Starring: Kai Lennox, Sarah Lind and Zachary Ray Sherman
Directed by: Joshua Erkman
Rated: NR
Running Time: 102 minutes
Dark Sky Films

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

Alex (Kai Lennox) wanders through an abandoned theater, searching for the perfect shot. We watch as he lingers in every decrepit corner, looking for his visual muse among moldy wallpaper and darkened shadows. He finds it. Moves on. Now he’s driving through an equally desolate neighborhood, scouting for his next muse. That’s how “A Desert” begins—and as time goes on, the narrative seems to elude him just as much as it eludes us.

Alex is trying to revive his stalled career and reignite a lost creative spark by going off the grid—leaving his phone behind, detaching from the modern world. That means he has no GPS, no lifeline if something goes wrong. And something does go wrong when Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman) and Susie Q (Ashley B. Smith), a strange couple in the motel room next to his, decide they want to become more than just noisy neighbors.

The problem I kept running into with “A Desert” is that it often feels like nothing is really happening—and I couldn’t bring myself to care much about Alex’s plight. I kept waiting for that visual cue or “ah-ha” moment to illuminate the story, to reward the slow burn. But as the film inches toward its climax, it stretches patience to the breaking point.

To be fair, first-time director Joshua Erkman throws in just enough curveballs to keep me guessing. His eye for detail is strong—each scene feels meticulously composed, even if we’re never quite sure where we’re going. The actors are so fully immersed in their characters that the chaos feels tangible and lived-in. But like I said from the start, the narrative is the biggest mystery here.

I might have enjoyed or even recommended “A Desert” if it didn’t feel like I was piecing together a puzzle with several missing pieces. Visually and performance-wise, the film has a lot going for it. It hints at a deeper meaning, an overarching point to the madness. But by the time the credits rolled, I felt like both my patience—and that point—had vanished in the dust.

Starring: Crispin Glover, Sunnyi Mells and Fionnula Flanagan
Directed by: Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab
Rated: NR
Running Time: 94 minutes

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Even knowing this review might lean negative, I thought to myself, “I need to write about “Mr. K.”” For a peek behind the curtain, sometimes I skip reviewing bad films. Why? Because not every debut—or in this case, every film—needs to be the defining highlight of a director’s career. Just ask James Cameron. There’s often value in unpacking what didn’t work, even if you never quite reach an answer. Sometimes, trying to make sense of a creative misfire is rewarding in its own way.

“Mr. K” follows its titular character (Crispin Glover), a traveling magician whose best days are clearly behind him. After performing a show where no one in the audience seems remotely interested, he checks into a once-grand hotel that, much like him, has seen better days. The place feels like a retired athlete being honored at a ceremony moments before being wheeled into a nursing home. What “Mr. K” doesn’t realize—until waking up after what seems like a peaceful night’s rest—is that he might never leave.

The hotel is bizarre. A band plays endlessly in the halls. Veins, literally, pulse beneath the wallpaper. The kitchen staff live and work in an increasingly distraught state of pure squalor. Mr. K seems like the only person not on some sort of hallucinogenic, despite offering no insight or solution to the chaos he stumbles through. The film itself morphs constantly, dipping into themes of capitalism, democracy, social class, cosmic philosophy, and—probably—other things I missed.

So what’s the issue? It’s not that “Mr. K” is bad—it’s that I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re the kind of person who enjoys films that you might end up loathing. I know when I enjoy a “bad” movie, and I also know when I don’t enjoy something that’s probably meant for a niche audience. “Mr. K” isn’t remotely mainstream, and its message might not be meant for me. But what keeps me from disliking it outright is that I want to tune into the frequency of people who admire it.

Glover, for his part, is no stranger to weird. For every mainstream hit he’s been in—”Back to the Future,” “Charlie’s Angels”—he’s also taken swings in oddball projects like “Willard” or “Hot Tub Time Machine.” Watching him play a philosophical, socially detached weirdo just feels…right. So I found myself constantly wondering if there was more beneath the surface.

So what’s the verdict? If I had to answer honestly: hung jury. I could just as easily rate this 1.5 out of 5 or 3.5 out of 5. I swing back and forth between the parts I admired and the parts that deeply frustrated me. Writing about it helped me process it, which sometimes happens when you sit with a film. Sometimes I circle back and say, “Throw this all out.” Other times, “Nailed it.” This time, I’m standing by what I’ve written, even if it reads like an incomplete thought about an incomplete film.

“Mr. K” is frustrating. It asks for patience when it has little of its own. It asks for understanding without offering clarity. It lifts itself up only to contradict what it just said. It’s a journey, and in many ways, it constantly challenges you to reflect on your own. Your own viewpoints. Your own framework for what a story—even a strange one—should be. “Mr. K” is shouting something. The question is: do you want to listen?

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn and Jay Ellis
Directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Rated: R
Running Time: 106 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 4 out 5 Stars

It’s hard not to think about “Pulp Fiction” when watching “Freaky Tales,” a genre-hopping film set in Oakland, California, during the summer of 1987. Both films feature several interwoven stories, a jukebox of killer tracks, stellar performances, and a nostalgic-yet-modern vibe. While “Freaky Tales” isn’t trying to rewrite cinematic history like “Pulp Fiction” did, it’s the kind of wild, eclectic ride that will light up packed theaters and spark conversations as audiences try to figure out how an NBA star, a raspy debt collector, a rap duo, and a punk show that turns into a literal interpretation of “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” are all connected.

Without giving too much away, the film presents four tales—each seemingly from different creative head spaces but all part of the same cinematic DNA. The opening story sets the tone: a group of straight-edge punk rockers decide that non-violence isn’t cutting it when it comes to Neo-Nazis. From there, we meet a rap duo trying to balance their day jobs slinging ice cream to racist cops with preparing for the battle rap of their lives, a debt collector who’s finally chosen family over dirty money, and an NBA star at a pivotal crossroads both on and off the court.

The soundtrack is key—it’s like a mixtape curated by someone with multiple personalities, shifting genres as effortlessly as the stories themselves. Does it all work together? I’d say yes, even if a rewatch would help catch some of the connective tissue I probably missed the first time. Do the stories work individually? Mostly. If there’s a weak link, it’s the rap duo segment—not because it’s bad, but because it lacks the bloody sting or gritty edge that gives the other stories their punch. The comedy is there, but the stakes feel lower.

While Pedro Pascal is the obvious standout—because of course he is—Jay Ellis and Ben Mendelsohn stand out from the background that they gnaw scenery from. Special shoutout to Ji-young Yoo and the late Angus Cloud, both of whom make the most of their limited screen time. The cast across the board taps into the film’s tone, embracing their characters’ quirks while pushing the stories forward. Even the cameos pop with a quirky, subversive energy.

“Freaky Tales” isn’t flawless, but it radiates radical confidence. It doesn’t just tell stories—it plays with them, shifting styles and tones in ways that might confuse some viewers but will absolutely thrill the ones who vibe with its energy. It’s messy, bold, and totally committed to the bit—and that’s what makes it worth watching.

Starring: Tim Connolly, William Hinson, and Emma Nossal
Directed by: Tim Connolly
Rated: NR
Running Time: 109 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

There’s an overused horror marketing line that always makes me roll my eyes: “Nothing can prepare you…” It’s usually attached to something so terrifying it promises you’ll need a change of pants by the end. But with “Black Theta,” I can confidently say that nothing can prepare you for how damn funny it is.

I say that because the trailer and poster had me expecting another paint-by-numbers slasher. Instead, “Black Theta” goes for the jugular—and the funny bone. Andy (played by director/writer Tim Connolly) attends a trauma support group, one of the few people there with some genuinely horrifying baggage. Years earlier, he narrowly survived an attack by a masked intruder who murdered one of his friends. Now, he and his fellow group members are about to find themselves in another nightmare: a murderous cult has them in its crosshairs.

Beyond its obvious homages, “Black Theta” feels like a queer send-up of horror tropes, packed with sharp one-liners that either made me laugh out loud or left a mile-wide grin on my face. Comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off, especially in indie horror, but the cast here nails it—balancing absurdity with legitimate horror critique in a way that’s effortlessly entertaining.

That said, the movie doesn’t just lean on laughs. The finale delivers the blood-soaked goods with a series of creative and satisfying kills. If I have one big critique, it’s the runtime. At nearly 110 minutes, there’s a noticeable lull between the setup—where characters are introduced and positioned like pawns on a chessboard—and the eventual slaughter. Tightening it up to a sub-90-minute runtime would’ve made the pacing sharper and the film even more effective.

Still, Tim Connolly deserves serious props. He acts, writes, directs, and (from the looks of it) probably ran craft services too. “Black Theta” is a riotous homage to slashers that somehow finds a fresh voice in a genre that’s constantly recycling itself. What’s even more impressive is that Connolly clearly has the chops to go darker, bloodier, or more serious in future projects. And who knows—maybe he already has. After all, “Black Theta” is his third film.

Starring: Kue Lawrence, Kai Cech, and Max Malas
Directed by: Daniel DelPurgatorio
Rated: NR
Running Time: 92 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

As someone pointed out during the Q&A following the world premiere of “Marshmallow” at Panic Fest 2025, director Daniel DelPurgatorio broke a few unspoken rules with his debut feature: making a horror movie that’s set almost entirely at night at a summer camp and a cast filled with actual kids and preteens. That would be a logistical nightmare for most filmmakers, but DelPurgatorio handles it all with a confidence that feels effortless. More importantly, he makes a clear statement: he’s a visionary horror director worth watching—and worth buying advance tickets for.

Morgan (Kue Lawrence) isn’t thrilled about his first summer camp experience. He already struggles to make friends in his neighborhood, and he’s carrying trauma on two fronts. Before the events of the film, Morgan narrowly escaped death, while his grandfather—the one adult in his life who truly understood him—didn’t. Now, sent off to camp without his emotional anchor, Morgan faces bullies, shaky friendships, a maybe-summer-girlfriend, and a potential killer lurking in the dead of night. But it’s just Morgan’s trauma feeding off an old campfire tale told every year, right?

With a pulsating score, expertly timed jump scares, and a mystery that unravels in clever, unexpected ways, “Marshmallow” quickly reveals itself to be more than just another camp slasher. It’s also a sharp, funny coming-of-age story. Morgan is instantly likeable—you root for him the moment he’s introduced—and when the bullies show up, you want to jump into the screen and defend him yourself. His friend Dirk (Max Malas) nearly steals every scene he’s in. In fact, it’s impressive that in a movie featuring Broken Lizard alum Paul Soter as the camp leader, it’s Malas who ends up with the biggest comedic moments. Malas is like an impressive opening band that suddenly has the headliner re-examining themselves.

Even though most of the cast is made up of kids, the film doesn’t shy away from violence—but it never crosses a line into exploitation. The pain feels real, but not manipulative. The balance is impressive: the scares and stakes hit hard, but so do the emotional beats. As the story builds toward its climax, “Marshmallow” doesn’t lose steam. Instead, it smacks the audience with a series of satisfying, genuinely surprising revelations that deepen the story and make us root even harder for these characters. For that, credit goes to screenwriter Andy Greskoviak.

Honestly, credit goes all around. There are so many horror films where child actors sink the production or where the filmmakers don’t quite know what to do with them. But “Marshmallow” threads that needle with textbook precision. In some ways, “Marshmallow” is a lot like last year’s “In a Violent Nature,” both offer up a fresh take on slasher tropes we know and love, while helping modernize a genre that sometimes feels like it has nothing better to do than live in the 80s.

Starring: Betsy Sligh, Amna Vegha and Erin O’Meara
Directed by: Ehrland Hollingsworth
Rated: NR
Running Time: 77 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

Why does anyone even babysit anymore? Babysitters have been horror film targets for over five decades, and in 2025, they’re still ripe for terror and mischief. “Dooba Dooba” peels back a new, modern layer of that age-old trope with a found-footage babysitter horror twist that creeps its way under your skin.

As far as I can tell, “Dooba Dooba” might be the first babysitter horror told entirely through found footage. The film captures Amna’s (Amna Vegha) horrific night of babysitting Monroe (Betsy Sligh) via a series of strategically placed cameras throughout the house. Why so many cameras? Because Monroe’s brother was murdered in his bed—just feet away from her—by an unknown intruder when she was younger. The trauma runs deep, and now the family uses the phrase “”Dooba Dooba”” as a safe word. Anyone walking around the house has to say it so Monroe knows they’re a friend, not a threat.

But once the parents leave and the babysitting begins, it’s clear that something is off. Monroe’s mood swings veer from endearing to unsettling. She acts strangely when Amna isn’t in the room, and the sheer number of cameras—some of which feel unnecessarily voyeuristic—adds to the growing sense of unease. The film leans into that discomfort, using the surveillance footage not just as a storytelling tool, but as part of the horror itself.

At a brisk 77 minutes, the movie builds tension smartly, blending glimpses into Amna and Monroe’s psyches with eerie VHS-style visuals. You’ll get clunky middle school PowerPoint presentations on serial killers, jittery archival footage of American politicians, and grainy imagery that recalls the last gasps of a dying tape deck. It evokes the same feeling “Paranormal Activity” did when it first hit—the sense that even though you know it’s fiction, it still feels real. Much of that realism is thanks to Betsy Sligh’s unnerving and excellent performance.

By the time the film ends, you’ll likely be left with questions—and maybe a few holes you’ll want to poke in the plot. But ultimately, there’s something admirable here: a film that proves you don’t need a massive budget, complex effects, or elaborate scares to build dread. With a basic setup, basic equipment, and a deceptively simple idea, “Dooba Dooba” manages to deliver a CCTV-fueled nightmare.

Starring: Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn and D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai
Directed By: Finn Wolfhard and Billy Byrk
Rated: R
Running Time: 88 minutes
Neon

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

First-time writer/directors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk (who also star in the film) have a tough task on their hands. In the midst of a slasher renaissance, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of much better horror-comedies. While “Hell of a Summer” boasts a fun cast, decent laughs, and all-around good vibes, it doesn’t stand out—especially compared to something like February’s “The Monkey” or the longer list of fantastic horror films screening at Panic Fest 2025.

The story centers on a group of teenage counselors at Camp Pinewa. Jason (Fred Hechinger) isn’t a teen, though—he’s a socially awkward 24-year-old who insists on returning as a counselor, despite the obvious weirdness of wanting to hang around teenagers while making minimum wage. When Jason and the other counselors arrive, the actual adult leaders are nowhere to be found. Rather than question it too much, Jason awkwardly steps into the leadership role while the rest of the cast cracks jokes and rolls their eyes—until a masked killer starts picking them off one by one.

Unfortunately, “Hell of a Summer” doesn’t give its characters much depth beyond standard slasher and teenager stereotypes. Jason has a love interest, but he’s too innocent and lacking in self-confidence to notice. The rest of the counselors deliver just enough personality to keep things moving, but not enough to make us care who lives or dies. Ironically, Wolfhard and Bryk may have written themselves as the film’s most interesting characters. Their Gen Z take on the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost or  Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg dynamics have some potential—it’s just not given enough to do.

Unlike those classic comedic duos, though, Wolfhard and Bryk don’t quite find any time or any way to elevate the material. There’s a missed opportunity here to deliver a compelling coming-of-age story wrapped in a summer camp massacre. The film is light on gore, plays it safe with its kills, and leans more into comedy than horror. Despite all my nitpicking, the frenetic pace at which the film moves kept me from thinking about all of this until the credits rolled. In that regard, I think Wolfhard and Byrk have highlighted a unique craft that combines a love of slasher with ability to create a comedic ensemble. I’d definitely sign up to watch their next venture.

I can see general audiences enjoying this kind of breezy, horror-lite romp. It might not stick with you, but it could be a gateway for someone to dive into the deeper end of the horror pool. And if “Hell of a Summer” can do that—if it convinces just one viewer to give the genre a real shot—then maybe it’s worth more than the sum of its body count.

Directed by: James P. Gannon and Matt Ferrin
Rated: NR
Running Time: 95 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

I’ve spent nearly a third of my life living in a small town—about 10,000 people. That’s roughly 4,000 fewer than the population of St. Helens, Oregon, the filming location for the 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown.” While some small towns, like the one I’m from, quietly move on after the credits roll, St. Helens has fully embraced its connection to the Kimberly J. Brown-led cult classic.

“The Spirit of Halloweentown” explores this local obsession by talking with St. Helens residents who count down the days to September, when they can don new costumes, run haunted houses, or dive headfirst into spooky festivities. The film focuses on several town personalities: a new restaurant owner grappling with outsider status in more ways than one, the self-proclaimed Queen of Halloweentown, a cheerleading squad rehearsing a zombie dance, a hometown ghost-hunting crew, and a woman who believes the month-long celebration is basically an open invitation for Satan himself.

There’s plenty to enjoy here, but the film has a scattershot rhythm. These people rarely interact with one another—at least not on screen—and it’s a bit disjointed considering they all live in the same tight-knit town. And for fans of “Halloweentown,” a heads-up: while the movie gets a lot of love at the beginning, it quickly fades into the background. This isn’t a deep dive into the film’s legacy as much as it is a portrait of a town that’s used its connection to the movie as a launchpad for something much bigger.

I mention my own small-town experience because I recognize the elements that made that part of my life feel unique—even if I’m more of a city person these days. There’s a kind of unspoken kinship among the folks in St. Helens, and a shared belief that the celebration, and even the town’s future, are bigger than any one person.cIt’s not Halloween that binds them—it’s the town itself, and the people who make it what it is.

 I love classic horror monsters. Universal Studios set the benchmark for the Classic Monsters that haunt our dreams with their string of creatures like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. My personal all-time favorite was Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf-Man. It was one of the few classic Universal Monster features that genuinely scared me as a child. The mood, the foggy atmosphere, and the idea that you could lose yourself mentally and physically to a curse always terrified me. Flash forward to today, it’s the perfect setup for the industry’s new-found love for Body Horror films.

After the thrilling exploits of The Invisible Man, Leigh Whannell seemed like the perfect choice for a new take on the classic. Our film opens with an overbearing survivalist father, Grady, taking his young boy Blake out hunting in the rural wilds of Oregon. There they’re attacked by an unseen creature that dismembers deer at will. After that tantalizing opener, we’re slingshot into the modern-day big city where we have grown-up Blake (Christopher Abbott) trying to imbue his daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) with the same sense of self preservation only without the damaging abusive intensity of his father. But life isn’t great with his busy journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) as they struggle to figure out how to best keep the family intact. But the opportunity to get away from it all arrives when Blake gets word Oregon is officially listing his long-missing father as “deceased.” Together they travel west to clean out the old man’s secluded farmhouse, but a deadly creature looms in the dark, shadowy forest.

I’ll give credit to Leigh Whannell and his co-screenwriter wife Corbett Tuck for digging up a number of interesting themes and ideas for their Wolf Man reinterpretation. You’ve got ideas of generational familial abuse and trauma. You’ve got ideas for marital and parental dynamics between fathers and mothers and breaking those societal norms. You’ve got ideas for true Cronenbergian body horror with an infectious disease taking over your bodily functions. There are a lot of good ideas here, sadly none of them really land within the confines of this ill-paced fur-less film. Also, where the heck are the actual wolves? The only setup we’re given is an odd tacked in “legend” text card thinly setting the stakes for this new take… but no wolves. But nonetheless I appreciate the effort because it was very atmospheric. At an hour and forty minutes, the film can feel excruciatingly sluggish, leaving you desperate for things to happen. With most of the action situated inside a secluded farmhouse, a lot of the plot feels aped from George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. “How do these people escape the inescapable location” and all that yada-yada. Instead of the suspense of a growing hoard of undead ghouls, our family trio is harassed by a virtually unseen lycanthrope as the father succumbs to his inevitable transformation. And when we do finally see our titular monster, it’s less of a wolf and more of an odd-looking hairless feral pig. Now feral pigs are f’ing terrifying if you’ve ever come across one in real life, but this isn’t Pig Man, it’s Wolf Man. This Wolf Man transformation is clearly going for Cronenberg’s Brundlefly vibe, but it’s far less harrowing and the brief timeframe for change loses that sense of tragedy. Christopher Abbott is no slouch when it comes to body horror and “losing oneself.” Having already delivered a terrific performance for Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor, he perfectly conveys a man losing control of himself. Matilda Firth is a solid little performer as Ginger, terrorized by the creature but more scared of losing her father. Julia Garner sadly is just miscast. She’s often appearing like she’d rather be anywhere else than in this film and when she delivers a second act soliloquy being anxious about stepping into a traditional motherly role, it feels like she’s just reading the cards than exuding an emotionally-driven moment.

As the film played out, I questioned why Garner was even there? If the main theme is about not passing trauma and grief onto your children, I can’t help but wonder how much better the film would have been if it was just the father/daughter dynamic without the mother. What if it was Blake rushing to show his daughter the survival skills he learned as a child, but with the focus of actually keeping her safe from the real terrors of the forest before he lost complete control of himself? Charlotte and by extension Garner, were just weak elements in an already pretty contrived wolf-less reimaging of the classic creature feature. All this essentially states that I was very disappointed by Wolf Man. I loved what Whannell brought to the screen with 2020’s The Invisible Man. That was a fresh, exciting, and sometimes terrifying take on the old material. Hell, even Upgrade was a suitable action-infused take on Body Horror themes. But something wiffed with this Wolf Man. I’m sure if this needed more time to cook at the script level or not, but it’s another in a string of poorly performing Blumhouse horror features. As for the video performance, I guess the best way to say this is when you can actually see it, Wolf Man enjoys an excellent 2.39:1 HDR10 transfer. “Seeing” is the optimal word there as often the image is bathed in virtually no lighting source with extreme shadows and black as pitch dark spaces. I missed this film in theaters, but I heard from many friends who did see it that this was an issue on the big screen as well and it haunts the 2160p and 1080p discs. A scene in a barn without any direct light source is a key example. Now you’re not supposed to specifically see certain aspects of what’s going on, the “wolf-o-vision” effect is supposed to bridge that gap in human and lycan senses, but it’s a visual trick that’s often more frustrating in the moment than it is effective. When you can see the film, the transfer delivers strong details and decent colors. Again, most of the film takes place in that semi-dark farm house without a lot of lighting so there really isn’t a whole lot to “see” – especially when they’re trying to hide the titular beast until the very end. That said, while I might not love the design, I enjoyed the use of practical make-up and gore effects. I initially started watching this during daylight hours, I don’t often get to pick when I watch a disc, but I found a lighted room a tough experience. Later at night I came back to it and felt that in a deep dark room, the visuals picked up a little more life. In the end, I’m left believing a lot of this impenetrable darkness is by choice and not necessarily a disc-transfer specific issue. As for the audio, there’s good news! Where this film and this disc excel is the phenomenal Dolby Atmos audio mix. Holy hell is this a fun mix! Where Wolf Man often eschews visual terror for audio-induced tension, the sound dynamics thunder away beautifully. When you can’t see the beast, you can hear it coming with impressive pin-point specific object placement throughout the soundscape. Sometimes it’s coming from the side, sometimes above; the track lets these channels mark its movements giving you plenty of immersive jump scares. As Blake slowly loses himself to the infection and his senses become more accute, a scene of a spider walking up a wall is dynamite audio! The LFE is rattling the subs with every eight-legged impact. The snarling beastly effects and the squishy bits for the body horror elements all enjoy a prioritized presence. The film itself might not be amazing, but the sound design and by extension, this Atmos track is fantastic!

On the bonus features side, this set doesn’t come with a whole lot of big bites. The meatiest piece certainly is the audio commentary with Leigh Whannell. He offers a lot of production notes and materials about the making of the film, when things were practical, when they were CG, etc. Even solo it’s an informative, engaging commentary. The rest of the production featurettes glean some interesting bits, but a lot of it feels very anemic.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wolf Man is one of those outings that I really wanted to like. I avoided trailers. I avoided the reviews. I even avoided a lot of opinions of friends whose opinions I normally trust. I wanted to see it for myself and go in as cold as possible. Sadly, I didn’t like it. I liked and appreciated a lot of the ideas and themes that Leigh Whannell and his co-writer wife Corbett Tuck went for, but something just missed the mark. You could get in the argument of too much of this, not enough of that, but at the end of the day, this new refresh of Wolf Man didn’t make me howl the way I’d hoped it would. On 4K UHD the film scores a solid HDR10 transfer that is held back only by the occasionally extremely dark cinematography. On the other hand, the Atmos mix is a real banger (literally) delivering an excellent wall-to-wall immersive sonic experience. The bonus features a tad thin, but the audio commentary is a good listen. At the end of the day, Wolf Man is another frustrating new take on a classic Universal Monster. I hoped I’d like it, I didn’t. It’s a curiosity and Worth A Look, but I wouldn’t recommend a blind buy unless you find it on a super sale.

MOVIE ⭐️⭐️⭐️

VIDEO ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SOUND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EXTRAS ⭐️⭐️

• SNOW WHITE  (2025)
• Starring:  Rachel Ziegler and Gal Gadot
• Directed by:  Marc Webb
• Rated:  PG
• Running time:  1 hr 49 mins
• Walt Disney

Our score: 2.5 out of 5

It’s finally here.  We’ve been beat over the head for the past year about the updated version of “Snow White” which was going to change everything you thought you knew about the story.  Of course there will be dwarves.  Oops, no, sorry, we’re going to have “magical creatures” of all sizes and genders.  Oops, sorry again.  The dwarves are back.

And it didn’t help that the actress playing Snow White told the press:

“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937, and we absolutely wrote a “Snow White” that’s not gonna be saved by the prince, and she’s not gonna be dreaming about true love. She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true. And so, it’s just a really incredible story for young people everywhere to see themselves in.”

These comments, and the whole yes/no dwarves controversy, put this film in the same category of “Twilight Zone: the Movie, where the death of actor Vic Morrow and two children overshadowed the actual film when it was released.  Sometimes controversy pays off.  Sometimes, it doesn’t.

In a land far, far away, the king and his wife are traveling in a blizzard when the queen gives birth.  Since the child was born during a snow storm, she is given the name Snow White.  (sigh)  That’s like saying Batman took his name from the fact that he liked to play baseball.  The new family spend their days wandering the kingdom, meeting and helping out their subjects.  Sadly, the queen passes away and the king, lonely for female companionship, the king takes a new bride (Gadot in all of her epic wickedness), a woman whose vanity forces her to constantly question her magic mirror as to her status as the most beautiful, or fairest, of them all.  She gives young Snow White (Emilia Faucher) a really bad haircut and keeps her locked in the castle, forced to do menial chores.  While scrubbing the floor one day, a now adult Snow White (Ziegler) is surprised by Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), a sort of Robin Hood-like figure who came to rob the castle.  He is captured but Snow White, with her heart of gold, helps him escape.  This makes the queen angry.  Very angry!  She orders her huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and cut out her heart (this film is particularly dark for a PG rating).  He lets her go, she finds the dwarves, the end.  Not exactly, but that’s what it felt like.

Where to start?  This is pretty much “Snow White” the way we remember it, meaning someone at Disney must have realized that the recent trend of failing films needed to stop and persuaded the filmmakers to be as familiar as possible.  Ziegler was so good in Steven Spielberg’s updated “West Side Story,” but for whatever reason she doesn’t bring the slight vulnerability needed for the role she showed in “WSS” here.  Sadly she doesn’t make Snow White likable, so you don’t really care what happens to her.  Also, apparently Ziegler was directed to never blink and her constant, wide eyed stare is pretty unnerving at times.

It is good to see the familiar seven dwarves, even CGI ones, and the film picks up every time they are on screen.  The film turns the “magical beings” into Jonathan’s band of men, who spend a lot of time singing and dancing.  “You and Finch are such good dancers,” Snow White tells one of them.  He replies that they’re “just good friends.”  “If you say so.”  Ha-ha.

The songs are ok and the CGI clever, but unfortunately you go into this film looking for the worst and, even though it’s not a bad as it could have been, it may take you a couple of viewings before you find the story you were hoping for.  I’ll never know.  One time was plenty for me.

On a scale of zero to five I give “Snow White” ★★ ½.

Starring: Rick Kain, Helen Laser, and Neal Davidson
Directed by: Douglas Forrester
Rated: NR
Running Time: 98 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

I know I’m getting old when more and more media either taps into my nostalgia or sets its story in the years I actually grew up. “Carry the Darkness” checks several of my personal childhood boxes—it’s set in 1993, features teens playing a video game knock-off of “Mortal Kombat,” and centers on a misunderstood, artsy metalhead named Travis Baldwin (Joel Meyers).

Travis, who’s into thrash metal and photography, gets relentlessly bullied by the school’s jocks. He escapes their torment by smoking weed, playing video games, and taking photos of the local dam and abandoned buildings scattered around his small town. Right from the start, Travis is surrounded by adversity: his father’s out of the picture, his mother scolds him as a pastime, and his best friend’s dad—a local priest—thinks Travis is the antichrist incarnate. To top it off, the town’s police seem eager to pin a string of grisly murders on him. While Travis isn’t the one behind the killings, the actual demonic culprit, takes a keen interest in him.

Blending Satanic Panic vibes with a thoughtful look at teenage trauma and isolation, “Carry the Darkness” offers a serious but fun take on demons and the weird kids like me who grew up on “Twin Peaks,” “The X-Files,” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” The setting, characters, and dialogue feel like they were pulled from a Stephen King paperback: teenagers seen as societal misfits who find meaning while confronting literal evil. And, of course, the adults just don’t get it.

Travis—and the people who stick by him—become more compelling as the plot deepens and the violence ramps up. Jaden Gant plays Jordan, Travis’ best friend and loyal wingman through all the supernatural madness. Jordan doesn’t tick all the “weird kid” boxes, but he’s still an outsider, and his loyalty is what makes him such a strong companion. Then there’s Stacey (Helen Laser), the new goth/emo girl at school, who serves as a potential love interest. But she’s more than that—her backstory ties her meaningfully into the film’s larger mythology. All three characters, while not always fighting side-by-side, each play an important role in confronting the ancient evil festering in their town.

While the finale doesn’t quite stick the landing, the emotional gut-punches that precede it resonate—especially for anyone who’s ever felt like a ghost in their own home, school or town. These characters find meaning through their art and their fragile, but fierce, friendships. And in this case, they also fight evil. That emotional core elevates what might have been a forgettable ending into something worthwhile and heartfelt.

“Carry the Darkness” is a compelling watch for anyone who spent their youth dodging bullies, reading Clive Barker, or blasting Slayer on their bedroom stereo.

THIS IS GWAR
Special Screening & Q&A With Kevin Smith
at Smodcastle Cinemas on August 30th

Buy Tickets HERE

40th Anniversary Tour Starts in May!

Smodcastle Cinemas, owned by filmmaker and pop culture icon Kevin Smith, will host a special screening of THIS IS GWAR on Saturday, August 30th, in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. This definitive documentary dives into the wild and blood-soaked history of GWAR, the most outrageous band in shock rock, chronicling their rise from underground misfits to intergalactic legends.

Following the screening, Kevin Smith himself will host an exclusive Q&A with members of GWAR, offering fans an inside look at the band’s decades-long reign of chaos. For the ultimate GWAR experience, attendees will also have the chance to participate in a photo op with Kevin and GWAR members in their blood-soaked battle armor.

“As a relic of the 90’s, I’m happy to help celebrate these bloody legends who’ve been enthralling audiences since the 80’s!” says Kevin Smith. “GWAR has not only stayed true to their gruesome roots all this time, they’ve also carved out their place in industry history.”

GWAR’s The Berserker Blöthar aka Dr. Michael Bishop, Ph.D., adds:

“You ridiculous humans could learn a few things from Kevin Smith. If you’ve seen any of his movies, you probably already have. He wrote the 37 dicks scene (genius), he cast Alanis Morissette as God, he’s the King of Jorts, and he is GWAR approved. We are stoked to get stoned and hang out at his theater drinking watered-down soda and answering the questions of our pimply-faced legion of fans.”

🎟 Ticket Options:
Screening + Q&A – $25
Screening + Q&A + Photo Op with Kevin & GWAR – $100

Don’t miss this epic night of shock, spectacle, and intergalactic chaos!
For Tickets and More Information, Visit HERE

Don’t miss GWAR on their epic 40th Anniversary Tour this year.

GWAR Live:
*w/ Toxic Holocaust; AEther Realm; Tracheotomy
May 11: Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple
May 15: Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville
May 16: Columbia, SC – The Senate*
May 17: Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
May 18: Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Metal Fest
May 19: Columbia, MO – The Blue Note*
May 20: Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall*
May 21: Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live*
May 22: Austin, TX – RADIO/EAST*

GWAR w/Static-X, Dope & A Killers Confession
May 24: Albuquerque NM – Revel Entertainment Center
May 26: Wichita KS – The Cotilion Ballroom
May 27: Des Moines IA – Val Air Ballroom
May 29: St Louis MO – The Pageant
May 30: Minneapolis MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis
May 31: Davenport IA – Capitol Theatre
Jun 1: Grand Rapids MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Jun 3: Indianapolis IN – Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre
Jun 4: Ft Wayne IN – Clyde Theatre
Jun 5: Wheeling WV – Capitol Theater
Jun 7: Wallingford CT – The Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theater
Jun 8: Buffalo NY – Buffalo Riverworks
Jun 9: Toronto ON – History
Jun 10: Montreal QC – Mtelus
Jun 11: Hampton NH – Hampton Beach Casino
Jun 12: Allentown, PA – Archer Music Hall
Jun 14: Myrtle Beach SC – House Of Blues
Jun 15: Raleigh NC – The Ritz
Jun 17: Kansas City MO – Grinders
Jun 18: Oklahoma City OK – The Criterion

w/ Eyehategod; AEther Realm; Tracheotomy
Jun 20: Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
Jun 21: Pelham, TN – The Caverns

Oct 2: Sacramento, CA – Aftershock @ Discovery Park

About GWAR:
The story of GWAR is carved across the history of this hopeless planet, but GWAR themselves are not of this world…Their story begins far past Uranus, in the deepest reaches of space, where the beings known as GWAR were warriors in the Scumdogs of the Universe, an elite fighting force in the army of the Master of All Reality. But GWAR proved too reckless and powerful, and after a series of tragic but hilarious blunders, they were banished to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, with orders to conquer an insignificant backwater prehistoric mudball known as the planet Earth. Once here, GWAR, the original Ancient Aliens, shaped the face of the globe, wiping out the dinosaurs, and mating with apes to create the human race. Having accidentally given rise to all human history, the Master of All Reality froze them in Antarctic ice where they could do no more harm. It was there they were discovered by a shady entrepreneur known as Sleazy P Martini, who sat the band down in front of professional wrestling, late-night horror movies, heavy metal music, and a steady diet of crack cocaine until GWAR became the cultural force they are today!

• A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
• Starring: Timothée Chalamet and Edward Norton
• Directed by: James Mangold
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 2 hrs 41 mins
• Searchlight Pictures

Our Score:  4 out of 5

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Timothée Chalamet), “A Complete Unknown” is a superb biopic that can be discussed in the same breath as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Walk the Line”, and “Ray” to name a few. Much credit goes to director and co-writer James Mangold for crafting such an engrossing film even though the central character, while legendary, is not the most likable guy in the world. Chalamet, who already had a great career ahead of him thanks to roles in “The King” and the “Dune” flicks, delivers a nuanced, career-defining performance that cements him as being one of the best cinematic actors alive.

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman, a 20-year-old Bob Dylan (Chalamet) arrives in New York City in 1961 after hitchhiking from Minnesota. With only his guitar and duffel bag, Dylan seeks to visit his musical idol, Woody Guthrie, who is slowly dying from Huntington’s Disease. When he finds the hospital Guthrie is at, Dylan performs a song he wrote just for him in front of Guthrie and fellow folk musician Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). It’s a pivotal moment as Dylan manages to impress both men. Afterwards, Seeger takes Dylan under his wing and helps him get the gigs he needs to start a career.

As his career starts, Dylan meets a girl named Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and charms her enough that they begin a romantic relationship, which falters because of Dylan’s aloofness and his reluctance to share anything about his past. While Sylvie is away in Europe, Dylan encounters fellow folk singer/songwriter Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro, “Top Gun: Maverick”) and a subsequent tumultuous relationship unfolds. The film also delves into Dylan’s increasing feelings of being pigeonholed as one specific type of singer. His sense of diminishing freedom as an artist causes him to rebel against everyone’s expectations, including Seeger, who sees Dylan as the savior of folk music. Encouraged by Johnny Cash, Dylan gets some mud on the carpet by going electric with his music.

Chalamet’s portrait of Dylan is an immersive experience as he displays a similar talent to disappear into a character like the great Daniel Day-Lewis. Whether it was “The King”, “Dune” or “Wonka”, Chalamet has a knack for pulling us into his performances and not letting us go. Of course, the Academy Award-nominated Norton is spot on with his role as he plays Seeger as a man desperate to have Dylan be a folk messiah only to end up driving him away. Barbaro, also an Academy Award nominee, is nothing less than a revelation while Fanning brilliantly infuses her character with a sense of tragic resignation.

“A Complete Unknown” is a lot to take in, but Mangold keeps a steady pace by not doing a lot of jumping forwards and backwards. He ensures the music selection speaks for the times and for what the characters are going through, and the costume designs perfectly capture the period of 1961-67. It’s all part of a grand movie watching experience anyone, especially Dylan fans, are sure to love.

“A Complete Unknown” receives ★★★★ out of five.

In the openng moments of Kraven the Hunter, the titular Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) comments on his character’s existence in light of the myths told about him throughout the years. “There’s an ounce of truth in every myth,” he says as he stabs a crime lord in the neck with a large tiger’s tooth. Here he’s talking about himself being a very real entity chasing down evil-doers, but the same can be said of the film itself. The inclusion of the famous Spider-Man villain has been in the works since the canceled fourth Sam Raimi film, and every iteration of the superhero franchise has tried to find a way to fit him in at some point. After nearly two decades of discussions and more than two years of delays on this particular film, many thought the film itself was just a myth and might never be released. The first footage was shown at CinemaCon in April 2022, and we are finally getting the full motion picture. Sony has announced that the Spider-Man Universe (SSU) will come to a close with Kraven the Hunter being the last installment. Save for the box office success of some of the Venom films these expanded stories from the world of Spider-Man have been critical and commercial failures at the Box Office. However this film may work better as a digital and disc release. This film boasts an amazing cast featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Academy Award winners Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe, Alessandro Nivola, and Fred Hechinger, who is having one hell of a year in front of the camera. This is his fifth film to be released in 2024. Unfortunately, it feels like these actors are in completely different movies. There’s no chemistry or even tone symmetry to suggest they read the same script or got the same direction from J.C. Chandor. To the film’s credit, it does deliver on some of its promises. Its gore and swearing content are much higher than your average superhero outing, and these aren’t used for laughs or self-aware gags like many other Marvel films (like Deadpool). This is simply a part of the film and enhances the action significantly. If your main character is going to have super speed and strength and have his DNA infused with a lion’s, you’d imagine he might inflict more devastation on his enemies from sheer brute force. Another bright spot of Kraven is its relatively insular story. The characters span the globe in a cat-and-mouse game but are only after each other. It’s refreshing for the stakes to be lowered from world-ending destruction, with no mystical MacGuffin to keep out of the wrong hands. It’s Kraven against his enemies, culminating in a climax proportional to the stakes. Kraven’s biggest issue is that it does nothing to make its main character interesting enough to care about. Is he materially that different from Jared Leto’s Morbius? They appear to come into similar powers, involving the fusion of their blood with that of an animal. A common failure exists in the characters of Kraven, Morbius, and even Madame Web: the absence of their comic book counterpart, Spider-Man. It’s very difficult for any of these characters to stand alone without him, yet Kraven the Hunter should be the most viable. He’s by far the more widely known of the three, yet he comes away from this film somehow being the least interesting. Yet as for the film itself, I was thoroughly entertained. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is upstaged by the always brilliant Christopher Abbott as “The Foreigner,” a man who has been chasing The Hunter for years after an altercation with his family. Every time he appears on screen the film finds some sense of footing that it lacks when he is absent, and forces audiences to ask the question if he would have been better off being the main villain instead of Alessandro Nivola’s Rhino. Abbott brings a level of mystery and enigmatic power that is intoxicating, and it’s a shame we won’t get more of this character going forward. The death of the SSU comes with a whimper, with minuscule successes that can’t overcome major technical and writing issues. It does feel like Kraven the Hunter was dumped at the latest date they could muster and is being hung out to dry by the studio as they look to return to the well with a mainline Spider-Man picture in the coming years. After years of planning, delays, and reshoots, it’s hard to find much positive to take away from this movie and it’s unfortunate to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson be let down by Marvel yet again after his short-lived time in the MCU a decade ago. 

Kraven The Hunter comes to Blu-Ray in its original 2.39:1 with a fetching transfer that is no slouch even knowing that there is a 4K version on the market. While certainly not as flawless as the 4K UHD likely is (it was not made available to me for review), there is a stellar amount of depth and clarity to the picture with discrete details coming through clearly. There is some inventive production design featured in the film along with loads of special effects which you can really take in with this transfer. There are numerous landscapes presented here with each location providing something exciting to explore. 

This Blu-Ray release boasts a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that kicks into gear when it needs to. This disc brings these thrilling moments to life with a depth and clarity of sound that is just perfect. As the action ramps up, the sounds of crashing through objects and other raw effects flow out of your side and rear speakers. Each sound is precisely placed with perfect spatial awareness. The track engages all of the active channels with panning effects and sounds of chaos that really makes you feel like you are in the thick of the action.

Kraven the Hunter largely suffers the same fate as most of the other Sony universe Spider-Man spinoffs. Kraven has such potential on film, yet there seems to be very little passion or vision behind the camera to make it all amount to something. The ridiculous amount of bad ADR is enough to know how little most cared to get this right for fans. Movies are made in the editing room, but you cannot completely manufacture a movie out of nothing but alternate dialogue. That being said, the level of hate for this one is slightly outsized. It is not good, but there are cool things we can appreciate amongst the mediocrity. Most of the ensemble is very talented and free from blame. Hopefully this character can get justice in the future. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation and a fine selection of special features. If you are a fan of the film and are capable, you might want to spring for the 4K UHD Blu-Ray but this Blu-Ray is rock solid. 

MOVIE ⭐️⭐️⭐️

SOUND ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PICTURE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EXTRAS ⭐️⭐️⭐️

• NOVOCAINE
• Starring:  Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder and Ray Nicholson
• Directed by:  Dan Berk and Robert Olsen
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 50 mins
• Paramount

Our score:  3.5 out of 5

One of the greatest bad ass characters in movie history was Mr. Joshua, played by Gary Busey in “Lethal Weapon.”  Willingly holding his arm over a direct flame and not flinching…it still makes me grimace.  Meet Nate Caine (Quaid).  He makes Mr. Joshua look like a wimp.

Packed with humor and over the top violence, “Novocaine” is an ultra violent, ultra funny film ostensibly about a man following his heart.  Nate is a quiet guy who earns his money as the assistant manager of a local bank.  While running a morning meeting he can’t help but notice a new teller named Sherry (Midhunder) as she comes in late.  Afterwards she apologizes and offers to take Nate to lunch.  He finally agrees but is surprised when Nate only orders a milkshake.  She offers him a bite of her pie but he refuses, explaining that he was born with a condition that prevents him from feeling any kind of physical pain.  He can’t eat solid foods because he could inadvertently bite his tongue and bleed to death.  Things are looking up for Nate.  Until they aren’t.

It’s hard to put a label on this film.  Yes, it’s violent.  Yes, it’s action packed.  Yes it’s funny.  But it’s neither a horror, action or comedy film.  It’s the rare combination of all three.  The story moves along quickly, carried on the shoulders of the film’s three leads, two of them (Quaid and Ray Nicholson) the sons of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors Dennis Quaid and Jack Nicholson (their mothers aren’t too shabby either – Meg Ryan and Rebecca Broussard, respectively).  Both have a fine screen presence.  Quaid is quite likable.  Nate would be the perfect “every man” if not for his little issue.  As chief bad guy Simon, Nicholson sends chills down your spine with only a glance and a comment.  As Sherry, Ms. Midthunder is both sweet and sour, hiding a secret that gives the film its genuine tension.

The action scenes are top notch, if not a little over the top.  I mean, sure you can’t feel someone smash your head into a wall but you should at least stumble a little, right?

If you need to jump start your spirits this week then I recommend seeing “Novocaine.”  It’s Pure Adrenaline!

On a scale of zero to five, “Novocaine” receives ★★★ ½