Salem Horror Fest 2025, Friday: The Rebrand (2024) and Pater Noster and the Mission of Light (2025)

Now that I live in Massachusetts, the Salem Horror Fest has become my new go-to horror film festival. Work meant that I had to miss the opening night festivities on Thursday, but I was damn sure able to make it to Friday night and check out a pair of indie horror flicks. While the first one was a disappointment, the second one blew my damn socks off.

To start...

The Rebrand (2025)

Not rated

Review: In a Violent Nature (2024)

In a Violent Nature (2024)

Not rated

Review: Videodrome (1983)

Videodrome (1983)

Rated R

Review: PG: Psycho Goreman (2020)

PG: Psycho Goreman (2020)

Not rated

Review: Blood Quantum (2019)

Blood Quantum (2019)

Not rated

Review: Grave Encounters (2011)

Grave Encounters (2011)

Not rated

Popcorn Frights 2021, Day 3: Cryptozoo (2021), Ditched (2021), Superhost (2021), Offseason (2021), Take Back the Night (2021)

The third day of Popcorn Frights turned out to be an excellent one. Five movies all lined up back to back, and every one of them was at least pretty good, with some real standouts among them.

First up, the token non-horror entry that they usually have each year...

Cryptozoo (2021)

Not rated

Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend 2020, Day 3: Spare Parts (2020), For the Sake of Vicious (2020), Bad Candy (2020), Babysitter Must Die (2020), Cyst (2020)

Well, writing this up took a lot longer than my lazy ass expected.

Anyway, Day 3 of the Wicked Weekend opened with two Canadian films, one a grindhouse action flick and the other a home invasion horror movie, then returned to America with a pair of holiday horror flicks and a gross-out horror-comedy.

First up...

Spare Parts (2020)

Not rated

Popcorn Frights Wicked Weekend 2020, Day 2: The Oak Room (2020), Benny Loves You (2019), A Ghost Waits (2020), Spell (2020), Butchers (2020)

Day 2 of Popcorn Frights' "Wicked Weekend" brings a gritty crime thriller, followed by a bloody and violent horror-comedy, followed by a supernatural romantic comedy that's only tangentially connected to the horror genre, followed by a voodoo flick that's clearly more than a little inspired by Jordan Peele, and finally, a backwoods slasher. How's that for mood whiplash?

To start...

The Oak Room (2020)

Not rated

Review: Spiral (2019)

Spiral (2019)

Not rated

Review Double Feature: Random Acts of Violence (2019) and Ten Minutes to Midnight (2020)

Popcorn Frights did its third and final drive-in double feature of the quarantine summer. While neither film was the best that they've shown at their drive-ins, neither of them was the worst, either, not by a long shot.

To start, we have Jay Baruchel's mashup of a slasher movie and true crime...

Random Acts of Violence (2019)

Not rated

Review: Prom Night (1980)

Prom Night (1980)

Rated R

Popcorn Frights, Night 2: Summer of 84 (2018), Satan's Slaves (2017), What Keeps You Alive (2018), and The Farm (2018)

Night 2 of the Popcorn Frights Film Festival just took place, with an even bigger slate of films than the night before. Some hits, but also some misses.

To start, we have an '80s-styled throwback serial killer movie...

Summer of 84 (2018)

Not rated

Review Double Feature: Black Christmas (1974) and Black Christmas (2006)

Christmas is getting earlier and earlier every year. Might as well start now with my latest double feature: an original vs. a remake.

Black Christmas (1974)

Rated R

Review: Decoys (2004)

Decoys (2004)

Rated R for sexuality and nudity

Review: Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

Rated R

Review Double Feature: Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)

It isn't October without a horror double feature. This time, it's the second and third Ginger Snaps movies.

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, some language and drug use

Review: Ginger Snaps (2000)

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Rated 18A (rough MPAA equivalent: R)

Review: American Mary (2013)

American Mary (2013)

Review: My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Sorry it's been a while since my last review; that's what happens when you have the first test of the semester in an algebra course that you're retaking. (I got an 81 on it; studying and paying more attention to silly mistakes paid off!) In keeping with the spirit of the Valentine's Day weekend, I've decided to review a film themed around the holiday -- and because I'd rather be spit-roasted than have to watch Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day, I'm reviewing a film from the opposite end of the spectrum...

My Bloody Valentine (1981)