ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING (DVD Review) - RLJE Films

US/2018
Directed By: Rebekah McKendry, David Ian McKendry
Written By: Rebekah McKendry, David Ian McKendry
Starring: Constance Wu, Jocelin Donahue, Jonathan Kite
Color/80 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: December 4, 2018

The Film
A couple who would otherwise be spending Christmas Eve alone get together to see an offbeat holiday stage play. Each different act of the play turns into a chapter of this anthology for us to watch. Everything from the holiday office party from hell, a demon that you literally can't get away from, and some stalker action too You would think that getting to see actual short films would be more interesting than seeing what our main couple would be seeing on that tiny theater stage but after viewing ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING I'm just not so sure of that. Maybe the absolutely minimalist version of these stories would have been better. Ok, probably not, but what we're given isn't anything special either.

The best part of ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING is easily the ensemble cast who almost all turn in solid to great performances. The directorial team of Rebekah and David Ian McKendry show some skill behind the camera but even with solid performances and well made shorts nothing saves this movie from being a dreadfully boring 80 minutes that is void of any real Christmas spirit or feeling. Nothing about ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING feels like a Christmas movie, horror or not. The stories are barely linked to the holiday and even the set dressings that may have at least put lipstick on the pig were barely Christmasy.

Sadly that's all there is to say. A good cast and competent direction didn't have a chance at saving this lifeless horror anthology.


The Audio & Video
RLJE Films delivers ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING on DVD with a sharp looking 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Black levels are deep and the colors are vibrant and true to life. For a standard definition release this is a nice looking DVD. The audio is clear and mixed nicely so that the dialogue and music compliment each other. There's no distortions to the audio.

The Extras
A feature length commentary track from the filmmakers is included.

The Bottom Line
There's so many Christmas horror movies that are worth watching that you really don't need to bother with this one at all. Skip it.

ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING is available HERE

A TASTE OF PHOBIA (Artsploitation Films DVD Review)

UK, Italy/2017
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Various
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
A TASTE OF PHOBIA is a fourteen part anthology series with each chapter featuring a different filmmaker creating a horror short out of a different fear. Let's take a look at each short...

Chaetophobia: Fear Of Hair - An intense and visceral way to start things off. What better way to deal with hair than remove the source from which it grows? I wouldn't have picked this to start but I liked it very much.

Pharmacophobia: Fear Of Medication - An unfortunately dull attempt at psychological horror.

Parthenophobia: Fear Of Virgins - An attempt at surrealism and psychological horror that misses the mark.

Coprophobia: Fear Of Feces - Watching a grown man wrestle around the bathroom with a shit covered teddy bear is unintentionally hilarious. Otherwise this short relies on the gross out factor of poop and vomit for shocks. I'm sure I won't soon forget it even if it was short of remarkable.

Mysophobia: Fear Of Germs - Simplistic by design but executed very well. I don't think this works in a longer form but for a few minutes it features some intense self inflicted violence by a man who has reached a breaking point.

Mazeophobia: Fear Of Mazes - This has fuck all to do with mazes and everything to do with shitty American racism. It's not very good however.

Astrophobia: Fear Of Stars - This one is a bit of a head trip with a great central performance. I dig it.

Mageirocophobia: Fear Of Cooking - An interesting idea that was let down by bad CGI.

Gerascophobia: Fear Of Ageing - Simplistic but perhaps a glimpse into our future of what people will do to stay young, pretty and relevant.

Politicophobia: Fear Of Politics - I get and appreciate what they're trying to say and do here but my real fear is having to sit through that one again.

Somniphobia: Fear Of Sleep - I like the visuals and use of music. One of my favorite entries.

Oneirophobia: Fear Of Dreams - One of the best set ups that really deals with the actual fear of the and not just using the subject matter as a plot device for a horror short. Another good one.

Nyctophobia: Fear Of Dark - Almost everyone can remember being afraid fo the dark so it is very easy to relate with. Incredibly simplistic but relatable and well acted.

Hemophobia: Fear Of Blood - A gory way to wrap things up.

A TASTE OF PHOBIA is very hit and miss, as is the case with many of these collaborative types of anthology films. There was a small string toward the beginning that left me wondering if I was going to enjoy this at all but I think it gets stronger toward the end. I'm a fan of these types of anthology films because they showcase different styles, tones and voices and generally offer something for every taste. I wish more of the shorts made use of their segment to actually showcase the fear they're working with instead of using that as a plot device. Only a few actually deal with the fear of whatever it is they're dealing with otherwise this is a decent horror anthology.

The Audio & Video
Artsploitation Films brings A TASTE OF PHOBIA to home video via DVD and the overall A/V quality is very good. Of course a Blu-ray presentation would be better but the DVD features vibrant colors and good clarity with crisp audio free of any distortions. Each short was independently produced and feature different equipment used so there is some fluctuation in how each looks and sounds but the overall quality of the DVD is good.

The Extras
-Bonus Short - "Achluophobia" - Another short based on fear of the dark that perhaps best of all of the shorts shows the panic that a phobia can create. I see why this one wasn't in the main feature but it's not bad at all.
-Behind The Scenes of "Pharmacophobia"
-Behind The Scenes of "Somniphobia"
-Interviews
-Special FX of "Mageirocophobia"
-Special FX of "Parthenophobia"
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
With this many different shorts making up a project it is bound to have its ups and downs and A TASTE OF PHOBIA certainly has its highs and lows but overall it is a great concept to work around and features some really well done shorts. Recommended for horror anthology fans!

A TASTE OF PHOBIA is available HERE

THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (Scream Factory Blu-ray Review)

UK/1971
Directed By: Peter Duffell
Written By: Robert Bloch
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt
Color/102 Minutes/PG
Region Free
Release Date: May 8, 2018

THE FILM
Ahh Amicus Productions, because Hammer wasn't enough we were blessed with Amicus who, if Hammer was the star of the show, Amicus would be his leading lady. Amicus may not have been quite as good or renowned as Hammer but they were and still are a beloved part of horror history and put out some great films including plenty with Hammer's own poster boys Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Not the least of which was 1971's THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, an anthology film from writer Robert Bloch (Psycho, Torture Garden) and directed by Peter Duffell who spent most of his directorial career making TV shows which may have lended a hand to the success of this anthology film that features a handful of short stories revolving around a sinister home whose tenants fate's usually end in misery.

In the film's wraparound segment John Bryan portrays A.J. Stoker, a real estate agent who has been contacted by Scotland Yard after a the house's most recent tenant, a famous actor, has mysteriously disappeared and he tells the detective of the sinister history surrounding the house which leads to four tales adapted from short stories that had previously been published in magazines such as Weird Tales and Unknown dating back as early as 1939. The stories feature Peter Cushing in a story of a macabre waxwork museum that features the statue of a woman he once knew and Christopher Lee as the single father of a young daughter that may not be the sweet innocent child she seems to be. The other stories include a tale of murder and betrayal when a writer and his wife move into the home only for the man to be tormented by a character he wrote in his new story and a famous horror movie actor that may turn in to a real vampire when he dons his newly acquired antique cape only for his co-star (played by the legendary Ingrid Pitt) to discover. As the film's tagline states, "Terror waits for you in every room in THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD!"

Funnily enough there's not a single drop of blood in the film. The film's PG rating is quite appropriate as it doesn't rely on blood or sex to sell the picture. It takes a capable cast a few tried and true stories and turns it into an entertaining anthology film perfect for a Saturday afternoon. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD doesn't feature the most original story but it's put together competently and produced with the sort of familiar and comforting form that fans of gothic horror and Amicus specifically can curl up with on the couch and enjoy. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is campy at times and creepy in others the perfect balance that will allow long time fans to enjoy time and time again while also being a good stepping stone for younger fans to dip their toes into more serious horror fare that doesn't get to explicit with nudity or violence. Don't let that fool you or turn you off if you haven't seen the film before because I equate THE HOUSE THE DRIPPED BLOOD to a bowl of macaroni and cheese; it's not the newest or most exciting creation but it's something that you keep coming back to over and over again year after year and it's perfect to share with someone.

That's the perfect analogy I think. When you get tired of the big, loud and typically dumb new creations at the latest hipster filled gastropub THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is a bowl of mac and cheese, it brings you back to your roots.

THE AUDIO & VIDEO
Scream Factory has finally given us the long overdue Blu-ray debut of THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD and while they don't give any insight into the transfer work done to the film it looks excellent and seems to be a pretty recent master and not one that is a decade old. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer features a warm filmic look with excellent detail and color reproduction which are vivid and lively. Black levels are deep and inky with no signs of compression or blocking. Skin tones are natural and healthy with no waxiness. There's no signs of edge enhancement or excessive DNR. The English audio is presented in a DTS-HD mono mix and sounds magnificent. The quality is pleasing the to the ear with no distortions or background noise and the mix is perfect with steady levels and no fluctuations in volume that will have you trying to find the remote over and over.

THE EXTRAS
-New audio commentary with author Troy Howarth
-Audio commentary with director Peter Duffell
-New interview with Second Assistant Director Mike Higgins
-"A-Rated Horror Film" - Featurette with interviews with director Peter Duffell and actors Geoffrey Bayldon, Ingrid Pitt and Chloe Franks
-Theatrical Trailers
-Radio Spots
-Still Gallery

THE BOTTOM LINE
THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is a classic of Amicus and I'm thrilled to finally have this chiller on Blu-ray and in such a nice edition. Highly recommended!

THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is available HERE

2017 October Horror Challenge - Day 1

Hello dear readers! Another October is upon us and I hope you're all enjoying the fantastic fall weather (if you're lucky enough to have it) and that your 31 days of horror has started out with a winner! As you know October means the quest for at least 100 movies for better or worse. Somehow I've survived 8 years and move on to year 9 despite nearly throwing in the towel on the whole thing a couple years back. The fire is back (for now) and we're off to a strong start for day 1.

CULT OF CHUCKY is a direct sequel to 2013's Curse Of Chucky and takes a bit of a different turn from the rest of the franchise. We spend our time in a mental institute as Nica, the lone survivor from Curse, is going through treatment to deal with her experiences a few years prior where she's been blamed for murdering her family. Instead of one Chucky we get a handful of killer dolls running around as Charles Lee Ray has found a way to transfer his soul into multiple dolls at once. It doesn't make a damn bit of sense but it makes for some great interactions between the Good Guy dolls that were genuinely funny. This is one of the more violent and frankly fucked up movies in the series. Many of the deaths are gory (no yardstick beatings here), Chucky pokes fun at suicide, and there's decapitated possessed doll head torture. Not everything in the film works as it takes a bit to really get going, Tiffany Valentine's return to the series is a bit hamfisted and the movement on Chucky isn't great. Brad Dourif can still nail that voice though. There's a post credit scene that will have big fans of the franchise cheering and the whole thing leaves off on a note that could make for another follow up that's a bit different or leave things as they are for good.

I don't have a ton to say about INVISIBLE GHOST. It's a fine 40s horror film starring Bela Lugosi as Dr. Kessler who's home is being plagued by a series of mysterious murders that leads to an innocent being put to death. The man's brother arrives at the Kessler home to solve the mystery that may have something do with Kessler's wife who was left with brain damage after a car accident. This one isn't very interesting but has really great performances especially from Clarence Muse as the butler. It's decent but nothing particularly special.

After a day of absolutely terrible football I returned to the challenge with the 2013 documentary THE TRAIL OF DRACULA which takes a look at the origins of the character and his literary and cinematic presence and history. It features commentary from various experts and film critics, most notably to me Kim Newman, along with archival footage from Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee and others. It offers good information and spends a good bit of time on each point the film makes until we get to the modern post-Hammer era which is quickly glazed over at the end. Big Dracula fans may not find a ton of new information but it is well put together and it is definitely worth a watch.

Day 1 closes with the 1989 anthology film AFTER MIDNIGHT which starts out with a college professor showing his class the power of fear on their first day. After making the class asshole piss himself in fright his teaching methods come in to question so he invites the class to his home to continue with his anti-textbook methods and this is where the different stories start with three different students telling stories to bring out the fear in their classmates. These involve a surprise party going wrong and ending violently, a group of girls getting stranded in the wrong part of town and dealing with a derelict and his attack dogs, and a phone operator being stalked. I don't think any of these stories are amazing but I did enjoy each of them despite the one with the dogs running long and the phone operator segment being extremely predictable they all work in spite of their flaws. The wrap around segment works well to tie it all together in an original and meaningful way without being a throwaway segment meant simply as a way to get the other films introduced. It also gives us the film's most memorable scene even if it jumps the shark with a stop motion skeleton scene that enters total schlock territory. The finale in the professor's basement is also one that I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon.

ALL HALLOW'S EVE 2 (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

USA/2016
Directed By: Jesse Baget, Elias Benavidez, Andres Borghi, Jay Holben, Mike Kochansky, The Kondelik Brothers, Bryan Norton, Antonio Padovan, Ryan Patch, Marc Roussel
Written By: Various
Starring: Landon Ackerman, April Adamson, Ali Adatia
Color/91 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: February 2, 2016

The Film
A mysterious masked man leaves a VHS tape at the stairs of a young woman and when she puts it in her VCR (of course she has a VCR!) she finds that it holds several short films...

Jack Attack- Jack gets to carve his first pumpkin with his favorite babysitter but after eating some roasted seeds from the pumpkin Elizabeth notices something beginning to grow inside of Jack's stomach and then her own. - Enjoyable seasonal piece with a bit of well done and  believable stop motion animation. This was a nice choice to start the film off strong.

The Last Halloween - Four trick or treaters end up in the home of a paranoid doomsday prepper and we see their exploits - This particular chapter didn't do much for me at all, and the ending was much too over the top.

The Offering - A father and son drive deep into the woods to make a ritual offering to an unseen creature but forget an important part of the offering. - This entry is predictable but simple and effective. It has just enough substance and doesn't run long or feel padded in any way.

Descent - A woman gets stuck on an elevator with a man she believes murdered her friend. - Another predictable one but this one feels all too familiar and redundant.

M Is For Masochist - A short originally shot as an entrant to be part of the ABC's Of Death series that wasn't chosen. A carnival game soaked in blood, as Bill Oberst Jr (we couldn't have this movie without him!) is the barking carny promising prizes if you can draw enough blood from the victim on a spinning wheel. - I loved the idea of this, I love Bill Oberst Jr as the carny but this one needs to be realized as a bigger idea. There's something great here but it needs more meat on its bones.

A Boy's Life - A young boy is afraid of the monster hiding in his bedroom and tries at length to get his mom to believe him. - The only thing I'm afraid of is that I'll have to watch this short again. It is overly drawn out, boring as shit and really hurts the overall momentum of the film.

Mr. Tricker's Treats - The best decorated house in the neighborhood isn't going to the store for his Halloween props - Blink and you'll miss it. This one had potential to go somewhere, anywhere, but there was just not enough time to develop any sort of story or characters.

Alexia - On the anniversary of his girlfriend's death a man decides it is time to move on and delete her social media profile but something or someone won't let him delete it and is communicating with him through her profile. - I hope you're at least moderate in reading Spanish because all the communication is done via texting in Spanish except for a couple lines spoken in Spanish at the end. If you know basic Spanish you should at least be able to follow along. There's been several films like this released in the last couple of years and this one is about as successful as the rest - it's okay. Not the strongest choice to end on but a decent entry overall.

Eight stories plus the wraparound that is mostly inconsequential aside from giving a reason to be seeing these short films and we're left with similar results to many other horror anthologies with this many chapters. There's some good, some bad and it's mostly uneven but ALL HALLOW'S EVE 2 has enough worthwhile to give this one a look even if some of the better chapters leave you wanting much more.

The Audio &amp Video
Image/RLJ Entertainment deliver a nice looking DVD with an anamorphic widescreen presentation that features a clean and crisp picture. Colors and detail are good from short to short and there's only sporadic instances of black levels suffering from light compression issues. The audio features a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound mix that is even across all levels and allows the dialogue and music to compliment each other nicely. There's no background noise or damage evident. The small amount of Spanish spoken in the last chapter featured no subtitles.

The Extras
Not a one, not a single special feature.

The Bottom Line
Where I found the first All Hallow's Eve to be underwhelming at best, closer to total shit if we're being perfectly honest, I think the sequel picks up the pieces and ends up being an entertaining horror anthology that you can watch all year round.

ALL HALLOW'S EVE 2 is available HERE

THE HORROR NETWORK (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2013
Directed By: Joseph Graham, Manuel Marin, Lee Matthews, Douglas Conner, Ignacio Martin Lerma, Brian Dorton
Written By: Douglas Conner, Brian Dorton, Joseph Graham, Manuel Marin
Starring: Macarena Gomez, Nick Frangione, Artem Mishin
Color and Black & White/97 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Relesae Date: October 27, 2015


The Film
THE HORROR NETWORK is an anthology film of five unrelated stories featuring different aspects of the horror genre.

3:00 AM
A short centered around a woman who has been receiving prank phone calls and investigates a noise she hears in the middle of the night. The suspenseful tone is what progresses this short forward but it is one that should have appeared toward the middle of the film and not what should start us off. Decent but a bit underwhelming in its execution and production.

Edward
A psyhcologically driven story about a psychiatrist and his patient who has night terrors about his mother and a shadow man along with the feeling of a split personality. A couple of light scares and a gross out moment. The acting is passable but heavy handed at times. I think this chapter would be better suited slowing things down after a balls to the wall segment.

The Quiet
The tale of a young deaf schoolgirl that is stalked after she steps off of her school bus that immediately thrusts the viewer and listener into a world of fear felt by the young girl as she runs for her life without the advantage of being able to hear her surroundings. It's none the less tragic in that we know the outcome is inevitable.

Merry Little Christmas
Plot is of little consequence when discussing this short. It is easily the most skillfully made, most graphic and best short of the film. The film features a simply disgusting and despicable scene of rape that will stay with the viewer as the rape scene in Irreversible does. It may not be as drawn out as Irreversible's but it is deplorable. It also features the best special effects and most memorable visuals that give Hellraiser's Cenobites a run for their money. I'd love to see a bigger budget full length version of this.

The Deviant One
Presented in black and white without dialogue but almost narrated by bible passages, this entry is a weak way to end, despite being an interesting and welcomed change of delivery. I don't care for the entry itself but it would fit much better in the middle of the film, letting the heavy hitter and visual feast that is Merry Little Christmas round out the film.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing brings THE HORROR NETWORK into your home on DVD. Picture quality fluctuates a bit over the different productions as you'd expect but it always looks quite good. The anamorphic widescreen transfer has a clean and crisp image with strong colors and deep black levels. The audio is crystal clear and the foreign language entry has nicely translated and perfectly timed subtitles. There's no distortion, fluctuations or background noise.

The Extras
-Extended Cut of The Deviant One
-Image Gallery
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
I love a good anthology film and while THE HORROR NETWORK isn't a home run it is worth picking up for Merry Little Christmas short alone. The rest is a bonus.

THE HORROR NETWORK is available HERE

A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (Blu-ray Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

Canada/2015
Directed By: Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, Brett Sullivan
Written By: James Kee, Sarah Larsen, Doug Taylor, Pascal Trottier, Jason Filiatrault
Starring: George Buza, Zoe De Grand Maison, William Shatner
Color/107 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: November 24, 2015

The Film
Christmas isn't all reindeer, presents and yuletide cheer. There's a darker side to the 25th of December including The Krampus, occult versions of the Nativity, killer zombie elves and a simple disdain for the holiday. This isn't a wonderful life, this is A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY.

Anthology films and horror have gone hand in hand since well, the first anthology horror film but this may be the first Christmas horror anthology film, at least that I can remember. A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY features four stories of holiday fear. Unfortunately all four stories play congruently as opposed to the standard format of one story playing to its conclusion and moving on to the next. This breaks up the individual segments for no apparent reason which makes the movie feel as there's simply too much going on at any given time.

The segments themselves aren't bad, it is just the way in which the entire film is presented that drags it down. Each segment is decent but sadly most of them miss out on the gorgeous and sometimes wonderfully gaudy Christmas aesthetic. The tacky decorations can lend a beautifully colorful look and feel to a set but there's little of that to be seen. What we do see is a simple but effectively vicious looking Krampus, some killer zombie elves that look like they came from Satan's version of Lucky Charms and a grizzly and badass Santa Claus. Oh and a pretty hot sex scene with a possessed girl humping her friend's brains out. Nothing says Christmas like a little fully clothed sex, right?

 A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY is a nice mix of horror tropes that has good special effects and make up and good costuming. It also has a solid comic relief segment that pops up every so often with William Shatner playing Dangerous Dan, the local radio station host who tries to spread Christmas cheer while getting hammered on egg nog. While I don't think A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY would be any sort of classic had it been presented in a traditional anthology format, I think it would have been a bit more successful in its execution but either way it is an entertaining holiday horror movie.

The Audio & Video
Image/RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray of A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY is gorgeous. Colors are bright and vibrant while whites are beautiful without being "hot" and black levels are deep and inky with no signs of blocking. Detail level is strong in surfaces and textures and skin tones are fleshy and natural. The PQ is excellent and the audio is no different with a DST-HD 5.1 master audio mix. The mix is strong with dialogue and soundtrack levels being properly complimentary. There's no damage or distractions to the crystal clear audio. This is how a modern movie should look and sound on Blu-ray.

The Extras
The lone extra is a 15 minute behind the scenes featurette.

The Bottom Line
Christmas horror films are a bit of a hot property at the moment and A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY will be able to stand up tall and proud among them even if it doesn't use the holiday setting to the extent I was hoping for.

A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY is available HERE

THE INVOKING 2 (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

USA/2015
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Andrew Fleming, Jessica Fratus, Chara Victoria Gannett
Color/83 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: October 6, 2015

The Film
When I saw that there would be a sequel to The Invoking I stared blankly at the screen for a moment before shaking my head in disbelief and then threw up in my mouth. Okay, honestly I don't remember my exact reaction but it was not a good one, I'm sure of that. The Invoking was one of the most irritating, gets under your skin like a small child crying endlessly. piece of crap horror movies I have ever seen. You can read that review HERE. I then rationalized that there's no way any sequel could be as bad. At least I can say I was right.

Changing things up with an anthology format based around paranormal events, THE INVOKING 2 made a smart movie by being a sequel in name only and having nothing to do with the original movie. Why the title wasn't changed at some point to remove any ties to the first film is beyond me. It isn't as if the first Invoking film is any sort of highly regarded or popular title. It simply came and went.

There are some positives to this sequel, such as an opening segment involving a car wreck that reminded me of classic Unsolved Mysteries segments. The only thing missing was Robert Stack's signature narration. The next segment taking place in an old mental hospital had potential but felt straight out of the mid 2000's era of horror that was packed with subpar ghost movies. The final short which has nothing at all to do with paranormal events and only runs a few minutes was probably the most effective segment in the bunch. In fact, for a movie that is called THE INVOKING 2: PARANORMAL EVENTS in the opening credits there's very little paranormal stuff going on throughout and when it is there it comes and goes in the blink of an eye.

The main feeling THE INVOKING 2 gave me was one of being underwhelmed. This is largely due to most of the segments feeling like they were taken from longer scripts and were severely chopped down to fit this anthology format. Many feel rushed and incomplete. The positive is that the movie is watchable even if its nothing special and not infuriatingly awful like the first.

The Audio & Video
Image/RLJ Entertainment's DVD release of THE INVOKING 2 feautres a 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks okay overall. Each short was produced independently of the rest so they all have their own look and quality. Some of the better looking segments have solid color and a crisper picture while the lesser ones suffer from poor handling of black levels and compression/blocking issues. None of the segments look particularly bad though. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio track has a great mix job and is free of any background noise or damage.

The Extras
None.

The Bottom Line
Hey, it's better than the first Invoking movie. So I guess there's that.

THE INVOKING 2 is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 1

October has arrived and that means it is time for pumpkin spice lattes, and dusting off my Uggs! I can't even! Really, it means it is time to begin the quest to watch 100 horror movies during the month of October, as is tradition. Let's just jump in to day 1...

We start out dabbling in mediocrity. CHARLIE'S FARM is a 2014 Australian slasher film co-starring notable horror names such as Bill Moseley who is great in this and Kane Hodder who gets to actually act and isn't bad either. We also get to stare at Tara Reid's sagging face as she stumbles through most of the third act like she's drunk. The movie is uber gory and violent but it drags during the first hour and is nothing special when all said and done.

Getting a bit deeper into the river of mediocrity was ALMOST HUMAN. I had no idea about the plot to this one, only that there's a strong divide in opinions about it. I grabbed it for $2 a few months back and stashed it away for the challenge... I loved the opening sequence. It was tense, well acted and legitimately scary. Then it moves into all too familiar splatter slasher territory and while the effects are very well done the movie is pretty much one note and the attempt at taking it back to the extraterrestrial element the opening scene introduced was weak.

The finest movie of the day comes from the fellas at Astron 6 - THE EDITOR. I've been hearing about how great this movie is for months and during those months plenty of people I know and trust have told me I'll love it. Still, I had doubts. I didn't know how I'd react to a tongue in cheek tribute to giallo and Italian horror films. Well, with the obvious love and knowledge of the movies they're paying tribute to, it was easy for me to sit back and enjoy. They nailed it and it was genuinely funny and well made.

Every movie of the day had been especially gory and violent, not something I necessarily intended and it wasn't something I planned on closing out the day with but it just so happened that THE PERFECT HOUSE pretty much relies solely on torture and violence to get a reaction from the audience. I have a strange dilemma with this movie because it is very much a one note torture film, but it's made fairly well at the same time, especially on such a low budget. It isn't a great movie but not awful either. I didn't care for it but I can't bash it too harshly. It's a more recent indie horror film from Wild Eye Releasing that I'm surprised doesn't have a bigger fanbase.

Today's Rundown
Charlie's Farm - 5/10
Almost Human - 5/10
The Editor - 8/10
The Perfect House - 4/10

TALES OF HALLOWEEN (2015) - Epic Pictures

USA/2015
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
In Theaters and on VOD October 16, 2015

Halloween and horror movies go together hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, tricks and treats, lamb and tuna fish. There are endless amounts of horror films that take place during the Halloween season and a few of them really manage to capture the spirit of the holiday from the childlike wonder and imagination the holiday invokes to the Mardi Gras-esque party vibe that adults love. Then there's the scary side to the holiday which TALES OF HALLOWEEN blends together perfectly with the adult and kiddie side of things.

Through its 10 part anthology TALES OF HALLOWEEN is perfect viewing for the season. Whether it's tricks or treats that you're looking for they're both here. Starting with the radio broadcast voice over from Adrienne Barbeau who has an absolutely perfect voice for such a part, to the pop-up storybook styled opening credits which are more stylish and well thought out than any opening credit sequence I've seen in recent memory, the spirit of Halloween is embodied in every second of this movie.

Of course in a movie consisting of so many different stories, which loosely intertwine here, there's going to be some winners and some losers so here's a look at each of the stories.

Sweet Tooth (Dir: Dave Parker) - This short creates a unique original urban legend and makes it fun and gory. Don't forget to leave a little something out for ol' Sweet Tooth after you're done trick or treating! This is one of my top three chapters

The Night Billy Raised Hell (Dir: Darren Lynn Bousman) - Features a lot of full on violence and a great twist. Certainly adheres to the darker side of Halloween.

Trick (Dir: Adam Gierasch) - A gory piece filled with violence as a group of teens take out some adults. The story is weak though and offers little besides the ahem... eye candy.

The Weak And The Wicked (Dir: Paul Solet) - A decent morality tale with a mean spirit. A jarring shift to Go Pro footage and an out of place metal soundtrack hold this one back though.

Grim Grinning Ghost (Dir: Axelle Carolyn) - Perhaps the thickest atmosphere of any chapter as a woman walks home alone late at night and fears a pissed off spirit is following her. Simple and effective.

Ding Dong (Dir: Lucky McKee) - My fears came true that my least favorite chapter would be from Lucky McKee. This was by far the weak point of the film for me as the story of a witch who desperately wants to take a trick-or-treater to be her own child is thin and boring along with below par effects.

This Means War (Dir: John Skipp & Andrew Kasch) - A couple of polar opposite characters carry this one as the new metalhead neighbor's loud and graphic Halloween display is at odds with the traditional decade's old display and things end in a bloody battle for neighborhood supremacy. This one is exciting from the start but is an obvious one note composition. Fun nevertheless.

Friday The 31st (Dir: Mike Mendez) - Another one in my personal top 3. Starting out with a traditional slasher film love letter to Friday the 13th, this one takes a quick turn as our slasher's victim gets some intergalactic powers and battles her attacker. The turn this one takes was unexpected, welcomed and even a bit cute. The classic body count style quickly gets an Evil Dead 2 style energy that can't be faked. Either the filmmakers believe in it or it doesn't work. It works here and I loved it.

Bad Seed (Dir: Neil Marshall) - This short is from the most experienced name in the bunch and features the most recognizable names in the cast. The story of a killer pumpkin could have easily turned into something shitty and awful but instead it is cheesy and wonderful. There's even a bit of a Halloween 3 moment at the end. I want a feature length version of this one! This is the final entry in my top 3 (don't make me choose!)

10 parts and only one real stinker? I'll take a 90% success rate with so many different voices to be heard and stories to be told. I'm writing this with a full week left in September and I have that giddy feeling in my stomach that Halloween lovers get as the leaves turn orange and fall from the trees. The season is upon us and there's one way to get in the mood this year and that is TALES OF HALLOWEEN.

8/10