Category: Blog of Damien S. Riley

Luz and House on Haunted Hill are the films. My guest is Hermione Flavia and we chose a film each to review. It was great once again to have her on the show. She was a guest on my old podcast Talking Stars as well as this podcast. You can follow her on Instagram. Hope you enjoy the show.

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My special guest today was MovieRob! Enjoy our hour long conversation. I challenged him, not a horror fan, to watch and discuss these two amazing horror films (well that’s my opinion anyway.) Twas a lively chat! He will be back very soon. He can be followed at two places (and Twitter of course) MovieRob (Check to enter his monthly challenges!), The Lamb, and he is @Realmovierob on Twitter.

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Review: This film is on Amazon Prime Video currently, at time of writing this. I’m happy to review this film that really made an attempt at being a blockbuster. Brenton Thwaites (“The Giver,” “Gods of Egypt”) is just the younger fame aboard. We even have Billy Zane in the cast! Who can forget him in Titanic and so many other amazing stories like Daredevil. The guy has gotten around! He still looks like one scary dude too I might add. In this oddly told tale of ghosts in WWII however, he’s sort of the voice of reason that explains all the supernatural phenomena going on. Other stars in the film include: Theo Rossi, Kyle Gallner, Skylar Astin, and Alan Ritchson. I enjoyed this film, especially the odd ending but it’s still a B movie by my estimation. Despite the director’s efforts and the “cast of thousands” it makes only a small splash in a genre that’s seen this before. Let me flesh it out for you.

Read the rest of this review on HorrorNews.net where I am a regular contributor.

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I saw this film this morning on Prime and am already eager to share my podcast review with you! See what I think about this incredibly well-crafted mermaid horror movie made for under 200K.

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Psychedelic drugs have featured in many rock and roll films as well as some horror. Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is replete with drug intended images and music. Many many more seek to do the same. While a mixed bag as far as quality, these films are beloved to college students and the career aged folks in love with the music. But that raises an important question: can a drug induced experience be enjoyed by many people?

Read my full written review of “Hager” as well as my other horror reviews at HorrorNews.net where I am a longtime contributor.

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This all star cast can’t really make it amazing, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.

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Explicit content and language! Synopsis: Sensing evil, a haunted house tour guide seeks a medium’s help only to be warned that she is facing a vengeful power beyond her control.

Review: In the places it succeeds as a horror film, “Sisters of the Plague” effectively uses creepy music, cinematography, and forest settings to create a sense of foreboding. I’ve related to you many times before that it’s this sort of thing that I prefer to the so-called “Grief Horrors” coming out with such frequency. This film uses its sense of creepy cinematography to ratchet up the tension and fear. Furthermore, the setting in an outskirts town makes for a damn creepy experience. Unfortunately the experience falls flat when too much attention is given to the girl’s sick, desperately-coughing father. Her lesbian roommate wants to be rid of him once and for all. It reminded me of Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart” the way they discuss the annoyance of the old man here.

Read this and all my written reviews at HorrorNews.net where I am a regular contributor.

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Please make a mental note in your memory that , despite my low rating of this film, I love and respect independent filmmaking. They can be amazing. One example is “The Alchemist Cookbook.” In that film a guy tries to summon supernatural assistance and it messes him up big time. But there are no spooky connotations to the souls of duped cult members coming from the grave. I hope the next film I watch and review will be much better than this one. Why is this called horror? Read my full written review at Horror News dot Net where I am a long term writing contributor on horror films.

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“American Fright Fest” never gives up on itself. We have the director to thank for this I suppose. Whether it should have given up on the cutting room floor is an individual choice each horror fan has to make. It is indeed scary at times, which is surprising for its PG rating. Dylan Walsh of “Nip and Tuck” Fame is looking slightly old and certainly less adept with his lines. He’s Spencer Crowe, a fallen from grace horror director who is trying to make a comeback. To color it up a bit, he rents out an old insane asylum and laces cameras in various locations. (Read my full written review of this and and all my horror movie reviews at: Horror News dot Net )

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“The Dawn” (2020) is a drama, horror, thriller film now available to watch on Prime Video. It stars Devanny Pinn in the lead role, known for Crossbreed (2019) and Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery (2017). She has no nude scenes that I know of, please inform me is you know any (asking for a friend). Stacy Dash also plays a small role (Clueless). It was directed by a man named Brandon Slagle who is just starting out in his career but has apparently received “record rentals” (a few social media posts I read) as an indy director on Red Box. I am sad to say, this will not be breaking any rental awards anywhere. I don’t think even Stacy Dash’s fame could help this plot and production.

While the creepy moments (or attempts) are present, this film doesn’t present its intent until the last 4 minutes. At that point, it disjointedly claims to be a prequel to the “Amytiville Horror.” Every Horror fan knows the bar is high if it were to be that prequel. Perhaps that’s why the director didn’t reveal it was meant to be that until the end. The production and plot sink it. An example of things going right is “Exorcist.” We know why and how the young girl gets possessed and it gives us permission to be scared, repulsed, disgusted, etc. Remember that lovely pea soup sputtering out? “The Dawn” doesn’t even try to work the possession in. There is a brief encounter with her great grandfather who is Native American but even that scene gives us little to go on as this mystery of possession ensues.

Read the rest of my written review at HorrorNews.net.

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