the hole in the ground (2019)

"It's my son he's missing!"
Single mother Sarah (Seána Kerslake) moves to a remote location in the Irish countryside with her son (James Quinn Markey). But soon his disturbing behaviour makes her suspect that he may not be her son at all. Also what does the mysterious sinkhole in the forest have to do with it all?
A psychological horror using the forest location in a beautifully atmospherically way but the slow pacing and unexplained loose ends serve only to sap the attention to an otherwise fine horror.

barbarian (2022)

"I may be a good person who has done a bad thing."
Tess (Georgina Campbell) is in Detroit for a job interview and arrives at her air BandB to find the charming Keith (Bill Skarsgård) has also booked a stay there. All goes well after the bad start until she finds a padded room in the basement. Bill doesn't believe her and goes to look. Meanwhile Hollywood actor AJ (Justin Long) visits the same house in order to sort out selling it but soon finds out there are things happening there that is the stuff of nightmares...
Claustrophobic, building the tension, this effectively draws you in before the scares begin.

cocaine bear (2023)

"The bear... it loves coke!"
A drugs courier drops himself and a load of cocaine in a forest, only for a bear to get a liking for the drug and do anything it can to source more! Into this mayhem wanders a mother (Keri Russell) looking for her kid, a detective (Isiah Whitlock Jr) and the drug dealer (Ray Liotta), amongst others, all of whom live to regret meeting this irritated bear!
A grand mash up of comedy and eco-horror delivered by a fine ensemble cast delivering a twist on a true story!

a quiet place: day one (2024)

"I'd forgotten how the city sings."
Sam (Lupita Nyong'o) is a the last throws of ternminal cancer and all she thinks about it a pizza from her childhood restaurant in Harlem. Unfortunately on the day she chooses to go back to the city all hell breaks out as it is overrun by an invasion of creatures intent on killing every being that they hear. Thus the struggle begins to get out of the city without making a sound.
Don't come here expecting answers, just settle back and let this somewhat sentimental journey unfold. With the odd thrill thrown in.

a bay of blood (1971)

AKA Ecologia del delitto. Twitch of the Death Nerve.
"There will be tears shed over the bay."
A wealthy countess (Isa Miranda) is murdered by her husband who is in turn stabbed to death, a scenario that preticipates a slew of killings as their deaths unleash a land dispute with those hoping to inherit her large estate.
Often sited as the grandfather of the slasher movie and you can see the origins of the genre in this entertaining horror.

the body beneath (1970)

"You are always one step ahead of me."
Carfax Abbey is taken over by a family of vampires, led by the Rev. Ford (Gavin Reed) and they decide the family could do with an influx of new blood to stop inbreeding, so set about looking for some suitable candidates. Distant relative Susan Ford (Jackie Skarvellis) takes his fancy so he abducts her, but her boyfriend Paul Donati (Richmond Ross) doesn't like the arrangement!
Well made but dull.

pulse (2001)

AKA Kairo.
"What's going on?"
A set of young adults in Tokyo find themselves experiencing strange phenomena as colleagues start to go missing or commit suicide. As they investigate electrical components start to glitch, hindering their search for answers. Could it be that spirits are trying to enter the human world through the Internet?
The horror of isolation slowly unveils as the ominous atmosphere rises. A haunting movie as long as you can take the deliberately slow pacing.

desert of blood (2008)

"We buried him alive and now he is free again!"
An American tourist is in Mexico hunting for buried treasure with his girlfriend Amy (Annika Svedman). Unfortunately what he digs up is a vampire (Justin Quinn) and it is up to Father Hernandez (Flint Esquerra) to sort things out.
Watchable Mexican twist on the a standard vampire tale, but nothing special.

serpent's lair (1995)

"You eat fish when it is ready to be eaten and this fish is ready!"
A young couple Tom and Alex (Jeff Fahey and Heather Medway) are sold an apartment in an old mansion and soon get to know their neighbours, both good and bad, including a cat that definitely dislikes Alex. Then the mysterious Lillith (Lisa Barbuscia) turns up unannounced....
A rather unentertaining horror as it just lacks anything in the way of scares or thrills.

death screams (1982)

AKA House of Death
"we are all going down to the river after dark."
A machete wielding maniac terrorises some teens after they take shelter from the rain in a derelict house in the woods.
A straight to video slasher that is takes its time to get going and is ultimately forgettable.

vampire ecstacy (1974)

AKA Der Fluch der schwarzen Schwestern. The Devil's Plaything.
"Perhaps we should leave this place."
Dr Julia Malenkow () and her brother are studying the local superstitions of the area when invited to stay at Varga castle and find it to be the centre the worship of Dania Varga (Nadia Henkowa), an ancient vampire.
Sophorific acting and film pacing do nothing to add to the field of entertainment in this film.

frankenstein (2025)

"You may be my creator, but from this day forward, I will be your master."
An ice bound ship, with it's crew working desperately to free it, find a man half dead on the pack ice, mauled by a mighty beast. Once aboard the ship and the beast consined to the icy depths the man tells his story. Of his desire to please an unforgiving father, to creating a monster. Or is he the monster?
Told in flashback, initially from the point of view of the scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), but then more tellingly from the mind of the creature (Jacob Elordi). Del Toro sticks roughly to the original tale and needs the creatures pathos to ground this intreging tale told well using visual flashes of colour in a muted palette to carve out this gothic classic.

castle of the living dead (1964)

AKA Il castello dei morti vivi
"My suspicions about the Count were confirmed"
In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars a troupe of theatrical performers (including Gaia Germani) are invited by Count Drago (Christopher Lee) to his castle. But once there the actors become increasingly uneasy by the counts actions...
Christopher Lee gives a menacing performance in this slight Italian horror. Watch for Donald Sutherland's film debut.

troll 2 (2025)

"Have you found something else?"
Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) is again recruited to help out Andreas Isaksen (Kim Falck) when he reveals that the Govt has found another Troll. This time he is hibernating, but what will happen if he wakes up?
More of the same, with a similar plot of the team puzzling out how to stop a rampaging troll. If you were entertained by the first film, then you should be happy enough with this new installment.

troll (2022)

"You do know that there's some truth to every fairytale."
Norwegan road builders are tunneling through a mountain range when they disturb an ancient creature. Could it be in fact a troll? Paleontologist Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) is brought in to give her assessment and soon realises that maybe the storybooks were true!
Yes we've seen this all before, and its not a patch on Troll Hunters, but it is a fun watch. So cut the carping and just let it entertain you.

the stone tape (1972)

"What I want for Christmas is for you to go away."
An audio research team convenes in a Victorian house in an attempt to find a new recording format. But things start to go off tack when Jill Greeley (Jane Asher) witnesses a ghost and the director Peter Brock (Michael Bryant) decides to record the apparition but also to exorcise it...
A made for TV horror by Nigel Kneale that came up with some genuine scares

baron blood (1972)

AKA Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga
"If he were really to come back he would be a monster."
Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) travels to his ancestral castle in Austria to researh notorious "Baron Blood" a renowned sadist who was reputedly cursed by a witch he had burned to death. At the castle Peter meets Eva (Elke Sommer) who is helping with renovations and they stupidly read an incantation which is supposed to bring the Baron back to life! Following their reading murders start occurring and the castle is subsequently sold to millionare Alfred Becker (Joseph Cotton). But why does he want it and who is the serial killer?
An evocative gothic horror, from a horror master, but this somehow lacks something.

the vourdalak (2023)

"It was unbearable."
A French envoy (Kacey Mottet Klein) is waylaid whilst travelling in the Balkans. Lost and alone he is advised to seek out Gorcha who will be able to help him. On arrival at Gorcha's house he finds he has left a note with his family stating that has gone to fight the turkish bandits and if he returns after 6 days he is to be considered a Vourdalak! As expected Gorcha is found collapsed...minutes after the 6 days has expired!
Based on Tolstoy's gothic novel this is a stylish and atmospheric tale, reminding me of the Italian horrors of the 60's.

the menu (2022)

"This is an exclusive experience!"
Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) invites Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) to eat at an exclusive restaurant on a remote island. The reknowned chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, but the evening rapidly starts to unravel...But why is the chef so interested in Margot?
A satire on the preciousness of fine dining takes a delicious turn into physical horror.

the dunwich horror (1970)

"My you scare easily. "
The charming Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell) visits Arkham Miskatonic University to study the Necronomicon and captivates, (or should that be bewitches), student Nancy Wagner (Sandra Dee) in the process.
Based on an HP Lovecraft story subfusing it with a level of underlying menace.