The Sin Reapers (2015)

It wasn't too long ago that the Forte brothers brought to my attention their Sin Reapers project. Check out my review of their pilot and other short film Anna, here! Since then they've created three more episodes to follow their innovative web series idea.

The Sin Reapers

Each episode is roughly 7 minutes long and is surprisingly jam-packed with an alarming amount of violent ideas and vengeful lust. I'm quite happy to see the direction this show is going - creeping away from the "Oh, that's pretty messed up" world into the "Oh man! Dying from strangulation by your own intestine! Savage!" world.

I think this collection of ideas so over the top they just might work mixed with the hate and frustration we all feel at being helpless, will do very nicely for the future of this series. The writing and dialog is interesting, invoking intense inner perspective while also being violently blunt and yet strained at times.  I had conflicted feelings about this - as I feel I know where they were going but the delivery of said dialog was not always as powerful as expected. 

After watching all four episodes a couple times I invited my non-horror loving Husband to watch them with me. "I just want to see how you react." I said, bringing him a beer. He cringed, tilted his head, looked away more than I thought, wasn't always impressed with the acting but made a point when he was, and at a couple scenes he asked me to pause the show "...to walk it off..." (he said and did). The content this series revolves around is very disturbing - too real world issues disturbing.  He found some of the scenes and topics alarmingly graphic and I feel many would feel the same. That said, I also think this is a sign of of a well-made horror show: tapping into what makes us most uncomfortable while also delivering a powerful, often times meaningful message. My Husband believes this can all be done through implying. I see his point but I also see where implying may not always work. I think the graphic nature worked here.

I've had a curious time trying to categorize or even pinpoint a crowd that would appreciate Sin Reapers (the main reason I asked my Husband to see it). I think that may be because there isn't one yet - or at the least it's in its own infant stages of cult. One could say this series is going through growing pains but in all the right directions. To be perfectly honest, I've grown quite attached to this show and I'm looking forward to where it goes. I hope to see it continue to monopolize on it's strengths (story line, graphic tough subjects, innovation) and hone in on it's acting and delivery. 

Last but not least, I've also come to appreciate the ghostly make-up of the spirits. At this point it feels like a signature and it would be a shame to change it now. I don't totally understand it, but again, if it was changed I would be disappointed.

Keep it up you guys, keep it up everyone. You've got a great subject and a great way to relay it. I look forward to seeing more. It's captivating and have not seen anything quite like it.

You see all episodes (and more!) on their Forte Films Entertainment YouTube page, but to get you started on the first of a series of three I present Ciara:

Night Chill by Jeff Gunhus (Book Review)

Several months ago I was asked if I would be interested in reading the first of the Night Chill series by Jeff Gunhus: Night Chill.

Absolutely! Particularly since my book reading theme this year is horror (I've spent the last several years reading  mostly 18th and 19th century classics, it was time for a change). 

From the very beginning I was delightfully amazed at the pace. Sharp, vigorous, and deliberate: first thoughts that came to mind. My delight turned to horror-stricken awe as the story blossomed into a bloody mess of shocking brutality and gore, and that's not even a quarter of the way in! It's safe to say this story had me at the detailed death by lightning scene.

You may be asking yourself then: "Why did it take a book worm several months to read such a fun and intense book?" Well, roughly halfway through I experienced a heartbreaking death in the family and then was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Ironically this book revolves around these very matters (death, disease). 

Good news though, worst Summer of my life is nearly over and the cancer is now gone. Bonus, I have new ironies to laugh about now. 

Night Chill follows the Tremont family (husband, wife, two little girls) who move back East to start a new life only to have it disrupted by an ancient evil lurking there that has decided to target them. Needless to say they are having a pretty bad season as well. Overall I enjoyed these characters. Relateable, kind, honest, and willing to do anything for their family. A reader is ready and willing to cheer this family on without a nagging feeling of cheesiness or unoriginality. 

Then there's the evil. The evil in this story is pretty evil, to say the least. Violent, unforgiving, supernatural, and intensely mentally and physically damaging. Much like cancer, frankly. The evil, and the evil characters who play a role here are surprisingly sadistic and wholeheartedly aggressive in their means to an end. Don't be surprised at being surprised...

The story then weaves through the trials the Tremont family experience trying to stay safe and together as they battle unseen forces and a world that doesn't believe them. The pace slows down just a hair here, particularly as it introduces a few new characters and divulges on the secrets behind the ancient evil.

It's also at this point that I have my only criticisms. Although detailed and what seems to me surprisingly researched (in land descriptions, family dynamics, etc.) I had to re-read the sections that referenced a photograph from the 1820s several times. Did they mean the 1920s? No, it appeared as if 1820s was intended. A time when a photograph such as the one described would not have existed. Here is when I had to just sit back and laugh at myself. It's a novel. A fun novel. An outrageously intense horror novel. If a horror story is not providing at least some suspension of disbelief then the story is lacking and I'm taking it unnecessarily too seriously. 

I moved on and ran into a couple descriptions that gave me pause (e.g., "Indian magic"). Not something I've quiet heard before and I grew up in-between two of the nation's largest reservations. Also, the mind of a teenage girl was revealed rather clumsily. That said, speaking from experience, it's a clumsy time...  

Again: novel - suspension of disbelief - fun - why so serious.

The novel cascaded into one of the most intense endings I've ever read. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat. I have fellow morning commute bus passengers to attest to this. Loud, dynamic, intense, and breathtaking. Just as the story began with such force, so it ended and then some. 

Jeff Gunhus certainly has his own horror voice and I think it's rare to find such a mentally/visually interactive one that also has the dynamics of a firecracker. I enjoyed this novel, and the fact that I read it during one of the most turbulent periods of my life and was able to connect with it says a lot about the book itself. 

You can find this book on Amazon, and if you're a Goodreads junkie such as myself then you can learn more about the book, read more reviews, and learn about the author there. 

This is Horror Habit's first book review, and I hope you enjoyed it. Again if I hadn't made it clear earlier I was asked to review this book in my own time and if I wanted to. I was not paid to endorse or promote. I happen to be a published author as well (non fiction). I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into publishing but I also respect honest responses and reviews.

Thank you and good luck Jeff Gunhus, you provided my horror fan heart with a genuine escape. Readers, if horror novels are your thing then I highly recommend checking this one out.

Zoombies (2016)

One of my best friends recently sent me a link to an Independent article titled: Enjoyment of Trash Films Linked to High Intelligence, Study Finds. Adding "Hugs, lovely and intelligent lady!"

I've since seen this article running wild in my horror movie communities. We fellow horror movie fans all knew this, it's just nice that science is finally catching up.

Speaking of science, friends, and horror movies. I've been receiving cyber hugs, real hugs, and all the love a girl could ask for because this Spring and Summer has been trying to take me down! I'm going to get heavy here for a moment but stick with me. I'm going to tie some dark news with a movie about zombie zoo animals in a sec, and it's going to be awesome.

In June my Mom passed away suddenly. A peaceful but sudden heart attack in her sleep. This was devastating to me - to my whole family and to the world that loved her. Then in July I was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the ear. A Middle Ear Carcinoid. An alien looking tumor so rare I can honestly say without any hint of irony or exaggeration: I'm Literally One In A Million. And that's when I just about lost it - but I didn't.

Instead, I focused on celebrating Mom's life and my great memories with her while also finding uncanny and ass kicking similarities with myself as Ripley battling the Queen Alien. I had my moments, though. Moments where I felt my soul was mostly crushed. Mostly.

I embraced those moments, let them go and then turned to people I loved and trusted. I turned to listening to my inner self. I turned to science and learning as much as I could about this cancer anomaly. I also turned to movies: Really Really Really Really bad movies. And I loved every single second of them.

Zoombies is one of those films. I've chosen to write about Zoombies because of it's deliberate attempt to "borrow" Jurassic Park themes - a movie that resonates super great memories of Mom and my brothers - and also because I feel this type of film is exactly what the article is talking about. Bonus: it's also entertaining, even if you didn't have a totally traumatic Spring and Summer.

The movie is about a massive theme park dedicated to giving visitors the ultimate zoo experience. Unfortunately a virus breaks out and turns all the animals into zombies critters with the ability to break out of their cages and wreak havoc. Man plans, God laughs.

This was a fun film.

I appreciated the almost extinct sexuality or nudity scenes. I get tired of that in campy horror films sometimes. Not that I'm against it, I just find it boring and eye-roll inducing 60% of the time. Particularly if the scenes are completely unoriginal, which they are, 60% of the time.

I did appreciate the superfluous action scenes, though. The choice of zombie zoo creatures are exceptionally hilarious/entertaining/shocking. You'll never look at a koala the same again.

The blood and guts are pretty much as you would expect, all over the place and absolutely ridiculous. Funny thing about campy horror: gory scenes equal bellowing laughter. As the article states: "At first glance it seems paradoxical that someone should deliberately watch badly made, embarrassing and sometimes even disturbing films, and take pleasure in them." Paradoxical indeed, that's precisely why I'm laughing.

Acting and dialog is all rather run-of-the-mill - full of puns, wit, humor, sarcasm, but also with more heart than I was expecting. Straight up this is a delightful film, particularly if campy horror is your thing.

In all, I recommend this film if you need to escape for a while. Not escape to get away from current issues, not escape to hide from what you must face, but to escape from taking yourself too seriously - so that you can face a sometimes really terrifying future with a chuckle in your gut.

Which brings me to the end of this review, but I wanted to share something from another best friend who sent it to me, adding: "This interpretation of "Row Row Row Your Boat" reminds me of you because you have a gift in how you interpret life." I strongly encourage you all to take a moment and check it out:

Oh, and good news - science says I should be cancer free by October. Peace, Love, and Horror movies everyone! Take care of each other, I recommend gathering together for 'trash' horror film night. XO

I saw this movie on Netflix, or use the links under Find It. Watch It. on Horror Habit's side bar to locate where else you can find this side-tickler of a creature feature.

OMG! Oh My Guts (Short Horror Film, 2016)

You guys, this year has been crazy for me. And I mean CRAZY. I mean downright unbelievably insane, heartbreaking, stressful, and jaw-dropping. Just when I have a moment to breathe, more inconceivable news comes slamming down the door with a battling ram that looks like it was forged by the Boltons.

There's good news though. This too shall pass. The crazy will stop and things will resume back to normal. In the mean time though I ask for no pity, only a lot of ice cold IPA beers, a healthy portion of everyone's lottery winnings, and a future that will make me laugh and laugh and laugh.

Which brings me to a devilishly hilarious little short horror film that Dima Levanchuk brought to my attention recently: OMG! (Oh My Guts).

Unbeknownst to Dima and crew, I watched this little film a day before I was scheduled for a fairly serious surgery. So imagine my much needed laughter bubbling up as this short opened in what appears to be an operating room. (My desire to laugh and laugh and laugh already well on it's way. Excellent).

Also unbeknownst to Dima and crew, this short was filmed across the street from my work place, and stars fellow Seattle residents! You guys, when it feels like your world is falling apart a little bit, coincidences like these just makes my heart happy. 

More things that make my heart happy: this short film was inspired in part by the meat section in a grocery store. 

You're my kind of people Dima Levanchuk and Hilary Gray. 

So, without further ado, please take 3 minutes out of your day to enjoy this gruesome sidesplitter. You'll thank me for it. I know I thank Dima and Hilary for it! Also, please take some time to read this write-up about the story, production, and crew: http://moviepilot.com/posts/3973449.

See, your day is better already, isn't :)

Take care everyone! Thanks Dima and crew! And thanks for your patience while I machete my way through this mess that is 2016. Please have beers and winning lottery tickets ready when I come out the other side!

***Note - as of a couple hours ago, after I typed this up, I just received coloring books in the mail. Coloring books for adults. Coloring books with swear words. AND a coloring book dedicated to Game of Thrones!!! If winning lottery tickets are not immediately available I will happy accept swearing or GOT coloring books.***

Moth (2016)

I had the privilege of being contacted by writer, director, and actor József Gallai recently, and he asked if I could take a look at his upcoming feature film, Moth, a (sometimes) found footage film about a search for the Mothman.

He had me at 'Mothman'. 

I am a fan of Mothman mythology, and by that I mean when I hear this creature's name I am mentally transported to another place and time where I Must Learn More About This Thing Right Now. Well, that and I think it makes great horror story fodder. We simply don't see enough Mothman in horror movies. For me, the Mothman is right up there with the Wendigo. Super scary creatures, super nightmarish folklore, super not enough presence in horror films.

In any case, when he asked if I could review his film I was more than happy to do so. I was not disappointed.

First and foremost - and to my great pleasure - this is a Heady Hungarian Horror film. 

• Heady: in that this movie will require the same patience and abstract thought usually reserved for blood draining dramas and thrillers. 
• Hungarian: Moth is also filmed predominantly in Hungary. In remote Hungarian woods. Let me stress this: remote Hungarian woods. I'm already frightened. If you haven't yet read Algernon Blackwood's short story The Willows then you're not frightened of remote Hungarian woods enough.
• Horror: There is horror in the classic running-from-monsters sense, and then there is yet more horror here that I can assure you will not see coming but you'll likely need some hugs after experiencing. I use the word 'experiencing' on purpose.

Although filmed in Hungary, written, directed, and staring Hungarians, this film is entirely in English. I'm still not sure how to process this. Being so used to watching foreign films with subtitles (or overdubbed. Overdubbing makes me very sad, so very sad.) I was a taken back a bit by this choice. But I liked it. As a native English speaker I found this to be a striking and vibrant choice. I think the slight accents actually drew me into the characters more. I dare say they  made me unsure of where I was in relation to comfortable settings. Pitch perfect for a horror movie. I'm not sure if this makes me embarrassingly American but I really have no choice but to roll with how much I was impressed by this choice.

Simply put, Moth is a complicated movie, coincidentally (or not) not unlike the Mothman mythology. This is also a movie that will require you to pay attention Every Second of the way. I found myself having to backup a few times because I looked away for Just For A Moment! This movie will require your full attention at all times. You'll be punished by depriving yourself of the full movie experience if you do not listen to this public service announcement. 

The two main characters (you'll only see three others, for moments) made me very very very very very uncomfortable. I loved it. There is a dynamic here that I don't recall seeing in any other horror film. Their connection is uncomfortably uncomfortable - and then they went and threw some remote Hungarian woods into the Mothman mix. Horror story is at full boil. 

In all, the setting, the characters, and the story line are blood-chillingly unique. In totality there is such an abundance of strange, surreal, and unsettling that it's difficult to categorize this type of horror story. Be satisfied that it's something you've never quite seen before. 

And now I would like to take a brief moment (because that's all my heart can take) to talk about a major element in this film that sent me crawling up the walls in terror: the sound effects. Holy. Hell. I was actually recoiling at these sounds. Recoiling AND climbing the walls. 

The sound effects in Moth are Awesome. 

I doubt if anyone has done proper research into what a Mothman would actually sound like but my bet is on the sound effects in this movie. Wow. 

I guess I would like to conclude this review of a movie that is likely going to create a new horror niche with this: I'm pretty sure you've never seen anything like it. Also, it's very terrifying but not always in the way you think. You get the Mothman, you get naturally scary settings (i.e., remote Hungarian woods, strange people), but you also get something far more sinister - and that's probably the scariest part. That scariest part will take time to digest, however, and that's why I'm thinking this movie will be a front running for a new horror niche.

Moth will be released around the end of 2016 via DVD and VOD. It had it's U.S. premier on June 12, 2016 at the Horror Hotel International Film Festival in Cleveland, OH.  You can learn more about Moth here: https://www.facebook.com/moththemovie, and please take a moment to watch the trailer here!

Pairs with tattered blankets, a half bottle full of water, and a dark lonely night when the lights are flickering.

Thank you so much József Gallai and team for giving me this opportunity! You have something really original here, best of luck to you and the success of Moth.