Film Reviews

One of the most compelling plot devices of film noir involves an opening sequence that establishes that the film’s protagonist is dead, or soon will be, as seen in classic titles like Sunset Boulevard or D.O.A. (both produced in 1950). ...

One of my favorite film subgenres is the recent trend of psychological mystery thrillers that bear elements of the eerie and macabre, but don’t delve deeply into outright horror. Director and co-writer Joseph Sims-Dennett’s ultra-low-budget Australian film Observance (2015) is ...

Co-directed by brothers Roberto del Piccolo and Maurizio del Piccolo, and written by Roberto, this tense Italian indie slasher features a maniacal killer nicknamed ‘Little Sister’ (or Igor depending on who you ask) who kidnaps, tortures and kills anyone he can get ...

For my money, Michele Soavi is the greatest Italian horror director of the late ’80s and early ’90s (sorry Lamberto Bava) and the last really outstanding directorial talent to come out of the prolific giallo wave that ruled European genre ...

The Unkindness of Ravens (2016) is the second horror feature from the remarkable Scottish duo, director Lawrie Brewster and writer Sarah Daly. As with their feature debut, Lord of Tears (AKA The Owlman), unleashed on the unsuspecting public back in ...

On November 27th, 2015, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado was targeted by a gunman, which led to the deaths of a police officer and two civilians, with a further four police officers and four civilians injured.  During ...

The Japanese Film Festival in Australia, which is presented by The Japan Foundation, Sydney, always includes a few genre films for horror lovers. This year saw the 20th instalment of the event, which toured Australia from 14 October to 4 December 2016, ...

This year’s Monster Fest was full of incredibly well realized horror films, none more so than Raw, a French-Belgian horror/drama with a hint of comedy sprinkled throughout. Raw (or Grave, the original French title) is the third directorial credit for ...

Beyond the Gates (2016) is like Jumanji (1995) or Zathura (2005), albeit with nocturnal ghouls and gory exploding heads. Tipping his hat to all of the cheesy B-movie relics that he most likely devoured from one box cover to the next in ...

Antiquated gender norms and a suppressed female voice are enough to fume those trying to make a mark or just get noticed in the entertainment industry. Sometimes, they can take a psychological toll on someone. With the deliciously prickly, increasingly ...