On this day in 2025 (in Ireland), audiences in attendance of the Galway Film Fleadh were treated to the big screen premiere of The Morrigan.  Written and directed for the screen by Colum Eastwood, the film starred Saffron Burrows, James Cosmo, Emily Flain, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Follows an archaeologist who travels to Ireland to uncover a long-dead tomb. A threat is released and she will have to fight to keep her teenage daughter from falling under the control of The Morrigan, a vengeful "Pagan War Goddess.""

-- EZ

On this day in 2010 (in the U.S.), audiences in attendance of the Another Hole In The Head Film Festival were treated to the theatrical premiere of Satan Hates You.  Written and directed for the screen by James Felix McKenney, the film starred Don Wood, Angus Scrimm, Larry Fessenden, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Inspired from the golden age of religious cinema, Satan Hates You is a graphic horror film that tells the stories of a brother and sister and their personal struggles with the ultimate evil: Lucifer himself!"

-- EZ

From Google.com:

​Satan Hates You is a 2010 independent horror film written and directed by James Felix McKenney. It serves as a stylized, subversive homage to 1970s Christian scare and religious exploitation films, following the parallel lives of a homicidal maniac and a reckless, partying young woman whose souls are fought over by demons and missionaries. [1, 2, 3]
​
The film tracks Marc (Don Wood), an unstable man driven by violent inner demons, and his estranged sister Wendy (Christine Spencer), who lives a life of heavy partying and drug use. As their lives careen out of control, various demonic forces and heavenly missionaries attempt to guide them toward salvation or the highway to hell. Ultimately, their paths cross in a chaotic and unexpected climax. [2, 3, 4]

Produced by frequent collaborator Larry Fessenden, the movie is well-known in cult horror circles for featuring an ensemble cast of beloved genre veterans. It stars:

• Angus Scrimm (from the Phantasm series) as a proselytizing televangelist
• Reggie Bannister (also from Phantasm) as a supportive bar-owner pal
• Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) as a judgmental hotel clerk
• Debbie Rochon as a reformed "bad girl" [3, 5, 6, 7]

Reflections on Satan Hates You
​
Fans and reviewers appreciate the movie's quirky approach to replicating the exact tone of vintage religious cinema, rather than just mocking it. [8]

AI responses may include mistakes.
​
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462516/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan_Hates_You
[3] https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/satan-hates-you
[4] https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/27492-satan-hates-you
[5] https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2187199769/
[6] https://www.shockcinemamagazine.com/satan.html
[7] https://www.fangoria.com/review-satan-hates-you/
[8] https://www.shockcinemamagazine.com/satan.html

AI responses may include mistakes.
​
[1] https://www.facebook.com/neonrated/posts/its-coming-for-us-hope-from-master-filmmaker-na-hong-jin-starring-hwang-jung-min/1713579703456813/
[2] https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movies/articles/hope-trailer-highlights-utter-chaos-140000476.html
[3] https://theplaylist.net/hope-trailer-na-hong-jin-neon-september-2026-20260709/
[4] https://geektyrant.com/news/awesome-new-trailer-for-hope-unleashes-na-hong-jins-wild-sci-fi-action-nightmare
[5] https://www.indiewire.com/news/trailers/hope-trailer-na-hong-jin-1235204304/
[6] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/na-hong-jin-korean-monster-movie-hope-trailer-1236643087/
[7] https://horrornewsnetwork.net/neon-reveals-official-trailer-for-hope/

On this day in 1999 (in Spain), Goomer enjoyed its time in the theatrical spotlight.  Directed by José Luis Feito and Carlos Varela from a story by Ricardo, Nacho, Gregorio Muro, and Pedro Rivero, the animated film featured the voice talents of Jordi Estadella, José Mota, Roger Pera, and others. 

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Goomer is an intergalactic space trucker who lands in an unknown planet and finds it impossible to leave.  After a long intergalactic trip his robot assistant wakes Goomer - they are approaching a planet that shows signs of life. Goomer sees the possibility of making business and rapidly getting rich since nobody there knows his reputation.  Goomer hopes to become a celebrity as the first human to landed on this planet. But nobody really cares for him - at first."

-- EZ
​

Deep in the shadows of the attic of an ordinary family home in the Tokyo suburbs, something malevolent is stirring. When social worker Rika (Megumi Okina, Shutter) is sent to check on a traumatised old lady whose family have moved in at the site of the notorious Saeki family murder case, she unwittingly unleashes a cycle of terror that is transmitted via its victims further and further from its original source.

Arrow Video is proud to present a 4K restoration of the film that revitalized the Japanese horror boom of the turn of the millennium. Writer-director Takashi Shimizu (NightCry)'s disconcerting approach to plotting, unnerving eye for the uncanny details in the dark corners of the frame and an innate talent for effective jump scares so impressed Evil Dead director Sam Raimi, that he invited the director to helm two Hollywood remakes.
​
​Bonus Materials
​

• 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• 4K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio plus stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Introduction by writer-director Takashi Shimizu
• Audio commentary by film historian David Kalat
• Audio commentary by Sam Raimi and Scott Spiegel
• Alternate English dub track in 5.1 surround
• Haunting in Monochrome, an interview with Takashi Shimizu on the Ju-On films
• Being Kayako, an interview with Takako Fujion her role as Kayako
• The Evolution of Ju-On, a featurette with authors and Japan specialists Tom Mes and Zack Davisson discussing the cultural forces that shaped the series
• Through a Glass Darkly, an archive interviewwith Takashi Shimizu
• Whispers in the Dark, an archive interview with actor Megumi Okina on her role as Rika
• Fade to Black, an archive interview with actor Kayoko Shibata, who plays Mariko
• On-set interviews with Takashi Shimizu, Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara and Yui Ichikawa
• Deleted scenes with commentary by Takashi Shimizu
• Almost an hour of behind-the-scenes footage
• Ju-On True Stories, two ghostly true-life tales that inspired the films, narrated by Hiroyoshi Kihara
• Original trailers
• Image gallery
• Collectors’ booklet featuring writing on the film by Grady Hendrix, Jason Morehead, William Carroll and Lindsay Nelson
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative

​

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A woman looking for an end to her suffering, checks in to the House of Abraham, home to a mysterious cult that promises a way out. She soon discovers all is not what it seems and must plan an escape before it's too late.”
 
In all honesty, House Of Abraham (2025) might qualify as a misunderstand Drama.
 
While it’s been heavily advertised where I see as a Horror/Thriller, the truth therein is that it’s more an examination of evil than it is truly horrific.  The closest one gets to authentic Horror anywhere in it lies in a sequence wherein death guru Abraham (as played by Lukas Hassel) grins somewhat gleefully while underwater as he watches his latest victim / client Jonathan (William Magnuson) commit suicide in front of him.  The context here is that Jonathan – a young man who’s been struggling emotionally for some time over his involvement in accidentally killing others while drunken behind the wheel (I believe it was) – comes to Abraham’s retreat for the purpose ending his suffering only to realize he lacks the resolve when his time is up.  Trapping him inside a cage and submerging him in a swimming pool, Abraham promised to seal the deal; and Jonathan goes tragically into his Afterlife with the image of the guru’s grinning mug forever sealed onto his retinas.
 
Of course, there are a few more bits in here than gravitate toward conventional Horror.  Genre royalty Lin Shaye as ‘Beatrice’ arguably gets near the mark as she’s revealed as Abraham’s willing sidekick at the ranch – the kind of literally knows where all the bodies are buried – as she displays a desire to dispense a bit of punishment to those at the House who may not be entirely willing to slide peacefully into the abyss without a bit of assistance on her part.  Viewers watching closely might even catch a glimpse of the actress imbuing Beatrice with a bit of her own Jocasta complex: she definitely leaned in pretty close to seal the deal with a kiss only to find himself rebuffed by her surrogate son at the last moment, making her work here also something a bit … well … special?
 
But mostly House is the kind of ensemble Drama that finds life when talented actors and actresses are given a script to talk effectively about their lives.  Since Abraham’s day job involves privately assisted suicide, the script (from Hassel and directed by Lisa Belcher) instead recontextualizes the ensemble around why this particular gang has decided to call it quits (existentially!), giving each player his or her own unique motivation.  Shannon Khali Sykes) – Jonathan’s girlfriend – wants to join her beau in the afterlife, and she sees her death as nothing more than a kind of supernatural nuptials for the two of them.  Alex (Marval A. Rex) is a female-to-male trans who has finally realized that gender had nothing to do with his/her depression; and now he/she just wants it all to end.  Pierre (Sean Freeland), too, has seen his life collapse; and his resulting bitterness has grown insurmountable, leaving him with what he feels is no other solution.
 
And … then there’s Dee (Natasha Henstridge) …
 
According to her, she’s dealing with a diagnosis of Stage 4 Breast Cancer.  Like the others at the retreat, she’s considered all of her options and feels as if cutting ties with reality as quickly and as cleanly as possible remains her only alternative; and, yet, at each opportunity she’s clearly conflicted with what such a choice means not only for her but also those around her.  Very quickly, she becomes a bit of a Mother Hen to the group, arguing that these final exits need not be undertaken so casually.  As one can guess, this puts her at odds with host Abraham; and Hassel’s script rather predictably slow walks the audience through the conflicts.  Mind you: it makes for some interesting conversations, but that’s about it.
 
Henstridge is a good actress, and I wish that had been given a bit more to do here.  Personally, I think her career has been sidetracked a bit by her own beauty, and perhaps she hasn’t been given roles with enough substance to show truly what she’s capable of.  Rex does a particularly good job at handling the nuance of emotional disturbance: while there could’ve been more to what his/her backstory involved, it’s equally clear that – as a person (albeit fictional) – Alex lives life moment by moment.  But for what it’s worth it’s Hassel’s work here that makes House most watchable.  As the last self-help guru you’ll ever employ, he’s exceptional poetic and charismatic to a fault – perhaps that’s why his motivations are easily suspected by some – and his personal fascination with death itself vacillates between good-intentioned to downright psychotic in equal measures.  Where such a proclivity takes him is, yes, a bit predictable … but – snicker snicker – such is life.
 
Sadly, it’s difficult to discuss the last reel of House – without spoiling too much, let’s just say that not everyone is who he/she seems – and once these identities are confirmed it arguably throws off all Horror’s pretense, morphing into a rather dour melodrama.  In fact, some of what’s revealed suggests that … well … the lodge might well be keeping its doors open for future business … but under new management.
 
House Of Abraham (2025) was produced by Jump Rock Pictures.  DVD distribution has been coordinated by the fine folks at Abramorama.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are exceptional.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  There’s a surprising amount of content available here, including a commentary track, some behind-the-scenes stuff, bloopers, deleted scenes, and an associated music video.  Well done!
 
Mildly Recommended.
 
In order to work textually, 2025’s House Of Abraham has to – ahem – cheat just a little bit when it comes to the ultimate identities of its central characters; and, sadly, the surprise felt a bit cheap in the last reel.  (That isn’t to say that it doesn’t work; rather, it’s just to suggest that as presently all of it feels a bit … artificially?  Maybe even contrived?)  That disservice shouldn’t lessen the impact of screenwriter and lead Hassel’s work here because the man delivers a dynamite performance as the titular charming life/death coach whose managed to build his own cottage industry around suicide.  As Abraham, he’s the snake oil salesman you can’t help but grudgingly admire – but never trust – even though you suspect he’s robbing you of your immortal soul in the process.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Jump Rock Pictures (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of House Of Abraham (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

​-- EZ

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After moving to the suburbs, a young couple finds themselves trapped in an epic battle between their new HOA and an onslaught of monsters from hell.”
 
Every now and then, I – as a critic – am gifted with reviewing something that essentially reviews itself.
 
Hold The Fort – a Horror/Comedy that sprang from the minds of William Bagley (who also directs) Scott Hawkins – is the kind of no nonsense, middle-of-the-road production that benefits from knowing at all times what it wants to be and sticks to that gameplan.  In transplanting our young urban professionals – Lucas (played by Chris Mayers who seems to be channeling Conan O’Brien here) and Jenny (Haley Leary) – from the big city into the great American suburbs, the writers present the audiences with the quintessential ‘fish out of water’ scenario only to then raise the stakes when it becomes inescapably clear that their HOA (Homeowners’ Association) is hiding a dastardly secret.  Let it be known that home ownership comes with a price; and – in some parts – that price might be your mortal soul!
 
Well, well, well …
 
Apparently the reason that Lucas and Jenny scored such a deal on their new house is owed to the fact that it happens to be settled on a block which shelters some kind of interdimensional portal: annually, said portal opens up in all of its supernatural glory to unleash any number of hungry and carnivorous creatures looking to digest human flesh.  What the young couple failed to read in the fine print to their HOA commitment is that by agreeing to own a stake in the Gruber Communities one also agrees to, annually, taking up arms to defend the land of the living against these undead manifestations.  Then – in mostly humorous fashion – it doesn’t take long before the bodies pile up and our not-so-dynamic duo find themselves standing shoulder-to-shoulder with about as motley a crew that was ever assembled to ‘hold the fort’ – well … the rec center, anyway – from the spectral invasion.
 
What I meant above when I said above about how some reviews write themselves is just that: generally speaking, if one reads the premise behind Fort going in, then you’re mostly assured of what you’re going to get.  It’s a bit of harmless tomfoolery, all of it rendered with a healthy helping of salt; and only the inclusion of some harsh language here and there pushes this one into any controversial territory whatsoever.  In fact, Fort in many ways feels like a variety show skit, the kind of which one may’ve found in days of old on such programs as Saturday Night Live or – even more likely – Mr. Show With Bob And David.  It’s that simple structure that ties all of this together, from the kinda/sorta Looney Tunes foundation to the mostly predictable bits about neighbors having their own peccadilloes on display obliviously.  One of them day drinks.  One of them partakes of chemical substances.  One of them has a fondness for weapons.  And – you guessed it – there’s even the stiff-upper-lip HOA president who presides over the community like it’s his own personal fiefdom.
 
Because Bagley and Hawkins only went with plot mechanics they found absolutely necessary, Fort does come off a bit paper thin in spots.  Characters have no depth – or, at least, only so much as the respective schtick they’re attached to requires – and not even the glorious glowing pit is given any great measure of narrative history.  It’s this casualness that can and won’t be the film’s greatest asset: those wanting a bit more foundation to the foolishness will likely be disappointed with just how incidental everything gets handled here.  The sad truth here is that a bit more effort could easily have elevated this one to greater heights, but that wasn’t meant to be.
 
Now … let me add this for the uninitiated: I still had a helluva lot of fun with Fort.  I’m fond of projects that resonate in such a way that they can mostly be confined to one or two central locations – the lion’s share of the action is in the aforementioned rec center / clubhouse (which could’ve been bigger) – because they damn near require that everyone hit their marks.  When there’s only so much space for the action, the pieces need to move strategically; Bagley – as a director – keeps this one in motion well enough to hold up with its goofball sensibilities.  Though I would’ve liked a bit more, Fort still moves with great efficiency across its brisk seventy-five minutes … and that does say something.
 
Hold The Fort (2025) was produced by Media Team and Brodacious Films.  According to the supplied press materials, the film is presently available for digital purchase on such platforms as Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango At Home.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are mostly very good: like other Horror/Comedies of this type, Fort doesn’t ‘go for broke’ with hugely impressive CGI inserts and, instead, keeps the ghoulies looking affordable (at best).  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Alas, as I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
 
Recommended.
 
Clever more than it is cathartic, Hold The Fort (2025) feels like a variety show skit – a good one – that grew big enough to enjoy a life all of its own; and yet the script doesn’t quite know how to both go big and push the envelope with its sardonic sensibilities.  Comically, it winds up feeling not dissimilar from what the comedy duo Abbott and Costello did with Horror way, way, way back in the day (not a bad thing), with most of the ensemble ‘understanding the assignment’ and giving it their all when the opportunity strikes.  Still, another rewrite (or two) might’ve elevated the material a bit, giving the central story a stronger foundation – with even, perhaps, it’s own mythological backdrop – but it’s still a pleasant enough experience at its lean run time.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Brodacious Films provided me with complimentary streaming access to Hold The Fort (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

​-- EZ

Portraits Of The Apocalypse (Streaming)
 
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The film depicts a Buenos Aires overrun by zombies through four intertwined stories, exploring the outbreak's confusion, ensuing chaos, and humanity's fight to endure the impossible.”
 
Very late in the run of AMC’s zombie-friendly juggernaut The Walking Dead, producers put their head together in trying to figure out alternative ways to keep their franchise afloat.  From what I recall, their flagship series – The Walking Dead – was winding down; and the first spin-off – Fear The Walking Dead – was still lumbering along though not quite enjoying the same ratings the originating program had at its cultural zenith.  The network suits were ready and willing to invest in continued programming; but they – like the showrunners – believed that only by going in some different creative direction might the franchise recover some of the luster it had lost along the way.
 
One of the short-lived efforts was an anthology format: Tales Of The Walking Dead looked to explore several stand-alone stories tied to the wide, wide universe of television zombies but would showcase independent yarns of other survivors not already featured in any of the shows that had come before.  The idea was that storytellers could use this established universe as a backdrop, and the hope was that perhaps audiences would be drawn back into the property with entirely fresh perspectives emerging from these unknown faces.  Alas, the experiment didn’t quite work; but those of us who turned in – I was among them – were given something both familiar and uniquely all its own … and that’s mostly what one gets with 2024’s Portraits Of The Apocalypse from Boikot Films.
 
Like Tales Of The Walking Dead, Portraits rather quickly sets up a world wherein a zombie-like infestation has only began to establish itself in the world outside.  Over three different vignettes (each lasting about 20-25 minutes), the audience gets introduced to some small players who most likely won’t survive this world-changing event – there’s an almost aggravating sense of naivete to much of the action, suggesting that none of these folks have ever even seen a Horror film (snicker snicker) – and they’ve absolutely no idea about what to expect when civilization itself collapses.  Still, it’s this same innocence – call it an almost small-town mystique – that makes each installment interesting in their own ways.
 
Whether it be a veteran policewoman suffered a psychological breakdown, a disheveled elderly grandmother believing she’s trapped a rat in her pantry, or an emotionally distraught father trying to reconnect with his dead son via supernatural methods, each of these chapters both stand alone and fuel the central narrative of a world teetering on the brink.  Writers and directors Luca Castello, Fabián Forte, and Nicanor Loreti do their best to set the stage for each of their short films within; and each uses just enough space to make the Horror as small-scale yet authentic as necessary to the pawns caught up in the action.  Thankfully, each story deals with something reasonable relatable – a cop who wants to get ahead, a woman who wants her apartment rodent-free, a man wants closure over an accidental death – before indulging in the dark twists audiences have come to expect from any encounter with those reanimated after death.  Each chapter involves a healthy amount of blood and gore; but it’s all handled within the context of the story, never growing gratuitous or superfluous in the slightest.
 
If anything, one could easily fault Portraits for being just that: they’re so independent from one another that they don’t quite follow the same texture.  Our villains in the police story wind up being a bit two-fold; and the female detective rather conveniently engages in an almost The Lord Of The Rings Gollum-esque arguing with herself too quickly.  The fact that the closing scene really only embraces the over-arching theme – there be zombies here – feels a bit too incidental.  The apartment rat episode has enough substance that it could easily have been expanded but likely not reach the run time of a desired feature film: it also tinkers in such a way with its concealed and hungry critter to suggest there might be something greater than traditional walkers in play in this world.  Lastly, the distraught father seeking some kind of reuniting with his dead son introduced a heavy degree of – say – spiritual voodoo; and such practices – while perhaps culturally significant – rarely work in the way they did here in zombie films, suggesting again that maybe there was something greater at work here than three loosely connected chapters established.
 
Without knowing more, I’m left with what there is: zombies – kind of – are just taking over the place, and the future looks grim.
 
Portraits Of The Apocalypse (2024) was produced by Boikot Films.  According to the supplied press materials, the project will be available for digital or physical (DVD) purchase on July 14, 2026, from Cleopatra Venom.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are of exceptional quality: there’s no post-production trickery (that I noticed), and the scares are all handled with some very solid in-camera practical effects.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features to consider.
 
Recommended.
 
Because I’m admitted a big fan of anthology films, I likely enjoyed Portraits Of The Apocalypse (2024) more than the next bloke.  While it’s a smartly made compilation of shorts assembled around one narrative whole, the pieces don’t exactly align perfectly but are still close enough to give the impression that crap’s about to hit the fan and everyone needs to head for the hills.  Though there’s no one, big, shiny performance the action hinges on, each of the players definitely hits the note well enough for this one to sing in unison: I just wish what precisely was happening here – be it zombies or monsters or some kind of demonic possession – was a bit clearer.  Such is life … and death, it would seem.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Cleopatra Venom provided me with complimentary streaming access to Portraits Of The Apocalypse (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

​-- EZ

On this day in 2015 (in the U.S.), IMDB.com reports that i-Lived (aka I Lived) enjoyed a limited theatrical release.  Written (in part) and directed by Franck Khalfoun, the Horror / Mystery starred Jeremiah Watkins, Sarah Power, Christopher Mena, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A young online app reviewer's latest assignment mysteriously improves his life, but also starts to tear him apart."

-- EZ