
Greetings, all. Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. Here are a few more films to take notice of from the horror genre! On with the horror reviews!
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
The Boo Tube: THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season 3, Episodes 32-37 (1962)
Retro-review: THE VAULT OF HORROR (1973)
Retro-review: HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS vs. HALLOWEEN 666: THE ORIGIN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995)
THE KILLER 4 PACK DVD Collection: HELLWEEK: GRINDHOUSE EDITION (2010)
DAY OF THE MUMMY (2014)
KINGDOM COME (2014)
TAETER CITY (2012)
DON’T BLINK (2014)
DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD (2014)
THE BABADOOK (2014)
Advance Review: SHEEP SKIN (2013)
Advance Review: EL INCIDENTE (2014)
And finally…JUDITH: THE NIGHT SHE STAYED HOME!


THE TWILIGHT ZONE SEASON THREE (1962)
Episodes 32-37Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
With the release of the Complete Season Collector’s Box Set of TWILIGHT ZONE on DVD from Image Entertainment a few months ago, I’ve been celebrating by checking out each episode and tossing out my two cents on a semi-weekly basis. Image Entertainment is also releasing THE TWILIGHT ZONE: 5th DIMENSION Limited Edition Box Set, which includes the complete TZ episodes from the first series (1959-1964) and the 80s series (1985-1989)! You can pick up the collection by clicking this link here!
Now, let’s finish up THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season Three…

Directed by Allen H. Miner
Written by Rod Serling
Starring Geoffrey Horne, Edmund Vargas, Nico Minardos, Cliff Osmond
A touching tale is almost ruined by a not so subtle and in your face ending as a small Mexican town is overcome with suspicion and superstition when an alien craft lands outside of the village and the lone survivor makes his way into town. Only a small boy sees the alien’s altruistic nature while everyone else seems to just want to blow it to bits. The “cure for cancer” ending and the alien’s speech explaining what has already been established in the story are unfortunately the clunky aspects of Serling’s writing when he gets a soapbox to stand on. Still there are some fun performances and a different twist on the alien landing motif that go on despite the preachy ending.

Directed by Abner Biberman
Written by Rod Serling, based on a story by Leon Polk
Starring Cliff Robertson, Frank Sutton
One of the most memorable and creepiest episodes about a ventriloquist (Cliff Robertson) who is either off his nut or may really be haunted by his own dummy. While the ending answers that question, it is the subtle way this episode makes the dummy come alive through shadow and subtle movements that make this one so note-worthy. As is, the tale definitely packs a punch and I’m sure this episode did for dummies what STEPHEN KING’S IT did for clowns for many viewers.

Directed by John Brahm
Written by Richard Matheson
Starring Alex Nicol, Phyllis Thaxter, Wallace Rooney, Helen Brown, Rickey Kelman
Richard Matheson writes a nuanced and powerful tale about the tug of war man often experiences between his mother and his lover as a dead mother haunts a newlywed couple. The wife wants to change the childhood home she is moving into or better yet, sell the home and move away. But it’s often hard to cut the cord, as exemplified by the husband’s reaction. A much more sophisticated tale dealing with real life problems with a supernatural twist; that’s what this episode and all good TZ episodes offer.

Directed by James Sheldon and William Claxton
Written by Ray Bradbury
Starring David White, Josephine Hutchinson, Dana Dillaway, Veronica Cartwright, Charles Herbert, Vaughn Taylor
While a lot of this tale about an electric grandmother taking care of three rambunctious kids ranks high on the schmaltzy scale, I have to admit because of the strong performances by the cast, this one won me over. Bradbury uses some common twists here including the convincing salesman selling bizarre wares and the theme of leaving youth behind and moving on. The showroom where the kids pick out specific features they want in a caregiver is rather creepy, though it’s made to look pretty sweet. Still a showcase filled with types of ears can’t help but he creepy.

Directed by Christian Nyby
Written by Rod Serling
Starring Carol Burnett, Jesse White, Howard Smith
This one is more of a showcase of Carol Burnett and Jesse White’s comic talent than anything else. The story features a clumsy gal who is looked over by a bumbling guardian angel. Both end up helping each other than is likely to cause a laugh or two due to the extreme lengths Burnett goes in terms of physical comedy. One of the greats, Burnett really shows why she became a star here in this heartwarming role.

Directed by Robert Ellis Miller
Written by Rod Serling
Starring Donald Pleasence, Phillippa Bevans, Tom Lowell, Russell Horton, Buddy Hart
The third season ends perfectly with a Christmas tale that rivals that of Scrooge itself about an aging teacher, forced into retirement and contemplating suicide upon thinking that all of his teaching mattered not to his students. Donald Pleasance seems to be channeling John Housmann in this fantastically written episode filled with heart with a somewhat hard edge. Sure it’s a Christmas tale involving suicide, but beyond that it is an affirmation to anyone who has ever put pen or paintbrush to paper and wondered if it was going to be seen by anyone at all, much less appreciated. One always wants to be remembered after one is gone and this episode deals with the fear of that not happening. Pleasance still seems to shout every line as if it were his last, but the desperation in his voice only makes me sad that we won’t get any more performances by this amazing character actor who would go down in history as Loomis from the HALLOWEEN franchise, but offered so much more in every role he played. If this episode doesn’t fill your soul with joy, you may not have one.
Season 1: Episodes 1.1-1.6, 1.7-1.12, 1.13-1.18, 1.19-1.24, 1.25-1.30, 1.31-1.36
Season 2: Episodes 2.1-2.6, 2.7-2.12, 2.13-2.18, 2.19-2.24, 2.25-2.29
Season 3: Episodes 3.1-3.6, 3.7-3.12, 3.13-3.18, 3.19-3.24, 3.25-3.31
Season 4: Episodes 4.1-4.5, 4.5-4.8, 4.9-4.13, 4.14-4.18
Season 5: Episodes 5.1-5.7, 5.8-5.14, 5.15-5.21, 5.22-5.28, 5.29-5.36
Season 1 (1985): Episodes 1.1-1.3

THE VAULT OF HORROR (1973)
aka FURTHER TALES FROM THE CRYPT, TALES FROM THE CRYPT PART 2Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Written by Milton Subotsky (screenplay), based on the stories written by Al Feldstein & William M. Gaines
Starring: In “Midnight Mess” - Daniel Massey, Anna Massey, Mike Pratt, Erik Chitty, Jerold Wells, in “The Neat Job” - Terry-Thomas, Glynis Johns, Marianne Stone, John Forbes-Robertson, in “This Trick’ll Kill You” - Curd Jürgens, Dawn Addams, Jasmina Hilton, Ishaq Bux, in “Bargain in Death” - Michael Craig, Edward Judd, Arthur Mullard, Geoffrey Davies, in “Drawn & Quartered” - Tom Baker, Denholm Elliott, Terence Alexander, John Witty, Tony Hazel, Maurice Kaufmann, Sylvia Marriott
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
Continuing my coverage of the Shout Factory’s Double Feature BluRay release of TALES FROM THE CRYPT and it’s semi-sequel THE VAULT OF HORROR, I’m cracking open the Vault this week. Both films took old EC comics and adapted them with talented English actors and both really feel like truncated marathons of the old NIGHT GALLERY series (while only a few of the installments really being up to par with TWILIGTH ZONES). But all of them have an old school schlocky flair that is undeniable.





Like TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE VAULT OF HORROR opens with a quintet of characters taking an unplanned trip into the unknown. Unlike that film, it’s not as obvious until the end that they died. Instead, these five gentlemen ride an elevator to a subbasement they did not know existed and sit and gab about their worst nightmares over drinks. As with TFOC, these wraparound bits are the most uninteresting part of the film. Being a long time horror comic book lover, it’s cool that THE VAULT OF HORROR and TALES FROM THE CRYPT offer some nostalgic scares though they may not be as good as those old EC comics. Still, they do a fine job of adapting them.


HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (theatrical cut, 1995) vs. HALLOWEEN 666 (producer’s cut, 1995)
aka HALLOWEEN 666, HALLOWEEN: THE ORIGIN OF MICHAEL MYERS, HALLOWEEN: MICHAEL’S BACK, HALL6WEENDirected by Joe Chappelle
Written by Daniel Farrands
Starring Paul Rudd, Donald Pleasence, Marianne Hagan, Mitchell Ryan, Kim Darby, Bradford English, Keith Bogart, Mariah O'Brien, Leo Geter, J.C. Brandy, Devin Gardner, Susan Swift, Janice Knickrehm, Alan Echeverria, and George P. Wilbur as Michael Myers!
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
I’m fascinated with the story of the sixth installment of the HALLOWEEN franchise. By 1995 Miramax and their sister company Dimension were beginning to make waves in the world of cinema and while the original HALLOWEEN was the epitome of the indie horror film done good, this seemed to be the point where everything really went wrong for the film series. At that point, Michael Myers was a commodity, not a masked serial killer and this film with its battles between writers, directors, and producers really did prove to be the one to finally take the Shape down.

Still, the screenplay Daniel Farrands delivered straddled the real world and the supernatural pretty well and for me at least, I found the explanation as to why Michael does what he does, who is the man in black, and just what does that weird tattoo mean to be pretty satisfying. The problem is that it really feels like all parties involved were blind Indians trying to identify an elephant here, not really considering what others’ takes or opinions were and really wanting to run the kitchen no matter how many cooks were present. This behind the scenes strife is evident in the final moments of the film which, in both versions, are choppy and feel rather rushed with a lot of exposition crammed in at the last minute once all realized that the credits roll was approaching.

Other painful beats involve gratuitous gore scenes that make no sense (one guy’s head explodes after being electrocuted for no reason) and idiotic comedy beats that instantly date the film such as a painful Beavis and Butthead reference. Add that to a horrible music score that drops the iconic piano and substitutes in obnoxious guitar riffs and an ending that suddenly gives a skinny Paul Rudd super strength enough to go toe to toe with Michael and jab him with a million syringes full of tranquilizer resulting in Michael bleeding green, and it’s pretty evident that this film is more like a runaway train skidding off the tracks. The whole thing ends with Loomis refusing to leave with the rest and being killed off screen as Michael’s mask and syringe fall to the ground.

But there are some cool things going on with the story in both versions of the film. The man in black is actually a group of men in black; a druidic cult with ties to the original meaning of Halloween and the boogey man. Michael’s killing sprees were given meaning, occurring when the constellation of the Thorn, an ancient druidic rune appears in the sky (coincidentally on Halloween) and his penchant to try to wipe out his family is sort of covered with a curse to keep the elder gods pleased and the cult alive and kicking. Given that druidism was referenced in the sequel as well as playing a heavy role in SEASON OF THE WITCH, this use of druidism kind of explained things rather nicely in a way that makes it all seem like it was planned to go this way from the get go. Daniel Farrands did a fantastic job piecing together all of the random factors and making it feel like it was one big epic slasher tale.

The film unforgivably recasts Jamie with J.C. Brandy after refusing to give Danielle Harris $5000 to return to the role. The whole Jamie thing in this film really does get under my skin; not because Brandy did such a bad job with the role, but because ***SPOILER*** she is killed off so easily and so early in the film (staying alive a bit longer in the producer’s cut). Also the insinuation in the theatrical cut and the out and out reveal in the producer’s cut that Michael is the father of Jamie’s baby doesn’t really sit right with me. It takes the whole Freudian sexual killer idea to a whole icky level that I feel is best left in symbology rather than actual sexual acts ***END SPOILER***.
This was Paul Rudd’s first ever role and the future Ant Man does a decent job here. His roles in ANCHORMAN and THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN have made it hard for me to take the actor seriously when he tries to be, but Rudd is committed to this role and does a decent job of it. Still, I can’t decide whether I love or hate Rudd’s little psychopathic ticks he experiences when he first sees Michael in the hallway. In one way, it’s an original way of showing that he is definitely unhinged. On the other hand, it is a little goofy.

This installment in the BluRay set not only sports both versions of the film, it also has an FX reel highlighting John Carl Beuchler’s best work on the film and a piece made interviewing two parts of the warring producer factions behind this film discussing the producer’s cut and the drama that occurred behind the scenes. Seems a lot of shady stuff occurred in this installment, but that’s the price of going big. For my money, longtime fans of the series should seek out the producer’s cut as I found it to be most satisfying. Still, it is the fork in the road for this HALLOWEEN series as the mysticism is nixed from here on out in the following installments. For many, this is where the series ends and after knowing what films are to come, I kind of wish it would have been.
HALLOWEEN (1979)
HALLOWEEN II (1981)
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)
HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)
HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)

HELLWEEK: GRINDHOUSE EDITION (2010)
Directed by Eddie LengyelWritten by Eddie Lengyel, April Needham
Starring Rob Jaeger, Karen Fox, Michael Reddy, Robyn Griggs, Steve Thomlin, Eric Matyjasic, Shane Clark, Michelene Pancoe, Breanne Racano, Rob Purcell, April Needham, Robert S. Miller, Michael Braddock, Greg Jackson, Don Kilrain
Find out more about this film on Myspace here!
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been checking out four low budget films that can be found collected in one disk called THE KILLER 4 PACK from SGL Movie Store. The films lean more on the DIY side and while I wasn’t really excited to crack this one open, the first offering I checked out last week called EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS proved to be much better than I had expected, while the second film JEZEBETH unfortunately was pretty hard to get through. The third film CARNAGE: THE LEGEND OF QUILTFACE wasn’t anything I’d recommend, but it was watchable. This week I finish the 4 pack and check out HELL WEEK: GRINDHOUSE EDITION.

When everyone does get to the warehouse the doubles for the crazy house a family of TEXAS CHAIN SAW wannabes inhabit, you want these kids to die violently. The thing is, these characters are such knock offs of the entire Leatherface family that it’s hard to see past that. Add to the fact that those characters that don’t look like members of the Sawyer bunch are direct rip-offs of THE HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (which in itself was way too derivative of TCM) and this unwatchable mess becomes all the more tough to sit through.

So one out of four of these flicks featured in this indie four pack is worth checking out. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS really has some charm, but you can skip the rest of the turds in this four pack of low budget fare.

DAY OF THE MUMMY (2014)
Directed by Johnny TaborWritten by Garry Charles
Starring Danny Glover, William McNamara, Nimi, Andrea Monier, Philip Marlatt, Anthony Fanelli, Michael Cortez, Natalie De Luna, Robin Steffen, Eric Young, and Brandon deSpain as Nefuru the Mummy!
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Danny Glover may be too old for some shit, but he ain’t above collecting a paycheck for this snoozer. Clunking out on DVD and straight to a ScyFy movie of the week spot is DAY OF THE MUMMY which features CHASERS’ William McNamara as an expert in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Glover as a reclusive billionaire who sends him on a mission to find a mythical diamond buried in a lost tomb. This one has a very Indiana Jones-ey feel to it, minus the adventure and the budget and the wonder and the character and anything else good that Indy’s movies had and this one doesn’t.

Seeing this film through the lens of the camera, this allows both “name stars” in this film (McNamara and Glover) to really actually phone in their roles as McNamara is off screen the entire time (since he is wearing the glasses we are seeing through) and Glover only appears as a pop up box in the bottom corner of the screen like that annoying paperclip in Word sipping a brandy and looking concerned at the screen. This leaves the rest of the film focusing on mostly bad actors trying to act as if they are in peril as dirt clods, dust, and the occasional guy in a bad mummy suit flies at them in caves. I will attest that actress Andrea Monier is one of the few standouts who actually seems like a) she knows how to act and b) she actually gives a shit to be in this film.

While I’m always game for a new take on the mummy subgenre, it seems to have been enmeshed with the Indiana Jones style action film ever since the Sommers MUMMY films. Here’s hoping someone with some ingenuity and a little more creativity can come up with something new for mummy movies as nothing new or interesting is to be discovered in DAY OF THE MUMMY.

KINGDOM COME (2014)
Directed by Greg A. SagerWritten by Geoff Hart, Greg A. Sager, A. Jaye Williams
Starring Ry Barrett, Camille Hollett-French, William Foley, Jason Martorino, Soroush Saeidi, Katie Uhlmann, Jo Jo Karume, Chelsey Marie, Ellie O'Brien, Bruce Turner, Kirsten Comerford, Sima Sepehri
Find out more about this film here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Anyone who has seen an episode of the TWILIGHT ZONE or been to modern thriller/horror cinema is going to be able to sniff the “twist” ending of KINGDOM COME from the opening credits and while I won’t reveal it here, it’s a good thing that the twist ending isn’t the only trick in this film’s bag—otherwise it’d be tough to recommend.

The design work on the gatekeeper monsters are actually pretty effective as they look like fallen angels with clipped wings, bandaged eyes, and emaciated muscles. Their crooked teeth and antlers jut all over the place and the director does a good job of lighting them so they even look more dangerous. On top of that, there’s another villain (who I will leave nameless) who is equally threatening, even though he doesn’t really wear makeup and relies on his devious performance alone. So in terms of threat, this little horror fest has a lot packed in there.

So while KINGDOM COME isn’t a scorcher in terms of story, the ambience, the characters, the acting and the monsters more than make up for it. Maybe some will be surprised by the ending, but I assure you if you pay attention and have seen a movie in the last ten years, you’re going to be able to call it accurately like I did. Not a deal breaker, as KINGDOM COME has other entertaining cards up its sleeve, but disappointing to those like me who love to be surprised at the movies.

TAETER CITY (2012)
Directed by Giulio De SantiWritten by Giulio De Santi
Starring Monica Muñoz, Riccardo Valentini, Santiago Ortaez, Wilmar Zimosa, Giulio De Santi
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
“Don’t ask me why because this is fucking nonsense,,,fucking nonsense!”

Still, this story of a utopian city of the future which relies on human meat from criminals for nutrients is an all you can eat buffet of uber-gore and ultra-violence. Set in the mythic town of Taeter City, heavily armed police are sent to patrol the streets and rid them of those who use animals for food or those who don’t uphold the many laws passed down from the leaders and corporations who just happen to also make Taeter Burgers, which are admittedly made of human meat.

What I love about this film is its simplistic, yet effective action movie plot of one man trapped in a place with no exit and having to face down three law enforcement officers. Now, none of the rest of this film makes a lick of sense, but that doesn’t matter. Filmmaker Giulio De Santi sets it all in a simple locale for the carnage to take place in. And with the amount of carnage that happens, all you need to do it set it up and watch the blood splash around.

If you’re a gorehound and aren’t really interested in complexity of character or plot, TAETER CITY is going to be right up your alley. Not all films have to be cerebral or classy to be good. TAETER CITY proves it by being in your face, puckering up, and ready to give you a sloppy, bloody kiss for watching it.

DON’T BLINK (2014)
aka LAST STOPDirected by Travis Oates
Written by Travis Oates
Starring Mena Suvari, Brian Austin Green, Joanne Kelly, Zack Ward, Robert Picardo, David de Lautour, Fiona Gubelmann, Leif Gantvoort, Emelie O'Hara, Samantha Jacobs, Curtiss Frisle, Boots Southerland
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
DON’T BLINK is a slice of TWILIGHT ZONE-ian goodness. It’s ambiguous enough to be interesting but not too obtuse to be obnoxious and with a recognizable cast, it makes the whole thing all the more fun and relatable.

And when I talk about weird stuff, I mean it, as this film is very unconventional in terms of its “monster.” Basically, the danger here is completely unseen as we don’t know how or why people are disappearing. The only thing is clear is that once someone is out of sight of the group, that person up and disappears. So while this danger isn’t something you can drive a stake into or kill with sunlight, it is something absolutely dangerous and the ambiguity of it all makes it all the more frightening.

So while the threat is kind of weird and indescribable, it’s also pretty original and compelling in the way it brings out the worst in people. Disappearing without a trace is a scary thing and writer/director Travis Oates does a fine job off conveying that danger in a palpable way that gives one the feeling that no one is safe. DON’T BLINK is a thriller filled with all kinds of dangers, playing off of base fears and smartly leaving things eerily ambiguous for the audience to fill in the blanks with their own dark terrors. Some may be frustrated with the lack of answers here, but if you’re willing to look a little outside of the box in terms of movie monsters, this one is going to be a pleaser.

DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD (2014)
Directed by Tommy WirkolaWritten by Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel, Tommy Wirkola
Starring Vegar Hoel, Ørjan Gamst, Martin Starr, Jocelyn DeBoer, Ingrid Haas, Stig Frode Henriksen, Hallvard Holmen, Kristoffer Joner, Amrita Acharia, Derek Mears, Bjarte Tjøstheim, Charlotte Frogner, Jesper Sundnes
Find out more about this film here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
After a few missed attempts to see DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD at festivals, I finally got to check it out on BluRay this week and it really is a lot of fun. But there’s a noticeable shift in tone between the original and this sequel and I kind of wanted to talk about that in this review.

The story definitely expands in this sequel as the Nazi zombies kind of switch gears from finding their lost gold to continuing their original mission before they were struck down by the Russians during WWII. Also coming back is Martin (Vegar Hoel) who was the sole survivor of the last film, minus an arm. Losing a limb really seems to be a subject Wirkola likes to delve into as the opening action sequence has Lead Nazi Zombie Herzog lose his own arm and after a goofy series of coincidences, Martin and Herzog end up with each others’ arms and a new power to raise the dead and add to their Nazi army. Losing a limb is also the subject of a short film which accompanies the BluRay called ARMEN which continues the dark sense of humor this film uses so well.

The addition of the American Zombie Squad, lead by FREAKS & GEEKS alum Martin Starr is fun, though much of the flubs and inconsistencies in this film comes from the involvement of his squad. Somehow, immigration laws, getting a passport, and making plans to travel from America to Norway are almost immediate actions as all it takes is one call and a quick cut for Starr and his crew of female zombie killers to be on the scene. I laughed a lot at the Zombie Squad’s zeal as they react to the fact that zombies are real as well as the multiple nerd references dropped by the trio.

And while DEAD SNOW went for the shock and awe ending, this one at least seems to wrap things up into a more pleasing, albeit gross package. There’s a sense of closure here that wasn’t in the first film as it really feels the character of Martin ends up where he should, as do the Nazis. As a double feature, DEAD SNOW and its sequel work much better than most first and second installments. Here’s hoping if there is a third installment, it maintains this level of laughs and gore.

THE BABADOOK (2014)
Directed by Jennifer KentWritten by Jennifer Kent
Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Tim Purcell, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight, Hayley McElhinney, Cathy Adamek, Benjamin Winspear, Barbara West, Craig Behenna, Terence Crawford
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

Essie Davis plays a worn down mother named Amelia who lost her husband the day her only child Samuel (Noah Wiseman) was born. Now a rambunctious child of 10, Samuel brings weapons to school, spastically keeps his mother awake all night, and seems to be having serious ADHD problems. All of this wears heavily on the beleaguered orderly who tries to be a good mother despite it all and keeps her chin up, hoping some day to find Mr. Right to make her life a little easier. After a particularly spastic day of being kicked out of school and terrorizing his cousins, Samuel finds a pop-up book called MR. BABADOOK and asks his mom to read it to him for bedtime. But upon reading this mysterious book causes all sorts of trouble beginning with nightmares and developing into outright paranoia and suspicion that the monster in the gloomy little book might actually be real and this means bad things for Amelia and Samuel.

Samuel is indeed a handful and hats off to little Noah Wiseman for being such a spastic little shit. As a person who works with this type of kid every day at my day job as a licensed therapist in a residential home for boys and girls, I know how exhausting a child such as this can be. Seeing Wiseman writhe around like he’s got ten monkeys under his skin is entertaining until you see the toll it takes on Amelia and Essie Davis offers up a ballsy and convincing role of a mother trying her best against insurmountable odds. Seeing her come apart at the seams is both believable and terrifying since she has shown the viewer how much she really loves her child. Davis’ performance is the stuff you rarely see in horror; a motherly character much like Dee Wallace’s role in CUJO who struggles to do what is right in the face of danger and trying to keep her wits to her despite it all.

And as this film reaches its quiet resolution and bizarre closure, I found myself wanting to see this film again (something that rarely happens these days with horror films). If you’re looking for one of the most effective horror films of the year, THE BABADOOK is definitely one of them. It’s not your typical horror film and it’s a film that somewhat transcends the genre in terms of acting punch and directorial and story power. Those looking for a cookie cutter thrills can seek out cinematic sharts like ANNABELLE. But if you want to see real terror, THE BABADOOK delivers!

SHEEP SKIN (2013)
Directed by Kurtis SpielerWritten by Kurtis Spieler
Starring Jamie Lyn Bagley, Zach Gillette, Mark Resnik, Michael Schantz, Laurence Mullaney, Bryan Manley Davis, Ria Burns-Wilder
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
I love a good locked room mystery and while this isn’t exactly that, SHEEP SKIN unfolds like a stage play with one setting, giving the actors involved to show a lot of character and the mystery a chance to breathe.

The thing SHEEP SKIN does well is really keep you guessing up to the final moments of this film as to whether this is a werewolf story or just a story about people paranoid enough to believe in the creatures existing. Writer/director Kurtis Spieler keeps this secret guarded until it is absolutely the last moment as to what the man bound to the chair really is. The answer is provided in the final moments (and I won’t reveal it here), but I will say that the reveal is satisfying and makes sense in regard to the info given to us throughout the film.

This isn’t a big film. What effects this film has are pretty modest and there are no expansive sets or elaborate technical aspects to SHEEP SKIN. But it does unfold a mystery with a steady and patient, and most importantly, rather capable hand, so fans of slow burn stories are going to want to seek this one out if it crosses your path.

EL INCIDENTE (2014)
aka THE INCIDENTDirected by Isaac Ezban
Written by Isaac Ezban
Starring Raúl Méndez, Nailea Norvind, Hernán Mendoza, Humberto Busto, Fernando Álvarez, Gabriel Santoyo, Paulina Montemayor, Héctor Mendoza, Leonel Tinajero, Marcos Moreno, Luciana Villegas, Adrián Ladrón de Guevara, Leticia González y Magda Brugengheim
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Films like PI, CUBE and TIME CRIMES often come to mind when talking about innovative and low fi takes on sci fi standards, using innovative concepts to tell a tale that is one step beyond what we call reality. I dare to add EL INCIDENTE to the list of sci fi films that folks will be talking about for years and years to come in terms of engrossing ideas and innovative ideas about space and time.

EL INCIDENTE follows the confusion, shock, and disbelief of these people when they realize the path they are on has been travelled over and over in a manner that illustrates this mixed bag of emotions subtly and clearly. Given the age and status differences in the cast, it’s fascinating to see how the cast reacts to being stuck in a non-stop loop. Some crack. Some die. Some persevere. And some grow. This story illustrates all of that with so much finesse that not one moment is wasted. And while the realization of being stuck in such a predicament is where any normal TWILIGHT ZONE or even in a substandard sci fi movie would leave off, this film is just getting started. Just wait until we fast forward 35 years and check back in on our stranded parties in the hamster wheel. It’s absolutely astounding where this story goes.

EL INCIDENTE is the type of sci fi that would make Bradbury, Serling, and Wells stand up and cheer. It’s a sophisticated take on the redundancy of life as well as a lesson in physics, psychology, and the human condition. Horrifying at times—mesmerizing all the way through, I was in awe of how clearly writer/director Isaac Ezban makes these complex and abstract concepts easy to follow without dumbing things down one bit. EL INCIDENTE is an intelligent and terrifying trip into a new kind of TWILIGHT ZONE. It’s a film once seen you’ll want to tell others about and one you definitely will not forget. Blending sci fi, philosophy, psychology, and horror gently, expertly, and skillfully, EL INCIDENTE is a masterpiece in modern science fiction and should not be missed.
And finally…with all of this HALLOWEEN hullabaloo, I found myself in the mood for some HALLOWEEN fan films. One of the better ones is from HONEYSPIDER (which I haven’t seen) director Josh Hasty and writer Kenny Caperton which focuses on one of the untold tales from the HALLOWEEN mythos; that of Judith Myers, the one who started it all.
Here’s JUDITH: THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME…
See ya next week, folks!


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Look for our bi-weekly rambling about random horror films on Poptards and Ain’t It Cool on AICN HORROR’s CANNIBAL HORRORCAST Podcast every other Thursday!