HorrO's Gory Reviews

In this episode MonsterMash Ken and Muse review the movie Fire In The Sky the Travis Walton alien abduction experience and talk all things Extra Terrestrial. We interview UFO expert Kathleen Marden, from MUFON and Relative of Betty and Barney Hill. We also speak with Ariel Fisher from Shudder's The Bite. Creature Feaute of the week with Chris the Creature: Altered from 2006. Muse's Sinster6: Worst Case Scenarios! Check it out.

In this episode HorrO from Promote Horror recaps his 9 day adventure at Popcorn Frights. He interviews the winner of the Feature Films Jury Prize Adam Egypt Mortimer's Daniel Isn't Real as well as Director Tom Botchii Skowronski from the film Artik and Director Micha Gallo from the film Itsy Bitsy! Enjoy...

A severely injured man and woman awake in an abandoned sanitarium only to discover that a sadistic caretaker holds the keys to their freedom and the horrific answers as to their real identity.  Starring: Thomas Cocquerel, Camille Stopps, and Angus Macfadyen Directed by: Rob Grant Written by: Chuck McCue and Jules Vincent   “Alive” opens in a familiar scene of a man (Thomas Cocquerel) strapped to a hospital bed. Not sure what’s happening and injured, he manages to free himself, and make it to the hallway. No it’s not the zombie apocalypse, but may be something just as bad. Another man (Angus Macfadyen) appears and drags him back to where he belongs. He awakens to find a female patient (Camille Stopps) next to him, and also at the mercy of this man.   For those who simply like watching others be tortured…enjoy! The man verbally abuses them, and of course physically abuses them as well. He insists that everything he does is for them, but he seems to ...

A starving boy eats a toe he finds sticking out of the ground. Later that night, something ghastly comes to his bedroom wanting it back. Directed by: Neal O’Bryan and Chad Thurman   A boy is on the hunt for food in a world that looks like it’s severely lacking any. He sees a crow and tries to catch it, but ends up flat on his face. He looks up to find a toe sticking out of the ground, so he decides to break it off and take it home. Once home, he steams, and eats it. However, will this become his last meal?   First and foremost this is a must see film just to watch the stop motion. To start the boy looks awesome with a lot of focus on how his eyes react to everything going on. They set him up in a dark and creepy setting, including a run down shack. They add some nice details here and there showing they really know what they’re doing.    “Toe” is really amazing to watch, and gets even better once danger comes whispering at the boy. The creature they...

A comic book obsessed serial killer teaches his son how to get away with a series of brutal murders until the boy befriends a mysterious man who threatens to expose everything. Starring: Chase Williamson, Jerry G. Angelo, and Lauren Ashley Carter Written and directed by: Tom Botchii Tom Botchii's 2019 release, and feature debut, Artik does what the MCU and DCEU attempted--it makes comic books great again. Artik is a cacophonously fun tour de horror, effluviating with passion and blood...tons of blood.  Chase Williamson stars as straight-edge badass Holton Shudcase trying to overcome his past and his flaws; it isn't until he encounters Boy Adam (brilliantly portrayed by Gavin White) that he has to confront his demons, literally, when he is faced with the titular character, Artik. Artik will go to any length to get what he wants from Holton, even if that means forcing him to consume his truest poison, attacking his straight-edge nature, which cements ...

On a dark, eerie night, a young woman makes a wrong turn through a long stretch of deserted woods. But as the night goes on, she’ll soon learn you’re never truly alone on Terror Road. Starring: Surely Alvelo, and Brayden Benson Directed and written by: Brian Shephard   Anna (Surely Alvelo) is making her way home, but unfortunately for her she’s driving down Terror Road. She makes a call home letting them know she’s running late, and when she hangs up terror makes itself known. She pulls over to check it out, finds nothing, and just when she’s about to leave something lands on the car. Everything seems to be alright when a boy (Brayden Benson) appears at her window, but looks can be deceiving.    Again horror fans are given a short horror film set with someone driving down a dark road. The setting is dark and spooky. This one even starts with a shot of the road sign saying “Terror Road.” Surely does her best to portray a character that has no idea that...

Part psychological thriller, part horror comedy, Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry’s totally clever film features It Follows star Maika Monroe as a woman whose deepest fears seem to manifest physically when her husband (Joe Keery) leaves for the night shift. Starring: Maika Monroe, Joe Keery, and Evan Miller Directed and written by: Kate Trefry   Jack (Joe Keery) is about to head out for his night shift, but is concerned about leaving his wife, Lucy (Maika Monroe), home alone. He reminds her stay inside and lock up, and she assures him she’ll be fine. However, after he leaves she doesn’t feel as confident about that. She goes over rules on how to be alone, and sets them in motion. The rules are good, but it doesn’t keep her fears from creeping in the door.    This is another example of a film focusing on a character fighting their biggest fears. The audience is taken inside of Lucy’s head hearing her talk through her struggles. She continues to have...

     10 years ago HorrO’s Gory Reviews was born! To think all I wanted to do originally was write horror, but just couldn’t settle on one idea. Instead I decided to review horror so I could share my thoughts, and have a little fun. Unknown to me, this little blog would soon open up so many doors for me.    First I was introduced to all kinds of horror that I didn’t know was out there. Authors were coming to me with their books, filmmakers with their short films, and all kinds of other stuff. Before the blog, I don’t think I ever watched a horror short film on YouTube, or a screener! I found out there are horror conventions and festivals, and had to go. And yes, apparently I lived in a box that hid me from horror!   Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would get a chance to meet horror icons like Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Gunnar Hansen, Doug Bradley, and many more. For me, getting autographs and pics was cool, but having the exper...

Four friends visit the abandoned Carpenter Hill Hospital but none of them can know the true darkness that waits for them, a force they find themselves inexplicably drawn toward. Starring: Nicolette McKeown, Alyssa Wininger, and Austin Hayden Directed and written by: David Malcolm   Four friends are heading down a road on their way to an abandoned hospital. Obviously this is a bad idea, but they go inside anyway. The guys have one thing on their minds, and that’s some private time with the ladies. That’s a lot easier for Joss (Alyssa Wininger) and Trev (Oliver Timpson) because they are already a couple. Mark (Austin) and Anna (EmmaClaire Brightlyn) investigate another area of the hospital when something apparently takes Anna away. This is only the beginning of the trouble for the remaining three.   This may seem familiar, but there's something very unique about this film. The four friends aren’t regular actors, they’re mannequins! The mannequins are staged ...

A bullied boy has a dark secret of what happens when he is hurt by others. The lights go out and the monster appears.  Starring: Nojus Vainonis, Mija di Marco, and Ainius Marazas  Written by: Jonas Trukanas, and Edvardas Mikalauskas Directed by: Jonas Trukanas   Mantas (Nojus Vainonis) has just switched schools, and like many kids quickly discovers it’s tough being the new kid. Before going to class he’s knocked over by some boys. Mantas does enjoy a little luck, as he sits next to a girl, Inga (Mija di Marco), who is very nice to him. The boys get a little jealous of this, and decide to invite Mantas to help them hang lights in the gym for the school dance. With extra convincing by Inga, the group meets in the gym where nothing good is about to happen.   Here’s another example of a horror film showing the effects of bullying, and turning around the story on the bullies. Once he gets to the gym, Mantas has little chance but to suffer at the h...

In the fall of 1978, a distraught commuter travels down a haunted country road only to discover that its inhabitants have other plans. Starring: Nathaniel Barber, Breanne Solis, and Damian Harris Written by: Nathaniel Barber Directed by: Matthew and Nathaniel Barber   Scott (Nathaniel Barber) is driving alone down a dark road by himself. He’s listening to a radio show giving relationship advice. He’s bothered by it, so he decides to reach back for a tape to put in the radio. After putting the tape in, he comes up on a figure in the road, and stops. Of course he goes to check it out, and it’s all down hill from here.   Again horror fans are taken down a dark and creepy road with a character willing to get out the safety of their car to investigate something strange happening. In this case, Scott finds a weird mannequin wrapped in plastic. Nothing to fear right? He moves it, and continues on only to find another. He remembers what they mentioned on the r...

A Fox-dressed man breaks the spacetime limits with only one goal: to spend some time with his wife. But below this recreational act there’s a far more complex and ambitious plan. Starring: Enric Auquer, Karina Kolokolchykova, and Sonia Masuda Mora Directed and written by: Marc Martinez Jordan   This story is told from the viewpoint of a man dressed with a fox mask on, and the name tag “Zorro.” So Zorro (Enric Auquer) tells a wild tale of how he got in contact with a secret organization in order to go back in time. He has his doubts but follows their rules, and actually ends up going back in time. He finds his wife, and of course decides to change the rules of this game, but this tale only gets wilder from here!   Sometimes you have to wonder where people get their ideas for these films. This film seems so absurd starting with the characters wearing fox masks. The absurdity builds with how the story is being told piece by piece by Zorro. The things he decid...

A young girl lures a mysterious figure across the frozen wasteland for reasons unexplained. Starring: Louisa Darr, Lyra Hernandez, and Sander Huynh-Wiess Written by: Andrew Hunt, and Troy Antoine LaFaye Directed by: Andrew Hunt   With an oxygen mask covering her face, Maxine (Louisa Darr) is on a journey to find a spot on her map. She’s not alone on this trip, as she seems to have a zombie (Lyra Hernandez) tagging along with her. She tries feeding it, and blows a whistle so the zombie doesn’t get lost. It seems like a weird thing to do, but the zombie actually saves her from another zombie. She has a moment where she considers quitting, but she has the proper motivation to power on.   Obviously there isn’t a lot of conversation here, but there’s something about this film that keeps your attention. There’s a great scary but funny scene with her by the fire trying to feed the zombie. When things seem to settle down, she bumps into another zombie and is a...

Based on the centuries old poem, a family moves into a secluded mansion where they soon find themselves being targeted by an entity taking the form of a giant spider. Starring: Bruce Davison, Elizabeth Roberts, and Denise Crosby Written by: Jason Alvino, Bryan Dick, and Micah Gallo Directed by: Micah Gallo   The ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ in the popular nursery rhyme seems like such a nice and friendly creature. So nice even kids could play with it instead of just singing about it. The not so ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ in “Itsy Bitsy” isn’t one kids or adults should be messing with. Unfortunately for the Spencer family, they find themselves in a sticky situation when they get tangled up with an oversized spider.   This isn’t a typical Syfy type movie where several dozen spiders are just roaming around killing people left and right. There are several storylines going on starting with the origin of the spider goddess. The story is brought to the present when the spide...

A desperate video store owner hires a crew to shoot a commercial in his shop. But when they accidentally destroy a cursed VHS, suddenly, all their lives are in danger. Starring: Joshua Lenner, Kevin Martin, and Jesse Nash Directed by: Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford Written by: Tim Rutherford   A video store owner (Kevin Martin) has enlisted the help of a small film crew to help him make a commercial for his video store. It’s seems to be going fine until the sound guy (Tim Rutherford) starts knocking over stuff. He ends up stepping on, and breaking a VHS tape that the owner describes as one of the cultest cult films of all-time! With no hope of fixing it, the owner discards it just in time for the lights to go out, and a ghost to appear.   The film opens with the owner giving his best pitch to get people to come to his store in what feels like a bad commercial you used to see after midnight. If that isn’t bad enough, his description of the cult leader ...

Things seem hopeless when three mysterious cowboys find themselves stranded on the coldest night in recorded history. Starring: Adam Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie, and Matthew Kennedy Directed and written by: Adam Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie, Matthew Kennedy, Steven Kostanski, and Conor Sweeney   It’s one of the coldest nights in history, and three cowboys have found themselves in the middle of nowhere. Now horseless and hungry, they’ve started a fire, and begin an extremely bizarre conversation. One guy is so hungry he imagines eating a birthday cake. Another cowboy imagines bashing in that guy’s head, while the third cowboy breaks out Christmas presents for the other two. Obviously that’s not happening…or is it?   The back and forth between what’s real and fake is awesome. The audience never knows what’s coming next. In the middle of their wild imaginations is a much different story of St. Nicholas. Lets just say he’s the naughty one this time!    “C...

An entertainment attorney travels to an isolated farmhouse for contract negotiations and must outsmart an aging film star… If he wants to survive the night. Starring: Ryan Gibson, Jill Bailey, and Charlotte Delaney Riggs Directed and written by: Marten Carlson   Biggs Thomilson (Ryan Gibson) shows up to a farmhouse late at night. Upon walking on the porch, he’s met with a shotgun in his face. Milly Connors (Jill Bailey), mother of the famous Lentz Triplets and film star, is just making sure no one is there to bother the triplets. Biggs is there to deliver a contract for the girls. Once inside and after some conversation, he ends up staying the night because he’s there for more than a signature on some papers.    What stands out about this film is it’s very old school, so old school that it’s in black and white. A small location, and weird conversation helps it out, but the score helps move it along nicely. Both Biggs and Milly are clearly hiding somet...

A young boy who loves to draw and build ferris wheels encounters strange creatures that turn his life upside down.  Directed by: Ruben Carlos Baena   A little boy is alone in his room with his teddy bear trying to finish building a ferris wheel. It appears he has the final piece, but he can’t get it to fit right on the wheel. He tries and tries, but ends up breaking the wheel, and losing the piece. Already pretty upset at with his struggles, a creature appears out of the dark causing the boy to escape his room. He may have escaped that creature, but other creatures of the house take their turns seeking him out.   When the film begins the audience may have to adjust their eyes. This is an animated short film, but it looks so realistic. For the most part it’s dark with just enough light shining on the boy. Everything is done with such detail, but nothing matches the wicked creatures. It’s just magical when the film finally lights up in the end.   “La ...

A man invites two old college friends to dinner, where a simple game will have unexpected consequences.  Starring: Josiah Overstreet, Sarah Mills, and Ricco Fajardo Directed by: Zachary Wink   Bill (Josiah Overstreet), Karen (Sarah Mills), and Andrew (Ricco Fajardo) are catching up while at a restaurant. The couple tells Bill that they're happy he asked them out because they’re just too busy these days. They don’t even have time for some tv. Bill looks a little stressed, but becomes extremely weird once the check comes. He insists that they play the guessing game and guess how much the check is for.    As you might have guessed, nothing good is going to come from playing the guessing game. Of course there’s a winner, who will be just as surprised as the audience with what just happened. There’s a little bit of shock, but also some sick humor in it all. The final moment of the film is a nice touch because it wraps the story up. “The Guessing Gam...