Tag Archives: 2021

ARROW STREAMING: Dementer (2020)

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EDITOR’S NOTE: We first posted about the movie on March 3, 2021. Now that it’s streaming on the Arrow Player, we felt that we should bring it back to your attention. 

Head over to ARROW to start your 30-day free trial. Subscriptions are available for $4.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly. ARROW is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland on the following Apps/devices: Roku (all Roku sticks, boxes, devices, etc), Apple TV & iOS devices, Android TV and mobile devices, Fire TV (all Amazon Fire TV Sticks, boxes, etc), and on all web browsers at https://www.arrow-player.com.

Dementer has an intriguing premise: what if someone tried to escape a backwoods cult? How would they get past all the abuse? And how would they try to earn a living?

After fleeing one of those aforementioned religious groups, Katie (Katie Groshong), sleeps in her car and tries to make a living by working in a home for special needs adults. Her days are still filled with waking nightmares, remembering ritualistic attacks where she was whipped and beaten while a voice continually reminded her that “The Devils listen to the sound of the innocent.”

She’s convinced that those devils have targeted Stephanie (director Chad Crawford Kinkle’s real-life sister, also named Stephanie), who is living with Down’s Syndrome. Despite a series of rituals and even a sacrificed cat, Katie can’t keep the feeling that evil and sickness want to claim this innocent soul for their own.

Larry Fessenden, whose career has seen him act, direct (Wendigo) and produce (House of the Devil) plays a man who still has a hold on our protagonist. Is she able to see reality in the right light? Is she meant to be the child’s protector? Is she even qualified to do so?

In a world where representation is often discussed and not always acted on, this is a brave movie. Director Chad Crawford Kinkle has built the film around his sister Stephanie, saying that he has “gone to great lengths to create a bold genre film that embraces and properly represents the developmentally disabled, while still being both thrilling and disturbing. The result is a singular, deeply personal independent feature unlike any before it.”

In fact, it had been in the works a long time. Kinkle said, A year ago, my mother mentioned that she had a dream that I made a film with my sister Stephanie, who has Down Syndrome. I don’t think that I told her, but for a few years now I’ve had the idea of building a horror film around my sister.”

As for what he made, he sees it as more than just another movie: “The resulting film is something that I’ve never seen before. While certainly a horror film, it needed another description like; experimental, abstract, dream-like, nightmarish or even art house.  What seemed best is that it is more of a dark poem, since much of the script was written on intuition and not traditional story logic.”

There’s a lot of thought that went into filming this as well, as it has a look and feel, unlike so many recently released genre films that just seem to point and shoot the camera. The opening moments, which juxtapose children’s drawings with moments of sheer terror and the dreamy world of the special needs home are jarring.

I’m looking forward to what everyone involved in this film does next.

SALEM HORROR FEST: What Happens Next Will Scare You (2020)

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Earlier this week, I shared my love for the WNUF Halloween Special. I’m happy to report that there’s a spiritual follow-up that goes from the wonder of UHF to the magic of found footage VHS tape trading and the start of viral videos.

A few weeks before Halloween, the crew at Click Clique — a click bait website that once did actual journalism — is struggling to get articles that keep traffic coming in and the lights on. June, who is in charge of this strange bullpen of social media influencers, asks them to gather the 13 most disturbing pieces of footage and give her a 15-second intro. There’s also the secret that the money has run out and anyone whose story doesn’t pass muster will be leaving the halls — such as they are — of Click Clique.

Where the WNUF Halloween Special expertly took aim — and created incredibly perfect UHF era TV footage — at past media, What Happens Next Will Scare You hits everything from dash cam videos to vlogs, re-edited listicle videos, old episodes of In Search of, Cops, the Warrens, urban legends, creepy pasta and serial killer obsessions. It’s like a barrage of YouTube clips with your eyes held open like Betty in Opera.

The music by Queen Wolf — you can grab their music and merch right here —  sounds raw and perfect for this movie and I was overjoyed to see Paul Fahrenkopf — but not as Frank Stewart — show up, as well as the return of Dr. Louis and Claire Berger.

How-to videos for exorcisms? Bigfoot on the loose? Killer clowns? A Beanie Baby possessed by a demon photocopying its ass? What Happens Next Will Scare You find director, co-writer and co-producer Chris LaMartina and co-writer and co-producer Jimmy George delivering on a high concept without falling into rote by the numbers parody. They deftly mix rather silly moments with horrific 911 calls. The vlog segments seemed too basic until the absolutely grisly fate of what happened to the teen vlogger. Throw in a cursed record and the urban legend and creepypasta bent of this film just wins you over.

I was beyond excited to see this, as I was sure that it was going to be exactly the type of movie that I get obsessed about. I’m happy to report that it lived up to everything I wanted it to be.

What Happens Next Will Scare You is now playing Salem Horror Fest. For now, you can follow that link to buy a festival badge and check out several other films during October. You can learn more at the official site for this movie.

SALEM HORROR FEST: If She Screams (2021)

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Kassi (Romy Boloix) needs money, so she starts working in a weed greenhouse, but the owner is soon murdered and she goes on the run directly into the curse — that we learn about in a flashback to the 1800s that has prominent cell phone towers present — that haunts the mountain.

Director Stephen Garnett’s IMDB bio states that he’s “known for developing talent and creative collaborations with the top branding companies in the world and working with artists of all walks of life.” That slickness extends to this film.

I heard a debate today about whether or not movies can be exploitation today and yet still feel ethically acceptable to view. That’s a good question and I think that there really isn’t a filmmaker ready to go full Bruno Mattei any longer.

This is a fine movie, but never goes fully into the muck of a woman seeking revenge film. Maybe we’ve evolved past that, but we should still strive to entertain.

If She Screams is now playing Salem Horror Fest and is also on Amazon Prime. For now, you can follow that link to buy a festival badge and check out several other films during October.

SALEM HORROR FEST: Witch Hunt (2021)

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It’s kind of perfect that a movie called Witch Hunt is playing at the Salem Horror Fest. In this short, directed and written by Evan Gorski — who has yet to make a full-length movie but let’s hope that happens soon — a vengeful keyboard warrior named Jeff suddenly finds a mysterious woman from out the past at his door.

The title comes from the idea that social media attacks can feel an awful lot like, well, you get it. So when Jeff feels the rage of those he’s done wrong, he gets his very own Salem witch trials. Again, how appropriate for this month’s fest!

Witch Hunt looks gorgeous. I just wish it had a bit more time to stretch out its story and let us know a bit more about how we got here.

Witch Hunt is now playing Salem Horror Fest. When we have streaming info, we’ll share it in this post. For now, you can follow that link to buy a festival badge and check out several other films during October.

SALEM HORROR FEST: So Vam (2021)

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Alice Maio Mackay has been making movies since her teens — she got a Stephen King Dollar Baby film, A Tale of the Laundry Game, at 13 — and this Australian film — made as she turns 16 — is all about Kurt, an outcast in a conservative town who dreams of moving to the city to become a drag queen.

And then one night, he’s killed by a predatory old vampire.

That’s not the end.

He’s saved by a brood of young bloodsuckers and taught the ways of the vampiric world. They may not live forever, but they aren’t bothered by Holy Water. crosses or even sunlight. And they pray upon the people who bully others, like the counselors of a Christian pray away the gay camp.

With a quick run time, some fun musical numbers and plenty of emotional bonding between those young vampires — and some juicy Bram Stoker gossip — So Vam ha sits heart — and plenty of blood — on its sleeve. It’s also a blast.

So Vam is now playing Salem Horror Fest. When we have streaming info, we’ll share it in this post. For now, you can follow that link to buy a festival badge and check out several other films during October.

A Nomad River (2021)

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“Rivers dry up not only because of lack of rainfall but also because of suffocation of smaller streams, chaotic urbanization, deforestation, and unplanned public policy. A civilization too can suffer from choking and droughts, in forms of dogmas, ignorance, and superstition.”
— Writer and Director Aditya Patwardhan

I can’t recall — if ever — the last time I watched a theatrical feature that meshed the fictional and non-fictional documentary into one cohesive film. So, with that combining of narratives, you wonder if it will work. And it does, masterfully, in this, Aditya Patwardhan third feature film.

In a felicitous work with man desiring a greener planet, we see the hardships of India’s water and climate change crisis — along with the related unemployment, poverty and hygiene issues — through the eyes of four people: Adriana, a refugee from civil war-torn Venezuela; Kankana, an Indian actress working in Hollywood; Suraj, a street cleaner from the Rajasthan slums of India, and Ravi, a television news reporter from Jaipur.

Adriana came to the Far East land with Rally for River, a pan-India campaign that strives for a better planet. Kankana, who returned to her homeland to research her upcoming film role, instead becomes a catalyst for her reconnecting with her family and homeland. For publicity, she travels with the privileged Ravi, who, instead of chronicling Kankana’s life and career, comes to see the deterioration of his county through her eyes. Suraj, the street cleaner and least privileged of the quartet, sees the world differently: man can, not only ruin the world: he believes they have the power to save it.

Everything works in A Nomad River: The acting (including U.S. TV-familiar Nicole Cannon of the CSI franchise and Lifetime movie shingle), the writing and scripting in a brilliant narrative juxtaposition shot for, get this: $200,000. It’s an amazing movie that has to win multiple awards. It must.

His work internationally recognized, Los Angeles-based filmmaker Aditya Patwardhan has created a wide array of music videos, shorts, pilots and documentaries shot not only in the United States, but in India and Columbia, as well as Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. His feature film debut, And the Dream that Mattered, a drama about an Asian actor’s journey from Korea to Hollywood, debuted in 2018. His sophomore effort, Transference, a drama regarding the struggles of sexual child abuse, appeared in 2020.

Patwardhan’s third feature, A Nomad River, becomes available on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Cable and Satellite On Demand on October 19, 2021, through Freestyle Digital Media. You can visit with the film on Facebook, Twitter, and its official website.

Other films we’ve reviewed through Freestyle Digital Media include The Capture, The Control, Dead Air, Goodbye Honey, Hawk & Rev: Vampire Slayers, The Invisible Mother, and Shedding. You can find those films, and more, on their Amazon Prime portal.

Four other indies we’ve reviewed with exotic locals are A Band of Rogues, Gozo, Nona, and Still the Water. Another film that analogies man with nature is the very fine Chasing the Rain. Do seek each of them out for a night of viewing. They come highly recommended for anyone who supports indie films.

Disclaimer: We were provided a screener copy of this film from the production’s PR firm. That has no bearing on our review.

About the Author: You can read the music and film reviews of R.D Francis on Medium and learn more about his work on Facebook. He also writes for B&S About Movies.

Grave Intentions (2021)

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Look, Robert Forester shows up in this and for that alone, this is not going to get a bad review. What a wonderful surprise to see him appear!

Madam Josephine is ready to teach you the basics of magic. The most important lesson? You must be mindful of your intention, a fact that all five of her customers — the stories in this anthology — are about to learn.

Five of her customers are about to learn this the hard way. Magic is funny that way — luck can go wrong, seeking justice can turn you evil, things can go too far and demons — and stray cats — can overwhelm you.

The stories within this movie come from other countries — the Philippines, Australia and the United States — multiple directors and even various times — the first segment “The Bridge Partner” was made in 2015, which is how Forester is in this — yet the narrative hook that unites them is solid.

From the prolonged torture of criminals in “The Disappearance of Willie Bingham” to the cat attacks of “Violent Florence,” the who cries wolf last family pranks in “The Son, The Father” and an old fashioned ghost hiding under the bed story in “Marian,” this film hits a variety of genres and levels of intensity.

You can learn more at the official web page and Facebook page for this movie. The Madam Josephine’s Magical Workshop section of the site is really deep with lots to explore. What a great piece of marketing!

Grave Intentions is now available digitally from Terror Films.

The Secret of Sinchanee (2021)

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An industrial tow truck driver suffering from insomnia returns to his childhood home — hey wait — after the untimely death of his father — no seriously wait! — to discover that a paranormal presence has been living in the house — oh no, you’re not listening — and haunting the sacred land it was built on.

If I’ve told the characters in movies one thing in my life — I talk to movies more than people — it’s never going back to your hometown after the death of a relative and try and set things right. There’s always something dark, something wrong, something supernatural and nothing ever gets fixed.

Oh yeah — don’t go to New England! Have we learned nothing from folk horror films?

Written, directed by and starring Steven Grayhm, this film takes us to Deer Field, Massachusetts and Will Stark, the protagonist who has come home for his father’s funeral, a man that suffers from a buffet of mental illnesses all at once: schizophrenia, psychotic episodes and multiple personality disorder. His many stays in mental hospitals at one time kept him from living in his father’s home. Now that he finally has it back, it’s only a matter of time — literally a few minutes — before the jump scares begin.

There’s also a murder investigation going on and if you know your genre films like I know you do, you know that the cops from the big city are going to run into Will before this movie is over.

This isn’t a bad movie. But it struggles to say something new in a world where I have seen enough films where someone goes home, goes mad and then deals with ghosts. But hey — making a movie is a major effort and anyone that undertakes that journey deserves our respect and encouragement.

The Secret of Sinchanee is available in select theaters and on all major digital and cable platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Comcast, Spectrum, Cox and more.

SALEM HORROR FEST: Father of Flies (2021)

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Director and writer Ben Charles Edwards wrote this story to deal with the pain of his childhood. It’s all about a young boy who has an abrupt change in his life as his mother is thrown out of the family home and replaced by a strange and perhaps supernatural woman.

I really enjoyed this movie, as you can tell that its creator was using it as some form of exorcism. I want to know how they got The Cure on the soundtrack on their budget. And the scene that they provide the music for is absolutely astounding, as the new mother figure throws herself around the house dancing while wearing a Rejuvenique (shout out to the Found Footage Festival) massage mask. Most horror movies are, let’s cut to the chase, not scary. If you came home and someone was wearing that mask and dancing, you’d probably need therapy.

It’s not perfect, but man, that one scene more than makes the film.

Father of Flies is now playing Salem Horror Fest as part of the Showcase of Massachusetts Filmmakers series. When we have streaming info, we’ll share it in this post. For now, you can follow that link to buy a festival badge and check out several other films during October.

SALEM HOROR FEST: Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie (2021)

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EDITOR’S NOTE: We originally reviewed this on April 27, 2021 and really enjoyed how Sam and Mattie lived their dream. We’re really excited that this is playing Salem Horror Fest!

Since they met at the Special Olympics, Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt have been best friends. Mich like the readers of thsi site, they’re obsessed with movies and decided that it was time to make their own, filled with sex, violence and gore. And they totally succeeded.

This is it pretty much the feel-good movie of all time.

Sam and Mattie went on to storyboard, script, produce, cast and star in their dream project, which they called Spring Break Zombie Massacre.

This is the story of how it all happened.

Produced and directed by Sam’s brother Jesse and Robert Carnevale, this movie intersperses the narrative of the film the guys made with the real stories that inspired it and moments of them actually making it.

Perhaps the best part of the film is the fact that Sam and Mattie may not have made a movie that was a financial success, it was exactly what they wanted to do.

This is a story filled with people smashing the expectations of disability, of communities being formed to help them and the joy of making a movie where Satan continually pisses all over people. It’s also one of the happiest movies I’ve watched in some time, so if you need a pick-me-up, I recommend it with no reservations.

Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie is now availble digitally on demand everywhere you can get movies.