Review Tweets Jan. 2019 - Dec. 2019

December 2019

Dracula. Pt 2- The only bright spot was Mina & her strength but she was underutilized and a pawn in a chess game between two men. Racism, sexism, phobia of gay folks. Not a light series. Too many subplots and none of them are really resolved at the end. Too much story.

Dracula. S1. Pt 1- Was expecting a more romantic & steamy series but wh

Dracula. S1. Pt 1- Was expecting a more romantic & steamy series but what I got was a series saturated with torture & cruelty with very little light, humor, or love. The Order of the Dragon was too cruel. Dracula was too obsessed with revenge & too evil to ever truly love anyone.

Pt 3- I'm intrigued enough to see what happens in the series but the changes are massive and not necessarily for the better. Some are, most aren't. Not a fan of the Order of the Dragon in particular.

Pt 2- Dracula peddling electrical power over oil? OMG, really? That’s a lot of changes made. Not to mention Renfield, Lucy and Harker. Everything is reimagined. The chemistry between Mina & Dracula is promising. He’s quiet sexy & charistmatic in the role.

Dracula the TV series. Pilot. Pt 1- Evil, scheming oil barons who created a syndicate & fight vampires? Um…OK. Mina a medical student in Victorian England? Rare for a woman to have possibilities like that at that time, but okay. Dracula as an industrialist? Now that is weird.

Wishing all my followers an awesome holiday season! I'm taking a brief hiatus from reviewing horror flicks. But I will be reviewing Buffy this weekend. I'm up to season 5 episode, 9, "Listening to Fear." My horror movie reviews will start back up on Monday, December 30th.

Pt 4- Sadly, the music which worked so well in tandem with the original b&w, now seems overbearing & too obvious. The instances where we just hear her footsteps or her thoughts are in contradiction with this sunny, color-infused movie.

Pt 3- This quote embodies what adding color to this movie does: “The world is different in the daylight. But in the dark, your fantasies get so out of hand. In the daylight, everything falls back into place again.”

Pt 2- Color here ruins all the nuisances, the ominous landscape rife with creepy shadows & malevolent faces. Everything is damped down & banal. Whatever was scary in the original is no longer scary here. All originality is gone. No longer the masterpiece & cult classic it was.

Carnival of Souls (in Color). Pt 1- When you see the original, you wonder, “Hey, why isn’t this in color?” Said no one EVER! Color is a powerful tool in movies, but this one doesn’t need it. Ever wonder how to make a horror film into a thriller? Add color to a b&w horror flick.

Pt 2- The dialogue, the pacing, the portrayal of women are all terrible. The storyline is absurd. Laughable at best. Good idea but terrible execution. Odd musical choices that dominate the scenes and don't quite fit a horror movie.

Color Me Blood Red. Pt 1- A retro horror movie that should have been lost in time. Tubi has it for free. The ultimate cheese fest! A truly terrible film with no saving grace though I did enjoy the final scene where his true psychosis is revealed.

Pt 3- Very slow. Seems to take forever to reach the conclusion. The reveal is long overdue. Should have amped up the mystery a bit. Too much drama, not enough scares. Too melodramatic. A one-noted villain to be sure. Good tense ending. Good watch but sadly, nothing special.

Pt 2-Shades of Vertigo though not as nuanced as that film. Odd musical choices throughout. Tense opening scene especially for people afraid of heights. Not a fan of that therapist! I like the theme of strength in numbers & finding strength in other people’s bravery.

Wes Craven Presents Don’t Look Down. Pt 1- Not really a horror movie despite Wes Craven’s involvement; more of a spooky thriller. Effective though. Creepy elements of a haunting done well with acrophobia. If you’re not afraid of heights now, you might be after seeing this.

Pt 3- On a completely different note there is a dog here and in horror movies they usually don't fare well. Someone tried to get the dog put down - didn't work. Then he never makes an appearance again. I think he's OK.

Pt 2-Bit obvious what the story is from the title. An ode to greed and power and what it will bring you. Good characters but not as fleshed out as I’d like. What we do for love. A movie with a point.

Invitation to Hell. Cheesy? Oh, definitely, especially the final battle, but it was still a fun watch. Love Wes Craven. Lags a bit. Shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers for sure. Sometimes it’s better not to be a joiner. Creepy club!

Pt 3- Told a good story in the animation and had some creepy elements but they were overshadowed by everything else. Lost in the void of subpar writing. Give this one a wide berth.

Pt 2- Filled with self-harm, depression, mental illness and suicide. Heavy trigger warnings. No light, no humor, too grim, no real character development. Just a Debbie Downer. I never watch romcons but after this, I need an uplifting movie.

The Dark Stranger. Pt 1- Was drawn to the film by the idea of an artist haunted by her muses but sadly this movie is saturated with depressing subject matter that weighs on you and destroys any enjoyment you might get from it.

Pt 2-Sets the scene for one hell of an accident. If you see the signs, run. Exciting & chilling. Gruesome deaths. Don't watch while eating, whoops. Don't get attached to anyone. Two adolescents die. Death by dentist -- fair warning. No character development, all about the deaths.

Final Destination 2. Pt 1- Not a great movie but definitely gets the job done if you're looking for an exciting slasher. Good intro and worldbuilding through the interview. If you didn’t see the first movie, you’ll still be able to follow along. Tony Todd's in this one.

Pt 2- We women are never fiercer than when we band together! Very true. Great opening scene and murder. One formidable killer indeed. A rather tame slasher going forward since several deaths were off screen but it's more about the message. Great ending! Trigger warning: rape.

Black Christmas (2019). Pt 1-Cheesy? A bit. Slow? Possibly. Predictable? Yes, but still a good one. A slasher that speaks to the Metoo movement & responds to toxic masculinity & rape culture in frats. I dig feminist slashers. Especially ones with a point & message! Glad I saw it.

Pt 4- While I'm not a fan of the second story, I did like the ending. Creepy tale of a cursed dress. Though I felt the ending didn't answer every thread, it was a satisfying ending nonetheless. Remind me never to shop at that department store! Interesting viewing experience.

Pt 3- Was expecting more horror sooner. Odd shift from one main character to the next. Not a fan of forcing a guy to wear a dress & ridiculing him so they lost me at that point. Who talks that much during sex? Hated all the characters in the second story! Dead bird.

Pt 2- Criticism at her work is the best part. An insolent salutation? Unwarranted toilet visits? Clocking off before feeding time? Not meaningful enough handshakes? They want an example of her dreams? Ha! Music felt like Goblin. Love the retro commercials, ads and stock photos.

In Fabric. Pt 1- Takes the long way to tell the story. A truly unique and original movie. Fair share of WTF moments. One in particular reminded me of a creepy sex scene in Blue Velvet. Feels at times like a lost Dario Argento film. Really hated the girlfriend!

Pt 2- Things move at a snail’s pace! Characters are barely developed. Writers throw a bunch of subplots & characters at us all at once while we, the viewers, are trying to get our bearings. Not to mention the constant shift from the present to the past.

The Chalet. Pilot. Pt 1- Expected a tense slasher & a little family drama but what I got was a confusing snooze fest. I did like the theme music & there was a gruesome murder, along with a bridge exploding. All good things for a horror TV show but too little too late.

Pt 3-Slight spoiler with trigger warnings: Child dies at 13 weeks & they hire a nanny to care for a doll that looks like the lost child. If that is a trigger for you, don't watch. Dead skinned rabbit for dinner. Wish they hadn’t shown that.

Pt 2- Odd camera angels from long shots that seem detached from the action to close ups that make you feel a bit uncomfortable. Strong sense of setting. Very odd characters & dialogue. Short & bingeable. Episode felt longer than it was. Great ending to episode 1!

Servant. Pilot. Pt 1- I'm not a huge M. Night Shyamalan fan but this seems intriguing. Not sure if I'll watch the rest of the series but here are my thoughts. Creepy, chilling music, check. Foreshadowing, check. Intriguing setup, check. Interested to know how the season ends.

Pt 3- Nice red herrings. Might not be a great horror flick but it's a good one. Very enjoyable watch. Clever and memorable ending! Perfect final scene with music that’s the theme to Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Recommend this one.

Pt 2- Takes a while for the murders to start. Quite suspenseful. Talk about a long drawn out chase with Amy & the killer. Memorable deaths! Interesting talk of urban legends. Who knew there were so many? Filmmaking is a cutthroat business. Good mystery. Great edits.

Urban Legends: Final Cut. Pt 1- Great opening scene! Interesting setup for the horror. Love Reese, glad to see her again. I love Pam Grier films as well. Nice tie-in with the first movie. Love the talk about films & Hitchcock. Very meta! Better than the 1st Urban Legends movie.

Pt 2- Constantly changing storyline. Just when you think you know what's happening, it all changes. The sadistic games rich people play. Good dialogue. Strong concept & theme, singular vision. Perfect ending. Gavin & Essex, played perfectly by Julian Sands, are horrible people.

A Nasty Piece of Work. Pt 1-Not as nasty as I thought it would be. Pleasantly surprised by this one. A sharp criticism of corporate culture that’s memorable & stays in your mind. What would you do to win the favor of your boss for a coveted position? Is any job worth all of that?

Pt 3- Same condemnation of media using tragedies & deaths for ratings. Wish it played that up more. An exorcism on a phone? Ha! Child abuse in this one like the original. More affecting reveal. Much more dramatic but crazier ending that's rather abrupt. Not a fan of the ending.

Pt 2- Connected with the characters. Great scenes, good dialogue. “Needs protection from what? The ghost in her cell phone? Tell her to call customer service.” Ha! Creepy hallucinations! Better time frame for the kills.

One Missed Call (2008). Same story but much better execution in every way. This is the one to see. Forget the original. But know that while this is better, it isn't a great horror flick by any means. Good opening scene. Creepy! Murdered cat. Great pacing.

Pt 3- The mystery of who & what is behind the calls & why is revealed too late. The ringtone is creepy. Kind of want that as my ringtone. Trigger warning for a hell of a lot of child abuse that makes the movie so depressing & weighs on you after you watch it. Don’t recommend.

Pt 2- Story structure was all over the place. From murders one after the other to non-stop talking & investigating that went nowhere. Anti-climactic, confusing & not scary. All the things you don’t want in a horror movie.

One Missed Call (2003). Expected a lot better from a Japanese horror flick! Great idea but the execution was an absolute mess. Shades of Final Destination. Nothing grabbed me. Characters were beyond paper thin. Pacing was so slow, I could've slept through the movie.

Pt 3- Though the execution could have been a lot better, there were some good moments here, which I'll highlight now. Good music. Great opening scene! Liked the Urban Legends class by Robert Englund. Good reveal and what a great ending!

Pt 2- Some good kills, others were ridiculous. Confusing someone getting strangled to death as moans during sex? Come on! Takes a while to really get going. Pacing is a bit off. Trigger warning: dog killed in microwave. Needlessly gruesome and cruel.

Urban Legend (2000). Good cast but underutilized. The men are kind of asses here. Saturated with sex talk, bit too much for my taste and I read erotica. Lol. Not the best dialogue & the characters were bare bones. Great idea to have a killer's MO be urban legends.

Pt 3- Sexuality here is a bit skewed. A woman trading sex for a book she stole. Then harassed by a lecherous homeless man only to die? Like the POV camera for the killer. Intense deaths. Loved the aspect of showing how trauma fragments and warps the human psyche.

Pt 2- A detective who can’t figure out a Rex Stout mystery? Priceless. Interesting setting. Creepy realistic dog attack. Intriguing storyline, memorable scenes that stay in your mind, good mystery, creepy lullaby. Feels a bit longer than the running time. Very bloody ending.

Tenebrae. Loved most of the movie but not all of it. Huge Dario Argento fan. Liked that the film was about a writer. Odd camera angles, and colored lenses but it works. Love the music as always. Goblin is amazing! The father from "A Nightmare on Elm Street," is here.

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November 2019

December 2019

Knives Out. Perfect movie to see with the fam, which is what I did. Rich characters, great dialogue & a compelling mystery. May have figured out who did it but it was a very fun watch. Memorable! Totes down to seeing it again. Highly recommend it this holiday season!

Between family gatherings and working on my novel, I will be taking a sho

Between family gatherings and working on my novel, I will be taking a short break from horror movie reviews until Monday, December 2nd. I will be reviewing Buffy this weekend as scheduled. If you’re thinking of gifting a horror book for the holdiays, check mine out. Mwah!

Pt 2- Chauvinist dialogue and characters, like the Professor who can’t keep it in his pants. But there’s more here aside from the chauvinism that is kind of off-set by the ending. Truly unique slasher. Recommend.

Night School. An odd but good retro slasher written by a woman. Great witty dialogue between the cops bringing some levity to the film. Great ending and good kills. Both were memorable. Nice reveal at the end. Heads will roll in this one!

Pt 3- The scene with the power tools is ridiculous. Jill's character just stands there and screams. Doesn't get help, doesn't fight. The killer is obvious, the red herrings they threw our way were a joke. The killer's motivation is laughable. Wish I could get that time back.

Pt 2- Why is the high school full of lecherous old men? It’s disgusting. Stalkers & jealous possessive men to boot. Towards the end, kind of a spoiler, the killer asks her for sex when just before, he was trying to kill her. Sex for her life? Are you kidding me with this?

Cutting Glass. Saw it for Jill Scholen, loved her in Stepfather, Phantom of the Opera & other films. Can’t advocate seeing this film. The misogyny is sickening & while there are bright spots here like the dialogue, the deaths, the music & some exciting scenes, it’s not worth it.

Oh man! I can’t wait to see this episode. Worried about “Reddington’s” oldest friend. (Blacklist)

Pt 3- Focused on 2 characters but we see random deaths of strangers we’re never introduced to, who are also playing the game. What happened? What rooms did they go in? Naomi & Chloe's characters were laughable. Handled everything wrong. Real mess. Ending comes out of left field

Pt 2- Overly saturated with color but yet so dark it’s difficult to see. Should have started when everyone got to the hospital. The first 20 minutes of the film was unnecessary.

Play or Die. Pt 1- An actual story with rich characterization? No such luck. A boring, stale, storyline that’s been done before. Elements of “The Game” & “Escape the Room,” & they do it better than this film. Low stakes, odd puzzles, torture that goes on & on. Put me to sleep.

The Addams Family. Addams Cum Laude. An odd but very Addams episode. Dark days indeed when Wednesday & Pugsley can’t shoot dynamite caps with other kids. A cannon for the school? Bringing a pet octopus? Ha! OMG the courses the Addams came up with. I’d go to that school. :D

Pt 3- It lags a bit in the middle. Felt sorry for Julie. I actually really loved that character. Ending is a bit crazy but overall I enjoy this flick and have seen it many times.

Pt 2- Love the fact that they're discussing a Freddy movie and Heather is doing an interview inside a Freddy movie. :D Like Dylan, I loved scary thing even if I got nightmares. Scripts dictating "real" characters is a bit like Chuck in Supernatural.

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. Inspired. A very meta & engaging film. A film within a film. Wes Craven's in this one. Dylan’s one creepy kid. Love the mythos here and the realism. Everyone was great. Seamless blend of Freddy into the “real world.” Creepy & memorable.

Pt 3- An overall good viewing for a late-night horror flick and a very memorable addition to the series.

Pt 2- Clever idea to give the kids dream powers. Rape referenced with Freddy's backstory. Strong sense of setting here. Great sets & lighting. Rich characters. Seamless transition from reality to the dream world. Exciting ending. The skeleton bit was a tad cheesy though.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. Good opening music and scene. Making a paper mache dollhouse never seemed creepier. Love the quote by Edgar Allan Poe. Great idea for this one. Unique, memorable, albeit gruesome deaths. Love how they introduced Nancy back into the storyline.

“Girls have as much love as viciousness in them because they’re human beings. Violence and horror films are not gender specific.” – Jennifer Lynch

Pt 3- Characters weren’t memorable or intriguing until the end. Good payoff, yes, but definitely not worth seeing the film. Now I have to try and purge this from my mind.

Pt 2- Torture came out of left field & wasn’t well grounded. Odd camera angles, grotesque scenes like a head on a table & squashing an injured, suffering crow. Lack of awareness in the family about what was slowly happening, save for one character, was unbelievable & ridiculous.

Pilgrim. Pt 1-What could have been a good film dissolved into SAW. I came expecting a twisted Thanksgiving story & left nauseated & frustrated. So slow you could skip an hour of it & still understand the film. Torture like in SAW, at least to me.

Nailed it. That is totally my face every time an episode ends. You guys sure know how to write a cliffhanger! Can't wait for the next episode. I need to know what happens! (Blacklist)

A mother forking good time to be sure. If you're a fan of the show, you need to check this out! (The Good Place)

Fun facts about me: I collect Living Dead Dolls, playing cards, vintage horror novels from the 70's and 80's and horror anthologies edited by Martin H Greenberg, who was actually the founder of the sci-fi channel. I also collect anthologies of Freddy Krueger short stories.

“In all the horror films that I have done, all of those women were strong women. I don’t feel I ever played the victim although I was always in jeopardy.” – Adrienne Barbeau

Hey, Heather! It’s an important book that developed the term "final girl" based on the slasher movies of the 70’s and 80’s, and made us more aware of tropes in horror movies. Read it in a course called “Feminist Screen Theory.” Always remember it.

Dying, not literally, to see this film so expect a review in the future. The trailer looks awesome! Can't wait to see it. (Ready or Not)

Happy to support fellow horror lovers. 😀

Loved the original so I was wary of a reboot but this is a wonderful addition to the franchise. Written & directed by a woman. Feminist, fresh, fun, action packed. Great witty dialogue, funny scenes and wonderful characters, with a compelling & exciting story. Recommend. (Charlie's Angels)

Pt 4- I strongly feel that the long child torture scene was unnecessary, too long and needless. Torture has to serve a purpose, & this is just sadistic. We get that Rose the Hat is evil from the first scene; we don’t need this one. Mike Flannigan, you missed the mark here.

Pt 3- Referenced child abuse, pedophilia, & a very long drawn out child torture & death scene; not for the faint of heart. Rebecca Ferguson & Kyliegh Curran bring in! The representation of women here is both strong and lacking.

Pt 2- Good scenes like the car scene with Abra and Crow Daddy and the final battle, and rich characters like Rose the Hat and Abra, but they weren’t allowed to shine amid the depressing storyline saturated with death, dying, and torture.

Doctor Sleep. Pt 1 of 4- A very dark, depressing, heavy film with too much characterization of Danny that drags the entire film down. Much longer than it needs to be. Meanders around too much with too many subplots, characters and storylines.

Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein. Some very funny scenes & great dialogue. Great old school monster cast with Lon Chaney & Boris Karloff. A fun movie to watch for date night. Not scary, entertaining & exciting. Recommend for a low-key horror night. Can’t go wrong with an oldie.

Pt 3-The mother was so frustrating. I get her dilemma, really, I do but the fight dragged on and her choice took forever! Domestic violence here so be wary if that's a trigger. Creepy scenes here and an eerie ending that's leaves more questions on the table.

Pt 2- Beware of things that seem too good to be true. A tale of moral relativity. Focused on the mother & her dilemma, her emotional turmoil. But not on who these people were, why and how they do what they do, etc. Left so much unexplained.

Rattlesnake. A bare bones horror flick that leaves a lot to be desired. Creepy, obvious horror movie music during the entire film. Eye roll. Simple idea executed poorly. Slow film which is odd given it's under 1 hr. and 30 mins. No worldbuilding whatsoever.

Addams Family. Morticia and the Psychiatrist. Dark days when Pugsley shows signs of being a normal boy & wants a puppy. Where did his dark upbringing go? Why play with trains when you can blow them up? Reading Edgar Allen Poe at bedtime to a kid. Love it all.

Pt 2- Good ending & explanation but the characters were paper thin & the middle lags. Some parts are boring, while others are very exciting. Be patient with this one.

Dead Body (2015). Pt 1- A bit of a mixed bag but the end makes up for it. Takes forever to get going. I like the mystery & the red herrings. Keeps you guessing though I had an inkling who it was early on. Gruesome deaths.

Pt 3- Odd that with a female staff writer, it still feels misogynistic. That was a hell of a way to end S1 but it's rather anti-climactic. The big battle & Christmasland is next season. Grr! Strong women fighting against Charlie. Judith Roberts made this episode!

Pt 2-With so many triggers & so much misogyny & violence against women, Christmasland, Vic‘s ability & lots of good scenes got lost in the shuffle of subpar horror, saturated with a clear hatred for women. The story isn’t able to hold such darkness.

NOS4R2. Season 1. Unlike most, I didn't like this series. Don't recommend. Way too dark & full of triggers. Don't let the pilot fool you. Torture porn, rape, child abuse, domestic violence, dead animals, & changing kids into monsters. Not even Zachary Quinto can save this show.

NOS4R2. Pilot. Intriguing start to a very dark series. Rather deceptive because while the pilot is amazing, the series isn't. Creepy opening scene that’s very memorable. Great opening credits. Compelling watch. Vic is a great character but hated the domestic violence angle.

Parasite. Not quite a horror movie but the 2nd half might be considered one. A very dark film with a heartbreaking ending. Memorable movie and characters. Great commentary on social class. A film unlike any other. A constantly evolving character study. Glad I saw it.

Sinister Circle. Not recommended. Felt like I was missing half of the film. Starts in the middle with no character development. Tame deaths to the extreme for a supposed horror flick. Scares are few & far between. Pacing is way off! A yawn fest. Predictable story. Cheesy ending.

Trick (2019). Real Halloween stinker. Boring, trite, unoriginal, some really nauseating parts, clichés, cheesy, mindless & takes itself too seriously. Nothing good here, turn back now. Terrible explanation and ending that leaves more questions than answers.

Pt 2- Some talk of abortions here so possible trigger warning. Intense scenes, slow in some parts, creepy, voyeuristic & very suspenseful! A gun dealer who doesn't sell bullets? Ha! Twisty plot that keeps changing. Wish they’d explained the why, though. An enjoyable flick.

Jack’s Back. Retro crime/horror with James Spader. ‘Nuf said, right? Works for me. Great opening scene & I loved the opening credits song, “Red Harvest,” by Paul Saax. Very 80’s & catchy. Interesting characters. Good performances. Odd closeups & camera angles.

I hope everyone had an amazing Halloween. Please tweet and DM me on what you dressed up as and how it was. Love to connect with my followers on my favorite holiday. I saw Heidi Klum’s costume…talk about goals!

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October 2019

December 2019

September 2019

Pt 2- I get the character arc with Dave but his character ruined the film for me. Not at all funny. A man-child who's painful, selfish, awkward, irresponsible, a commitment-phobe, a bit misogynistic, offensive & vulgar for no reason other than to warrant an ill-conceived laugh.

Little Monsters. Not funny, or scary despite being listed as a

Little Monsters. Not funny, or scary despite being listed as a horror comedy. Heartwarming & had some really good moments. The ending & the escape were great. Miss Caroline's character saved the movie. Lupita Nyong'o was perfect! Every scene she was in elevated the movie.

Pt 2- Pacing & story structure is off. The investigation comes too late into the film. Very dark & disturbing explanation. Without spoilers: trigger= rape. Odd conception for a monster. Why the wheezing? Good ending & final battle but I was expecting a lot better! Disappointed.

Polaroid (2019). Pt 1- Not a great flick but OK. Know what you’re getting here. Rather cliché, generic teen horror flick. Nothing original here & not that scary. Kinda like a darker version of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark. PG-13 horror, ‘nuf said.

Pt 3- Definitely recommend. Love evil app movies. Always read the fine print before downloading apps! Good mythos & worldbuilding. And one hell of an ending.

Pt 2- Good side characters like the priest & the manager at the cellphone store. An exciting & compelling watch. Loved the bits of humor thrown in. There’s a lot to this story, even a MeToo scandal. Every part is nicely blended -- a very complete story. Would see again.

Countdown. Pt 1 of 3. A quality horror flick that delivers! I was pleasantly surprised. Great opening scene, really shook me. Good use of jump scares. Actually scary scenes not just creepy ones. Lots of character development, great twist & turns.

Pt 3- What they got wrong: no character development save for Harper’s backstory. Domestic violence as character development? Or is it to position her as a fighter? Doesn't sit right with me. Exploiting violence against women as a plot device is sickening & taints the film.

Pt 2- What they got right: chilling scenes, interesting setup, unique haunted house, perfect ending & creepy villains with nightmare-like faces -- no masks needed.

Haunt. (2019). Pt 1 of 3- Looking for an intense, chilling, twisted, grisly, torturous, horror flick? Then check it out. Definitely delivers & differentiates itself from every other “haunted house on Halloween” movie. If this kind of horror isn’t your thing, walk away now.

Pt 2- The reveal is a bit obvious but chilling. Self-flagellation scenes. Eh! Never explained the creepy dolls and some other strange things but an otherwise sufficient horror-movie-like ending.

The Unsettling. Pt 1-Not bad, not extraordinary either. An OK horror series for fans of teen horror and horror that’s generally light. Keep in mind that while there are spooky parts, the SFX is pretty cheesy. Great characters, mounting tension, good investigation scenes.

Are You Afraid of the Dark (2019). Pilot. Nothing like the original. For fans of the old series, you won’t be happy with this one. Less focus on actually telling scary stories & more on high school drama. Interesting initiation process though, but otherwise a lackluster episode

Heather, you did an awesome job on the festival! Can't wait to be there next year. https://t.co/w9itkUI1af

Spent the evening yesterday with some really creative peeps. Got to sit in on a reading of the pilot for Crimson City & it's a hell of a story! Fan of Buffy? Then check this out. Support them if you can. Can’t wait to see this series on a streaming service! #womeninhorror https://t.co/rdHZ0pI0w2

Pt 2- When we find out what’s really happening & what the procedures really are, it’s quite laughable. Absurd & the procedures are difficult to watch. Hated the father’s character with a passion! Deaths were beyond cheesy. Ruined a perfectly good setup with a crazy explanation.

Eli. Got some things right & a lot wrong. Haunting aspect was well-done with genuine scares & a consistent ominous atmosphere. The end, when Eli is in the car & they’re about to go somewhere, was compelling. Trying to be a bit vague to avoid spoilers. Wanted them to continue.

Pt 2- Gruesome & chilling yes. But the box world is left half explained. So many avenues unexplored, no worldbuilding even regarding Annie herself, so many unanswered questions. Idea is memorable as is the game; I just wanted more than the movie gave me. Never playing that game!

Uncanny Annie. Good but could have been so much better. Had high hopes for it. Great opening credits & music. Love the idea of a cursed game but the deaths & tasks asked of the participants leave something to be desired.

Four of the shorts from three programs on Saturday really stuck with me: “Bump in the Night,” directed by Octavian Kaul. Trigger warning. “Mortem Happens,” directed by Austin Janowsky, “Buy In,” directed by Bri Castellini and “Loop” directed by Matt Dy. @HouseOfHorrorFF

I’m glad I got to sell at the festival because I met some really awesome horror fans and got to see some great shorts. An all-around great day! Thanks to Heather for organizing this. @HouseOfHorrorFF

Shutter Island. Difficult to watch. Too depressing & dark. Scenes of the war, dead children, dead families in WW2. Tragic, emotional & chilling. Creepy haunting dreams. Story lags & meanders too much. Not a unified vision. Too many characters & subplots. Insanity is chilling.

The Influence. Depressing, morbid, sadistic, cruel, heavy scenes of child abuse, insults thrown out like candy on Halloween, animal death. Creepy atmosphere with not enough story. Scenes thrown together. Odd symbolism. Interminable. Terrible ending. I’d skip it if I were you.

Pt 2- I enjoyed the second one more, but it was anti-climactic and not well explained. That was a creepy dollhouse though! I guess I expected more fleshed out stories.

Creepshow. (2019). Pilot. Good creepy intro music. Loved the blend from the comics into the live action. The cast was great. However, the stories I found a bit lacking. The first story while creepy was cheesy & disgusting with a ridiculous ending.

Pt 3- Trigger warning. Not a happy ending. Don't want to give anything away now. This film stays with you! Layered, poignant, sad & absolutely chilling with riveting performances and a great twist.

Pt 2- One seemingly creepy hospital & a crazy registration. A bit slow but stay with it. Every shot, every word, every scene, is careful constructed for a specific vision. Couldn’t wait to find out what had happened. Felt I went down the rabbit hole.

Fractured. (2019). One hell of a film. Decidedly not a thriller, more of a horror flick – obvious from the edits, the music, the camera angles, the stilted POV and the constant ominous creepy undertones. Love a good mystery & this delivered.

Pt 2- The characters are a bit wooden & aren't fleshed out well. Not happy with how some of them & their issues are handled. The lead can be mean & very critical at times. Her poor ex puts up with a lot. Overall, it's a memorable series with a unique idea that ends well.

My Dead Ex. Not super funny for a comedy, some hilarious scenes, some parts are awkward or difficult to watch, while others are emotional or just downright entertaining. A mixed bag. A generally light series about a dead ex. Original idea, good worldbuilding.

Hi Thkeya. It was a pleasure meeting you at the Salem Horror Fest. I had a lot of fun at that event. I definitely have to check out more of Salem next time. Thanks for reaching out to me. I hope you enjoy the book -- don’t be a stranger on here.

I'm holding a giveaway for a signed copy of my short story collection, "A Fine Day for Murder." To enter, reblog or comment with your name. The winner can pick up their copy at the next event I will be at, the House of Horror Film Festival at Arts on the Lake. @HouseOfHorrorFF

I'll be at the Salem Horror Fest tomorrow in the Haunted Harbor. Goblin, the synch-horror band that created music for Dario Argento films, will be live tomorrow. If you're in the MA area, don't hesitate to get tickets now and come stop by my booth.

Pt 4- Lots of body horror here so fans of that, should check this series out on Hulu. What an ending! True horror movie ending.

Pt 3- The second half of the 2nd season really picked up and was tense, exciting, bingeable and full of twists, betrayals & murder. An odd blend of Pretty Little Liars & Final Destination. The explanation for the curse was a bit convoluted but it was an enjoyable watch.

Pt 2- The first part of Season 2 had problems juggling different storylines & a full cast of characters. Felt like they had no idea what to do with anyone else save for Mack but Mack’s internal angst isn't enough to drive 8 episodes.

Light as a Feather. Pt 1- A counterpoint to season 1 where we really get to dive into the curse and see the effects of the Chrysalis. It begs the question, what would you do to save your loved ones?

Creeped Out. S2 Ep4. Creepy hotel. Interesting & simple idea. I’ll never look at a hotel elevator the same way. Unexpected ending. Short & didn’t explore the possibilities as much as one might like but a memorable episode. Not scary but thought-provoking for us horror writers.

Pt 3- Black face at the end...yeah…wtf! Obviously, they don't care who they offend! Insinuated sexual assault of a woman in a coma. Never do find those missing kids either. All that adds to the heaviness.

Pt 2- The rest of the film deals with the trauma of being a survivor. Can’t really use the word “Final Girl” here. Good mystery & investigation. Tense scenes. Crazy fight scene at the end. Ending weighs heavily on you.

When a Stranger Calls Back. A memorable and creepy film that while enjoyable is a bit heavy & bleak. Gets creepier & stranger as it goes along. Makes one definitely rethink babysitting as a profession. Loved the first half. Simple but chilling.

@hulu @tenrapidfilms Swiped to Death. Part of Huluween. Definitely check it out! Killer title. Great concept, perfect execution. Clever use of text messages. Online dating can be creepy. Never know who's on the other end. Love the music! Effective & very memorable. Knockout.

Paradise Hills. Pt 2- Poison Ivy eat your heart out. While I enjoyed the film, the explanation is threadbare and feels almost anti-climactic. Intriguing concept.

Paradise Hills. Gorgeous colors & sets, interesting costumes, a real treat for the eyes. But the story is sadly lacking. Rich characters save for the villain of the piece. A dark fairytale in a dystopian society that has a gigantic social divide. Overly dramatic ending.

In the Tall Grass. Pt 3- Confusing, sub-par worldbuilding coupled with terrible dialogue, disgusting kills, such as a mother eating her own baby, allusions to incest & an attempted assault. Hello dead animals. Distinct Children of the Corn vibe. I wouldn’t recommend this film.

In the Tall Grass. Pt 2- The middle is a nonsensical mess that starts to unravel the film into a confusing & ridiculous explanation starting with the time travel part.

In the Tall Grass. A seedling of a good idea. A confusing film that on the one hand is very well-done in the beginning, but on the other, is horrible in the middle. Oddly it finds its way again at the end. Like the characters, but the story gets lost in the grass.

Pt 2- Obvious, loud horror music and a villain that's all over the map. Carol Kane is in it though. Child death happens off screen but is described as quite brutal so trigger warning. Takes a while to tell a bloated story. Ok film but nothing to write home about.

When a Stranger Calls. A bit of a mess if I'm being honest. The sequel, When a Stranger Calls Back is much better. Some very suspenseful & chilling scenes in this one. Movie feels a bit disjointed though. Spends a lot of time on a truly disturbed villain. Crazy chase scene!

Tales from the Darkside. Monsters in My Room. There’s a lot here - from toxic masculinity & imposing gender roles on a stepson to facing your fears. Not scary but an interesting episode with a clever ending & cheesy monsters. Best of all, it features a young Seth Green.

Tales from the Darkside. Anniversary Dinner. Truly gruesome & chilling episode! Not for the faint of heart. Ominous dialogue, odd characters & a lot of build-up but an effective episode. Simple idea. Beware the kindness of strangers. Hope I never meet this couple when camping!

Pt 2-Not horror per se but has a lot of elements that I love: criticism of gender roles and women’s role in society, murder, and a little humor. Now I’m totally hooked and need to see the rest of the series. Will they get away with it?

Why Women Kill. Now that’s opening credits! Love the comic book style & the song. Shades of Chicago. Smooth transitions from three different time periods that offers a glimpse into the role of women & marriage. Well-done. Intriguing. Sharp criticism.

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September 2019

Silent Hill: Revelations Pt 2-Love Silent Hill bleeding into reality, great idea & so creepy! Even more creepy characters. Surprising emotional underpinnings. Good ending. Referenced child death by fire.

Silent Hill: Revelations. Not as good as the original. Bogged down with too much storytelling. Nice tie-in to the first film. Gruesome, t

Silent Hill: Revelations. Not as good as the original. Bogged down with too much storytelling. Nice tie-in to the first film. Gruesome, torture, lots of mythos, worldbuilding, some cheesy scenes, pervasive ominous chilling atmosphere

Carnival Row. Pt 2- Harsh, painful & unforgiving worldview that’s too dark for my taste. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough for me to want more. Don't like anyone. I am intrigued by the serial killer angle. Love a good Victorian detective drama but not enough to stay.

Carnival Row. Pilot. Ominous start. Not compelling enough for me to watch the rest of the series. Reality bleeds into fantasy: hatred of immigrants, indentured servitude, immigrants as second-class citizens, etc. Usually I like a little more distance from reality in my fantasy.

Pt 2- Predictable ending. Violence is off-screen which further distances the viewer from a bland film. Good music & cast of characters but not enough to keep you interested or to off-set the ending.

The Innkeepers. Not a fan. Love House of the Devil, one of my fav movies, but this one leaves something to be desired. Anti-climactic, barely anything happens, interminable, pointless & not scary. Both characters were such scaredy-cats! Ghost hunting is definitely not for them.

Marianne. Pt 2- Instead of that, why not offer character development for the villain. The ending does harken back to the pilot in terms of delivering chills & rounds out the series nicely.

Marianne. While I enjoyed the pilot, the series itself is a bit of a mixed bag. I expected scares & a well-developed villain, which for the most part, I didn’t get. I got instead drawn out child deaths, torture & a lot of emotional turmoil for Emma regarding her friends & family.

Marianne. Pilot. Pt 2- If you’re looking for chills, this delivers without a doubt. Interesting & flawed character. Intriguing story that has potential. Great music & cinematography. What an ending! Gruesome & dark. A macabre journey down the rabbit hole.

Marianne. Pilot. While I liked the pilot episode, the series as a whole is a different story. A tweet regarding the entire series is coming tomorrow. Shades of In the Mouth of Madness. Loved seeing a female horror writer like myself though my muses don’t talk to me, whew!

Inside No.9. Sardines. Great intro. An interesting premise. Talk about a claustrophobic environment! The humor is spot-on and very British. Nice blend of dark and light, comedy and horror. That’s one hell of a twist. Dark & chilling ending. Memorable. Implied past sexual abuse.

Friday the 13th. Double Exposure. Cheesy SFX but a chilling & dark story. Cynical look at newscasters. Unique mythos surrounding cameras & negatives. Catherine Disher, from Forever Knight, is in this one. Off screen violence. Overly dramatic with a cheesy ending but a good watch.

Trigger warning: Self-mutilation, attempted suicide, gang rape, hookups, a 16-year-old attempt ts sex with a 38-year-old & it’s a long awkward scene, fish eaten alive, dissection of a fish, body horror. Just no!

Blue My Mind. What the hell? Hodge podge & interminable. Horrifying ending, body horror aspects yes, but mostly about hookups & cavalier sex with 16-year-olds, popularity, angst regarding her parents & unexplained anger, not horror. Not sure what other reviewer s saw in this.

Tales from the Darkside. In the Cards. A spooky & somber episode. Constant cheesy sound effects & a predictable ending but still an effective episode. Love the idea of a cursed Tarot deck you have to pass along, kind of like the Ring. Where are the Winchesters when you need them?

Tales from the Darkside. No Strings. What’s creepier, the machinations on the art of puppetry, using a dead man as a puppet or the scary, uncaring, misogynistic mobster imposing his will on everyone? Odd, unique & memorable episode. Gruesome, a bit cheesy & predictable but good.

Friday the 13th. Mesmer’s Bauble. Predictable yes, but quite dark & very creepy! Hello obsession & murder. Some dark kills. For fans of stories about obsession. Takes a crazy turn toward the end. Cheesy SFX but it doesn’t detract from this episode. Stays in your mind, haunting.

Flesh & Blood. Didn’t rise above the predictable & pedestrian storyline. Overacting in some parts - think soap opera. Was waiting for the main character to catch up to the obvious. A one note plot. Some exciting scenes. Chilling ending! Okay for late night viewing once only.

Body at Brighton Rock. Good beginning, retro feel, great music, & setup but then it dissolves into no stakes, no chills & no real drama save for a bear, bad dreams & her mental state. Flounders & ends awkwardly. Wendy is TSTL. Has potential but never uses it. Not a horror flick.

Pt 2-Toxic masculinity as it relates to the father-daughter bond, unusual & interesting. Creepy sense of foreboding throughout. Directed & written by a woman, Hannah Macpherson. Shades of the Handmaiden’s Tale. Great characters. Affecting. Strong message. What an ending!

Pure. Chilling, scathing & critical commentary on how much control we give men over our lives & our bodies. Liked using Lilith as a symbol for sexual freedom, rebellion & revenge from the repressive, controlling dominant men around them.

IT. Trigger warning: Drawn out child deaths, one very graphic.

IT Pt3- The horror wasn’t prominent enough & the scenes weren’t scary, most were predictable. Did enjoy the romance, but I expected a horror flick. Enjoyed seeing scenes from their youth. Pennywise as a clown was hardly in it, though he was seen in other guises, ridiculous ones.

IT. Pt 2- The horror was sometimes funny, the romance awkward at times & coupled right with a horror or action scene. It suffered from an identity crisis. Maybe the filmmakers wanted to break out of the horror mold & have the movie be more palatable but ruined it.

IT. Chapter 2. It pains me to say this but I honestly, expected better! OK but nothing to write home about. Movie tried to juggle humor, action, romance & horror & failed to make the transitions. Ending took forever and dragged. Too many plot holes.

Pt 2- Dark & affecting. The psychological manipulation is profoundly creepy! Very character focused. Horror here lies in who we really are & who we let into our lives. Directed by a woman, Sophia Takal, & she did a great job. Loved the ending! Check it out guys & gals.

New Year, New You. First half is slow but don't let that fool you, you're in for a dark ride. Liked watching the relationship between these four girls unfold. Brings themes of letting the past go, whether people ever change & the effects of bullying in high school on adulthood.

Purge. The Pilot. Pt 2- Interesting characters from all walks of life with sparse but good backstories & intriguing situations that make you want to find out what happens to them. Horrifying, jarring & a real nail-biter. If you enjoyed the films, you might like this one.

Purge. The Pilot. What an interesting proposition to turn the movies into a series. Be careful watching if you have triggers. I’m only going to review the pilot. While the series is not for me, it might be for you.

Pt 2- Everyone’s a caricature, dialogue flat & uninspiring & the story takes forever to be told. Gruesome deaths. Ridiculous & crazy ending, not in a good way. Takes school spirit way too far. I like the no one’s what they seem theme.

School Sprit. (2019). Nice try Hulu but missed the mark here. Shades of the Breakfast Club as many reviewers have pointed out. Lackluster acting, story & movie as a whole. Banal, interminable, felt like I was in detention watching this mediocre horror flick.

Sorry guys. No horror review tweets today. Dog emmergency. At the hospital. Reviews tomorrow.

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August 2019

September 2019

August 2019

Pt 2- Good dialogue, ripe with sarcasm & sexual innuendo. Lesbianism, cheesy SFX, dark & tragic ending, but it opens the series up for interesting possibilities. Michael Fassbender's in it. Warning: Attempted rape.

Hex. Pilot Pt 1 & 2. Shades of Charmed & Carrie here. Not scary, light on the horror aspect but moody & creepy. Supernatural h

Hex. Pilot Pt 1 & 2. Shades of Charmed & Carrie here. Not scary, light on the horror aspect but moody & creepy. Supernatural horror at a British boarding school. A little witchcraft, a demon, a ghost, besties, popular cliques & a little mystery. Rich characters, memorable.

Tales from the Darkside. The Geezenstacks. The execution of this episode as well as the music were not well-done; definitely some cheesy scenes, but the premise saves it. Great idea, creepy premise & a chilling yet predictable ending. Worth a watch.

Working on my novel, third cup of coffee in hand, periodically jamming out when my fav songs comes on in my Spotify playlist. Probably going to be a long night. Tweets coming tomorrow. Mwah!

Tales from the Darkside. The Last Car. Great idea but didn’t go far enough. Threadbare story. Left too many questions. Effective, creepy, cheesy SFX, predictable ending but still a fun watch. This inspired my short story, “Exact Change,” in my compilation "A Fine Day for Murder."

Pt 3- The costume reminded me a bit of the SPN episode “Plush.” Solidly creepy, surreal, intriguing -- just don't expect a happy ending.

P2- The non-linear storytelling makes sense at the end but on first watch, it’s hard to grasp when & what is happening. Furries might want to skip this one because there’s one hell of a creepy costume, not to mention the audition. I think I memorized the dance movement. Ugh!

Pooka. A thinker to be sure. Unique & memorable with a gut-wrenching twist. Bit of a downer. A commentary on violence & anger. The mind is a terrifying place! Strange narrative told in a non-linear fashion. Terrible transitions. Scenes bleed into each other with no sense of time.

Fun facts about me: I collect Living Dead Dolls, playing cards, vintage horror novels from the 70's and 80's and horror anthologies edited by Martin H Greenberg who was actually the founder of the sci-fi channel. I also collect anthologies of Freddy Krueger short stories.

Pt 2- More world building around ghosts & their mythos was needed. Characters were odd, dialogue too threadbare. Hardly got a feel for Lily even though she narrates. Watching paint dry would be faster than this. Some sense of mystery & spookiness but the payoff isn’t worth it.

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. Nice try, but no. I'm fine with narration-heavy films if it adds a layer to the film. The narration here only hurts the film, distracts from what little plot there is, too poetic & not concrete enough.

Tales from the Darkness. Payment Overdue. Nice comeuppance for a debt collector. Can’t go wrong with an episode like that, right? Good dialogue, great acting. Nice intro music. Strong social commentary & moral lesson. Some spookiness here. Memorable ending! An enjoyable watch.

Tales from the Darkside. Sorry, Right Number. Written by Steven King & was later included in Nightmares & Dreamscapes. Suspenseful, engrossing, grounded, creepy. Simple idea. Centers around the wife of a horror novelist. Sad & gut-wrenching ending. Title = pun on the famous film.

Pt 3- The translation is horrible & confusing, but the movie is a Filipino movie, so I have to go by the subtitles. Trigger warning: suicide, domestic violence, abuse by Catholic nun, family and classmates.

Pt 2- Hardly any characterization; it’s all just atmosphere & backdrop. Without a context the scares aren’t as effective as they could be. Lots of jump scares. Pervasive undertones of sadness throughout. Angsty af. Painful, tragic.

Eerie. (2019). Yes, it’s eerie. Creepy dream sequences, some spooky scenes, great music but doesn’t hang together. Feels disjointed, with too many subplots. Investigation takes too long & the pacing is off. Couldn't wait to get to the end, which was surprisingly strong & creepy.

Friday the 13th, the series. Pilot. Sets the scene for the series & has a creepy cursed doll in the mix. Cheesy, hell yes, bad SFX, yes again, but still creepy. Toys can be deadly. One hell of an evil doll given to a little girl who has everything. Bad combo for her family.

Tales from the Darkside. It All Comes Out in the Wash. Such a great episode! Holds up even today. A dry cleaner who can wash away sin & guilt from corporate America. Memorable. Henry's a despicable character. As with most episodes, there’s a comeuppance that’s very well done.

Pt 2-Emotionally wrenching. Punishing storyline. Anti-feminist. Repressing women & their agency. Sadistic system of oppression. Sickening. Hard to watch. Ending while good, takes too long to achieve. 1 hr. 42 mins? The end doesn’t justify the means. I’d give it a hard pass.

St. Agatha. Another strongly worded review-tweet from yours truly. Gasp! Was expecting better. Extreme horror full of non-stop torture. A sadistic paradise if that’s your thing - it's not mine. Feels like the director took a knife & carved into me, each scene having it go deeper.

Pt 2- Good use of narration as well. Dragged a tad towards the end. Speaking of… I wasn't sold on the ending. Have mixed feelings about it. The ending is equal parts ironic and fitting and anticlimactic and odd. Unique all the same and quite an ending to Season 1.

Twilight Zone (2019). Blurryman. As a fellow writer and a lover of the old Twilight Zone, I really connected to this one. Very meta & ambitious. Reminds me a bit of Wes Craven's "New Nightmare." Clever, simple & quite effectively creepy. Good dialogue, acting & mystery.

Twilight Zone (2019). Point of Origin. Good social commentary about immigrants. Engrossing story. Unusual & unique. Terrifying mindscape, dark, angsty & emotional. Gut-wrenching ending. Hit with feels. Ginnifer Goodwin was amazing here. A contemporary chilling tale worth a watch.

Silent Hill, one of my all-time favorite movies. :D

Tales from the Darkside. Trick of Treat. Memorable Halloween episode with a great comeuppance to a miserable old, sadistic, miser. Gives Scrooge McDuck a run for his money. Written by George A. Romero. Simple story with good characters. Ending's a tad cheesy but satisfying.

Trivia: The film is considered an “Ozploitation,” Australian exploitation film. The movie score is by German synthesizer pioneer Klaus Schulze.

Pt 2- Strong sense of storytelling from camera work to editing to lighting. Paced like one would expect from a retro horror flick. The mystery is slowly revealed. Be patient and wait for it, it's well worth it. Tense, crazy, chilling & explosive (pun intended) ending.

Next of Kin (1982). Australian retro horror flick. Memorable. A unique film told in an offbeat way. Great soundtrack. Strong setting. Horror is subtle till the end: ominous & spooky with a moody atmosphere. Not terrifying. Creepy mysterious stalker adds to the mood.

Pt 2- One thing I will say is that is one creepy landline phone! You'll never look at a landline phone the same way again! Predictable ending, yeah, but still creepy.

Tales from the Darkside. Answer Me. Possibly a bit dated now with cellphones but definitely give this one a watch. Simple idea executed well. A one-woman show. Dialogue & narration based. A slow descent into madness or is a supernatural tale? I'll leave that up to you.

Pt 3- The acting was lackluster and most of the movie was Jake and Madison freaking out. Trigger warning: suicides galore, women murdering their children, dead dog, dead children, dead fetus.

Pt 2- Odd edits and transitions from one scene to the next. Depressing as all get out, constantly talking about murder and suicide and killing the ones we love. Ugh! Left with plot holes and unanswered questions. The biggest one was why was Ted Raimi in it?

Darkness Rising. Save yourself. Movie's terrible. Not even Brady from SPN or the two scenes from Ted Raimi can save it. Plot? What plot? All scares with a threadbare explanation with ghosts and maybe a demon? Flashbacks give new meaning to the word cheesy.

Night Gallery. Cold Air. Strange story. Wonderful narration that added to the story, set the scene & helped with character development. Cheesy, yes, especially the SFX, & a bit slow but interesting, nonetheless. Based on the short story by H.P. Lovecraft. Twist is obvious.

Pt 2- When "it" attacks, it's off screen. Wtf! Ending comes after night 21 & after all that build up, the ending is rather flat & unsatisfying. Left with so many questions. Shots are so dark it's hard to see. Wish they would have explored the connection with Diana.

Paranormal Activity. Talk about a boring film! Takes forever to get going. Plot? What plot? The premise is ridiculous & the characters are all cliché. I couldn't relate to anyone! Terrible dialogue, subpar acting & a stupid mythology that's barely explained.

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July 2019

September 2019

August 2019

I'll be at Scares that Care in Williamsburg, Virginia this weekend. Come say hi if you're in the area. I'll be selling and signing both my books. Hope to see some of you there

Pt 3- The ending while awesome, was too long and drawn out. Talk about strong women! What an ending! Trigger warning: child death.

Pt 2- A critical look at journalist

I'll be at Scares that Care in Williamsburg, Virginia this weekend. Come say hi if you're in the area. I'll be selling and signing both my books. Hope to see some of you there

Pt 3- The ending while awesome, was too long and drawn out. Talk about strong women! What an ending! Trigger warning: child death.

Pt 2- A critical look at journalists. Contrived a bit at the end with his therapist. Pacing was a bit off; too many people to kill, I'm afraid. Some characters have all the character development while others are just caricatures.

Halloween (2008). Realistic look at trauma and what it means to be a survivor, the final girl. A more intense and brutal film than the original. Michael is a mindless sadistic killer. The kills are memorable but gruesome and intense. The chase scenes were too drawn out.

Pt 2- Gail faints and needs an awful lot of rescuing from Michael. Sign of the times, I suppose, but frustrating that she isn't a stronger character. I’d love tarot cards with those images on them btw. Episode ends very abruptly.

Night Gallery. "The House that Cried Murder." A haunted house & a murder mystery with allusions to Poe. Had to check it out. As a poetry writer and a Poe fan, I dug this one. Bit cheesy but an enjoyable watch. Creepy house. A rather banal answer to an interesting mystery.

Pt 2- Ending is confusing & offers no closure. What a great way to ruin an interesting movie

Circle. What a strange film! A completely dialogue-laden locked room flick with shades of Cube. Political & social commentary coupled with themes of morality. Is the horror here the captors or humanity? Makes you question what you would do in that room.

Trivia: No opening credits. The film was shot entirely with hand-held cameras or steady cams. Script originally called “The Faces.” Glad they changed that. Liv Tyler suffered from tonsillitis during shooting.

Pt 2-Wish we knew who Tamara was. Pay attention to the background. Good use of sound to heighten the tension. Don't see the sequel. Trust me, you're not missing anything!

The Strangers. Odd beginning - more akin to an episode of Investigation Discovery. Their strained relationship was well done & a nice backdrop for the horror. Realistic, tense, creepy, effective, classic home invasion flick. Note to self: never answer the door after midnight!

Pt 2-Great use of sound & lighting. Goes from 0 to 100. Good character development. The SFX and the sound effects are a bit grotesque at times. Oddly funny, sometimes witty dialogue. Unforgettable ending. Trigger: Cat death.

Drag Me to Hell. Nice opening credits & mythos. You’ll never look at gypsies the same way again. Nice morality tale. A curse that doesn’t see shades of gray. Effectively creepy. Interesting commentary on a woman trying to survive in a men’s world at work.

Room for Rent. Not even Lin Shaye can save this movie! Hit all the wrong notes. Vilifies an older woman with a history of abuse who wants love. Makes her into a pathetic caricature. She breaks my heart. Ends in the middle, unresolved, awkwardly. Trigger: attempted rape. -F

Skeleton Key. Great cast, strong sense of setting, solid premise, interesting story. Nice creepy dream, good foreshadowing. The story takes a while to pick up but it's worth it so stick with it. Shades of Get Out. A tense & unforgettable chilling ending that packs a wallop!

Pt 2- Stylish, nice editing, good dialogue, acting & story. Simple and well executed. Twist is glaringly obvious, but it still delivers. Ending gave me some feels

Secret Obsession. Netflix does a Lifetime movie better than Lifetime - sorry Lifetime. *shrugs.* Like stories about obsession? Liked “You”? If so, check this flick out. Dark, twisted, compelling, tense and chilling. This one not only got my attention but held it.

Is Secret Obsession really a horror movie? Not so much, but it's in the same vein as You & since people are apparently getting nightmares over this film, I figured I’d review it. While I don't think it's THAT scary, it is chilling. Actually, liked this one, all things considered.

Pt 2- Lucas could have come up with a different plan. Slow & interminable. Felt twice as long. Wish they would have focused more on the childhood video Lucas made. Ending is too cruel & tonally way too intense for the rest of the film. Had the potential to be really chilling. -F

Dismissed. Good idea, bad execution. A prime example of too much characterization & an under-developed plot. Creepy character who’s too intellectual & not chilling enough for the film to be marketed as a horror flick. Becca’s subplot is cruel and unnecessary.

Room 6. If you weren’t afraid of hospitals before, you might be now. Solid B movie. Creepy visuals, some of which are a bit cheesy but effective. Bit of a downer at the end but an enjoyable film for a late night. Remember seeing this on the TV years ago. Love will set you free.

Head Count. Terrible. Creepy occurrences but happen too slowly & too late into the story to hold your interest. Lame characters doing stupid things. Cringe-worthy dialogue. Awkward scenes. Way too dark. Get a better gaffer. Felt interminable. Bad ending & SFX. Trigger: suicide.

Pt 2- Ending is depressing yet satisfying in a way. Trigger warning: Child abuse.

Lavender. OK, not great. Characters are barely fleshed out. Takes forever to tell the story. Pacing is off, too many meandering scenes. Nice VO about vacant houses, interesting bits about trauma, memories & the brain. Music cues are loud & overbearing.

Pt 3- Like all horror, the ending is crucial & sadly it doesn’t live up to the beginning. It muddies the waters, makes everything that comes before futile, and turns one off the series as a whole.

Pt 2- Loved the POV - his mindscape is a terrifying place! As a writer, I totally dug their love of books & that she wanted to be a writer. Wonderful cast, some of whom you’ve seen before. Great acting, everyone really brought it.

You. They had me at psychotic love story. Sucker for villains in love. Sadly, the story didn’t satisfy my desire and that’s due to the ending. Before that, it held my attention and I was captivated by the episodes. Sexy, stylish, gruesome, downright creepy at some moments.

Pt 2- Felt the 2nd part went off the rails and not necessarily in a good way. The tone was off, and it went straight to a slasher. Nothing special. Very bleak. Hello overly gruesome murders. Yikes! The last few minutes were nicely done. Good twist. B+

The Body. Never has disposing of a body been harder than on Halloween, my fav holiday. Go know. Enjoyed the 1st part. Great characters, great dialogue, Nice story structure. Great opening scene – the music, the camera work, the title font & the dialogue.

Pt 2- Saw this as a kid and found it very chilling and thought of it more as a horror movie. As a former psych major, I liked the child psychology angle. Guessed the twist the first time round but I'm very good at reading films & ruining it for myself. :D

The Sixth Sense. Good themes, great characters. Toni Collette was awesome here. Beware the feels. Not many scares but a solid movie. More of a psych thriller with supernatural elements than strict horror, in my opinion. Good even on the rewatch. Takes a bit to get going.

I just wanted to say hi to all my new followers and welcome you to my Twitter space. If you’re looking for feminist horror, check out my stories on Amazon. Plugging away at my novel, bit by bit. Hope all my followers are well.

Hi guys and gals. Sorry, no horror movie review tweet tonight. Working on my novel. Mwah!😘

Pt 2- Love the feminism here & how the women were stronger when they banded together. Great girl talk scenes. Loved that this was a story about older women and not spring chickens. Some cruel streaks here regarding Felicia's character & other characters towards the end.

The Witches of Eastwick. Fun movie overall. Memorable scenes. Wonderful cast. Jack Nicolson, in my opinion, had too much screen time. He was such a repulsive character. Creepy, fun, entertaining & suspenseful. Women are more powerful than men give us credit for.

Pt 3-Triggers abound in Part 1, when they’re crossing the border. Be careful. Triggers: rape, attempted rape, pregnancy from rape, contraception vs. religion, constant state of fear of rape surrounded by the worst men imaginable. Terrifying mindscape for women & children.

Pt 2- Be wary about Part 1 when they’re crossing the border, if you are easily triggered. If so, skip to the technicolor town with Barbara Crampton. Opening credits ruin the mystery but it’s the powerful ending that’s the whole point. Part 1 should have been told in flashbacks.

Culture Shock. Welcome political commentary that’s effective & chilling. Start with Part 2 when they’re already in Cape Joy. Shades of the Twilight Zone. Good mystery, creepy townsfolk. Suspenseful and something to see. Powerful storytelling.

Pt 2-Difficult to get through. Constant state of dread. Shelley only gets creepier. Thought I was going to see Single White Female and I got Saw. Whoops! Solid, chilling ending but the journey there was not worth it.

The Cleaning Lady. Want my money back. Nauseated. Hell no! Not my kind of horror at all. Don’t recommend unless you like extreme horror. If you do, this delivers. If not, run now. Dark, disturbing, brutal, twisted movie with no saving grace. Really shook me.

The Remains. Wow, this is terrible! A real clunker. Avoid this one! Boring, slow, & so tame. Could sleep through it & you wouldn't miss a thing. Dialogue goes nowhere & reveals nothing. Characters are all caricatures & the acting's wooden. No saving grace.

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June 2019

April 2019

June 2019

The Limehouse Golem. Hell of a story! Top-notch cast. Shades of Jack the Ripper. Olivia Cooke was amazing! Very dark & engrossing mystery. Rich character development but at the cost of the pacing. What a grand finale! Strong ending! Trigger warnings: rape, abuse & child abuse.

Pt 2- Your only incentive to watch further is if you paid for t

Pt 2- Your only incentive to watch further is if you paid for this flick. Terrible, laughable special effects. The ending, while interesting, doesn't save this clunker. Trigger warning: stillborn death at around 8 months & suicide.

Isabelle. Save me from bad horror. A Debby Downer to end all Debby Downers. The horror is in what the characters have to get through. The supernatural aspect is ridiculous & not scary. Stilted & cruel plot, boring characters, strange edits & subpar storyline.

Pt 2-The school antics, the bullying, the puerile jokes, the constant criticism of elite British private schools & the class struggle took up too much of the movie. Great casting but actors underutilized. Ending was ridiculous.

Slaughterhouse Rulz. A glacier moves faster than this movie. Went on & on. Couldn’t wait to get to the end. None of the promised horror or comedy one would expect given the trailer. Heavy handed eco terror message about fracking.

Assimilate. Nice opening scene. Takes "Body Snatchers" & creates its own story with it. Fun, exciting & engrossing ride. Realistic setting & great backdrop for the horror. Loved the documentary angle. Nice special effects. Loved the slow build as the town changes. Great ending

Pt 2- Murders are off screen. The blood-soaked library scene was perfect. Wanted more of that. Too much talk of suicide, death & grief. Why add the bit about the teacher? Why the attempted assault? Wonderful ending. Wish the ride there was more entertaining.

The Moth Diaries. Too character focused on teen melodrama to offer any substantial chills. Inspired by gothic horror which the narration fits in with. Everything's too subtle, too dialogue based. Liked the focus on female friendship but the horror is in the background.

Pt 2- Time jumps mask pacing problems. Some exciting & tense scenes. Quite emotional in some parts. Long drawn out ending. Interesting comment on humanity in who gets to live, die, or become a "monster." Nice overall message about hope. Wonderful ending

Bird Box. Finally saw it. Bit torn on my overall feelings. Lacking in some parts. Came for horror, left with feels. Hardly any world building or explanations offered. Compelling character-driven story though. Goes from 0 to 100 which makes it unpredictable.

Pt 2- Story is in a world all its own, outside of time. The villagers are so cruel & terrifying I'd join the protagonists as a shut in. The mystery, while obvious, isn't the whole story. Definitely worth a watch. Based on the book by Shirley Jackson.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Not horror exactly, more like a gothic psychological thriller. Slow moving character study of deeply flawed, damaged, tragic & possibly psychotic characters. Original, powerful scenes, wonderful actors, great dialogue, colors & sets.

Good Omens. Reccommend this series. So addictive. Ended up binging it just now! Sorry for the late tweet. Tennant & Sheen were fabulous. Loved McDormand as God. Rich characters, compelling themes, exciting & unique storyline. Great dialogue full of sarcasm & humor. @neilhimself

White Chamber. Heaps of torture mask political commentary about a futuristic apocalyptic world. Explanations come too late. Hard to watch. Wonderful performances though. Plot is threadbare, political criticism doesn't go far enough & is too generic. Barely fleshed out characters.

Haunt (2013). Solid, creepy opening, but then it coasts along, barely explaining anything with hardly any creepy scenes. Ridiculous ending! More focused on romance than the ghosts & to what end? Frustrated with the jump scares. Interesting narration, however. Subpar ghost story.

Pt 2- Overly emotional ending that's alluded to in the beginning. Given the lack of characterization on one character, I was left worried about the ending & the future presented. Maybe that's the point? Felt incomplete.

I'll Take Your Dead. Happy I saw it. Very original horror flick. Big on ghosts, low on scares. Good mix of mobsters, ghosts, family drama, morality, dismemberment & home invasion. Rich character development for some & barely any for others.

Love "Tales from the Darkside," created by George Romeo. Will always remember "the Satanic Piano," "It All Comes Out in the Wash," & "the Devil's Advocate." Memorized the whole intro. Also dig "Nightmare Cafe," created by Wes Craven. Wish they were easier to find. Some great eps.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth at Wizard World. Goodbye Philly. Had a great con experience. Catch me next at Scares that Care in Williamsburg.

Pt 2- Tense & chilling scenes. Great idea, wonderful execution. Everything adds to the creepiness: the dolls, the whispers, the constantly changing environment, the music, the camera angles. Story keeps you on your toes. Emotional horror. Engrossing. Powerful ending!

They Come Knocking. This one's a winner. Absolutely chilling. Packs a lot of heart. Sometimes it takes supernatural evil to bring a family back together. Real emotions, realistic relationships. Has a "Stranger's" & "Babadook" vibe to it. Such creepy monsters

Pt 2- Love Judy's relationship with her husband. They are fierce. What an ending! Watch the credits for a few minutes to see an extra scene

The Crazies (2010). Chilling, intense, truly gruesome. Families burned alive. Not for the faint of heart. Terrifying. Tense scenes. A car wash has never seemed scarier. The real villain here is the army & their callousness. The crazies are a close second.

If you’re in Philly for Wizard World come by my booth C45 and say hi.

Pt 2- Ominous overbearing music much like the environment. Nature has never felt more threatening. Strong setting. Told in a nonlinear way so it may require a rewatch. Such a chilling ending! Recommend this!!

The Wind. Horror done right! Kudos to Emma Tammi & Teresa Sutherland for creating this feminist horror western. Haunting & effective slow burn horror. Gets creepier as it goes along. Effective & haunting film. Feels like Elizabeth, the main character, is telling us her story.

Masks (2011). Took huge slabs of Dario Argento's “Suspiria.” Good music but sounds too similar to a Goblin score. No character development, confusing motivations, slow pacing, disjointed, odd edits, nonsensical scenes, glorification of torture & emotional turmoil. Crazy ending.

Pt 2- Not 100 percent sold on this one, but I appreciate the characters and the journey. Twisty script, very unique visual style. Subverts a linear storyline with a do-it-yourself ending. Shades of the dollhouse in Pretty Little Liars.

Braid. If you’re looking for a traditional story and ending, look elsewhere but if you’re open to a madcap, blood-soaked, torturous, dark Lynchian horror flick then look no further. Kudos to the female director for making such an original horror flick.

Pt 2- A little “Fatal Attraction” meets Tinder. My only criticism is that the pacing is a little off & we’re left waiting for the answer a bit too long. A truly horrifying mindscape & ending. I definitely needed a minute after this one. It goes there and pulls no punches.

Bad Match. Breath of fresh air. Dark, effective, contemporary, engrossing, unique & powerful. A welcome criticism of swipe culture & meaningless hookups. Single ladies, karma's got you. Be careful who you swipe right for. Starts off tame & only gets crazier!

Pt 3- Good character development. Very abrupt ending. Recommend this one! Saw this with the BEST audience who were cheering, screaming & shouting at the screen. Truly memorable experience. That’s why we see movies in the theater instead of streaming. Sold out showing.

Pt 2- Every movement, every walk, every intonation betrayed his inner psycho. Creepy, lascivious undertones. Rest of the cast was perfect. Want scares? Look no further. Tense scenes – was holding my breath through some of them. Slowly builds to a dramatic ending.

The Intruder. Billed as a psychological thriller equipped with jump scares, a “Here’s Johnny” moment from the “Shining,” & a disturbing, terrifying, truly psychotic, performance from Dennis Quaid. So more horror than thriller. He WAS that character.

The Curse of La Llorona. Way too much exposition. Pacing is off as is the story structure. At its core, it’s quite dark. Shades of Woman in White in SPN. Has a creepy & foreboding atmosphere throughout. Intense scenes with the ghost. You'll never look at water the same way.

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix. A unique & very dark horror story. Hello torture. Blend of Hellraiser & Dilbert. Enter retail hell like never before. Sharp criticism of retail jobs, rich characters and tense and chilling scenes. Wonderfully mixed with ads from Orsk, the superstore.

The Kill List. Given the reviews, I expected one hell of a horror flick, but what I saw was a mess of a film – graphic torture, a lot of dead animals, horrible portrayals of women, cruel, meaningless storyline & boring scenes leading to a twisted sick ending. Don't recommend!!

House of the Witch. So terrible! Bad acting & terrible dialogue! Boring. No characterization so I didn't care about the characters. Overly gruesome. Clichéd and banal haunted house story. A few creepy scenes but nothing original here. Give this one a wide berth! Save yourself!

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May 2019

April 2019

June 2019

Mine as well. Took a bit of a break from Tumblr, but have been known as the Queen of Hell. Wrote a lot of fics about him. Bought the mug on Redbubble.

Lifechanger. Wonderful use of really creepy narration, great opener. Inside the mind of a deeply flawed and tragic character. Unique, body horror flick. Nice special effects, not overly gru

Mine as well. Took a bit of a break from Tumblr, but have been known as the Queen of Hell. Wrote a lot of fics about him. Bought the mug on Redbubble.

Lifechanger. Wonderful use of really creepy narration, great opener. Inside the mind of a deeply flawed and tragic character. Unique, body horror flick. Nice special effects, not overly gruesome, acting is OK, but it’s the story that grips you. Not sold on the ending.

The movie is about Sutter Cane and what his books do to people so to me this counts."In the Mouth of Madness." The tagline is, "Lived any good books lately?" A close second would be "Secret Window."

No problem. Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite authors. Enjoy. And while we're on the topic on suggesting good books, check out mine, "A Fine Day for Murder," and "Into the Dark."

It would have to be a tie between “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” and “The Illustrated Man," both by Ray Bradbury. When he writes horror, he really commits.

OMG! I’m so excited for you hun! I can't wait. You know I’m buying a copy, girl. I wish you so much luck with this series. Know it's gonna be kickass. If you need any help with your website or anything don’t hesitate to reach out. So happy we met at RavenCon!

Pt 3- Deaths are so gruesome; I nearly threw up on myself. Live dissection on a woman and torture that lasts minutes. Ending is absolutely ridiculous. Worst explanation ever! Interesting message that no one is innocent, everyone does something bad, everyone hates someone else.

Pt 2-Despite the welcome social commentary, the season falls apart. Horrible characters, caricatures for a reason but difficult to watch. The worst parts of humanity displayed continuously. A nightmare world that makes you want to be a hermit in the woods.

Slasher S3. One hell of a mess. Horror as a vehicle for social commentary. Central themes of hatred. Culturally aware slasher. Nice comment on social media, vblogs & the pervasive underlying hatred in the world today.

Nope. Horror movies are meant to scare not nauseate with torture or mutilation, etc. I write horror stories & never have resort to that. Heard of both of those & never want to see them or Hostel or anything with cannibalistic hillbillies or rape revenge. All not my horror.

The Perfection. Netflix, what’s wrong with you? Should be ashamed! Child abuse, rape, constant mutilation. Disgusting, sick film not worth anyone’s time. Nauseating ending. The true horror here is that the film was made & those actors wanted in. Difficult to watch throughout.

Check out my website for my appearances, my interviews, a dark Spotify playlist and some of my horror photography. Both of my books, "A Fine Day for Murder," and "Into the Dark," are available for purchase on Amazon. Welcome to the dark. :D

Check out the interview I had with Maddie M. White. She asked such wonderful questions & there's even a picture of me. Gasp! Enjoy. Look out for my next interview with author A.L. Kaplan coming out June 12th.

Pt 2 “The Accident” follows after & is truly atrocious, in poor taste. Calling all sadists to the front because only you will like this. I understand the symbolism & the philosophical nature of the film but with barely any character development, does the punishment fit the crime?

Southbound. An endurance test, painful, depressing and overly sadistic with only one saving grace -- “The Siren” directed and written by a woman. Very memorable smidgen of character development, good dialogue & a lot of creepiness that builds to a chilling crescendo.

Haunter. Haunting opening credits. Slow-moving story - be patient & observant. Psychological horror flick with Abigail Breslin, who's wonderful in it. Once you start to discover the truth, you'll see a very cruel undercurrent in the storyline. Satisfying yet sad ending.

Trivia: Masayuki Ochiai, the director, isn’t fluent in English so he used translators on set to communicate with the cast and crew. Because of this language barrier, he is not on the DVD commentary. This is his directorial debut in America.

Pt2-Trigger warning: referenced rape & assault scene. As with many horror flicks, the woman here is silenced and & her fears rationalized away when she voices concern and terror about what's happening. How frustrating!

Shutter (2008). Wonderful remake. Great intro, music, foreshadowing & cinematography for a horror flick. Enjoyed the investigation. Chilling scenes! Enough characterization for the story. Nice scenes of Tokyo. Scathing look at modeling and photographers. Memorable ending!

Monster Party. Horrible movie! In poor taste. Ruins a perfectly good premise. Choking on chauvinism & misogyny. Robin Tunney has barely any lines! Dialogue is terrible & offensive. Bleak ending, gruesome, painful ride, difficult to watch. Meaningless. Avoid this one. F

Bad Dreams. Strange retro horror. Blend of Jonestown & Nightmare on Elm Street. Creepy, morbid, slow starter, very odd characters, self-mutilation. Sick twist. Contrived & crazy ending. Not terrible, not good either -- somewhere in between. Very gory! Not bad for a 3 a.m viewing.

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death. Low-key psychological horror that's understated, effective & original. Slow, character driven story. Be patient with it, it's worth it! Wonderful use of audio here from creepy whispers to ominous narration to Jessica's inner thoughts. One of my favs.

Level 16. Sharp feminist critique! Truly terrifying dystopian society. Shades of They Live & Stepford Wives. Holds nothing back! Gradually builds to a gasp-worthy ending. Chilling scenes. Very affecting and powerful movie. Scathing critique on gender roles, beauty and obedience.

My Soul to Keep. So bad it’s funny. Good intro, nice artwork. Great music! Laughable monster, terrible makeup & special effects. No structure, very slow. Good twist, though I guessed everything. Awkward sex scenes, so many puerile jokes. Interesting idea but poorly executed. C-

Pt2- Wonderful world building. Reimagines ghosts in such a unique way. Good twists but what a tragic, convoluted & weird explanation. Wasn’t prepared for that given the rest of the movie. OK for what it is but I expected better. Not bad for a late-night viewing with friends.

I Still See You. The bones of a creepy stylized sci-fi horror thriller but it meanders too much. Structure is way off. Needed a script doctor. Too much talking, not enough action or creepy scenes. When it gets creepy, it’s effective but more spooky then chilling.

Broken Ghost. Don't believe the trailer! No horror or ghosts here. Clickbait "horror." No plot whatsoever, just disjointed, hollow characters doing ridiculous things. Very slow! Shades of Velvet Buzzsaw but that angle was never explained. Punishing & cruel to female characters.

Pt 2-Painful to watch. Characters all horrible people but fleshed out save for the killer. Twist comes out of nowhere. Explanation doesn't hold up on rewatch. Left with more questions than answers. Story is banal & pacing is so slow, a real snooze fest. Want my evening back!

Slasher S2. Complete and utter waste of time! Incest, rape, incessant flashbacks, a caricature of a killer who makes no sense, so much sadism it felt like I was watching SAW, and so much nauseating torture I was fighting the need to vomit all over myself almost all the time.

Pt 2-Loved learning about their darker sides. Chilling & truly psychotic villain. Enjoyable season but the ending is way too over-the-top and melodramatic for my taste. That town just can't win. Killer central. Poor cat.

Slasher S1. Sadistic & cruel beginning. Quick, efficient use of flashbacks for character development, some of the women's deaths were more sadistic than the men’s. Solid story, reminiscent of Seven. Good twists, good mystery, red herring, and quite suspenseful.

Pt2-What could have been a watchable & interesting premise was explored as simplistically & sadistically as possible. Great roles for females here. Cue the sarcasm. Avoid if you have any respect for women. Nothing novel or interesting here. Miss this flick, it's not worth seeing.

All That We Destroy. There are limits to a mother’s love at least a normal mother. Reminded me a little of Norman Bates’ mother. Sadistic, misogynistic pretext for supposed horror with a punishing ending. No saving grace. Difficult to watch.

Pt2- Only saving grace was the scathing criticism from the man speaking to Jack throughout the film. But it wasn’t enough to save this film. When did horror become an endurance contest?

The House that Jack Built. Horrified this got made. A movie for a true sadist which I’m not so I stopped watching after Jack as a young boy mutilated a young duck. Went way too far. The murders are too realistic, it’s so depressing & sadistic.

Pt2- Music was way too obvious & heavy handed for my taste. We should know by now - never buy used items in garage sales! Seriously, always buy new. Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan were perfect in this. If you like possession/exorcism flicks, give it a go.

Possession. Big on the family drama, low on the chills. When it gets creepy, its effective and quite original for an exorcism movie which is saying something. Good layer of storytelling to add the strained relationship with the divorced parents.

Pt 2-Odd behavior from the grandparents does not equal a horror flick. What could have been a chilling revelation was handled poorly and anticlimactically. The tonality of the ending was all wrong. Ended on a family drama and rap song. What was he thinking?!

The Visit. This film has an identity crisis. A thriller trying to be a horror flick and failing miserably. Movie lagged terribly; fight scenes were ridiculous. No scary scenes, no persistent state of dread. Calling this horror might be misnomer. Juvenile attempt at scares.

Thriller UK S1 Ep2. Creepy even though it was made in ’73. Interesting conception of ghosts, madness, haunting & possession. Slow but not too slow. Very tame on violence. No blood or gore. Bit stereotypical in gender roles but that’s not surprising given the time. Chilling ending.

Pt2- Not a very fun viewing experience overall. Steller cast. Interesting, oddly hopeful ending that doesn’t quite match the tone of the film.

The Silence. Damn cave spelunkers create the apocalypse! Interesting premise, rich characters & acting, great beginning. Liked seeing how different people reacted to the threat. Could have done with more action. Long drawn out deaths, some painful scenes, poor dog.

Creep. Not creepy till the end. Good albeit predictable ending. Movie mostly has socially awkward & wtf moments. No real plot, just strange scenes thrown together. Hinges on the ending, which is good, but it's not a fun watch getting there. Hope to never meet a guy like him.

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April 2019

Pt 2- Thrown into a story that takes forever to tell with no insight into anyone. Didn’t care about the characters or know much about them. Awkward dialogue, strange unrealistic characters & wasted scenes spent on disavowing the supernatural baddie. Terrible attempt at horror.

Mercy Black. Perfect example of what NOT to do in a horror flic

Mercy Black. Perfect example of what NOT to do in a horror flick. Why bother telling a complete story with rich characters when you can just have creepy scenes & hollow characters? Ridiculous, frustrating ending. Rip off of Slender Man and a Tulpa from SPN. Nothing original here.

If you're in the DC area this weekend come by my table at Awesome Con.

Pt2- You’ll never think about the word “marvelous” the same way again. The ending is truly chilling and stays in your mind.

Thriller UK S1 Ep3. Has the structure of a modern horror movie save for the slow pacing, the insufferable sexism & gender stereotypes. Hello pushy men! Poor cat. Good foreshadowing. Murders off camera, a smidgen of blood & no gore but still effective.

The Open House. Plot? What plot. A glacier moves faster than this movie! Torture at the end for no reason whatsoever. Dialogue painful at times. Ending is predictable. There's only one possible answer. Never know why the villain does all this. Poorly structured & executed.

Pt 2-Aside from its failings, I enjoyed seeing strong women persevering and kicking ass! Loved Sabrina’s Dark Phoenix moment. Beware the power of a repressed woman. Great theme throughout. The last ep was pretty awesome notwithstanding my feelings overall of S2. Hopeful for S3.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina S2. Not as fun as S1 sadly. Lost its way. Melancholy, sadistic, too much torture & cruelty & way too much misogyny. Too heavy handed & pervasive for a fantasy TV show I watch to escape the real world, which is full of pervasive misogyny.

Pt 2- Jensen Ackles is in it. The acting is solid. It's a horror movie that delivers in that it makes you squirm, creeps you out, and constantly puts you in a state of unease. Solid B horror movie entertainment. Take note of the warnings.

Devour. Hella disturbing. Incest warning! Ending is haunting, shocking & will make you uncomfortable. Starts off with hunting and taking apart an animal. Female characters are unexplored stereotypes. Slow burn into a horrifying conclusion.

The Last Showing. Coulda been so much better. Love Robert Englund, the meta & self-referential construct here, but not the choices made. Too sadistic, difficult to watch. One torture scene & one scene where the villain makes the lead actress think she was raped but wasn't. WTF!!!

Pt2- Creepy from the get-go. Tame, off-screen murders. Oh, the sarcasm here! Very Buffyesque. Great main character - she’s a badass! Juliet from Psych is here, too. Great ending.

I’ve Been Waiting for You. I know it’s a TV movie slasher based on a Lois Duncan novel but it’s an enjoyable watch, a good story, has great characters, a lot of twists, & some mystery to make it interesting. On Youtube. Captured my attention and held it, which isn't an easy task.

Pt2-Squanders its potential early. Constant state of tension & unease but does nothing with it. Missed its mark. No emotional resonance so when the chilling ending comes, it falls flat. Feels incomplete. Be better as a short.

The Hole in the Ground. Terrible execution from lighting so dark I barely made out the end, to painfully loud jarring noise and off-screen violence. An explanation? A mythos? Nothing! Never see the monster, just hear sounds & see flashes of odd bone structure. Banal & tame.

Beyond the Gates. Takes a while to get going but once it does, it’s an enjoyable, bloody, slightly torturous ride till the end. Hello intestines. Great riddles. Ridiculous, cheesy ending though. OMG! No! Retro horror. Jumanji for horror lovers. Never knew VCR board games existed.

Havenhurst. Hell, no even if Julie Benz is in it. Unless you like gruesome horror, give it a pass. Depressing and way too sadistic for me. Whole movie's a trigger warning: child death, attempted child sexual assault, gruesome nauseating torture with a lingering camera.

Pt 2- Nothing new added or changed to the mythos. Characters hollow & I'm not invested in them. Vampirism's a boy’s club? Good to know. Hardly any females: one vilified vamp, one woman used by vamps & several victims. Why not have a female vamp roomie? Left me wanting.

What We Do in the Shadows. Expected more. Love the idea of a vamp mockumentary but not the bland storyline. Scratches the surface. Would have been nice to delve into their psyches or find out more about the vampire culture, the Vampire Society or the undead community.

Pt2- First half works but when the shift happens, it loses its footing. Too much story, too many subplots, too much revenge for the pacing to handle. Somber, uncomfortable, and depressing second half. Ending just comes with no resolution or consequences. Feels hollow & cheap

Look Away. Unique idea, complex characters, great acting, loved the visual style. Compelling story. Scathing view of a dysfunctional family & the claustrophobic world Maria lives in. Intense, heavy & layered. The horror here is psychological, no monsters, no jump scares.

Pt2- Cheesy monster at the end. But it delivers. You want scary, you got it. Not bad for a 2am viewing.

Mirrors. Plot? What plot? Scares? Hell, yes. Effective horror flick with memorably chilling scenes. Drags in the middle. One person’s death is horribly torturous & nauseating. The investigation livens up an otherwise empty plot. The explanation is eyeroll worthy though.

I had an amazing time at Ravencon2019. Met some awesome peeps. Nikole McDonald-Jones, @thedragonsroost @Stormraven24 @alkaplanauthor @JasonFailFlix Logan Beard. You guys and gals rock. Let’s keep in touch.

Pt2-Effective jump scares. Love the mythos here. What an ending! Talk about a cliffhanger. Some flashing lights towards the end so epileptics be careful.

Insidious. Delivers. Tenfold. So powerful, chilling and inventive that it sparked a series and a whole connected world of films. Music is effective & haunting. Slow burn, the horror builds & crescendos at the end with “The Further.” Great characters, unique storytelling.

Pt2- Great concept for the killer, making him visible to the blind but “invisible” to people who can see and even to the viewer up to the end. Trigger warning: Small bit of torture & 1 scene of attempted sexual assault. Both are short and cut quickly.

Julia’s Eyes. What a powerful & effective horror flick with an interesting crime aspect & one psychotic killer. Top-notch. Chilling & suspenseful. Loved it. Holds your attention. Starts off right; creepy atmosphere with a murder. Makes wonderful use of POV camera.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. A very meta & inventive slasher. Appreciate the originality of it. Interesting world created here. Love the analysis, deconstruction & sharp criticism of slashers, the why he kills & the vocab used here. Not sold on the ending.

Pt 2-Despite its flaws, it delivers as a horror flick. Nice chilling twist at the end. Love the magnitude of this horror. Forget a Zombie apocalypse, pray you never meet yourself.

Us. Effective horror flick. Original, scary, memorable, great characters & gruesome deaths. Enjoyable to watch but when you think about it too closely, it falls apart. Too many plot holes & the concept isn’t fully realized. Scratches the surface of a wonderful idea.

April Fool’s Day (1986). Motley group of semi-fleshed out characters. Dialogue is OK. Very slow, gotta be patient. Clever pranks. Tame, retro horror flick. Interesting premise, frustrating ending. Film didn’t grab me. Bit too gimmicky. Great way to celebrate April Fool's though.

Today’s my birthday so no tweet reviews for today but tune in tomorrow. Celebrating with friends and my King today. Mwah to all my followers. XOXO -Lexie

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March 2019

February 2019

April 2019

Nine Dead. A fun and thrilling ride to figure out the reason why they were there and man, was it a good one! Love me some revenge. Then it went downhill. Ending fell flat and seemed forced. Didn't agree with how one of the characters was handled, maligned with no real motivation.

Identity. Part slasher, part mystery, very original story. A

Identity. Part slasher, part mystery, very original story. Although the use of “whore” may have been necessary, the constant repetition of the word was too much. Wish there were more female characters here. Great cast. Given its short-comings, it was still an enjoyable watch.

Been a while since I got this bothered, you’re right. Thanks for following my tweets so closely. Hi @nic_calavera *waves.* An endurance contest indeed. When did horror shift from telling good stories to relying on torture, grotesque imagery & shock value? Miss quality horror.

Pt 2- Truly horrifying, painful experience for me. Insulted every one of my sensibilities. The idea of obeying orders & carrying out horrible acts in the name of authority is a good plot point but wasted potential with torture & disgusting scenes. Want 1 hr & 30 mins back.

Await Further Instructions. Extreme horror; harming a pregnant woman, letting them die, torturing your son & killing a baby. Meaningless drivel passing itself off as profound. Obviously, they were trying to make a horror movie off the Stanley Milgram experiment.

I’ll be at RavenCon 2019 in Williamsburg, VA, doing 10 panels (most of which are horror) as well as a book signing and a book reading. If you’ll be in the area, come see me and say hi!

Pt 2- Kudos for adding a secretly gay jock and a cheerleader who loves acting. Both are still a bit stereotypical and there isn't a ton of character development, but I'll take it. Ending elevates this from OK to good teen drama. Good motive and one psychotic baddie.

Deadly Scholars. High school can be murder. One hell of an angsty teen story that's more of a drama then a horror flick. Acting is OK. Tense scenes but not scary in the least. Love the investigation angle and the love story. Very emotional.

Avoid The Unborn like the plague! A lot of dead kids. Super depressing. Creepy, surreal and disgusting images. The plot is non-existent, characters are one-dimensional, acting is bad, and the ending is so stupid it makes my brain hurt. Ghost fetuses and Nazis? Save me now!

Dark House. Solid B movie idea but the execution is a C-. Sorry Tobin Bell, not even you could save this. His acting was great, everyone else was horrible. Monsters were creepy, I’ll give it that. Dialogue painful in some parts, & it dragged in the middle, kept checking the time.

Rosemary's Baby. Ep 2- Don’t bother, just stop at episode 1. Gut-wrenching and confusing. Leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. Tried to delve into too many things, too many subplots with no resolution. The ending is wonderful, but it’s a suffering to get there.

Rosemary’s Baby (2014). Yes, there's a remake. Classic film but I enjoyed the modern retelling. Episode 1 is something to see. Great cast, strong storytelling, wonderfully realistic characters and scenes, interesting premise and the creepy scenes are well done. A fun watch.

Coherence. What an original idea! Strictly dialogue-based & quite a thinker so may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Sci-fi, philosophical horror flick with a Twilight Zone vibe. Was a fun watch. What an ending! For the horror fan who's looking for something a little different.

The Witch Files. Skip it. Characters are 1-D & hollow. Pacing is off, the explanation comes with 30 mins left. Ending & dialogue are terrible & cheesy. Shaky cam is frustrating. Never graduates from teen drama enough to actual deliver real chills. The Craft did it so much better!

Cry Wolf. A fun, fresh, original, horror flick that stays in your mind. Not many of those. Sadly, not as fun the second time around. Hell of a ride the 1st time though. Great characters. Very psychological, bit of a thinker. Fans of 90s slashers might like this one.

Friday the 13th (2009). Great opening scene & then it goes downhill. Way too cliché, painful dialogue, needlessly predictable, unnecessary scenes that slow the film down and some really torturous deaths. An all-around ho-hum horror flick. Give this one a miss. Original is better.

Pt2- The ending, while it does fit and adds an interesting and creepy dimension to the film, is a tad banal in its simplicity. But the film as a whole is very original.

The Boy. Ridiculous premise, I know, just go with it. Quite effective as a horror flick. Wonderful buildup, chilling scenes, good use of jump scares. Great acting. Better with friends. Bela from SPN is in. Don't expect too much.

Treehouse. A rape revenge movie centered around the abuser. No actual rape seen, thankfully. A very #Metoo vibe here. It’s a good idea for a film. Very creative telling, but it meanders so much that it loses its strength and intensity. Then the ending is wonderful, great revenge.

Pt2-Some powerful scenes & interesting characters. Some episodes were better than others. There’s enough here to make something great, but this isn’t it. Lots of torture & sadism. Women all subjugated by powerful men & are used, kill happy, or evil. Ridiculous ending.

The Order (2019). Nothing original here. Good to see more women directors & writers - just wish the series was better conceived. The structure of the episodes, the pacing, lack of story arcs, stale side plots & painful deaths all leave something to be desired.

Greta delivers. Nothing as chilling as true psychosis and obsession. Lags a bit in the middle but was an enjoyable watch. Powerful scenes, great acting, rich characters, and one hell of an ending. Memorable. Beware: a dog whimpers and is possibly mistreated but definitely killed.

Pt 2-Despite the creepy, rather supernatural beginning the explanation's rather banal & offensive. A group of men using women to kill children just to prove a point? Save me from terrible writing, please. Where are the good horror flicks?

Distorted. Why are John Cusack and Christina Ricci in this horrible film? That's what I'd like to know. It's not worth seeing it, just to see them. A thriller pretending to be horror. So slow, could fast-forward half of it & miss nothing. Almost fell asleep.

Final Destination. Great idea, creepy slasher. Memorable. Fate's one hell of a villain. Great music. Suspenseful film. Good at foreshadowing. Anything can be a Rube Goldberg of death. Quite gruesome & creative deaths. Don't watch if you'll be boarding a plane soon. Love Tony Todd.

Pt2- Warning: references child death, constant talk of death & grief. Will and Kira run over an animal on the way and then have to put it down with a tire iron. You'll need a pick me up after watching this one.

The Invitation. Didn't connect with me. Direction was good, kudos to Karyn Kusama. But the plot was unrelentingly sad & painful to watch. A Debbie Downer to end all Debbie Downers. Wasn’t prepared for the gruesome, brutal ending.

Beast (2018). A tour de force. Moves slowly to a knockout ending that'll leave you breathless. Beware the darkness in ourselves. A character study in dark love & repressed desires. Great rich characters in a stifling environment. Powerful ending. Not for the faint of heart.

Boys in the Trees. Not really a horror flick, just using it as a vehicle to talk about toxic masculinity, sexual assault, & the dangers of popularity. Well-done! Packs an emotional wallop, not a happy film. Important but difficult to watch. Happy we're talking about this issue.

Calling all my Buffy fans @Scar_Winchester and @OlneyAtwell Here’s looking at you, kid. :D Buffy reviews starting this weekend every Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy Scoobies. Horror reviews all other days. Enjoy.

Unlike life, but similar to erotica and fanfics, I offer trigger warnings along with my horror movie reviews, so you’ll know what you’re getting into when you invest in a horror flick.

The Super. A tad short but the right length for the story. Quite original. Chilling flick. Some torturous scenes, fair warning. Acting is great. Val Kilmer is creepy. Ending will blow you away. Had to see the film again after I found out what the twist was.

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February 2019

Edward Scissorhands. A wonderful place to end the list for February- love inspired horror flicks. A haunting love story, poignant, sad and unforgettable. A dark fairy tale with a scathing view of suburbia to boot. Rich characters. Favorite of mine. A good choice for a date night.

Pt2-Terry O’Quinn is absolutely perfect here and so chilling

Pt2-Terry O’Quinn is absolutely perfect here and so chilling! Sound is a bit off on Amazon. Lots of subplots here to keep you interested. Intense and brutal murders.

Stepfather (1987). Powerfully chilling beginning. Talk about psychotic! Great retro horror. Family values indeed. Kind of fun to know from the start what kind of man he is. Great acting & music. See the original, forget the remake! Whistling has never been creepier.

There's a special place in Hell for male chauvinists. Happy to personally escort them there.

In college, I took a comic book writing classes, but I'll never forget my professor shutting me down every class because I brought up "women's issues.” “We only need to look at the artwork.” “Yeah she’s raped & pregnant but what about the art!”

Muses can be rather finicky at times; strong one moment and silent others. It would be nice to have a consistently strong muse and no writer's block. One can dream. Working on new poems and short stories as I tweet. :D

I love being able to share my ideas with people, scaring them a little and giving them a glimpse into my rather macabre brain. I love a good book and when I’m not writing, I’m reading so I love to transport my readers into the worlds and characters I create.

Pt2- The hotel scene is beyond disturbing! Lightly referenced child abuse at the end. Fair warning. An emotional ride. Great acting all around but Robin Williams steals the show. Good use of voice overs. Makes you feel something and stays with you long after it’s over.

One Hour Photo. Dark & powerful movie about obsession. Unforgettable. Bit dated now that everything’s digital but if you haven’t seen it, you need to. Creepy unsettling scenes to the max. Wonderful editing, camera work & cinematography. You haven’t seen obsession quite like this.

Pt 2-Light on horror, big on family and feminism. Perfect casting. The story is all about love in many forms. There’s something for everyone in this flick. Fair warning - the first half is quite emotional. Satisfying ending.

Practical Magic. What a fun movie! One of my all-time favs. A seamless blend of romance, action, witchcraft, feminism, and horror. The perfect date-night flick for Valentine’s day. Not too scary for your date but memorably scary scenes when they come.

Didn’t review that one so far. Felt that 2x16 "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," might be a better bet. Set on Valentine’s Day & centered around a love spell. Passion is a good choice but gut-wrenching to watch. Wanted a happier episode to review.

Good memory, hun. Indeed. That scene made him a bit more human. Let’s not forget how devastated he was when Faith was in a coma. Underneath his sassiness and evil ways he’s still a bit human. Wonderful writing that pulls at your heart strings & gives the baddies a bit more depth.

Dracula (1992). Overly dramatic beginning, yes, but it’s an interesting, emotionally charged retelling of a classic tale. Very Romeo & Juliet, big on the love story! An all-star cast. Great for Feb. Can’t go wrong with this one. That ending gets me every time. Great version.

Buffy 2x16 Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered. A strange yet memorable episode that’s very love focused and perfect for Feb. Set on Valentine's Day. In the words of Willow, "Sometimes love makes you do the wacky." Angelus and Spike make an appearance as well as Amy.

Hey Olney. I hadn’t really thought of that. I do love Buffy. Sounds fun. I’m still reviewing things pertaining to Valentine’s Day so creepy love, obsession, stalkers, etc. till Feb. 28th. But come March, I’d be glad to review episodes intermixed with horror flicks. Great idea!

Glad I’m not alone! Always love the villains. :0 It all started with John Shea playing Lex Luthor. I blame you - the Adventures of Lois and Clark! The Mayor has some of the best lines. Love his delivery, great comedic timing. Evil af but yes, I agree, you can’t help but love him.

SPN S7 Ep5 Shut Up, Dr. Phil. Not an obvious choice for Feb. but the gruesome deaths & all-around creepiness of this episode revolve around a dysfunctional love story. If you’re a Buffy fan, you’ll love the guest stars here. Very memorable, crazy, & slightly angsty episode.

Buffy 3x08 Lovers Walk. An emotional episode hinging on love. Has humor, great dialogue given by an emotionally vulnerable Spike, and forbidden love. Angel's in it as well. A win-win. A cameo by the Mayor, whom I love FWI. A very memorable episode. Angsty ending. Worth a watch.

SPN-5x14. My Bloody Valentine. Okay, not my favorite episode. Angsty AF & emotional. Gruesome violence, don’t see while eating. Some humor but it doesn’t lighten it too much. Does fit in with Valentine’s Day and is an interesting episode. Name’s prob for the movie Jensen was in.

Pt 2- Love the characters even if they were a bit cliché. Great story line, wonderful sets, super creepy Valentine’s Day cards! What more could a girl want? Looking for a fun slasher to cuddle up with? Rent this flick.

Valentine (2001). OK, we all know I’m partial to 90’s slashers & I love psychotic love stories, so boxes checked with this one. One of my favs. Literally love every scene. Some of the deaths are gruesome-looking at you, pool scene -- and some of them are just downright exciting.

I’m touched and pleasantly surprised that my last tweet resonated with so many people. You guys are awesome. Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope everyone -- attached or single -- has an awesome day today. Mwah!

Doing great, hun. How are you? Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m a bit miffed at Tumblr because they keep flagging my posts, even fanfics. Though they say erotica is fine, apparently mine isn’t. Nice to know. Working on more short stories & poetry. Started new compilations. Very excited

Amid all the deliciously gothic humor, there's a real emotional underpinning to the story. In a way, it kind of grounds the weirdness. Love the Addams Family, watched the TV show when I was a kid. Thank god for reruns :)

I will be honest -- I’m partial to the remake and not only for Jensen. :D I was excited that he was in it. I could see why he took the part. He did such a great job with the role.

Mine too. Cyber high five. Glad to know I’m not alone. My tradition begins with My Bloody Valentine and ends with Valentine. Two classic slashers. Love starting Valentine’s Day with a little horror.

Lucky girl! So jelly. Saw it in theaters in 3D when it first came out & was blown away. The 3D was awesome, clever, and really added to the scares. Looks like you had a wonderful time. People came in costumes? Very cool. Great picture. Thank you for replying Jane.

I’m right there with you, Angela. Jensen was amazing in it and it’s a great watch.

My Bloody Valentine (2009). A horror flick that delivers: realistic flawed characters, great edits, gruesome murders that happen unexpectedly, sex & violence, exciting scenes & a bit of mystery. Polished & stylized remake. SPN fans, this one has Dean Winchester. Loved the ending.

The Addams Family (1991). Great choice for Valentine’s Day. The love that Gomez and Morticia share for each other is inspiring. There’s a lot of heart and humor to the story as well as great acting. The story itself is a tad crazy but the characters keep it grounded. A fun watch.

Pt 2- Ending is frustrating, could have ended it in a powerful and more satisfying way but wanted to make a second season so it couldn't have a finality to it that would have worked. On the plus side, great music and at 20 mins an episode, they're very binge-able. Thanks Hulu.

Light as a Feather. Bit like Pretty Little Liars & Truth or Dare (2018). There’s a love story & body horror at the center of this teen horror series. Low on the horror, high on the drama. Great characters, creepy underpinnings, complex but doesn’t transcend the teen drama aspect.

You know me hun, love me some horror, not to mention slashers. Was surprised you knew those two. Gotta say, seeing Angel in a horror flick was a big draw for me as well. What a great movie and that ending…wow! My Bloody Valentine was a good remake as well.

Pt 2- Everyone is unlikeable and unrelatable. Never understood fully the how and why of the murders. Insulted my sensibilities. Don't watch it.

Velvet Buzzsaw. Definitely give this a miss! Violent, sadistic deaths for women who are caricatures set in a claustrophobic world. No insight into their characters. All rather cliché. ¾ an art criticism and 1/4 a horror film. The men, of course, have relatively quick deaths.

Hi hun. Great minds think alike. That's one of my favs. Yep, I definitely put that on the list as well as My Bloody Valentine. But they're both being reviewed closer to the 14th since they're very directly correlated with Valentine's day. :D

Single White Female. Some say it's horror, some a thriller. Whatever it is, it's good for Valentine’s Day. Another go-to for obsession. Always vet your roomies. Slow but steady into creepy. Poor dog. Really tense ending, very exciting. Great acting. Be careful who your bestie is!

Pt 2- Poor dog, that’s all I’m saying. Saw it with a great audience. Was an enjoyable watch. Wish I could have stayed to see it again! @vidalhoward Thank you for making a great one.

Prodigy. @vidalhoward Check this one out! Very effective horror flick. Hell of a beginning. The lengths a mother will go to. Great story, emotionally gripping & grounded scenes, relatable, slow build that gradually shifts into some scary scenes not just creepy. Chilling ending!

Pt 2- You know, I write a lot of characters like this in my books, Into the Dark and a Fine Day for Murder. Not a date movie but one for a horror fan to see in the month of February. It's on Hulu for free.

Down (2019). Predictable? Hell, yes but still a fun watch. Good main characters & backstories, tense scenes, great ending. Fair warning, things get crazy, sadism in some part & realism in others like peeing in the elevator. Crazy movie but it works. Not for the faint of heart.

Love me some Lydia and that is my favorite part. Such a great dance at the end.Thanks for the GIF hun.

Beetlejuice. One of my favs and an inspiration of mine. A fun, classic Tim Burton horror flick, perfect for a date. Who says you can’t have romance, laughs and scares at the same time? Wonderful visuals. Lots of heart, great acting. Love Lydia's character! Wonderful ending.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Zombies & horror are just backdrops to the love story. Good for date night, I suppose. Strong female characters who are slightly fetishized but do kick ass. Zombie parts aren't well integrated into the story, bit far-fetched & slow.

Fear. Everyone’s go-to for a psycho stalker flick for good reason. Not a great flick but effective. Starts off slow but goes to a really dark place. Not for the faint of heart. Mark Wahlberg is terrifying here. Such a wonderful performance. The boyfriend from Hell indeed.

Pt 2-The series knows how to tell a story! So much misdirect, I dare you to solve it! Doesn’t waste scenes with useless exposition but explains things through dialogue. Story lags in the middle, bound to happen given how many people die. Stick with it. Powerful last few episodes!

Harper’s Island- Hold on to your hats boys and girls, this slasher TV show pulls no punches. One hell of a dark storyline that given the reveal is twice as sadistic as you think. Such a chilling ending, psychotic love, rich characters, great acting, and so much suspense!

Pt2- Suck it up and see a horror romance flick! There are thrilling scenes, great characters and music with a wonderful ending. Such an emotional ride, so much humanity here. A perfect choice for a date. You’re welcome.

Looking for a date night movie on Valentine’s day but you only like horror? I know the feeling. How about Warm Bodies? A zombie romance flick. Now hold on, don’t discount it just yet. Bit light on the horror and big on the comedy and romance but this is for Valentine's Day!

Get the Girl. Be patient with it, slow in some parts. Crazy story, not for everyone, but I loved it. One of my favs. Romantic, funny, crazy characters, and an enjoyable watch. Definitely fits with Valentine's Day. The lengths one man goes to, to get the girl. Love the ending.

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January 2019

February 2019

I will also be reviewing two horror flicks coming soon, Prodigy and Happy Death Day 2 U as well as the Netflix movie that will out in select theaters, Velvet Buzzsaw. Stay tuned my dear followers. Tata for now.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d review a few horror flicks centered around love. Expect psychotic love, obsession, stal

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d review a few horror flicks centered around love. Expect psychotic love, obsession, stalkers, slashers and bloody hearts. From the obscure to the quintessential, enjoy.

Just like the main character, we're left to interpret blurry shapes & confusing scary images. The last half which is an investigation, doesn’t slow down the film. Interesting ending. Good acting. Not a flick that'll scare the pants off you but a good flick for a night in.

The Eye (2008). Not sure where to catch the original but this one was good. No lag in the storytelling, creepy scenes and a hell of a ride. Loved and respected the use of editing and camera angles to show the viewer exactly what the main character sees. It's almost all POV.

Love “The Shining” -- saw it several times actually. Loved the ambiguous ending. Great shots with the maze, thrilling sequence. Lloyd is one character you'll never forget and that place is so chilling. But I gotta say, I'm a bit frustrated with how weak the female lead is here.

Seven in Heaven (2018). Has a great premise, but the execution is terrible, the characters are hollow, the pacing is off, and you're left with more questions than answers. The different realities seem rather similar and most of the movie is visually dark and bland.

We Are Not Alone. A+ for an interesting intro but the rest of the film is a no-go for me. Slow starter. Nothing much happens. The scares were very low-key and not all that effective at least for me. As far as exorcism movies go, there are better. Not terrible, just OK.

You just made my day. I love writing these reviews, really got into it. Planning a special Valentine’s Day horror week of reviews. Thank you for your continued support of me and my work. Stay awesome.

Sabrina. Movie is creepy, and I wish I could have stuck it out till the end, but I couldn't. Had to jump ship. Too much vomiting black goo & the monster is ridiculous. Couldn’t take it seriously and the characters were too cliché. The disgusting moments outweighed the creepy ones

Straw Dogs. If only she wouldn’t wear shorts there would be no rape and murder? See how stupid and offensive that sounds? Yeah, well that’s the point of the movie and the argument made by said rapist. Really? And we just had to do a remake of THAT movie, right?

Exam (2009). On the cusp between a psychological thriller & a horror flick. Great idea, interesting execution, very suspenseful watch, a satisfying ending. What a test! This was fun. Love strangers in locked rooms trying to figure something out together. My go-to storyline.

Final Wish. From the creator of Final Destination. More character driven mystery than horror. Low on scares. Some solidly creepy scenes and great acting. Be patient with it, slow and meandering. Guessed the twist early on. Ending felt a bit rushed. Not bad, just OK. Didn’t wow me.

Wes Craven Presents: They. Not a game changer but a decent horror flick for a late-night. Pacing off, feels a little disjointed, probably because it's written by 10 people. Interesting idea & mythos. Forget the bogeyman, don't turn out the lights. Some ending!

Hereditary. Hate this movie with a passion. Movie makes no sense. It just strings together disturbing imagery with no plot. Ending nonsensical. Waste of time. Before the little girl gets into the car, movie is passable but after that, everything goes to hell. Meaningless drivel.

Excited about this Kickstarter. Book sounds awesome, can’t wait to read it. Check it out! Demons, fairytale princes, disillusioned princesses and a mystery to solve. The Grimm Palace Fairy Tale Retirement Community by Jessica Benoist-Young on @Kickstarter

Stir of Echoes. Realistic dialogue and conversations, great acting, great opening scene. Guessed the whole movie from the first 30 minute, but it was an enjoyable watch. Not scary, had a few creepy scenes though. Who doesn’t love a mystery even if it is obvious.

Static. Starts off angsty with broken, grieving people. Very emotional, wrenching film! Slow but stick with it until the end. A slowly evolving story. Much more fun the first time around when you don’t know the twist. Love the use of static here as a harbinger. What an ending!

Bedeviled. I like evil app movies. I'm always up for expanding the horror genre so I enjoyed the film. It's not a top-notch movie, but it's enjoyable and creepy and when in the mood for horror, why not give it a go?

Pt2-Brutal torturous murders to shock & disgust, referenced Nazis, so much dialogue it lags, half of which was in German, history & politics thrown in amid nonsensical images, ridiculous investigation subplot. Not worth 2 1/2 hrs. Stick to Dario Argento and forget this mockery!

Suspiria (2018). A mess of a movie. Not even Dakota Johnson’s amazing acting can save this film! The script was too lofty for its own good, trying to tackle too many themes, characters, and issues with no cohesion or central plot. The movie suffers from an identity crisis.

Triangle. For the horror lover who’s seen it all, check out this indie. A cerebral, emotional slasher. A clever movie with a great idea and a wonderful execution. We get pieces of the truth little by little until a rather shocking and tragic end. What an interesting horror flick.

Dead Silence. Want scary? Look no further. Screenplay written by a woman! Scary from the start. The Mary Shaw poem's catchy. Policeman character was frustrating. Love the use of silence here. Creepy dolls! A little slow but an enjoyable ride. Very dark! Not for the faint of heart.

Suspiria (2018) review coming soon. Stay tuned. :D

I caught “Hell Fest” in the theaters around Halloween and really enjoyed it. It's a blatant knockoff of Halloween but better. The ending is absolutely chilling and offers a glimpse into the killer's mind. The female characters are fighters and smart, and the acting is good.

Let’s Be Evil. Starts with an unexplained murder and heavy-handed social commentary about the education system with no follow-up. Sci-fi mash-up. Visually dark, slow paced, dizzying shaky cam, characters are hollow. The ending is chilling but doesn't explain why. Feels incomplete.

I love the new IT, don't get me wrong, but why does the only female character in the movie have to gain strength through victimhood? Why can't women just be strong by themselves? Why do we have to suffer first? That being said, the movie is a wonderful remake and quite scary.

Won't review any torture porn or as I like to call it “porn for sadists.” I expect more from the horror genre and don’t consider those films real horror. Torture should serve a purpose or explore a character's psyche. Torture for torture’s sake leaves me cold.

Fractured (2016).Odd dialogue and scenes, crazy ending. The twist is the only thing this movie has going for it, but you’ll have to sit through a badly lit, horribly paced film to get there. Not sure it’s really worth it. After the twist, movie reshows almost every scene.

It Follows. Gives us a new fear of having sex. Might very well catch a demonic STD. People say it's feminist? Maybe to some, but still uses the same trope and instead of criticizing it, promotes sleeping around. Sex will set you free. Bye bye, relationships, monogamy, and love.

You Might Be the Killer. Comedy is hard to do with horror. Over-the- top deaths, referential horror scenes, interesting premise, great characters like Chuck, pacing slow at the end. The dialogue saves this film. Ending is odd. Not a terrible film just OK. Better with friends.

Escape the Room. What a fun, innovative and enjoyable movie. Highly recommend it. Out in theaters now. Great opening scene, exciting ending, funny and realistic dialogue, great characters, one hell of a mystery villain, and a wonderful premise. Had me on the edge of my seat!

Sinister. This is a divorce movie trying to be a horror movie with Ethan Hawke. Barely see the monster, don’t know anything about him or why he collects children, or even where he takes them. At the end, the film realizes it’s supposed to be a horror movie. Too late for me.

Correction: The Woods is not directed by a woman Lucky McKee is a man.

The Woods. A character driven film with no plot, a nonsensical ending, weird atmospheric horror and a few creepy scenes. Too artsy for its own good. Enjoyable movie till the end when it tries to make a point and fails. Pains me that I don't like it since it's directed by a woman.

Woman in Black. Wasn't prepared for how depressing this movie really is. So many child suicides. Difficult to watch and quite morbid. That being said, there are some solidly scary moments but not enough to balance out all the deaths. Not worth watching. Skip it.

Pt2- Sometimes the film felt like several people wrote it. Despite being a subpar film with a terrible premise, it had some tension filled scenes at the end that were wholly unexpected. Overall this movie is terrible. The heroine goes to the hairdresser at the end?!

The Pact. Pt1- Dialogue painful at times. Didn’t grip me. Wasn't scary. Very slow. Couldn't wait to find out the answer and man did it disappoint. Reveal is just OK. Very bland, no frills, subpar, long horror flick.

Pt2- Some of the deaths are quite gruesome. While I love the characters, I was a tad disappointed by the ending and the choices made. While a very Joss Whedon ending, I was hoping for something different. An enjoyable watch for Whedon fans & horror folks who love deeper themes.

Cabin in the Woods. Pt1- No question this is written by Joss Whedon. Felt like a longer, much darker Buffy episode. Buffy fans you’ll probably dig this one. Great dialogue and such an original story. Surprising opening. Very unique!

Even Lambs Have Teeth. These lambs sure do. Calling all revenge junkies, check this out! The violent revenge gives Tarantino a run for his money. Amazing performances from the two female leads. Rape & torture happen off-screen, thankfully. Last 30 mins. alone make it worthwhile.

The Nun. What happened to telling a good story? Slow, too many jump scares over actually scary scenes, bad dialogue, useless exposition, tons of claustrophobic & visually dark scenes and a ridiculous plot. Save me from bad writing! Skip this one, trust me, you’re not missing out.

Pt2- It’s paced more like a thriller about a serial killer who goes after cover girl models -- like Playboy. There’s no gore or blood or any kind. The killing is all done off screen, hence it’s an honorable mention. I highly recommend it nonetheless.

Cover Girl Killers. Wonderfully written movie that seems fresh even now. Dialogue is smart, incisive, witty, and dynamic. Characters are well fleshed out and there’s a strong female lead. However, this is not quite a horror movie.

Happy New Year! I hope all of my followers had a wonderful holiday and a happy, and healthy New Year. I myself am recovering from an impacted wisdom tooth!

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Lexie Carver, a Horror writer. Poetry, Short stories, Photography

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