The Third Saturday in October
– (2022) – A convict who somehow survives a botched execution takes to killing in the name of revenge. Takes place in 1979, and while some of the décor is of the time, much of the technology and terminology are not. Halloween atmosphere is limited to minor embellishments, but the film’s heart is in the right place as characters have distinct personalities and a sense of progression is felt throughout.
Evolver
– (1995) – A robot designed as a game device goes haywire and starts killing people. A combination of Chopping Mall and Child’s Play that focuses on the dangers of technology aimed at kids that succeeds in creating a dangerous environment. It’s a bit drawn out, and could have used more gore, but the characters and their plights are just fine.
The Flood
– (2023) – Transfer prisoners and their guards hole up inside a police station in a town experiencing torrential rain. What this basically amounts to is cliché spewing macho men and women battling CGI alligators. While never inherently bad, this is never more that a routine monster movie with rotten dialog and predictable advancements. Assault on Precinct 13 meets Crawl meets a SYFY cheapie.
Two Witches
– (2021) – A tale of two young women who succumb to diabolical forces in their social landscapes. Well made from a visual standpoint, but the script needed work where characters and sensical plot points are concerned. Borders on hard to follow, and has a few horror moments that are hard not to laugh at. By no means bad, but there’s no reason to warrant a sequel setup.
Knifecorp
– (2021) – Four door-to-door salespeople find themselves in deep trouble when one of them offers knives to the wrong person. Despite a plethora of implausible moments throughout, this features enough genuine humor to nearly outweigh the slim plot. Fizzles out toward the end, but it always moves and always strives to entertain.
your a-z guide to obscure & classic horror movies
– (1973) – A presidential aide who’s bitten by a werewolf becomes one and terrorizes Washington D.C. Despite some minor brushes with the titular villain attacking random people, this moves at a crawl from start to finish. Free of blood, working humor, and an overall purpose.
– (1981) – A married couple comes to blows over another man and a harbored creature. Not the easiest to decipher, but the grit and grue command attention throughout the long length, as does the purposeful overdramatics. Incomparable strangeness.
– (2010) – Rapidly growing fish are making bad problems worse for scientists and soldiers. Attempts something of an assassination plot that doesn’t mean squat against the ridiculousness of the piranha scenes. A rancid but slightly enjoyable joke.
The Devil’s Rejects
– (2005) – A depraved family wreaks havoc on innocent civilains while a disturbed cop tracks them down. Follows a different path than its predecessor, House of 1000 Corpses, and as such is much more focused and absorbing. The violence is brutal, yet the despicable “bad guys” are hard to root against. A dynamic study of humanity’s darkest roots.
Deep Blue Sea 3
– (2020) – Global warming researchers come under attack from a mutated breed of shark at their floating facility. Has more fighting among the human characters than their watery counterparts, as shark attacks are sporadic and too choppily edited. An incredibly dull venture that lacks excitement and chemistry among any two characters.
Raiders of the Living Dead
– (1986) – Zombies are on the rise in a small town where young and old citizens aim to stop them. The characters provide a couple of lively moments, but nothing of unique interest ever occurs. Sloppily told and overly bland.
Headhunter
– (1989) – A male and female cop track a killer who decapitates his victims in the name of voodoo. Some enjoyable character interactions overshadow the unclear horror plot. The drama wins over terror, although most situations are cliched.
Slasher House
– (2012) – A woman awakens in a guard-free prison where serial killers compete to kill her. The concept isn’t bad, but everything that brings it to life is staggeringly self-absorbed. Riddled with pretentiousness from the dialog straight through to the overmuch mannerisms of the actors. Putrid.
The Toxic Avenger
– (1985) – A nerd is tricked into a vat of toxic waste and mutates into a monster superhero. Will never win awards for production or acting, but has more shock value than movies that run twice its length. A utopia of violent, low budget cheese.