FRIGHT FEST: ODDITY

 In Oddity, Dani spends her days and nights renovating an old house that she plans on moving into with her husband Tim, the head of a mental asylum. One night, she decides to sleep over, resulting in her brutal murder at the presumed hands of an escaped inmate. One year later, her blind psychic twin sister pays a visit to the house in an attempt to uncover who is truly responsible for the murder.

A creepy, atmospheric horror-mystery. While the resolution to the mystery is pretty easy to call before the end of the first act, this film is still to be commended for its constant sense of lurking dread. There’s no real lead character. We spend most of the run-time with Tim's new girlfriend. She leaves by the end of the second act and isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things, though. It feels like the surviving twin sister should be the lead, and while she’s definitely in this, she doesn’t get as much screen-time as others.

Despite these complaints, Oddity still manages to send a consistent chill up-and-down your spine for a full hour and thirty-five minutes. It also features one of the best “haunted houses” in modern cinema (Ain’t no way I’m stepping foot in there, let alone spending a night there or live there). The wooden dummy is plenty creepy and foreboding as well.

4 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS GOES CUCKOO FOR CUCKOO

 Cuckoo is absolutely one of those films that works best if you walk in knowing as little about it as possible, and let it take you on its weird, bonkers roller-coaster ride. That being said, if you’re still here, let’s review this ish!

In Cuckoo, seventeen year old Gretchen (Hunter Schaffer) finds herself forcibly moved to the German Alps with her dick-head dad Luis (Martin Csokas), his wife Beth (Jessica Henwick), and her step-sister Alma (Mika Lieu). Shortly after arriving, Herr König (Dan Stevens), the mysterious and odd proprietor of a chintzy hotel and the man her father is working for/with, hires Gretchen to work front desk. It isn’t long until Gretchen finds herself stalked by a shady and horrifying woman (Kalin Morrow). With no one else to turn to, she reluctantly teams up with detective Henry (Jan Bluthardt) to uncover answers and stop the woman.

Cuckoo is written and directed by Tilman Singer. This is his sophomore effort (He previously directed and wrote 2018’s Luz). The storytelling is a little muddied/messy, and not everything is fully explained by the end (or maybe it’s the answers aren’t explained well. I can’t decide which it is). All that said, Tilman is an innovative director. The screenplay is pretty solid despite continual foreshadowing involving the meaning of the title. The foreshadowing hits so hard it hurts and quickly grows annoying.

Hunter Schaffer is fantastic as Gretchen, our lead. Gretchen starts out as a bit of a stock cliche: The disaffected, snarky, cynical, angsty teen. As the film moves onwards, she grows a bit of depth and is given some great pathos involving her backstory that only helps to endear us to her. Her weapon of choice (a switchblade not unlike the one Dan Stevens used as David in The Guest) is pretty memorable. You definitely want to see Gretchen come out on top by the end.

Dan Steven’s shines bright as Herr König. He puts on a convincing, stilted German accent. He is perfectly awkward and off-putting in the role, and always keeps us on our toes as to the true nature of his character. This is easily his best role and performance since The Guest. Dan Stevens is back, baby!!!

Kalin Morrow is disturbing, horrifying, and grotesque as “The Hooded Woman”. Her costume, make-up, and prosthetics are very memorable and scary (as are the sounds/cries she makes). She makes for a great, memorable antagonist. Jan Bluthardt is also pretty great and memorable as Henry. The film has some fun with his character as he could be a force for good or bad during the proceedings. Mika Lieu impresses as well as Alma, Gretchen’s mute step-sister. Cuckoo slowly builds up her character, but she proves to be a very sweet and kind girl. Her relationship with Gretchen is one of the strongest parts of the film.

Surprisingly, despite Cuckoo definitely being a very weird horror film, it has a strong, emotional core. It also deals heavily with themes of motherhood. Most of the film moves fairly slowly as it builds its mystery (but never so slowly that it could be considered a slow-burn. It’s not). The third act is where Cuckoo hits its stride as stuff hits the fan in a highly entertaining and tense/suspenseful way (the film practically explodes during the entirety of the third act).

Cuckoo is this year’s Barbarian (another film that dealt heavily with themes of motherhood. Cuckoo could also be compared to 2019’s Vivarium). While it is not without its flaws, Cuckoo is still easily the most original horror film we’ve gotten in quite some time. It’s disturbing. It’s touching. It’s sweet. It can be unpredictable. It’s also 125,000 percent wild, insane, and bat-shit bonkers. With a heavy emphasis on uniqueness and originality, Cuckoo is another of the best horror movies of 2024. It marches to the best of its own weird drum, and we are all the better for it.

4.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: LONGLEGS

 "...And you're going to be there, and you're going to be there, and you're going to be there!"

A modern masterpiece and Oz Perkin’s best work to date. Sometime in the 90s Lee Harken (Maika Monroe), a young and “highly intuitive” FBI agent, is given the task of investigating a decades-long serial killer case. That’s about all I can say plot-wise without going into spoilers.

Maika Monroe stars as Lee, and puts on something quite different from what we’ve seen from her before. Lee is quiet and emotionally distant, though she does grow to show more emotion as the film progresses. She resembles a mix of Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs and Will Graham from Red Dragon/Manhunter. It’s always good to see Monroe on the big screen, and it’s a joy to see her back in a horror film (where she belongs).

Blair Underwood shines as Carter, Lee’s friendly but no-nonsense FBI superior. His role is certainly a supporting one, but Carter is a likable and very memorable character. Alicia Witt is also pretty good as Lee’s extremely religious mother.

Nic Cage plays Longlegs, the unhinged and cocoa-for-cuckoo puffs serial killer at the center of the film. Wow. Just wow. We are so lucky to have Nic Cage. He is such a gift. As Longlegs, he puts on one of his all-time best performances and in the process emerges as a horror icon. On display are all of his usual Cage-isms, but here you will laugh out of nervousness and unease. To put it simply: Cage’s Longlegs is unsettling and terrifying. The stuff nightmares are made of. Although I couldn’t stop smiling every time he was on screen, I was still very much afraid of him. Long legs has limited screen time in the film named after and about him, but Cage easily runs away with the entire proceedings. 

Oz Perkins (son of the late, great Anthony Perkins. Yes, THAT Anthony Perkins) directs and writes, and does both masterfully. The script is expertly crafted and the direction is taut. Just about every scene is filled with an almost unbearable building dread and tension.

The cinematography by Andres Arochi fits this film perfectly. There is an expert use of negative space, changing aspect ratios, and wide shots throughout (all of which only add to the tension and unease for the viewer). The editing by Greg Ng and Graham Fortin is pretty great too. The score by Zilgi is exquisite and creepy, perfectly adding to the dread and suspense in each scene. The sound design by Eugenio Battaglia is superb as well, and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Longlegs plays like an ultra-dark, very twisted take on Thomas Harris material (author of Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon, and Hannibal) with a hard occult/satanic edge and some supernatural shadings. The film moves like a slow freight train gradually picking up speed. The events play out like unavoidable, unstoppable horrors. The ending doesn’t quite hit the mark, but it comes close enough to the bullseye and makes sense considering the subject matter and influences we’re dealing with. 

Longlegs is easily in contention for best horror film of the year. It’s guaranteed to linger long after the end credits roll, and might even give some nightmares. It’s the real deal. If you love horror, Oz Perkins, Maika Monroe, Nic Cage, or Thomas Harris then you owe it to yourself to check out this sick, ugly (and I say ugly in the best way possible) little flick. Get ready to get fucked up!

5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: I SAW THE TV GLOW

 “This isn’t the midnight realm, Maddie. It’s just the suburbs.”

A24 continues to have an eye for unique talents with unique visions and voices. This is without a doubt the best, most realistic, and most true film about escapism and filmic obsession I’ve ever seen. It’s got its own hypnotic, unique visual language and color palette that lulls you into a trance. It’s ultimately about how we turn to films/tv to get away from our daily lives, how those films and tv shows then shape our view and expectations about our lives and the world, and how when reality fails to live up to those expectations we escape back into film and tv. It honestly hits a little too close to home and is fairly depressing, but it speaks truth.

Both Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine put on strong, affecting performances as Owen and Maddie, best friends who are slowly dying from their unfulfilling and disappointing lives in the suburbs. Justice Smith in particular really wows with a flat, robotic affect. He continuously breaks the 4th wall to narrate the events of the film directly to the audience (almost like he is entering into a relationship with the audience the same way we form relationships with characters in films and tv). Owen seems to lack emotion, but this is false as it’s all concealed or hidden by him (for whatever reason). You could say he suffers from Dysphoria: a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction. This is easily Smith’s best performance yet. 

Brigette Lundy-Paine shines as well. Maddie is an angsty lesbian who has no friends and a terrible home life. Because of this, she chooses to escape into her favorite show, ‘The Pink Opaque’. When Owen approaches her, she effortlessly gets him addicted to the show as well. It’s an addiction that will stick with them for the rest of their lives, and it might prove to be toxic. Paine is asked to become concerningly unhinged later on, and they sell this turn incredibly well.

I Saw the TV Glow is directed and written by Jane Schoenbrun (who previously directed and wrote ‘We’re All Going To the World’s Fair’). They do an excellent job at each, managing to capture the isolation and disappointment of living in the suburbs. The cinematography by Eric Yue is transcendent. In his hands, the suburbs has a consistent etherealness and other-worldly look to it (it almost feels Carpenter-esque). The little we see of ‘The Pink Opaque’ completely nails the 90s aesthetics of freaky/scary kids shows from that era as well (think ‘Goosebumps’ or ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’). 

The multiple songs featured throughout are simply superb (highlights include but aren’t limited to ‘Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl’ by Yeule, ‘Another Season’ by Frances Quinlan, ‘Starburned and Unkissed’ by Caroline Polachek, and ‘Claw Machine’ by Sloppy Jane and Phoebe Bridgers). Needless to say, the album for the film is worth a purchase.

I Saw the TV Glow is a powerful, hard-hitting, surreal film that has a lot to say about film/tv, obsession, escapism, identity, and even nostalgia. It’s guaranteed to speak to any one who has fallen under the hypnotic glow of the television/silver screen, or anyone who has made film/tv their life.

5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: TRAP

 In Trap, Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett), buys his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) tickets to a concert for her favorite artist, Lady Raven (Saleka Syhamalan). While there, Cooper notices an upped police presence and soon realizes that the whole thing is an elaborate trap set to snare a savage serial killer named The Butcher. Things are looking rough for Cooper, especially since he is actually the very serial killer the authorities are trying to catch. 

A simple, tight, mostly straightforward thriller (Don’t expect any twists). Josh Hartnett easily carries the proceedings and is the focus for about 90-95% of the film. His Connor/The Butcher is the most likable/charismatic sociopath since Dan Steven’s David in The Guest. Hartnett does a superb acting job, and makes Shyamalan’s occasionally silly dialogue sound authentic and natural. It doesn’t hurt that Hartnett has some serious DILF vibes throughout. He also has believable and sweet chemistry with Ariel Donoghue, who plays his daughter Riley (she’s adorable). Simply put: He’s phenomenal.

Shyamalan manages to perfectly capture the atmosphere of a live concert. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is in charge of cinematography. He recently shot Challengers. He doesn’t do anything special or innovative here (the cinematography doesn’t really call attention to itself), but Trap is always visually appealing. The first 2/3rds of the third act has another character take center stage, and it’s here where Trap really starts to flounder. Luckily, the last 10-15 minutes manages to end the flick on a pretty satisfying note.

Allison Pill has a small role, but makes her screen-time count. Hayley Mills is memorable as Dr. Grant, the FBI profiler leading the manhunt. She’s great, but is fairly under-cooked. It feels like she should have been a bigger character. Jonathan Langdon is very likable in a supporting role as Jamie, a concert worker who befriends Cooper. Kid Cudi also has a cameo as The Thinker, another artist who performs with Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) and has a big ego. He is a real jerk, but Cudi leaves an impression (and is almost unrecognizable).  As for Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven, well...she can certainly sing...her acting, though, leaves much to be desired. It doesn't help that Lady Raven is given no backstory or reason to be invested in the manhunt. We are also given no reason to care about her safety, either

Trap isn’t particularly great. It’s definitely a Shyamalan movie. That said, it’s still mostly solid and is a decent amount of fun. See it for Josh Hartnett, who is having a bit of a renaissance right now.

3 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: ALIEN: ROMULUS

 In Alien: Romulus, we follow a rag-tag group of penal colonists who dream of escaping to a better world and a better life. There’s our heroine Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeney), her android best-friend/brother Andy (David Jonson), the leader of the group/Rain's ex-beau Tyler (Archie Renaux), Tyler's cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn), Tyler's pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced), and Bjorn's girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu). 

When a derelict Weyland-Yutani research and development vessel blips onto their radar, the group decide the cryo sleep pods on board might be their ticket to paradise. Unfortunately, once they break in they inadvertently awaken the horrors lurking within the ship. The group’s new end goal: Survive.

Alien: Romulus is directed by Fede Alvarez (He also shares screenwriting credit with Rodo Sayagues, who previously helped write Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe). Romulus is Fede’s first horror film in eight years, and his first director credit in six years. It’s great to have him back in horror, even if Romulus isn’t his best horror film.

Romulus has a solid plot and decent enough character development. The screenplay is pretty good too, though there is a good deal of fan service. Some is subtle, some is hit you in the face with a mallet annoying. Luckily, when this film finds it’s groove, it can be really fun and really f’d up.

Benjamin Wallfisch scores Romulus, and does a phenomenal job. He borrows elements from Jerry Goldsmith’s score for Alien, but his work here never feels like a copy-and-paste job. It is it's own beautiful, freaky thing. Wallfisch continues to impress with his scores. Whenever I see his name pop up before a film, I get excited.

The production design (by Naaman Marshall), set design (Kinga Básci, Paul Chadeisson, Pablo Domínguez, Franciska Hutter, Lizzie Osborne, Helga Petro, Mary Pike, Col Price, Mauricio Ruiz, Kaitlyn Sandeman, Matthew Savage, Nick Stathe, Silvia Stroppa, Joshua Viers), creature design (Dane Hallett and Antony Nguyen), sound design (Lee Gilmore and Chris Terhune), and cinematography (Galo Olivares) are just about perfection. The cinematography in particular is consistently gorgeous and stunning. There is also one creature/Alien that is incredibly disturbing. He/She/It is pure nightmare fuel. Romulus doesn't rely on jump scares to frighten, instead leaning heavily on atmosphere, tone, and pure tension to get the job done. That said, the film does feature two top-tier jump scares.

Cailee Spaeney plays our lead, and consistently looks like a young Sigourney Weaver throughout. She’s given a decent amount of meat to chew on, but this isn’t her best or strongest role. That said, she still impresses. Archie Rénaux as Tyler is very likable and feels like a stabilizing force throughout. He is great in his role.

Spike Fearn as Bjorn plays a jerk very well. You aren’t necessarily supposed to like him, but I sure did. He has a real presence about him. He’s definitely a stand-out, memorable role. Isabela Merced might be the best she has ever been as Kay. She is a pretty strong woman who is easy to root for. She also has hands-down the most disturbing scene in the entire film.

David Jonsson might impress the most as Andy, a very human and very lovable obsolete android (Oh my God, I just got it. Andy…android.). He cares deeply about Rain and his primary objective starts out as doing whatever is best for her. Of course, he is an Android, so his loyalties are ultimately questionable. Jonsson does a great job at keeping us guessing as to if he is truly a good guy or not.

Jonsson is given a lot to work with as he has to play with some Autistic-esque qualities, he has to be icy/stony and cold, he has to play determined, and he also has to have a warmth or empathy to him too. Jonsson pulls it all off effortlessly. He really might be the best actor/role in the film, and his Andy reminds of a specific character from Fede’s Evil Dead (As far as his character progression/arc goes).

During the press tour for Romulus, Fede Alvarez boasted about his use of practical sets and practical effects, and indeed there is a lot of that here. Unfortunately, CGI is utilized (or looks like it’s utilized) a good deal too. There is CGI used for one character that is just PS4 cut-scene level bad, and some might be offended by the character in question (I imagine the words distasteful and disrespectful might be thrown around). That said, it's still good to see them included. Some of the sets seem to have a CGI gloss painted over them as well (not many, but I’d say at least two or three).

Fede is clearly a mega-fan of Alien. The pacing and structure for Romulus is heavily influenced by that film (It also is essentially a haunted house/ship, much like Alien was). That said, Romulus more often than not feels closer in tone to Aliens. There are plenty of tense, suspenseful, and scary scenes, but there is a clear emphasis on action a good deal (especially in the third act. I’d say the first two acts are Alien, the last act is Aliens). It’s also appreciated that Fede finds a way to make the events of Prometheus and Covenant important to what is happening in Romulus (I’d say more-so Prometheus than Covenant. Elements from Alien: Resurrection are lightly included as well).

Alien: Romulus does a lot right, it also slips up at times too, though. It tries to add emotional stakes so audiences can get invested in our leads and their plight, but your mileage may vary. Luckily, it is always cool and fun. The first 5 minutes and final ten minutes are incredible. Honestly, the last ten minutes might be the best part of the movie. 

Alien: Romulus tries/wants to be the perfect organism: a blending of Prometheus, Alien, and Aliens. Unfortunately, perfect this is not. Luckily, there are enough great scenes and moments that it earns a recommendation. It will definitely F you up. As is, it’s  the third best Alien movie.

4 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: ALIEN COVENANT

“Why are you on a colonization mission, Walter? Because they are a dying species grasping for resurrection. They don’t deserve to start again, and I’m not going to let them.”

“When one note is off, it eventually destroys the whole symphony, David.”

In Alien: Covenant, the crew of the Covenant vessel are searching for a good place to settle down, mate, and re-populate the human race. When they stumble upon what they call Planet 4, they find the planet inhabited by various different Proto-Morphs and David (Michael Fassbender), the android from Prometheus. David offers them assistance and refuge, but are his intentions truly altruistic, or are they maybe something a bit more sinister?

Alien: Covenant is a more technically competent film than Prometheus. The screenplay is better too, and the ideas presented are more fully explored. Tennessee (Danny McBride), Daniels (Katherine Waterston), Walter (Michael Fassbender), and David (Michael Fassbender) are the stand-out characters. Unfortunately, there is very little plot or forward momentum as most of the film exists to explore the David character.  The decisions made regarding him, while very interesting, ultimately fuck the entire canon of the Alien franchise. Another detriment is that most of the Aliens appear to be completely CGI creations.

Covenant is not a film Scott wanted to make, but fans revolted, demanding the sequel to Prometheus be closer to what came before. This is the result, and you can feel Scott’s resentment, anger, and disappointment throughout. 

Covenant is not a bad film, but it is at war with itself. It feels like there were at least one or two films that should have come before this. I can’t say that Covenant is entertaining, but it is interesting and has a few ideas worth exploring. Unfortunately, the best thing about it (David’s story) is also its fatal flaw.

3 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: A LOOK BACK AT PROMETHEUS

Wow, my opinion on this film has changed. I still like it well enough, but that’s mostly for its fascinating ideas that are never fully explored or fleshed out. Noomi Rapace is great, as is Guy Pearce, but Michael Fassbender’s David effortlessly steals the entire thing. 

The film is seriously hindered by taking short-cuts throughout (especially in the third act). The way it’s written (screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof) is bad, a lot of the dialogue is laughable or cringe, and most of the characters are really dumb and continually make stupid decisions. Much of the film is fairly cool, and the set designs are pretty good. The action and “horror” of the third act kind of feels unearned. 

Prometheus tries something new and fumbles, but it’s still an admirable attempt. Maybe with a better screenplay this could have been something. It honestly would have likely worked better as a 5-8 episode mini-series. Really give it time to flesh out its characters and more fully explore its multiple ideas.

3 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: ALIEN 3

 "This is rumor control. Here are the facts."

In Alien 3, The Sulaco (The vessel that Ripley, Newt, Hicks, and Bishop escaped on at the end of Aliens) crashes into the ocean of a planet when a rogue facehugger, that had managed to stow away on-board the vessel, wrecks havoc. Ripley, tragically, is the sole survivor of the crash. Rescued by Dr. Jonathan Clemens, Ripley discovers the planet is home to a Weyland-Yutani mining/prison facility occupied by religious zealot prisoners/workers.

Unfortunately for Ripley and the prisoners, the horrors she has fought so hard to escape or defeat have followed her. With little means to defend themselves or fight back against the looming threat, the battle is on to survive and hopefully finally end the intergalactic menace once and for all.

The Assembly Cut gets 3.5 stars. It's dark, morose, sad, tragic, and thrilling near the end. This third outing brings the Alien series back to its darker roots. The Alien franchise has always been bleak, cynical, and borderline nihilistic, so the tone found here feels fitting and appropriate for the conclusion of the franchise.

That said, This version is still not a perfect film. The biggest issues for me are the film runs at 1 hour 24 minutes and feels too long, most of the Alien VFX don't impress (same goes for most of the VFX), and there isn't much Xenomorph action. The film also tends to cut away from quite a few of the Xeno attacks (STOP IT!!!). Every time a suit is used, it's scary, effective and impressive. The puppet used for the Ox chest-burster is pretty cool too.

Alien 3: The Assembly Cut moves at a pretty slow pace. This edit re-inserts scenes fleshing out minor characters. Unfortunately, most every minor character still ends up feeling one-note and forgettable despite this version's efforts (except for Danny Webb's Robert Morse, who is really only memorable because he winds up being the sole survivor).

Charles Dance as Dr. Jonathan Clemens (a medical doctor who resides on the planet), Charles S. Dutton as Leonard Dillon (a former "murderer and rapist of women" who has found religion. He delivers some elegant speeches and almost resembles a preacher at times. Charles S. Dutton is honestly the MVP here), and Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley are all fantastic and memorable. Ralph Brown as Francis Aaron (one of the lower-ranking heads of the facility) gets enough screen-time that he is one of the more memorable side-characters.

I understand why many fans don't like Alien 3. There are character decisions regarding Newt, Hicks, Bishop, and Ripley that angered many. The only part that bothered me was the desecrating of Newt's corpse (at Ripley's behest). The funeral for Hicks and Newt is honestly very touching and sad, and had me tearing up hard. It's such a strong scene, that it makes me wish it wasn't juxtaposed with the Ox chest-burster. I get why they chose to do this (Death/birth), but having it framed in this way takes away from much of the emotion of the funeral. The decision to have Ripley die off at the end was a demand made by Sigourney Weaver herself, who had grown upset after 20th Century Fox had cut scenes from Aliens that would have fleshed out Ripley's backstory. Having Ripley die was the only way she would sign on to the film.

Alien 3 was plagued by many BTS troubles. These include numerous scripts being written then tossed out. The film's original director (Vincent Ward, who essentially came up the story for the film) left the production after 20th Century Fox demanded changes be made to the story. David Fincher would end up replacing him. The film's original cinematographer (Jordan Cronenweth) shooting for two weeks before having to stop due to Parkinsons. He would be replaced with Alex Thomson. Despite all these troubles, the film (or at least the Assembly Cut) doesn’t feel all that troubled.

The Assembly Cut was born out of a desire to make a Director's Cut. When David Fincher (who had basically disowned the film) refused to assist, 20th Century Fox looked to Fincher's editing room notes to help create a final product that might resemble something closer to what Fincher had envisioned. This is how The Assembly Cut was born.

When all is said and done, despite fans decrying Alien 3 as the worst of the franchise, Alien 3: The Assembly Cut is far from a bad film. It is flawed in some ways, and it makes many bold and decisive choices… but that doesn’t make it a bad movie. While it doesn’t explore its existential ideas quite as fully as it could, Alien 3: The Assembly Cut still attempts to right some of the ills of the Theatrical Version and is mostly successful. 

Alien 3: The Assembly Cut ends the franchise on a dark, dour note. That’s appropriate considering the Alien films have never been particularly happy or hopeful. It’s been thirty-two years since Alien 3 was released, and twenty-one years since The Assembly Cut was released. I say it’s time Alien 3 have a proper re-examination. It’s aged pretty well. Alien 3 is a flawed but fitting ending for Ellen Ripley, Weyland-Yutani, and those nasty Xenomorphs.

FRIGHT FEST: ALIEN

 What a beautiful, engrossing nightmare! Not just a film about blue-collar space truckers trying to survive “the perfect organism” that can not be killed, but also a film about how large, multi-national corporations see the worker ants they employ as nothing less than “expendable”. The direction by Sir Ridley Scott is impeccable. The pacing throughout is deliberate, slow, and perfect. Alien takes great pains to flesh-out its world and does everything it can to fully immerse viewers in it. 

The production design by Michael Seymour and set decoration by Ian Whittaker are elaborate, gorgeous, and exquisite.  The sets and designs for both the Nostromo and the Derelict are cinematically perfect, beautiful, and unforgettable. The costume design by John Mollo is a quite great . The cinematography by Derek Vanlint aids in the rich, thick atmosphere produced. 

The editing by Terry Rawlings and Peter Weatherley aids the film overall (especially in pacing). The screenplay by Dan O’Bannon is simple, but hides a good deal of depth within. The special effects by Nick Allder and Brian Johnson are terrifying, effective, and unforgettable. The score by Jerry Goldsmith is downright haunting and only adds to the atmosphere and mood of the film. 

The cast is aces all around, from the secretly sinister Ash played by Ian Holm to the rugged bad-ass Parker played by Yaphet Kotto to the struggling Captain who manages to keep his cool Dallas played by Tom Skerritt to the determined take-no-shit survivor Ripley played by Sigourney Weaver. Even Helen Horton as the voice of MU-TH-UR 6000 (Mother for short) is perfect and unforgettable. 

Alien could be described as a slow-paced, atmospheric, science-fiction horror film. The Nostromo could be described as a haunted house/ship in space. Alien continues to thrill, captivate, terrify, engulf, and immerse. 25 years later, Alien remains “the perfect organism”.

5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: BLINK TWICE

In Blink Twice, event waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) is invited to a private island by billionaire CEO Slater King (Channing Tatum). Slater has been trying to make amends for a boundaries violation he made a few years back. He seems to be a fairly nice guy, so Frida decides to take him up on the offer. While partying with slater's rich and douche-y friends, Naomi slowly realizes she has missing time and soon realizes that all on the island might not be quite the way it seems.

It's ironic that a film about forgetting ends up being forgettable. The cast is stacked with talented actors, but every single person is given nothing to do and essentially zero character. It’s nice to see Channing Tatum play against type for a change, and he’s likely the best one here, but it’s not enough to save the film. Blink Twice has some fun with colors. There’s a good deal of yellow and a lot of reds (Red= Bad, Yellow= Good… basically).

While this wants to be a horror comedy, it’s rarely funny and never scary. It is incredibly dark and mean, though. It doesn’t have much to say that hasn’t been said in better films or in more interesting/novel/unique ways. The one kind-of new thing it brings to the table is the theme of forgetting vs forgiving. I also like that it deals with the question of if change is ever really possible. 

I commend Zöe Kravitz for trying her hand at directing and writing (with E.T. Feigenbaum credited as co-writer), but she just does not have the sauce. Nice try, though. Unfortunately, Blink Twice is dull and uninteresting. There are very few surprises here, and the opening trigger warning basically gives away the whole game before the film even starts. Forgetting is a gift, just be grateful this film isn’t one you’ll be likely to remember in T-minus a year (or less). Save your money and re-watch Promising Young Woman instead.

1.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: STRANGE DARLING

“I’m just trying to have a good time.”

'Strange Darling' is one of those films that works best if you walk in knowing nothing about it. Don’t read any reviews (Heck, don't even read this review! I try to avoid spoilers, but there's always the chance something in here could inevitably tip you off to any number of this flick's numerous surprises or twists). Don’t watch any trailers. Go in blind and let the film work it’s magic.

In 'Strange Darling', a one-night stand between The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) and The Demon (Kyle Gallant) spirals wildly out of control when one is revealed to be a serial killer. A psycho-sexual battle for dominance and power ensues. Yes, this is VERY loosely based on a real serial killer. 

Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald go toe-to-toe in the acting department. Both are superb. Kyle Gallner is an experienced horror alum, having appeared in 'Red Eye', 'A Haunting in Connecticut', 'Jennifer's Body', 'A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)', 'Red State', 'The Cleanse', 'The Cleansing Hour', 'Alien Code', 'Mother, May I', '5cream', and 'The Passenger'. Gallner has quickly become a horror darling with a rapidly growing fan base. You know whenever he's involved in a project, no matter how small his role, he's going to bring the goods. 

Willa Fitzgerald is no stranger to acting, having appeared in multiple tv shows and films. She played the lead, Emma Duval, in the first two seasons of the 'Scream: The TV Series'. She also slayed as the insanely hot and insanely bad young Madeline Usher in Mike Flanagan's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' on Netflix. While watching that show, I took to calling her Queen Bitch for a reason. It was a title she easily earned.

Happily, Fitzgerald doesn't disappoint here and once again massively impresses. As for supporting players: Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. are sweet as an elderly couple, but it's Stephen Michael Quesada who is most memorable as an experienced cop. 

J.T. Mollner directs and writes. His direction is superb and the screenplay is strong. Giovanni Ribisi (best known for his acting roles in 'Ted' and 'Avatar') is in charge of cinematography. This is his first theatrical effort, and he nails it. There are plenty of lingering close-ups that allow audiences to get the full range of an actor’s emotions, as well as some great creative shots too. 

'Strange Darling' is a puzzle-box of a movie. There are some great twists and many, many, many turns. What might be most surprising is just how much fun this film is. It’s also got a great gallows sense of humor to it at times as well. Those expecting horror will likely be disappointed, as this is more of a psycho-sexual thriller than anything else. There is a good deal of blood, though. When this film wants you to see blood, it shows you blood.

'Strange Darling' is yet another welcome surprise in 2024. It’s actually some of the most fun you’ll have in a theater this year. It’s got two phenomenal lead performances, memorable cinematography, and more-than competent direction…in other words, there’s a lot to recommend and commend here. If you want to see one of the best films of 2024, then I say it’s time to get a little strange, darling.

5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS BEST HOUSES AND SCAREZONES

What better way to start off my Fright Fest this year than by sharing my favorite Halloween Horror Nights houses, scarezones, and shows. Below you can find a listing of all the Halloween Horror Nights events I have attended. Included are my favorite houses and scare zones, the best of which will be bolded (all-timers have *** next to them). I have attended twelve Halloween Horror Nights in total, so this should be a lengthy list. if you're ready, follow me into the fog....try not to get lost.

HHN 18

HOUSES

The Hallow

Creatures

***Body Collectors: Collections of the Past

***Dead Exposure (my first house ever)

TOTAL SEEN: 5/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/5

TOTAL BEST: 3/5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 2/5

SCARE ZONES

***Streets of Blood

***The Skool House

Asylum in Wonderland

***Fractured Tales

***American Gothic

TOTAL SEEN: 6/6

TOTAL FAVORITES: 5/6

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 4/6

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 19

HOUSES

***Silver Screams

***Leave It To Cleaver

Dracula: Legacy in Blood

Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned

TOTAL SEEN: 6/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/6

TOTAL BEST: 3/6

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 2/6

SCARE ZONES

***Horrorwood Die-In

Cirque Du Freak

Apocalypse: City of Cannibals

War of the Living Dead

Lights Camera Hacktion: Chainsaw Drill Team Massacre

TOTAL SEEN: 6/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/6

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/6

HHN 20

HOUSES

Catacombs: Black Death Rising

***Havoc: Dogs of War

Horror Nights: The Hallowed Past

Hades: The Gates of Ruin

***ZombieGeddon

TOTAL SEEN: 8/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 5/8

TOTAL BEST: 3/8

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 2/8

SCARE ZONES

***Saws N Steam

HHN: 20 Years of Fear

Zombie Gras

The Coven

TOTAL SEEN: 6/6

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/6

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/6

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 21

Houses

***The Forsaken

***Winter's Night: The Haunting of Hawthorne Cemetery

***Nightingales: Blood Prey

Nevermore: The Madness of Poe

***Saws N Steam: Into the Machine

***The In-Between

TOTAL SEEN: 8/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 6/8

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 5/8

SCARE ZONES

Acid Assault

Canyon of Dark Souls

***Nightmaze

***Grown Evil

***7

TOTAL SEEN: 6/6

TOTAL FAVORITES: 5/6

TOTAL BEST: 5/6

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 3/6

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 22

HOUSES

Gothic

***Dead End

Alice Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare

The Walking Dead: Dead Inside

TOTAL SEEN: 7/7

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/7

TOTAL BEST: 2/7

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/7

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 23

HOUSES

Urban Legends: La Llorona

***An American Werewolf in London

The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven

The Cabin in the Woods

Havoc: Derailed

TOTAL SEEN: 5/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 5/8

TOTAL BEST: 2 /5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/5

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 24

HOUSES

***Halloween

***Roanoke Cannibal Colony

AvP

Dollhouse of the Damned

TOTAL SEEN: 8/8

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/8

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 2/8

SCARE ZONES

***The Purge: Anarchy

TOTAL SEEN: 4/4

TOTAL FAVORITES: 1/4

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/4

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 25

HOUSES

***Body Collectors: Recollections

***Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters and Mayhem

***Freddy vs. Jason

*** Insidious

TOTAL SEEN: 9/9

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/8

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 4/8 

SCARE ZONES

***HHN: Icons

All-Nite Die-In: Double Feature

Evil's Roots

TOTAL SEEN: 5/5

TOTAL FAVORITES: 3/5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/5

SHOWS

***The Carnage Returns

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

HHN 27

HOUSES

American Horror Story: Vol. 2

***Scarecrow: The Reaping

Hive

Dead Waters

The Fallen

The Shining

TOTAL SEEN: 9/9

TOTAL FAVORITES: 6/9

TOTAL BEST: 4/9

TOTA ALL-TIMERS: 1/9

SCARE ZONES

***Trick r' Treat

Invasion!

The Purge

TOTAL SEEN: 5/5

TOTAL FAVORITES: 3/5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/5

SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Farewell Tour

HHN 29

HOUSES

***Graveyard Games

***Universal Monsters

Stranger Things

House of 1000 Corpses

Nightingales: Blood Pitt

TOTAL SEEN: 10/10

TOTAL FAVORITES: 5/10

TOTAL BEST: 3/10

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 2/10

SCARE ZONES

***Rob Zombie's Hillbilly Deluxe

Vikings Undead

TOTAL SEEN: 5/5

TOTAL FAVORITES: 2/5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/5

SHOWS

Halloween Marathon of Mayhem

HHN 30

HOUSES

***Case Files: Legendary Truth

***Wicked Growth: Realm of the Pumpkin

Welcome to SCarey: Horror in the Heartland

***The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

***HHN Icons: Captured

***Puppet Theater: Captive Audience

Revenge of the Tooth Fairy

TOTAL SEEN: 10/10

TOTAL FAVORITES: 7/10

TOTAL BEST: 7/10

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 5/10

SCARE ZONES 

***Gorewood Forest

TOTAL SEEN: 4/5

TOTAL FAVORITES: 1/5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/5

HHN 32

HOUSES

***Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate

***The Darkest Deal

***Blood Moon: Dark Offerings

***Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins

TOTAL SEEN: 10/10

TOTAL FAVORITES: 4/10

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 4/10

SCARE ZONES

***Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror

Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged

Dr. Oddfellow's Collection of Horror

TOTAL SEEN: 5/5

TOTAL FAVORITES: 3/5

TOTAL BEST: 2/5

TOTAL ALL-TIMERS: 1/5

BEST YEARS

HHN 18

HHN 19

***HHN 21 (Strongest house line-up)

HHN 25

***HHN 30

HHN 32

SCARIEST HOUSE

***DEAD EXPOSURE (HHN 18)

MOST INTENSE HOUSE

***Havoc: Dogs of War (HHN 21)

 PERSONAL FAVORITE HOUSES

!!! = TOP

!!! Silver Screams (HHN 19)

!!! Leave It To Cleaver (HHN 19)

!!! Havoc: Dogs of War (HHN 20)

!!! ZombieGeddon (HHN 20)

!!! Winter's Night: the Haunting of Hawthorne Cemetery (HHN 21)

Nevermore: The Madness of Poe (HHN 21)

!!! The In-Between (HHN 21)

Saws N Steam: Into the Machine (HHN 21)

!!! The Forsaken (HHN 21)

!!! Dead End (HHN 22)

House of 1000 Corpses (HHN 29)

!!! Graveyard Games (HHN 29)

!!! Universal Monsters (HHN 29)

!!! HHN Icons : Captured (HHN 30)

!!! Wicked Growth: Realm of the Pumpkin (HHN 30)

Case Files: Legendary Truth (HHN 30)

 

!!! Puppet Theater: Captive Audience (HHN 30)

!!! SCarey: Horror in the Heartland (HHN 30)

!!! The Darkest Deal (HHN 32)

!!! Dr. Oddfellow's Twisted Origins (HHN 32)

!!! Blood Moon: Dark Offerings (HHN 32)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (HHN 32)

!!! Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate (HHN 32)

PERSONAL FAVORITE SCARE ZONES

The Skoolhouse (HHN18)

Streets of Blood (HHN 18)

American Gothic (HHN 18)

Fractured Tales (HHN 18)

Horrorwood Die-In (HHN 19)

Saws N Steam (HHN 20)

7 (HHN 21)

Grown Evil (HHN 21)

The Purge: Anarchy (HHN 24)

HHN: Icons (HHN 25)

Trick r' Treat (HHN 27)

Rob Zombie's Hillbilly Deluxe (HHN 29)

Gorewood Forest (HHN 30)

Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror (HHN 32)