
Greetings, all. Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. Due to some complications on my end this week, I wasn’t able to post this column last Friday, but you know what that means…two AICN HORROR columns in one week!
This week I’ve got a necronomi-corn, Ouija ghosts, underground torture, road trip madness, weird noises, dojo invasion, a psycho ex, inherited psychosis, and weird hornets!
On with the horror reviews!
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
SLAUGHTER DAUGHTER (2012)
DEADLY PRESENCE (2012)
DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT? (2012)
FIELDS OF THE DEAD (2014)
SCORNED (2013)
THE POISONING (2013)
BANSHEE CHAPTER (2013)
HIDE AND SEEK (2014)
Advance Review: BLOODSUCKA JONES (2013)
Advance Review: DEMENTAMANIA (2013)
And finally…Rachel Tatham’s PORCELAIN RISING!

SLAUGHTER DAUGHTER (2012)
Directed by Travis CampbellWritten by Travis Campbell (story), Lauren Miller
Starring Nicola Fiore, Leesa Rowland, Tim Dax, Ruby Larocca, Lloyd Kaufman
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
While SLAUGHTER DAUGHTER is quite a weird title, it definitely matches the offbeat tone of this little film. Heavily influenced by Italian giallo in tone, gore, and even music accompaniment, this film by Travis Campbell (and co-written by Lauren Miller with Campbell) is a unique little gem that may be overlooked by those who pass low budget horror by for more clean and polished scares. SLAUGHTER DAUGHTER doesn’t seem to want to deny its low budget roots, but instead comes off as bizarre twist of Italian giallo and John Waters, if you can imagine that.

In many ways, this is a film that reminds me of HEATHERS and EXCISION, as the story follows a deeply troubled teen, out of place in the world she inhabits and harboring a darkness that ends up overpowering her and destroying her family in the process. In many ways, this is a typical story of teen rebellion fantasy as I don’t know anyone who didn’t fantasize about doing away with their family at one point or another in their teen years. But unlike EXCISION and HEATHERS, SLAUGHTER DAUGHTER is told from a white trash/alterna punk perspective more akin to the grungy and straight from the trailer feeling one gets from watching a John Waters film with all of the grime, sleaziness, and eccentricity that accompanies them. Here Farrah is the poster girl for the goth girl lifestyle with a over botoxed and make-upped mother and a family that may appear ideal on the outside, but are rotten to the core. Threats, lewd behavior, and all sorts of deviance go on behind the scenes, but to the outsider, Farrah’s family appears ok. But Farrah has the real world perspective to see through all of the bullshit and would rather take the path of her pen pal and be rid of them rather than spend another minute.

The film hinges on the decision as to whether Farrah decides to go through with her master plan to annihilate her family or not. The decision is as dark as the rest of Farrah’s fantasies and maintains the darkly comic tone which takes place from the start. The use of old Italian giallo music makes this film utterly unique, making everything seem overly operatic and serious, yet typical for a young schoolgirl’s idealistic viewpoint of the world. If you’re a John Waters and Greg Araki fan, SLAUIGHTER DAUGHTER is going to be right up your alley. Like the films of those directors, it shines a light on alternative and deviant cultures that rarely get the spotlight in bigger budgeted movies.

DEADLY PRESENCE (2012)
aka UNHALLOWED BONDDirected by Shane Cole
Written by Shane Cole, David Fite, Megan Lynn
Starring Megan Lynn, Kathy Sue Holtorf, Sabrina Carmichael, Bethany Brooke Anderson, Whitney Blair, Jon D'Acunto, Robert Dough, Elissa Dowling, Emma Jacobs, George Lofland, Dan Sutter, K.K. Ryder, Krista Reese, Linda Macon
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

The story focuses on three friends (Megan Lynn, Kathy Sue Holtorf, and Sabrina Carmichael) who, on a girl’s night in, use a Ouija board to summon a spirit. Turns out they were somewhat successful, as one of the girls ends up killing herself and the other two have to deal with the evil spirits floating around and causing things to go bump and other things to go dead in the night.

Amateur acting doesn’t help. While I’ve seen far worse acting in horror films, there are some pretty amateur performances outside of the three starring women. Still, while the filmmakers behind this one seem to have a decent handling of how to build tension and pepper in jump scares, DEADLY PRESENCE ultimately feels like a film that could have been about a half hour to forty minutes shorter and been infinitely more effective. Sure, you’ll jump a few times as long as you don’t fall asleep between the starts. Having watched the whole thing through, I feel the people behind this one have a decent film in them. They just need to beef up the story to get there.

DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT? (2012)
Directed by Roger SewhcomarWritten by Roger Sewhcomar
Starring Charlie Floyd, Devon Talbott, Andres De Vengeochea, Jessica Alexandra Green, Rena Washino, Yukiko Miyawaki, RaShelle Stocker, Matt O’Connor
Find out more about this film here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
When DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT? came on deck to be covered here on AICN HORROR, due to the name alone, I had a feeling either the film was going to be very, very bad or one of those ballsy, weirdly titled films that doesn’t give a shit about what it’s called. Turns out, DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT? is better than it ought to be for a low budget film that flirts with both torture porn and found footage, yet somehow offers up something pretty original.

The film opens up with a man identifying himself as Stanley Farmer (Charlie Floyd), who we never truly see clearly since he is always the one holding the camera. Stanley acts as our guide through this sick world where everyone wants to be a star, and Stanley is more than willing to exploit that need to feed his desire to make a truly horrifying film. Seeking out would-be actors to read for a film which is already in the process of being filmed (unbeknownst to the cast), Stanley convinces these starry-eyed idiots to allow themselves to be chained up and bound in Stanley’s basement, thinking it’s all part of the movie. Right up until the knife or chainsaw or drill bit cuts through flesh, these idiots are sure it’s all in jest. Over and again, Stanley convinces people to venture into the lower levels of his home and Stanley films it all.

DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT? deals with some themes deeper than your usual found footage and torture porn films. Sure there is a shaky cam in first person and a lot of people tied up and screaming, but the fact that the participants are so eager to put their lives on the line for a few seconds of stardom makes this film a bit meatier than the rest. There are some genuinely ironically funny moments in this film, and some moments of abject lunacy as Stanley dons a Hitler mask and brandishes a chainsaw in the final moments of the film. By this time, while it’s easy to hate Stanley for the sicko film he’s making, it’s hard not to understand why he wants to kill these idiots who follow him into his dungeon willingly. While it’s bound to drive folks sick of found footage and torture porn batshit, DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT? proves to have something original to say about both, and for that it elevates itself from its peers in both genres..

FIELDS OF THE DEAD (2014)
Directed by Daniel B. IskeWritten by Scott Coleman
Starring Mark Booker, Matt Harwell, Melanie Recker, Daniel B. Iske, Michelle Schrage, Lara Adkins, Wendy Iske, Chelsie Hartness, Matt Tatroe, Sarah Wald, Nick Sanchez, Eliot Irvin, Mike Delange, William Wassem, Jessica Hotovy
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
EVIL DEAD is one of those films most people tend to shy away from in terms of homage. The film WITHER (reviewed here) did so and did so well. But for the most part, the concept of reading from an evil book and having everyone turn into the possessed is a route most films shy away from, most likely because doing so will automatically evoke a comparison to the amazing EVIL DEAD. In that sense, FIELDS OF THE DEAD is pretty ballsy for giving it the ol’ college try at taking a stab at this type of film. For the most part, the film is a pretty interesting take on the subject matter.

The cast is the strongest thing about FIELDS OF THE DEAD, as most of them play clichés at first and break from those molds with some intimate moments and downright hilarious lines. In giving these kids something fun and clever to talk about, you feel for them. Usually I can’t wait for these actors to be murderized, but in FIELDS OF THE DEAD I was rooting for some of them to survive because the lines leaving their lips were so decently written and acted out. Standout cast members include Mark Booker as the team leader who is working on his thesis and refuses to leave when things get creepy, Matt Harwell as the likable clownster of the group who is trying to bed one or more of the female students on the trip, and Sarah Wald as a finicky townie who wants to be anywhere but the country. As I said, these are all clichéd roles, but the cast brings so much character and fun to them that they feel much more lived in and real.

While not completely original, FIELDS OF THE DEAD actually does a good job of aping some great films. It also succeeds in developing actual characters rather than just setting up dominoes in the shapes of people who one can’t wait to see offed. Here character counts, and because of that strong screenplay with likable characters, FIELDS OF THE DEAD is worth checking out.

SCORNED (2013)
Directed by Mark JonesWritten by Mark Jones, Sadie Katz
Starring AnnaLynne McCord, Billy Zane, Viva Bianca
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
The presence of AnnaLynne McCord elevates this mini-revenge flick above what one might call Skinemax-level entertainment. The slender actress blew me away in last year’s EXCISION (reviewed here) and does a great job with crazy in SCORNED, a film that further distances the actress from her 90210 remake stardom.

And that’s…pretty much all this movie is; Sadie prancing around in skimpy outfits and bringing out one method of torture out to her captives after another. Everything from electrocution to hobbling a la MISERY is used in this film’s runtime and I’d be lying if it didn’t get a bit tedious halfway through. Sure forcing Kevin to go down on Jennifer at gunpoint might be entertaining for some to watch, but after an hour and a half of one torture after another, SCORNED shows its torture porn hand.

Don’t get me wrong. This film couldn’t be simpler in premise. Girl finds out her man is cheating. Girl tortures her man and his mistress for an hour and a half. Roll credits. But with a fun and smarmy performance from Billy Zane, a decent job as the somewhat clueless mistress from Viva Bianca, and especially the ballsy performance by McCord, SCORNED turns out to be more watchable than it should be.

THE POISONING (2013)
Directed by Zachary EglintonWritten by Zachary Eglinton, Brandon Walz
Starring Matt Mercer, Kalan Ray, Brandon Walz, Joanna Sotomura, Patrick Thomas Gorman
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

Like THE BATTERY, THE POISONING is a road movie. But while THE BATTERY takes place after zombies have overtaken the earth, THE POISONING happens in the here and now, with a pair of friends taking a road trip across the country which ends up stretching the limits of both of their bodies, souls, and sanity. Matt (Matt Mercer from the indie slasher MADISON COUNTY reviewed here) is moving to Hollywood to pursue hi dreams of being a Director of Photography. While she finishes the final days at her job, his wife Michelle (the spunky Joanna Sotomura) will be joining him later on, but in the meantime, Matt’s best friend Riley (Kalan Ray) is joining him for one last road trip across America. What they don’t know is that a long-time buddy of Matt’s, Chaps (Brandon Walz, who co-wrote the film), decides to invite himself on the trip. Chaps literally chaps both Matt and Riley’s asses the entire trip with his constant fucking around, preening, jabbing at Riley, and talk of a rock band he plays in. Chaps chips away at the duo until the breaking point, which coincides with the introduction of a hitchhiker (Patrick Thomas Gorman) who adds an even more unpredictable twist to this road trip.

The thing that THE POISONING does so well is that it made me forget it was a horror film. I loved all three characters as they drove each other nuts on this trip--Matt being utterly spineless, Riley being overly sensitive, and Chaps being an unforgivable dick the while time. Despite the character flaws, seeing them whittle away at one another’s exteriors was really engaging, so when the hammer does drop in this film and the hitchhiker plays his hand, it takes you off guard as much as it does the trio. The results are fascinating, heartbreaking, and definitely unforgettable.

Highly recommended.

THE BANSHEE CHAPTER (2013)
Directed by Blair EricksonWritten by Blair Erickson, Daniel J. Healy (story)
Starring Ted Levine, Katia Winter, Michael McMillian, Monique Candelaria
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Supposedly based on real government tests that occurred in the late Sixties involving mind-altering drugs that were meant to be developed into all kinds of psychic weaponry, THE BANSHEE CHAPTER starts with what looks like authentic footage of scientist types being interviewed about the secret programs. While I’m not sure of the validity of all of the claims this film seems to be based upon, it does make for a compelling backdrop to cast a horror film.



Though there is an over-reliance on the cumbersome jump scare paired with a music blast in THE BANSHEE CHAPTER, I have to give the film props for coming up with a truly original premise and following through with an execution that is sure to cause multiple leaps from your seat. I jumped from my own chair numerous times in the film, and was overcome by a sense of unease by the use of unnatural sights and sounds Erickson filled this film with. THE BANSHEE CHAPTER uses tried and true methods to scare, but also comes up with some new ways to terrorize the eyes and ears and take you on trips few films are creative enough to go on.

HIDE AND SEEK (2014)
aka SUM-BAKK-OG-JILDirected by Jung Huh
Written by Jung Huh
Starring Mi-seon Jeon, Jung-Hee Moon, Hyeon-ju Son,
Find out more about this film here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
While this might feel like a home invasion film in parts, Jung Huh offers up a bit more in terms of suspense and tension than the type of home invasions we see stateside. Incorporating childhood innocence with urban legend, HIDE AND SEEK is a cut above most abode terrors you’re bound to see.

Cut to a family which is the focal point of the film. A child’s voiceover says that there is an urban myth about squatters who live in one’s apartment when one is not at home. And when you come home and see a lamp moved or a beer from the fridge gone, it’s these squatters who are doing it and not our own absent-mindedness. This is a strong premise to play with and for a while; I was thinking that we were getting a kind of FIGHT CLUB-style film where the twist was that the helmeted assailant in black is going to be all a part of someone’s twisted imagination, but that’s not where this one goes. It remains much more in the here and now with a family home being invaded by someone who simply wants to blend in and take over, rather than steal it outright. The opener compares these squatters to baby owls who nestle into other bird’s nests after they’ve been accommodated and comfied up by the original owners.

Placing children in danger is about as easy as it comes to capture the audiences’ interest, but like those awesome Amblin films which really pulled no punches in term of kids in peril, HIDE AND SEEK makes you feel like these kids are not protected by Hollywood PC standards and that the danger they are facing is much more real and deadly. Seeing children elude and get captured and escape again from the helmeted assailant are a series of scenes that will most likely cause one to jump from ones’ seat and curl in a ball while watching. I know that’s the effect this film had on me.
More Hitchcockian than anything else, Jung Huh shows a masterful management of space, motion, and tension that few other filmmakers can do. HIDE AND SEEK is a tough as nails thriller that plays on everyone’s fear of what happens when one isn’t home like a cat with a ball of string.

BLOODSUCKA JONES (2013)
Directed by Justin ArmaoWritten by Justin Armao
Starring Preston Gant, Jessica Dercks, Justin Armao, Maria Canapino, Travis Woods, Matt Kelly, Erin Holt, William Cutting, Andy Cauble, Duncan Tran, Ray Chavez Jr.
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

The story follows a lovable loser who happens upon a young woman who turns out to be a vampire. Though they are warned by the vampire’s family to make tracks, the couple decides to power through it and when a magic sword is found that was owned by the lead vampire, the couple find themselves seeking out the aid of legendary badass vampire glute-kicker Bloodsucka Jones.

Grab your favorite liquor and a bunch of buddies and watch BLOODSUCKA JONES when it comes to DVD later this year. The film makes fun of the vampire genre and almost every actor involved has a great sense of comedy and timing. Get yo’ ass ready for blood and laughs a plenty with this low budget vamp flick.

DEMENTAMANIA (2013)
Directed by Kit RyanWritten by Anis Shlewet
Starring Samuel Robertson, Vincent Regan, Kal Penn, Geoff Bell, John Thomson, Holly Weston, Anthony Cozens
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
DEMENTAMANIA is a little thrill ride of a film, not the most epic of scope, but it does show that some good acting, some strong and surreal visuals, and some well-played CG work can make for a great film despite a small scale and a tight budget.

Edward is not a happy man. Actor Samuel Robertson does a great job of conveying his misery as his face is twisted in an almost permanent scowl. The actor has model-like good looks, but unlike the usual models who seem more like mannequins with barely a pulse, Robertson seems to have some acting chops here. Despite his utter hatred towards all he works with and his ex who he found sleeping with another man very recently, somehow, I guess because we see the hallucinations he is experiencing, I felt for the guy and that’s all because of Robertson’s performance. Robertson comes off as a more personable Sam Worthington and if that guy can get big jobs in Hollywood, this guy should have an impressive career.

While I felt the ending becomes a bit too clichéd and almost trite, the trippy ride there through the wings of an angry hornet named Edward was worth the trip. Bloody, brutal, and sometimes even beautiful as Kit Ryan intersperses some fun techno songs with funky lighting to spice up some of the scenes, DEMENTAMANIA may be a bit of a clichéd foray, but still a visually unique and downright brutal one worth taking.
And finally…here’s a creepy little story about a little girl and a spooky-ass porcelain doll that will hit all of the right beats to creep you the hell out. Directed by Rachel Tatham, here’s the super scary PORCELAIN RISING!
See ya next week, folks!




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