The Complex (original title: クロユリ団地 Kuroyuri danchi) is a 2013 Japanese horror film directed by Hideo Nakata (Ring, Ring 2, Dark Water) from a screenplay by Junya Kato and Ryuta Miyake.

The film premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival on January 1, 2013, and was released in Japan on May 18 that same year. A twelve episode drama, titled Kuroyuri Danchi ~Josho~ follows events leading up to those that take place in the film. It began airing in Japan on April 9, 2013.

Asuka (Atsuko Maeda), a young nursing student, moves into an ancient apartment complex with her family. After hearing some scratching noises coming from the apartment next door, Asuka discovers that her elderly neighbor has died from malnutrition. This disturbs her, especially after discovering claw marks on the wall that divides his apartment and her room. Asuka becomes frightened when the scratching doesn’t stop with his death. Further investigation not only brings about a confrontation with the ghost of her neighbor, but also with the knowledge that the complex has had several mysterious deaths over the years.

“impressively structured horror film that is likely to thrill audiences” Screen Daily

“disappointingly cliche-bound return to J-Horror inspires more giggles than shivers.” The Hollywood Reporter

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Open Grave is a 2013 horror film directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego from a screenplay by Chris and Eddie Borey. It stars Sharlto Copley, Josie Ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Joseph Morgan and Erin Richards. The film will be available on VOD on December 24 and theatrically on January 4 2014.

A man (Sharlto Copley) wakes up in a pit of dead bodies with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Fleeing the scene, he breaks into a nearby house and is met at gunpoint by a group of terrified strangers, all suffering from memory loss. Suspicion gives way to violence as the group starts to piece together clues about their identities, but when they uncover a threat that’s more vicious — and hungry — than each other, they are forced to figure out what brought them all together — before it’s too late.

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In Fear is a 2013 British horror film directed by Jeremy Lovering. It stars Iain De Caestecker, Alice Englert and Allen Leech. Although the film is set in Ireland it was filmed on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.

Tom and Lucy are trapped in a maze of country roads with only their vehicle for protection, terrorised by an unseen tormentor hell-bent on exploiting their worst fears – fear of the dark, fear of the unknown, fear of themselves…

‘Only near the end, when the threat becomes more tangible and the plot machinations more forced, does the film shift down a gear, causing the stomach-knotting tension to abate. Lovering’s taut direction and editor Jon Amos’s skilfully modulated cutting wring the maximum suspense from cinematographer David Katznelson’s multi-camera set-ups, tapping into deep-rooted psychological and primal fears.’ Nigel Floyd, Time Out

‘A compact, effective thriller set in way-rural Ireland, Jeremy Lovering‘s In Fearmakes the most of three actors, a car and a network of narrow roads winding through the woods. Literal-minded viewers might have trouble with a hard-to-rationalize ending, but horror fans in general should embrace its stripped-down scares.’ John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

‘In Fear is a definite mixed bag. It offers some thrills only to see them washed away by questionable choices. It owes a debt to the recent (and underseen) Retreat as well as Kim Sung-hong’s near identically-set Say Yes. All three films tread very similar waters and are worth watching, but it’s the Cillian Murphy-starrer that fares the best.’ Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

‘Claustrophobic and creepy, this experiment in contained horror has its moments as just three characters circle around each other. But the approach is almost infuriatingly vague, which eliminates any real suspense. Still, it’s sharply well shot and played, with a moody atmosphere that builds a strong sense of uncertainty. And director Lovering is extremely adept at making us jump at something unexpected.’ Rich Cline, Contactmusic.com

‘To say that Jeremy Lovering’s directing debut is the best British horror film of 2013 is what one might call low praise. So let’s raise the bar. It’s one of the year’s best horror movies, full stop.’ London Evening Standard

‘It is calculated in its button-pushing, missing out on the awe or transgression that accompanies scariness in more envelope-stretching horrors. In the end, it’s an anecdote rather than a story, even if the last reel holds some well set-up nasty surprises and a pay-off that’s audacious or pretentious, depending on your tolerance for 1970s arty exploitation tricks.’ Kim Newman, Empire

Chastity Bites is a 2013 horror comedy directed by John V. Knowles from a screenplay by Lotti Pharriss Knowles. It features Allison Scagliotti, Francia Raisa, Louise Griffiths, Eduardo Rioseco, Chloë Crampton, Amy Okuda, Sarah Stouffer, Lindsey Morgan, Laura Niemi and Diana Chiritescu.

In the early 1600′s, Countess Elizabeth Bathory slaughtered more than 600 young women, believing if she bathed in the blood of virgins that she would stay young and beautiful forever. Still alive today, she’s found a perfect hunting ground for her ‘botox’ as an abstinence educator in conservative America, and the young ladies of San Griento High are poised to be her next victims. But will her unholy ritual finally be stopped by Leah Ratliff, a feminist blogger and ambitious reporter for the school paper?

‘Chasity Bites is not just a hilarious, surprisingly effective horror comedy that effectively twists modern culturally trends into an 80s style horror film. Chasity Bites is one of the best horror comedies in recent memory for those with the right pallet, deserving of a place beside The Cabin In The Woods and Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil.’ W.D. Conine, Geek New Wave

‘ …delightfully cheesy horror comedy “Chastity Bites,” which takes a John Hughes high school world and puts a blackened spin on it. … Keep an eye out (metaphorically) for this warm-blooded farce at festivals near you—or maybe the Syfy channel, where it would be a nice fit.’ Elias Savada, Film Threat

‘High school hasn’t been this entertaining since Buffy started killing vampires. Take one part Clueless, and throw in the dedicated female lead that populate stories like Buffy, and you have a taste of Chastity Bites. There’s winks and nods to many of the films that 80s kids grew up on, and you can feel the influence there, but this film manages to be its own beast, and it’s an hilarious one.’ The Film Reel

‘There’s a lot to recommend this little indie horror-comedy, most especially much of the dialogue from screenwriter Lotti Knowles (the wife of the director), which has some biting lines of cattiness that remind me of the aforementioned Mean Girls as well as earlier works like Heathers and some of the better John Hughes movies. Allison Scagliotti makes for a very, appealing heroine, brining to the movie much of what she brings to her character on Warehouse 13: smarts, spunkiness, Geek Girl Chic (and director Knowles is smart enough to let her carry the film).’ Scott Shoyer, Anything Horror

‘has a lot to say about sex, social status and Republicans, but it observes these things almost as superficially as the reality shows it seems to condemn. I guess that’s called parody. And the horror element, which initially teases us with a “Fright Night” kind of quality, eventually fizzles. It’s okay, though. Director John V. Knowles keeps things fast-paced and fun while the blood-thirsty countess takes her sweet time getting down to business. I think if there’s one message to take away from this anti-cautionary tale, it’s not to take things too seriously.’ Michael Parsons, PA/PA Reviews

‘Not only does this bitingly witty independent film poke fun at the vampire horror genre, it playfully turns teen comedies upside down.’ Ken Tasho, Edge Philadelphia

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The Monkey’s Paw is a horror short story, published in England in 1902, by author W. W. Jacobs.

The story involves Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son, Herbert. Sergeant-Major Morris, a friend of the Whites who has been part of the British Army in India, introduces them to the monkey’s paw, telling of its mysterious powers to grant three wishes and of its journey from an old fakir to his comrade, who used his third wish to wish for death. Sergeant-Major Morris throws the monkey’s paw into the fire but White quickly retrieves it. Morris warns White, but White, thinking about what he could use the paw for, ignores him. Mr. White wishes for £200 to be used as the final payment on his house. Having made the wish his son, Herbert, is killed by machinery at the factory where he works. The couple gets compensation of £200.

Ten days after the funeral, Mrs. White, almost mad with grief, asks her husband to use the paw to wish Herbert back to life. Reluctantly, he does so. Shortly afterwards there is a knock at the door. Mrs. White fumbles at the locks in an attempt to open the door. Mr. White knows, however, that he cannot allow their revived son in, as his appearance will be too hideous. Mr. White was required to identify the body, which had been mutilated by the accident. It has now lain buried for more than a week. While Mrs. White tries to open the door, Mr. White makes his third wish (for his son to be dead and in his grave), and the knocking stops. Mrs. White opens the door to find no one there…

Wikipedia

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In 2011, Ricky Lewis Jr made a short film adaptation:

The story has been adapted into other media many times, including:

A 1933 ‘lost’ US adaptation by RKO directed by Wesley Ruggles, Ernest B. Schoedsack (see artwork above)

A 1948 British film adaptation directed by Norman Lee.

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A 1965 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour TV series entitled ‘The Monkey’s Paw – A Retelling’

The segment “Wish You Were Here” from the EC Comics 1972 film Tales from the Crypt is an adaptation.

Bob Clark‘s Deathdream is inspired by the short story.

The Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode “The Tale of the Twisted Claw” is based on the story.

A short film adaptation directed by James Henschen. Filmed in 2003. Tribalfilm

A variant of this story, using a genie in a bottle, was featured in the The Twilight Zone episode “The Man in the Bottle“.

In an episode of The Monkees, titled “The Monkee’s Paw”, a nightclub magician sells the band a cursed monkey’s paw in revenge after they unwittingly force him out of a job.

The Ripping Yarns story “The Curse of the Claw”, first broadcast in 1977 and starring Michael Palin, is a spoof in the style of Monty Python, and is loosely inspired by “The Monkey’s Paw”.

Treehouse of Horror II - In the 1991 Halloween episode of The Simpsons, one of the stories is about how Homer gets a monkey’s paw that grants him four wishes. Each member of the Simpson family (except for Marge) makes a wish, which have terrible consequences. In a humorous twist, Homer gladly gives the paw to his neighbor Ned Flanders, only for Ned’s wishes to (apparently) go off without any of the usual consequences, causing Homer to grumble “I wish I had a monkey paw.

Five Superb Tales of Horror and the Macabre, 1972, Story Four, “Wish You Were Here” is an adaptation of The Monkey’s Claw featuring Richard Greene.

The 21st episode of the seventh season of the X-Files, Je Souhaite, is a remake of the monkey’s paw myth in which Mulder seems to solve the puzzle.

The book Prom Nights From Hell: a novel consisting of 5 short stories written by Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe and Lauren Myracle. Myracle’s The Corsage is an adaptation of The Monkey’s Paw.

The K-Horror movie Wishing Stairs recasts the story with the family replaced by a trio of students at an all-girls school and the monkey paw replaced by the eponymous stairs.

The 2013 horror film The Monkey’s Paw is based on the W.W. Jacobs short story. The film stars Stephen Lang, C.J. Thomason, Corbin Bleu, and Charles S. Dutton,

“The Monkey’s Paw” was adapted as a radio play in 1979 as part of the CBC radio drama series Nightfall.

“The Monkey’s Paw” was again adapted as a radio play narrated by Christopher Lee in 2004 as part of the BBC radio drama series Christopher Lee’s Fireside Tales

In the manga xxxHolic, a graduate student studying ancient folklore insists on obtaining the Monkey’s Paw even after being told that she is not fated to have it and will suffer horrible consequences if she were to go against fate and use it. She disregards this warning as she firmly believes that bad things only happen to other people. Five wishes (a wish for each finger on the Monkey’s Paw) later, she found out too late that she was wrong.

Stephen King‘s Pet Sematary expands on the theme of bringing the dead back to life, and includes a quote from the Monkey’s Paw.

In the book The Dead Zone, by Stephen King, the character John Smith relates his newfound psychic powers to the wishes granted in The Monkey’s Paw, realizing that his powers can help people, but they can frighten them away, and that they give him unwanted publicity.

In The Sims 2 for consoles, when a player selects Search Couch while sitting on a sofa, he can find a “Mysterious Zombie Monkey Paw”.

In the web-comic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, the 4 August 2010 comic features a severed monkey’s paw that grants wishes with consequences.

In the novel adaptation of 1985 film The Goonies, there is a sequence of spooky stories told by the main characters, and Mouth recalls a story which Stef promptly identifies as The Monkey’s Paw. This sequence isn’t in the movie.

Posted by Adrian J. Smith using information via Wikipedia which is freely and legally available to share and remix under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. All review quotes are attributed and links are provided to relevant sites or sources. Horrorpedia supports the sharing of information and opinions with the wider horror community.

Dead in Tombstone is a 2013 American direct-to-video action-horror film produced by Universal 1440 Entertainment. It was directed by Roel Reiné and written by Shane Kuhn and Brendan Cowles. The film stars Danny Trejo, Anthony Michael Hall, Mickey Rourke and Dina Meyer.

The film begins with a narration on the West, or the “New Frontier”, described by the narrator — Lucifer (Mickey Rourke), one of the seven Princes of Hell, — as a “heartless, lawless viper pit”, contrary to popular belief that it is made up of “god-fearing” good folk. Lucifer goes on to justify why the West is an “American nightmare”.

Big-time crook Red Cavanaugh (Anthony Michael Hall) is seconds from being given the noose, but he is saved from death by the six members of the Blackwater Gang, led by the notorious outlaw Guerrero De La Cruz (Danny Trejo), who has a hefty cash bounty hanging above his head. The gang massacres the law enforcement parties present and rescue Red. Following this successful feat, Red proposes that they take over Edendale, a small Colorado mining town, known for its supply of precious stones.

The sheriff’s men engage in a gunfight with the Blackwater Gang. The criminals emerge as victor, and Red kills Sheriff Bob Massey (Danielle Lapaine), going against De La Cruz’s order to not harm anybody. Red has plans to take over Edendale. A dying De La Cruz urges the rest of the gang to shoot the traitor, but Red coerces them not to, promising them that under his leadership will they become wealthy. Under Red’s influence, the rest of the gang also starts to fire shots at De La Cruz and eventually leave his body for dead. The next day after lowering De La Cruz’s coffin, Red decides without consensus that Edendale’s name has changed to Tombstone. Condemned for eternity, De La Cruz ends up meeting Lucifer in Hell…

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“If you’re itching for a semi-homage to The Crow that takes place in the Wild West and delivers some appealing genre fun (and some wackiness) without ever coming close to being original, you could probably do worse than Dead in Tombstone — although one can’t help but think that a happy medium between this movie and the resoundingly stupid GallowWalkers would prove to be a lot more fun.” Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

‘Yee-Haw! What a stupid, good time this one was. Sure, you’ve seen the plot before- a very straightforward and typical revenge story. This horror-western doesn’t advertise itself as anything other than insane silliness, and it delivers. Trejo just plays different shades of pissed off, and this is clearly his film- there’s plenty of focus on his weathered visage and the guy plays things straight (as he should!).’ Joblo.com

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Posted by Adrian J. Smith using information via Wikipedia which is freely and legally available to share and remix under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. All review quotes are attributed and links are provided to relevant sites or sources. Horrorpedia supports the sharing of information and opinions with the wider horror community.

Flying Monkeys is a 2013 made-for-television film produced by and for the Syfy Channel. The film is the first directed by Robert Grasmere, being better known as a special effects supervisor on films such as Prince of Darkness, Predator 2 and The Mothman Prophecies and stars Electra Avellan (Death Proof/Planet Terror), Vincent Ventresca (Mammoth, Morphman) and Maika Monroe (Bad Blood…The Hunger).

Aboard a small aircraft, exotic-animal smugglers are returning to base with their latest haul of contraband. Unfortunately for them, stowed away is an extremely upset flying monkey, Making short work of two of the smugglers, the pilot manages to land the plane and quickly sells on the feisty beast (which has now returned to standard monkey shape) to a small-town pet shop owner who has no qualms about what he sells or where it comes from. Elsewhere in the town, inevitably situated in Kansas, high school graduate Joan (Monroe) has been left to celebrate alone by her father who has a track record of finding other things to do at his daughter’s expense. In a bid to make amends, he purchases the cute little monkey we met earlier, because nothing says sorry quite like a caged primate. Jealous of the attention the monkey is getting, Joan’s boyfriend indulges in the pleasures of the school prom queen, only for them both to be torn to pieces by the flying monkey little Skippy turns into at nightfall.

Skippy starts making ever-more regular journeys out at night, fuelled by blood-lust and it isn’t long before locals, hunters and know-it-all’s are gathered together to save the town from an embarrassing demise. Sadly for them, shooting the beast only causes the creature to multiply Hydra-like and a mystical weapon is required to slay Skippy and his ever-growing offspring…

Syfy movies tend to veer from better than you’d expect (though still impossible to recommend whole-heartedly) to down-right awful and surprisingly this lands in the first camp. Despite a host of actors who make their living appearing in similar schlock, the story is told with an impressive disregard for sense and reason and doesn’t hang around trying to weave story arcs and tension or other trivial matters. The real saving grace is the extremely passable CGI effects which are made all the more acceptable by virtue of the fact that the monkeys only do their killing at night, hiding a multitude of sins. A nice change from the endless parade of sharks, it’s a harmless excuse to bring to centre-stage some of cinema’s creepiest creatures some 75 years after they first appeared. One word of warning – the line “no more monkey business” is uttered.

Daz Lawrence

Antisocial is a 2013 Canadian horror film directed and co-written by Cody Calahan. It stars Michelle Mylette, Cody Thompson, Adam Christie, Ana Alic, Romaine Waite and Ryan Barrett. This Black Fawn Films/Breakthrough Entertainment film is due for video-on-demand release on December 10. 2013.

New Year’s Eve, the not so distant future: Five university friends gather at a house party. Unbeknownst to them, an epidemic has erupted outside, causing outbreaks around the world. With nowhere else to turn, they are told to barricade themselves indoors with only their phones, laptops, and other tech devices. They use their devices to research the possible cause of this outbreak. Information and video footage over flow their computers as they descend further into the cause and the ensuing chaos. As the virus spreads, the mood in the house changes from fear to paranoia. Reality becomes blurred as they slowly discover the source of the virus causing the sickness…

‘Antisocial has a smart social message-style feel of the early George Romero films had paired with a genuine feeling of paranoia I haven’t felt in a film since the 70’s version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The film sets up an amazing premise and runs with it, taking full advantage of our addiction to everything online and exploiting it, and by the end of the film made me a little leery about picking up my iPhone again. Writer/director Cody Calahan and writer Chad Archibald have some up with a new type of zombie for the online age, and it’ a pretty compelling one at that as it plays with our own obsessions and twists it in monstrous ways. This type of smart handling of what’s going on right now is what innovative horror is all about.’  Ain’t It Cool

Butcher Boys (also known as Bone Boys) is a 2012 American horror film directed by Duane Graves and Justin Meeks from a screenplay by Kim Henkel (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, 1974). It stars Ali Faulkner, Edwin Neal, Marilyn Burns (the latter two were also in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, 1974), Johnny Walter, Derek Lee Nixon, John Dugan, Sonny Carl Davis, Tory Tompkins and Gregory Kelly.

A birthday celebration at an upscale restaurant sets in motion events that bring Sissy, her brother, Mikey, and friends, Kenny and Barbie, face to face with the macabre world of the Boneboys. Inspired by Jonathan Swift’s cannibalistic tale A Modest Proposal, the Boneboys are international predators who deal in human flesh – dead or alive. Their hunting grounds are the cities of the world.

“Potentially interesting elements are thrown at us constantly, but none of them are explored enough to paint a complete picture. And there’s not enough gore to make up for the film’s massive narrative shortcomings (though there is one moment of really inventive cannibalistic violence). The film also has a weird penchant for suddenly throwing a line or two from some random old person for no reason. It took me a while to recognize these as awkward Texas Chain Saw Massacre alumni cameos.” Evan Saathoff, Badass Digest

“It’s a hodgepodge of what’s come before, and somewhat lazy in its execution, and even though Butcher Boys finally does find itself in familiar territory, the rest of the film doesn’t really care how it actually gets there in the end. In a film that doesn’t share a title with the Chainsaw legacy, Butcher Boys tries to distance itself from the original in an attempt at social commentary, but at the same time it wants to pay homage to what came before.” Drew Tinnin, Dread Central

“So what else does the film have to offer besides a revisionist tale of madness? A whole lot really. Basically, check your senses at the door and hold on. The entire town is populated with crazies’ straight outta the original Crow comic. Not to say that the film is dated, it’s simply that they don’t really tell these kinda urban decay stories anymore. The film is a kin to classic (or not so classic fare) like Future Kill, but with a more gruesome M.O.  In looking at it in terms of a throwback film, this is definitely the way to do it. It’s definitely a retro film, from plotting to style, but it doesn’t rely on cheap gimmicks, film scratches, or obvious visual cues to remind you of its origins.” Christopher Jimenez, Shock Till You Drop

“To say that Butcher Boys is a disappointment is an understatement. Despite something of a novel setup, it’s all down the drain with cardboard characters and borrowing from much better films, topped off with pacing issues and a genuine lack of anything interesting. While it’s nice that Henkel sought to give his fellow Texas Chainsaw Massacreparticipants some work, it does nothing to add to the film, and just cheapens the overall experience. There are better ways to spend 90 minutes of your time. Don’t spend them watching this.” Pat Torfe, Bloody Disgusting

IMDb | Some images courtesy of Necrotic Cinema (also read their negative review)

The World’s End is a 2013 British science fiction comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, written by Wright and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike and Eddie Marsan. It is the third in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, following Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). Wright has described the film as “social science fiction” in the tradition of John Wyndham and Samuel Youd.

Gary King, a middle-aged alcoholic, resolves to track down his estranged friends and complete the “Golden Mile”, a pub crawl encompassing 12 pubs in their hometown of Newton Haven. The group attempted the crawl as teenagers over 20 years earlier, but failed to reach the final pub, The World’s End. Gary persuades Peter Page, Oliver “O-Man” Chamberlain, Steven Prince, and Andy Knightley to join him in Newton Haven.

The group are briefly joined for a drink by Oliver’s sister Sam, over whose affections Gary and Steven had previously rivaled. In the toilets of the fourth pub, Gary gets into a fight with a surprisingly strong and agile teenager. Gary accidentally knocks the teen’s head off, exposing him as a robot. Gary’s friends join him and fight more robots, after which Andy abandons his teetotal ways and drinks an order of shots. The group decide to continue the pub crawl to avoid suspicion…

“Just as the adults step in to make some belated adult decisions, it turns out that the town has been taken over by robots. And even though that’s pretty much the whole plot of the movie, once things get rolling, a lot of the genuine character-driven plot evaporates. I get it, I guess, that this kind of a spoof on a disaster movie is a way to confront existential problems, addiction, middle-age, conformity, feelings of isolation, but I just couldn’t help but feel that the group dynamic was building toward something. And then the robot thing happens and that’s basically the rest of the movie.” Rob Gunther. Strictly Autobiographical

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“The most inventive, humane comedy in ages, probably the best-directed action film of the summer, and easily the most intelligent science-fiction story in a year lousy with the things.” Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

“There’s a lot to enjoy in The World’s End, and it’s only let down by a sense of familiarity – it might be very different in story, but stylistically it’s very much the same as the previous two films. What once seemed fresh now sometimes feels like Wright is referencing himself, and after three films, we get it – you have a great editing technique. No need to keep pointing it out, we’ll pick up on it anyway. But the story and the characters here feel much more developed than in previous films and this time, Wright and Pegg are willing to make their central character less an everyman and more someone we might struggle to like (it can be argued that Gary is the real villain of the piece for the first half). And the smart screenplay – which has lots of subtle moments in the dialogue that foreshadow later events – is sharp, witty and knowing.” David Flint, Strange Things Are Happening

Buy The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy on Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk

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Little Reaper is a 2013 American horror comedy short written, directed and produced by Peter Dukes for Dream Seekers Productions. It stars Athena Baumeister and John Paul Ouvrier, with John Michael Herndon, Katharine Stapleton, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Katy Townsend and Sorsha Morava.

The Grim Reaper has a difficult teenage daughter who professes to be constantly bored and yearns to be a wailing banshee. Having been grounded for not taking her deathly responsibilities seriously, her exasperated father allows her to take over his duties as reaper for one day. She spends her time on her mobile instead and chaos ensues…

‘Crisp black and white cinematography, deft editing and an impressive performance by Athena Baumeister elevate this comedy horror short above others of its ilk. The twist in the tale is nicely handled and who can resist the amusing notion of a petulant future grim reaper who’d rather be a cool banshee? Compared to Peter Dukes’ earnestly serious werewolf short The Beast – which didn’t gel for this particular viewer – Little Reaper suggests that his future may lie in comedy.’

Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia

‘Athena Baumeister in the lead role is one to watch, with a charming screen presence she carries the film well, John Paul Ouvrier as Reaper plays his part straight as the strict father type which results in hilarity. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, there is nothing not to like aboutLittle Reaper. For being adorable, good-humoured and entertaining, I’d go as far as saying this has to be one of my favourite short films of 2013.’ Hayley’s Horror Reviews

‘Horror comedies are the hardest type of film to pull off especially as a short film, but Little Reaper was done magnificently with just the right amount of camp.  This short film is only a little over 10 minutes long, but it may be one of the best shorts I have ever viewed.  Many people try to pack way too much into a short and end up making it run too muddy, but Little Reaper has just enough to make it pretty much perfect, nothing is missing, but nothing feels as though it was forced in.’ Melissa Thomas, Little Blog of Horror

‘It may sway more to the younger female audience who have an appetite for all things handbags and boys as opposed to the hardcore horror fans but its rather humorous take on how the households of the otherworld would look like raises a few chuckles and its 10 minute running time manages to capture some death, flesh eating and a whole bunch of girl talk.’ Blood Guts

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Avengers Assemble is a 2013 American animated television series, based on the fictional Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, which has been designed to capitalize on the success of the 2012 film adaptation. Falcon (the newest member of The Avengers) is the main eyes and ears of the viewer as he fights evil and saves the world with his teammates (consisting of Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Thor). Dracula appears, voiced by Corey Burton.

Super villain Red Skull brings together his team of power giants called the Cabal where his invitational transmissions are shown to have been received by Attuma, Doctor Doom, and Dracula.

Plot:

Dracula was an uneasy ally of Captain America back in World War II when HYDRA invaded Transylvania. In the episode “The Avengers Protocol” Pt. 2, the King of Vampires is seen receiving a holographic message from Red Skull to join his Cabal.

In the episode “Blood Feud,” Dracula has converted Black Widow into a part-vampire and sends her with a group of vampires to infiltrate Stark Tower where they attack the Avengers. After the vampires are hit by the UV lights and Captain America unmasks the disguised Black Widow, Dracula offers her life in exchange for Captain America’s life. Captain America suggests that the Avengers should go to Transylvania to find the vampire that transformed her.

In Transylvania, Dracula unleashes his vampire minions as he makes off with Black Widow. Captain America leads Hawkeye and Falcon into infiltrating Dracula’s castle. When Falcon and Hawkeye find Black Widow knocked out by Dracula, Captain America surrenders. Dracula states that he can get the Super Soldier serum from Captain America’s blood and gain enough power to destroy HYDRA. Before Dracula can suck Captain America’s blood, the Avengers attack and he ends up sucking Hulk’s blood instead. Hulk becomes a vampire version of himself!

Soon, the Hulk’s blood proves too much for Dracula since gamma radiation is similar to sunlight. Dracula escapes away as his castle collapses while Iron Man uses a synthesized version of Hulk’s blood to restore Black Widow to normal. A recuperating Dracula ponders Red Skull’s offer to get revenge on the Avengers…

Wikipedia | We are grateful to The Daily Marvelite for the image of Dracula and Flickering Myth for the image of the vampiric Hulk

Sorority Party Massacre is a 2013 American comedy slasher horror film directed by Chris W. Freeman, Justin Jones from a screenplay by Freeman (Paranormal Incident). It stars Marissa Skell (Slumber Party Slaughter), Eve Mauro (Penance, Zombies vs. Strippers), Ed O’Ross, Yvette Yates, Thomas Downey (Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan, Volcano Zombies), Casey Fitzgerald (Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs), Rebecca Grant (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), Adrian Kirk (616: Paranormal Incident), Alison Mei Lan, Keith Compton, Richard Moll (Evilspeak, Ghost Shark), Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil’s Rejects) and former adult movie star Ron Jeremy (One-eyed Monster and many more).

The film is released on DVD on February 11, 2014, by Anchor Bay Entertainment with the following extras:

• Audio Commentary by Producer/Writer/Director Chris W. Freeman and Producer/Director Justin Jones
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes
• Paige Fight Scene
• Barney Lumpkin Campaign Ad

An isolated town full of college girls has a dangerous secret: One girl has gone missing each year for the last twenty years. A big city cop, in danger of losing his badge, agrees to aid the town’s sheriff in investigating these unsolved disappearances. Quickly they realize that they are dealing with a psychotic killer whose academic brilliance has been twisted into a taste for terror, torture, and sorority sister torment. But when this party gets started, who will graduate – and who will be held back?

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Banshee Chapter (sometimes referred to as The Banshee Chapter) is a 2013 horror film and the directorial debut of Blair Erickson, who also provided the screenplay.The movie had its first screening at the Fantasy Filmfest on August 22, 2013 and released on video on demand on Dec 12 of the same year. It stars Ted Levine, Katia Winter and Michael McMillian. The film is loosely based on the H. P. Lovecraft short story From Beyond and the 1986 film of the same name.

Supposedly inspired by actual documents detailing clandestine CIA experiments, Banshee Chapter follows a resourceful young journalist (Katia Winter) who enlists the aid of a disgraced counterculture writer (Ted Levine) in locating her missing friend (Michael McMillan), who vanished without a trace after ingesting a mysterious, military-grade chemical. Drawn into a top-secret government research laboratory, she soon discovers the powers-that-be have a very good reason for concealing their findings…

“Bolstered by very strong work from Ms. Winter (if you don’t like this character, the film is sorta sunk from the outset) and some truly enjoyable support from character actor extraordinaire Ted Levine (as the reclusive author turned reluctant sidekick on Anna’s quest for the horrible truth), Banshee Chapter doesn’t actually have anything to do with banshees (sorry, banshee fans) but as a smart, clever, and diverting little mash-up of numerous sci-fi and horror tropes, it’s certainly worth a look.” Scott Weinberg, FEAR Net

“The film falls flat at many key scenes but not because of the acting or the direction. The bane in this film’s side is often the script and/or the production design. I often say that the weakness of many films these days lie in the lack of interesting or memorable dialogue. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough for us to want to take the journey with them. In the end, Banshee Chapter  is just a series of dark scenes and pseudo psycho-babble with allusions to greater ideas… and films.” Christopher Jiminez, Shock Till You Drop

“A solidly unsettling little picture with good performances from veteran Levine as a fleshed-out Ken Kesey-cum-Philip Dick-cum-Robert Anton Wilson character and Winter as the driven, unusual heroine. It does have a lot of the usual found footage wandering, but stages its scary moments very well – with one great jump moment.” Kim Newman, Screen Daily

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Ragin’ Cajun Redneck Gators (also known as Alligator Alley) is a 2013 American made-for-TV horror film produced by Active Entertainment and directed by Griff Furst (Wolfsbayne, Lake Placid 3, Swamp Shark, Arachnoquake, Ghost Shark) from a screenplay by Keith Allan (11/11/11) and Delondra Williams (Rise of the Zombies, Zombie Night), based on a story by Rafael Jordan (Frost Giant, Dragon Wasps, Poseidon Rex). It stars Jordan Hinson, Victor Webster, Thomas Francis Murphy (Ghost Shark, Leprechaun’s Revenge) and Christopher Berry.

Louisiana: One of the local clans have been dumping bad moonshine laced with a toxic chemical into the bayou. This has created huge ‘red-necked’ mutant alligators with killer spines on their tails. When the members of a rival clan catch and cook gator meat they begin mutating into monsters too. To complicate matters and in a nod to William Shakespeare, there are two young lovers from each clan who are forbidden to date each other…

‘Barring the ending, there’s a lot of fun to be had with Ragin’ Cajun Redneck Gators.  It’s your typical Syfy flick that has enough silly humor and silly characters to keep you laughing and a surprisingly decent amount of gore in it as well.  You know what you’re gonna get with a title like this. Just sit back and have a laugh.’ Scott Shoyer, Anything Horror

‘As we’ve come to expect from Syfy, the special effects are eyesores, the acting ranges from broad-side-of-a-barn caricature to sheer catatonia, and the dialogue is unspeakable. But Redneck Gators commits the cardinal sin for this type of shlock: It’s incredibly boring. So much time is devoted to the star-crossed romance between Avery and Dathan, you’d almost think we’re supposed to care about it.  Meanwhile, the gator attacks are all very predictable and alike…’ Scott Von Doviak, The A.V. Club

‘I was looking forward to Ragin’ Cajun Redneck Gators for its title alone. But to find a Romeo and Juliet story set in the bayou, along with some funny scripting and gory deaths for most of the characters, I couldn’t have been happier.’ Doug in the Dark

‘The gator effects aren’t original – we’ve seen them in many other Syfy movies – but they do the job. I thought the close-up scenes of the gators, which may have been models in some cases, were well done. Though the Cajun caricatures are a little hard to take, the movie has plenty of gator-eating-man and man-eating-gator action.’ Tony Isabella’s Bloggy Thing

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We Are What We Are is a 2013 American horror film co-wriiten (with Nick Damici) and directed by Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street, Stake Land). It was screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It is a remake of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name. The film stars Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis, Odeya Rush, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell and Nick Damici.

A seemingly wholesome and benevolent family, the Parkers have always kept to themselves, and for good reason. Behind closed doors, patriarch Frank rules his family with a rigorous fervor, determined to keep his ancestral customs intact at any cost. As a torrential rainstorm moves into the area, tragedy strikes and his daughters Iris and Rose are forced to assume responsibilities that extend beyond those of a typical family. As the unrelenting downpour continues to flood their small town, the local authorities begin to uncover clues that bring them closer to the secret that the Parkers have held closely for so many years. While the town’s doctor who’s daughter was eaten by Frank watches, the daughters both decide to consume their overbearing father, by eating his flesh while still alive…

‘What’s particularly impressive about We Are What We Are is what it changes (which is a lot) and what it chooses to keep; the central core of both films is very similar and yet fascinating for different reasons. The film also boasts strong essentials in the cinematography and score departments, while Mr. Mickle acts as his own editor, and the result is two disparate subplots that slowly converge in clever and intense fashion. This is a sober and serious horror tale, but it does remember to include some jolts, scares, and seriously bloody bits, too. It’s just a tight little package, all told.’ Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

‘The best element of the picture is how Mickle slowly, painstakingly builds both suspense and grotesque horror. Mickle is a natural born filmmaker and there is seldom a frame or beat that’s out of step. In fact there’s something very peculiar at work here in just how rich his approach is since there’s a genuine attempt to humanize its characters in a way where we often empathize with their situation even when they’re engaging in utterly horrendous actions. This is in stark contrast to the original Mexican version where its characters are pretty reprehensible as human beings…’ Glen Klymkiw, Film Corner

‘The movie saves most of its modest number of jolts for its last quarter or so, which makes them all the more intense. They stick in your craw – and be warned, they’re not for the squeamish… Mickle’s version has all the American Gothic trappings, maybe even pouring it on a bit thick at times. Despite the generally somber tone, there are a few moments when he seems to be tweaking genre buffs’ memories of movies by the likes of Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper.’ Walter Addiego, San Francisco Gate

‘Mickle takes a slightly different tack altogether, using the Grau screenplay as a jumping point to set more of a mood piece, using the gore to accent the feeling of anachronism he sets up with the central family. The violence of Mickle’s We Are What We Are, builds slowly toward a shocking and gruesome finale worthy of any horror fan’s attention.’ Brandon A. DuHamel, Blu-rayDefinition.com

Buy We Are What We Are on Instant Video | DVD | Blu-ray from Amazon.com

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Poseidon Rex is a 2013 American sci-fi horror film directed by Mark L. Lester (Firestarter), and starring Brian Krause, Anne McDaniels and Steven Helmkamp.

A small, secluded island off the coast of Belize suddenly finds itself terrorized by a deadly predator from the planet’s distant past when deep sea divers accidentally awaken an ancient evil.

Buy Poseidon Rex on DVD from Amazon.co.uk

“I watched this movie expecting total dreck. I was pleasantly surprised. The film is fun, entertaining and the CGI monster is actually not that bad. If you’re a fan of monster movies or dinosaurs then this is a great little low-budget romp.” Amazon reviewer

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Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz (also known as Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz) is a 2013 British horror film, first shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Directed by Kieran Parker from a screenplay by Rae Brunton (writer of Outpost and Outpost: Black Sun). It stars Bryan Larkin, Iván Kamarás, Michael McKell, Velibor Topic, Laurence Possa, Ben Lambert, Alec Utgoff, Vince Docherty, Gareth Morrison, Leo Horsfield and Vivien Taylor.

In the film, “we discover the horrifying origins of these supernatural soldiers and see them in ferocious gladiatorial battle against the most ruthless and notorious of all military special forces: the Russian Spetsnaz.”

‘With producer and story credits on the first two instalments Kieran Parker makes his directorial debut and you can tell he knows the Outpost films inside and out. This is a plus – in terms of style and pace it slots in seamlessly with the previous movies – and also a minus: the film’s muted, muddy, khaki colour scheme has made the series rather monotonous. However it’s probably the most action packed yet with plenty of claret flowing and multiple zombie fatalities.’ Henry Northmore, The List

Buy on Blu-ray | DVD from Amazon.co.uk

‘The relentless, brutal and lovingly-rendered gore is all done in-camera too – fans of blood spurt will have plenty to delight over. The dialogue is riddled with more than a few action movie clichés, but this is no bar to enjoying the fast-paced, grimly serious character drama and epic bloodletting. For gore fans, this is a treat.’ Bram E. Gieben, The Skinny

‘There’s nothing more worthwhile to say about Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz. The story is weak, the script is pathetic, the muck-faced sprinting zombie is embarrassing and the sound design is a mix of gunfire, loud noises and shouting. It’s a shame, as the original film was a distinctly underrated and highly original little piece of work. With the direction it’s headed for this and the preceding entry, consider Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz the final nail in the coffin for what began as a promising franchise.’ Dread Central

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Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (also known as Mystery Incorporated or Scooby-Doo! Mystery, Inc.) is the eleventh incarnation of Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo animated series, and the first incarnation not to be first-run on Saturday mornings. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network and premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on April 5, 2010.

Mystery Incorporated returns to the early days of Scooby and the gang, when they are still solving mysteries in their home town, though it makes many references to previous incarnations of the franchise, not least among them many cases and creatures from the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. Episode by episode, the series takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to the classic Scooby-Doo formula (similar to A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!), with increasingly outlandish technology, skills and scenarios making up each villain’s story, and a different spin on the famous “meddling kids” quote at the end of every episode. Contrasting sharply with this, however, are two elements that have never been used in a Scooby-Doo series before: a serial format with an ongoing story arc featuring many dark plot elements that are treated with near-total seriousness, and ongoing relationship drama between the characters.

The series pays extensive homage to the horror genre, drawing on many works from film, television and literature in both parodic and serious ways, from horror movie classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, modern films such as Saw, television series Twin Peaks, and the works of H. P. Lovecraft, alongside the classic monster horror movies shown in previous series. Other Hanna-Barbera characters occasionally guest-star, including Captain Caveman, Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, The Funky Phantom, Blue Falcon and Dynomutt, and more.

As was the case with the previous three installments in the franchise, Mystery Incorporated redesigns the main characters, this time into a retro look that returns them to their original 1969 outfits, with some small changes (such as Velma now wearing bows in her hair). The series is also the animated debut of Matthew Lillard as the voice of Shaggy, after he portrayed the character in two live-action films, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Casey Kasem, the original voice of Shaggy, now voices Shaggy’s father. Linda Cardellini, who played Velma in the live-action movies, is the voice of Hot Dog Water, a recurring character in the series.

Fred Jones, Jr., Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, and Scooby-Doo are a team of teen mystery solvers who live in the small town of Crystal Cove, the self-proclaimed “Most Hauntedest Place on Earth”. The allegedly “cursed” town’s long history of strange disappearances and ghost and monster sightings form the basis for its thriving tourist industry; as such, the adults of the town (chief among them being Fred’s father Mayor Fred Jones Sr. and Sheriff Bronson Stone) are not happy that the kids are debunking all the supernatural goings-on that bring in so much revenue as the overwrought schemes of charlatans and criminals.

In addition to the traditional cases they always solve, the team finds itself being nudged into the uncovering of a dark secret that is hidden in the past of Crystal Cove. Following cryptic hints from a faceless mystery-man known only as “Mr. E.” (a play on “mystery”), the gang unearths the legend of a cursed Conquistador treasure, the secret history of Crystal Cove’s founding Darrow Family, and the mysterious, unsolved disappearance of four mystery-solving youths and their pet bird—the originalMystery Incorporated. Standing in the way of their solving this mystery, however, are the romantic entanglements pulling the kids apart: Shaggy finds himself unable to put his new romance with Velma ahead of his longtime friendship with Scooby, while Daphne pines for a trap-obsessed Fred, who obliviously struggles to realise he shares her feelings, too.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official website | Scooby-Doo on Horrorpedia

Beneath is a 2013 American horror film directed by Larry Fessenden. The film had its world premiere at the Stanley Film Festival on May 3, 2013 and later aired on the Chiller channel. Beneath stars Daniel Zovatto, Bonnie Dennison, and Chris Conroy as teenagers that must fight for their lives against man-eating fish.

Six high school seniors celebrating with day’s excursion find themselves on rowboat attacked by man-eating fish and must decide who must be sacrificed as they fight their way back to shore…

Buy Beneath on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

“Beneath has its tone meter calibrated a little too far into serious territory when it would have benefited from a slier wink of black comedy.  The film is only as good as it needs to be for a rubber water monster movie on Chiller TV, when clearly the actors and the production are better than the script that they have to work with.” Culture Crypt

“Beneath is just a mess of a film, and whether or not you find it entertaining is dependent entirely on your ability to find humor in the failings of others. Am I being too harsh? Maybe. But the primary antagonist is a giant wall-eyed tigerfish so take from that what you will.” Dread Central

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