Some films have all the right ingredients — a heartfelt premise, a meaningful metaphor, and a profoundly personal creative vision — yet still struggle to come together fully. Monsters Within, written, directed, produced, and led by Devin Montgomery (Worm), is one of those films. It’s a project built on sincerity and ambition, but its execution… Continue reading Monster Within: built on sincerity and ambition
Category: MAIN
Shakey Grounds:
Some films arrive with modest ambitions and humble budgets but still manage to reach for something deeper — a sense of emotional truth, a spark of humanity that lingers after the credits. Shakey Grounds, directed by Michael Garcia and written by Trace Slobotkin, fits neatly into that category. It’s a small, heartfelt drama that doesn’t… Continue reading Shakey Grounds:
Film Review: Hallow Road
You will not laugh, but you may cry… in despair *Some spoilers ahead* Hallow Road is a 2025 psychological suspense thriller where 2 parents Maddie and Frank race to the rescue of their difficult daughter, who calls them after accidentally hitting a girl with her car racing off from her home after a family argument to… Continue reading Film Review: Hallow Road
Fantastic Fest 2025: The Vile from Emirati Filmmaker wins Best Horror Film
The Vile is the latest intense horror/psychological thriller from acclaimed Emirati filmmaker and genre master Majid Al Ansari (Zinzana, The Intruder, “Paranormal” series). The alum of Fantastic Fest made his 2025 return with the world premiere of The Vile, shot entirely on 16mm film. His debut feature was Zinzana (Rattle The Cage) in 2015. The… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: The Vile from Emirati Filmmaker wins Best Horror Film
FANTASTIC FEST 2025 – Vicious: incoherent, overwrought exercise in nonsense
Some films try to unsettle and challenge audiences with psychological tension and emotional depth. Vicious, unfortunately, does neither. Marketed as a psychological thriller, it ends up as an incoherent, overwrought exercise in nonsense — a film that confuses moodiness for meaning and atmosphere for actual storytelling. The story follows Polly (Dakota Fanning), who receives a… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025 – Vicious: incoherent, overwrought exercise in nonsense
FANTASTIC FEST 2025 – Chocolate (2008, Remastered)
I’ll admit it: I had never seen Chocolate before this year’s Fantastic Fest. Now that I have, I’m kicking myself for missing out on one of the most exhilarating and emotionally satisfying action films of the 2000s. Presented in a stunning 35mm remaster for the festival’s 20th anniversary celebration, Chocolate is more than deserving of… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025 – Chocolate (2008, Remastered)
My Fantastic Fest 2025
As of September 25, 2025, Fantastic Fest has concluded and is now in the books. The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar once again played host to one of the world’s favorite genre film festivals, where fanatics gathered to celebrate the fest’s 20th anniversary. From TVR, Laurie Coker, Liz Lopez, and I attended movies for eight days… Continue reading My Fantastic Fest 2025
Fantastic Fest 2025: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (Secret Screening #3)
Going into 2025’s Fantastic Fest, I had two big wishes for the secret screenings. The first was the latest film by Paul Thomas Anderson, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, a movie titled One Battle After Another. On Tuesday night of the festival, the programmers made that wish come true. I have never read Pynchon’s… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (Secret Screening #3)
FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Sirāt – draws you in and refuses to let go
Some films don’t just unfold before you — they draw you in and refuse to let go. Premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025, Sirāt, the latest from director Óliver Laxe, is one of those rare, compelling cinematic experiences. Shot with hypnotic beauty by cinematographer Mauro Herce, the film follows Luis (Sergi López, in one of his… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Sirāt – draws you in and refuses to let go
FANTASTIC FEST – APPOFENIACS: the true horror runs much deeper, in the ideas that pulse beneath its gore
Premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025, Appofeniacs is the kind of horror film that sneaks under your skin and stays long after the credits roll. On the surface, it might appear as a blood-soaked spectacle — and yes, there’s plenty of viscera on display — but the true horror runs much deeper, in the ideas that… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST – APPOFENIACS: the true horror runs much deeper, in the ideas that pulse beneath its gore