
Below are just a few of the horrors to take in at this, one of the best indie horror film festivals around.
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
RAPTOR RANCH (2013)
Short Film: TASTY BRAINS (2013)
THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL (2013)
Short Film: SLEEPWALK (2012)
MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH (2013)
And finally…GIRL AT THE DOOR (2013)

RAPTOR RANCH (2013)
Directed by Dan Bishop & Michael BeberashviliWritten by Dan Bishop, Shlomo May-Zur
Starring Lorenzo Lamas, Jana Mashonee, Cole Brown, Donny Boaz, Cody Vaughan, Alexandra Hulme, Kimberly Matula, Rowdy Arroyo, Marcus M. Mauldin, Declan Joyce, Carrie Newell, Jack Gould, Ines Brigman, Al Burke, Kyle Little
Find out more about this film here!
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Dinosaur films are not usually the kind of movies you see done in a low budget fashion. Usually they are the stuff of big effects from the big houses. But RAPTOR RANCH somehow manages to make things entertaining while keeping things on the cheap.

There are definitely aspects of this feels a whole lot like a ScyFy movie and in many ways it is. The effects are not the best with the renderings of the CG dinos being slightly off when animated over the film stock. The movements of the dinosaurs and the use of weight is off too, always a good indicator of cheap effects. So when you actually see the scenes with the dinos, visions of SHARKNADO, DINOGATOR, and MANSQUITO come popping up.

RAPTOR RANCH is goofy fun and not to be taken seriously for one tick. My initial head shaking toward this film comes from being burned by one too many stupid ScyFy films, but RAPTOR RANCH is the type of film those dull and uninspired ScyFy films wish they could be.

TASTY BRAINS (2013)
Directed by Andy MorrishWritten by Andy Morrish & Jon Northrup
Starring Ron Elliott, Neal Polister, Juliana A. Morgan, Kate Froehlich
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
The setting is 2022 and the world has been overrun by zombies. It happens a lot, it seems. But have no fear, Chase Hunter, a guy who just wanted to be a sword slinging landscape architect, is here to chase and hunt zombies.

But here, Chase Hunter is the guy to root for. Though the CG blood is as unrealistic as it usually is, I found myself laughing enough not to care. Hopefully, the zombies will not get to taste Chase Hunter or his son Punch’s tasty brains, so we can get more TASTY BRAINS shorts in the future.

THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL (2013)
Directed by Patrick ShearerWritten by Jessi Gotta
Starring Jessi Gotta, Nat Cassidy, Alyssa Simon, Stephanie Cox-Williams, Desmond Dutcher, Gavin Starr Kendall, Pete Boisvert, Christopher Yustin
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Many low budget films have big ideas well beyond their mean and 9 times out of 10 the stretching to make the movie feel like a big budget are obviously seen. What impresses me most as a reviewer is when a low budget comes along and plays within its own means, yet still is able to dazzle and surprise. This is exactly what THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL does.

The best thing about THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL, and there’s a lot to like, is that it is intelligently and wittily written. Both Margot and Daniel are likable sorts, most likely working at a coffee shop or restaurant or bar. They are somewhat ambitious, but too caught up with the day to day grind to be bothered by the bigger things. These two characters are like my friends and they’re like me, and there’s something about them that is immediately likable, which is good since 98% of the movie focuses on them in their apartment. Margot is full of energy and Jessi Gotta is not only beautiful, but I’d put her comedy chops against any big league actor any old day. You can’t help but root for her and when the films gets darker later in the film, all of the time we spent getting to know her humdrum lifestyle pays off.

The sole complaint in the film is the choice of music which is too much like 28 DAYS LATER’s “In the House” music. Though not exact, it’s all there and is too iconic not to be noticed. I wish they could have either done something simpler or gone for music more unique since it proves to be too distracting for an otherwise awesome film.
THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL is filled with one scene after another of either quality laughs that will make stuff jiggle, shivers that hit the spine with precision, and action sequences filled with both from start to finish. Both Gotti and Cassidy are talented enough to carry this entire film and never remind you that this little movie was done so cheaply. Cleverly written and uproariously effective in every possible way, THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL is exactly the type of gem I look for in indie cinema. Don’t miss this film!

SLEEPWALK (2012)
Directed by John NorthamWritten by John Northam
Starring Jacob Edward, Stephanie Androsoff, Michelle Martin, Troy Anthony Young
Find out more about this film here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Sure there are definitely going to be comparisons tossed out there to MAMA after experiencing this short shocker, but I have to admit, SLEEPWALK got me and it got me good.

Soon to be developed into a feature film called THICKER THAN WATER by the same filmmakers, SLEEPWALK is going to make you jump whether you like it or not. Personally, anything that makes me jump this high gets a solid recommendation from me.

MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH (2013)
Directed by Don ThackerWritten by Don Thacker
Starring Adrian DiGiovanni, Jeffrey Combs, Danielle Doetsch, Ken Brown, Pete Giovagnoli, Robert Kramer, Erica Highberg
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Like THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL, MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH focuses mainly on the occupants of one apartment for most of the film. Unlike that film, which has two human protagonists, MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH has one male protagonist and a talking pile of mold voiced by Jeffrey Combs. From that description alone there are going to be a few differences between two films using a single locale for most of the action.

When Ian’s antique television he calls Kent dies on him, it motivates him to find other means of entertainment. Only able to sleep for so long, Ian futzes around talking to the camera about this and that until he realizes that something must be done about the faulty TV. When he slips and falls in the bathroom, hitting his head on the floor, a pile of mold in the corner forms a mouth and begins talking with him. And that voice sounds an awful lot like the Re-Animator. Combs does a fantastic job as the pile of fungi who becomes Ian’s motivator to get his life back together. Though it takes a while for Ian to trust the pile of goo, soon he finds that it is trying to help him and the two embark on a quest to put his life back together.

The fact that 90% of this film takes place with a guy talking to the camera on his couch, all the while maintaining a creative, interesting, and intelligent edge all the way through is a testament as to how great MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH truly is. The alternating dark and light tones give this film a unique texture never really letting on as to where it will go next. Sure to poke, prod, and play with your brain in ways normal cinema does not, MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Coming from someone who has seen a lot, it’s refreshing to see so much ingenuity crammed into one little movie.
And finally…I posted this short GIRL AT THE DOOR written and directed by Colin Campbell a few weeks ago. The film stars the gorgeous Kristen Renton and Jeffrey Vincent Parise as a guy who bites off more than he can chew when he brings a girl home one night from a bar. The film is a haunting tale with a nice twist on the repeater ghost type. Campbell does a great job of amping up the tension with a very tight plot and some repeated lines which gain in power after every sounding.
But don’t take my word for it. You can see the whole thing here and the writer/director Colin Campbell will be at the Everybody Dies Horror Film Festival on Sunday afternoon to show the short film and answer questions. Enjoy the short, but beware, some may think this one is not safe for work (NSFW)!
Those of you in the Brea, CA area need to do your duty and support indie horror by checking out this awesome festival. You can still pick up tickets for the fest here! There are more films shown at the fest, so get on over there and soak in the indie horror!




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