
Greetings, all. Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. This week be on the lookout for an actress who will do anything to get a part, a pesky cat, a creepy old lady, some famous serial killers, clown puppetry, devilish toys, ghosts, cannibals, grave robbers, vengeful divas, our final batch of MONSTERS episodes, and dogs in costumes!
On with the horror reviews!
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
The Boo Tube: MONSTERS Season 3, Episodes 19-24 (1991)
Retro-review: THE KILLER SHREWS (1959)
Retro-review: THE VINCENT PRICE COLLECTION II: THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)
Retro-review: THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS (1985)
Retro-review: DOLLS (1987)
Retro-review: IN THE LAND OF THE CANNIBALS (2004)
THE BUTCHERS (2014)
THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME (2013)
GINGERCLOWN (2013)
THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014)
STARRY EYES (2014)
Advance Review: SCAREHOUSE (2014)
And finally…Matthew Forte’s WEDNESDAY’S CHILDREN!


MONSTERS: THE COMPLETE SERIES Box Set
Season Three: Episodes 19-24 (1990-91)Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
Ahhh, MONSTERS. It’s one of those TV series that warms my heart. Back in the late 80’s when practical effects were king, Mitchell Gallin and Richard P. Rubinstein, the producers of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE TV series, decided to put together a show which highlighted a different story about a different monster every week. In my region the show was broadcast late at night, and it was a thrill to be able to stay up late and watch it. Now, given the amount of years since I’ve watched it, I’m bound to be disappointed at the way some of them present upon reviewing. But still, this was a fun series deserving of this look back, episode by episode, at this quaint little shock series. We’re getting to the end of this MONSTERS collection. Here’s how the final episodes of the series stacked up!

Directed by Bruce Feirstein
Written by Bruce Feirstein
Starring Morton Downey Jr., Laura Branigan, Lori Krebs, Philip Stewart, Julie Wilson
Bruce Feirstein, who wrote all of the Pierce Brosnan 007 films, wrote and directed this episode featuring the late talk show personality Morton Downey Jr. and “Gloria” and “Self Control” singer Laura Branigan. Downey plays an obnoxious DJ (I know, it’s a stretch, right?) of a late night radio show. When a mysterious and sultry woman (Branigan) enters the studio claiming to have been abducted by aliens, Downey’s interests are piqued. Both Downey and Branigan give decent performances here, but there’s little by way of motivation as to why this woman would seek out a radio DJ for her master plan. The alien is impressive to look at as long as it doesn’t move, but as soon as it does, the lack of articulation is distracting. And while the li’l guy is rather creepy, this turns out to be a rather lame episode.

Directed by Thomas J. Whelan
Written by Ron Goulart
Starring Richard Belzer, David Leary, Geraldine Leer, Shelley Berman
LAW & ORDER’s Richard Belzer plays a screenwriter who must put up with nagging producers (one of which is played by Shelley Berman, who played Larry David’s dad in CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM) and interns looking to use him as a rung on the professional ladder--but those are the least of his worries in this decently paced werewolf yarn that slices a gouge in the entertainment industry. The werewolf effects are rather fun, and there’s a nice sense of mystery--plus I must admit seeing Belzer fight a werewolf is rather amazing in itself.

Directed by Ernest D. Farino
Written by Paul Dini
Starring Ed Marinaro, Teri Ann Linn, David Spielberg
HILL STREET BLUES’ Ed Marinaro stars as a playboy newspaper reporter who is tormented by an obscene phone caller with a female voice. I’ve always been creeped out by phone horror films, and this one does a lot right in terms of building the mystery of who or, since this is a MONSTERS episode, what is on the other end of the line. And while the lead up to the big finale is nicely paced by director Ernest D. Farino, who did FX for films like THE THING and THE TERMINATOR, the ending is rather lame. Sure it’s a shockeroonie, but it’s so out of the blue with no lead in that it really isn’t as effective as it should be. I’m sure the mad mind behind BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, Paul Dini, wasn’t giving his all in writing this episode, but I think adding some simple tidbits like having Marinaro’s character investigating spores, molds, and fungus in common household appliances would have made things make more sense in the end. Still, the monster is effective, and Marinaro is pretty good here in this above average episode.

Directed by Randall Moldave
Written by Jonathan Valin
Starring Dennis Christopher, Tracey Walter, William Lanteau, Pam Grier
BREAKING AWAY’s Dennis Christopher (aka the guy I always confuse with Roddy McDowall) stars as an opportunistic businessman who makes a deal with a voodoo woman (Pam Grier, still gorgeous as ever) to make some lucrative business decisions. Of course, it comes back to bite him in the ass. The Joker’s henchman Bob from BATMAN, Tracey Walter, co-stars as a janitor, but Walter really gets more of a chance to shine here than usual, which is nice. The story is pretty by the numbers and the monster of the week is just a big demon mask, but still it looks pretty impressive despite the horrible articulation.

Directed by William Wesley
Written by Michael Kimball
Starring Eddie Bracken, Philip Anglim, Carla Herd
The director of SCARECROWS, William Wesley, tells a bizarre tale about a man who can make wishes come true (Eddie Bracken, who has been in everything from HOME ALONE 2 to MIRACLE AT MORGAN’S CREEK, but may be recognized by most as Roy Walley of WalleyWorld in NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION). While the story on the surface is simple—it’s just a guy trying to take advantage of this human genie--Bracken is drunk off his ass the whole time, so all of the wishes are slightly off. This makes for some fun comic moments that culminate in a pretty haunting ending. I’m not saying this episode blew me away, but I like the idea of our own wishes and perceptions being off due to the influence of alcohol. It’s a fun but small twist that makes this typical episode a little more interesting than most.

Directed by Kenny Myers
Written by Haskell Barkin, Stephen King (story)
Starring Tom Noonan, Alice Playten, Sharon Cornell
The series ends with a bang and one of my favorite episodes of the week. Kenny Myers, who worked effects for everything from THE FINAL TERROR to JOHN CARTER, directs this offbeat tale adapted from a Stephen King story about a man (MANHUNTER’s Tom Noonan) who discovers a finger in the drain his bathroom sink that appears to be alive. The rest of the episode has Noonan fumbling around his apartment trying to do away with the finger with everything from Drano to a chainsaw. The ending is as gory as it is offbeat, and everything from the directing to the oddness of the story hit me in all the right places. Noonan is always great playing oddball characters and he does so here, but Myers directing, bathing the apartment and bathroom with odd dramatic lighting, makes it all feel off kilter and fun. Out of all of the episodes I saw this week, this one is the best and a hell of a positive note to end this fun anthology series.
Well, that’s it for MONSTERS. It wasn’t always the best place to go for great stories, performances, or effects, but there are some diamonds in the rough. My personal favorite episodes were Season One’s “Holly’s House”, “Taps”, “All in a Day’s Work”, Season Two’s “A Bond of Silk”, “Jar”, “The Mandrake Root”, “The Offering”, and Season Three’s “Stressed Environment”, “Bug House”, “The Waiting Game”, “Sin-Sop”, “Malcolm”, and the aforementioned “The Moving Finger.” But for every great episode, there’s a “Zombie Lover” episode that almost kills any and all enthusiasm I had for the series. Still, it had a fun run and that opening theme with the family of monsters getting ready to watch the show will always bring a warm feeling to my heart.
Season 1: Episodes 1.1-1.6, 1.7-1.12, 1.13-1.18, 1.19-1.22, 1.23-1.24
Season 2: Episodes 2.1-2.5, 2.6-2.10, 2.11-2.17, 2.18-2.24
Season 3: Episodes 3.1-3.6, 3.7-3.12, 3.13-3.18

THE KILLER SHREWS (1959)
aka THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER SHREWSDirected by Ray Kellogg
Written by Jay Simms (story), Jay Simms (screenplay)
Starring James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis, Gordon McLendon, Baruch Lumet, Judge Henry Dupree, Alfredo DeSoto
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
I think I first saw THE KILLER SHREWS when it was featured on MST3K, and while that show is often genius, it also sort of casts a pall on the movies it focuses on. Yes, those films are worthy of mockery, but it also opens the door to dismiss it and I think for what it is, THE KILLER SHREWS deserves a little more respect than that.


James Best is amazing as the lead here. He’s a no nonsense tough guy with a Southern drawl and a penchant for the drink and the smoke. It’s fun watching him fight over the doctor’s daughter with drunk coward Jerry Farrell (GUNSMOKE’s Ken Curtis). The doctor’s daughter herself is a sassy little number played by Ingrid Goude who quickly jumps into Best’s masculine arms, which raises the ire of Jerry and adds some human drama among all of this shrew chasing.
Filled with a lot of fun and goofy scenes (the great escape involves some upside down barrels and duck walking to safety), I can’t think of a more fun “science gone wrong” film that deserves to be seen by anyone calling themselves a horror fan. This version is short on bells and whistles, but the picture quality is mighty nice. You can also pick up the double feature of THE KILLER SHREWS and its recent sequel which also stars James Best on its website here. And check out my interview with Best about the making of THE KILLER SHREWS here!

THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)
aka HOUSE AT THE END OF THE WORLD, THE LAST TOMB OF LIGEIA, LIGEIA, TOMB OF THE CATDirected by Roger Corman
Written by Edgar Allan Poe (short story), Robert Towne (screenplay)
Starring Vincent Price, Elizabeth Shepherd, John Westbrook, Derek Francis, Oliver Johnston, Richard Vernon, Frank Thornton
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
One of the very last Corman Poe adaptations with Vincent Price was THE TOMB OF LIGEIA, which brandishes a lot of Poe themes he often visits, and yet out of all of Price’s performances, his role in this film as Verden Fell is by far one of his most complex and diabolical.

Flash forward a number of years, and Fell still lives in the rundown ruins of the castle with one manservant and a pesky cat hissing about. When a brassy young noblewoman named Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd ) enters the castle grounds, she is captivated by Fell. Soon the two marry, but Fell and Rowena seem to be haunted by Ligeia’s ghost (Ligeia is also played by Shepherd).
As explained in the foreword by Vincent Price himself taken from a PBS special which featured a new Price movie every week hosted by the aged actor looking back and sharing haunting anecdotes about each film, TOMB OF LIGEIA was filmed differently than Corman’s previous Poe outings as it was more expansive. Corman soaks in various locales such as the moors, the ruins, English countrysides, and Stonehenge itself. In taking the cameras out of the castle, which often played as if it were a stage play, this film seems much bigger and extravagant than most. And while that claustrophobic feel might be lessened by these distanced scenes, the Poe themes of premature burials and palpable guilt are ever-present.

There are some truly intense moments in THE TOMB OF LIGEIA throughout the film, be it the scenes in the bell tower or the burning façade of the castle, and while this might be a film that makes the feminists among you wince a bit at the way Rowena is played, Price’s performance and the ever-present specter of the cat makes it all feel spookily authentic. Low on special features, the intro and outro of the film hosted by Price make this feel all the more special to have Price talk about the film in his own words. This is yet another fantastic film in this amazing collection of Price’s best work.

THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS (1985)
Directed by Freddie FrancisWritten by Dylan Thomas & Ronald Harwood
Starring Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Twiggy, Julian Sands, Stephen Rea, Phyllis Logan, Lewis Fiander, Beryl Reid, T.P. McKenna, Patrick Stewart, Siân Phillips, Philip Davis, Philip Jackson, Danny Schiller, Bruce Green
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
While the story is a bit bland and predictable, you can’t beat this cast, which makes THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS definitely worth taking a chance on.

There are a lot of characters at play here, but because these guys are all notable stars today, it’s never difficult to follow it all. And while there are some fascinating themes at play here in terms of the lofty aspirations of doctors, the main conflict is how Fallon and Broom can kill enough folks to keep their coin purses full, as they have a tendency to drink and bet their earnings away as soon as they get them. If anything feels as if it is receiving the short end of the attention stick it’s the love story between Murray and Jennie as Jennie fits into the plot, but not until the predictable final act threat. I’d complain about that, but it’s just too damn much fun to see Pryce and Rea live it up here.

This one’s not bloody or necessarily scary, but THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS deals with dark, dark themes both sophisticated and most base. If you’re looking for some grit and grime in the style of the old Hammer films, THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS is a nice change from modern slashers, zombie post-apocalyptos and found footagers.

DOLLS (1987)
aka THE DOLLDirected by Stuart Gordon
Written by Ed Naha
Starring Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Carrie Lorraine, Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason, Bunty Bailey, Cassie Stuart, Stephen Lee
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
From the folks who brought you FROM BEYOND and RE-ANIMATOR comes something a little less Lovecraftian, but still pretty effective. While DOLLS is steeped in 80s horror movie clichés, it is also downright creepy from start to finish and while it doesn’t really stand up against the perfect storm that is RE-ANIMATOR or even the oddity that is FROM BEYOND, DOLLS still packs a punch worthy of recognition.



This new BluRay version of DOLLS is loaded with some fantastic special features. There’s a new documentary about the making of the film which offers up interviews with Gordon, the cast, and the department behind all of the amazing effects. There’s also commentary tracks from Gordon, writer Ed Naha, and some of the other cast, plus a storyboard to film comparison and the usual trailers and TV spots. Though this is a bit of an outlier in director Stuart Gordon’s resume in terms of dealing with more fairy tale elements compared to the stuff he is most famous for, DOLLS proves that no matter what the sub-genre, he is a master at his horrific craft.

IN THE LAND OF THE CANNIBALS (2004)
aka LAND OF DEATH, CANNIBAL FEROX 3, CANNIBAL OF DEATH, HORROR CANNIBAL 1, CANNIBAL VS COMMANDODirected by Bruno Mattei (as Martin Miller)
Written by Bruno Mattei, Giovanni Paolucci
Starring Claudio Morales, Lou Randall, Cindy Jelic Matic, Ydalia Suarez, Silvio Jimenez, Sanit Larrauri, Kenny Krall
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
Not that xenophobia started there, but the rise of cannibal films in the Seventies and through the Eighties certainly didn’t help things in terms of dissipating “civilized” culture’s fear of the other. For just a few bucks and maybe some cases of liquor or cigarettes, filmmakers convinced tribes to let them “document” doing tribal rituals, then convincing them to chew on fake human meat in order to convince the viewer that they were vicious cannibals. Yes, this was done to some effect in CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, the godfather of cannibal films, but the number of cannibal films that preceded and followed the film are too abundant to count. Still, this type of film fascinates me, as do sasquatch films and clown films, as it really does delve into primal fears of the other. Some of them are effective (like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST), and then we have IN THE LAND OF CANNIBALS aka LAND OF DEATH aka CANNIBAL FEROX 3 aka CANNIBAL VS COMMANDO.


Aside from the cannibals chomping on some bloody meat and some red painted skeletons hanging upside down (another swipe from PREDATOR), this one is surprisingly low on gore, which is usually one of the draws of these cannibal films. This one is too much overflowing with macho clichés to be bothered with no namby-pamby fake blood and gore. Instead we get attempts at being clever by having some of the characters named after Hollywood icons like Cameron, Krueger, and Romero. Sure this can be seen as Mattei’s love song to 80s action films, but at least change something up to make it feel somewhat different.
The action movie clichés make IN THE LAND OF THE CANNIBALS worth watching if you’re looking for a movie to shred whilst drinking with friends. See it otherwise and you’re bound to be bored.
I have no idea what this trailer is saying…but it’s awesome.

THE BUTCHERS (2014)
aka DEATH FACTORYDirected by Steven Judd
Written by Stephen Durham, David McClellan
Starring Semi Anthony, Damien Puckler, Randall Bosley, Cameron Bowen, Braxton Davis, Mara Hall, Jacob Hobbs, Tonya Kay, Christy Keller, Charito Mertz, Milly Sanders, Jeremy Thorsen, Ire Wardlaw, Rick Williamson as Albert Fish, Hawk Walts as John Wayne Gacy, Mary LeGault as the Ripper, Marion Kopf as Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Kasper as Ed Gein, and John C. Epperson as the Zodiac
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

The problem is, this film doesn’t really do that. Now, I’m no expert, but I know a little about the most notorious of the serial killers and for the most part the description is the same: meticulous, outcast, shy, boy next door type, and the last person one would think would be a serial killer. There’s a reason this cliché exists—it’s because so many serial killers fit that description. So grouping them all together isn’t going to be as interesting as one probably might think. Of course, in order to make things interesting, this film makes these serial killers, aside from some clichéd looks (like the checkered shirt and thick glasses look for Dahmer, the clown makeup for Gacy, and the mask for Zodiac), just act like asshole berserkers. It’s even mentioned that these serial killers aren’t really acting like themselves to cover up this fact, but then, why use real serial killers in the first place then?

As it is, THE BUTCHERS is a pretty standard stalk and slash film with a bunch of monsters that try to convince you that they are authentic replications of serial killers. There’s a decent amount of blood, some boobs, and some voodoo magic. I’ve seen worse, but THE BUTCHERS could have been so much more.

THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME (2013)
aka THE HOUSE OF THE END TIMESDirected by Alejandro Hidalgo
Written by Alejandro Hidalgo
Starring Ruddy Rodríguez, Rosmel Bustamante, Adriana Calzadilla, Simona Chirinos, Gonzalo Cubero, Alexander Da Silva, Miguel Flores, Guillermo García, Amanda Key, José León, Guillermo Londoño, Héctor Mercado, Yucemar Morales, Efraín Romero
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Joining the list of heart-wrenching yet powerfully scary Spanish ghost stories like THE ORPHANAGE, THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, and PAN’S LABYRINTH is THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME, a story that touched me deeper than any American horror film has done in quite a while. Focusing on the power of a mother’s love, this story takes complex elements and simplifies them by adhering to powerful characterization and emotion.

Playing around with what happened and when, THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME could easily prove tough to understand to those who don’t like to pay close attention to their films. But given that this is a Spanish film (and thought I took four semesters of Spanish, I still can’t understand a lick of it), I was forced to watch this one closely in order to understand what was happening. Not everyone has that attention span, so I’m sure until the third act when all of the pieces start fitting together, some people may have already checked out. I was intrigued throughout as this film takes its time introducing you to the family, their conflicts, and their struggles, all the while peppering in some pretty inventive and simple scenes of pure bump-in-the-night goodness. Without the use of CG or really any kind of practical effects other than creative lighting and fantastically electric camerawork, this film does what 10 Hollywood horror films attempt and fail to do.

If you’re looking for a powerful ghost story that is striking in its simplicity in scares and handling of human emotion, THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME is one that delivers both with a skill and grace that few other horror films have done this year. Sure there are things that will make you shiver and scream here, but the emotion this one will bring out of you will make the horrors endured in this film all the more harrowing.

GINGERCLOWN (2013)
Directed by Balázs HatvaniWritten by Balázs Hatvani
Starring Ashley Lloyd, Erin Hayes, Tim Curry, Lance Henriksen, Michael Winslow, Brad Dourif, Sean Young, Michael Cannell-Griffiths, András Koloszár, Joshua Brownwood, Nelson Matthews, Andrew Montesi
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Man, some films…some films are just painful. I can appreciate what Hungarian writer/director Balázs Hatvani attempts to do with GINGERCLOWN. Incorporating talking puppets with a throwback style film that takes place in the 80s is just crazy enough to work in theory, but unfortunately if fails on many, many levels in execution.



I usually don’t say this, but avoid this film at all costs. Sure the atmosphere of the closed down amusement park is decent, but without a story, without a motivation, and without monsters that move, let alone scare, GINGERCLOWN is a tough pill to swallow.

THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014)
aka THE TAKINGDirected by Adam Robitel
Written by Gavin Heffernan, Adam Robitel
Starring Jill Larson, Anne Ramsay, Michelle Ang, Ryan Cutrona, Anne Bedian, Brett Gentile, Jeremy DeCarlos, Tonya Bludsworth, Julianne Taylor
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Full disclosure time: old people scare the shit out of me. Sure it’s probably my own reluctance to accept the fact that I myself am getting older and that my own mortality is much more apparent on a daily basis these days, but still, there’s something about old people that creep me the hell out more than any clown, serial killer, or sasquatch.

It also feels real, something that is a lot tougher than most would think with a found footager such as this. Acting like you’re not acting is one thing, but acting in a naturalistic manner that makes one believe the footage being shot is real and documentarian, that’s another issue altogether. Here, the reactions from the documentary reporter Mia (Michelle Ang) and her camera crew Gavin (Brett Gentile) and Luis (Jeremy DeCarlos) feel genuine, as they clearly break their code of silence by stating that they didn’t sign up for the wacked out shit that begins to happen during this documentary. Gentile especially gets points for his convincing yet self-serving performance as the guy who can only take so much.
Points for acting also have to be given to the actress playing the title character, Jill Larson. This is a bold performance by the actress who isn’t afraid to get dirty and scary, going to unglamorous places most actresses of her age would fear to tread. DEXTER’s Anne Ramsay plays Deborah’s daughter Sarah with a lot of nuance as well. Sure she could have played the one-note grieving daughter, but instead she gives a layered portrayal of someone forced to watch a loved one wither away.

For some reason, all of the attempts at horror hit me with this film. Occasionally there are some cheats here and there. Some musical beats are added to make some of the reveals more impactful and multiple types of cameras are used. But the beginning of the film says this film was put together through doc footage, stock footage, and security cam shots, so it kind of covers its tracks and makes it all more acceptable. If you’re looking for a found footage film done right, I think THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN does more things right than most. Sure, this isn’t going to change the minds of those who automatically dismiss a film for being first person POV, but it definitely ranks as one of the most effective entries in this popular subgenre.

STARRY EYES (2014)
Directed by Kevin Kolsch, Dennis WidmyerWritten by Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer
Starring Alex Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Noah Segan, Fabianne Therese, Shane Coffey, Natalie Castillo, Pat Healy, Nick Simmons, Maria Olsen, Marc Senter, Louis Dezseran, Danny Minnick
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
The best horror films I can think of take a speck of the real world and tweak it to horrific lengths. That’s what STARRY EYES does--a bleak and twisted, albeit not so inaccurate, comment on the state of Hollywood and our dreams of stardom and fame.

The standout of the film for me was Essoe’s performance. At first, I was drawn into Sarah’s plight. Having to wear skimpy clothing and serve fatty foods to mouth-breathing customers is something we think she has too much talent for. But after the freak out and as she progresses up the ladder to possible stardom, a darker and less likable side comes out and it is brave for this story and this actress to show it. While it’s subtle at first, as Sarah chuckles when a friend slips and falls, breaking her nose, this cruel streak grows and grows to gargantuan proportions as the film makes a comment that in order to become a star, all forms of humanity and soul must be left behind. What proceeds is not a comfortable film, but it is rich in subtext on how much you are willing to give in order to achieve a dream.

The ending of STARRY EYES is bombastic, graphic, and poetic all at once. Kolsch and Widmyer highlight the ugliness and beauty of superstar aspirations evenly and all at once. And while STARRY EYES might not be a great film to watch if you have dreams to make it big one day, it is an entertaining and harrowing film that is very difficult to shake after viewing. Strong performances, a great ear for music, and a well executed theme make STARRY EYES stand out even if it is reminiscent of other recent body horror films.

THE SCAREHOUSE (2013)
Directed by Gavin Michael BoothWritten by Gavin Michael Booth (story/screenplay), Sarah Booth (story)
Starring Sarah Booth, Kimberly-Sue Murray, Katherine Barrell, Jennifer Miller, Teagan Vincze, Emily Alatalo, Dani Barker, Ivana Stojanovic, Brad Everett, Jack Ettlinger, Alex Harrouch, Jonathan Dubsky, Sean Kaufmann, Tanya Bevan, Scott Cavalheiro, Braulio Elicer, Ted Jefferies, Rhys Wyn Trenhaile, Julie Williams
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here!
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
When THE SCAREHOUSE opened with a handheld camera being turned on and we began following a half a dozen girls pittering and chirping about talking about boys, dresses, and partying, I had a bad feeling this film was going to be a chore to get through. But it turns out that there’s a point to this annoying opening, and it’s a point that’s brought home in a pretty fantastic fashion in the film that follows.

While there are parts of this film that will definitely make your torture porn gag reflex twitch, what saves it is the performances by Booth and Murray. Both actresses are absolutely engaging and full of infectious personality. They’ve obviously been wronged, but they don’t play the roles as simple bad girls. Sometimes they are wide-eyed and gleeful like children burning ants. Other times they seem remorseful, as if they feel they might be going too far. The two actresses take what could be clichéd roles and add a lot of hefty characterization to them. Both actresses are extremely talented, and should be seen in much bigger and better movies in the future.

Full of unexpected turns and twists, THE SCAREHOUSE is not your typical revenge film. It takes some inventive kills and some interesting plot swerves and injects two characters played by two fantastic actresses. Don’t dismiss this film as typical torture porn fodder. The performances and deft writing elevate it to a much more respectable status.
And finally…here’s a short and sweet zombie yarn about a pregnant young woman surviving in a living dead world from Matthew Forte called WEDNESDAY’S CHILDREN. If you like what you see, you can check out the short’s Facebook page here!
See ya next week, folks!


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