kannibalcorpsegrinder

Following a series of radical claims, paranormal investigators from the Vatican are sent to a remote Church in the English countryside to investigate what's going on, but the longer they're there realize that something unnatural is occurring in the area and must uncover the truth before it's too late.

This was a generally underwhelming and not that impressive found-footage effort. One of the few positives here stems from the generally creepy and unnatural atmosphere of the chosen location which manages to form a decidedly obvious location for the hauntings to happen. With the backstory of the location also plays a nice part here where the use of local history and the types of religious extremism that took place in the past as a way of converting the locals into the proper Catholic mindset approved by the Vatican only now it feels like something from the past has come back to wreak havoc on the land, this is an appropriately fun play on that type of film. Utilizing that in the Church itself where the darkened catacombs and hallways where the events take place offers a fine way of propelling this one along as the final half manages to bring about a far greater sense of action and scares within the place as everything unfolds. However great this is, though, it's really the only good thing that happens here. There are a lot of issues here that hold this one down. One of the main issues with this one is the fact that there's no real discernable reason for it to be shot in found footage as that really hampers a lot of what's going on here. The first half detailing the group arriving at the facility, going through the usual set-up and general preparations that go on for them to get ready to investigate the claims offers a slew of traditionally bland build-up leading to the furious second half but hardly any of this is justifiably found-footage. The exploits and investigation that take place here in the second half aren't worthy of being done through the camera work featured here, and since the only scenes that really showcase any kind of supernatural or other form of genre material are found in the final half because the first few scenes are generally quite uneventful this one really struggles to keep the belief going about it not being filmed regularly to help cut down on the unnecessary boredom that occurs since nothing happens for so long.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

Receiving word about his missing sister, a man takes a film crew to the middle of the jungle to document their reunion and get an idea about what life is like in the deep-forest commune they're staying at, but when they realize the sinister ulterior motives must try to get to safety before it happens.

This was an inherently problematic effort. One of the finer aspects of this one is the intriguing setup and starting point to the documentary going through the commune at the very beginning. The journey there and the initial meet-ups with the other members of the congregation offer up the kind of usual white-washing necessary for this kind of cult-like gathering where the friendly facade of everyone and the harmonious atmosphere are clearly attempts at preventing a darker truth from coming to the forefront. Given the type of relationship established between everyone where they offer the kind of front-loaded hospitality about peace and prosperity for all at the expense of any kind of genuine conduct for the situation, this type of setup works well enough and provides a rather intriguing starting point for the rest of their expedition. With everything that happens later on, the chaos that results from the true nature of their existence there has plenty of genuinely chilling material to work with that gives this one some rather fun positive points. This one does have a host of problems that bring it down. The main factor here is the fact that it's just an essential replay of a profound real-life tragedy beat for beat without even changing up anything that it comes off far more exploitative than anything. The whole thing is played with the kind of restrictive form of storytelling that plays everything virtually by the letter only changing the names which keeps the whole thing so obvious from the start about what's happening that there's no suspense or thrills to be generated whenever it starts going into this obvious direction. On top of this, the fact that this one tries to get away with some of the found-footage aspects where quite a bit of the running time is held up with the usual trials and tribulations of the genre as it carries plenty of the usual issues associated with the genre from the lack of proper understanding about who's filming, not realizing what type of footage is being recorded and the ever-prominent filming scenes that people shouldn't be present to film it which happens a lot in the second half where cameras shouldn't be and lowers this one overall.

Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Taking a babysitting job at a remote mansion, a young woman enjoys the serenity it allows, but when she begins to think that someone other than her charge is in the house with her, she finds the owners have lured her there to partake in a Satanic sacrifice and must escape before the ceremony is complete.

This was a generally underwhelming and not that worthwhile of a feature. Among its few bright spots is the use of the atmosphere of the situation and what takes place in the house to lead to a solid shock in the final act. As the night continues and she becomes more aware of someone else inside the house that she's not supposed to be watching, the incidents start to take on a more devilish and sinister undertone with the belief that she's not alone which provides a few bits of intrigue as the escalating darkness due to the circumstances at play. Sure, there's also the last third that has a lot of fun when the ceremony is enacted and the film shows some energy in her attempts to get free which are quite energetic, but it's too little too late for this one. There are a lot of factors with this one that hold it down. One of the most egregious factors is the absolutely draining and uninteresting pacing present where this one was just taking forever to get going. The early exploits here about dealing with her life on campus, needing to find a place to herself due to the roommate situation, and eventually stumbling upon the babysitting gig is fine enough but just played off as way too long-winded for its own good, detailing how she lives on campus and running through the other factors that led to her arriving. Playing with the idea of getting stood up and her venting about the situation only to get guilted into taking it later on is all unnecessary and eats up the running time that could've been avoided by taking it and having everything go right from the outset which would have put even less suspicions on them for what goes on. That carries over into the arrival at the house and the shenanigans that take place once she gets there. While the initial reluctance and settling into the role for the night serves this well enough, once she's left alone it just becomes an interminable slough that seems to consist of just her running around the house, opening doors, or just doing absolutely nothing of interest. Dancing around to records, ordering pizza, or trying to call her friend about the experience doesn't add up to any kind of interesting or chilling antics that it thinks they are, and while we'd get the odd noise in the distance or running footsteps, it's just absolute boredom for the first two-thirds of the movie. Given that this never really lets the cult have much of a chance to build up anything other than just a cursory glance about what's going on and the connection to the eclipse, these all manage to lower this one significantly.

Rated R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Struggling with unresolved pain, a woman and her friend set out on a trail of vengeance against the doctor and his employers that captured and tormented her years ago, but as the trauma continually comes to the surface and the real reason for everything is revealed it puts them both in unchartered territory.

This was a spectacular effort with quite a lot to like about it. One of the strongest features here is the stand0out storyline that provides a great baseline for the type of cathartic revenge featured here. Since the first half manages to provide a fantastic backstory for the two, going through their history growing up together and the friendship they formed through caring for each other and trying to help the other through their physical and emotional pain, it makes their friendship seem a bit one-sided but still entirely justified as to why they would remain connected on the journey fifteen years later like this. Getting what we do about the family that was responsible for everything, holding them captive and putting them through the type of obstacles they did completes this statement wholeheartedly by continuing the process once they arrive and discover it's still ongoing, this setup works incredibly well to the film's advantage. That allows for the film to generate quite a bit of gruesome and extremely uncomfortable sequences showing the treatment doled out to the women as they try to take their devious nature to the next level. With the barbaric torture devices here including metal clamps strapped to their face by stapling it to their scalp, continuously connected to a small volt of electrical discharges, or held captive in large metal chains, this type of physical torture is a great baseline for the treatment she receives when re-captured as the process of continually beaten, shocked, served debilitating food, and kept without contact with the outside world brings a fine sense to what the overall purpose behind the organization is all about. This final half keeping her in their control and beginning to undertake the type of barbaric treatment that takes place as the full extent of what's going on soon becomes quite clear. The whole purpose of the torture makes the torture far more brutal and intense, making for a lot to like about it. There isn't much to dislike here, but it does have a minor drawback here. The main factor with this one is the generally overlong and overlong finale where it takes on a rather significant storytelling feature but never bothers to simplify what's going on. The mystical situation present means that there's a lot going on here that requires a lot of baseline work to go off of, but the extraneous scenes taking place at the end where the group holding her captive have a series of extra moments recalling what's going on that manages to drag this out quite a bit from what it could've been by eliminating some of the more overdone bits that accuse this one to go on a bit longer than it should. On top of that, there's also the extreme content on display that will clearly not be for everyone which runs from the controversial religious material to the extreme violence present as that's just not for everyone so it's a personal preference issue but is still the drawbacks here.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Full Nudity.

After a series of strange behavioral outbursts, a woman decides that her daughter's physical and mental deterioration is the result of a natural phenomenon, but the more it continues she finds the only outcome to be an exorcism when the true nature of everything is revealed.

For the most part, this here is a rather troubling classic. Most of the film's positive attributes are found in the way this one unfurls a dynamic and genuinely thrilling dual-pronged storyline. This relates to the issues here involving each of the main priests called into action which is perfectly in keeping with the type of setup employed as it weaves the setup of the younger one trying to come to terms with his relationship with his ailing mother while going through the motions of his elder trying to come to terms with the return of a figure he once battled in the past. As both of these issues revolve around fallen or shaken faith, with each one reconciling their own interpretation of how a just and loving God can allow such actions to take place, the use of bridging these factors together through their shared struggle in trying to get through the ordeal together makes for an incredibly strong starting point. From here, the delving into the supernatural comes off impeccably well with the gradually build-up of her behavior and appearance signaling the potential possession. From the party appearance to the constant verbal outbursts, the negative test results and eventual realization that it's not just anything physical but rather supernatural, this provides a great baseline for the type of outbursts necessary within the genre to justify the final exorcism as that comes off absolutely masterfully. The battle that takes place inside the bedroom offering not just incredible concepts for the sequence including the levitating, physical deformations, verbal slurs against the holy figures and much more, but to bring the storyline connotations into this one sequence has a strong overall collaboration making this one of the most powerful and devastating scenes in the entire genre. On top of the physical actions depicted here, the spiritual one that comes about here as a result of what's going on also manages to bring about a lot to like. As the terms of the exorcism drag out and the realization that the tormenting and physical confrontations offers up the kind of standout throughline for the initial viewpoint of restoring faith. Given the loss he's exhibited and how these events have affected his mindset prior to the exorcism, to use this as a secret bridge to their lives as they both require the other to fulfill their personal struggles adds a fantastic psychological advantage over the physical action being undertaken. This correlation between the incredible physical action and emotional turmoil that takes place helps to set it above it's contemporaries and cash-ins and overall all manage to combine together into one of the genre's finest features. There's not a whole lot going on here that holds this one down. In fact, the one issue to be had with the film concerns the somewhat glacial first half and the amount of time it takes before getting to the actual possession. Most of the scenes here are really not that interesting as they delve instead around the utterly endless scenes of her mother spending time going between the film shoot and tending to her worsening condition which explodes so quickly into testing for something on such flimsy evidence that it's quite difficult to believe what's going on. This endless series of medical testing brings a rather sluggish pace to what's going on as this serves the background information needed to make the exorcism work; the pacing featured here is what drags it down as it stands out being the main issue on display.

Rated R: Extreme Graphic Language, Strong Violence, strong sexual scenes involving an underage person, strong religious themes and children-in-danger.

In the middle of a zombie apocalypse, a woman is brought back to life by an unscrupulous corporation to take down the leader of the zombie hordes running around the countryside creating more of the creatures, and once she learns the truth about them sets out to bring a stop to their plans.

This was a rather fun and likable over-the-top genre effort. One of the main factors present here is the use of the radicalized storyline presented here that's told more so through action than anything else. The opening scene of the zombified versions of her parents being setup and the powers they acquired through contact with the meteorite and the ensuing zombie virus sweeping the country that turns everyone into the infected with their bizarre condition that's a secret weak-point allows this to get the initial stages of the world set up nicely. That there's a set of outcomes evolving from this setup, with the desire to integrate the infected into society and the ones that are upset over being pushed to their breaking point by the society that's measured incredibly well by the dystopian society set up and ruled by the zombies. Given the way they treat their human slaves and victims is a strong connection that brings these stories together quite well, this storyline featured here is a rather impressive one. As well, there's also quite a lot to like with the zombie action throughout here. This strong setup allows for a highly effective starting point that allows for the film to launch into a slew of encounters between the various militia groups trying to keep the creatures to battle the relentless zombie hordes created as a result of this one playing with its setup, going from the opening assault in the graveyard with the horn-robber understanding the nature of those features, the sequence that turns her into this type of zombie queen, and the series of battles with the guards fighting off the creatures that break into their grounds. With these giving way to the intense confrontations in the wasteland where they come across the hordes of creatures scattered throughout the wastelands left behind, it all offers the kind of extreme blood-spray and over-the-top splatter associated with the format. That leads nicely into the other big positive where the cavalcade of bloodshed and gore offers up a slew of impressively-handled and creative special effects that helps to sell the inherent wackiness of what's on display, ranging from the unique character designs to the wacky kills which all provide the films' positives. There are some factors with this one that holds it down. The main drawback with this one is the excessively overlong running time that takes on way too much excess than is necessary for this type of film. It takes until the hour mark before the main plot of the film starts up with so much extra work surrounding the political nature of the zombie fight and the resulting groups intending to work together either for or against the zombies in society. This is to get the group together to go after the zombie queen, but it all takes so long to get there that it can feel like material that could've been trimmed or removed to get this going on a more simplistic path. As well, there's also way too much material here being so overtly cheesy and silly that it can wear out its appeal quite easily trying to make sense of the continuous onslaught of bonkers material just thrown on-screen because it was conceived without how it connects to everything. It's not a huge issue but these do bring it down.

Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Nudity.

During a strange viral outbreak, a special task force hired to contain the outbreak of zombies tries to keep them under control while a man deals with a woman in the final days of her life before succumbing to the virus, and when everything comes together are forced to deal with their respective issues.

This was a rather fun and likable take on the genre. Among the better aspects to be had with this one is the intriguing nature with which it brings the particular universe which is quite wacky and bizarre. The central setup of the strange virus affecting women of a certain age and condition, being defined with a specific set of behavioral or physical conditions that must be met to qualify as being afflicted with the condition, and a separate set of conditions to be met that would satisfy ending the threat once and for all. This is all handled well enough here to generate the kind of environment featured here with an unusual situation involving the society involved in the outbreak and how they deal with the impending apocalypse as only the women are the potential mates for infection and everything surrounding it delves further into an apocalypse-style scenario with the different regulations involved throughout here. This setup serves the film nicely enough to generate a slew of solid cheesy zombie sequences. With the special conditions required for the zombies to appear and spread throughout the countryside, the early battles showing the special task force teams battling and containing the zombies makes for some decent early confrontations full of cheesy gore and the typically wild scenarios featured in the genre. That extends throughout to the finale where the mission to the scientific research center studying them gets overwhelmed and the freed creatures run rampant in the facility requiring plenty of exceptional swarming scenes with the hordes overwhelming the various groups there to try to contain the zombies but failing spectacularly. This all generates the kind of cheesy action and flimsy effects required to keep this moving along with the frenetic sequences all giving the film quite a lot to like. There isn't much to dislike here, but it does have a few slight issues. The main drawback is the way this presents the whole nature of the viral outbreak and what happens once the revelation is made involving the motivation for their deaths. Revealing the cause of their happiness and rage while being killed, there's pertinent information gathered that would help provide an end to the whole affair only for the information revealed here to be kept only to a select few that have little knowledge of the situation. With far more time devoted to the scientist conducting renegade experiments that look into the origins of everything but this factor not being involved makes the revelation feel pointless and unnecessary. As well, the series of allegiance-switching that takes place involving so many characters throughout here is confusing and convoluted to the point of making sure no one survived rather than anything to do with it's storyline components, which along with the low-budget limitations present are what hold this one down slightly.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Introduced by Coffin Joe himself, a trilogy of genre shorts are collected together in one feature-length film.

The Good Stor(ies): The Dollmaker-Famous for his high-quality dolls, a lonely doll maker is targeted by a group of thugs looking to use his property for their own, but when they arrive at his house to collect their prize find themselves stuck in a more dangerous situation than they thought. This was a fairly solid and generally likable effort. The initial setup about the overheard conversation and what it means to the group who are looking for an easy payday and find that his treasured dolls might be their way out of financial trouble leading to the break-in of his house where they take over holding his daughters hostage to do their bidding with. After this, things get rushed a bit with the turn and eventual outcome of everything which has a suitably grim tone and aftermath to everything that meshes nicely with the primitive effects for what's going on, but it really could've used a bit more length to get everything sorted out, but that's the main drawback to be had with this one.

Theory-Desperate to prove a controversial theory, a doctor invites a skeptical colleague and his wife to his house for a demonstration, but when they arrive learn the cruel reason for his invitation. Overall, this was a wild if somewhat problematic way to finish this off. The main setup of the invitation to the house and his bizarre series of presentations that focus on sadistic sexual perversion and pleasures offers an uncomfortable tone to everything, much like the atmosphere here that changes once he takes them prisoner and forces the cannibalistic display to take place in front of them. This sets into motion a series of barbaric and cruel tortures that showcase his fevered control over everyone, setting up some fun reveals but highlighting how this all comes to pass when they're held captive for days on end without anyone noticing or coming to their aid. The whole experiment makes no sense either and just seems to go on forever without any purpose which makes this a somewhat intriguing finale.

The Bad Stor(ies): Obsession-Infatuated with a beautiful woman, a lonely man tries everything he can to win her attention, which is soon revealed that not even her untimely death can stop his obsession. This was a decent enough if slightly flawed segment. The initial premise here trying to find the woman so that his obsession can be dealt with and they can be together offers a fine series of setpieces about him stalking her around the city and where she lives hoping for a chance to make amends only coming up short each time. Once he finally is able to do something about it, her untimely death and his determination to be with her carries on driving him to some rather uncomfortable actions which offer some solid Gothic Horror setpieces but feel somewhat unnatural as if they've been taken to an extreme regardless of the build-up that's gone on as his unhinged nature doesn't equate to what happens here. Thankfully it's not that detrimental but it does stand out somewhat.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence, Language, and Nudity.

After being released from a psychiatric hospital, a war veteran committed for the disappearance of his girlfriend originally conducted by a coven of vicious vampires sets out to find them again, and when he finds them targeting the girlfriends' younger sister tries to stop them once and for all.

This was a solid if somewhat problematic genre effort. One of the best features here is the uneventful if serviceable storyline featuring the type of action necessary to move this one along at a solid clip. The main setup of the initial attack turning everyone in town against him to the point that he gets institutionalized rather than deal with the truth of the situation gives this a fine starting point as the series of interactions here make for a good enough piece about his condition affecting the reputation of the incidents. Since his prognosis helps out with the idea of the vampires staying hidden as no one believes him, the sympathy generated here is rather nice when it becomes apparent that there's a hidden meaning behind everything that slowly gets revealed the longer this goes on. The other big issue here is the strong vampire action that takes place here where it's confrontations involving the guy taking down the coven. The initial setup with the hotel party getting to wipe out the series of guests while also offering a rather likable series of setups that point him as a scapegoat for the massacre so everything is handled quite nicely as a fantastic starter. The later scenes offering his attempts to get the creatures to let him know where they're hiding out which also serves as a way to bring the younger sister into this film has some fun with the chaotic action of the frenzied vampires going crazy grabbing whoever they can and taking them out in graphic fashion. When the finale manages to bring about some intriguing action and plenty of reveals that have a great impact on the storyline, these come together to give the film a lot to like. There are some drawbacks with this one that hold it back. The main issue here is the fact that this one spends way too much time on the idea of trying to build up the wrongful incarceration idea and him being released to a corrupt police unit that just doesn't have the kind of immersive setup at the beginning of this one. The whole idea of framing him for the crimes gets more context later on but it's all so flimsy in the first half that there's nothing inherently logical about the whole incident when the exploits of the crime became noticeable with him being held in contempt for the whole thing following this along. The other issue here which piggybacks off of that is the slow pace at the same time so it takes a while to get these features involving some underwhelming elements making this take a while to get going which bring this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Traveling to a secret rave, a group of friends decide to pick up some extra drugs from a local dealer to spice up the event, but when they find the drugs are laced with a chemical that turns the infected ravers into flesh-eating zombies they are forced to band together to escape the situation alive.

This was a decent if somewhat flawed genre effort. One of the films' better features is the overall solid enough means of getting the zombie virus unleashed and loose within the party as it captures the raver lifestyle decent enough. Despite some of the budgetary limitations coming into play, the first half here still comes off rather well with the way they take the drugs from their source and absentmindedly provide it for the guests to consume. The resulting zombification and massive swarming scenes of the undead forces succumbing to the drug and ripping their victims to pieces has a lot of fun here with the constant attacks throughout the abandoned building where they hold the rave allowing for some genuinely strong sequences of the creatures attacking. With the whole thing driven by some great practical effects for the zombie action and kills throughout here, there are some fun factors to be had with this one. There are some drawbacks here that hold this one down. The main factor against it is the generally problematic structure of the film where it never seems to know what it wants to be. The encounter with the drug dealer, the relationship that develops involving the former lovers coming back together, or the quips that get thrown about involving the group trying to stay together give off a goofy tone that flies in the face of the material found here which is far more serious in nature so this kind of wacky content falls incredibly flat. On top of that, there's an absolutely infuriating and maddeningly stupid setup that's supposed to provide a human victim to the proceedings but is so unnecessary and useless that nothing about it works as the motivation is stupid, the rationale about it is even worse, the scenes playing it out so lame there's no scares to be had, and it just ends this on such a whimper there's little turning back. As well as the aforementioned budgetary limitations, these are the drawbacks to be had with this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, drug use, and Brief Nudity.

Hosting a special party in the woods, a group of friends try to have a special celebration together only for a series of prehistoric creatures to crash the occasion and kill several of the group, and after getting away the survivors band together with her father's mercenary team to kill the creatures.

This was a decent enough if somewhat flawed sequel. One of the finer aspects present with this one is the way it manages to take a seemingly hokey setup and manages to have some fun with the concept on display. While the initial guise is initially setup to involve a friendly gathering in the woods that gets attacked by the creatures and the resulting storyline involves the means of surviving in the wilderness by the survivors, this one pulls off a rare feat by having the couple survive and get away from the creatures bringing about a secondary fun change in the ensuing trauma of the occasion ringing off for the main girl. The impact this has on her and the extent to which she sets out to bring together her father's old mercenary team to hunt down and kill the creatures is all fun enough given a solid motivation and reasoning to do so while also managing to give off the kind of worthwhile motivation to bring about some great action in the second half after the opening rush. That allows the film to continue with a solid slew of cheesy creature feature attacks as the type of encounters here have that particular brand of cheesy concepts played off remarkably straight. The opening attack on the group's cabin in the woods party is a fine starting point as the series of ambush attacks to get the appropriate setup for the second half involves the group heading out into the wilderness to take them down. This leads into a series of cheesy encounters where the military team arrives in the woods and tries to take out the creatures in the surrounding areas which results in a solid slew of encounters where the main focus on ineffective gunplay against the creatures leaves this one with plenty of battles and gruesome deaths which manage to provide some solid aspects. There are some issues with this one that holds it down. Among its biggest drawbacks is the strange inclusion of reusing a good bit of footage from the first entry here that doesn't serve much purpose in the film. The idea of connecting this one so closely to the original through these scenes is somewhat flimsy since her surviving character doesn't fit in to find the soldiers to track down the creatures, the whole series of flashbacks to spell it out stop a film already this short cold to get it unleashed, and the whole thing is a weak way to introduce this particular storyline. There's also no reason for the irritatingly cliched storyline about one of the team trying to sell the eggs to spite the team which makes no sense and is thankfully dropped soon enough. Lastly, there's also the typically cheesy creature effects here with the obvious silly CGI sticking out throughout which are all enough to bring this one down overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Looking for her missing sister, a woman and some friends head to a remote section of the countryside to find her after the authorities won't help her, but the more they look into the incident they find the area overrun by giant pterosaurs controlled by superstitious locals and must get away alive.

This was a pretty fun cheesy creature feature. One of the better features here is the solid setup that carries on the tradition of providing a decent way of getting everyone out to the countryside where they can be attacked by the creatures. Getting the kind of start-up here with the missing sister dragging them out to the remote English countryside where the unnatural behavior is seen as enough justification to get everyone out to this part of the woods, this not only accomplishes that task but also allows the kind of build-up about the group so we can get an idea about who they are and what they're doing there. While that's not always a good thing, the central idea generated from all of this is well enough to provide a solid series of plotlines to get this one going. That allows the creature action here to be quite enjoyable focusing on the cheesy nature of the concept at play. With the specific creatures identified early on and bringing about a rather fun type of confrontation where the flying swarm appears out of the sky to grab and bite at their victim before flying away with the body that's ripped to pieces in the process, this all comes together quite nicely to generate some fun sequences. As there's a nice bit of suspense involving the creatures stalking them first through the mountainous, rocky terrain present before the subsequent attack, it takes a nice bit of suspense to the type of cheese present for the creatures to give the film a lot to like. There are some detrimental factors to be had with this one. The main drawback to this one is the sluggish first half which doesn't do much in the way of building a cohesive storyline. While building up the idea of the sister being missing and no one willing to tell them the truth, the main mindset here is on stifling the pace to get this corrupt, incompetent set of local authority in the area unwilling to get out and do their duty in the face of an obvious emergency which holds up the action to a distressing degree. Even more apparent during this section is the lack of genuine friendship displayed during this section between the girls who spend a lot of the time arguing and complaining about the situation to the point that it's hard to believe they're genuine friends with how they interact with each other. The last drawback to the film is the sheer lack of explanation for the group responsible for tending to the creatures all along. With the introduction here treated to us so late in the film and given so little thought that it's just impossible to figure out what the whole point is, this feels so confusing that the counterpoint about their presence there is rightfully brought up to where it's so easy to outwit them and renders them completely irrelevant. As well, there are also the other expected issues here with the lackluster CGI including size and dimension changes depending on the scene being featured, clunky animation for normal activities, or being forced to perform unnatural motions or behavior to suit the sequence, none of these are truly detrimental but still stick out overall here.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Forced to enhance her ratings, the host of a failing true crime show decides to bump her fortunes by investigating a local story about a doctor supposedly manipulating genes at a remote house in the area, but when they find the house overrun by massive mutated spiders they have to get away alive.

This was a fairly solid and enjoyable effort. One of the finer features of this one is the rather strong setup that lets everything come together in a rather intriguing manner. The motivation to reach out about the story by trying to modernize her show that's besieged by the failing ratings spiel to try to throw caution to the wind and force her way into the house to tease out the truth about the rumors surrounding the area is handled well enough throughout here. This provides the impetus to believe why she would be so inclined to ignore so many obvious signs about the house's condition or arrive at the house with such a flimsy story about the need to be there as the desire to figure out the true story behind his disappearance and eventual death as her single-minded nature to get her show where it should be is well-handled throughout here. On top of this fine starting point, the action within the house is usually rather fun for the most part. With the first half here of the group wandering through the empty house arguing about the ethics of everything but generally ignoring the atmosphere of what's around them including the insert shots of the spiders going through rooms or the team being blissfully unaware of the massive cobwebs left behind, there's a far creepier and more atmospheric touch than expected in this part of the film. That goes along quite nicely with the second half where it goes into a far more obvious territory with the group struggling to escape from the house crawling with the now-ravenous spiders. This picks up the action and suspense quite a bit from the static and laid-back first half where it's all about the group trying to keep themselves alive while delivering the baby since the pregnant daughter is going into labor but must still fend off the main spider scurrying through the house trying to get at them. It's cheesy enough and goes along nicely with the goofy effects present to give the film a lot to like although there are some drawbacks to be had with this one. The biggest issue, which does come off incredibly prominently here, is the otherworldly stupidity displayed by the group as things go along. The whole excuse about not wanting to throw away a potential gold-mine discovery for her show is no excuse for the rest of the group to remain in the house where they knowingly find massive killer spiders running around, and even after catching one are completely unbothered to try contacting the authorities or even leaving. That they have a pregnant woman on the verge of going into labor when they arrive is a plot point that's going to be paid off as obviously as it should be, and that doesn't generate any kind of impact on the utterly useless Army brat daughter who's skill-set is completely ignored in favor of utterly stupid actions substituted for bravery. This holds it down incredibly well, much like the outrageously terrible CGI that looks patently fake but still holds the usual charm of these types of films so it's not nearly as detrimental as it should but still has some impact.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

While working their strip club shift, one of the workers accidentally kills a patron and decides to ditch the body with one of the staff, only to learn he was a werewolf crime boss and his lack is now seeking revenge which forces them to battle the bloodthirsty beasts to get away alive.

This was an enjoyable if somewhat flawed effort. One of the better aspects to this one is the fun setup that brings the two groups together. The innocence of the original encounter between them where she happens to stab him in the eye merely as a form of self-defense serves this nicely, and then disposing of the body which infuriates the clan at the matter of doing so is a fun way to go here. The mixture of their territorial behavior and defense of their fallen crusade feel like a rather inventive and unique way to bring them up. As well, the werewolf attacks once they get going offer up some enjoyable scenes. The girlfriend's hallucinations about the gang running around killing others as werewolves gets these scenes started on a high note, much like their first encounter where they appear at the house forcing her to leave and seek shelter at a friend. While the first massacre is unfortunately off-screen it serves to launch nicely into the fun finale featuring an attack disguised as a strip routine, back and forth brawls and plenty of inventive deaths for some nice gore. These all give this some positive points while there are some problems to be had with this one. The biggest flaw is the wholly unappealing pacing that does take a while to get going. The overreliance in the first half on delivering goofy comedic gags, what with the strippers trying to deal with the outcome of the attack and the werewolves searching for their murdered member in between business meetings, really makes it difficult to get into. That they take far too long to discover the source of the boss's disappearance which should've been far more obvious on his schedule, making them running around feel pretty pointless. The other drawback on display is the somewhat cheap feel that does crop up throughout here. The main culprit of this is the look of the werewolves which is a paltry make-up job, being given patchwork fur haphazardly attached to the face, goblin ears and clumsy fangs without anything on their bodies to denote their lupine state. It all looks silly and underwhelming which lessens the impact, much like the CGI used which is thankfully sparingly but still obvious when used. On the whole, these are the issues that hold the film down.

Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, and Full Nudity.

After a devastating diving accident, a disgraced marine biologist takes a piece of the specimen she discovered on the trip home with her in secret and tries to study it, but when the creature hatches and develops a bizarre symbiotic relationship with her it starts to take over her mind to a dangerous degree.

This was a rather fun and generally enjoyable genre effort. One of the better features of this one is the solid psychological build-up that merges quite nicely with its creature feature origins. The initial route it takes involving her traumatic diving accident and resulting job loss afterward sets up her determination to keep the creature she found and study it as a way of getting a sense of retribution from the company that let her go, and it also serves nicely to develop the reasoning to understand the relationship she forms with the hatched creature. Bonding with it not only naturally with the normal interactions they have in the basement where she studies it but the symbiotic one as a result of the chemical spill they share lets everything come together quite well into a spiraling circle of delusion and madness the longer she keeps it hidden in the basement. That shared chemical bond they share allows the film to turn away from the psychological spiral into more overt graphic territory. As a result of the series of dreams and hallucinations that come about due to the creatures' influence on her, the aggressive behavioral ticks and aborted attempts at carrying out violent tendencies against those she knows start to signal that change fine enough before the genuine murders she carries out. Bringing about everything from abductions of those who try to separate the two to those who stumble upon it and force her to kill to keep it secret to straightforward scenes leading victims directly to it, this lets the cheesy creature effects of the prosthetic tentacle and the fine design for the beast in full all drive this together for a lot to like here. There isn't much to dislike with this one but it does have some minor factors against it. The main factor with the film is the general lack of action in the first half where it's spent more on the build-up of their relationship than on letting the creature go full throttle. Giving this a pretty understandable berth since there's some point to going for the psychological touch, there's still no reason for the length of time it takes before the creature starts to influence her to get going with the criminal spree. On top of that, there's also a rather large problem with the finale where the film tends to go on longer than it should trying to keep going with a series of twists that try to tack on the surprise endings which aren't required here. As well as some instances of the low-budget limitations being apparent, these hold this one down overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Nudity.

Trying to move on with their lives, a woman and her husband move to a remote house in the countryside where she once grew up to help her deal with onsetting dementia, but when she suspects that a series of incidents are tied to a doll she's found starts to suspect her sanity is slipping.

This was a decent enough if slightly flawed genre effort. One of the finer features of this one is the generally solid setup that tries to recreate more of an atmosphere closer to the original by employing a remake-with-a-different-cast formula. Offering the idea of the wife going through something similar where she's developing the same sort of dementia prognosis and the belief that everything will be better with a return to their childhood home to set themselves within familiar grounds where they come under the influence of the doll is a fine way to do this. It sets up the kind of familiar ground to be an easy immersion point into the story while also making more of a connection to the doll's history and purpose by taunting her with a psychic connection believing what she's seeing is really just the dementia taking hold than anything else. That early setup offers up a fine series of hauntings throughout here playing nicely with a bizarre supernatural connection between her and the doll. The early scenes of the doll causing a series of hallucinatory visions and threatening messages left behind the house warning of some dark secret in her past sets up an intriguing mystery that lets us know she's in danger while offering up a fantastic psychological bent within here due to everything appearing as the rantings of her condition taking its toll on her. While still featuring enough of the more traditional stalking scenes with the distraught mother or the drunk playmate who gets taken out in brief ambush attacks and doesn't understand the threat before them, the majority of these scenes are a bit more psychological than anything which adds a fine touch leading into the finale where the stalking becomes more overt and physical. As there's some fine action on display here in this section, there's a lot to like here. There are some issues with this one that hold it back. The main drawback with the film is the wholly convoluted and lackluster finale which is some of the most idiotic and needless material in the genre. The series of twists and revelations here is way too much to be believable as people tend to switch allegiances and sides against each other simply to try to fit in more human villains instead of letting the doll be the culprit it should've been all along, that allows for some absolutely inane retconning trying to make it make sense while also featuring other dumb work here in the generally lazy way it tries to showcase the increasingly outlandish activity of the doll carrying out its plan. That leads to plenty of scenes showing off the flimsy effects and other low-budget work throughout here as these features all manage to hold this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Arriving at a special class trip, a group of troubled schoolgirls are sent to a remote commune-like setup run by a Green-Earth practitioner and his wife to help treat them of their problems, but when they realize the whole experience is a front for a doll-worshiping cult must get away alive.

This was a fairly fun and likable sequel. Among the better factors here is the strong setup featured here that gives everything a fun starting point to let the chaos emerge. Going strong on the idea of the groups' conflicting viewpoints as the girls' more modern tech-savvy mindset and focus that leaves them directly opposed to the organically-run farm they stay at is the right way to go for this kind of feature. It sets up the idea that their sarcastic and self-centered mindset is supposed to make them appear catty and vicious by contrast but instead makes them more sympathetic due to the psychotic conditions at the retreat that they rightfully ridicule and mock. Once it starts to dawn on them that the whole experience is a front for what's happening with the doll and the connection it has with the owners, there's some decent tension to be made here the longer this goes on. That leads to a nice bit of fun here with the cheesy scenes of the doll going crazy and getting tons of stalking scenes set up within here. Seeing the opening scene of it getting brought to life and attacking its creator is a fine touch to introduce everything, and that extends to the goofy later scenes of the doll coming to life to attack the group. Taking out the one victim after getting into the shower, chasing the snooping victim in the tool shed, or stalking the victim through the compound where they get caught in an unusual manner offers up the kind of goofy features that are generally silly enough to give this some positive factors. There are some big issues involved with this one. The main drawback to the film is the absolutely nonsensical plot here trying to connect the purpose of the facility with the need to use the doll. Using the cover of a self-sufficient composting society to try to run the world on cleaner energy is a fine enough motivation such that the connection with the doll has very little purpose as he seems completely tacked into the setup seemingly for name value as it makes little sense how a wish-granted demonic doll requiring human sacrifices fits into that setup. It doesn't hurt that this is done by such a flimsy pretense of trying to tie it into the nursery rhyme that this whole section of the film, one of the most important features here, brings this much of an issue is a big factor to be had here, much like the overall low-budget look that runs throughout here which all manage to bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Struggling with oncoming dementia, a woman and her daughters decide to visit a remote house in the countryside to help establish a semblance of normalcy for her, but when she brings a doll home from a curio ship finds that a deadly secret about her past tied to the doll is about to be revealed.

This was a fairly fun if slightly flawed genre effort. One of the finer points to this one is the rather solid starting point that features a fairly relatable situation to string a fine series of genre antics off of. The idea of the initial dementia prognosis at the very beginning and getting an impression of that through the various doctor visits with the hallucinations and visions offer a great idea of the type of setup this is going for, giving this a nice bit to understand what's going on while going for a nice interconnecting storyline involving the daughters squabbling over her treatment. As they tend to argue over everything in what's supposed to be a sensitive situation with her condition giving us a nice dramatic touch for their characters, there's a lot to like here with the central setup with everything coming together in fine form. As well, this one brings out a lot of fun when they acquire the doll and set off on a series of incidents that question if the doll is real or not. That it plays nicely with the idea of the doll influencing her behavior's deteriorating condition with everything taking place under the guise of the doll not being genuine but rather her mindstate causing it all gives these scenes a nice change as it carries along. This final half gives everything a lot more context as the series of reveals and twists that come about offer up the kind of strong follow-up to these ideas which not only has some great touches but there's also the solid stalking and action featured here which focuses on some likable factors once the doll is revealed to come to life. These all manage to come together giving this one some worthwhile features. There are some factors involved with this one that hold it down. The main drawback is the absolutely glacial pacing that goes on for the first hour as very little of genuine genre material happens throughout here. That this is understandably spent on time honoring the dementia prognosis, the sisters squabbling over her treatment, the idea of her getting better because of the doll, and various other subplots in play here, which doesn't leave a lot of time to spend on the doll actually running around doing it's thing which causes a lot of the running time to go by with a loose genre atmosphere. It's not until the final act that this one starts to get going which is a bit disappointing with the potential there to get something far more impactful about the situation only for everything to be a bit underwhelming. The other issue here is that, while the finale gets some great action to go along with everything, very little of it makes sense. As we've spent the entire time going through the dementia plotline where we're never sure about the validity of the claims about it being a doll or the dementia manifesting itself, it leaves so little room for anything else to develop that it all feels rushed with little build-up. The realization of the original ownership of the doll is fine enough but to expand on that with even more about the cult supposedly involved here or what the doll's connection to it all comes across as completely out of nowhere with very little emphasis. Combined with the generally silly look of the doll due to its low-budget origins, these all lower this one overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Discovering a new object in the sea, a researcher joins a team of scientists to explore the location at the bottom of the ocean, but when they encounter a savag creature in the depths of the ocean while trying to return to the surface are soon faced with an inescapable evil preventing it from happening.

Frankly, this was a fairly decent if somewhat troublesome genre effort. When this one works the best is the initial setup and arrival of the group journeying out to the structure discovered at the bottom of the ocean. The first half here setting about getting the group together for the expedition and their qualifications to go on the trip, the first stages of the actual expedition with the struggles they encounter while down there, and the revelations made about the society they've stumbled upon all work quite nicely to bring about a rather fun starting point for this kind of film. None of this is all that original or unique for anyone familiar with Lovecraftian storytelling with the discovery of the long-gone civilization buried at the bottom of the sea, a series of monstrous beings guarding it, and the exploits that arise once it all mixes together, there's still plenty to like here by getting everything together quite nicely. There's also a lot to like here with the various encounters at play offering some wholly intriguing scenarios. The first encounter when they arrive at the underground city where the gigantic creature arises from behind a mountain to torment the crew during the mission which results in some massive safety-threatening scenarios to put everything in jeopardy is a fantastic sequence to get a sense of the scale of the creature and the mission itself. The aftermath of that encounter sets the film on a solid route as the escape mission is further thwarted with the crew trying to keep the compromised sub afloat during the trip back to the surface but the numerous sabotage efforts that are soon discovered to be the cause of the recovered part of the creature taking over their minds to inflict psychological damage on everyone aboard. This sends the film into a frantic series of encounters with the creatures possessing the crew physically and mentally to carry out their mission to stop them leading to some fun encounters, plenty of great goopy gore gags, and some shocking outcomes to have a lot to like. This one does have some drawbacks about it. The main issue here is the surprisingly obvious low-budget factors on display that make the film far cheaper than it tries to be. The majority of the film attempts to be far more impressive and grandiose than it should be with the idea of what the group's trip is set out to do and how everything falls apart, but when it sets about doing this is flimsy equipment for something supposedly set to descend to the ocean depths deeper than any point on the planet it all tends to undermine the credibility of this somewhat. Other factors, like unrealistic behavior while trying to stay alive in a situation where not freaking out about something to a degree that a trained individual in that condition would never react to or a series of questionable behavioral tactics that don't have any logical foundations, make up for some troublesome issues here and bring it down somewhat.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Following the discovery of dead princess, the English royal court is thrown into disarray trying to figure out the culprit and resolves to any means necessary to figure it out which soon turns into a bloodsoaked power struggle from the various participants while the supernatural revenge takes place.

This was a fairly solid if somewhat flawed genre effort. One of the best features with the film comes from the strong setup and usage of its multiple storylines to tell a fun enough story. The initial intrigue with the discovery of the bodies and how everything is thrown into chaos with this as the race to uncover the truth to unearth the responsible party is handled well-enough as this all serves the introduction for the fantastic series of torture scenes which provide the film with tons of graphic encounters. As well, there's a fun secondary series of storylines with the medium able to talk to the dead and the beliefs he causes with other individuals who are rightfully skeptical of this power due to the supernatural shenanigans it brings about while also featuring a slew of haunting scenes with ghosts targeting others for what happened to them while they were alive and the political intonations that come about where the various figures around the throne plot to steal it out for themselves, giving the film a lot to like in this regard. The other likable factor to be had with this one is the impressive series of torture scenes that are played out here with a nice bit of gore featured throughout here. As the medieval devices are put through their paces including searing-hot tongs pressed into the body, flogging, dumped with scalding water, and being hung in stocks, there's an impressive set of setpieces here that provide for a truly effective touch of old-school mayhem. This is all especially more prominent the longer this goes on as the madness to keep the secrets hidden and the quest for the power of the throne begins in earnest, there's a fun tone to these scenes as it takes an air of authenticity to the scenes as it all leads to the fun encounters at the end which is quite impressive. Alongside this fun set-up, there's quite a lot to like with the series of ghostly encounters within here, as the scenes needed to tell what his power is capable of producing a slew of fantastic hauntings not just in the early half here but a fantastic finale which is incredibly fun here. These all manage to provide a strong series of likable factors to this one although there are some slight issues with this one. Among the biggest drawbacks with it is the convoluted plot with too many sidestories going on for this type of feature. There's a bit here involving the political aspirations for four different participants, a series of allegiance-switching that takes place and even a series of reveals that take place here which focus on trying to get all these factors established and revealed. However, it really devolves into having way too many things to keep track of when it doesn't need to be dropping so many issues at the viewer as it could've streamlined these factors to keep straight so it all gets somewhat confusing. The other issue with this one is the flimsy medieval pretense outside of the torture dungeon with some rather obvious factors here making it known that there's a low-budget featured here that does stand out at points to be the big detriments with this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Male Rear Nudity.

After attacking their homestead, a lone survivor of his village's decimation is rescued by a roving band of knights looking to rid the countryside of the werewolf clan that had earlier attacked and destroyed his community setting off on a mission to destroy the creatures once and for all.

This was a fairly fun genre effort with a lot to like about it. One of the finer features of this one is the simplistic setup that provides this with a fairly straightforward approach to things. That it opens immediately with the assault on the village and the werewolves ripping through the town where he's the only one left alive following the incidents and hooks up with the gang on their crusade to destroy them allowing this to go in quite a few fun directions. The pacing allows this to immediately get started establishing a threat of the creatures, giving the survivor a reason to join the Knights hunting them down and giving us some fun being out on the trip through the woods where they try to band together on the trek where the experience is used as a confidence-building exercise that carries on the more they've come together on the trip. The other solid part to enjoy here is the use of creature action to drive this along with some fun times. The initial attack on the village is great with the creatures appearing as if weary travelers trying to secure a place to stay while on their journey and then starting to rip through everyone when they get inside the village grounds. This results in plenty of brutal attacks leading to some fantastic gore and action as the means through which he escapes to join the fight later on is a fine time here while serving this one nicely in the later scenes where the dwindling group encounters and knock off a bunch of the creatures before getting taken out themselves before getting to the main battle at the castle for a big ending. The series of sword-battles not just with the werewolves present but the other encounters with the human figure turned into the new villain offers a nice payoff to the storyline setup beforehand which all comes together for a lot to like. There are some slight drawbacks to this one that hold it down. The biggest detriment here is the highly disappointing series of twists present in the finale where it tries to present the action here as coming out of nowhere with who turns on who for what reasons. Instead of being a shock, this reveal is just lame and underwhelming with the figure not being that interesting and everything being handled in a generally lackluster way so it never really registers as much of an impression as it seems. As well, there's also the series of issues present that give away its low-budget origins, not just the silly werewolf costumes that are placed in broad daylight way too frequently but the clanging swords are obviously rubber and the props around everyone tend to undermine the immersion this had set up with the majority of the film being a truly effective time-period setup. These are the few drawbacks present with this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Brief Male Nudity.

On Halloween Night, 1990, a young girl is kidnapped by a demonic cult while trick-or-treating alone in the shocking, final installment in the "WXIP-TV Channel 6" series.

For the most part, this was a rather solid feature. The initial setup and involvement of the witch coven working as they do comes off rather well as the atmosphere featured here evokes the seasonal environment effectively with the presentation mimicking the late-night adverts and commercials that it was imitating. Mixed together is a fantastic cautionary tale about what happens when a father doesn't have time for his daughter which is what causes her to be so enraptured by the witch next door as this is handled by the setup that allows her to be seduced by what's going on next door. These interactions, as well as the final confrontation with the coven who are in the middle of the virgin sacrifice they've been preparing for the majority of the running time, managing to offer up quite a lot of enjoyable factors here. The main factor against this one is the constant interruptions of the ads and commercial breaks at the worst time possible as the story is building up in intensity only to get broken up with a repetitive loop of the same commercials every time which does underwhelm this slightly.

Rated Unrated/PG-13: Violence and Language.

Indebted to a vicious mob boss, a retiring hitman is blackmailed into taking on one last job to clear himself of the debts and sets off to the remote house where his target is held up, but when the whole affair is found to be a setup for a demonic sacrifice must save himself and their targets.

This was an intriguing if somewhat flawed feature. Among the better features here is the way this one tends to work through the rather surprising setup that works quite well at establishing a solid old-school atmosphere. The time-honored trope of the retiring hitman pulled into doing one last job only to get caught up in something beyond his experiences and get dragged into a genuine supernatural fare is a fine way to get this going as it starts off on a lot of fine elements here. The use of the gangster-drama first half to spell out his reasoning and motivation to take on the case which is a blackmailed way of ensuring he gets out to the house and undergoes a series of revelations and reveals about everything when he arrives is a fun way to get this going as the different setup at first allows the genre fare to come off quite a bit better when they occur due to this. The other big factor to be had with this one is the final half where the film starts to get far more interesting than just spending time with him doing nothing. The introduction of his mission being interrupted by the cult looking to sacrifice them for their demonic hosts is a solid twist and hsa a lot to like with the slow build-up to get there offering some solid bits of supernatural shenanigans to highlight that impending twist when they're revealed in their glory. Featuring a lot of solid encounters in the house and the surrounding areas to show the impact of the demonic beings coming to fulfill the twist nicely, there's plenty to like here with the atmospheric setting helping to give this a great touch overall to help hold this one up overall. There are some drawbacks to this one which holds it back. The biggest detriment to this one is the incredibly sluggish and draining tempo at the beginning which takes so long to get going that the film is half over before anything really happens. With the majority of the first half spent on the mob bosses getting him to accept their blackmailed mission and send him off to the mission is just dull and not that interesting, making for a tough immersion here involving the potential non-genre material to slow the film up before it gets started. There's also the film's somewhat obvious low-budget limitations present, where the flimsy-looking masks for the demons, cheesy gore make-up, and lack of elaborate wounds in a singular location setup offer a strong hint about this which might not always appeal to everyone and keeps it down at points.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Struggling with a crippling phobia, a woman decides to go on a reality show designed to exploit the fear so that she can help overcome it, but when the experience turns into a zombie outbreak following a sacred ritual must bring her group together to stave off the undead hordes involved.

Overall, this was a fantastic entry with so much to enjoy about it. One of the better features of this one is the fantastic setup that provides this one with a far more heartwarming tale than expected. The initial reason to get the band of women together as cheerleaders and go on the show due to her phobia of the profession following the stories she's been told about the grandmother that torments her into this situation makes for a fun and immensely cheesy set up to bring the group together for the show. With enough background work to showcase the group coming together and bonding over their professional ambitions the further they go in the competition which also manages to include some fun sidestories in their interactions with the other contestants. Outside of this, the film's sense of fun that comes about before and after the amulet comes into play releasing the zombie outbreak is immensely fun. Since the cheerleaders have spent as much as they have getting bonded together, the plight they share makes for a fun enough time here as the series of zombification of the opposing band spreads throughout the area turning everyone they come across into creatures just like them leading to encounters at the remote garage studio or the hysterical encounter at the cabin they're rehearsing at which has some bizarre concepts alongside several insanely funny musical numbers that add a fantastically cheesy atmosphere to everything. This all leads nicely into the wild finale where the various storylines turn into a lot of fun encounters with the big musical numbers matching the zany action featuring the ability to come together and stop the rampaging zombies in a slew of zany encounters and bloodshed. These all come together to provide a lot to like here although there are a few slight issues bringing this down. The main factor with the film is that it spends so much time getting to the finale where the zombies run wild that it can run a little longer getting to the more genre-focused material. Going through the bonding with the team, the interactions with the boyband trying to sabotage their rehearsals, and the other backstage politics that carry on with the competition that it can feel a bit too long in this part before getting to the zombie action which could be a factor that turns off some. Other issues, like the musical nature of the film which might not be appealing for all, and the low-budget origins found here, but these are just personal preference factors and not truly detrimental.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Locked in a struggle between good and evil, a group of witches spread several stories that help to examine this while battling against their tormentors.

This was a wholly convoluted and underwhelming anthology. The vast majority of the segments here are generally quite problematic, mostly ranging from a problematic setup that makes it difficult to figure out what's going on with repeated actors doing different characters with the same name with little context to denote what's going on. As many of them are so haphazardly introduced with a lame starting point of the strange women with the Ouija board fighting off a priest and cardinal out to stop them for whatever reason since we're dropped into it without context, this whole setup offers no cohesion for the segments to come as everything just feels random afterward. On top of that, very few of the segments are actually interesting, and even fewer are scary. The first one about a guy whose dream girl magically decides to be with him following an encounter with a mysterious bartender is painfully dull and not even remotely close to horror, a follow-up segment involving dreams and fantasies coming to life doesn't add much to a bland story from the start, a set piece involving a college professor trying to talk to his class about issues he's facing leads to nowhere thrilling, and a lame wraparound segment featuring the truth about the rival forces at play from the beginning here is so bogged down in explaining this overarching setup between good and evil that it borders on tedium. Now, several stories are decent enough to be redeemable. A stylish, dialogue-free story about a family tormented by a Satanic coven of witches has some intriguing ideas and visuals that belie its brief running time that's over before it veins, a fantastic segment about a mother accused of killing her infant son generates plenty of intriguing ideas at play as things play out to a wholly chilling truth that again could've used more time, and a monster story about a family preyed upon by a mysterious creature and the circumstances surrounding it has some fun moments here. However, the lackluster other segments and a confusing structure for how these all come together really doom this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.