Alas, we have come to the end of 2023, this new column has undergone subtle changes but it’s also interesting to look at and see those horror films again, not merely for enjoyment but to evaluate what one thought of it, as most know views and tastes change for youth to teen to young adult, and so on, as with the passage of time the views in cinema are bound to can over time. Therefore, it’s a wonderful column that has brought back great memories while looking forward to continuing into 2024.
All the Creatures Were Stirring [2018]
SUMMARY: When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they’re treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holidays. From boring office parties and last-minute shopping, to vengeful stalkers and immortal demons, there’s plenty out there to fear this holiday season.
WHEN I FIRST SAW IT: November 30, 2018
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 6.3/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.5/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, it’s an anthology film, know that first with 15 to 20 per stories some including black humor and modernizing some the old Christmas classics. These holiday films used to be a rarity and hence the early features still have won the cult classic crowd, therefore new movies tend to be vying for a second tier, though one can hope this moves up with more popularity perhaps revisit it in another 10-years. – Slashing-you-go, all along the merry way.
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Neverlake [2013]
SUMMARY: On a trip home to Italy to visit her father, Jenny is thrown into a world of mystery, horror and legend as she is compelled to discover the truth behind all his secrets and lies.
WHEN I FIRST SAW IT: September 2014
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 5.3/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, it still a mystery meets family drama with a dash of horror; therefore, it’s not a propriety must see for all horror fans, unless you have grown tired of the zombies; creature features and slasher and prefer a something different involving a gothic romance and plot twists.
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HogMaul: The Legend of Abrams County [2013]
SUMMARY: There’s a fine line between man and swine! Murderous legend or deadly truth? HogMaul has been a part of rural Abrams County lore for sixty years. The townspeople are divided on the tale of the homicidal, hammer-swinging and head-smashing pig man. Is it just a story told by parents to frighten the children, or is the legend of the killer cryptid true? Watch as Abrams residents, local law enforcement, and an obsessed Cryptozoologist find out what really dwells in the dark forest.
WHEN I FIRST SAW IT: April 2014
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 5.8/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.5/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, still a good contribution to the hogsploitation subgenre, if you cherish lowbrow humor and independent filmmaking then it a perfect film for that pig roast; as for a lack of gore frankly due to obvious budgetary constraints.
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Hotel Inferno [2013]
SUMMARY: Assigned the easy task of assassinating a couple in a hotel room, instead, a hardened contract killer finds himself fighting for his life in a maze-like place crammed with demonic henchmen. Can he escape from the nightmarish Hotel Inferno?
WHEN I FIRST SAW IT: September 2016
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 4.8/10
MY RATE THEN: 4.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, this s film done in a first-person style gimmick, which common in video games, it is not to confused with POV, the movie is very gory but that constant camera movement may not be good for those with sensitivity to light flash or suffer from extreme motion-sickness, hence be forewarned. There have been other movies that incorporated this style while balancing a narrative storyline such House of the Dead [2003] and Doom [2005].
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