on a mission to get the locket back and as well kill as many people as he comes across on this quest. In the end Kris is the only one left alive, and she tries to return his locket, but is this enough to save her life? Watch this indie slasher film to find out for yourself. This is a film that is not for everyone as it is really slow moving and very boring in spots as much of the film is just Johnny walking slowly around the woods…and I mean A LOT of this film is this. The ending is also pointless and has long dialogue moments that go nowhere and have zero payout, and for me the sin this film commits is that it really is very boring in long sections of the runtime. As for the stuff that works for it, some of the kills are gruesome and well done. I also didn’t mind the killer Johnny as he is kind of cool looking and has a classic slasher kind of backstory. Some of the shots are good when not static and boring and the sound is well done and is like a character of its own. The film did well for IFC Films on a limited release bring in $4,229,999.00 at the domestic box office on an unknown budget. This was a film that I could not get into, but I can see why some horror fans enjoy it.

# 39

Actor Tony Miller has just come off a battle with drugs & alcohol and has been cast in a horror film called “The Georgetown Project” where he plays a priest who tries to save the life of a possessed young woman, but after the start of filming Tony seems to be losing his mind as something has taken over causing him to act strangely at home as well as on set. His daughter Lee, along with her girlfriend and star of the film Blake and man of God Father Conor, try to save her father’s very soul as a demon clearly has a hold of him and a showdown takes place on the closed down film set that pits daughter and father against one another, but is his daughters love and the power of Christ enough to set his tortured soul free or will evil come out on top? Watch this possession film to find out for yourself. This is a pretty fun demonic possession film that for the most part just blends in with all the other films that have this same plot, but what does set this one apart for most of the others is the casting as Russell Crowe, David Hyde Pierce, Chloe Bailey, Ryan Simpkins and Sam Wothington are all great in their roles and give solid performances with what they are given to work with. The film scares are delivered by the overuse of jump scares as well as just the subject matter of demons and lost faith. One other note I should say is the Kevin Williamson is one of the film’s producers. The film did ok for Vertical Entertainment at the domestic box office bringing in $4,530,418.00 on an unknown budget. While it’s not a ground breaking film, I did have a good time seeing this in the theater.

# 38

Curtis works for a marketing company and has a loving wife Meredith and three kids Iris, Preston and Cal. As apart of his job he has a smart AI device called AIA put in, and their lives change as it does things to make their lives better. Slowly Curtis starts to question the company behind AIA and also the device itself as something just seems off about them both, and when a strange person from a motorhome appears and does strange hand gestures it’s the final straw and Curtis tries to get AIA out of his home and away from his family, but this AI does not want to leave without a fight. This is a fun sci-fi horror film that brings some jump scares as well as brings to light the unknown dangers of AI. The film is well acted and stars such names as John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Ashley Romans, Lukita Maxwell and Keith Carradine. The film did okat for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $6,725,687.00 on a budget of only $12 million. While the trailers made it look like a ghost movie, it really is not, and while it got very mixed reviews from critics and fans, it was a fun film to see on the big screen and is one that I will watch again on home media.

# 37

One year ago a super moon turned millions of people into werewolves when they looked up at it, and now a group of scientists are trying to figure out how to block the effects of the moon this year as well as protect those who were effected last year and have a craving to become the beast again by using a spray. Wesley Marshall, a former military man, is part of this scientific group and is also watching after his sister in law Lucy and niece Emma after his brother passed away during the first werewolf outbreak. After the experiment goes wrong at the lab and chaos is breaking loose, Wesley does what he must to get to what is left of his family to protect them against the horrors of the werewolves that are roaming around outside as their ranks get growing and people keep dying. This is a horror action film that feels like a slightly bigger budget direct to Sy-Fy movie that has some truly unintentional goofy moments and characters that made really dumb decisions. The film does have practical effects werewolves so that is a plus. The film stars Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, IIfenesh Hadera, Lou Diamond Phillips and James Michael Cummings as the leads and all do their best in what they are given. The film has lots of shaky camera moments and over uses blinking lights so be warned. The film did ok for Briarcliff Entertainment at the domestic box office bring in $1,903,905 on an unknown budget. If you like werewolf films filled with action and goofy moments, check this one out.

# 36

The Ghostbusters are back in New York, but while busting they are also causing damage to public property and this makes them a target of Mayor Walter Peck who has for decades had issues with the team, and worse he forces them to take Phoebe Spengler off the team due to her being only fifteen. So while her mother, brother and former science teacher are busting ghosts, she is forced to hang around the firehouse…but things change when she meets a ghost named Malory in the park as well as when original Ghostbusters Ray Stantz & Winston Zeddemore research and unleash Garakka a evil spirit who can control other ghosts as well as cause the world the freeze! Now the current Ghostbusters with the remaining classic Ghostbusters must team up along with a goofball that is the Fire Master (their only hope to defeat Garakka) in order to save New York once again as well as prove to the Mayor that Phoebe is an important part of the team. This fifth film in the Ghostbuster movie plays hard on people’s nostalgic love for the series as we have returning characters like Slimer and Walter Peck, plus gadgets and vehicles, and while it was a fun popcorn movie, it is kind of a mess as it has too many characters who offer nothing to the story, plot holes, character changes that are puzzling and a main villain that they seem to forget the powers they gave him. The film has original cast members like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, William Atherton and Annie Potts returning and new regular cast like McKenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim and Celeste O’Conner as well coming back. Plus Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, James Acaster and Emily Alyn Lind appear. The film is light on busting ghosts, brings a few laughs, has some cool effects and should be seen if you are a fan of the series. The film did well for Columbia Pictures bringing in $113,306.664.00 on a budget of $100 million showing that this series still has some life in it. While it is one of the weaker Ghostbuster films, it is one that I picked up for my home media collection.

# 35

The Keenan Family has headed to Pine Hills Hotel for a bonding experience but unbeknownst to them and the small amount of other guests, it’s been taken over by Mr. Lockwood and four masked killers who are playing a game for the rich people that are watching them via a live stream and placing bets on who will survive, what killer will have the most kills points and so on. But while the guests are dropping like flies, these killers underestimate the Keenan family, as they are not going down without a fight in this lockdown hotel from Hell. This gruesome film is brought to you by the same people who have made the Terrifier series so that means lots of over the top gory kills and psycho killers who love what they are doing to other people. The film is packed with some awesome actors who are both in main roles as well as in cameos and this includes such names as Jeffrey Combs, Danielle Harris, Tony Todd, Tim Curry, Bill Moseley, Terry Alexander, Felissa Rose, Mark Holton, Dee Wallace, Tim Reid, Daniel Roebuck and David Howard Thornton with Charles Edwin Powell, Sydney Malakeh, Wesley Holloway and others being main cast. The film while reminding me of a mix of “Slashers (2001)” and “The Game (1984)” has a good plot but is over long in its runtime making some of it drag a little. The film had a limited release and did well for Iconic Events Releasing at the domestic box office bringing in an unknown profit on a unknown budget. While it had flaws, it is always great to see Danielle Harris on the big screen as well as Tim Curry and to support indie horror.

# 34

Christopher Robin survived the Hundred Acre Woods massacre and in many peoples eyes, he is the one who killed all those people, but he knows that it was Pooh Bear and Piglet that killed them all, and worse they are still out in the woods and are now joined by Owl and Tigger with their killing ways. Now Christopher is on a mission to prove the town wrong and get to the history of Pooh that just might tie into the disappearance of his brother when they were kids. And when Pooh and his friends start a rampage around town that kills a bunch of ravers, Christopher’s parents and even his young sister goes missing by their hands and this causes Pooh and Christopher to have a showdown that will leave only one alive…and I am not telling you who survives and what is left of them. This slasher film is a bloodbath when Pooh and his friends go on their killing sprees as they rip off heads and shred flesh with their claws, but some moments that focus on Christopher Robin do tend to drag…oh and they also act like the first film was just that a film based off the massacre. They also changed the look of Pooh and Piglet, and the new designs are well done as are the looks of Owl and Tigger. The films stars Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, Ryan Oliva, Marcus Massey, Lewis Santer and Simon Callow all who do good in their roles. The film did okay for Fathom Events for its limited theatrical run bringing in $533,144.00 on an unknown budget. If you liked the first film or just enjoy slasher films starring public domain characters made popular by Disney, then this one is for you.

# 33

Gabriel Goodman is an ex-priest who now works for NASA and is sent to an observatory that they lost contact with after it was reported that they made contact with something weird coming from an old satellite. As he travels to this remote area he gets a call from Archbishop Jenkins who tells him that this also might be a matter for the church as well due to Sister Agnes being seen around the area speaking of nightmares and Hell coming to Earth. When Gabriel arrives he finds that everyone inside is dead, and that the head doctor has been taken over by a demonic being called The Necronaut and is trying to send a demonic message across the world to usher in Hell on Earth. Gabriel along with Agnes must do what they can to avoid being corrupted and stop this end of days before it can happen…but can they do so or is mankind doomed? This is a fun and weird end of days fright flick that takes elements from many other films like Hellraiser, Event Horizon and Hellmaster (as it makes sense on this one as they are both directed by the same guy). The film has some great practical effects and some okay digital ones and has a pretty gross eyeball-cutting scene. It also builds a interesting story, world and monsters but suffers from a goof of a hero who makes dumb choices and does not sell any of the terrors he is seeing.The film stars Jon Bennett, Cassandra Schomer, Bo Shumaker and Doug Bradley in lead roles. The film had a very limited release in theaters and brought in unknown profits at the domestic box office. While not a groundbreaking film, it really was a fun watch on the big screen and is one that I would watch again.

# 32

Haley along with six of her friends have rented out a mansion to celebrate a friend’s birthday when they find a very old deck of tarot cards and she gives everyone a reading including herself. When the party is over and they all head home, they start dying one by one from mysterious deaths and after a few, they all realize they are dying by their read horoscope and each victim is meeting their fate at the hands of the final cards each drew like The High Priestess, The Hermit, The Fool, The Devil, The Magician, Death and The Hangman as the tarot cards were cursed may centuries ago by The Astrologer and whoever does a reading with those cards has doomed the person who had their signs read. Now Haley and her remaining friends must race against the clock to break the curse and stay alive. This is a paint by numbers PG-13 horror film that is still pretty entertaining and has some cool monsters causing deaths to those foolish enough to have their fortunes read with their cursed deck of cards, and I think they could have a franchise on their hands if the film would have done a little better. The film is a mixed bag when it comes to acting as some of them are really bad and the character Paxton played by Jacob Batalon is very eye rolling. Other actors in this film include Harriet Slater, Adian Bradley, Avantika, Humberly Gonzalez and Larsen Thompson to name a few. The film did okay for Screen Gems at the domestic box office bringing in $18,771,004.00 on a budget of $8 million. Not a bad film but also not a great one but is one I will watch again and possibly buy on home media.

# 31

Ray Waller is 3^rd baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers who was once a powerful hitter and is now dealing with having M.S. and he moves his family into a home that has a massive natural spring swimming pool that ends up doing wonders in his therapy and he starts to slowly feel better the more he is in the pool water. But the pool also has a very dark side as many of people have drowned in it and his wife, daughter and son have seen and heard things while in this pool. And when Ray is taken over by the spring pool water, a sacrifice must be made and his family must fight to stay together as well as try and save not only each others lives but that of their ill father…can they do it or will the pool claim another life. This was the start of horror films in the theater for 2024 and for the most part was a great way to kick it off, as it was a fun little chiller film set around a cursed swimming pool and yes, it’s a film about a cursed pool that houses spirits. The film relies on jump scares to bring the chills and the look of the spirits is interesting and creepy. The film is well acted and stars Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amelie Hoeferle and Gavin Warren who make up the family. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $32,494,740.00 on a budget of $15 million. Worth a watch if you find water, pools and evil spirits scary and is one I got on DVD when released.

# 30

Allison Chambers witnesses her girlfriend Melissa being killed by a masked killer all right before the town’s election for Mayor and worse people all around town are now being killed by this crazed killer and at this point everyone is a suspect as many of these people are connected to Allison in some way, but when suspects are found are they the true killer or is something more sinister at play. This is a pretty fun slasher film that does suffer a little from an over long runtime and some predictable moments but when the killing starts up, it really is a scream. The masked killer is cool looking as the mask is cool and the weapon of a gavel with a knife that pops out of the bottom is an interesting weapon. The film stars Noami Grace, Olivia Nikkanen, Emilia McCarthy, Andrew Stewart-Jones, Kate Edmonds and William Russ to name a few. The film did okay at the domestic box office on a limited run bringing in unknown profits on an unknown budget. While this was not a great slasher film, it was an ok one to see in the theater on a cold winter night. Also I have to say that Grace, McCarthy and Nikkanen should be hired to be in more Horror Films.

# 29

Belinda and her husband Norman are struggling to pay bills and they have a child on the way, but their lives are about to change when his father dies and his overly religious stepmother Solange comes to live with them and with her comes money as well as lots of issues that include her being racist, having bathroom accidents, claiming the Holy Spirit is in her, trying to name and raise their child when born and as well trying to turn Norman against his wife Belinda by claiming she is abusing her and their daughter. But what will happen when it all comes ahead when Belinda and Solange clash for the home, the baby and the attention of Norman. This is a very strange and fun religious horror film that sets an overbearing stepmother against a new mother who is well educated and has faced being treated poorly due to her race and one will have to go…but which one will be left standing. The film stars Brandy, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap and Neal Huff who are all great in their roles, and I have to say we need more horror films starring Brandy! The film did ok for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $3,092,269.00 on an unknown budget. The film faced very harsh reviews but it’s a very weird and fun film that has gross moments and a very sinister old crazy lady as a main villain and is worth checking out if you like the indie films of A24.

# 28

On New Years Eve 1999 high school best friends Eli and Danny are heading to a party with the idea of finally kissing one of their female classmates as Eli has been crushing on popular girl and hacker Laura and finally wants to make his move, but as the clock strikes midnight the Y2K virus takes effect via the internet and has turned the machines against mankind by not only killing them but also forcing them to get a chip into their mind that will cause them to be their slaves. But Eli is not going to stand by and watch this happen and people he cares about have either been killed or chipped so along with Laura, Ash, CJ and Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) come together to stop the machine uprising and shutdown Y2K once and for all. This is a pretty fun horror comedy that is a love letter to the late 90’s in all things pop culture. The Y2K Robot machines are pretty cool as they are made up of things like computers, VCRs and pagers, and I have to say that I think that some of the jokes work, while others do not. The film is well casted with such names as Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Lachlan Watson, Julian Dennison and Daniel Zolghadri make up the main cast and all are fantastic with Watson and Zegler stealing the show for me. The film did pretty well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $4,210,306 on a $15 million budget. If you like the 90’s and horror comedies, make sure to check this one out.

# 27

Jessica moves back into her family’s home after her father is put into a home, along with her is new husband Max and his two kids Taylor and Alice. Things are going pretty well at first as Jessica remembers nothing of her childhood just that she was raised by her grandparents at a very young age and now she is doing her best to be a mother to her stepdaughters, all the while working as a children’s book artist and writer. But things start to get really weird when Max goes on tour with his band and young Alice makes an imaginary friend by the name of Chauncey who appears as a stuffed bear and who ends up being very mean making her do things she doesn’t want to do like hurt herself as well as speaks very meanly to her in-between telling her he is her best friend. You see Chauncey was Jessica’s old imaginary friend, and he is mad that she left him behind. In the end Chauncey kidnaps Alice and takes her to his realm of make believe to lure Jessica in as claiming his one time best friend is his goal and he will do whatever it takes to do so from killing to tricking. This is a fun kid friendly PG-13 horror film from Blumhouse and Lionsgate that brings a spooky teddy bear to the big screen that is more than meets the eye as he can grow into a monstrous bear or even show his true form that is like a spider with white TV like eyes. The film also uses lots of particle effects and that’s always a plus. The film is well casted with such names as DeWanda Wise, Pyper Braun, Taegen Burns, Dane DiLiegro, Betty Buckley and Tom Payne all making up the main cast and doing great in their roles. This is like a kids version of Insidious as there is even a Blue Door like the Red Door and a spooky realm that you must enter. The film did well for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $28,009,161.00 on a budget of around $12 million, showing the smaller budget Horror Films can bring in the people to theaters. This was another case of a film getting hate on the web from the old guard horror “fans” but make up your own mind and give it a watch.

# 26

Nolan and Samuel are twin brothers who live with their Momma in an old home in the middle of the woods as she told them that world has ended and that there is evil all around and that they must only leave home with a rope around them that is attached to their home as if they let go the evil will get inside and this will cause them all to die. But when young Nolan starts to questioning his mother’s sanity and if the evil is really out there, things start falling apart and this leads to a series of tragic events that will change this isolated family’s lives forever…but is the evil real or is it all just in her head…watch this creepy film to find out for yourself. Never Let Go is one of those films that mostly takes place in one setting, the family home that is surrounded by woods and this setting is what helps bring the uneasy feeling while viewing. The film stars Halle Berry, Percy Daggs, Anthony B. Jenkins and Stephanie Lavigne all who do great in their roles with Berry as Momma stealing the show. The one thing that did make me a little annoyed with some of the characters is the decisions they made, as at times they caused the chaos they faced. The evil also delivers some great spooky moments as over all it’s a pretty fun fright flick. The film did very poorly for Lionsgate Films bringing in only $10,306,106.00 on a budget of $20 million. While it did perform badly, make sure to check it out as it’s not a bad film at all and is worth a watch.

# 25

Outsiders Owen and Maddy meet in school and bond over the spooky teen TV show called “The Pink Opaque” about two girls that fight supernatural monsters together even though they are far apart. And while they enjoy the show together as well as separately, things are very rough in their everyday lives as they battle their own sexuality, their parents, their fears & sadness and when Maddy goes missing and his mother passes away, Owen is all alone and starts working jobs as well as trying to be a man, but his life is once more turned around when Maddy shows back up after missing for over a decade and tells him that the show they watched and their lives are not what they seem. But what is real and what is not real will come into play for Owen and make him second guess everything and everyone that has ever been in his life. This is your typical A24 horror film that has lots of art house mixed in and makes you have to think about the story you are seeing before your eyes on the big screen. The film deals with lots of depressing topics and feelings that teens face, as well as makes you face that things you remember might not be what you they are. There are creatures in the film as they are part of the TV Show but the horror really comes from the unknown. The film is well casted with Justice Smith & Brigette Lundy-Paine playing Owen & Maddy, and they are fantastic! Other cast members include Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Emma Portner, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael C. Maronna & Danny Tamberlli to name a few. The film had a limited release in theaters and did pretty well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $5,017,817.00 on a $10 million budget. This film will not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it and will watch it again to see what I missed.

# 24

Ryan and Maya are driving through Oregon to get to Portland as she has a big job interview, but after stopping at a diner for lunch in the very small town of Venus, their car won’t start and has to be towed to the local garage and they have to stay the night in a Airbnb out in the middle of the woods. What starts out as romantic turns into a nightmare when three strangers wearing masks (Man In The Mask, Dollface & Pin-Up Girl) all show up to torment them and uses knives, truck and axe to do so. They chase the couple all around the home and through the woods to in the end stabbing them both and leaving them for dead…but Maya survives. This is a relaunch of the film series and is a strange way to kick off a new trilogy as in many aspects it just feels like a remake of the first film from 2008 with just some more modern changes. The Strangers are as creepy and sadistic as ever as they clearly enjoy playing their cat and mouse games with their victims and being a slasher, the film was far less bloody than I was expecting. The film is well cast with Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Rachel Shenton, Richard Brake making up some of the main cast, and The Strangers this time were played by Matus Lajcak, Olivia Kreutzova and Letizia Fabbri. I do need to say that Madelaine Petsch needs to be cast in more Horror Films! The film did well for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $35,202,562.00 on a budget of only $12 million. While this was by far not the best film in The Strangers film series, it still had some good spooky moments and was worth the watch in the theater.

# 23

Cooper seems like a great dad as he is a firefighter who is taking his daughter Riley to a Lady Raven pop concert for getting good grades and best of all he has gotten her great seats, but things get a little stressful for Cooper when he notices that the venue is swarming with police officers and surveillance cameras. He learns from a staff working selling tour merchandise that the cops are there to bust a serial killer called The Butcher…and unknown to them all, Cooper is The Butcher and now must find a way to exit the building while not tipping his daughter off that something is wrong, but as this killer meet his match in a pop singer and an elderly criminal profiler? Make sure to watch this entertaining horror thriller from M. Night Shyamalan and find out if this killer can get away with his horrific crimes or if his slashing ways comes to an end. This is a very creepy film as you watch the killer Cooper who cares about his daughter but also will do whatever he can to not be caught and that means other people’s wellbeing are no concern of his. The film is well acted with Josh Hartnett playing Cooper and other names in the cast including Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donoghue, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill and Jonathan Langdon. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $42,777,281.00 on a budget of $20 million showing once more that horror almost always turns a profit at the theaters. This is one that I got when released on home media.

# 22

Jack Delroy is a late night talk show host for a program called Night Owls and his ratings over time are dropping and this causes him to panic and want to go all out for his 1977 Halloween Special and have a massive ratings hit. So he invites a psychic, a skeptic, a parapsychologist and a young girl named Lilly, who was the only survivor of a mass suicide committed by a demon worshiping cult and who is said to be possessed by a demon. And things turn really sinister and wrong for Jack, his guests, crew and audience when that demon decides to come out and play and bring some of Jack’s dark secrets to the light as well as cause death, panic and fear…this is one live broadcast that the network never wanted people to see again. This film plays like a mix of a documentary as well as a re-airing of that tragic show and for the most part it really does a good job of pulling it off. The film has some creepy moments with Lilly being the main source of those moments as well as brings some laughs and Jack and his show are just cheesy late night fun. The films stars David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Josh Quong Tart and Michael Ironside to name a few of the leads. The film did well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $10,001,000.00 on an unknown budget. This creepy little film is not for everyone, but if you enjoy films like The Last Broadcast or WNUF Halloween Special you will dig this one. It’s one I bought when released on home media. Also the film had some protest over using some AI images, silly as they are not that in your face.

# 21

Mina is a young woman who cannot get over the death of her mother in a a car accident and while working for a pet shop, she is asked to deliver a bird to a zoo. Along her journey her car breaks down and she finds herself running from unknown creatures in the woods and having to find shelter in a building that has been dubbed the coop by the three other people that found themselves suck in the woods that are Madeline, Ciara and Daniel. Every night they stay inside this building that has a massive thick glass window and are watched by the creatures. But as time goes on Mina and the others want to make an escape and they learn what these creatures are as well as who and why the strange glass bunker was made. But when some of them make it out alive, they are not fully out of the woods as something has followed them out and doesn’t want their race’s story and secrets out. This is a very cool creature feature film done with a twist and is done by Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan and is her first movie as director and writer, and she does a great job. And what the creatures are is pretty interesting, and not the classic folklore beings you would expect. The film is well casted and acted as such names as Dakota Fanning, Olwen Fouere, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and John Lynch all shine. The film sadly did not do all that well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office as it brought in $19,071,404.00 on a $30 million budget. While the film did not do that well, I for one loved it and got it once released on home media.

# 20

The town of Clover Falls is the stalking ground for a masked supernatural serial killer named Roger Bladecut who has been killing people for decades and even has videotaped his crimes to turn them into movies that the townspeople rent from the video store he owns. He has a daughter named Abbie who has to take over the killing business when he starts to have some health issues from decades of past wounds, but when she falls in love with Sam Crane and becomes pals with all her friends that have all been selected to be slaughtered for the next film she must figure out a way to save them, all the while dodging her father who is now on a rampage as he wants them dead and his daughter to come back to the family business of killing. What can Abbie do to save Sam, the woman of her dreams as well as not betray her father who is counting on her for the slaughter. This is a very fun slasher film that showcases what a young woman has to put up with when her father is a true urban legend psycho killer and all she wants to do is please him but also have happiness in her own personal life. The film has some bloody kills and is well casted and acted with such actors as Sari Arambulo, Molly Brown, Billy Burke, Eddie Leavy, Margot Anderson-Song, Angel Theory and Jeffrey Dean Morgan making up the main cast. The film was released very late in 2024 and had a very short limited release for RLJE Films and it looks like it will be making them a good amount of extra cash. Worth watching for sure and is one I will buy on Blu-Ray when released.

# 19

Lydia Deetz has grown up: her husband died in the Amazon, her daughter Astrid barely speaks to her, she sees ghosts and now has a TV Show about it, her manager is trying to become her new husband and worse of all she gets word from her step mother Delia that her father Charles has passed away, eaten by a shark after surviving a plane crash. Lydia, Astrid and Delia head back to the old house in Winter River for the burial services and wake for Charles where Astrid meets a boy who ends up not being what he seems and Lydia must call on Beetlejuice to help save her daughter from the other side, but Beetlejuice needs help to survive his soul sucking ex-wife who is back and looking for revenge…but can these two truly trust one another. This was such a fun sequel that was long overdue and brought Beetlejuice back to the big screen for old fans as well as new, as watching this gross jokester undead goof again made me feel like a kid. The film also wins big points with me for using lots of practical effects as well as bringing back Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara to their iconic roles but also brought in Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Burn Gorman, Arthur Conti and Danny Devito into the mix. The film did really well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $111,003,345 on a budget of $100 million. A really fun film that should prove to Warner Brothers that sequels to some of their iconic films like Beetlejuice, Gremlins, The Goonies and The Lost Boys should be given proper sequels, a must see for fans of the original film.

# 18

Maxine Minx is living in Hollywood in 1985 and is trying to breakout of just being a porn actress and auditions and gets the lead role in the film “The Puritan II”, but her past is about to catch up to her as a killer wearing black gloves is killing those close to her, a private detective is harassing her on the paycheck of the killer, two homicide detectives are wanting to question her and the director of the film is pushing her to focus as this could be her big break into fame. But Maxine is not going to go down without a fight as she wants to be famous no matter the price and whoever gets in her way be damned. This third film in the X series is a mix of 80’s Slasher with some Giallo thrown in for good measure as the plot really is Maxine Minx being taunted, tormented and stalked by a faceless killer in black gloves all the while the serial killer the Night Stalker is prowling the streets and Hollywood is not missing a beat. Mia Goth once more shows why she is the new “It” actress in horror as she kills it playing Maxine again, and other actors like Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan, Moses Sumney, Bobby Cannavale and Lily Collins all kill it in their roles. The film did okay for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $15,097,632.00 on an unknown budget. While not as good as X or Pearl, this film still is a very entertaining, great watch and has ushered in a new horror franchise for sure, also the Bates Motel and Home from Psycho appears in this flick.

# 17

Sienna Shaw and her brother Jonathan were the sole survivors of the Miles County Massacre on Halloween being done by Art The Clown and while he has tried to move on by going to college, she has spent years in an asylum and now that she is out and living with her aunt she is trying to get her life back in order but things will never be the same as Art The Clown is back as well and he has backup with Victoria Heyes. They are on another killing spree this time during Christmas and like before Sienna and her family and friends are on the chopping block as there is something more demonic at play this time around and Sienna will need all her chosen one powers to truly stop this killer clown from Hell. This third film in the super popular Terrifier series is filled with gore, over the top kills and a decent story this time around. Sienna Shaw is a fantastic character and is one of modern slasher films best final girls, and the actress that plays her, Lauren LaVera, is awesome and I hope to see her in more horror films! David Howard Thornton is truly Art The Clown and has taken a mute character and given it so much personality in his face and movements. Other cast members include Samantha Scaffidi, Elliot Fullam, Margaret Anne Florence, Kailey Hyman and Alexa Blair Robertson. The film also has lots of cool cameos from the likes of Jason Patric, Chris Jericho, Clint Howard, Tom Savini and Daniel Roebuck. The film did well for Cineverse at the domestic box office bringing in $53,981,071 on a budget of $2 million. If you liked the first two films in the series, make sure to give this one a watch as well as it’s a blood splattered good time.

# 16

Lisa Swallows is a teenager who witnesses her mother be killed by a masked killer and is now very much the odd kid as she barely speaks, has a strict stepmother, a goofy father and no boys pay attention to her. The only things she has in life is her music, crush on Michael the school’s paper editor, her caring cheerleader sister Taffy and the local abandoned cemetery that she relaxes in. But after a freak thunderstorm and an odd lightning strike in the cemetery, a member of the Frankenstein family (called The Creature) comes back to life to show his love for Lisa and the two end up becoming friends and lovers but there is a catch as Lisa and The Creature have to kill people in order to replace his rotting of missing body parts! With the police closing in as the bodies are found, Lisa must make a decision to face the crimes or end it all for true love. This is a very fun PG-13 horror comedy that takes place in the same universe as Jennifer’ Body and brings a new twist to the Frankenstein story. It was also very much inspired by the classic Universal Monster films as posters, masks and art from those films are featured throughout. The humor is silly and hit the mark for me and it is well casted with such names as Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Carla Gugino, Joe Chrest and Henry Eikenberry making up the leads and really Newton is fantastic as Lisa. Sadly the film did not do well for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $9,774,285.00 on a budget of $13 million. It’s a shame that moviegoers did not support this film in the theater as it’s really good and one that I ended up buying when released on home media. Also the film has a great soundtrack!

# 15

Kabir and his wife Jyoti are heading to their farmhouse along with their teenage daughter Janvhi and young son Dhruv for a relaxing time, but while getting there they meet Vanraj at a restaurant who ends up buying the parents tea and gives their daughter a laddu that ends up allowing him to take control of her actions, and this is unknown to them all until that night during a massive thunderstorm Vanraj appears at the home and takes control of Janvhi making her hurt not only herself but also her family for his amusement as he wants her parents to willingly give her to him as he has evil plans for the young teen. And after many attacks, being stabbed and finally Dhruv being seriously injured Janvhi is given to this mad man with black magic powers…but Kabir has others plans as he wants to get his daughter back and free from his control as well as end his evil ways once and for all, but can this father’s love truly stop evil or will his daughter be lost forever, checkout this great film and find out for yourself. In 2024 Bollywood Horror has been killing it delivering some truly amazing films to the big screen that are bringing the chills and thrills and this remake film of the 2023 fright flick “Vash” did just that! The film is draped in black magic and the character of Vanraj is such a creep who really gets enjoyment of tormenting a teenage girl and her family, but even when the family fights back he seems to get joy from it. The films cast is fantastic as our main cast is played by Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Jyothika, Janki Bodiwala and Anngad Raaj who all rock their roles and are very believable as a family and a evil sorcerer. The film did well at the worldwide box office bringing in $1,503,613.00 with a budget of ₹ 65 crore showing that Horror is a hit around the globe. If you like Bollywood horror films, creepy thrillers or films about black magic make sure to check this one out.

# 14

The always rainy town of Tumbbad is cursed by the greedy and now forgotten God known as Hastar who had stolen all of his mother goddess’ gold but was defeated by his siblings when he tried to all steal all the food, and for this he has been banished to forever live inside her womb and those greedy enough to look for his gold will face a brutal death or can become an immortal monstrous slave to the beast as all they will do is eat and sleep all day long. Vinayak Rao has grown up in Tumbbad and has always been into finding the treasure of Hastar that is said to be hidden inside, and as he grows older and with the help of his cursed Grandmother he truly finds the hiding place of Hastar and has a way to distract the God in order to gain more coins and become very rich by doing so, and as he gets older and has a family he teaches his son how to raid for the gold and even ends up sacrificing one of his friends who wanted to steal from him to Hastar. In the end Vinayak and his son while in the womb must truly work together to survive as Hastar as well has a sinister plan himself that will leave one of them undead and the other broken emotionally. This film was released in 2018 and in 2024 finally was released in the local theaters here in America, and I found it to be a really good and creepy Bollywood fright flick complete with a demonic looking greedy God and even a Evil Dead deadite style grandmother. The film is really about the horror and does not have musical numbers done by the cast as it plays for the scares. The film is a mix of digital and practical effects and both are pretty well done with their being lots of blood and some gruesome moments. The film stars Sohum Shah, Anita Date-Kelkar, Ronjini Chakraborty, Mohammad Smad and all do fantastic in their roles. I am not sure what the film did domestically in America during this run for Blooming Lotus Media. A really good Bollywood horror film and I am looking forward to watching Part 2 when it’s released.

# 13

Ben Dalton has lost his big job and moved from America to England for it, so to get a fresh start he along with his wife Louise and daughter Agnes go to Italy for holiday where they mean Paddy, his wife Ciara and their son Ant and they all hit it off. After the holiday is over Paddy, who is a former doctor invites Ben and his family to come stay a week with them at his farm house in the middle of nowhere, but things start to get really weird as Paddy and Ciara start to act strange and over bearing as they also witness Paddy be very strict and cruel to his own son who is mute. This peaceful week spent with new friends turns into a nightmare when Ant alerts Agnes to what is really going on and now Ben and Louise must figure out a way to get away from Paddy and the farmhouse before its to late. This film is a remake of the 2022 Danish horror film that keeps to core of the story but of course adds in its own twists and turns and delivers a entertaining thriller with two insane baddies in Paddy and Ciara. The film stars James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler and Dan Hough all who do a great job on their roles. The film also makes great use of the songs Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex and Eternal Flame by The Bangles. The film did well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $36,931,420.00 on a budget of $15million. The film is really good, and McAvoy makes some amazing sinister faces in this fright flick.

# 12

Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton are missionaries for the Morman Church and are out trying to spread their message when they come across Mr. Reed, a man who lives out in a strange home who invites them in to chat about religion as a snow storm starts blowing in. But soon the two young girls find that they are trapped in the house with Mr. Reed who is trying to make them question their faith, lives, choses and more as he sets them to witness a miracle, but when the ladies question him on his words, things just get worse and more out of control for them…but will Mr. Reed change their minds or take their lives as Barnes and Paxton must fight for their lives. This is a really interesting horror film that is faith based and has the villain trying to break the will and faith of his captives in order to try and “teach” them a lesson and when the true intensions of Mr. Reed is shown you see just how evil that guy is. The film is well cast with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East playing Barnes & Paxton and Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed and all are amazing in their roles other cast members include Topher Grace and Elle Young. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $27,791,987 on a budget of around $10 million. If you like your horror films with a dash of art house, make sure to check this one out as it was a great watch.

# 11

Gretchen moves with her father, stepmother and half sister to a resort in the Bavarian Alps and from the start she notices that something is not right when she takes a job working the front desk at the lodge as women seem to be always getting sick and acting really weird just like her boss Herr Konig, who is also employing he parents to design a new building, and the front desk closes at a certain time every night. One night after leaving work late, Gretchen is attacked by a strange woman and this triggers events that has a siren song being sung from the woods, people dying of strange causes, her young sister to fall ill, her getting questioned by a former cop and also being targeted by the people of the lodge town who are in power. This is a very strange and yet great indie horror film that has some really creepy moments with a female monster that leaves her offspring in the bellies of human women in order for them to raise, and its setting of a lodge town with people of power in on this strange act and protect the monster just adds to the over all weird factor of the film. It is well acted with Hunter Schafer being outstanding as Gretchen and other cast members like Jessica Henwick, Dan Stevens, Jan Bluthardt, Marton Csokas and Greta Fernandez all great in their roles. This is one of those films that was met with mixed reviews and in some cases judged a little too harshly as people acted like the plot was hard to follow…it’s not. The film did well for Neon at the American box office during its limited run bringing in $5,324,184.00 on a budget of $7 million. A good little spooky film that shows Neon is closing in on A24 when it comes to the strange indie horror films in the theater.

# 10

King Kong is living in Hollow Earth and is being watched by the people of Monarch and the massive Titan is lonely as he has not found any of his kind. Meanwhile Godzilla is on a rampage as he is attacking other Titans and stealing their powers as its clear that he is gearing up for something big…and this big event is the coming of The Scar King, another primate Titan who is very cruel and has an army of Kong-like apes at his order as well as an ice breathing Titan that he controls by using pain with the goal of taking over the world and ruling everyone and everything…so Kong must team with Godzilla and the reborn Mothra in order to save Hollow Earth as well as the above Earth from total destruction. This is yet another great film in Legendary Monsterverse series and is packed with lots of giant monster fights as well as for me its always great to see King Kong on the big screen. The film stars such actors as Rebecca Hall. Kaylee Hottle, Dan Stevens, Brian Tyree Henry, Fala Chen and Alex Ferns all who do a great job in their roles. One part of the movie that had the audience and myself laughing is when Kong uses Suko, a small primate Titan, as a weapon, no joke it was the funniest thing I’ve seen on the big screen this year. The film did really well for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $196,350,016.00 on a budget of $150 million showing that these giant monsters are a draw at the theaters. This is one I bought on home media when released. Also I hope they keep making these Monsterverse films as I will continue to watch them in the theater.

# 9

Rain and her android “brother” Andy are stuck on Jackson’s Star where she has to work for travel freedom and watched as both of her parents died from working the mines for Weyland-Yutani Corporation, but she soon finds a way out when her friends discover an abandoned spacecraft that they can steal the cryostasis chambers to escape to the planet Yvaga and stop being slaves for a cooperation that does not care about them. But once they get to the spacecraft, they find that it’s filled with face huggers as well as Xenomorphs that go on the attack and bring down these friends one by one. And Rain along with Andy (who gets an upgrade) must escape this infested ship all the while Andy’s new program is turning him into a company droid and wanting to do what is right for them and not his friends, but can Rain save herself and what is left of her friends and will she be able to remove the upgrade and get Andy back…watch this great Alien sequel and find out for yourself! I am a fan of the Alien films, and while the past two sequels before this were sort of bland, I feel Romulus has gotten the series back on track and has introduce to very likable characters to the universe with Rain and Andy. The Xenomorphs look great, as do the face huggers. The film packs in lots of creepy settings as well as great scares and even has some Easter Eggs throughout that are connected to the other films in the series. The only thing I was not a super fan of was The Offspring that was a human and alien hybrid. The film did well for 20^th Century Films at the American box office bringing in $105,313,091.00 on a budget of only $80 million showing that this series has lots of gas still left in the tank. This is one that I look forward to watching again.

# 8

Ruhan Randhawa is a con man who goes around exercising ghosts from people’s homes, he is also a problem solver as he can make it seem like a person was possessed in order to cover up for mistakes that would get them into trouble with loved ones. But Ruhan once more finds himself in a real haunted palace when he is forced to help Meera (who has footage of him being a fraud) and finds that this mansion is being haunted by Manjulika, a woman who was burned alive for killing her own brother, and returned in order to cause death, chaos and fear, but when strange women start to show up to the estate as well as a few goofballs from Ruhan’s past things start to get a little more terrifying as Manjulika is out for blood and revenge and will not let anyone leave alive as this evil spirits true motives as well as story needs to be told and forgiveness needs to happen and at the center of it all is Ruhan who once more shows that he can be a true hero when need be. This third film in the Bhool Bhulaiyaa series is lots of fun as the humor and horror just mix really well here as the scares play creepy when they need to and for laughs when needed. The character of Manjulika is an interesting one as what you think you know about them just might not be the full truth as the true story comes to light in the end and shows why it’s been on such an evil path for all these years. The film stars Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri all who do great in their roles. The film did well for in the domestic release as it brought in $2,230,000.00 on a unknown budget. The Bhool Bhulaiyaa series is really great stuff, and I cannot wait for a fourth film in the series to be made.

# 7

Abigail is a young ballerina who is the daughter of a very dangerous, rich and violent crime lord who is kidnapped by a group of six people who were hired to do so in order to extort money from her father, but these criminals soon find that they have been tricked by Abigail, who is the one who set this all up as she selected these people who were all responsible for actions that effected her father’s empire…as she is a vampire and her father is Count Dracula and blood will be spilt (or is that drank?) as she takes out her revenge on them as they try to fight to stay alive. This once more proves that the classic Universal Monsters have lots of life in them when they are tackled by the right creative teams, that treat them as scary films and don’t treat them like dated spooky jokes. The film has lots of blood splatter and even some gore and Abigail is one deadly vampire who loves to torment her victims all in the attempt to get her father to pay more attention to her. The film is very well cast with such names as Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand and Matthew Goode all being fantastic as their characters, and I have to say that I think Kathryn Newton is truly becoming one of my favorite horror actresses in these modern days. This is the third attempt from Universal to breath new life into Dracula, and I think this is the best of the modern takes as it was better than “Last Voyage Of The Demeter,” a film I really enjoyed and it was a million times better than the horror comedy mess that was “Renfield” and I hope Universal sticks with making these films scary. One thing I do have to say is that while this is a great film I do wish it was a more modern take of the 1936 film “Dracula’s Daughter” that is one of my favorite sequels in the world of classic Universal Monsters. The film did pretty well for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $25,867,515.00 on a budget of $28 million, showing that classic monsters truly never go out of fashion. This is one that I loved seeing on the big screen and is one that I bought on home media when released.

# 6

Thevan is a singer who escapes slavery and is trying to get back home to his mother but finds that he cannot when a river and waterfall stands in his way, but while trying to figure out another way, he stumbles into an old rundown mansion in the woods and meets its owner Kodumon Potti who invites the man to stay and when Thevan agrees he soon finds that his host is a black magic sorcerer and that he cannot ever leave and also is in this mansion alongside a Cook, a visiting succubus, a constant rain storm and even a goblin…but not all is what it seems as this mansion is filled with lies as well as is truly cursed! Will Thevan be able to escape or will he forever be stuck in this truly evil mansion watch this black and white Bollywood Horror Fright Flick and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy black magic supernatural horror film that is a slow burn that as the time passes more is uncovered and the feeling of dread builds. The songs and score is also fantastic and help add to the spooky nature of the film. The films stars Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan, Manikandan R. Achari and the lovely Amalda Liz and are all fantastic. The film did well at the domestic world box office for Night Shift Studios bringing in $1,388,375 on a budget of ₹27.73 crore showing that horror is popular all over the world. If you like slow burn horror with some supernatural black magic tones and a goblin make sure to give this one a watch!

# 5

Lee Harker is a young FBI Agent who is also partly psychic that is on the case to hunt down and kill a serial killer called Longlegs who has caused the deaths of families over the decades, and the deeper Harker gets into the case, the closer she gets to realizing that her past might just be connected to this crazy devil worshiping killer who has dark powers that force his victims to follow his orders, but is Agent Harker able to solve this killers demented puzzles or will she just have to stand by and watch as more families fall victim to his satanic plan. Make sure to check out this horror thriller and find out for yourself. This is a creepy film from Oz Perkins, who is the son of Anthony Perkins who horror fans know best as Norman Bates in the Psycho film series, that is about a weird satanic cult who gets joy in killing kids and their families on the kids’ birthdays. Nicolas Cage plays the killer known as Longlegs with Maika Monroe playing FBI agent Lee Harker other actors in the cast include Blair Underworld, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby and Kiernan Shipka to name a few. The film again proves that Neon is creeping up on A24 for being the must watch company when it comes to indie horror in theaters as I found this one to be a really interesting and creepy watch and is one of Cage’s best performances in horror in many years. The film did well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $74,045,655.00 on a budget of $80 million. One I got when released on home media, as I wanted to watch it again. Also this film got a lot of unwarranted hate from viewers, but don’t listen to reviews from critics nor friends and go see the films that get this treatment for yourself.

# 4

Sam is a woman in New York hospice care who was once a published poet and is now spending her remaining days with treatments and her support cat Frodo, when she heads to the city on a field trip with other residents to see a puppet show, the world changes in a instant as things start falling from the sky and monsters start attacking anyone making noise. Now Sam along with other survivors in the city must find a way to stay alive and get to the water as the creatures cannot swim, and on her journey to get pizza before her life ends ,she meets English man Eric who is a law student and the two start up a friendship that sees them watching out for each other, but can they survive or will they make too much noise and become just another bloodstain on the streets of NY, watch this third film in the A Quiet Place series and find out. This is a really fun creature feature, and it’s great seeing these noise sensitive monsters running loose in a big city like New York as it also shows that these creatures are all over and humans are being hunted down and slaughtered in their homes and streets. The creatures are as deadly as ever and deliver many scares with several being jump scares, and its also very well cast with names like Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou and Alex Wolff all doing fantastic in their roles. The film did great for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $138,930,553.00 on a budget of $67 million. Over all while it didn’t bring anything super new to the series, it was one heck of a good film and is one I bought when released on home media.

# 3

Skye Riley is a pop star who has had a rough past year as she had become an addict and a crash left her badly injured and her actor boyfriend dead, but she is on her comeback tour and things are looking up for her that is until her dealer she buys pain pills from takes his own life in front of her with a big smile on her face and now the entity that drove him insane has latched itself onto her and she is starting to fall apart with everyone around her thinking she is using again. But when she meets the brother of a man who died at the hands of the spirit she starts a plan to try and stop this Smile Entity once and for all, but will she be able to do so or will this mega star just be another victim spreading this evil beings agenda to the next person. What a fun and bloody sequel that feels right at home with the original film, and Naomi Scott who plays Skye is fantastic in the role and the pop songs will be stuck in your head days after seeing it. The film was way more bloody and violent than I was expecting and some of the deaths were really gross and well done. Other cast members include Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson and even a cameo from Drew Barrymore. Smile 2 did great at the domestic box office bringing in $68,967,012 on a budget of $28 million showing that Paramount is not just back in the horror business but also they have the start of a great franchise on their hands. A great film and one I bought when released on home media.

# 2

Ellen Hutter is newly married to her husband Thomas who is being sent away by Knock, his boss at the real estate agency he works for in order to sell a very old property in Germany to Count Orlok, a very creepy nobleman from Transylvania who turns out to be a Nosferatu who has set his sites on Ellen who has had a bond with for many of years in her loneliness and along with plagued infected rats he arrives in Germany looking for her to finish their link and along the way Orlok makes her pay for falling in love with another by making her friends pay with their lives. Thomas must escape the castle and return home and along with Doctor Sievers and Professor Von Franz he must save the soul of his wife as well as his village from the plague of Nosferatu. This film is a really great remake of the 1922 silent classic, and the cinematography is stunning and beautiful. It is filled with some great scares, creepy moments, blood and even a few boobs and shows that classic Horror and characters like Count Orlok are truly timeless if done right. The film is well casted with such names as Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe make up the leads. And I have to say Skarsgard was fantastic as Orlok and Depp ended up surprising me in her performance. The film did well for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $45,201,020 on a budget of around $50 million as of this writing. A fangtastic and creepy classic horror film that is one I will buy once on physical media.

# 1

Elisabeth Sparkle is an aging health show star who is turning 50 when her boss decides to let her go, and after having a car accident and meeting a young doctor who gives her a flash drive that is an advertisement for a medial injection called The Substance her life changes as it allows her to spawn a second half that is younger named Sue…but the catch is that they need to switch back and fourth every seven days or there are terrible changes for Elisabeth. And when Sue wants to stay around longer than the seven days, Elisabeth is drained of her age and finds herself becoming a twisted looking being, but can Elisabeth stop Sue as this is the part of her that is becoming the superstar she has always wanted to be or will Sue take over and have to find her own better side…watch this twisted and gross body horror film and find our for yourself. The film feels like a mash off films like Basketcase, Society and many of the films of David Cronenberg as it has lots of gross moments and the human body being distorted. The film is also filled with lots of blood and nudity and delivers a really interesting watch. The film is well casted as Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle and is fantastic as I have always been a big fan of hers, other names in the cast include Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Gore Adrams and Oscar Lesage to name a few. The film did okay for Mubi at the domestic box office bringing in $16,443,999 on a budget of $17.5 million. If you like gross horror with beautiful ladies make sure to give this one a watch.

2025 here on Rotten Ink I think that I am going to celebrate horror in general and that means I will be having lots of updates that will feature Horror Comics, Horror Hosts, Horror Themed Wrestlers and Horror Films! But do not worry I will also have plenty of none Horror updates for those of you who enjoy the less spooky ones. But our next one will be a spooky one as it will be a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update and will be about the 1978 version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and the FotoNovel released to promote it! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Oh and a tip if you come across some people who seem odd and point at you and then shriek a god awful sounding scream…run as they might be a pod person!

Matt Goes To The Movies 2023

Posted on January 1, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to the first update of 2024 that of course is my movie countdown for all the different genres I have seen in the theater in 2023. There were so many films that were released this year that brought me as well as my movie club friends so much entertainment! I saw movies in such theaters as Cinemark, Regal and Englewood, and really for me nothing beats the theater experience as no matter what some say, streaming new films just does not give you the full movie experience no matter how big your TV Screen in or how loud your sound system gets. And like every year for me the biggest film releases come from the Horror genre as spooky movies have been a big part of my entertainment life since I was a very young kid. To me nothing beats relaxing at one of the local cinemas to watch a good fright flick on the silver screen with family and friends, and this year was very heavy on Horror film releases. I will be breaking up this “Best Of” update by genre so that means Drama, Comedy, Action, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superhero and of course Horror! So if you are ready, let’s grab some popcorn and a drink and find our seats as it’s time to talk movies! Also if you missed my Best Of 2022, update make sure to give it a read here.

So now that we have found our seats and have eaten a few pieces of popcorn, I think that we will start off by taking a look at the Drama films that I saw in the theater. Sadly I did not see a lot, but the ones I did see I enjoyed so let’s take a look and see what I think was #1!

# 4

June Allen is an 18 year old woman who lost her father and is taking her sadness out on her mother who is trying her best to bond with her daughter and live her life again, even dating again as Kevin Lin has entered the picture and the pair are heading off to Colombia for a romantic vacation. While her mother is away, June parties with her friends, and on the day she is set to pick them up from the airport, they are no where in sight. Now June must uncover this mystery as she follows the clues and uncovers Kevin’s dirty secret of being a conman and that her very own mother has a life changing secret. Can June find her missing mother or will time run out? And she will never be able to patch things up with her? Watch this sequel to “Searching” and find out for yourself. This Drama Thriller was a fun watch as the story unfolds and takes a few twists and turns that many viewers will not see coming. Storm Reid is fantastic as June, and the whole cast truly does a great job. The film did ok for Sony at the US box office bringing in $32,502,025.00 on a budget $7 million budget. This film walks the line between Drama and Horror as it really is a Thriller…but I think it fits better here with the Drama Thriller than the Horror Thriller.

# 3

The Von Erich family was at the top of the wrestling world in Texas, and brothers Kevin, David, Kerry and Mike are being pushed by their father Fritz into becoming the biggest names in the sport as well as capture the NWA World Heavyweight belt. But while they are riding high, the family seems to have a curse as Kevin watches as his brothers pass away, and he learns that family is very important and that his father the man he idolized just might not be the hero he thinks he is. This film is a loose bio-picture of the Von Erich family and showcases the stress of pro wrestling as well as how mental stress, substance abuse and poor parenting can lead down a dark path. The acting is well done with such names as Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany and Lily James and also had cameos from such wrestlers as MJF and Chavo Guerrero Jr. playing classic wrestlers. While the story in this film is not 100% accurate and brother Chris Von Erich is missing, it still is a nice tribute to the Von Erich Brothers. The film did well for A24 at the domestic box office bringing in $$18,221,133 (as of this posting) on a budget of $15.9 million. And for those who wonder, yes I grew up being a fan of the Von Erich family and Kerry was my favorite.

# 2

Adonis Creed has retired from boxing and is helping young boxers at the gym, but when Damian Anderson, a friend who ended up being arrested and locked up for a long time, comes back into his life things get guilt ridden. Damian was a good boxer who just wants his shot, and with the help of Adonis, he gets it and ends up winning the Heavyweight Title…in a kind of underhanded cheating way. Now the champion and with lots of built up aggression over the events of the past and being locked up for 18 years, Damian and Adonis’s friendship falls apart and this brooding bad blood sees Adonis come out of retirement in order to fight his childhood friend as a way to let go of guilt and to settle this issue once and for all. This third film in the Creed series is fantastic as the build to the fight between Creed and Anderson is very well done. As the film goes along you get more of the story of why there is some awkward tension between the two that leads to them at odds. And while Damian Anderson has done bad things in his life and even fights dirty to get the title, he also is not that bad of a guy just wanting his chance before time catches up with him. And that is the thing, the story is solid. The casting fantastic with names like Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu and Tony Bellew returning and Jonathan Majors and Mila Davis-Kent being added. The film was directed by Michael B. Jordan, who did a fantastic job, and he is also talking about a fourth film in the series already, and I for one am down. The film did good for MGM at the American box office bringing in $156,248,615.00 on a $75 million budget. While I would have loved to have seen a cameo from Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, this series is making its own path now to becoming an iconic sports drama franchise.

# 1

Retired detective Hercule Poirot has been invited by his crime novelist friend Ariadne to a Halloween party after which a psychic hold a séance to contact the dead daughter of the party’s host who had committed suicide. The catch is that the home is also said to be haunted by the spirits of deceased children. Poirot is there to try and expose the psychic as a fraud, but when people start dying and he himself starts seeing things, he must try and figure out if the killer is from our world or the other side! This third film in the modern Poirot series is fantastic like the other two, and this time this Mystery Drama film even adds in elements of Horror as it has that classic haunted house feel and has images of shadows, ghosts and murder all around. Kenneth Branagh is fantastic as Hercule Poirot and is the best actor to play the part in my opinion. Other cast members include Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Emma Laird and Camille Cottin to name a few and all are great in their roles. The film did okay for 29^th Century at the domestic box office bringing in $42,448,749.00 on a budget of $60 million. If you like Murder Mysteries with a dash of Horror, then make sure to check this one out as it hands down the best Drama film I have seen this year, and on a side note, this almost made it to the Horror list…but I settled on placing it in Drama.

While I did not get to see lots of Drama films in the theater in 2023, I would say that the ones I did get to watch were fantastic and all were well worth seeing alongside my friends on the big screen. But next we will be leaving Drama behind and replace it with laughter as next up are the Comedy films I saw on the big screen in 2023!

# 4

Kevin is a father who is working a house cleaning job, creating music beats, is a part time event thrower and needs to raise some money to send his young daughter to a school…but when his best friend Damon gets them fired from the cleaning job, the two decide to throw an epic party in the house of NBA star LeBron James in order to raise the money to send his the daughter to that selected school. The party is massive and Kevin’s childhood friend and crush Venus attends as do celebrities like Mya, Bill Bellamy, Snoop Dog, Kid Cudi, Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Walter Emanuel Jones among many others and the party is a massive hit! But when some of Damon’s enemies show up and steal LeBron’s championship ring, the two friends have to try and get it back and that includes dealing with the illuminati as well as trying to get out of trouble when LeBron James returns home early and wants these home intruders thrown in jail! Can Kevin get the money? Can he not go to jail? Will he win the heart of Venus? Watch this remake of the classic House Party film series and find out for yourself! This was a pretty funny film that brings some belly laughs as well as is packed with enough 90’s Rap and RNB nostalgia to please fans of the original series. Sadly the film did not do good for New Line Cinema at the US box office only bringing in $9,002,247.00 on a unknown budget. I found this film to be really entertaining and it was a great theatrical watch.

# 3

Lawyer Audrey Sullivan is Asian and was adopted by a white family and does not know who her birth mother and father are, but she gets sent to China with the promise of a major promotion if she can lock a deal with a Chinese business man. Along for the trip is her best friend Lolo Chen and her cousin Deadeye, who is an outcast who loves K-Pop music, and when in China Audrey meets up with her old collage roommate Kat who is now a big day time actress on a Chinese soap opera. When the business man insists that he gets to know Audrey’s birth mother after Lolo lies and says the two are close, the friends set out on a big adventure across China in order to find Audrey’s birth mom as well as become closer friends…but this of course is plagued with fighting, crazy people and shocking revelations. This is a pretty dang funny film that brings together four likable friends all with their own personalities that go on a trip that is filled with sleazy and silly fun. The film had me laughing in a few spots and it is well casted with such names as Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu all making up the leads. The film sadly did very poorly for Lionsgate at the domestic box office only bringing in $12,897,789.00 on a budget of around $32million. If you like raunchy comedies make sure to check this one out.

# 2

Barbie lives in Barbie World with all the other Barbies, Kens and Allen, and her life is perfect as all the Barbies have important jobs and the Kens just hang around the beach. But Barbie’s life turns upside down when she gets flat feet, gets cellulite and has thoughts of death! And after visiting Weird Barbie (a Barbie who was played with too rough) she learns that she must travel to the real world and find out why her owner is so sad and along with Ken she does just that. But once in the real world Barbie sees that it’s not perfect and is filled with lots of drama, sadness, crudeness and makes her second guess herself and the world she comes from…but when Ken in the real world learns about being macho, he heads back to Barbie World and corrupts it. Now Barbie must try to do all the right things like bring a mother and daughter back together, reset the Barbie World and find out who she really is. This is a charming fun comedy film that is based on the popular Mattel toy of the same name and truly was a big deal when released in theaters as it broke records and became a massive hit with most critics and fans and proves that if you make films based on toys right, people will come to the theater to watch them! Margot Robbie is great as Barbie and is likable and you find yourself wrapped up in her journey and Ryan Gosling was funny as Ken! Other actors in the film include Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Emma Mackey, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Rhea Perlman and America Ferrera, to name a few. The film did amazing for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $635,928,220.00 on a budget of $145 million. Barbie was the biggest film of 2023 and was truly one of those event style films that brought family, friends and even strangers together.

# 1

The small town of Asteroid City is holding Asteroid Day to celebrate when one made contact with the land, and they also showcase bright youngsters who have made amazing inventions in science with the chance of winning prize money. There in this small town is a war photographer and his kids, an actress and her daughter, army soldiers, the smart kids & parents, school kids & their teacher, scientists, a band and a few of the local townies. But all their lives are changed when a u.f.o appears and an alien takes the asteroid away causing the government to quarantine the town and friendships and relationships are made as everyone wonders what the alien wanted. This is a funny Wes Anderson film that is a play within a movie that features an amazing all-star cast that includes names like Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Matt Dillon, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Live Schreiber, Hope Davis, Willem Dafoe, Steve Carell, Stephan Park, Jeff Goldblum among many others. The humor is what you expect from an Anderson film, and the characters are all likable as is the background set of the small desert town. The film did ok for Focus Features at the domestic box office bringing in $28,153,025.00 on a budget of $25 million. While the humor of this film will not be for everyone, if you enjoyed Wes Anderson’s other films then I am sure you’ll get a laugh out of this one.

While I don’t see many Comedies in the theater I will have to say that I truly enjoyed enjoyed all the ones that I did go to this year as they all brought be a few laughs. But next let’s talk about Action films. Strangely enough, I saw very little of this genre this year and that’s truly is shocking, but let’s not linger as it’s time to chat about and rank the ones I did see.

# 3

It’s New Years, and Captain Brodie Torrance has one last flight before being able to visit his daughter and sister for the holiday. While the crew is small as is the amount of passengers, they do have to escort felon Louis Gaspare who has charges of homicide. But this killer passenger is not the main threat of this plane ride as extreme weather makes them crash land on a island ruled by criminals who take the survivors hostage in order to try and get ransom money. Now Brodie and Louis must fight off these criminals alongside a mercenary group sent in by the airline in order to save the hostages and get off the island safe and sound…but this is as hard as it sounds as the criminals are not the eager to let their prisoners escape and a battle breaks out that will leave many dead and Brodie showing just how great of a pilot he really is. This is a really fun check your brain at the door, popcorn action film that delivers entertainment, as well as some really cool fighting moments with some interesting cast of characters. The film stars Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Evan Dane, Daniella Pineda and Tony Goldwyn to name a few. The film did all right for Lionsgate at the US box office bringing in $32,111,181.00 on a budget of $25 million. A really fun theater watch action flick that is getting a sequel in the future called “Ship” and I for one will see it when it hits theaters.

# 2

John Wick is being hunted down by The Table as his deeds and killings off some of their own has made him a marked man for death, and all John wants is to be left alone and out of The Table’s hold forever. But when Marquis Vincent de Gramont, a high member of the Table, has been assigned to kill John Wick, the snobby Marquis ends up putting a price on his head, brings down the safety Hotels used by The Table that have helped Wick and even brings in high profile hired killers Caine and Mr. Nobody to get this hit done. But John Wick has other plans as he sets up a duel with the Marquis where one man will die and the others wishes will be granted by The Table…but will John find his way to peace or will he find his way to the grave? Watch this amazing action film to find out for yourself. This film is pure action with lots of fights, chases and action from start to finish and also has great characters with John Wick being a true modern day “Man With No Name” style hero. Keanu Reeves is great as John Wick and this series is one of the best action films going in these modern times. Other names in the cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Lance Reddick and Shamier Anderson to name a few. This film did really well for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $187,131,806.00 on a budget of $100 million. The John Wick films are fantastic and with rumors of spinoff films, I cannot wait to see how this universe grows.

# 1

It’s 1969 and Indiana Jones is retiring from teaching as his life has gone poorly after a tragic event involving his son as well as his relationship with Marion Ravenwood has crumbled. But Indiana is about to find another adventure when his goddaughter Helena Shaw comes to him with the need to find The Dial Of Destiny, an artifact that is tied with time travel and is what drove her father mad. So now Indiana starts a new adventure and learns that while his age might have slowed him down slightly, it cannot stop a true legend of archaeology as he finds the Dial while helping Helena with her issues as well as dodging a band of Nazi’s who are holding onto the past and want to use the Dial to change to outcome of World War II! And when the Dial is used, the time travel is not what they think and Indiana Jones learns that he means so much to so many people he has built a friendship with over his long legendary career. This was a great film and when at the packed theater to see, it I felt like a kid again watching Indiana Jones on the big screen. The adventure this time around is lots of fun as The Dial Of Destiny is something that could be very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands and it of course brings back Nazis as the main villains. The film of course had lots of hate before it even was released as many have it out for Disney now and this one was caught up in the storm of anger. The film also not only brings back Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones but other returning faces include John Rhys-Davies as Sallah and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood. Other actors in the cast are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook and Shaunette Renee Wilson to name a few. The film did not do so great for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $174,480,468.00 on a massive over blown budget of $300 million, I hope Disney learned this year that they are putting way too much money into these films. This hands down was my favorite Action film on 2023 and is my third favorite film in the Indiana Jones film series! Don’t listen to the online “critics” and haters as much of what they reported was not even in this film ,and make up your own mind and give it a watch as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

You can never go wrong with watching a good old Action film on the big screen, and this year it was sequels to films that took the top spots as I found both John Wick 4 and Indiana Jones 5 to be highly entertaining films. I did skip a few action films this year like Expendables 4 as I had lots of stuff going on at work as well as had to get many Blood Scream Comics ready for release. But now that we have all the Action out of the way I think that it’s now time we take a look at Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films that I saw this past year at the local cinemas.

# 5

Edgin Darvis is a man whose wife was killed by wizards, and he turned to a life of stealing and this leads to him spending years in jail and his daughter being watched after by one of his former running mates in a life of crime. But once out of jail, he finds that his daughter is safe and that his former friend Forge Fitzwilliam is now a King of a kingdom and is working with an evil Witch to rule over the land and bring death to the city…now Edgin along with female warrior Holga Kilgore, untrained wizard Simon Aumar and shape shifter Doric must come together to save his daughter, bring down the corrupt king, take out the evil Red Wizard and become the unlikely family they have all been looking for. This is a fun fantasy film that is a true popcorn flick that was a great watch on the big screen! The characters make a great team, and it feels like a quest film that would have been perfectly at home during the 80’s when Barbarian and Warrior styles films were being released. The effects are well done, from undead warriors all the way to an obese dragon and such actors as Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant and Daisy Head make up the main cast. Also for those of you wondering the cast from the Dungeon And Dragons cartoon from the 80 do make an appearance. The film did ok for Paramount Pictures at the U.S. box office bringing in $93,277,026.00 on a budget of $150 million. If you like fun Fantasy Films that brings the fun nature of the role playing game it’s based on, make sure to give it a watch as its filled with action, adventure and some humor.

# 4

Japan is being attacked by giant Kaiju monsters and their special defense team the SSSP are doing what they can to destroy these threats, but soon they get help from an alien giant named Ultraman to defeat these terrors! But with Ultraman’s appearance comes new threats as aliens are coming to Earth now with the ideas of either ruling it or destroying it, and he must use all his powers and his newly found respect for mankind in order to protect them as well as be the hero the Earth needs during these unknown times. But can Ultraman survive the attacks of foe after foe and threat after threat or will mankind suffer a terrible fate at the hands of aliens from another dimension? Watch this reboot to the classic TV Series to find out. This is such a fun, silly, cheesy Sci-Fi action film that does a great job of capturing the mood and feel of the 1966 series as it was clear they were definitely playing in that universe. The effects are really fun as some look really good and other very cartoonish by design. And I also have to say that the film feels like several different episodes crammed together as you get tons of monsters and aliens that come and go, with some having no real reason to make their exit. The film was released in limited theaters via a Fathom Event and did ok for them at the American Box Office bringing in $601,490.00 on a budget of 900 million yen. Over all if you like fun films with giant monsters and are a Ultra Man fan like myself, then make sure to checkout this film. I got it when released on home media.

# 3

The planet eater Unicron has eaten the home world of The Maximals but needs a key to get to the next galaxy. Optimus Primal along with his fellow Maximals Airazor, Cheetor and Rhinox take the key to Earth and break the key into two and hide them so that Unicron will forever be stuck where he is at and can not destroy anymore planets. Now in 1994 one part of the key is activated and Unicron’s minions travel to Earth to find both parts of the keys to send the single into space and allow the massive planet eater to arrive to destroy Earth and everyone living on it. The Earth’s only hope is The Maximals, The Autobots lead by Optimus Prime and two earthlings who get caught up in this madness. This is a really fun Transformers film as Optimus Prime in this film learns that not all humans are bad and that The Maximals are still alive and living on Earth in hiding. And as always it’s great hearing Peter Cullen voice Prime, as it gives the film that true Transformers feel and other actors voices heard in this film include Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage and Pete Davidson. This is one of the better Transformers live action films and did well for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $157,066,393.00 on a budget of $200 million. Over all if you are a fan of Transformers or Beast Wars, make sure to give this one a watch.

# 2

Willy Wonka is a young man who is a brilliant inventor, magician and chocolate maker who has shown up in city with big dreams of selling his treats to the people to honor his late mother, but he soon finds that the city is corrupted by three candy makers, a police chief who is on the take as he is paid in candy to do their dirty work, a father who runs the church to hide the makers base of operations and even a sleazy motel owner who forces her guests to big contracts in order to trap them there and make them work for her laundry services. But Wonka has big dreams to bring his treats to the people and finds ways to out move and out smart them and with the help of his fellow trapped laundry workers Noodle, plumber Piper Benz, accountant Abacus Crunch, comedian Larry Chucklesworth, tell phone operator Lottie Bell, giraffe Abigail and the Oompa-Loompa named Lofty he does just that as Wonka Chocolate becomes a reality and along the way the candy maker changes the lives of those who helped him for the better. This is a prequel to the 1974 family musical classic “Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory” and for the most part is a fitting film into the legacy as Wonka is silly, there is catchy songs and lots of strange things all around. The film is well casted with Timothee Chalamet playing Will Wonka and other names like Rowan Atkinson, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Grant, Rakhee Thakrar, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas and Olivia Colman making up some of the leads. The humor in the film works on a family entertainment level. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $142,762,717 on a budget of $125 million (as of this posting). While its not as magical or special as the first film, it is a fun family musical that I think will find its audience once the internet outrage fades away.

# 1

Mario and Luigi are two brothers who open a plumbing business in Brooklyn, New York who soon find themselves in the sewers trying to stop a massive water main break, but are sucked into a pipe that takes them into a new world, that of The Mushroom Kingdom! While Mario meets Toad and Princess Peach, poor Luigi is taken prisoner by Bowser and his army of troopers as he has captured the power star and wants to force Peach into marrying him and ruling over the Mushroom Kingdom together…and if she says no, then he will use the star and destroy it all! Now Mario along with Princess Peach, silly mushroom man Toad and Donkey Kong must come together to stop Bowser from destroying the world, and The Mario Brothers must also show the world and most importantly their family that they are not screw-ups and are truly the plumbing heroes the world…no the galaxy needs. This is a really fun film that brings the classic Nintendo characters to the big screen once again as their first adventure was way back in 1993 and was live action with this one being animated. The animation in this film is top notch as are all the Easter Eggs that feature other Nintendo owned properties that include Punch-Out and Pro Wrestling to name a few. Plus it was very cool to see Donkey Kong on a XD Screen! Voice actors for this film include Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen and Seth Rogen to name a few. The film did fantastic for Universal at the American box office bringing in $574,934,330.00 on a budget of $100 million. If you enjoy the past, present and future of Super Mario Bros. make sure to give this one a watch as it’s a heck of a fun time.

In 2023 film studios truly delivered a very fun mix bag of films in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres and I will say that I found them all to be very fun in their own ways but really The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the best that those genres had to offer as I really do think it captured the fun nature of the Nintendo game series and it’s box office domestic and worldwide number proves I am not the only one who thought so. Well let’s next take a look at the Super Hero Genre that while did do well also took a beating this year as they seem to be wearing out their welcome at the box office for sure.

# 9

Jamie Reyes returns home after college to find that his family home is up for sale and that his family is poor, but after meeting Jenny Kord, a woman who is on the board of a very rich company, his life is forever changed when by accident he bonds with the Scarab and turns him into superhero the Blue Beetle! But becoming this hero also puts he and his family in danger when Victoria Kord wants the Scarab to help create bio suits to use in wars and sends her bodyguard OMAC to get it back for her. Can the Blue Beetle survive? Will he save his family? Will Victoria get her war machines up and running? Watch this DC Comics based superhero film and find out for yourself. While I did not hate Blue Beetle, the word “generic” just comes to mind as at this point many of these superhero films are just being made paint by numbers style and lack that creative impact that they used to over a decade ago. When seeing this film opening weekend many of the jokes fell flat with the movie goers and many after it was over I could hear say it was boring and just bland…and sadly I agree. The film has a good cast with such names as Xolo Mariduena, George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillen, Susan Sarandon and Belissa Escobedo to name a few. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $72,488,072.00 on a budget of $125 million. While I am sure this film has its fans and I am glad that there is people who enjoy it…but this one was just way too cheesy and generic for me.

# 8

Aquaman is now not only the King of Atlantis but also a father now as he and Mera have had a son, but the oceans as well as the surface world is in trouble due to pollution that is causing global warming and worse Black Manta as returned and found the Black Trident and is possessed by a former ocean ruler who has frozen in ice by magic and wants to return to not only take over the oceans once more but also destroy Atlantis and go to war with the surface world! Now Aquaman must fight Black Manta and his followers from dooming the world as well as destroying the environment and must get the help of his brother Ocean Master to do so…but can the brothers get along for long enough to be the heroes or will their feud doom us all? This is another very paint by numbers bland superhero film filled with lots of action and epic fights but also the lame humor that James Gunn introduced to the world of superhero films and as always Jason Momoa over acts had hams it up on the screen making for many eye rolling moments. The film is over long and is kind of just very generic over all and once more has a bloated budget that makes you wonder when will Warner Brothers learn. The film also starts Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Randall Park and Temuera Morrison. The film did poorly for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in (as of this posting) $84,670,000 on a $205 million budget. The DCU is getting just as played out as the MCU, and let’s hope that they both cut down on the amount released and make them feel more special for theater goers again.

# 7

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live in the sewer with their father Splinter but want to live among humans and enjoy a normal teenage life, but due to their appearance and a bad experience Splinter had with humans when the turtles were babies, they are forced to live in the shadows. That is until they meet unpopular teenager April O’Neil who they help get her stolen scooter back and they come up with a plane to stop Superfly, a mutated fly who has his own mutant crew that are Mondo Gecko, Bebop, Rocksteady, Leatherhead, Wingnut, Ray Fillet, Scumbug and Genghis Frog! But the will the TMNT stop Superfly once they find out they are sort of all cousins or will they be trapped and captured by TCRI, who is a group that want to create their own mutants? Will April O’Neil over come her nerves for reporting? Will Splinter ever trust humans again? Will Ray Fillet finally be able to sing? All these questions are answered and more in Mutant Mayhem! This is a pretty fun and silly animated film that will surly please viewers of all ages, but I will say that the creative team behind this do make some major changes to characters and their backstories so TMNT classic fans might get a little annoyed. The film is filled with lots of silly comedy as well as some great fights and has the voice acting talents of such actors as Jackie Chan, Maya Rudolph, Ice Cube, John Cena, Seth Rogen, Natasia Demetriou, Paul Rudd, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose Byrne and Post Malone. The film did well for Paramount at the domestic box office bringing in $118,613,586.00 on a budget of $70 million. While I am not so much into animated superhero films, this was an entertaining one and was worth seeing on the big screen.

# 6

The Flash is a member of the Justice League and has been helping Batman with events in Gothom all the while trying to prove that his father was not the one who killed his mother. But when Flash discovers he can run so fast that we can go back in time he comes up with an idea to save his mom, and does so even after being warned by Batman that this could change and destroy everything. Flash does this and ends saving his mom, but also warps the world as he meets a younger version of himself as well as meets a different version of Batman, saves Supergirl but leaves this universe without a way to defeat General Zod and his army as this world is without a Superman! After jumping time over and over to try to fix things the two Flashs are faced with the idea some things just cannot be fixed. Has The Flash doomed a world to be destroyed by Zod or will he find a way to try and set things back to what they are an that means loosing his mother again. This is one of those superhero films that had bad word of mouth mostly due to the behavior of the films star Ezra Miller outside of Hollywood, but while They are scum the film is not as bad as its made out to be. Lots of great cameos from DC Movies of the past and you have to love that Michael Keaton once more plays Batman! The film did poorly for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $108,133,313.00 on a massive budget of $220 million. The film is not groundbreaking but was a fun watch on the big screen and fans of the Zach Snyder Superhero films should give this one a watch. Plus I have to say with this spoiler it was great seeing Christopher Reeve and George Reeves as Superman, Helen Slater as Supergirl and Adam West as Batman again for there brief cameos.

# 5

Gwen Stacy is called to join a group of Spider-Men who are trying to capture baddies that are crossing over into other universes, all thanks to what Miles Morales caused when he saved the world from the Kingpin and created a super villain called The Spot who is causing chaos in order to get the ultimate power and be looked at as a top super villain. When Miles meets back up with Gwen who broke the rules of visiting him, he follows her on her quest to bring down Spot and causes even more bad effects for the different universes even causing some to start to collapse on themselves! And when Miles hears of a big event that is going to be playing out in his universe that effects his father, he knows he can stop this event…but at what cost? This causes him to be tracked down by his fellow Spider-Men in over to try and right all these wrongs Miles has accidentally caused while on a mission himself to also bring an end to Spot. This is a pretty entertaining animated superhero film that explores the different versions of Spider-Man from the different universes and is allowing Miles to find love, have his first mega villain crises and also find out that everything ones does has an outcome that sometimes is not glamorous. The film also features Spider-Man 2099, Scarlet-Spider and even a small cameo from the 1960’s Spider-Man cartoon version. It’s a good film; I am just not into the animated superhero films as much, but I understand that many of you are and that’s cool. The film did well for Columbia Pictures at the American box office bringing in $381,311,319.00 on a budget of $100 million. Check this one out if you enjoyed the first film or just like animated Spider-Man films.

# 4

Dar-Benn is the ruler of the Kree, and she is on a mission to bring their home world back to its glory with the help of a bangle that allows her to open portals that can steal other planets’ resources, and she is targeting planets of people who are loved by Captain Marvel. But something else strange is happening as every time Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Captain Monica Rambeau use their powers, they switch spots making for lots of chaos as they all try and be the heroes they need to be, and now must work together as a team in order to save the planets and defeat the crazed Dar-Benn for killing millions. They also get help from Nick Fury and must learn to work as a team, find that some heroes have flaws and must also learn how to forgive for past mistakes. Can our heroes The Marvels stop Dar-Benn or are planets doomed to be destroyed? Checkout this superhero film and find out. The Marvels is a mixed bag of humor, drama and action and is over all an ok watch that once more got hit with bad reviews from online “critics” for no reason at all. Is the film the best that the Superhero genre has to offer…no, but was it a fun popcorn movie? Yep. Some of the humor in this film falls flat and at times it suffers the same fate as Blue Beetle of being just kind of generic feeling as to me Dar-Benn might be one of the weakest villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Zawe Ashton, Samuel L. Jackson and Iman Vellani who is Ms. Marvel and truly steals the film away from the other two actresses, but to be honest everyone does a great job in their roles. The film did only ok for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $84,493,947 on a bloated budget of $270 million, showing that Disney needs to reign in these budgets. Over all if you liked the first Captain Marvel film, enjoyed the Ms. Marvel TV Show or just really like these characters make sure to check it out.

# 3

Ant-Man along with Wasp, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne and Cassie Long find themselves being sucked into a machine that Cassie created that allowed her to map some of the Quantum Realm and find themselves stuck inside it and worse being hunted down by Kang The Conqueror and his creation, the killing machine known as M.O.D.O.K as Kang wants to return to Earth after being banished in order to conqueror and destroy with his created army in the Realm. And Kang also hates Janet as when she was stuck in the Realm she caused him to not be able to escape by destroying his only way out the Multiversal Power Core. Now Ant-Man finds himself being used as a puppet when Kang forces him to get the Power Core in order to save his daughter’s life…Ant-Man is faced with a hard decision but when his daughter escapes, he and his family are joined by freedom fighters fight against Kang to stop him from time and dimension jumps as well as break his grip on the Quantum Realm. This was a fun Sci-Fi Superhero film that felt like not only did it have elements of typical Marvel Universe films but also a dash of Star Wars with a hint of Tron! I am not sure why this film got so much hate from critics and fans besides the fact it the cool trend to crap on these comics book films now, as I found it to be a fun popcorn film meant to be seen on the big screen! This film did good for Disney at the US box office bringing in $214,504,909.00 on a budget of $200 million. Well worth a watch if you have enjoyed the other two Ant-Man films and want to see Kang The Conqueror be as evil and cold as he should be.

# 2

Billy Batson is about to turn 18 and has a fear that he will be out of the foster system and lose his new family and home. Also, his siblings who all have super powers now seem to want to do things on their own besides doing it as a superhero team, and this is truly bumming him out. But when the three Daughters Of Atlas are able to get their hands on the magical staff, they break the hold on preventing darker magic used on Earth and use their powers to steal the powers back from Batson’s super hero powered family! Now he along with The Wizard (who gave him the powers) must figure out a way to get the staff back and stop these three sisters from destroying our planet as one of the sisters has an idea to turn Earth into their new realm and even brings back monsters and creatures from mythology that are rampaging our streets. And Shazam (Billy) must use all his powers and skills to truly stop the Sisters as well as save mankind from destruction. This was a really fun sequel that was filled with some great action as well as laughs and even brought mythical creatures into the plot, so that was a plus for me seeing minotaurs on the big screen. The film is well casted with Zachary Levi, Grace Caroline Currey, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou and Rachel Zegler making up most of the main cast, and with cameos from Gal Gadoy, Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee this film is stacked with talent. The film did just bad for Warner Brothers at the American box office bringing in $57,638,006.00 on a budget of $125 million, and the film’s poor performance was thanks mostly to online critics, but don’t listen to them and make up your own mind as Shazam 2 was a fun big budget popcorn movie watch.

# 1

The Guardians Of The Galaxy come together when member Rocket Raccoon is dying and his creator The High Evolutionary has placed a self-destruct mechanism in him that will kill him if anyone tries to help him medically, and worse, he wants Rocket back in order to take his brain and use it to help build a new race of animal people. Starlord and the others will not allow their friend to die and set out on a quest to get the code to disarm the mechanism in order to save his life, but along the way they have to fight with High Evolutionary and his army of followers and creations including Adam Warlock. But will they be able to save Rocket? Will the other Guardians fall in battle? And what is their fate as a team after the events of this film? Watch this great third film in the hit series and find out for yourself. This film for now is the swan song for Guardians Of The Galaxy, and James Gunn did a great job of sending them off right, as this film truly shows the love and friendship the characters have for each other and does a great job of making this final all about Rocket and all the terrible things that happened to him. This is one I don’t want to say too much about as I think that its best just watched and seen for yourself, I will warn you there are many of sad moments in this film that have to do with animal cruelty. The film did well for Disney at the domestic box office bringing in $358,995,815.00 on a budget of $250 million making it a hit for the House Of Mouse. If you like the other films in the series of just the films of director James Gunn make sure to give this one a watch as it really was the best Superhero film of 2023.

Like many, I find myself getting a little burnt out by the Super Hero films that have been flooding the cinemas for over the past 10 years as many at this point are all about different dimensions, universes, timelines and so on…but I truly think The Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 is a great film and hands down the best Superhero film of the year. And I know many of you are upset that Spiderverse is not high on my list, and again I have to stress it’s a good movie, I am just not into the animated Superhero Films. Well next is what I consider the Top Draw to get me to the theater and that of course is Horror and ma,n did I see lots of films on the big screen, and I mean a lot! This is truly the genre of film that brings me to the theater every time and with seeing so many this year putting together this list was a little hard as I enjoyed so many of them…but with that, let’s get cozy in our seats and let’s talk Horror!

# 44

Young Kevin and Kaylee wake up to a dark house were strange noises and creepy voice are heard in the darkness, and visions of their mother and father appear as doors, windows, toys and even the toilet seem to disappear. The voice taunts them and tells them to do weird things like look under the bed, go to sleep and even self-harm. Lights go on and off and the youngsters only have flashlights and the glow of the TV that is playing old cartoons. But slowly Kevin finds himself alone in the house looking for help and wanting to find someone to help him out of this nightmarish home of darkness…is this all in the young boys head or are his parents the true monsters? Watch this Experimental Horror film and make up your own mind. This film is not for everyone as it is a very slow burn with lots of white noise and long shots of door frames and Legos mixed with some dialogue, loud noises and cartoons playing and is very much a artsy kind of film that tries to guide the viewer into seeing what they think is truly going on in it. I for one was not a fan as I found it to be kind of bland and not as deep as it was trying to appear to be, and I did not find it that scary and many of the shots linger for way to long and act as filler to pad out the runtime as I feel this would have been better as a short film. The film had a limited release in theaters and did well for IFC at the American box office bringing in $2,052,272.00 on a budget of $15,000.00. This is one that you might want to check out if you think doorframes and flooring are scary. I might try to watch again and see if I like it any better in the future.

# 43

Paul Sturges is a man who works for Nixon Oil who has been sent out to inspect an old oil rig on the Baja Coast to see if it needs to be shutdown, and for this trip he also brings his wife Ines, daughter Audrey and young son Tommy as after they plan to have a fun time in Mexico. But soon Paul and his family find that the oil rig is leaking and most of the crew are gone besides two workers and their pet dog…as you see, that area is now cursed by an Aztec God who protects the land and has set loose The Black Demon, a massive shark that kills anything in its path. With no way off the oil rig and Paul learning that his own employers have sent him there to die, Paul must figure out a way to get his family to safety as well as stop The Black Demon and please the Aztec God by making his wrongs right and making the ultimate sacrifice. This is a pretty fun giant shark film that has a cool setting being in Mexico that sadly just does not have enough of The Black Demon who at times seems like an after thought as the main focus is clearly the damage that mega corporations do to the environment as well as Paul one of the most unlikable “heroes” I have seen in a film for a very long time. The film does have some kills and blood, but it as well is few and far between in the film. The film is well casted with names like Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrehola, Julio Cesar Ceddillo, Venus Ariel and Jorge A. Jimenez and the music score is well done. The film did ok I would guess for Variance Films at the domestic box office on a very limited releasing bring in a unknown amount on a unknown budget. The Black Demon is not for everyone as it is very much a Horror Film that does not pack a very big bite.

# 42

Jonas Taylor and his crew are searching the ocean not only to discover new species in the trench but are also busting eco terrorist who are polluting the waters, and he is still making time for his step daughter Meiying. But during a dive with his crew and daughter, something goes wrong as they discover a underwater base as well as a illegal metal mining operation that sets off explosions and causes Jonas and the others to have to walk on the ocean floor to enter the base to find shelter as in these waters are all types of man eating creatures and worse of all three Megalodons that are hungry for human flesh! But once Jonas figures a way for them to get back the surface world they must deal with this illegal operation, handle the traitors that work among them, save lives from the approaching Megalodons and a Giant Octopus that was also let loose when the explosion rocked the trench. Can Jonas and his crew beat the odds and save the day…you bet your ass they will…but how they do so I will not say and that means watch this Action based Horror film to find out for yourself. This is yet another letdown in the cinema when it came to giants sharks reeking havoc, as his is another film that at times it seems the sharks take a backseat to the action segments and in fact the whole film really does downplay the Horror aspects. And the action in this one is over the top and super cheesy b-move level stuff. Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai and Page Kennedy return from the first film with names like Jing Wu, Melissanthi Mahut, Skyler Samuels and Sergio Peris-Mencheta being new names to the cast. The film did ok for Warner Brothers at the domestic box office bringing in $82,600,317.00 on a budget of $129million and did much better at the over seas theaters. While not as good as the original film, it still was a great popcorn movie to watch on the big screen if you like water based action films with just sadly a hint of Horror.

# 41

Edward is a man who is about to be executed in the electric chair for committing six murders, but his last psychiatrist committed suicide and now Dr. James Martin has been called in to give his evaluation if Edward is mentally fit to be executed. James soon finds that Edward is claiming that he is Nefarious, a demon that has taken over his body and caused him to do all the evil things, and worse Nefarious knows all of James secrets and things about his life that he shouldn’t. James now must figure out if Edward really does have a demon inside him, how this killer knows so much about his life and if he is going to sign the papers to end this prisoner’s life. The demon Nefarious soon alerts that he wants for Edward to die and that he wants James to release a book about the demons story to help spread the word of The Devil! In the end James makes his choice and must come to terms with his own faith as well as the fact that a demon has his him in his sights. This is a Christian-based Horror Film that mostly takes place in one setting in the prison and has the two main characters going back and fourth trying to get the one up on the other, and Sean Patrick Flanery is fantastic as Edward/Nefarious as he is able to slip between the two characters with a realistic approach. Other names in the cast include Jordan Belfi, Tom Ohmer and Daniel Martin Berkey being the main characters. The film’s frights come from the words of the demon and this was a slow burn and yet entertaining fright film. The film did well for Soli Deo Gloria Releasing at the American box office bringing in $5,433,685.00 on an unknown budget. The film does have a few preachy moments that tries to push is message, but if you look past it the film is ok and one I would watch again.

# 40

Karen starts her new job as an overnight janitor for a furniture factory. She is also a single mom to a sick little girl and her ex-husband was an abusive a-hole. But as her shift goes on five masked me break into the factory with the goal to kill Karen, they have her locked in, the doors chained and the phone lines cut and now she must fight for her life and survive this horrible night to see her daughter again. Who are these masked intruders? Are they robbers, and if not, who sent them? This is a pretty fun Indie Horror Film that is a cat and mouse game as most of the runtime is spent with Karen one step ahead or almost being caught by the masked attackers, and while the suspense is there it does tend to get a little draggy at times. Actress Natalie Terrazzino plays Karen and is fantastic in her role, and I hope to see her casted in more Horror Films soon. The film has some bloody moments and the end will leave you satisfied. The film had a very limited release and did ok for Welcome Villain bringing in a unknown amount on an unknown budget. This film was a blast to watch on the big screen and while it did drag in a few spots it is one I watched again when released on home media.

# 39

Rom takes his girlfriend Bianca to a place called Strawberry Lodge as he has just published his new book, her birthday was just recent, the pandemic had them cooped up and he wanted to propose to her but gets cold feet. All of their close friends have joined them at the lodge and meet the old lady who owns it that leaves them a bottle of wine before making her exit. The friends are all having a great time together, that is until after they drink the wine left for them, and Rom makes the mistake of talking about the legend of the house that includes witches, fear and suicide. Soon their getaway turns into a nightmare of fear as they start seeing things, hearing things and uncovering things that lead many of them to early graves all because of a coven of a evil witches that have a guardian that needs to feed on some souls. Can Rom and Bianca escape the Lodge with whats left of their friends or will they all be undone by their greatest fears. This was a spooky supernatural witch movie that was set during the pandemic times and plays up on peoples fear of the virus as well as how fear in general can lead to your fate. The movie was well cast, with Annie Ilonzeh, Jessica Allain, Tyler Abron and Ruby Modline all being great in their roles. The film did ok for Hidden Empire Film Group at the American box office bringing in $2,090,261.00 on an unknown budget. While not a groundbreaking film about the concept of neither fear nor a virus crisis, it is one that I enjoyed on the big screen and got on home media when released.

# 38

Nasser is a talented cello player who is trying to get his big break playing as part of a big symphony, and his luck he thinks is turning when he gets himself a new cello from a strange man at a pop-up music shop. The more Nasser plays his new cello, the more strange things happen to his family and friends as his new musical instrument is cursed and forces him to play a requiem that causes rage to those who hear it and with their ears bleeding they will attack and kill those around them. After some of his family and friends die, Nasser and his friends Alia and Omar try and find answers as the cello has taken over Nasser’s mind and life and he is having visions of a twisted conductor named Francesco as well as ghostly evil spirits of the creator of the cello who murdered his family and used their bones and blood to create it. But can Nasser stop playing the cello and the evil requiem that is driving the world mad or will Francesco claim another talent for his growing collection of talent to cause mayhem and death all around…watch and find out. This is a horror film that brings supernatural ghosts into the world of classical music and is about a cursed musical instrument as well as a song that will drive people mad when played. The film has some great moments that plays on tension as well as has some interesting ghosts but does suffer from being way to long as it runs 2hrs and should really only be 1hr 25min max as some spots in this movie drags and bogs down some of the chills. The film also has a pretty downbeat ending and is a modern cursed object kind of film, also its cool that it’s a Saudi Arabia release. The films stars Samer Ismail, Jeremy Irons, Tobin Bell, Elham Ali, Mila Al Zahrani and Souad Abdullah as the leads and all are great in their roles with Elham being the standout. The film had a very limited release in America and did $5,314 internationally on an unknown budget for Rozam Media. If you like music based horror, make sure to check this one out.

# 37

A small village is plagued with black magic as one of their temples has been closed down for many years as it is said to have a curse around it…but it is also said to hide treasure! Komari is a man who many think is dead, who is absorbed into black magic and has taken lives and has ruined many of those around him as well as his own, now wandering the country side on a mission to find the treasure and gain more power he is being hunted down by a police captain, his best friend as well as a rich man and his group that want to find the treasures themselves…in other words, there is lots of drama and evil vibes going around and Komari is at the center of it all. This is the sequel to the indie Bollywood Horror film Maa Oori Polimera and brings more twist and turns to that universe, and the end of this second film leaves you on a cliffhanger and the promise of a third film. The film is filled with lots of flashbacks as well as spooky black magic scares…but I will say that the subtitles on the print I saw at the theater were very bad and at times they would just disappear for long periods of time making it a little confusing at times. The film had a very limited release in America and did an unknown amount on an unknown budget. If you like Bollywood Horror like myself, make sure to check this one out.

# 36

Gabbie and her young son Travis move into an old mansion in New Orleans and soon find that it’s haunted by almost a thousand ghosts that are being ruled over by the Hatbox Ghost who needs to collect one more soul in order to bring his terror to the world. Gabbie calls for help from professionals as she learns that once you enter the mansion, a ghost will haunt you until you return! She calls on tour guide and creator of a ghost camera Ben, Harriet a psychic, Father Kent a priest and lastly Professor Davis who kind of forces his way into helping…but they soon find out that the Hatbox Ghost has many terrible tricks up his sleeve and will not stop until one of them dies! But this group is not ready to give up and teaming with some of the more friendly ghosts in the house, they find ways to bring down the Hatbox Ghost and stop his reign of terror on them all as even the other ghost fear him and others obey him not to get on his bad side. This is a very fun kid friendly haunted house film that is based on the popular Disney ride and is fantastically casted with names like LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Own Wilson, Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish and Chase W. Dillion making up the main cast with Jamie Lee Curtis, Winona Ryder, Hasan Minhaj having cameos and Jared Leto plays the Hatbox Ghost. The film is filled with lots of kid friendly scares, some good belly laughs, creepy ghosts and characters that go so well together. The film did poorly for Disney at the domestic box office brining in $67,653,287.00 on a budget of $157.8 million. If you like the ride or just silly spooky ghosts in a haunted house film, make sure to check this one out.

# 35

Renfield is still the familiar for Count Dracula after all these centuries, and he is starting to truly hate his life of eating bugs to gain powers in order to capture humans and bring them to Dracula to feed on. But in these modern times Renfield is picking his victims by attending help groups and bringing him those who are abusive. But things turn sour between the two when Renfield meets officer Rebecca Quincy and saves her from a crime family hit that has been placed on her, and this angers Dracula who now is on a mission to not only take over the world by using this crime family now as his army and helpers…but to also kill everyone that Renfield cares about. Can Renfield and Officer Quincy bring down the crime family and stop Dracula, or will they both suffer a fate worse than death at the hands of the vampire king? Watch this Horror Comedy for yourself and find out. Fist thing I have to say is that director Chris McKay must be taking goofy pills when he tried to claim that this film is a direct sequel to the 1931 Universal Monster classic Dracula that starred Bela Lugosi in the title role, and he even adds moments in Renfield to try and connect the two…and this movie is not even close to being a true sequel as everything about it does not fit the first ones moods and setting unless you think CGI Blood, Shaky Cam Fights Scenes, Character That Act Nothing Like They Did In The Original and Goofy Jokes blend well into your classic Universal Monster Universe. And McKay, we had an official sequel in 1936 with “Dracula’s Daughter,” an underrated classic fright flick. Plus zero explanation on how they both are back alive when we see them die in the original film. With all that said it is a fun watch if you remove the “sequel” aspect as it’s filled with over the top gore, lots of Matrix style fights and has a great cast with Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Jenna Kanell and even Caroline Williams in a cameo role. Plus the idea of Renfield eating a bug and getting superpowers is an interesting and silly concept that just works. The film did poorly for Universal at the U.S box office bringing in $17,152,625.00 on a budget of $65 million. While I do wish that this was more of a straight up Horror Film, if you are in the mood to watch a modern Horror Comedy with a classic Universal Monster give it a watch. I did buy it when it was released on home media.

# 34

Sadie and her younger sister Sawyer lost their mother in a car accident and their father Will, who is a psychiatrist, has not really dealt with the death well himself and has not fully been their for his daughters. And things get worse when a man shows up to their house and ends up killing himself in one of their closets, as the man has been accused of killing his own kids but he claims is was something else, something evil! Now Sadie must protect her sister Sawyer from the monster of the darkness they call The Boogeyman, make her father believe in the monster they see, accept the loss of her mother as well as find a way to kill this monster from your closet and under your bed. This spooky film is based on the short story from Stephen King and is well cast as both Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair steal the film as they come off as real life caring sisters. The Boogeyman is a cool and strange looking creature that delivers a few good jump scares and in a dark theater I could hear people jump several times. The film did well for 20^th Century at the domestic box office bringing in $43,244,282.00 on a budget of $35 million. This is a good PG-13 fright flick that I hope someday will be released on physical media so that I can have it in my collection.

# 33

Karen and Lucy work for a ice cream shop and are rude to a Witch who curses Lucy to become a werewolf, and this causes the friends to head to an abandoned Girl Scouts Camp just in case if she turns into a beast at the full moon…but this gets way out of hand and turns crazy as the two friends discover that the curse is real and have run ins with zombies, cult members and even Bigfoot all in order to find themselves and save Lucy from howling at the moon and ripping her friend into pieces as well as break the witch’s curse. This is a silly Horror Comedy that blends together pretty well, and while some of the humor fell flat for me I still found it to be entertaining as the characters are silly and the use of practical effects gives it a nice touch to the classic days of Indie Horror. The film is well casted with such names as VyVy Nguyen, Brooke Markham, Hershel Sparber, Jimmy Bellinger and Erin Daniels all do a great job in their roles. The film had a limited release for Fathom Events and did ok at the domestic box office with unknown profits on an unknown budget. While not the funniest Horror Comedy I have ever seen, it was cool seeing on the big screen at the theater as the film’s editor’s dad was in the audience with us and is one I will get if released on Home Media.

# 32

The Traveler is a man found in a safe house chained to a dead man filled with over 20 immigrants that have all been shot in the head. Once at the police station The Traveler tells four stories to the investigating officers that are horrific and some humorous in nature, but warns them that he needs to be set free as a death demon is coming for him and will kill everyone in its path…and while he is immortal he has to stay ahead of this demon in order to prevent the return of dark times. But can The Travelers stories scare the officers into believing him or will the Death Demon come for them all…watch this Hispanic Horror Anthology Film and find out. This is a mix bagged as some of the segments are good, others are ok and some are boring, but all of them are well shot and acted and the use of practical effects for the monsters and demons is really cool. The switching from straight up Horror to Horror Comedy can be a little jarring at times as it gives it a little of a odd pacing. Very cool that this small independent film got a very limited showing at the theaters and over all was a pretty dang entertaining watch. The film on its limited release brought in $16,288 at the international box office for Iconic Events Releasing. This is one that I look forward to watching again to see if I missed anything hidden.

# 31

In a small town the corn crops are all dying off and leaving the towns people broke, and their only hope is to make a deal with the government to not grow corn any more. And the town’s kids are not happy about this as teenager Boleyn Williams wants to save the corn and soil to help the land as well as the town grow, while young Eden Edwards wants to protect it as she has made a friend with He Who Walks Behind, a creature who has watched after her and even filled her head with bad thoughts. And when the time comes Eden leads all the kids into an uprising as they kill all the adults for their sins against the corn and she introduces them to He Who Walks Behind with plans to lead the youth uprising around the country! The only ones who try and help the adults are Boleyn and her friends who see what Eden is doing is wrong, but can they stop her plans of death and pleasing her monstrous corn friend…or will they end up dead like all the adults who crossed her…watch this reboot to the Children Of The Corn series and find out for yourself. This was a fun “sequel” of sorts that was a very enjoyable watch on the big screen as I think the character Eden Edwards played by actress Kate Moyer is a sinister youngster who is driven by evil and ego. Plus you can never go wrong with a corn monster! The film has some great deaths and it has a good cast with Elena Kampouris, Callan Mulvey and Bruce Spence all having big rolls. The film had a very limited released and did ok for RLJE Films at the American box office bringing in $325,583.00 on a unknown budget. Harshly judged by “fans” and critics this is one that I enjoyed and got on home media when released.

# 30

Grace is an eye doctor who gets the sad news that her brother Michael, a priest, is dead and is believed to be involved in a murder suicide, but Grace don’t think so and travels to the Isle Of Skye to a convent where this took place and soon finds that the nuns are all very odd and The Mother Superior seems to be the one who claims her brother had a demon in him to commit these crimes. But when Father Romero arrives Grace’s life and her own views seem to be twisted as she learns that she herself might be the cause of all this as she grew up with visions, a abusive father and just might possible be a fallen angel and a religious relic. But is Grace good, evil or something in-between? Watch this creepy Religious based Horror Film and find out yourself. One of the several Religious Horror Films release in 2023 and this one was pretty entertaining as I enjoyed the twists and turns the plot took plus it was well casted with Jena Malone being fantastic as Grace and fellow actors Danny Huston, Eilidh Fisher, Thoren Ferguson and Janet Suzman all being fantastic in their roles. The film had a few creepy moments and they did a good job on not relying on jump scares to try and bring the frights. The film did ok for IFC bringing in $538,551.00 at the American box office on an unknown budget. A fun spooky watch at the theater that I enjoyed and one that I got when released on home media for the Horror Film Collection.

# 29

Emily is a collage student who loves animals and adopts a sloth she names Alpha as her sorority mascot and to become more popular among her sorority sisters as she is running for chapter president against the popular Brianna, but things go wrong when Alpha goes crazy and starts killing off all the ladies in the house on by one as she wants to prove that she is the true Queen of the sorority house. This is a very silly Horror Comedy that features a killer sloth that is like an un-killable slasher killer who murders college women in all types of silly ways and even uses a cellphone and drives a car in order to kill her targets! The film is well casted with names like Lisa Ambalavanar, Sydney Craven, Tiff Stevenson, Olivia Rouyre and Milica Vrzic being the standouts. The film is PG-13 and does have some bloody moments and outrageous kills. The film feels like a “Funny Or Die” skit that is stretched out to be a feature length film…but not saying that in a bad way as it is a fun time. The film had a very limited release and did ok for Iconic Events Releasing at the international box office bringing in $122,542on a unknown budget. It’s one I will get on physical media and will watch again.

# 28

Beau is a man that lives in a dangerous part of town who grew up very sheltered by his rich mother who raised him on her own and filled him with so much fear of falling in love, making decisions and even having sex, all making him think that he could die. And after a tragedy Beau must try and make it to his childhood home but along the way he finds many set back as he is hit by a car and has to spend time with a weird family who are almost keeping him prisoner, avoid a crazed army vet who is hunting him down, meets a weird traveling group that put on plays in the woods and even thinks back to the first girl he ever crushed on. But once he finally makes it home, he finds that his anxiety is worse as things about his life, past and even present come to light and Beau finds out the truth of why he has always been afraid to live his own life. And really this is just the best way I can describe this film without spoiling too many of the twists and reveals that are in its three hour runtime! The film has some very dark moments and even has its fair share of death and blood, but the true horror comes from the bad things Beau has to go through to get back home, and all the while he is trying to be mindful and scared to make the wrong choice to lead him there. The film is well cast with Joaquin Phoenix playing Beau and other actors include Parker Posey, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Bill Hader, Richard Kind and Dennis Menochet to name a few. The film is a strange one and of very entertaining in its own way but sadly it did not do well at the U.S box office for A24 only bringing in $8,176,562.00 on a $35 million budget. This is a film that is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and is one I got on home media when released.

# 27

A group of evil satanic cultist steal the Shroud of Turin with the purpose to clone the DNA of Jesus Christ to grow a new baby in order for Lucifer to take over its being as the ultimate disrespect to God and a way for him to bring Hell to Earth. The cult is lead by Liz, Dr. Laurent and Beast Of The Ground, all of whom will kill, torture and commit the ultimate crimes again mankind to serve their master’s coming. The only thing standing in their way is The Archangel Michael who has taken over the body of a slain priest and Laura, a kidnaped art student, who is being forced to carry the created child…this is a battle between good and evil and will Lucifer and his army be free from their hellish imprisonment or does God have a different plan in place…watch this Horror Action film and see for yourself. What a fun film that kind of reminds me of the Underworld series with a dash of I, Frankenstein just with a smaller budget and features Lucifer and his minions as the main villains. The film is pretty gory in spots as heads are cut off and faces are split in half with The Beast Of The Ground being a very cool and spooky character. The film did very poorly at the American box office for Third Day Productions bringing in only $765,218.00 on an unknown budget. I want to say that Juliet and I had a fun time watching this one and for some reason I kept thinking that if Fangoria Comics was still around that they would have done a comic book series about this. I bought when it was released on home media.

# 26

Winnie The Pooh, Piglet and the rest of the 100 Acre Wood gang end up turning feral after Christopher Robin grows older and leaves them behind. As Pooh and Piglet grow older, they become more wild and start killing and eating humans that wonder into or around their woods. And even kidnap and torture Christopher Robin when he returns to the woods with his wife that they slaughter in front of him. Time passes and Maria along with her friend’s head to a cabin in those woods to get away from the trauma of a peeping tom stalker who broke into her home, but soon they find themselves being hunted and killed by the unstoppable Pooh and violent Piglet who’s hatred for humans knows no bounds. When Maria finds and frees Christopher, can they survive this blood bath or will they find themselves in the belly of Pooh and be just another meal? Watch this creature feature slasher film and find out for yourself! Once Winnie The Pooh fell into the Public Domain director Rhys Frake-Waterfield jumped on turning the classic character into a horror film killer, and for the most part he pulled it off and made an entertaining film. I think that what makes this one work is that it takes an idea that should be very silly and treats it seriously. The film stars Maria Taylor, Nikolai Leon, Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Natasha Tosini and Amber Doig-Thorne who steals the film, oh and the creature effects are really cool and most of the gore effects work well. The film did ok for Fathom Events at the US box office on a limited release bringing in $1,750,639.00 on a budget of $100,000. A fun silly slasher that I picked up once released on home media for the Horror collection as it’s a fun one for sure.

# 25

Eric and Andrew with their adopted daughter Wen have rented a cabin in the woods of New Jersey to get away from the stresses of the city, but soon Leonard along with three others show up with crudely made weapons and take the family hostage and alert them that they have four chances to save all the lives on Earth, but the price to save everyone is that the family have to pick one of their own to die and every time they are asked to make the choice and say “no” thousands and thousands of people die in horrific events and disasters including one of the four captures dies by the hands of the others. Now Andrew and Eric must make the choice to believe if these four strangers are just an end of the world cult, if the end times are really upon us and if they should save the world and make the biggest sacrifice by ending one of their loved ones lives to do so. How does this Psychological Horror film end and is the world really ending and if so does this family save everyone…watch it and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy and well made film from director M. Night Shyamalan that is based on the novel “The Cabin At The End Of The World” by Paul G. Tremblay and is perfectly casted with such names as Dave Bautista, Kristen Cui, Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn and Nikki Amuka-Bird making up the main cast. The film does a great job of playing with your mind and building up suspense and making you think what you would do if this horrific situation was asked of you. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $35,397,980.00 on a budget of $20 million. This is one I got on home media when released as it was one I wanted to watch again.

# 24

Meghna grew up without her mother and was raised by her father who before her 21^st birthday hangs himself out of pain as in his diary he tells his daughter that his illness was caused by her mother who poisoned him and left them both in order to become rich with a new husband. And weirdly after her father’s death his heart is missing from his body and this causes Meghna want to find her mother to get revenge for his father’s death as well as her poor childhood. So she travels to see her mother and her new family and along with the sprit of her father and a half dead evil monk they set up everyone for revenge, but soon Meghna finds that her Mother, Sister and Step Father are good people who love her and that maybe her past was not fully true but it is to late to stop it as her younger sister is now possessed by an evil spirit and now Meghna must do everything she can to save her family from the evil she brought down on them. This is a spooky fun Bollywood Horror film that is a mix of the sub genres of Possession and Haunted House films that is mixed with songs and green screen backgrounds. The film has lots of strange characters with the oddest being the half rotting faced monk who is working along side the spirit of the father who self harmed himself to get revenge on his wife that left him. The film stars Avika Gor, Barkha Bisht, Rahul Dev and Avtar Gill and had a limited release in America. This is just one of many Horror Films released in 2023 that features possession, and if you like modern Bollywood Horror films you should check this one out, on a side note when seeing this in the theater Juliet and I were the only ones there and that’s a shame as it would have been cool to have seen it with a crowd. And for those wondering 1920 is a film series in India and this is the fifth film in the series.

# 23

Julia lost her husband in a terrible car wreck, and she is now a single mother who has to move her daughter Amy and son Henry to an old church in Spain that was left to them, but soon a demon posses Henry, and the Vatican takes notice and sends in Father Gabriele Amorth to investigate and perform an exorcist if necessary. Once there he finds that this old time church is a true place of evil and that Henry’s life and soul are truly in danger as the demon has his sites on the ultimate prize and that is to posses Gabriele and cause evil to spread in the church by spreading wild theories. But Father Gabriele along with Spanish Father Esquibel have strong faith and with the backing and blessing of The Pope himself go to war with this powerful demon to stop it’s evil quest as well as truly come face to face with their own sins, will good beat out evil…well if you now the story of the real Gabriele Amorth you know the answer. This was a truly enjoyable possession film that had some great creepy moments that was highlighted by the cursed church setting. Russell Crowe is fantastic as Father Gabriele and names like Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Laurel Marsden, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney and Franco Nero make up the main cast and are all great in their roles. The film also has some bloody moments as in one scene a woman explodes! The film did well for Sony at the American box office bringing in $20,002,746.00 on a budget of $18 million. Very enjoyable exorcist film that I got on home media when released and is one I hope sparks a franchises as this could be Sony’s Conjuring films if they play their cards right. And yes, this is one that I bought on home media when released.

# 22

James Foster is a writer whose first book was six years ago and after some bad reviews he has gotten writers block and is looking for inspiration to start his next, and his wife Em is trying her best to help him. But while at a resort, they meet Gabi and Alban a couple who are fans of James and who take the couple out for a fun time, but after James is driving drunk and kills a farmer his life is turned upside down as he is rich enough to escape punishment for his crime in this resort city, but he must watch a perfect clone of himself die for the crime…and this starts his life spiraling out of control as he gets mixed up with Gabi and Alban’s plus their friends who have all watched themselves die and are running wild on this resort island as they have the money to get out of paying for their horrific crimes. With his wife mad at him and his new friends mocking him and getting him in to very bad things what is James to do to survive this resort nightmare or will he give into the thrill of watching himself die over and over for the bad things he does. Watch this twisted Brandon Cronenberg Horror Mystery Film for yourself and find out. This film is very well casted with names like Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman and John Ralston to name a few all playing big roles and as always Mia Goth is beautiful and steals the film as she is just a fantastic actress. The film has some bloody moments and a thought provoking plot that will please indie Horror Fans. The film did pretty well for Neon at the US box office brining in $5,078,400.00 on an unknown budget. Worth a watch for sure and one I bought when released on home media.

# 21

When a drug delivery goes wrong and millions of dollars worth of cocaine is dropped out of a plane into the woods of Georgia, a drug dealer sends his son and right hand man to retrieve it, but also on their way to those woods is a local detective trying to bust the dealers, a mom looking for her daughter and her best friend that skipped school, three punk teenagers who like to rob hikers as well as a forest ranger along with an animal rights activist…but unknown to all of them is that a 500 pound black bear has eaten lots of the cocaine and is now super high and on a bloody rampage killing anyone in it’s way in its quest to find more drugs! Can the mother find the kids, will the drug dealers find what is left of his inventory or will Cocaine Bear slaughter them all searching for it’s next high? Watch this fun Horror Comedy loosely based on a true story to find out for yourself. What a fun bloody good time this was, as animal attack Horror has been slacking on the big screen and this one delivered as Cocaine Bear is a violent and sometimes silly creature who can not get enough of the drug and when it kills, it slaughters. The film is well casted with names like Keri Russell, Ray Liotta, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Brooklynn Prince, Christian Convery and Isiah Whitlock Jr. and many others all being perfect in their roles. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $64,388,510.00 on a budget of $35 million, showing that Universal has been doing Horror right for the past few years. This one is a must see for fans of Horror Comedy and is one I got on home media when released.

# 20

The demon Valak has returned and is killing religious workers at churches across Europe on its quest to find a relic, and this leads to a small French boarding school that hides the item it seeks. Meanwhile the church has sent out Sister Irene who is joined by Sister Debra as they travel around to the rash of bizzare deaths, and this leads them as well to the school. In the end it’s a showdown between good and evil, as Irene once more must face the terror of The Nun and try to send it back to Hell once and for all. The newest film in the Conjuring universe delivers some great jump scares as well as a new demon that joins Valak in scaring the heck out of the kids at the school, but it also has some truly head scratching moments mostly with characters that have no real reason as well as I was not to keen on how Valak was defeated this time around. The plot is good and will remind you of so many other demonic possession films you have watched in the past giving it that classic feel. The film is well acted and casted with such names as Taissa Farmiga, Storm Reid, Jonas Bioquet, Bonnie Aarons, Katelyn Rose Downey and Anna Popplewell making up the main cast with Farmiga, Aarons and Jonas all returning from the first film. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the domestic box office bringing in $86,255,396.00 on a budget of around $40million. While this second film was not as good or creepy as the first film, it still was a bloody good watch on the big screen.

# 19

Josh Lambert is having bad memory issues as the past events of being in The Further and dealing with the lost souls within it have been blocked from his mind, and the same goes for Dalton, his now college-aged son. And all this stress and lack of memory has also taken a toll on Josh’s family as he is separated from his wife and only gets to spend little time with his kids. But when both Josh and Dalton start to slightly remember, the door to The Further is open and The Lipstick-Face Demon along with other lost souls are now looking to be freed and the demon has set his sites on possessing Dalton. And its up to Josh to remember his past and travel back into The Further in order to save his sons soul, close the Red Door for good as well as learn to let go of his own past and forgive. This fifth film in the Insidious series is a little of a slow burn that packs a few jump scares as well as brings back The Lipstick-Face Demon in one more attempt to ruin the Lambert family. The film’s characters mix really well as they come off as a dysfunctional family hiding secrets that are trying to work it all out. The film stars Patrick Wilson (who also directed), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Sinclair Daniel and Joseph Bishara in the main roles and all do a great job. The film has some great scared mixed with family drama and even a dash of humor and makes for another great sequel in the Insidious franchise. The film did good for Sony at the domestic box office bringing in $82,156,962.00 on a budget of $16 million. If you enjoy the Insidious films this fifth film is one you will want to see and is one I got on home media when released.

# 18

It’s the last day of camp for the kids and staff of Briarbrook as the fun days of summer are coming to an end Peter, the grandson of the camp’s owner and son of the camps head counselor throws a party with the staff, and they try to raise the dead as they prick their fingers and draw blood for Nurse Agatha, a nurse who was said to have been banned from the camp as she had cruel ways of “treating” and “curing” patients including blood letting and her own blend of medicines. It is said that she tripped and fell in the woods hitting her head on a rock and bleeding to death after she was chased away from camp. But what was a harmless campfire tale comes true as Nurse Agatha has returned and has gotten the kids under a spell and all those who pricked their fingers have been marked for brutal deaths, but soon Peter finds out there is way more to this legend and his family bloodline is connected to her dark past, can they survive camp or will the lake fill with the blood of these councilors…watch and find out. This is a horror film with a dash of comedy that pays tribute to the slasher films in the 80’s that took place in summer camps. The film is well casted with such names as Cara Buono, William Sadler, Spencer List, Clare Foley, Adam Weppler and Ehad Berisha make up most of the main cast and are great in their roles with Adam Weppler’s character Dylan being such a jerk that you have to laugh. The film has some pretty fun kills and the killer Nurse Agatha is spooky looking and if Fangoria still was making comics I would have loved to seen them do a comic series based on this film! The film had a limited release and did ok for Blue Finch Films at the US box office bringing in unknown profits on an unknown budget. A fun summer camp horror film that was worth a pick up on home media when released.

# 17

A group of old college friends get together for their reunion and to celebrate Juneteenth at a cabin in the woods, but what is supposed to be a fun time of talking, drinking and catching up soon turns into a nightmare after they find a board game called “The Blackening” and make the mistake of starting to play it as when they do a masked killer with a crossbow appears and their choices in the game are a matter of life or death! This game of survival will test their friendships as well as survival skills as the killer makes them play his twisted game and the wrong answers will equal an untimely death, can this group of friends survive? Check out this Horror Comedy and find out for yourself! This is a fun slasher film that is wrapped with humor and is very entertaining as I found all the friend characters to be likable and charming in their own ways. The film has its fair share of crossbow kills and even has a scene of splatter that is done with humor. The film starts names like Grace Byers, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Antoinette Robertson, X Mayo and Dewayne Perkins to name a few and all are great in their roles. The film did well for Lionsgate at the domestic box office bringing in $17,707,207.00 on a budget of only $5 million. Worth a watch for fans who like Horror Comedies and one I got on home media when released.

# 16

A small village in India is being plagued by killings of couples that are committing affairs and the deaths are framed to look like suicides, but the local SI knows that these deaths are not what they seem as they all take place after someone has written about the affairs on the city walls for everyone to see. And while the townspeople are gossiping and pointing fingers out of fear, a masked figure is stalking the woods and his motives is unknown and when the towns doctor sees the ghost of a woman shunned by the village who committed suicide in a well the mystery of who is doing the killing and their motives thickens as the SI must stop these killings masked as suicides and bring the killer or killers to justice. This is a really great Bollywood Horror Films that has lots of twists and turns and even has a few elements of Phantom Of The Opera and Saw thrown in to keep it spooky. As the plot unfolds more and more is explained and the view of the killers is shown more clearly and to be honest you find yourself cheering for them. The film also deals with some social issues really well like women’s rights, the power of those in charge and even dealing with lost love. The film is a blend of Thriller, Slasher and Supernatural and of course done in the style that India has for these types of Horror Films. The film is well casted with such names as Payal Rajput, Nandita Swetha, Divya Pillai, Ravindra Vijay and Priyadarshi Pulikonda making up the lead roles. The film had a limited showing in theaters and did well for Flyhigh at the box office. If you enjoy Bollywood Horror like I do make sure to check out Mangalavaaram as it’s a well made fright flick that starts off slow but builds to a great ending.

# 15

Marty is a man down on his luck as his stepfather thinks he is a loser, he works hard at a fast food burger restaurant and gets no respect and all he has in the world is his Battle Cats toy collection and the want to win a contest that will have his stay at the Satanic magicians Bartok The Great’s mansion to summon an ancient demon and be granted eternal life….and he wins as he is the virgin the ritual needs! Calling himself Onyx The Fortuitous, he meets the four other contest winners and finally has found the friends he has been looking for, but soon this fun time at the mansion turns sinister when he discovers their host Bartok and his female demon Farrah are going to kill them all to rise the demon and turn them all into mindless ghouls! Can Onyx be the true chosen one to save the day or will this burger flipper fumble and cause the end of the world as we know it…watch this silly Horror Comedy and find out for yourself. This was surprisingly good and while a little to long it offered some great laughs and characters that were likeable even if Onyx is one strange guy. The film uses practical effects to showcase ghouls and demons and they look good and remind me of stuff you would have seen in the 80’s. The film also bring actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton back together and other actors include Andrew Bowser, Terrence Carson, Rivkah Reyes, Melanie Chandra, Arden Myrin and Olivia Taylor Dudley as the demon Farrah who is just stunning in the film. The film was released limited by Fathom Events and did ok for them at the domestic box office bringing in $182,021.00 on an unknown budget. While the films scares are played more for laughs, this was a fun one that I will own once released on home media.

# 14

Sam and her family come from India to live in America and as she starts becoming a teenager, she starts want to fit in more with her fellow classmates and even drifts away from her childhood friend Tamira who is acting very strange caring around a jar creeping people out and looking like she has not slept for days, but when Sam out of frustration with his former friend’s oddness breaks the jar, she unknowingly unleashes a demon called a Pishach that is now on the loose and has taking Tamira and hidden her away in order to feed on her soul for seven days before finally ending her life, and now Sam must try to rescue her past friend as well as avoid this demon who has now set its twisted sites on her and is attacking those she seeks help from…will Sam be able to save her friend as well as her own life watch this fun demonic creature feature and find out for yourself. What a surprise this film was as it was such a great watch and felt like a Bollywood Horror film with an American touch that was only missing the musical numbers as it dealt with a demonic entity from Hindu lore. The Pishach is a cool and interesting creature, delivered some good scares and the film makes great use of its score music as well as the use of the fall season and rainstorms. The film is well casted with such names as Neeru Bajwa, Megan Suri, Mohana Krishnan, Betty Gabriel, Vik Sahay and Gage Marsh all being great in their roles. The film did pretty well for Neon at the domestic box office bringing in $4,675,092.00 on an unknown budget. This is one I enjoyed very much and bought once released on home media.

# 13

Angela and Katherine are friends who one day after school head into the woods to hold a ritual so that Angela can speak to her mother that passed away when she was born, but instead they invoke a demon who takes over their bodies and causes them to go missing for three days. Once the girls are found they remember nothing and once home the demon comes out to play causing them to harm themselves as well as others their parents come together along side friends, religious figures and even Chris MacNeil who’s daughter Regan was possessed…can they truly exorcise this demon and save the young girls or will their souls be damned to Hell…watch this sixth film in The Exorcist series and find out for yourself. This is another case of a film getting lots of hate for no reason and so many moviegoers listening to crap sites like Rotten Tomatoes and online “Reviewers” and not giving it a chance. The film is well acted and has some great creepy moments and has some great atmosphere as well. The films cast includes Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum as well as returning to the series Ellen Burtyn &Linda Blair! The film did just ok for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $65,537,395.00 on a budget of $30million. While I understand its not as great as the original film, it was a good sequel that in my opinion did the series justice.

# 12

All the churches are closed and people are being possessed and if they are killed by gunshot or not by what is called a cleaner, dark times will fall all around the people who are near and that includes possession and death of their loves ones…it will spread like a sickness. And when two brothers make the mistake of helping a neighboring farmer dispose of a young man who is swelled up with infection and is possessed and by doing so they have infected their town. As the sickness spreads and the children become demonic and adults turn into cannibalistic killers, the two brothers must do what they can to survive and try and save as many of their family and friends as they can, but can they stop the possession sickness or is the world doomed? Watch this creepy film and find out for yourself! This is another possession film released to theaters in 2023 and this one is made in Argentina and really brings a creepy atmosphere as well as a mood that is filled with dread as we watch people die all around and the end of society breaking down before our eyes. There are some pretty gruesome deaths as well as gross moments that can turn your stomach if you are grossed out by infections and puss. The film stars such actors as Ezequiel Rodriguez, Demian Salomon, Luis Ziembrowski and Silvia Sabater and all do great in their parts, but I will say the character Pedro makes many decisions in the film that will make you scream at the screen about how dumb he is! The film had a very small limited release but did do well for IFC Films at the domestic box office bringing in $546,626.00 on an unknown budget. This is one of the better possession films released this year and one I bought on home media when released.

# 11

The town of Plymouth, Massachusetts was shaken by a Black Friday sale on Thanksgiving that left many people dead as shoppers rioted and caused mass amounts of death and injures. A year later, Jessica and her friends who were at the riots (as she is the daughter of the store owner) find themselves as well as others at the store during this horrific time on the hit list of a mask wearing killer who is calling himself John Carver who has a score to settle with them all, and is using social media to taunt them all as he deals out death in bloody ways. And when John Carver captures Jessica as well as her family and friends will they become Thanksgiving dinner & entertainment or will she be able to survive and stop this mad man and find out his true motives? This is a fun Holiday slasher film that was created by Eli Roth who made a fake trailer for this film back in 2007 for the film Grindhouse and in 2023 finally made the film into a feature. The film has some great gory kills with good effects and I liked the masked killer John Carver even if I was not a fan of who he turns out to be in the end. The film also has a great cast with such names as Patrick Dempsey, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Gabriel Davenport and Addison Rae making up some of the lead rolls. The film did well for TriStar Pictures at the domestic box office bringing in a total of $31,806,973 on a budget of $15million. This is a fun spooky film that I will watch from time to time on Thanksgiving and is one I will get once on DVD or Blu-Ray.

# 10

Mike is a young man who is raising his younger sister Abby after both of there parents passed away, and worse Mike is plagued with nightmares of the day his younger brother was kidnapped while the family was camping. Mike has a hard time keeping a job and ends up taking one being a nighttime security officer at a rundown pizza restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza that has been closed for decades after it was connected to a rash of missing kids. And soon he finds that the animatronics are alive and want to friend and then turn his young sister into one of them and just maybe this pizza place has a connection to his missing brother and when he meets Vanessa, the police officer that has the restaurant on her beat, they must find a way to stop Freddy Fazbear and his animatronic gang as well as the evil man that is controlling them in order to save young Abby’s life and soul. This PG-13 Horror Film is based on the super popular video game series and was a great watch on the big screen as many of the fellow moviegoers even came dressed up as characters from the games adding to the fun nature of the film. This fright flick is packed with some cool scares, cool animatronic monsters and even some truly depressing moments dealing with missing kids and homicides. The film stars such actors as Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson and Kat Conner Sterling make up the main cast and all do a great job in their roles. The film did great for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $137,275,620.00 on a budget of $20 million. It was a great watch on the big screen for the Halloween season and is one I bought on home media when it was released. I also have to say this is a perfect film to show younger Horror Fans as it has just the right amount of scares and atmosphere to frighten the younger viewers.

# 9

Winnie Carruthers lives in Angel Falls with her parents and brother and a masked serial killer is on the loose and killing one of Winnie’s friends at a Christmas Eve party and attempting to kill her as well as her brother, but she turns the table and is able to kill the killer who turns out to be the towns Mayor Henry Waters. A year passes and Winnie has not dealt well with the death of her friend as well as killing a man, and when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with her friend, she wishes she was never born…and she gets her wish! Now in Angel Falls no one knows her and the killer has been on the loose the whole time as she never killed him and even now has killed her brother causing the whole town to live in fear, and now along with a young woman that the town named Weirdo she must bring down the Mayor again to stop the killings and just possibly return to have been born again. But soon Winnie finds that her being in this alternate Angel Falls might not just be to teach her a lesson but to also maybe make some major changes in another’s life. This is a fun Christmas slasher horror film that does a great job of making a more twisted version of the holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” the killer when masked is really cool looking and the scares are even mixed with a good dash of humor that really works. The film is well casted and everyone does a fantastic job in their roles and actors in the cast include Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod, Justin Long, Katharine Isabelle, Joel McHale and Cassandra Naud to name a few. The film had a very limited release in theaters and did pretty good for RLJE Films at the domestic box office bringing in $811,818.00 on a unknown budget. This was a really fun Holiday Slasher Film and is one I would say you should checkout and is one I bought when released on Home Media.

# 8

John Kramer is dying from brain cancer and travels to Mexico in order to get treated by a doctor and her experimental treatment that is said to cure people up to 90% of the time, but when John pays them a ton of money, he soon finds out that he has been ripped off and is still dying in months from his cancer and this causes him to call on his assistants Amanda Young and Detective Hoffman to help him track down and capture the con artists and make them face his traps to try and help them change their ways or end their lives by their own hands. The 10^th Saw film was truly a great trip in nostalgia as not only was it great seeing John, Hoffman and Amanda return but also all the bloody and gory traps that we all love from this series. This film also takes place in the early timeline of the series more important right after the second film. The film stars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Costas Mandylor, Synnove Mecody Lund, Renata Vaca and Steven Brand. The film did well for Lions Gate at the domestic box office bringing in $53,607,898.00 on a budget of $13 million showing that this series still has some life in it. If you are a fan of Saw, make sure to check this one out if you have not, plus this is one I bought on home media when released.

# 7

Jessica Loren is a second-generation police officer who is fallowing in her fathers footsteps, as he was a hero who saved three woman from being killed by a demonic cult…but also snapped and killed some of his fellow officers before turning the gun on himself. And for her first night on duty she volunteered to spend it at the old station that this massacre took place in and will be there alone until morning. But she soon finds that she is not truly alone, as a homeless man appears who is rambling about his missing daughter, a beat up street walker who witnessed a cult member mass suicide and even a massive pig is in the station…and worse of all Jessica is getting phone calls from cult members who have re-kidnapped the three girls that were slated to be slaughtered and something evil is truly in this rundown police station, as the undead Cult Leader and is deceased followers are back and need to feed The Lower God souls! Will Jessica survive this last shift? Will she find out why her father committed this massacre? And are these Cultist real or just in her head? Watch this creepy reimagining/remake of the 2014 fright flick “The Last Shift” and find out for yourself. This is a very creepy film that is set in a rundown police station that uses jump scares and unsettling images and plots to make the view uneasy, and that is what makes it feel even different from the film is a remake of making it truly feel like its own story of a cult of demon worshipers. The films effects, score and acting are really good with names like Jessica Sula, Clarke Wolfe, Morgan Lennon, Kevin Wayne and Chaney Morrow all being fantastic in their roles. The film did ok for Welcome Villain in the U.S. on a limited release bringing in $221,738.00 on an unknown budget. If you enjoy your horror movies with demons and cults this one is for you, also bought when released on home media.

# 6

Captain Elliot and his crew have been hired to deliver cargo to England and even have to hire extra hands for the ship and that includes Clemens, a Black doctor who is a good hand and who also just wants to get home. But while at sea, things turn really bad for the crew when one of the cargo boxes they were hired to transport busts open and inside is dirt and a young woman who is barely alive and covered by bite marks and must survive by blood transfusions, their pet dog and all the live stock on board are killed with the same bite marks and worse something seems to be killing the crew one by one. When they find out that the vampire Dracula is on the ship those who are remaining must come up with a plan to survive as well as stop him from reaching England…but can they do so or will this truly be the last voyage for the ship the Demeter…watch this amazing Universal Monster movie and find out. This film proves that classic monsters can still be scary and that Dracula is truly a timeless character that can bring the terror to the big screen. The film is well casted with names like Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian and Javier Botet as Dracula. The film also uses practical effects in much of the film given Dracula and the gore that real feel, something lacking in many modern Horror Films. The film very poorly for Universal at the domestic box office bringing in $13,637,189.00 on a budget of only $45 million. This is another film like Invisible Man (2018) that I hope proves to Universal that the classic monsters are still scary and we don’t need huge budget action of comedy films based around them. This is one I bought of course when released on home media and say that if you like classic Horror and have not seen this, you should.

# 5

Gemma is a single woman who works for a toy company creating robotic toys that innovate the market, but after an accident she becomes the caregiver for her niece Cady when her parents die. To deal with the lose Gemma introduces Cady to M3gan, a specialized robotic doll that links up and bonds with her and things are going great even though Cady is becoming too attached to her new robotic friend. But things soon turn deadly as M3gan will do what ever it takes to keep Cady from emotional or physical harm and that includes even killing! Can Gemma break this bond this robotic terror has with her niece and stop her killing rampage…or is Cady’s feature set with M3gan being her friend and support…watch this twisted fun film from the mind of James Wan to find out. This was such a fun and great way to kick off the first Horror Film in theater in 2023 as the film has some great creepy moments, is pretty bloody for a PG-13 film and M3GAN is a great new Horror character that I hope sparks many sequels to come. The film did really well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $95,043,350.00 on a budget of only $12 million. This is a great film and is one that I bought when released on home media and if you have not seen it and like killer doll films like Child’s Play and Dolly Dreariest make sure to check this one out.

# 4

Mia is a young woman who is going through lots of stress and sadness after her mother’s suicide two years ago and her strained relationship with her father. She has been staying with her friend Jade’s family that includes mother Sue and younger brother Riley, and one night the three youths go to a strange party hosted by Joss and Hayley as they have a strange severed hand statue that if you hold and say the words “Talk To Me” you see a dead spirit and if you say “I Let You In” the spirit will take over your body, and the party hosts would allow this for only 90 seconds and then remove the hand from your grasp and blow out a candle to break the connection. But things get really bad when Mia and Jade host a small gathering to mess with the hand and Riley stays under the possession for longer than 2 minutes when Mia thanks the spirit inside him was her mother, and this causes Riley to violently attack himself and be near death in the hospital! Mia is blamed for this horrific event as she kept the connection from being broken and now she becomes obsessed with the hand, wanting to save Riley who has a spirit stuck inside him as well as battle all the visions she is seeing of the lost souls that are trying to drag her down. Can Mia save her friends brother and herself or is all hope lost when she messed with things she should not have, watch this spooky A24 Horror Film and find out for your self! This is a delightfully creepy film that does a great job of building the mood, making you like the characters and delivering scares that are not just from loud noises or jump scares. The effects for the lost spirits is really great as is the “gore” effects and its really well casted with such names as Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes and Chris Alosio making up the main cast. The film did really well for A24 at the domestic box office brining in $48,299,436.00 on a budget of around $4.5 million, once more showing Horror is a hit on the big screen. This is one I got once released on home media.

# 3

The Carpenter sisters Sam and Tara along with their friends and siblings Mindy and Chad have moved away from Woodsboro and to New York to start a new life after being attacked by Ghostface a few years back, but things are not great as Sam is being accused of doing the killing and framing her Ex-Boyfriend by conspiracy theorists while Tara herself is just refusing to deal with it at all. But the Big Apple turns out to not be so safe as a new Ghostface killer is after the sisters and their friends, and this one is more brutal and mean with his kills, and coming along to help them survive is Gail Weathers as well as Kirby Reed (Scream 4) who is now working for the FBI and a cop whose daughter was killed by this slasher! Can the sisters and their allies survive New York? Who is the new Ghostface and why are they doing all this? Watch this sixth film in the Scream series and find out for yourself. This is a really great sequel that does a great job of bringing in all the cannon from the past films into this new storyline that has you always wondering what is next and who is going to die next! This film is well cast with returning names like Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Hayden Panettiere returns to the franchise as fan favorite Kirby Reed, with new names like Dermot Mulroney, Liana Liberato, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra and Devyn Nekoda being added into the mix. The film has some bloody kills and lots of chills and spills and makes me really look forward to Scream 7! The film did great for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $108,161,389.00 on a budget of $35 million. Scream 6 proves that sequels to old franchises still have lots of legs and are the way to go over reboots and remakes. It’s one I bought on home media when released.

# 2

Shikishima was a kamikaze pilot during World War II who ended up faking plan issues in order to not fulfill his mission, but while on an island for his plane to be inspected, he witnesses Godzilla arrive and kill most of the mechanics with only he and a man named Tachibana being the only survivors. Once home he learns that his parents have been killed and his life is in ruin as he his plagued with terrible nightmares. But his life starts to change when he meets Noriko, a young woman who is watching over Akkio, an orphaned baby, as they come and stay with him, he also builds up a friendship with his neighbor Sumiko as well as his coworkers Sosaku, Shiro and Yoji all who work together to destroy left behind mines in the waters from the war. Soon Shikishima and his friends must come together along with other former military workers and come up with a way to stop Godzilla once and for all as the giant monster is destroying Tokyo, but will Shikishima find his inner strength or will he allow his past fears and the war haunt him to an early grave? Watch this amazing film in the long running Godzilla series and find out yourself. Toho has done it again as this is a very entertaining film that brings Godzilla back to his Horror roots as well as tells a great human story of the trauma of war and its effects on those who survive it…and that’s the main thing here I found myself invested in Shikishima and his friends as they are all great characters who you root for. And when Godzilla appears, fans of Kaiju cinema will be happy as he stomps around and causes total destruction. The film is well casted with such actors as Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kuranosuke Sasaki making up the main cast. The film did well for Toho at the American box office bringing in $45,671,401 on a budget of around $15million. If you love Godzilla films like I do, make sure to check this one out as it’s a great war drama as well as a giant monster on a rampage film. I bought it when released on home media.

# 1

Ellie is a newly single mother who lives in a high-rise apartment building who gets a visit from her sister Beth who works in the music industry and has just found out she is pregnant and wants to be around her sister, but after an earthquake, Dani, one of the kids, finds some old records and the book of the dead and foolishly takes them home and plays the record freeing the demons and causing his mom to become possessed and for the buildings power to be cut, the elevator to be messed up and for the stairs to collapse causing them to be trapped on their floor with a demon who wants to not only swallow their souls but also posses them adding to the demonic deadite army. Can Beth save not only herself but also the lives of her nephew, nieces and her unborn child or will they all be dead by dawn. Watch this fifth film in the Evil Dead series and find out for yourself. This is a bloody, gross and wicked good watch with likeable characters and a creepy setting that will remind you classic 80’s Horror fans of the film Demons 2…just with less monsters running around. And the film is also packed with some great kills and gruesome deaths from scalps being ripped off to shotgun blasted body parts, making it fit right in for those who like their gore in the Evil Dead films. The actresses Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland are fantastic as sisters Beth an Ellie and Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols and Nell Fisher are great in their parts of playing the kids. The film did good for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $67,233,054.00 on a budget of $15 million. This was a fantastic sequel in the Evil Dead series and is one I will watch again and bought on home media when released.

This year was really hard for me to rate the Horror Films I saw in theater as so many of them were really great films, and I am not going to lie, I spent many sleepless nights going over this list and changing spots….plus Godzilla Minus One almost pushed Evil Dead Rise out of the # 1 spot and I am sure depending on the day for me would do so! I love that there was a big boom of Horror Films in the theater in 2023, and I hope that 2024 follows as they truly are my favorite genre of film to see in theater and watch in general. And I have to stress this is only my opinion of what was the best films of 2023 in theater and I am sure much of my rankings are different from yours, and I am sure some are the same but that is what is great about cinema, we all have our different likes and none of us are wrong for what our favorites are. Also please never base the movies you watch on their ratings on such sites as Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Letterbox, Amazon or any other review or critic site that has a YouTube Channel or a blog as truly you should base it on your own opinion. Well 2024 is here, and the next update will be a sad one as we have reached the end of the Star Trek films featuring the original cast as we will be talking about Star Trek Generations and the DC Comics adaptation of the film! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local movie theaters. See you next update for one last space adventure with Captain Kirk!

Top Horror Games Countdown: Atari 2600

Posted on May 2, 2023 by bloodlinematt

The Atari 2600 was released in North America in September 1977, and the world of home gaming was forever changed as it quickly became a must-have system for every gamer at the time who wanted to play arcade ports as well as new games, all in the comfort of their very own home. Plus the system would have a very long life as it would go from 1977-1990 with the system finally coming to a full end in 1992 showing just iconic of a console it was for its time, and yes I know that the Nintendo Entertainment System is considered the gold standard for home consoles. Plus the 2600 was simple to play as your controller was a joystick with only one red button and this kept the games from being too complex for young players and those who were new to video games in general. With the Atari 2600 also came the first wave of console horror games and that is another reason why the 2600 is so important to the world of gaming for many as it paved the way for PS5, X-Box Series X and Nintendo Switch horror games. Growing up I did not own an Atari 2600 and I would not get one of my own until I was in my 30’s, but that does not mean that I did not have one in my life as my grandparents on my father’s side had one and as a kid my across the street neighbor did as well and this allowed me to play so many of the classic titles, and later my brother had ROMs of many titles and we would play them on the computer from time to time. When I got my own system I found myself loving it and went on a quest to buy all the classic titles and of course all the horror games I could get my hands on!

I have 16 horror games for the Atari 2600 (including home brew and hacks) and that makes them the Unlucky 16, as I will rank them from worst to best! Now I am not going to give them a star rating or even a letter grade, I am just going to let their standing speak for itself. I am also going to chat a little about the game as well as my thoughts, and of course I will also tell when it was released, what company put it out, what it was rated as well as if I beat it. The thing with Atari 2600 is that many of the games do not have a true ending as they are mostly point based games, but for games that are beatable, I will say if I have finished them. And keep in mind the games I am ranking all have to be in my collection and on the original format so no digital rom games will be on here, as all that I am ranking are on the classic cart. I will be ranking them mostly on my personal opinion and of course elements like game play, spookiness, graphics, sound, music, replay value, villain(s), story, characters and presentation will all play factors in the ranking as well. So if you are ready, let’s dust off the old Atari 2600 and bust out the old carts and see what horror titles on the system brought the scares to this gamer.

# 16

Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Wizard Rated: NA Beat: No

Let’s start with the unlucky 16th game on this list; in last place is the Wizard Video game The Texas Chainsaw Massacre that has you play as Leatherface. Your goal is to have your chainsaw ready to kill and you have to dodge skulls, wheelchairs and other obstacles while you chase your female victim around the farm…but watch out, your chainsaw can also run out of gas and with that it’s game over as your victim will give you a kick in the butt. This is a very simple and point driven game that marks the first time Leatherface was in a video game and also was one of the first horror games that parents protested, causing it to be sold only behind counters and making it rare even when released. When I bought my 2600, one of the first games I bought off Ebay was Texas Chainsaw Massacre as for years I had heard about it and I had to own and play it, and as you can see, it did not live up to my expectations as I found it to be boring and bland. Once the appeal of playing a 8-Bit version of Leatherface wore off, it is really a bad game from the terrible uninspired plot, to the overly simple game play to the cheesy ending of the butt kick, this was just not good and that is why it finds itself in last place. But I want to also say that while the game is bad, I still do enjoy it for all its cheesy goodness.

# 15

Dawn Of The Dead
Released in 2004 System: 2600 Company: Home Brew Rated: NA Beat: No

In this Home Brew game you are a survivor during the zombie apocalypse, and in your van you must dodge tombstones as well as fight off the zombies who want to eat your flesh! To fight back against them, you must fire weapons from your van as well as make sure to get gas that is along the road. This is a fun game and is very simple to play, and while it is just a hack of the game “Worm War I” the changes make it feel like a new game and even adds the stress of the undead on the attack as well as all the obstacles in your way causing you to lose fuel and possibly be stranded on the road. The game was one of the first home brew hack games I got for my Atari 2600, and while I do enjoy it, I feel that other original, and even one other home brew, games deserve to be ranked higher. I will say that for the age of 2600, the game could be considered scary to some gamers due to the stress of it all.

# 14

Rampage
Released in 1986 System: 2600 Company: Activision Rated: NA Beat: No

Cities are under attack by the likes of giant wolf Ralph, big gorilla George and mega lizard Lizzie, and your goal in this game is to pick one of the giant monsters and wreck the city while also fighting off the army! This of course is a port of the classic Arcade game, and while the graphics and some elements are downplayed, the basics are all still here. While the game is fun, it does lack that charm that even the Nintendo port had and is a little too basic and barebones to really be the outstanding game it could have been. This was another game I picked up a little over a decade ago and wanted to see how the 2600 game stacked up against the Nintendo version that I grew up playing, and I would say that it did not deliver the same punch as that version, but I did find myself praising if for having Ralph as a playable character, something the NES version does not. Over all if you like Rampage and only have an Atari 2600 to play video games on, then give this one a shot, if you have other game consoles that have this game I would say choose to buy that version over this one. While it sounds like I hate this version of the game, I want to stress I do not. The low ranking is due to the to simplified gameplay and the fact also that all aspects of giant monster horror are kind of lacking here.

# 13

King Kong
Released in 1982 System: 2600 Company: Tiger Rated: NA Beat: No

King Kong has taken a woman prisoner on top of a building and is throwing bombs down. Your goal is to jump over the bombs and do your best to get past Kong who just watches you dodge his bombs and rescue the woman in this clear Donkey Kong clone game. The game, while in the horror genre due to it being about King Kong, is not scary at all though it could be considered challenging and I guess spooky to some younger players due to Kong being a giant monster who is stomping around and throwing bombs after kidnapping a woman. There’s not much to say about this one besides it’s kind of a fun game and adds its own spin on the Donkey Kong gameplay to make it stand out, and while its challenging, it’s not frustratingly hard like some of the other games for the Atari 2600. I got this game early on when I bought my system and have played it off and on for many years now, and while it’s not an amazing game, keep in mind it is still one of the earliest games based on Kong so that has to mean something for players.

# 12

Ghost Manor
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Xonox Rated: NA Beat: Yes

In this chilling game you play as a boy or girl and enter a creepy castle in order to save each other all the while having to fight and get past monsters that are on a mission to make you dead. As the character you choose, you must enter the castle by first chasing a ghost around the graveyard and then dodging an axe swinging mummy as well as skulls before getting inside and making your way up stairs to finally come face to face with Dracula. Once you trap Dracula, you save the other and make it out of the castle and then you win the game. You also have to do all this in four minutes, and also must collect spears and crosses to help on your quest. This is a fun and quick game that adds in some classic monsters and scares and the simple gameplay makes Ghost Manor a game that feels like it’s for all ages and is very fun and cheesy and that is what makes it entertaining. This was a game that I ended up buying in 2022 as it was one that was on my radar for many years, and while it was not great, I will say that it’s good and I am glad I have it in my collection now. If you like Dracula games, make sure to check this one out and if you like games based on haunted castles, this one is also for you.

# 11

Revenge Of The Beefsteak Tomatoes
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Fox Rated: NA Beat: No

Angry Tomatoes are attacking and the only hope is The Tomato Sprayer who must use its wits to collect the floating bricks to build brick walls in order to keep the tomatoes in check. But the Tomatoes also will be fighting back as the plants below are firing at you as well as some of the vines will grow to break down your walls and a mean tomato will also be passing back and fourth looking to get you. This game is clearly inspired somewhat by the cult film “Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes” and while horror themed in nature, the game is not that scary, but is very challenging and you must think fast at times in order to build your walls to keep the tomatoes out as well as get your points. While this could be one of the less spooky games on this countdown, it is one that I think you should check out as it’s a fun play and who knows, maybe the mean looking tomato will send a shiver down your spine! I can remember playing this game a decade back for the first time and being confused what to do, but once I got down how to play it, I enjoyed it.

# 10

Alien
Released in 1982 System: 2600 Company: Fox Rated: NA Beat: No

The first ever video games based on the Alien film series was for the Atari 2600 and was a maze runner game much like Pac-Man, that was the world’s most popular game at the time. This game has you playing as a crew member of a ship that has been overrun by the Xenomorphs who have laid eggs in the hallways. Armed with a flamethrower and random pulsars, you must destroy the eggs all the while dodging the three Xenomorphs that want you dead! And once you clear a stage, you have to run up the screen through a bunch of Xenomorphs in order to start the next maze. Alien brings the gaming elements of Pac-Man and Frogger together to deliver a creepy intense game that is stressful as the Aliens chase you around the maze that is your ship, and all the while you find yourself filled with anxiety as one wrong move can leave you dead and GAME OVER! While this is not a groundbreaking game when it comes to game play, it is a cool horror themed game that lets you know that no one can hear you scream when you are playing Alien for the 2600 and a Xenomorph is on your tail. Over all if you love video games based on the Alien film series, make sure to check this one out and give it a play.

# 9

Phantasm
Released in 2009 System: 2600 Company: Home Brew Rated: NA Beat: No

Did you readers and gamers know that the Atari 2600 has new games being made for it to this day? The new games are being made by fans and are called home brew games and in 2008/2009, a very cool one was made based on the Phantasm movie series that puts you in the sights of Tall Man and his killer dwarf henchmen in a first person maze style game that has your shotgun as the only chance for survival. This is really cool and is creepy in that classic Atari style. From the classic music opening the game to the Tall Man appearing and saying “Boy” to you, this is one that surely will chill your bones and send a shiver down your spine when playing it late at night as it’s as spooky as a 2600 game can be. It took me a bit to find a copy of this game on cart, and when I did I played the hell out of it trying to figure out the maze as well as survive the attack by the Tall Man and his henchmen, and while it was a little pricey I feel it was worth the price. Cool concept and I love the home brew community for making games like this possible.

# 8

Ghostbusters
Released in 1984 System: 2600 Company: Activision Rated: NA Beat: Yes

Ghostbusters has to rank high on the list when it comes to horror comedies. Lke all great blockbuster films, it got the video game treatment, and the Atari 2600 got a version of the game that entertained fans of the film as well as added a challenge to gamers who played this paranormal game in the early 80’s. The game has you play as a Ghostbuster, and you must drive around town and to the scene of a haunting and then bust some ghosts and update and stock your equipment before trying to defeat Gozer by dodging a jumping Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! This game is lots of fun and is very simple as one part is moving around a map, another has you driving the Ecto-1 and the other has two Ghostbusters using their proton pack and traps to capture the likes of Slimer. The game features lots of ghost that do look the same as well as the giant Stay Puft adding to the chills and thrills of the game. And unlike many Atari 2600 games, this one has an end level making beating it possible. I can remember playing this game as a kid at my Grandparents house and later on as an adult, and while I do think the Nintendo version is better, this one does have a simple fun factor to it and also added to the legacy of Ghostbusters in video games as well as added another horror themed game to the Atari 2600 library.

# 7

The Alligator People
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Fox Rated: NA Beat: No

Alligator People was a game based on the 1959 film that was to be released by Fox, but for some reason it was shelved and never released until the prototype was found and it was released via the reproduction market. This was one that I had to have as I liked the movie lots and playing a video game based on it was a must. In this maze style game, you play as Jane Marvin and you must shoot your friends and husband with a serum in order to stop their transformations into Alligator People! And all the while Jane must also watch out for the horrors of the swamps like hungry alligators. It’s shocking that this never got an official release because it’s lots of fun and even has some Atari spooky moments with the atmosphere and even the alligators delivering some chills. I wish Fox would have stuck with making video games based on their horror and sci-fi films as gamers in the 80’s could have had some very cool games to play. Check this one out if you can find it on a cart as it’s worth being in your collection.

# 6

The Earth Dies Screaming
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Fox Rated: NA Beat: No

In this game based on the 1964 film, you play as a brave pilot of a Space Destroyer who is going around space and shooting down fighters and satellites launched by the Trillians who want to destroy the Earth. I you allow too many satellites to crash to Earth and if the Trillian Fighters hit your ship too much, the Earth will fall and the aliens will win. This is a very fun space shooter game that is pretty much only based on the movie in namesake. But the game adds a level of stress and horror as you have to act quickly in order to survive and save the Earth and everyone is counting on just you to bring the end to the Alien assault. This is a really fun game and is challenging as it gets harder and harder the longer you play and the further you get. Plus I love the idea of a video games based on a film that was relatively unknown. This is one of those games I can remember playing at work when it was traded in, but for some reason I never bought it myself and finally did in 2022 in order to make sure that could take its place on this list. This is very fun game and proves that Atari 2600 knew how to make good space shooter games.

# 5

Gremlins
Released in 1984 System: 2600 Company: Atari Rated: NA Beat: No

In this movie tie-in game you play as Billy Peltzer and you have to run around and catch falling Mogwai and if you miss them, they will eat a hamburger and turn into Gremlins that will cause you to have to fight them off by shooting them as they come down the screen after you! This game has only two screens: one that has you darting back and fourth catching and one that has you going back and fourth shooting, and yet some how this simple and limited game just works. While it’s not super scary, it could be spooky for younger gamers as the Gremlins are pretty threatening and their attacks can be very stressful. This is another game that I first played at a neighbor’s house and can remember loving it, and of course I had to track down my own copy decades later when I bought my own 2600. The game has elements of “Space Invaders” and “Kaboom!” and adds its own touch to their game play styles. A fun and challenging game the further you get makes this a must play game for horror gamers who like their scares on the lighter side. The game is semi rare and can be hard to get.

# 4

Frankenstein’s Monster
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Data Age Rated: NA Beat: No

Doctor Frankenstein is building a monster, and you enter his castle to stop him. Frankenstein uses the electricity he is collecting from the probes to bring his new Monster to life, and to stop the monster’s return, you must brick him in and jump over pits of acid, holes and dodge bats in order to seal him in and save your village. This game is really fun and builds the tension as The Monster is coming alive and you must move fast in order to get the bricks to seal him in and must do this a total of six time to stop his creation. And if you fail, The Monster will turn green and rampage and walk towards the player until he fills the screen. This game has a very classic horror game feel and its very cool to see Frankenstein’s Monster in one of his early home game console appearances. The game is also one that I feel is very underrated when it comes to horror games on the 2600 and is highly entertaining and for the most part is often looked back on very fondly by old school gamers who grew up playing this game. When I was able to track down and get this game from a local game shop in Ohio, I was really excited to play it and it lived up to the fun spooky factor I was looking for. If you have an Atari 2600 or a 7800 and have not played this one make sure to do so.

# 3

Halloween
Released in 1983 System: 2600 Company: Wizard Rated: NA Beat: No

In this game you play as the Babysitter who must rescue five kids on each level from Michael Myers who chases you around the house with a knife. If he gets you, he cuts your head off and he also will kill the kids! The kids must be brought to the end of the house for safety and when Michael appears, the Halloween theme plays giving it that extra spooky touch. The game is all about points and continues on until the Babysitter loses all three of her lives. For its time, the game was very controversial like Texas Chainsaw Massacre as parents were upset about the violence and this made the game very rare and hard to get. The game’s legacy of being bloody as well as the fact it was based on the classic 1978 slasher film masterpiece helps add to its spooky factor! This was a game that for decades I had heard about and wanted so badly to play and when I finally got a copy, it lived up to what I wanted and what I heard it was like. And while it’s not a perfect game, it is one that is enjoyable even though very repetitive in nature.

# 2

Space Invaders
Released in 1980 System: 2600 Company: Atari Rated: NA Beat: No

What is more scary than a good old alien invasion? Well, the second best Atari 2600 horror game in my opinion is Space Invaders that was an arcade port to the home system and has that classic sci-fi horror flare from the 1950’s drive-in screens. In this game you play as the operator of a laser cannon that must fire into the sky as aliens and U.F.O’s try to invade the earth, and as a player your goal is to survive from level to level as well as collect as much points as possible. While the Atari 2600 version is not as good as the arcade version, it still was a fun homeport that captured the thrills and chills of trying to fight off the invaders from space. Over the decades I have found myself playing Space Invaders from the 2600, not only at home but also even have played it while at work when testing systems as I find it to be one of the better ports for that system. And this almost was my # 1 game as I do find it to be lots of fun and it truly one of the world’s classic games. Space Invaders is also very simple to play but as the stages are cleared it becomes more and more challenging and this adds to the already mounting stress of the aliens coming down from the sky as obstacles and the aliens speeding up really does add pressure of trying to save the Earth.

# 1

Haunted House
Released in 1982 System: 2600 Company: Atari Rated: NA Beat: Yes

I had to go with this classic game as my # 1 as it really was one of the first horror games I can remember playing thanks Brad Burns who lived across the street and had this game for his Atari 2600. Later I would play it all the time at my Grandparent’s house as well as at my own house once I got an Atari as it was one of the first games I bought for the system. The game has you play as a man who is inside the haunted mansion of Zachary Graves and must find a key and three pieces of an urn in order to escape, but he must also stay clear of the spiders, bats and the ghost of Zachary Graves and all you have are matches to light the room. Super simple and super fun, this is truly a classic game in the survival horror genre and could even be considered the one that started it all for horror gamers. For me Haunted House really is a simple and spooky game that makes good use of the limitations of the Atari 2600 and even uses a sound cue from the Twilight Zone TV show during gameplay.. So in other words, this game is a pure classic. This game should be reimagined for modern systems and should have lots of time put into it as we all would love to see the ghost of Zachary Graves once more rise to haunt his mansion and you must use your wits to escape it. On a side note, a home brew hack game was made based on the film “The Blair Witch Project” using Haunted House that has you playing as Heather in the Blair Witch’s run down home, and for those wondering, yes, I have it on cart as well.

So as you can see, the Atari 2600 had its fair share of great horror games with many laying the groundwork for the modern survival horror genre as well as introducing the licensed horror games to the market. It was a system that brought us games based on Alien, Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and was the first system that made kids really want to have home gaming consoles and is even what brought friends together to play a game they all could have fun with (and yes it is also the system that caused the video game crash of 1983 as it flooded the market with poorly made games). Speaking of fun, this was lots of fun to deep dive into my Atari 2600 horror game collection to do this countdown and many of you readers have always told me you enjoy these style of updates as my “Top 10 Should Have Been In The Star Comics World”, “Rotten Pixels”, “Rotten Pixels 2”, “Best Dayton Fried Chicken”, “Best Active MLB Mascots” and the “Top 60 Luchadors” countdowns have always seemed to bring readers entertainment. And with that I am going to say that I will be doing more of these horror video game countdowns in the coming years and will do so for such systems such as Playstation, Nintendo, Commodore 64, Genesis and many of the others that I own! And with that, let’s turn off the Atari 2600 as it’s time for me to tell you what the next update will be. It’s a DC horror character and one that I have been a fan of since I was a kid, and that’s Man-Bat! So until next time, read a comic or three, play a horror video game or two, and as always support, your local Horror Host! See you next update for some Man-Bat Adventures, and yes I am sure Batman will also make an appearance.

Matt Goes To The Movies 2022

Posted on January 2, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Happy New Year! It’s crazy to think that 2023 is here already and as you can see, we are here again at the Rotten Ink Theater to talk about the films that I saw in the cinema. It was once more a great year of films, and movie studios have been turning up the great amount of Horror films that have graced the silver screen. But while 2022 over all was a great year, it also brought a little sadness for me as early in the year my best friend and lovable cat Leslie passed away at the age of 16…it was hard losing her as she really was a one of a kind cat who grew up watching Horror Films with me and I had her since she was a baby kitten. I really do miss her every day. The year then ended with another big loss, as around the holidays, my cat Streets J passed away at the age of 14. Streets was a lovable goofball who my girlfriend and I rescued as a stray off the streets of downtown Dayton. If you’ve read Sparkle Comics’ Defenders of the Planets series, there’s a character based on Streets. But enough of the sad stuff as we are all here to talk movies! I saw some great films at such theaters as Cinemark Dayton South, Cinemark The Greene, Little Art Theatre and Regal Cinema, and each of these theaters deliver a different watching experience and are all awesome in their own ways. And like before I will be breaking this Best Of List by genre, and please remember that there might be some spoilers, so read on if you don’t mind. So let’s grab some popcorn and a drink and find our seats and sit back and relax and talk some movies!

For me nothing beats seeing a film in the theater and all this Direct To Streaming stuff is not for me as I love the theater experience, so let’s start off with taking a look at the Drama films I saw this year.

# 2

The world’s greatest detective Hercule Poirot finds himself invited to the wedding of Simon Dotle and Linnet Rideway that is taking place in Egypt, but along with the wedding guests is Jackie de Bellefort who was Simon’s ex-fiance and one time best friend of Linnet’s as the two love birds hooked up when Jackie made the mistake of introducing them to each other. And once the wedding party all find themselves guests on a private boat cruise, Jackie is also on board. After a fight with Simon, she shoots and wounds her ex and later that night Linnet is killed in her sleep and now Poirot must uncover the dark secrets of all the guests as Linnet informed him before her death that she did not trust any of them and this makes the world’s greatest detective have to work over time in order to solve this murder case. This movie is fantastic and just like “Murder On The Orient Express” is a great way to get modern moviegoers into Hercule Poirot. The film is very well cast with Kenneth Branagh once more playing Hercule Poirot with other names like Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey and Jennifer Saunders to name a few. The film did okAY at the American box office bringing in $45,630,104.00 on a budget of $90million. This is a great watch, and if you love who-done-it detective films, make sure to give this one a watch.

# 1

Col. Robert Parker was a conman who is blamed by many as the man who killed Elvis as he pushed the classic music legend with a constant flow of drugs in order to get him on the stage so that he could make money. And Elvis’s star grows the more Parker tries to control not only his career but his life, and this film touches on the rise and fall of Elvis from innovator musician to addict, and this perspective comes from the side of Parker as he is the one narrating the movie played by Tom Hanks. This is a very entertaining film for fans of Elvis and while they do bend some truths as well as mix up some dates, this still is one that I truly enjoyed! The film stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and he does a fantastic job, also on the cast is Olivia DeJonge, David Wenham and Helen Thomson. This film was directed by Baz Luhrmann and makes great use of Elvis’ music for the soundtrack. The film did really well for Warner Brothers at the American Box Office bringing in $151,040,048 on a $85 million budget. If you like Elvis and want to see a different take on his life and death, give this one a watch.

As you can see I did not get to the theater that much for drama films and for me Elvis took that # 1 top spot as I felt that it was a great film and one that was best I saw on the Silver Screen. So with that, let’s take a look at the Comedies I saw in the theater in 2022 and see what took the # 1 spot and gave me the biggest belly laugh!

# 3

Actor Nicolas Cage is in a slump when it comes to acting roles and worse, his personal life with his wife and teenage daughter is not going good. In order to get some money to help him get out of debt, he takes a booking to be a guest at a millionaire named Javi Gutierrez’s birthday party…and the two quickly become good friends and start working on a film idea. But Cage is also working for the U.S. government as they think that Javi is a crime lord for a weapon and drug group who has kidnapped the daughter of a presidential candidate in Spain…but is he really a criminal or is he really just a fan of Cage and cinema in general? Watch this silly action comedy to find out. This film had some really funny moments and in fact Nicolas Cage, who is playing a parody of himself, was fantastic and shows why the actor has such a big cult following. While I did think the film would be funnier then it was, I still think many of the moments hit the spot and tickled my funny bone. The film is cast well with names like Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Sheen and Sharon Horgan with cameos from Demi Moore and David Gordon Green. The film did okay for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $20,300,157.00 on a budget of $30 million. If you are a big fan of Nicolas Cage and enjoy goofy comedy action films, then make sure to check this one out.

# 2

Johnny Knoxville and his goofball cohorts along with newer thrill seekers once more tackle crazy stunts with some being borderline dangerous all to get a laugh from the audience. They run across raging animals like bulls, snakes, scorpions and vultures. They put their private parts through extreme measures, and of course they crash, fall, ram and smack their way through funny moments. Of course they have guest cameos like Tony Hawk and Machine Gun Kelly who get wrapped up in the overall silliness of the pranks and stunts. It was cool seeing the likes of Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Dave England, Preston Lacy, Danger Ehren and even a cameo from Bam Margera doing what made them famous to teens and early 20 somethings of the 2000. It was a little sad not seeing more of Bam and his crew being involved, but being out of control like he is will make you lose jobs. The film is a mixed bag of funny stunts and ones that fall flat and the new cast for the most part are nice additions. The best stunts in my book are called “Silence Of The Lambs” and “The Cup Test;” watch the movie and see what they are about. The film did good for Paramount at the America box office bringing in $57,743,451.00 on a budget of $10 million dollars. A fun raunchy reality stunt comedy film that will surely please the fans of the TV show as well as the other films in the series, plus for those of us who grew up with the show will feel very old.

# 1

Bob and Linda Belcher go to the bank and cannot get an extension on paying back some of their loan for the restaurant and must come up with the money in a short amount of time, but things go terribly wrong for them when a giant sink hole opens up in front and a dead body is found inside it. The murder is blamed on their landlord Mr. Fischoeder and all this causes no one to come in for a burger, making their goal to save the restaurant seem very grim. But their kids Tina, Gene and Louise are on the case to probe that Mr. Fischoeder did not commit the murder while Bob and Linda listen to their friend and best customer Teddy’s idea of doing a Bob’s Burgers food cart in order to get the money. All this comes together as things work out for the Belcher family and the true murderer is found and captured and the restaurant is saved. I should also say that the Belcher kids as well have their own drama going on as Louise wants to prove she is brave, Gene doubts his music ability and Tina struggles with asking Jimmy Pesto Jr. to be her summer boyfriend. This is a fun film and is a must see for fans of the TV show as it fits right in with its silly plot, musical numbers and zany characters. The film did all right for 20^th Century at the U.S box office bringing in $31,933,830.00 on an unknown budget. A great attempt to bring Bob’s Burgers from the TV screen to the big screen, and I hope it gets a sequel.

You have to love Bob’s Burgers as it’s a fun animated TV series that made a great leap to being on the big screen with the series’ first feature film. I do have to say also that all three of the comedies I saw on the big screen in 2022 were very funny and fantastic! Now it’s time to take a look at Action Films! And we had some good ones…

# 5

Romance novel writer Loretta Sage is on a book tour when she is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax due to her now passed away husband’s knowledge of ancient cultures, and set to save her is Alan Caprison, the cover model for her romance books and while a dimwit he means well….now can the two escape the jungle and avoid being killed? Will Loretta find true love again? And will they really find the lost treasure! Watch this Romancing The Stone style film and find out. This is a fun Action Comedy film as the humor works as do the action moments of their adventures to get away from their captors. The film is well cast with such names as Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt and Da’Vine Joy Randolph all in big roles. The film did well for Paramount Pictures at the US box office bringing in $105,344,029.00 on a $68 million dollar budget. This was a very fun film and a big surprise on just how much I enjoyed it, and I will say that the Brad Pitt cameo as rescuer Jack Trainer was great stuff.

# 4

Nathan Drake has always been good at history and has always wanted to find lost treasure and go on big adventures like his older brother. He gets the chance when he meets Sully, and the pair team up to find the hidden treasure that takes them across the world as well as makes them targets of billionaire Santiago Moncada and his hired hand Jo Braddock. But Nathan and Sully are also joined by Chloe Frazer, a fellow treasure hunter that they might not fully be able to trust. The film then takes the viewer on an action packed adventure filled with twist, turns, backstabs, murder and of course treasure and is of course based on the popular Sony Playstation video game series. This is such a fun thrill ride and for me it was like it took the adventure elements of such films as The Mummy (1999), Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider and rolled them together to deliver a big budget action ride that was a blast to see on the big screen and to be honest it did the game justice. The film stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle and all do a fantastic job. The film did well for Sony at the American box office bringing in $148,648,820.00 on a $120 million budget. This clearly will become a franchise, and I am very much looking forward to a sequel as this film leaves us on a cliffhanger revel.

# 3

Ladybug is an assassin who has been sent on a mission to get a briefcase off a bullet train. But what should have been an easy mission turns into a very dangerous trip as other killers and assassins are also on the train, and many of them want him dead or want the case as well…and the kicker is at the end of the line The White Death, one of Japan’s most feared crime lords, and his men are waiting for those who are on the train as the briefcase belongs to him and so does a person on the train….and now Ladybug must find away to get off this train alive, finish his mission and possibly trust some of those on the train as a battle with White Death is on the horizon. This movie is awesome as it’s a great mix of action and comedy and was one hell of a great film to watch on the big screen. I took a bunch of friends with me to see this one and we all had such a blast. The comedy moments work really well, and the action as well is fast passed and well done! The film also has an all star cast with Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada and Joey King, and all are fantastic in their rolls. The film did alright for Sony at the American box office bringing in $103,368,602 on a budget $90 million budget. If you have not seen this film and like fast paced action comedies, then make sure to check this one out, as it is truly a blast.

# 2

On Christmas Eve the Lightstone family is gathering at the family mansion, but things get crazy when a man calling himself Mr. Scrooge shows up with heavily armed associates and hold the family hostage to get $3 million that is suppose to be in the family safe. But what these naughty baddies didn’t count on is for Trudy, the youngest of the Lightstone family, to call on Santa Claus for help and he deals out more than coal for these evildoers. Santa, armed with his fleeing Christmas cheer (due to kids only wanting money and video games), his magic and a sledge hammer goes on a rescue mission in the style of John Wick! Can Santa save the Lightsones and find his Christmas Spirit again? Watch this super fun, violent action comedy film and find out. Wow, this is a Christmas classic for sure as it is over the top, lots of fun and showcases Santa Claus as a full fledged action hero who takes down the naughty kidnappers in brutal fashion. The film is well casted with David Harbour as Santa Claus, John Leguizamo as Mr. Scrooge and other cast members including Beverly D’Angelo, Leah Brady, Alex Hassell, Andre Eriksen and Mitra Suri, to name a few. And the film was a big hit with everyone I saw it with in the theater as people were laughing throughout. The film did well for Universal at the American box office bringing in around $48,060,295 (as of this update) on a budget of only $20 million. This is one you have to see if you like over the top action and/or Christmas movies.

# 1

Maverick is working for the Navy as a test pilot, and after breaking orders on flying a super fast test jet, he is sent to be a instructor at Top Gun as his rebellious nature has caused him to almost being fired and if not for Admiral Iceman Kazansky, he would have been! Now he must get a group of top recruits ready for what could be a suicide mission to blow up a reactor core at an enemy base before it can cause serious harm. But these young pilots have a lot to learn and need to work together and not try to be the shining stars as this is very dangerous and will take lots of skill. And for Maverick, this class is even harder as the son (Rooster) of his former wingman Goose is in the class and blames Maverick for the being held back from joining Top Gun and ranking up for years. Can Maverick get these pilots in shape? Can Rooster forgive and find out the truth? Can they make this mission a success? Watch this amazing sequel to find out! Top Gun 2 took many decades to get made, and when it was finally was made and released they hit a home run as this film was well written and felt like it was right in the groove of the original allowing us to catch back up with Maverick, Iceman and even Rooster. The film of course brought back Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in their famous roles but also in the cast included Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell and Ed Harris to name a few. The film did amazing for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $718,732,821 on a budget of $170 million. If you love the original film or just like films about the Navy or military in general that adds a dash of drama, make sure to watch this film. I have to also say that it was great seeing Val Kilmer on the big screen again, and it was great that the production worked around his health limitations.

Really action this year was packed with some great watches and really for me Top Gun: Maverick was just such a fun watch and shows that sequels beat remakes any day. But now I think its time that we see what the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy had to offer in the theaters in 2022, and I will give you a hint there were lots of great ones.

# 3

Amleth was once a young prince who watched his uncle kill his father The King in order to take the throne, and Amleth ends up running for his life and ends up becoming a part of a Viking tribe with the goal of avenging his father’s death as well as saving his mother from his uncle’s side. As Amleth has gotten older, his skills as a fighter have grown and he is now a unstoppable warrior who along the way back for revenge meets and falls in love with Olga, a sorceress who has been taken as a slave. Once he catches up with his uncle, he finds that he has ruined the kingdom and now he and his people live on farmland in the middle of nowhere. With the help of a magical sword, he takes out those close to his uncle, fathers a child, finds out the truth about his mother and fulfills his destiny of revenge and arriving in Valhalla. This is very much a modern take on the classic Barbarian films of the 80’s and 90’s but done with director Robert Eggers touch as it is filled with weird characters as well as awesome imagery. The film’s cast is great with Alexander Skarsgard as Amleth and Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga being amazing in their roles. Other actors include Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe, Bjork and Gustav Lindh making up some of the cast. The film sadly did not do well for A24 at the US box office only bringing in $34,233,110.00 on a budget of around $90 million. While not a mega hit at the theater, it really was a great and odd film to see in the theater.

# 2

Dinosaurs are now roaming the world and humans are trying to learn how to live alongside them as the world has truly changed. Claire Dearing and Owen Grady are trying to protect the dinosaurs from poaching and illegal breeding and they both are watching over clone child Maisie Lockwood who ends up getting kidnapped by Dr. Lewis Dodgson of Biosyn who wants to use her genetics for the company’s own gain. They also take the child of Raptor Blue for research. But also in the world, a horde of massive locusts are attacking the world’s crops, and this causes Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Alan Grant to follow the trail to Biosyn as well and now they all must come together along with Dr. Henry Wu, Dr. Ian Malcolm and a few others try their best to save those kidnapped, stop the locusts as well as bring form Biosyn and their evil genetic creations. And this is just a small part of this film’s plot as there is also dinosaur fights, high-speed chases and even more of the evils of Biosyn among much more as this final film in the current Jurassic Park series. And what made this such a great watch for me is the fact that they brought together all the big characters from the series together for one big adventures, and we even get one more look at the T-Rex and we see that he really is the King Of The Dinosaurs! The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, BD Wong and many more. The film did great for Universal at the US box office bringing in $376,009,080.00 on an $185million budget. This is a must see film if you love the Jurassic Park series like I do, and is one that I bought on home media when released.

# 1

Evelyn Wang along with her husband Waymond and daughter Joy run a laundromat that is not doing well financially, and she also has the stress of taxes as well as her father Gong Gong is now living with them. But things really turn weird for Evelyn when she meets a different version of her husband who warns her that the fate of the Earth is in her hands. Now Evelyn must fight for the lives of everyone as she gains the powers of other versions of herself to fight off Jodu Tupaki who is the bringer of the destruction of all the multiverse and who is also her daughter in her own reality! Can Evelyn save the multiverse as well as save the fate of her daughter in those worlds…watch this super fun sci-fi comedy action film to find out! And this is just a brief way to try and describe this plot as there is so much more to it. The film is lots of fun, and Michelle Yeoh is amazing as Evelyn Wang as her martial arts skills have not slowed down a bit. It was also great to see Ke Huy Quan back on the big screen as he is best known for playing Data in The Goonies and Short Round in Temple Of Doom. Other actors in the cast include James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu. The film did really well for A24 at the box office here in American bringing in $70,008,593.00 on a budget of $25million. This film deserved all the hype it was getting when released and is one that you should see as I feel it did the multiverse better than most of Marvel’s films and shows…minus Spider-Man: No Way Home. Make sure to give this film a watch if you like artistic sci-fi films with action and comedy.

So as you can see Sci-Fi and Fantasy had some really great films out in 2022, and all of them were such a fun watch with “Every Thing Every Where All At Once” being the big surprise for me on just how well I enjoyed it. But now it’s time that we take a look at the Superhero films that filled the cinemas in 2022 and like always, there was a lot of them.

# 6

Michael Morbius has a rare blood disease as does his childhood friend Milo. Morbius has spent his life trying to find a cure, and after using vampire bats in one of his experiments, Morbius turns into a vampire! And while he tries to find a way to get ride of this curse, his friend Milo wants to as well turn into one as the pain of the blood illness goes away, and after taking the treatment himself Milo turns into a vampire and now he and Morbius are on a one way track to fight and only one of these blood drinkers and leave alive. This superhero film plays more like a B-horror movie that would have been released direct to DVD back in the mid-2010s, and that is not a bad thing for the most part, it’s just the film seems to never truly find its footing or pace. The film, while not terrible, is also not that great and is starting to show that some of these Marvel Comic inspired films are starting to show cracks of having franchise fatigue. Jerrod Leto plays Morbius, and the film also stars Matt Smith, Loxias Crown, Tyrese Gibson and Adia Arjona. The film did poorly for Sony at the box office here in American only bringing in $73,865,530.00 on a budget of around $83million. While I was not a super fan of this film, I did enjoy seeing it on the big screen and would like to at least see the Morbius character in a future Spider-Man film from Sony.

# 5

T’Challa has passed away from an illness, and the kingdom of Wakanda is saddened by the loss of their king and protector. His sister Shuri has taken it the hardest as she was not able to save him with all of her knowledge and technology. Now a year after his passing, the world wants Wakanda to share vibranium, an element that can be used to create weapons, and Queen Ramonda refuses and this causes Wakanda to stand alone in the world. But people go looking for the element other places and find it at the bottom of the ocean, and unbeknownst to them, they have caused Namor and his warriors from the Talokan to attack and defend their Kingdom…and one young woman Riri Williams (Ironheart) is the target for Namor and his people as she has built a machine that can detect the element and this makes her a danger. Namor asks Wakanda for help and to bring Riri to him. When they refuse, the two kingdoms go to war and Shuri must find her inner Black Panther. What kingdom is in the right and who will win the fight Black Panther or Namor? Watch this MCU film to find out. I want to first say that this film pays great respect to the late Chadwick Boseman who passes away from cancer. He was a great actor and he will be missed. Now as for the film itself, it is a fun watch but is way too long and has moments that drag, and I feel that they downplay the power and hatred for mankind that Namor has as he and his people seem to be background players to Shuri fighting tradition as well as becoming the next Black Panther. The film is well acted with Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and Lupita Nyong’o stealing the show. While I am happy to see the Black Panther legacy continue in the MCU, this film was just a little too long, dragged in spots and I am not sold just yet on Shuri being the new warrior to become the Black Panther. The film did great for Disney at the American box office bringing in $439,645,653 on a budget of $250 million. Over all if you are a fan of the Black Panther or have been enjoying this latest phase of the Marvel films, check this one out.

# 4

Thor has decided to return to Earth after traveling around with The Guardians Of The Galaxy and arrives to find that Gorr The God Butcher has been killing everyone he comes across and even has wounded his friend Sif in battle. He also learns that his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster is now also has the power of Thor and that she is dying from cancer and is living on borrowed time. And with Valkyrie and Korg by their side, they together they must try and warn the other Gods that death is coming as well as use all their powers in order to stop Gorr who is on a rampage to destroy the world as we know it. This is a fun and action packed superhero film that sets the odds against Thor as well as makes him face mortality because even Gods can be destroyed. The film’s humor works well, and the sadness factor of Jane also does its job of toying with your heart-strings. The films is well cast like always as Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Jaimie Alexander as Sif with Christen Bale playing Gorr The God Butcher, and all do a fantastic job in their roles as always. The film is also just a fun ride of emotions and also has screaming flying goats! The film did good for Disney at the American box office bringing in $343,253,033.00 on a budget of $250 million. If you liked Thor: Ragnarok and The Guardians Of The Galaxy and that style of superhero humor, you will enjoy this one.

# 3

The people of Kahndaq are being oppressed by a military team that is looking for a crown that contains the powers of demons, and one woman, her son and brother have found it. They have also freed a god-like savior who was given powers by the ancient wizards known as Black Adam who goes around and kills the foreign military invaders, but he is not the hero they think he is and his murderous ways gets the attention of the Justice Society (Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone) who head to Kahndaq to try and bring him in peacefully. This of course is not in Black Adam’s nature. And while the heroes clash with him, a group wants the crown to unleash a demon to claim the throne and rule the land…and they do just that, and it’s now up to the JS who has to team with Black Adam to save lives as well as stop the demon. This is a really fun action superhero film that has cool characters, a big after credits cameo and even a death of a superhero and shows that DC really is trying to claim the top spots of the movie comic universes. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam and also on cast is Pierce Bronsan, Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell, Noah Centineo and Sarah Shai to name a few, and all are great in their rolls. To be fair, I almost wish this film was a Justice Society film as I feel they steal this movie away from Black Adam. The film did well for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $167,873,355 on a budget of around $195 million. This is a really fun film and really does shows that DC is spending more time on building their universe as Marvel keeps getting stale in theirs.

# 2

Doctor Strange meets America Chavez, a teenager who has the ability to jump around the multiverse who is on the run from monsters who want to steal her powers. When Doctor Strange tries to help her, he finds that its Scarlet Witch that has sent the monsters as she wants to use America’s powers to live in the reality where her children are real, and she will kill anyone who gets in her way! As Doctor Strange and America Chavez jumps from multiverse to multiverse, they are being hunted down and even meets the fates of other versions of Strange as well as meet heroes like Reed Richards, Black Bolt and Professor X. In the end can Doctor Strange stop Scarlet Witch’s plan for murder and show her that this is not the way for a former hero and Avenger. This is a wild ride that is filled with great cameos, undead spirits, odd ball multiverses and has the Sam Raimi spooky touch as he was the director of the film! That’s right, Raimi returned to superhero films and was even able to kind of add a horror film touch to it. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochiyl Gomez, Rachel McAdams and Patrick Stewart to name a few. The film did well for Disney at the US box office bringing in $411,331,607.00 on a budget of $200 million! This is a super fun film and if you want to see Scarlet Witch kill some superheroes as well as a Zombie Doctor Strange, you should really check this one out.

# 1

Gotham City is under attack by a serial killer called The Riddler who is targeting people in power throughout the city leaving riddles for Batman who is going on a crusade to clean up the city from crime. And as the body count rises, Batman also comes across Catwoman, a burglar who is looking for information about her missing friend, as well as comes across Penguin who is a crime lord that runs a club and might have the clues to the missing woman and as well might know more about the true criminal who is running things in Gotham City. And all the while Batman is having to use his great detective work to solve each of these cases and prove that crime truly does not pay. Hands down this was the best Superhero movie to be released in theaters in 2022 and is one of the better Batman films overall! The film takes a more realistic approach and while some elements are pure superhero tropes, the more horror film feeling of a masked serial killer Riddler running around town butchering people and gaining a copycat like following just seems true to life. The film is also well cast with Robert Pattinson doing a great job as Batman with other names like Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Jeffrey Wright and Colin Farrell making up the rest of the lead cast. The film did great for Warner Brothers at the US box office bringing in $369,345,583.00 on a budget of $200 million. This film bring Batman back to being about great detective work as well as kicking the ass of crime, this is one that you need to see if you have not yet.

Superhero films are still going strong at the Box Office and it’s shocking as I think DC Comics films are truly catching up with Marvel Comics films! But up next is our update’s main event and that is of course the Horror Films of 2022 that I saw in the theater! And before we get too far in, I want to also say that I saw Jaws 3D, Creature From The Black Lagoon, Phantom Of The Opera and my friend Victor’s film Thrust all in the cinema as well!

And now it’s time to talk Horror as this is the genre of film that I have always loved and I try and see every one I can in the theater, so with no further ado let’s dive deep into this countdown.

# 32

Laine and Chase are on a trip together to attend a horror movie party, but after winning a contest at the event they find themselves as well as a YouTube show crew stuck at a house being stalked and killed by The Creeper who has awaken for his 23 days of killing. But things are different this time around as the townspeople are feeding his murderous ways, and Laine is with child and this monster killer wants the baby for his own. Will this couple escape The Creeper or will they find themselves just more victims for his cycle? This is the fourth film in the Jeepers Creepers series and sadly looks very cheap, has a mess of a story and sadly does not follow the three other films in the series as they new creative team behind it has ideas of their own. The film has some kills and oddly is not all that gory, and the use of green screens takes away from the mood and creepiness of the film. The film’s best actors are Sydney Craven and Imran Adams who play Laine and Chase, and some of their dialogue is bad, but you cannot go wrong with Sydney dressing up in costumes to cosplay from a sexy Freddy Kruger to Jennifer from Jennifer’s Body. The film had a limited release as apart of Fathom Events and brought in $2,033,057.00 for Screen Media on an unknown budget. Not a great sequel but worth watching if you enjoy The Jeepers Creepers series…also The Creeper has a new look in this film.

# 31

Amanda and her daughter Chris are beekeepers and are making a living selling the honey, but Amanda has issues as the house does not use electricity and she keeps most people away from her home. This leaves her daughter very sheltered and wanting to see what the world has to offer. You see Amanda was abused by her mother with electricity, and this has made her an odd and protective person, but when her mother’s remains show up to the farm house, her spirit is not done with her torment and wants to once more rule Amanda’s life! Can Amanda break her mother’s spell as well as keep her daughter safe…watch this Sam Raimi produced film to find out. This is a pretty good slow burn horror film that is well acted and has a great small cast with names like Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, Dermot Mulroney, Odeya Rush and MeeWha Alana making up the lead roles. The Mother’s evil spirit is cool looking and makes for a good villain in a paranormal fright film, the main issue for me is that the jump scares just did not work and felt very paint by numbers. The film did poorly at the US Box Office for Sony as it only did $2,121,025.00 on an unknown budget, and to be fair this is Sony’s fault who did a terrible job of promoting the film and spent all promotion money at the time to advertise Morbius. Over all, this is not a bad little fright flick, it just seemed to be lacking something to make it stand out from the rest of the paranormal horror films that flood the theaters, home media and streaming sites. I bought it on home media when released as I wanted to see it for a second time.

# 30

Becky is climbing a mountain alongside her husband Dan and her best friend Hunter when an accident happens and Dan falls to his death. Time passes and Becky is deeply depressed and is avoiding her father and even thinks of suicide, but when Hunter comes back into her life the two ladies decide to do something extreme to spread Dan’s ashes and that’s climb a old TV tower that is the 4^th tallest structure in America. But things go wrong, and the friends get stuck on top of the tower and must find away to get help! As hours and days pass, Becky and Hunter gets weaker and have to make decisions in order to stay alive. Will the ladies get off the tower alive? Well watch this thriller horror flick to find out! This is one of those thrillers that plays off of the elements and this one is heights and gives you that what if you are stuck high in the sky with no clear way to get down, so in other words think “Open Water” set on a high tower. The film can really mess with the minds of those viewers who hate heights and that is where the horror elements come into play, well also with the vultures who swoop down for the attack. The film is well acted and cast with actress Virginia Gardner who played Hunter stealing the film. The film did okay for Lionsgate at the American box office bringing in $7,240,521.00 on a budget of $3million. This was a fun theater watch and brings some thrills, chills and spills.

# 29

Young Cindy watches a green creature called The Mean One as he tries to steal her family’s Christmas gifts and presents and by accident the creature kills her mom causing it to turn evil and forever ruin the holiday for the small California town. Now as an adult, Cindy returns to town to try to get over the PTSD she has suffered from the event and soon finds that the whole town does not celebrate the holiday. When her father tries to get their old home dressed up for the holiday, he is quickly killed by The Mean One as does anyone in town who happens to have anything to do with Christmas! The sheriff and mayor are no help, and Cindy is looked at as crazy by many of the locals as she is telling them tales of a green furred monster, but soon she finds help with the new Deputy as well as Doc, a drunk old man whose wife was killed by the creature. Will Cindy and her new friends be able to stop the Christmas hating Mean One or will they as well fall victim to his killing ways? Watch this super cheesy creature feature and find out. This holiday horror creature feature flick is a take on the classic “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” but takes a different path to show what if Cindy never touched the heart of The Grinch to turn him into a holiday loving fool, but instead she called him a monster and set him down a path of murder and eating human flesh. While the concept is a fun one, the low budget and execution is just lacking and makes this one feel like a really cheap made-for-TV film complete with laughable digital blood effects. David Howard Thornton plays The Mean One and brings a little Art The Clown to his performance, with other actors including Krystle Martin, John Bingham, Chase Mullins and Amy Schumacher making up the main cast. The film did okay for Atlas at the box office on a limited release as it did around $585,025 on an unknown budget. This is a super cheesy, goofy, low budget fright flick that steals The Grinch and brings some laughs as you will find yourself saying what am I watching!

# 28

Saul Tenser is a man who grows new body organs and alongside his partner Caprice does live performances to remove them as a statement of performance art. The world has changed and this is the new sex as people cannot feel pain and for some growing new body parts is possible. But Saul becomes involved in a strange case that involves a performance autopsy of a murdered young boy who was born with a defect that allows him to eat plastic. People in high power do not want the world to know about these plastic eaters and will do whatever it takes to make sure their existence does not leak out and that means people Saul knows might be involved in this cover up. This is a weird horror sci-fi film from the mind of David Cronenberg and brings all his classic film tropes into a new film that has a message that is left to the minds of the viewers. Viggo Mortensen and Lea Seydoux play Saul and Caprice and are fantastic, but for me Kristen Stewart who plays Timlin, a worker for the National Organ Registry steals the show, as she is delightfully weird. The film was a mix bag of good and bad digital and practical effects and was not one of my favorite Cronenberg films but was a fun watch in the theater. The movie did okay for Neon at the American box office on its limited run brining in $2,452,882.00 on an unknown budget. And I bought this one once it was on home media to give it another watch.

# 27

Years have passed, and Michael Myers has not been spotted. Laurie Strode is trying to move on with her life, buying a nice house in a neighborhood and raising her granddaughter Alyson who herself has found a job working as a nurse and finds a boyfriend in Cory a town outsider who by accident killed a kid that he was babysitting making him the punching bag of the town. But Cory’s inner evil is unleashed when he is tormented and beaten up by some teens and he stumbles onto the hiding place of Michael Myers and wants the killer to teach him how to murder without remorse…and he does! But now Corey is getting too crazed and after getting revenge on those who tormented him, he sets his sights on Laurie who must fight for her life as well as that of her granddaughter from making the biggest mistake of her life by running away with this serial killer in training. And in the end Laurie has to come face to mask with Michael Myers one last time and must also deal with Corey. This third film in the Blumhouse Halloween trilogy is very much a disappointment for me as it has very little to do with Michael Myers and puts most of the focus on Corey and his descent into evil. This makes this final film feel like a lame duck way to end a series, as the final fight between Laurie and Michael seems like an afterthought and only lasts a very short time. The pluses for the film are that I enjoyed the Michael Myers’ kills even if they are few and far, Jamie Lee Curtis gives her best performance in a long time, and the effects are pretty cool. I also should say I do like the idea of Corey being the town’s new Boogeyman, but I feel they went about it the wrong way…as at one point Corey bullies Michael to get his mask…lame. The film did pretty well for Universal at the American box office bringing in $64,079,860 on a $30 million budget. Over all Halloween Ends is a film in the series that has been meet with very mix reviews, and while I did not hate it, I was very disappointed in it and it is very much a middle of the road film.

# 26

Bishop is a preacher whose young daughter was murdered by a sadistic biker Ram Kady when she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the man of God’s life is turned upside down. But when police officer Jed finds Ram, he offers him a chance to get one minute alone with the killer to make him feel just as much pain as his family does, but things are even more crazy as Bishop finds that Jeb as a underground bunker filled with tortured killers who now act like mindless zombies. Jed is mad at Bishop when he will not take out his hurt on his daughter’s killer. All Hell breaks loose when the tortured killers, bikers looking for Ram and Ram himself all show up to the bunker and Bishop has to fight for his life to survive. This is a fun indie film that gets super bloody in the film’s finale and stars all types of band members from bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Motely Crue and Papa Roach to name a few. The film does have some odd moments as some plot points as well as characters come and go, and I wish the fight between the tortured killers and the bikers would have been a little better and longer. This film had a very limited release and brought in $7,145 for Better Noise Films at the international box office (no domestic figures are available yet) on an unknown budget. This is a film that you should checkout if you like crazy indie films that have a dash of biker crime gangs an tortured zombie like people that were very bad people.

# 25

Bhaskar is sent the jungles of a small town in Arunachal Pradesh to seal a deal for land development that will have much of the trees cut down to make way for a new roadway. Along with him is his cousin Jana, his friend Jomin as well as local Mr. Panda all who are trying to help to seal the deal with the locals, but things change when Bhaskar is bitten by a werewolf that is called The Virus by the locals; After getting treatment from the local vet Anika, our now cursed Bhaskar must hide the fact he is a werewolf from the locals, avoid killing people when the moon is full, find a cure, fight his feeling for Anika and learn that the spirit of the jungle has its own protector to keep it safe from those wanting to cut it down. Will Bhaskar find the cure or will be forever be doomed to howl at the moon? Watch this fun Bollywood comedy horror Film and find out for yourself. This is a pretty fun silly fright flick that has some scares hidden in with the laughs, with Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Banerhee, Paalin Kabak and Deepak Dobriyal making up the group of friends. They all do a fantastic job in their roles, with Kriti Sanon playing Anika and she steals the film with her acting and beauty. The werewolf effects are cool and are done via CGI, we get werewolf attacks and kills and the film does have some blood and violence throughout. And like any good Bollywood film, there are musical numbers and dancing, and I should also say this one has messages as well about saving the environment and treating others better. The film had a limited release here in America and did around $609,551 internationally. This is a fun watch and if you like Bollywood horror comedies and werewolf films, make sure to give this one a watch. I would buy this one on home media if it’s released here in the states.

# 24

Jules is a woman who grew up being able to talk to demons and ghosts, and when she was young and doing so, her sister was killed by a demon that she set free. Now as an adult she hosts a TV Show called Skeleton Crew where she enters haunted houses and they film the strange happenings. But while filming in Malaysia, Jules and her crew enter a home that houses a demon that is very powerful and is protected by the souls of his past victims and now wants a new soul for his growing army. The Demon possesses, torments and injures those in the house and now it is up to Jules to find her inner power and try to save the owners of the house as well as her crew’s souls from damnation and will have get the help of a Monk in order to do so…but will Jules be able to do so or are they all doomed. This is a fun spooky little demonic haunted house film that for an indie film tries to bring the scares as well as some gruesome moments and for the most part does a great job at it. Plus the fact this had a limited release around Halloween time made it even more of a good watch late in the evening. The film stars Fiona Dourif, Jordan Belfi, Malin Crepin, Harris Dickinson and the lovely Thao Nhu Phan and all do a great job in their parts. The Demon is pretty evil and what he has done in the past while alive is pretty sick stuff. The film did ok for Outsider Pictures bringing in $849,299 internationally on an unknown budget and a very limited release. Over all this was a decent demon flick that I will pick up on home media when released, and you should check it out if you like demon films or films that are set with Malaysia ghost stories.

# 23

The Foo Fighters are working on their 10^th album and rent out an old house to do so, and unbeknownst to them another band was killed in the house recording an album. And after some strange things around the house including terrible nightmares, dead animals and a phantom gardener, a demon spirit gets inside Dave Grohl and possesses him to make the perfect satanic rock song that will bring back the glory days of the music genre. And as time passes Dave finds his sound and also finds his killer side as he takes out anyone who stands in the song’s way including his own band members, and in the end what is left of the Foo Fighters must save Dave from the demon’s grip and survive the sinister house. This is a very gory horror comedy film that was from the mind of Dave Grohl and delivers a very cheesy and humors return to the days of Rock N Roll Horror films. While the gore is great and over the top some of the humor is a little childish and is just four letter words thrown around and the middle finger given, but other humor bits hit the spot and are pretty funny. The film also stars Kerry King of Slayer, director John Carpenter, Jenna Ortega, Will Forte, Whitney Cummings and even Lionel Richie in a cameo. The film did ok for Open Road Films at the American box office bringing in $2,513,963.00 on an unknown budget. Over all this was a fun fright flick with some cool effects and fans of Foo Fighters will love it. I bought it on home media when it was released.

# 22

Maren Yearly is a young woman who finds herself on a quest to find her mother after her father leaves her on her own. Maren has a serious issue as she eats people, and she cannot help her need to eat human flesh and meat…and her father just cannot keep covering for her deeds. Maren does not want to eat people so she needs answers and as she travels across states to find her mom, she meets Sully another like her in Ohio who teaches her his rules of eating people, and when Maren sneaks away, Sully becomes obsessed with her and follows her in secret just watching. But Maren, while in Kentucky, meets Lee a young man she falls in love with and who as well is a human eater, and together they must find out the history of Maren’s life, deal with the guilt of eating people, avoid Sully and deal with their blooming relationship. This is a very fun romance horror film that is a twisted coming of age tale and has very interesting characters throughout its journey. Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet are great as Maren and Lee with Mark Rylance giving a creepy performance as Sully. The film did okay for United Artist at the American box office bringing in $7,834,907 on a budget of around $20 million. If you like your horror with a dash of romance and lots of flesh eating, then make sure to check this one out. I will get this one when released on home media.

# 21

Baron Seamus Laurent is a man who will do anything to protect his family, village and land and when a band of Roma try to claim the land he has them brutally killed and buried in a field, but the Roma are able to place a curse on the village and land and with silver fangs created from the coins Judas got when he turned on Christ the curse of the beast runs through the town and the curse starts with Seamus’s own son Edward! And after a murder of a young boy, pathologist John McBride comes to town and tries to bring peace to the village and end the curse with a silver bullet. This is an atmospheric slow burn werewolf film that blends elements of an A24 horror film with a dash of Hammer horror and delivers a pretty creepy watch. The film has some good bloody moments, and the werewolf design is pretty original and creepy looking. While some viewers may not like the slower pace I found it to be just right and well done to bring that level of spooky and unknown. I like the fact that the werewolf curse is spread by Roma who use silver fangs made from those coins as that adds the old world touch to the story. The film did well for LD Entertainment during its release bringing $4,588,389.00 on an unknown budget at the America box office. Worth the watch if you enjoy the more atmospheric old world style horror films and is one that I got on Home Media when released.

# 20

Art The Clown is back from the dead and is on another rampage of slaughter and butchering anyone he comes across but this time he is not alone as he has a strange little clown girl along for the ride. But Art makes a mistake when he messes with the wrong high school girl with Sienna Shaw who’s battling trauma and who finds her inner warrior thanks to a magical sword her father gave her…yeah. Can Sienna save her and her brother’s life from the psycho Art The Clown or will they both just become another bloody victim to his madness…watch this gore filled slasher film to find out. This film while filled with some amazing kills that are gory as all hell does lack the charm of the first film, its way too long being almost 2hrs and 30min, is a mess in the story department and goes a little off the rails with some of the fantasy elements added into the mix. The film is well cast with Lauren LaVera stealing the film as the Sienna as she is so good I couldn’t keep my eyes off her and cheered for her the whole final fight and David Howard Thornton is great once more as the sadistic and evil Art The Clown as I don’t think anyone could play that role better. The film also has cameos from Chris Jericho, Felissa Rose and Tamara Glynn with Samantha Scaffidi returning as Victoria Heyes from the first film. The film got a limited release and did well for Bloody Disgusting at the US box office bringing in $10,640,105 on an unknown budget. Over all it was a great mindless bloodbath film that was just lacking the spooky charm of the original.

# 19

David is holding a hurricane party at his mansion and has invited many of his close friends, and a shocker comes when Sophia, who is just out of rehab and her new girlfriend Bee show up to enjoy the party and safety from the storm. But as the party starts and the drugs and alcohol flow tensions start to build and the group decides to play a murder mystery game they created called Bodies Bodies Bodies, but when one of the friends is found dead the fear sweeps the friends who all accuse each other of the murder, and to their horror the bodies of their friends keep being found and the murder is on the loose at this mansion on a very stormy night…or are they in this twisted black comedy horror film. This film has great atmosphere, is well acted and has some chuckle moments…but I also think that it dragged in spots and had characters that were mostly very unlikable people and while that’s the point it can be over bearing at points. Actresses Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova steal the show and the film does have some bloody moments and has that who’s the killer vibe that was made popular in more modern Horror by films like Scream. The film did pretty well for A24 at the American box office bringing in $11,446,602.00 on an unknown budget. If you like Horror Comedies that have a Slasher feel check this one out, and is one I will get on home media when released.

# 18

Charlie McGee is an eleven year old girl who has powers she can not control nor understands as she can not only move things with her mind and make people bend to her will but she can also start fires and that means from big explosions to lighting people on fire. You see Charlie’s parents have powers as well and they have been experimented on by the government before they had her, and have been on the run from them after her birth due to the fact they wanted to use Charlie as a weapon as well as experiment on her to unleash her full power. But they make a big mistake when the send John Rainbird after the family and this leads to Charlie’s mother being killed and her father captured, now all hell breaks loose at the research lab as Charlie is angry and wants revenge for what they have done to her and unleashes her fire powers. This is a fun remake base on the Stephen King story and is well scripted, casted and scored. Ryan Kiera Armstrong is great as Charlie and Zac Efron is also great in the roll of her father other names in the cast include Sydney Lemmon, Michael Greyeyes and John Beasley. And for those wonder John Carpenter and his son Cody did the score. The film did ok at the American box office bringing in $9,589,250.00 on an unknown budget. They foolishly also released this the same day to streaming and I think that hurt its money draw. This is one I got when released on home media.

# 17

Evie Jackson is a woman who works at a catering company who has no family left after the recent passing of her mother, but when she does a DNA test to find out her family tree she meets her cousin Oliver Alexander from England and the two meet up in New York and she finds herself invited to a wedding in England expenses paid by her cousin to meet the rest of her family that will be attending. Also while there she meets the owner of the mansion they are staying in named Walter De Ville who charms her and the two start to have feelings for one another, but thing are not what they seem at this mansion as Evie soon finds that she is the bride to be and Walter his her soon to be husband and her family and the guests are blood drinking vampires…and worse Walter is really Count Dracula! Will Evie be able to escape her fate of damnation or will she have to forever drink blood and be one of the Brides Of Dracula…watch this film to find out. This is a fun slow burn Vampire Horror Film that has elements of Hammer Horror, Anne Rice and A24 all mixed together to deliver a spooky watch. Nathalie Emmanuel is great as Evie and Thomas Doherty was good was Walter, other cast members include Alana Boden, Stephanie Corneliussen, Sean Pertwee and Hugh Skinner. The film does suffer from being a R rated film that was clearly cut down to a PG-13 rating as some of the more bloody moments seem way trimmed down. The film did well for Sony at the US box office bringing in $25,100,080.00 on a budget of only $10million. This is worth a watch if you enjoy vampire tales and is one I got on home media when released.

# 16

Tori Tooms is the owner of a used media store that mostly focuses on vinyl records, and her sales are up during the crazy Christmas season and she just wants to get drunk and laid! But things gets super crazy when a mechanical Santa Claus armed with an axe that was created by the US Military goes rogue and starts a bloody killing spree that leaves Tori’s friends and family dead as well as the town police force! And this leaves Tori fighting for her life and trying to find a way to stop this mechanical murderous Santa. This is a fun splatter film that delivers some over the top kills and punk rocker style characters with Riley Dandy being fantastic as Tori and such names as Sam Delich, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Jonah Ray, Kansas Bowling and Abraham Benrudi played the killer Santa doing great in their roles. The film packs in some great kills as well as uses neon and Christmas lights to bring a strange glow to the town, plus the film started out as a Silent Night Deadly Night remake so that as well is pretty cool. The film had a very limited release and did well for Shudder at the American box office bringing in $251,586 on an unknown budget. If you like Holiday themed Horror Films make sure to give this one a watch, but keep in mind it is also filled to the brim with lots of cussing and characters tend to talk over each other and can be overload for your ears. Will buy once on home media.

# 15

A group of poachers kill a pride of lions but the male lion escapes and after killing two of the poachers the lion has a hatred for mankind and is on a quest to kill everyone it sees. Dr. Nate Samuels takes his two daughters Mere and Norah to a trip to Africa to visit a family friend Martin to get away from the sadness of their mother passing away from cancer. The Samuels family is dealing with some issues as Nate’s older daughter blames him for not being around during her mom’s final months. But things get way worse for the family when they are attacked by that rogue lion while far away from any help and must try to fight to stay alive, will this family be able to stay together or will they be hunted and killed one by one…watch this Nature Runs Amok Horror Flick to find out! This was a pretty fun watch as I am a sucker for animal attack Horror films and this one did a great job of making the lion bloodthirsty and yet also sympathetic as he only has this hate due to what man has done to his family. The film as some good thrills, kills and blood spills and is well acted and casted as Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries and Sharlto Copley make up the lead cast. The film did alright for Universal at the US box office bringing in $31,846,530.00 on a budget of $36million, and for me was well worth seeing on the big screen! Worth the watch if you love animal attack films and bought when released on home media.

# 14

OJ Haywood and his sister Emerald are the owners of a Hollywood horse training ranch after their father paces away from a freak accident of items falling from the sky, but the siblings soon find out that it was no freak accident and was the act of an alien creature that lives in a cloud in the sky near their ranch. Along with Angel a tech salesman at a department store and movie cinematographer Antiers they set out to get proof of this being as well as try and find a way to stay alive from it’s rampage of hunger for flesh and blood. Also throw in a former child actor who survived a animal attack on the set of a sitcom who know owns an amusement park as well as a TMZ reporter out for a story and you have this alien monster film set on a ranch. This third Horror film from creator Jordan Peele was kind of a disappointment for me as while I think many parts of the film worked well, I also thought it was over long and lacked the chills that his other films delivered. I really enjoyed the flashback scenes to the sitcom that had a chimpanzee on a rampage as I felt that was way more scary than the silky looking cloth alien in the sky. I also want to say that it was well caste and I loved the chemistry that all the actors had on the screen. The film did well for Universal at the American box office brining in $123,277,080.00 on a budget of $68million. Over all not a bad film but not a great one as I truly feel this is Peele’s weakest Horror film to date, and did buy on home media when released.

# 13

On his travel to a concert Ruhaan Randhawa meets soon to be reluctant bride Reet Thakur on her way to her wedding and convinces her to get off the bus and go to the concert as they can catch the next one and she can still make it on time, and she is glad she does as the bus she was to be on crashes and has no survivors, and now her family thinks she is dead and her cousin is in love with her groom and Reet is ok with them getting together. Now Reet has Ruhaan travel back home with her and act as a psychic in order to tell her wishes to her family, and after the wedding she will revile that she is alive. But Reet makes a big mistake as she hides out in the family’s old mansion that has a room that houses the evil spirit of Manjulika a relative who practiced black magic and has been locked away for 18 years in that room, and when the spirit gets free all hell breaks loose and dark secrets are exposed and Reet finds real love in Ruhaan. This was a very fun Horror Comedy film from Bollywood that was filled with fun music numbers, great characters, beautiful ladies and an awesome ghost that was played amazingly by Tabu who plays duel roles in the film. Other great actors include Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Rajpal Yadav and the film opened limited in America and made $18,307,258.00 on a budget of around $9million international. While the film is over 2hrs and some of the comedy moments can fall flat, this was a very entertaining film and glad I was able to catch it in the theater on the big screen…would buy on home media if release in America.

# 12

Margo is on a “date” with food lover Tyler who has paid lots of money to have a meal at the Hawthorns a restaurant on an island ran by Chef Julian Slowik, only the rich can afford the meals and only a limited amount of guests are permitted at a time. The Chef has an army of sous chefs behind him as well as other workers that make up a restaurant with his dinner having a theme this night, and unknown to the people there the theme is death…but poor Margo was not suppose to be there and this throws the Chef’s theme off. Now Margo must find a way to get out off the restaurant, off the island or perish with the rest of the guests on this dinner course straight to the grave. This is a delightfully weird Horror film that showcases a mans rise to fame and mental fall to being suicidal, and how in his twisted mind all those there have wronged him or the world in some ways. The film is well casted with such names as Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Hong Chau and Judith Light to name a few, and each are fantastic in their role with Fiennes as Chef being one hell of a great casting as is Taylor-Joy as Margo. The film did good for Searchlight at the US box office bringing in $38,501,125 on a budget of $35million. If you like slow burn Horror Thrillers that will make you hungry for a cheeseburger give this one a watch. Will own when released on home media.

# 11

Harper Marlow rents an old farmhouse in order to get away as she had a terrible breakup with her husband that lead to his suicide, and she rents the house from Geoffrey who lives a few doors down in order to relax and clear her mind. But Harper’s peaceful get away turns terrifying when a naked man fallows her home from the woods and attempts to break into her home, and even more crazy all the men from town are mostly odd, rude and all look the same! And her time turns worse when the naked man from the town turns out to be a shape shifting creature that has it in it’s mind that he must get to Harper! This is a very strange, creepy and entertaining movie that plays up on the terrors of an abusive relationship, the effects suicide has on loved ones as well as a dash of folk small town kind of horrors. The film is well acted with Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear in the two leads being great casting calls and some of the effects for the creature are very well done. Sadly the film did ok for A24 at the American box office bring in $7,587,853.00 on an unknown budget. This one has some strange moments, creepy atmosphere, great acting, a cool creature, bloody effects and was a great watch in the cinema. Bought when released on home media.

# 10

Sister Ann is a young Nun who has been through some bad things in her younger life and has found her calling working for the church. And she really is interested in exorcisms, as she knows that her mother was possessed by a demon and now she wants to help others, but a female performing them is prohibited. But Ann pushes when she meets a young girl named Natalie who’s very soul is in danger as the demon inside her is the same that was in Ann’s mom and it wants to corrupt and destroy Ann. Now Ann along with the help of a young Father must fight the demon for the young girls soul as well as Ann’s as this demon will not go away until it gets what it wants! Is Ann strong enough to defeat it watch this fun possession film and find out for yourself. This film was released around Halloween and was a pretty creepy and fun PG-13 fright flick that delivered some demonic goodness and brought to the screen a cool female hero with Sister Ann who is very likable. Actress Jacqueline Byers plays Sister Ann and is fantastic in the role and I hope she returns if this film gets a sequel and it should in my opinion. Other actors include Virginia Madesen, Ben Cross, Posy Taylor and Christian Navarro and all are great in their parts. The film did ok for Lionsgate at the US box office bringing in $19,802,293 on an unknown budget. I really had fun with this film and will get once released on home media.

# 9

Julia and her husband Francis move to Bucharest for his job and she is a fish out of the water as she does not speak Romanian. And things get worse for her when she notices an across the street neighbor watching her and following her, all the while women in the area are being killed by a serial killer called The Spider…her fears set in as she thinks maybe her stalker is the killer and while her husband is supportive of believing her the police and most of her neighbors thinks she is crazy. Is the watcher the killer? Is she loosing her mind? Are her fears more about the big move? Watch this Horror Thriller film and find out for yourself. This was a great watch on the big screen and was shot and written very well and almost has a Hitchcock feel to it. The film is very well acted with Maika Monroe playing the part of Julia being fantastic and her supporting cast Burn Goreman, Karl Glusman, Madalina Anea and Daniel Nuta all doing great jobs in their rolls. The film does have some bloody moments and plays on your fears of being alone and the feeling of being watched, its very much a slow burn film and if you are looking for a slasher film here its not. The film did ok for IFC at the US box office bringing in $1,961,207.00 on an unknown budget. This is one I bought on home media when released and if you enjoy Horror Thriller films make sure to check this one out.

# 8

Alice and Jack Chambers live in the desert town of Victory as things in this private town is great as the men go to work for Frank on the “Victory Project” as the ladies stay home and take care of the house and make the meals and are told never to go to the edge of town…but this perfect life in this perfect town starts to turn into a nightmare as Alice starts seeing things when she travels to the end of town that makes her question what is going on in this town and what Frank and his Top Secret Project really is, and she is ready to leave it all and go to war with Frank about it! Will Alice find the answers? Is Victory really the perfect town? Or is something more sinister at play…well you will have to watch this Psychological Horror Thriller to find out for yourself! First thing I need to say is that Florence Pugh is an amazing actress and does a great job at playing Alice Chambers and her moments of breaking down as well as combating Frank played by Chris Pine at the dinner table truly drew me into the town of Victory. The film really does play with your mind and I enjoyed the reveal at the end and while the Horror elements are toned down it is one heck of a thriller. The film also stars Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Kiki Layne, Gemma Chan and Nick Kroll all who were great in their roles. The film did ok for New Line Cinema at the American box office bringing in $45,309,403.00 on a budget of $35 million. This film had a lot of bad press before and after being released, but I for one really enjoyed it and will buy on home media when released.

# 7

Dr. Rose Cotter is a woman who had a rough childhood and is now working at a hospital in order to help patients with their mental health as well as has a loving fiancé and an older sister who cares about her. But her life changes for the worse when one of her new patients takes her own life in front of her after talking about witnessing a suicide and then seeing and hearing something that is always smiling. Now Rose is hearing the voices and seeing thing and all those around her think she is loosing her mind and with the help of an ex-boyfriend who is a cop they try to figure out a way to stop this curse as something is after her and it wants her dead. This is a really fun and spooky film about a creature that feeds of trauma and fear and those that are infected all have a twisted smile before they take their own lives in order to pass the curse onto another. The effects are well done in the film and is also well casted with names like Sosie Bacon, Caitlin Stasey, Kyle Gallner, Kal Penn, Jessie T. Usher and Robin Weigert making up the main cast. The film did well for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $105,935,048.00 on a budget of $17million. If you like your Horror films with a dash of mental Horror and a pinch of creature feature check this one out for sure. And yes I bought this on home media when released.

# 6

It’s 1918 and Pearl is a young woman who’s husband is away at war and she lives with her strict German mother and her very ill father and spends her days working on the farm and dreaming of being a famous dancer on the movie screens. But Pearl is not like other girls as she has a dark side a murderous side and she wants away from the farm and wants to hunt down fame and fortune…and when she meets the local theater projectionist and learns from her sister in law about a church dance off she will do whatever it takes to because famous and that includes murder! This is the prequel to the film X and is such an great film that is very uncomfortable to watch as actress Mia Goth is amazing as the crazed Pearl and you go along for the ride with her as she slips more and more into her murderous decent into madness. The film while a slow burn builds to the bloody Horror and fans of slashers will not be disappointed. The film also stars Tandi Wright, Emma Jenkins-Purro, Matthew Sunderland and David Corenswet all who do a great job in their roles. The film did well for A24 at the American box office brining in $9,423,445.00 on a unknown budget. If you like indie horror films that have elements of slasher and psychological thriller elements smashed together this is one you will want to see, also had to get it when released on physical media.

# 5

On a stormy night Tess Marshall heads to an Airbnb in a rundown neighborhood in Detroit as she has a job interview the next day to help on an independent documentary film. But once she gets there she meets Keith who also has rented the house for a stay and this makes it that the two strangers have to share the home on the stormy night, but lucky for them they become friends. But on the second day Tess finds a hidden passage and room in the basement that holds a dark secret, and when she and Keith enter deeper into the passage they find that they are not alone! Days pass and the owner of the house disgraced actor AJ Gilbride shows up and he himself finds that someone is in the hidden passage and they are not friendly. And when Tess and AJ find themselves in trouble they must find away to escape the house alive. This is a very twisted and fun film that takes lots of twists and turns and is just the right amount of weirdness and gory to make it a great film for fans who enjoy something different in their Horror Films. The film stars Georgina Campbell, Justin Long, Bill Skarsgard, Richard Brake and Kate Bosworth and all did fantastic in their roles with Long being a scene stealer in parts. The film did well for 20^th Century at the American box office bringing in $40,842,944.00 on a budget of $10.5million. This is one that you should checkout as its creepy and the twists are lots of fun and is one I had to get when released on home media.

# 4

The Ghostface killing are happening in Woodsboro again and the first attended victim Tara Carpenter survives the attack that brings her sister Sam and her boyfriend Richie to town to check on her, but the attacks keep happing and even Sam herself is attacked while visiting in the hospital! And with Ghostface returning so does those who have solved and defeated the killers in the past Judy Hicks, Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley and Sidney Prescott…but the rules have changed, motivations have changed and Ghostface has new ideas to freshen up the legacy of the killers before him…in this Scream everyone’s a suspect and the past will always comeback to haunt you. This fifth film in the Scream movie series was a great way to blend in the classic characters we love with new ones that we quickly care about. Seeing Ghostface return to the big screen was a great way to kick off Horror at the cinema for 2022! This film is also very bloody and does a great job of building the “Who” is the killer throughout the film. The film did great for Paramount at the American box office bringing in $81,641,405.00 on a budget of $24 million. A great sequel and its awesome that we are getting a sixth film in the series due to the success of this one.

# 3

Leena Klammer is a thirty year old woman who looks like a 10 year old girl who is super dangerous and after escaping a mental institution in Russia she takes on the identity of missing American child Esther Albright in order to be sent to America, with the goal of robbing the family and escape being locked back up in the Asylum. Once she arrives in America her cover is perfect, but she does slip up and say the wrong things that makes her “Mother” and “Brother” very suspicious. Everything seems to be going well that is until a police officer starts to look into her and her story of being kidnapped and when she goes to silence him once and for all Esther finds herself in a sinister plot that has her murderous rage being used against her, and what this plot is I can not spoil so you will have to see this awesome slasher film for yourself. Isabelle Fuhrman returns in the role of Esther and is fantastic once more as she really does come off like a psycho, also in the cast includes Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland and Matthew Finian. The film had a limited release and did pretty well for Paramount at the American theaters bringing in $5,413,227.00 on an unknown budget. This is a film that you should see if you liked the original or just like slasher films with a dash of thriller! This was a must own when released on home media.

# 2

Maxine Minx is an adult film actress who along with friends travel to a small farm house in Texas in 1979 to film a porno in order to cash in on the booming home video market and to make money as well as for Maxine to become a big star, but the thing being is the farms owner Howard and his wife Pearl are not the sweet old people they seem as they have a dark side and Maxine and her friends have become their new targets for their sick sexual game. And one by one the crew are murdered and this leaves you wondering how Maxine will survive this farmhouse of terror. This is a great modern slasher film set in the 70’s that has a true grimy and gross feeling to it, and the best part is that Maxine and all the cast and crew are likable making when a character is killed feel more impactful. The film is well casted with Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Scott Mescudi, Owen Campbell and Stephen Ure all being fantastic in their parts, but its Mia Goth who steals the film playing both Maxine Minx as well as Pearl the old woman. Lots of good kills and bloody gore effects with a great score by Tyler Bates makes this a great watch. The film did good for A24 at the American Box Office bringing in $11,765,309.00 on a unknown budget. With a prequel called “Pearl” in the works this could be a very cool new horror franchise in the making. And bought on home media when released, and if you have not seen it and like the grime feel of 70’s Horror and Adult Films make sure to give this one a watch.

# 1

Young boys are going missing in a Colorado town and the police have no suspect and are dubbing the kidnapper The Grabber, and when Finney is kidnapped his sister Gwen has dreams that she thinks can lead the cops to rescue her brother. Meanwhile Finney is getting help from The Grabber’s past victims who are calling him from a discounted black phone in the basement cell he is being kept in, and giving him tools and advice on how to escape this hell alive. Will the cops save him? Will the voices of those lost guide him to safety? Or will The Grabber take another victim to their grave? Watch this well done and creepy film to find out. This Blumhouse produced film is based on a story by Joe Hill and has some truly spooky and uncomfortable moments that will shock the viewers, Ethan Hawke is great as The Grabber and Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Tristan Pravong, Brady Hepner and Jacob Moran are great as the kids of the film. The film is dark and mean spirited in spots and creeps up your spine with a “this could really happen” feel to the killer. This film did good at the American box office for Universal bringing in $89,870,280.00 on a $18million budget. A touch of slasher and a touch of supernatural made this one hell of a great spooky watch on the big screen and bought once released on home media.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Eating Raoul (1982)

Posted on September 3, 2022 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! For this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” we will be doing something a little different as the film and comic we will be talking about are not fully a horror film but a very dark comedy that has some major horror themes and is also one of those gems that I feel gets over looked and I am talking about the 1982 film Eating Raoul that was written and directed by Paul Bartel and would become a cult classic over the years. And Paul and the crew of this film did the right thing when they made a promo comic to go along with their move as I have always said Horror Films and Comic go hand and hand and comics are a great way to advertise for the film. With that said again I think it is time that we have dinner with The Blands and hope that it’s not human meat we are having for dinner!

Before we dive into the movie Eating Raoul we should first understand The Blands and their personalities and their ways of dealing death. Paul Bland is a highly intelligent man who loves wine and wants to open a restaurant with his nurse wife Mary who stumble into becoming killers by accident when they kill a swinger and learn that he has money that they need. Mary uses her sex appeal and good looks to draw in strange men and once she has them at the apartment Paul uses a frying pan to bash them on the head killing them, and yes even Mary used the pan to deal out death as well when she must. The two are super skilled and can only hit their victims once in the head with the pan to cause sudden death. They also have ways of getting away with the murders by hiding the bodies in the trash shoot as well as later given the bodies to lowlife conman named Raoul who sells the bodies, and yes even has helped them in a murder by using a neck tie to strangle the victim to death! Besides the Pan also at times things like a metal comb with a sharp end is used to stab into victims guts, and even electronics thrown into water tubs are used. And when in a tight spot to hide a body they have been known to eat the human meat! They are nice semi snobby people who are determined to open their dream restaurant and this also allows them to go under the radar, as no one would expect them to be killers. But while they are becoming skilled killers they are just human after all and run the risk of being caught and taken away to jail, and they can be killed by stabbing, shooting, burning, crushing and all other ways a normal human can die. Also Paul’s over protection of his wife can make him rush into things, and Mary’s want for sex can also cause some issues and drama. While not as psycho, unstoppable and brutal as other killers we have covered Paul and Mary Bland are still dangerous when they want to be and swing one mean frying pan.

So as you can see, Paul and Mary Bland are dangerous with a pan and are killers when money comes into play as nothing with stop them from getting their dream restaurant opened. But now let’s take a look at the film they are from the dark comedy horror flick Eating Raoul. Keep in mind that the film’s write up will be taken from our pals at IMDB, and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on it. So with that, let’s pull up a seat at the Country Kitchen and see what is on the menu.

Eating Raoul (1982)

“When a Paul enters his apartment to find Mary fighting off a swinger who has gotten into the wrong apartment (and thinks that Mary is just playing hard to get) he hits the man with a frying pan, killing him. Their dreams of running a small restaurant seem to be in jeopardy until they decide to dispose of the body, keep the wallet, and to advertise for other sexually oriented visitors who are summarily killed, bagged, robbed and disposed of. This goes along quite well until one night a burglar named Raoul breaks in and cuts himself in for a piece of the action.”

Paul Bartel was a name in the horror and cult cinema scene throughout the 1970’s through the 2000’s and was a jack of all trades as he was a director, actor and writer in many films during his career including such films as “Private Parts (1972)”, “Death Race 2000 (1975)”, “Piranha (1978)”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)”, “Killer Party (1986)”, “Chopping Mall (1986)” and “Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)”. And around the 1980’s he wanted to make a dark comedy film with a dash of horror and wrote a script with Richard Blackburn and had to raise the money that was put in by his parents and himself and they got around $230,000.00 raised. Paul Bartel, besides writing and co-producing the film, was also on board to direct and star in the film as one of the lead characters Paul Bland. Producer Anne Kimmel came on board as well, building the budget up to $350,000, and the film would be distributed by 20^th Century Fox. Other names brought into the cast included Mary Woronov, Robert Beltran, Ed Begley Jr., Buck Henry, John Paragon and Susan Saiger, I should also note that Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov ended up being casted together in many films after this film. When the film was done it was released in theaters on March 24, 1982 and brought in around $1.1 million dollars making the film profitable. The film was released the same year as other Cult and Horror Films as “Jekyll And Hyde…Together Again”, “Cat People”, “Beast Within”, “Amityville II”, “The Beastmaster”, “Halloween III”, “Death Wish II”, “The Thing”, “Creepshow”, “Blade Runner”, “Tron”, “Friday The 13^th Part III” and “Conan The Barbarian” to name a few. The film was also well received by critics and moviegoers alike and over the years has become a Cult Classic Film that is well loved by fans of Dark Comedies. And one thing also that I have to point out is that Paul Bartel hired underground comic artist Kim Deitch to make a single comic issue based on the film in order for promotion, and this is something that I think modern filmmakers should be doing to this day!

Eating Roaul was a film that I had always heard about and always wanted to watch, but never got the chance to sit down and watch it until I was much older. I think a part of me put it off due to the fact it was not 100% Horror and was a Dark Comedy and it just always seemed to fall down my to be watched list because of this and it’s a shame as I really enjoyed the film lots and I think it has just the right amount of humor and horror killer elements blended together to make it just work as a whole. The writing and acting by Paul Bartel, who was prefect as Paul, and actress Mary Woronov was the right choice as Mary as she is sexy and also just so good at playing the role of a housewife who has to turn sex object. Growing up I do remember that this movie use to play all the time on Cinemax and I also seem to remember that my parents watched it as I seem to remember them talking about it with my Mom not liking it. I also remember when I worked for Blockbuster Video people renting the film out on VHS and I always saying to myself I should use one of my free rentals to check it out. To sum it up I sadly do not have any past memories of seeing the film as I waited way to long to see it and now that I have I really enjoy it.

So now that we have talked about Paul and Mary Bland as well as the film Eating Raoul, I think we should dive into the promo comic about it and see what it has in store for us. I first want to thank a seller on Ebay for having this comic in stock and making this update possible, and then I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. I am very much looking forward to reading this comic as it will be a first time read for me and after seeing the film and liking it I want to see if the comic holds the same magic, so let’s dive in and see.

Eating Raoul # 1 ***
Released in 1982 Cover Price $2.00 Mercury Films # 1 of 1

Paul Bland is working at a liquor store and watches as his boss shoots a robber in the head killing him and then start yelling at Paul for the type of wine he ordered. Meanwhile his wife Marry is working at he job as a nurse and is sexually harassed by a patient who is really scuzzy. After their shifts are over the two drive home and talk about the idea they have of opening a restaurant that Mary would like to call “Paul And Mary’s Country Kitchen”. As the arrive home they get stuck on the elevator with a bunch of people who are heading to a swingers party that is happing in their apartment building. Once inside Paul alerts Mary that he has lost his job just as they have a knock at the door and busting in is a man who thinks he is at the swinger party, and when he goes after Mary he is punched in the stomach and gets sick and almost drowns in the Bland’s toilet! Paul walks him to the right apartment and is surrounded by people making out and he himself is trapped by Doris The Dominatrix, and while this happens the creepy man returns to Mary and tries to attack her but he is brought down by the returning Paul with a frying pan! Worse is James their relator shows up as they have a dead body in the kitchen that they latter drop down the trash suet, and James has a place for their dream restaurant but they need $20 grand as a down payment in order to get the spot! And after Paul gets ripped off selling some of his wine from his collection and Mary does not get a bank loan approved they find that killing swingers might be the way to get the money after a creepy patient from the hospital follows her hope and they kill him with the pan! Between the first two murders they have already made over a grand from looting the wallets. And that’s when the talk to Doris and come up with a scam to lure people in and take their money after they kill them with the pan, but they are discovered by Raoul a man who changed the locks on their apartment door but really is a thief and they make a deal that they Blands keep the money and he will take the bodies and sell them to a dog food company and make extra money! One night Mary is attacked by a late customer as Paul has left to get them dinner and its Raoul who saves her, and before Paul gets back Mary and Raoul smoke a drug and end up having sex, and do it again the next day at her work. Paul while leaving a shop is almost ran over by a car that was being driven by a masking wearing Raoul and Paul gets revenge by given in saltpeter via Doris acting as a nurse so that he could not make love. But bad news comes when the place for their restaurant has another offer and they need $25 grand by Friday to get it! So Mary and Paul have an idea and they go to a swinger party and electrocute everyone there when they get into a hot tub and steal the money as well as sell all the cars. Once back home Raoul with a gun is waiting as he wants to run away with Mary and kill Paul, but Raoul is the one killed with the pan and is later survived as dinner to James as they sign the papers and the restaurant is theirs!

This comic is lots of fun and does a good job of capturing the characters and the dark humor of the film on its pages. The story follows the films pretty close and is about a couple who kill swingers and perverts with a pan in order to get their money to buy a home that they want to turn into a country restaurant and along the way they meet a sleazy thief who helps them but also gets a crush on Mary and ends up becoming dinner one night. Mary and Paul Bland are two people who live a simple life and work hard and have a dream to open that restaurant together and stumble on being serial killers by accident and when they learn that they can make quick money and ride the world of creepy sex perverts they get into their kills as it almost becomes just a normal job for them. And even though they are killers they enjoy wine, food and good talks and by all accounts are your normal boring married couple. Raoul is a scumbag who is always working a con and trying to get money fast and easy, and he also sets his sites on another mans wife and will do anything to get the husband out of the picture so he can have her. But because he is so slimy this is what leads to his head being bashed and his body being used for an important dinner meeting. James and Doris are around and add that extra background characters to the Bland’s life that makes their journey into killing a little more interesting. The comic does add way more nudity and does cut out characters and kills like the Bank Manger and lots of the kills in the comic are fast paced and are not bloody. The dark humor is there are some parts of the comic or so over the top that I found myself chuckling a few times. The cover is odd and yet great and eye catching and the interior art by Kim Deitch and while the characters don’t look like the actors some how his art does capture their personality very well. This comic is by no means a blood bath, but is a great read for fans of Horror themed comics based on films. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used by Deitch in this comic, and if you are a fan of the film track down a copy as its lots of fun.

Eating Raoul is a great Dark Comedy Film that has Horror elements to it that I feel people should checkout as while the humor is very dray in spots it just some how works so well and I truly think that it has the perfect combo of a good script and fantastic actors that make it as good as it is. While the comic is most ways follows the film the changes do make the comic fly by and in a faster pace to the murders and delivers a highly entertaining read. But with that I think its time that we leave Paul and Mary’s Country Kitchen as our next update will take us to the world of Silent Cinema as we will be chatting about the 1925 Sci-Fi with a dash of Horror classic The Lost World! So until next time read a Horror Comic or two, watch a Horror Movie or three and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we have tickets ready and the Rotten Ink Cinema doors will be open to watch some dinosaurs running wild.

American Hero: Bob Belcher

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Juliet Fromholt

Every year here on Rotten Ink, we take a break from our cook-outs and fireworks to honor an American hero for our Independence Day update, and this year is no exception. Hi everyone! It’s Juliet, back in the blogger’s seat to tell you about an all-American hero of TV and comics; he’s a humble man, a burger man. That’s right, this year we’ll be spending the Fourth of July with Bob and the entire Belcher family

Known for his work on celebrated animated shows Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and Home Movies, Loren Bouchard created Bob’s Burgers to fit into Fox’s animation brand in the mid 2000s, the most successful shows of the time focusing on families. He teamed with King of the Hill writer and producer Jim Dauterive to develop the concept with the aim of showing being able to explore some workplace comedy tropes while keeping with the family theme. There was one aspect of the original concept, however, that only made it into the finished product as a joke: Bouchard actually wanted the Belcher family to be cannibals, something that gets used as a plot device in the pilot episode but only in the form of a rumor Louise starts at school. Another switch is that there were originally two Belcher sons, but before production began, Daniel became Tina and given her popularity, that was most definitely the right choice.

Bob’s Burgers premiered on Fox in 2011 on Fox with a special preview airing the prior Thanksgiving on the network. The first season was met with shaky reception, but really found its stride with critics by the second season. In 2017, Fox announced the development of a Bob’s Burgers, which, as many fans (myself included) rightly guess, would be a musical. However, we’re still waiting to see this movie because several things happened: in 2019, Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, which wasn’t initially going to interfere with the film’s slated summer 2020 release, but then the coronavirus pandemic happened. Like so many films, the Bob’s Burgers movie shifted around the release schedule for a while when it wasn’t certain when movie theaters would be safely reopened (and moviegoers would feel safe visiting). Right now, it’s been delayed indefinitely, which I’m hoping is just a product of the studios having to completely redo essentially two years of release schedules. It’s still super disappointing, though.

Despite being told by numerous people that I’d like Bob’s Burgers, it took me several years to give the show a try. In fact I was rather stubbornly set on not watching because I was convinced that it was yet another show trying to be a Family Guy clone (and that’s unappealing because I’m NOT a fan of Family Guy), but what I learned is that it’s quite the opposite. Somehow Matt convinced me to give Bob’s Burgers a try….or maybe he just put an episode on in the hopes I’d sit down and watch it, which I did, and I absolutely loved it. In addition to being very dryly funny a lot of the time, Bob’s Burgers appeals to me because all of the characters are genuinely good people that are trying hard (even though they sometimes fail epically). The family feels like an actual family — totally quirky but absolutely ready and able to have each other’s backs no matter what. Unlike so many other animated and live action shows, Bob isn’t a lazy, bumbling idiot who somehow impossibly has a fairly cushy job; we get to see him as a businessman who genuinely cares about what he does (sometimes a little too much). And then there’s Tina, who is me and I am her. It’s so great to see an utterly dorky teenage girl who isn’t a punching bag. In fact, her family celebrates and affirms the fact that she’s into horses, writes erotic friend fiction (one of my absolute favorite details about her) and is boy crazy. The show also has some amazing side characters from Teddy to twins Andy and Ollie to Marshmallow, who could easily be the butt of every joke as a Black trans woman but is instead celebrated and admired. So despite my initial hesitation, Bob’s Burgers has become one of my favorite shows. It’s utterly hilarious and is one that I both look forward to new episodes and can rewatch over and over again.

As Bob’s Burgers has increased in popularity and become more universally well-known, naturally, there’s been an explosion of merchandise. The show is available on DVD (the early seasons were given proper retail releases with the latter seasons being released as “on-demand” DVDs available through Amazon). You’ll see the Belcher family on a variety of shirts, hoodies, socks (yes, I’m the proud owner of Tina Belcher socks) and even an amazing pair of high-top sneakers made by DC Shoes. There are Bob’s Burgers coffee mugs, a full set of Funko Pops and a variety of board games including Clue and Trivial Pursuit. Two soundtrack albums have been released along with an awesome cookbook, The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book and its smaller companion The Bob’s Burgers Burger Box. Check out the image below for a look at some of my Bob’s Burgers collection.

In the summer of 2014, Dynamite Entertainment began releasing a short-run series of Bob’s Burgers anthology comics. Each issue would follow a formula with stories and features led by/highlighting each member of the Belcher Family. That series lasted five issues, but fans wouldn’t have to wait long for more as Dynamite released a special Bob’s Burgers issue for Free Comic Book Day 2015. That was immediately followed by another short-run (7 issue) series that began in July 2015. Dynamite would also continue releasing Bob’s Burgers issues for Free Comic Book Day through 2019, and I can’t help but wonder if both the coronavirus pandemic and the Disney acquisition, both of which also delayed the movie, caused the delay of further comics. Hopefully we’ll see more Bob’s Burgers comics (and the movie!!) from Dynamite, or perhaps even Marvel, in the future.

Today on the blog we’re going to look at that first series of Bob’s Burgers comics released by Dynamite. Matt and I have had our copies for quite a while, but I think the majority of them came from Bell, Book and Comic here in Dayton. As a reminder, here on Rotten Ink we grade comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and are looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So grab another Hit Me With Your Best Shallot Burger and get another helping of fries (NOT sweet potato fries though, as according to Bob, they’re not real fries) and let’s visit Ocean Avenue and get a booth at our favorite family-owned restaurant.

Bob’s Burgers #1 ***1/2
Released in 2014 Cover price $3.99 Dynamite #1 of 5

This anthology comic features the following stories:

Tina’s Erotic friend Fiction Presents: My So-Called Life as a Horse showcases Tina as “a horse in a people world,” going to school and spending time with her human family. However, Tina Belcher the horse aka Tinasus Belcher has a secret life as a member of the Equestranauts, and the team needs her as their secret weapon against the evil Xander, who’s stolen the Electric Leash of Doom, retrofitted to control horses.

Burger of the Day Ideas: TV Catch Phrase Burgers & Hits of the 80s Burgers brings us a pun-tastic look at possibilities to grace the famed Burger of the Day board. I think some of these did actually make into the later years of the show

Louise’s Unsolved Mysteries and Curious Curiosities: takes on Picture Day as Louise tries to avoid having her brain stolen by an alleged alien photographer.

Letters From Linda: this one-pager features a modest proposal from Linda about a new wine pairing system: pairing the quantity of wine with an activity.

Gene Belcher Presents: The Boy in the Burger, a Musical: After Gene passes out from hocking samples in his burger suit on a hot day, the suit fuses to his body. Unsure of what his life will be as a burger boy, Gene disappears into the suit ala a turtle until a wintery day when his sisters need help for some snow fun.

Each member of the Belcher family gets to shine in this inaugural issue of the Bob’s Burgers comic with the kids getting longer stories and Bob and Linda each getting a one-pager. I think this formula works well though I’d love to see Bob and Linda get featured just a tad more in future issues. Tina’s story was, perhaps predictably, my favorite of this issue because I felt that of all stories, it was the closest to something you’d see on the actual show. That’s not to say, however, that others weren’t good. The entire comic is extremely well-done, and the fact that writers from the show worked on this really shows in terms of the quality of each section and the attention to getting each character’s voice spot-on. The interior artwork also fits with the look and feel of the show, making this a quick, fun read for fans. The exterior covers (there are several variants) get a little more experimental in terms of style, but keep the spirit of and vibe of the Belchers while being very eye catching. A special bonus for this first issue were some joke ads for businesses in the show, and a cut-out that would allow you to recreate the Bob’s Burgers Food Truck from season two.

Bob’s Burgers #2 ***1/2
Released in 2014 Cover price $3.99 Dynamite # 2 of 5

Following the same formula as issue 1, we get 3 main stories from the kids and one page features from Bob and Linda. The book opens with Battleship Galac-Tina, another installment of Tina’s Erotic Friend Fiction Presents that features Tina as the admiral of a starship during a robot war. After an epic space battle, a robot hostage helps teach Tina and the rest of humanity how to dance. Louise seeks out a fellow history book defacer in Louise’s Legacy and ends up discovering that her unseen partner in crime was librarian Mr. Ambrose. Gene’s story, Genemadus, the Musical, pits him against Peter Pescadero in a keyboard battle ala Salieri and Mozart in the classic film. For their features, Bob explores The Ten Commandments (well five of them at least) in burger form, and Linda pitches a raccoon playground turned disco turned apop turned reality show in a letter to her local trash collection service.

This is another really solid, fun installment of the Bob’s Burgers comic that showcases each character well and once again feels as if it could have been part of an episode or two of the TV show. My favorite story this time around was Gene’s, which is surprising because in general he’s my least favorite of the Belcher family. However, the way they took on Amadeus and twisted into a story for Gene was really smart and funny. I also loved Linda’s letter this time around because the escalating absurdity of it was perfect. This time around, we see many more of the supporting cast including Andy and Ollie, Regular Sized Rudy, Daryl, Peter Pescadero, and of course we get several sketches of Little King Trashmouth in action as part of Linda’s letter. The cover and interior art are once again fun and well-done and fit into the vibe of the show. This time around, we didn’t get any fake ads, but there was a nice pinup in the middle of the book.

Bob’s Burgers #3 ***
Released in 2014 Cover price $3.99 Dynamite #3 of 5

We begin this issue with another installment of Tina’s Erotic Friend Fiction, entitled Trick Shot Tina that has the titular character teaming up with another gun slinger, Jazz Hands Jimmy Jr., to win back a shiny belt buckle. Bob’s Burger of the Day Ideas is an attempt at a Fortune Cookie Burger, while Linda writes to Smellopolis.com to suggest new fragrances including Pinot Noir. Louise builds the ultimate cardboard box fort in Who Forted? In Guys & Frogs, Gene adopts and promptly forgets about a bunch of tadpoles, while six weeks later overrun the Belcher’s apartment and the restaurant.

As with so many great series, this one lost a little steam with issue #3, but only a little. There were some super fun touches like the Uncle Pennybags (aka the Monopoly Man) cameo in Tina’s story. Once again, Linda’s letter was great because you could absolutely read it with her voice in your head. This time around my favorite story was Louise’s, although it took a more bizarre turn than you’d normally see in the show, it felt like a sequel to the season two Halloween episode Fort Night (though that episode isn’t referenced at all, which I felt like was a missed opportunity). Some of the interior art in this issue strayed a little bit from the style of the series, but still fit the overall vibe of each story so it was distracting at all.

Bob’s Burgers #4 ***1/2
Released in 2014 Cover price $3.99 Dynamite #4 of 5

It’s a (mostly) Halloween issue this time around as Tina’s Erotic Friend Fiction presents Franken-Butt, the story of a girl scientist and her creation…but who’s really the monster of this tale? After her science teacher warns of the dire consequences for doing an experiment wrong, Louise of course plans to capitalize on those consequences and turns herself invisible. She wreaks havoc on her family and the restaurant, but then realizes she doesn’t know how to make herself reappear. The Belcher kids go on a hunt for a chupacabra and meet the mystical creature only to learn that it wants to be a children’s magician. So Gene, Tina and Louise set out to make their new friend’s dream come true at the restaurant. In our non Halloween features, Bob creates a list that explores “If Heartwarming 80s Movies Were Burgers,” which includes the She’s Having a Bay Leaf Burger (cooked with bay leaf, comes with baby romaine), and Linda writes to the president of Super Sounds Records to inform them that she’s ready to record her long awaited sola album “Appetite for Lin-struction.”

Issue #3 may have been a slight disappointment, but issue #4 absolutely delivered. Bob’s Burgers is known for its stellar Halloween episodes, and this issue delivered that spirit in comic form. All three of the main stories felt like they could have been part of an anthology episode of the show, and the artwork and writing supported that. It’s hard to even pick a favorite story because they were all so solid and each was special in its own way, but if pressed I’d choose Louise Is Invisible. The other two elements, though not Halloween themed, were extremely well done too making this such a great entry in the series.

Bob’s Burgers #5 ***1/2
Released in 2014 Cover price $3.99 Dynamite #5 of 5

In a world filled with 14 to 16 year old boy zombies, Tina is the last person on Earth or so she thinks until she meets and saves the life of Jimmy Jr. Together they realize that the zombies aren’t actually out to make them part of the hordes of the undead; they just want to play ping pong. Louise tries to get to the bottom of a boy band conspiracy in The Faux Boo Boo, and Gene takes a musical journey to Robot College. Bob works on ideas for Book Burgers including the Brine and Bunishment Burger, and Linda writes to Ginger about her revelation that somewhere in the world there’s another Linda whose family runs another restaurant.

What a fabulous way to wrap up this first run of Bob’s Burgers comics. This issue’s stories are stellar with The Faux Boo Boo being my favorite (Louise’s obsession with Boo Boo is so funny), and Robot College being a delightful expansion of a tiny scene in season two’s “Bob Day Afternoon.” Like the prior issue, everything in this one feels like it could have come right from an episode with great writing and artwork. We also get a bit of bonus content with several pages of pinup artwork wrapping up the issue.

Comics based on TV shows are super tricky. It can be hard to translate beloved characters to the page and capture their voice and humor, but this series proves it can be done well. If you’re a fan of the show and looking for a quick, fun read, check out this miniseries.

Well it’s time to shut down the grill for the night and get ready to watch some fireworks. I hope you had a safe and happy July 4th, however you spent it. I’ll be handing the blog back to Matt for our next update which will focus on Satanic bicycle safety…..yes, really. In the meantime, read a comic or two, make a delicious burger (meat or veggie depending on your preference) and support a family-owned restaurant. Join us next time for Danny and the Demoncycle.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Posted on August 23, 2019 by bloodlinematt

Hello. Matt’s turned Rotten Ink over to me today. Who am I? Who are any of us really? Ha! Just kidding. My name is Natalie Claude. I’m Matt’s friend and the writer behind the Blood Scream comic Goth. I’ve been reading comics for a long time. I don’t get into super hero books at all. Mostly I read horror and independent comics. When Matt asked me to write a blog about Jennifer’s Body as a horror movie to horror comic I was elated! I’ve been singing the praises of this movie for years. I’ve never felt like it got the recognition and attention it deserves. I didn’t know they even made a comic based on Jennifer’s Body until Matt pointed it out to me. I was excited to give it a read.

The main baddie in Jennifer’s Body is Jennifer Check. Jennifer is a self-centered, vain, egotistical teenage girl growing up in the small town of Devil’s Kettle. She only really seems to care about her popularity, boys and her best friend Needy Lesnicki. She leads a typical, small town life until she is used by a band from the city in a virgin sacrifice to Satan. The band wants to make it big in the music business and think getting in league with the devil is the only way to do it. The problem is Jennifer is not a virgin. Therefore, the ritual rather than killing Jennifer, results in a demonic transference. Her new demonic status affords her heightened strength, levitation, increased bite force, rapid regeneration and enhanced beauty. However, these demonic traits fade when she is hungry and needs to feed. (What does she feed on you ask? Human boys, of course!) This seems to be the only time she is vulnerable enough to be killed.

Here’s what IMDB says the movie is about.

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

“Nerdy, reserved bookworm Needy Lesnicki, and arrogant, conceited cheerleader Jennifer Check are best friends, though they share little in common. They share even less in common when Jennifer mysteriously gains an appetite for human blood after a disastrous fire at a local bar. As Needy’s male classmates are steadily killed in gruesome attacks, the young girl must uncover the truth behind her friend’s transformation and find a way to stop the bloodthirsty rampage before it reaches her own boyfriend Chip.”

I love this movie. Jennifer’s Body is easily in my top 3 favorite movies of all time. Really?! Yes, really. Jennifer’s Body is a lot of complex social issues and metaphors disguised as a teen horror movie. It uses humor and great performances by Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried to mask what is essentially a movie about being the survivor of assault and what that can do to a person. Jenny, I’ve got your number and I see what you’ve been trying to say all along. If you haven’t seen it yet, please watch it. Check all your notions about it at the door and take the dive. I guarantee it is not the movie you presupposed it to be.

Now having said all these glowing things about the movie the same cannot be said about the comic.

Jennifer’s Body #1 *
Released in 2009 Cover Price $24.99 Boom # 1 of

The Jennifer’s Body comic from Boom fails to hold to or grasped what made the movie so great. It is broken up into 4 stories centered around Jennifer’s male victims. It tries (a bit) to mimic Diablo Cody’s writing style but it falls flat. The art work is decent, but not outstanding. The stories are not engrossing or particularly complex. There’s a half-hearted attempt at saying “boys have problems too!” I feel like it’s the book version of “that guy”. You know the one I’m talking about. The one that has to chime in every time folks try to have an honest conversation about rape culture. “That guy” will always be there to cut in with “Boys get raped too!!!” I’m sure you know him. The comic seems completely tone deaf to the message the movie was sending. Honestly, it turned into a chore to read and had I not been writing this blog I wouldn’t have bothered to finish it.

However, to be entirely fair to the author Rick Spears, the graphic novel was released before the movie. The comic’s copyright is August 2009. The movie wasn’t released until mid-September. It’s possible he didn’t even see the actual movie before he wrote the graphic novel. He may have been just working from a screenplay. Either way, there’s no way this was a passion project. This was a job. I get it. He likely read through the screenplay a couple of times or possibly watched a rough screener copy of the movie and wrote this thing. My guess is he wasn’t digging for anything deeper. It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback something a decade later after watching and analyzing the movie dozens of times. In a perfect world the graphic novel would have been written by a woman that really grasped the true messages of the movie. In a perfect world this would have been a passion project that sought to enhance the movie. We don’t live in a perfect world. We live in this one. Therefore, taking into account all of these things, I give it 1 out of 4 stars.

The Jennifer’s Body movie is funny, witty, well written and has great acting. It’s socially relevant without being preachy and hits on subjects that are hard to face. You can buy a copy here.

The comic, unfortunately, is pretty freaking terrible and doesn’t even begin to live up to the source material. You can be the judge though and pick it up here.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my two cents on this brilliant movie that got a raw deal in the comic world. Maybe the renewed interest in the movie will mean it can have a new chance in the pages of a comic. I highly doubt it though.

Matt, back here: I want to send a big thank you to Natalie for stepping in and doing this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as she is not only one of my favorite people in the world but is also the biggest fan of Jennifer’s Body I know! For my next update, we will be leaving comics behind and will once more enter the world of Horror Hosts as we will travel to England and talk about Dr. Terror! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host.