Review: KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

 KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

Rated PG for action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material and brief language

Salem Horror Fest 2025, Saturday: House of Ashes (2024) and Troll 2 (1990)

Third day of the Salem Horror Fest, and my second day there. It started with a screening of The Substance followed by a live episode of the Faculty of Horror podcast discussing the film, and ended with a horror trivia contest at the Bit Bar, Salem's retro barcade. (I had fun, let's just say.) In between, I checked out two additional films, the first of which wasn't nearly as good as I hoped it would be and the second of which was exactly as bad as its reputation suggested -- and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

First up...

House of Ashes (2024)

Not rated

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: Death of a Unicorn (2025)

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

Rated R for strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use

Review: The Monkey (2025)

The Monkey (2025)

Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references

Review: Heart Eyes (2025)

Heart Eyes (2025)

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language and some sexual content

Review: Companion (2025)

Companion (2025)

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout

Review: It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

It's a Wonderful Knife (2023)

Rated R for bloody violence, drug use and language

Review: Y2K (2024)

Y2K (2024)

Rated R for bloody violence, strong sexual content/nudity, pervasive language, and teen drug/alcohol use

Review: Deadstream (2022)

Deadstream (2022)

Not rated

Review Double Feature: Beetlejuice (1988) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Another double feature, and once again, it's a classic movie and its nostalgic, decades-later sequel. How do they fare?

Beetlejuice (1988)

Rated PG

Review: Fright Night (1985)

Fright Night (1985)

Rated R

Salem Horror Fest 2024 Week 1, Day 4: Welcome Week: A College Horror Anthology (2024)

The last day of the Salem Horror Fest's first weekend had two movies. The second one is one that I really want to talk about... but I can't, because not only was it a secret screening, they also told us not to tell anyone that it was shown at the festival because they didn't want to put a potential distribution deal into jeopardy. This unfortunately leaves me with the first movie I saw that day...

Welcome Week: A College Horror Anthology (2024)

Not rated

Salem Horror Fest 2024 Week 1, Day 1: The People's Joker (2022)

Just because I left Fort Lauderdale, and with it Popcorn Frights, behind when I moved to Boston last year doesn't mean I have to give up on horror festivals. And just as I managed to sneak in a trip to the Telluride Horror Show amidst my adventures in Utah back in 2022, so too did I find that -- where else? -- Salem, Massachusetts hosted the annual Salem Horror Show in April and May. Tonight was the first night, and they screened one of the festival's token non-horror films in The People's Joker, a queer Batman spoof made without any official approval from DC Comics or Warner Bros. (They originally had a screening of Hocus Pocus planned with Kathy Najimy as a special guest, but Najimy had to cancel at the last minute.) How was it?

The People's Joker (2022)

Not rated

Review: Abigail (2024)

Abigail (2024)

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use

Review: Hundreds of Beavers (2022)

Hundreds of Beavers (2022)

Not rated

Review: Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence, brief sexuality and language

Review: The Last Boy Scout (1991)

The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Rated R for graphic violence and very strong language

Review: Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, sexual material, language, sexual assault, teen drinking and drug content

Review: Don't Look Up (2021)

 Don't Look Up (2021)

Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, graphic nudity and drug content