Monthly Archives: October 2026

Nightmares Film Festival

Don’t Answer

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Death Came Knocking

Screens at 3pm on Sunday, October 18 at Nightmares Film Festival.

by Hope Madden

A slow build, a single location, and 16mm camerawork combine to craft an intense, uncomfortable throwback horror in writer/director Eric Yoder’s Death Came Knocking.

The film opens with hard drinking, tough talking Aunt Carolyn (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’s Caroline Williams) stopping by her sister’s old house to pick up the car. The LA house is being demolished in favor of a new mall, and while cousins Julie (Jacqueline Barone) and Aaron (Mario Silva) pack up, Aunt Carolyn will drive the car cross country to her sister’s new home.

It’s an organic way to deliver backstory, and then we’re alone with the two young adults who do a little packing and a bit of dancing while they snap Polaroids and smoke indoors (because it’s the 1970s, and that happened then).

Then the doorbell rings. Aaron wisely sends the man at the door away, but Julie lets him in because women in 1970s movies always do the dumbest things. But Yoder makes the most of his aesthetic, drawing clear comparisons to the Savage Cinema of American 1970s independent horror, most explicitly, Wes Craven’s Last House on the Left.

Slowly, Yoder tightens tensions as the film moves from a horror of manners toward a home invasion flick. First, it’s Daniel (Rey Marz), then his pregnant wife Marlene (Bix Krieger), and soon enough, Daniel opens his case, and we meet Jasper, the ventriloquist dummy.

And nobody wants that.

Marz delivers an expert performance, aw-shucks good guy one minute, amused sadist the next. The period aesthetic and practical effects help the film overcome some plotting and pacing issues, and the unapologetic violence certainly shocks, but also feels fitting in a film so entirely influenced by Seventies horror.

Shudder Premiere

More Trick than Treat

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Hallowarrior

by Hope Madden

It’s hard not to root for Milly Shapiro to survive a horror movie. In writer/director Ben Sottak’s Hallowarrior, we see Shapiro as desperately lonely teen Pumpkin. Pumpkin’s been alone—truly alone—for four Halloweens now, since some kind of plague swept through and claimed everybody else, as far as she can tell.

So, this Halloween was going to be her last. She put out decorations, lit candles, watched the old home movie where she carved pumpkins with her family, and prepared. But then, a noise on the front porch. And suddenly, Pumpkin’s wish for a family comes true.

It’s a Halloween miracle!

Pumpkin may not have seen as many post-apocalyptic movies as some of us, which would explain a lot. Royce (AJ Bowen) only contains his hostility when he notices the piece Milly’s packing. Thalia (Shannyn Sossamon) seems more nurturing and understanding but angry young Wendy (Ajani Russell) wants to shake some sense into Pumpkin.

And these three are the nice ones.

Sossamon is particularly effective, languidly menacing and just convincing enough as a maternal figure to convince a lonely kid.

Shapiro succeeds as that lonesome, naïve Pumpkin. Her innocence is frustrating but never forced. Pumpkin’s awkward, needy chemistry with Wendy likewise carries an authenticity that helps the film overcome some of its shortcomings in pacing.

Once “Wax and the boys” come calling, Hallowarrior should be hitting its groove, but we get so little in the way of character or story development, the film doesn’t develop the kind of dread it could. Though the stakes are as high as they could be, you don’t feel it.

Still, each of the new guests is creepy in their own way and there are a couple of impressive (and one incomprehensible) kills.

We’ve seen the end of the world from a lot of perspectives. Pumpkin’s is different, and thanks in large part to Shapiro’s performance, Hallowarrior is a fine addition to the end of times canon.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Marsten House

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New Listing!

Welcome to the Marsten House. This historic home atop Pabsquitty Hill overlooks the charming New England hamlet of Jerusalem’s Lot. A notable presence that watches over the town like a benevolent king, this auspicious property has fascinated residents for generations! Its colorful history is as vivid and storied as that of Jerusalem’s Lot itself.

Plus, ample cellar space to store antiques, sideboards…whatever you like!

And what a lovely town for sketching, antiquing, and getting to know your neighbors! A picturesque lake near the property is cozy, and the surrounding woods are ideal for late night nature walks. You never know who you’ll meet on those twilight hikes! 

A monument to history, the Marsten House has loomed over the town for decades, holding the essence of Jerusalem’s Lot in its very bones. And in its stone foundations, in its wooden beams, in the glass of its windows, the plaster of its ceiling, the Marsten House cries out for new ownership.

There’s a kind of character the Marsden property attracts. Colorful. Memorable. You?

Contact Crockett Realty (under new management!) with inquiries.

*By Hope Madden. Voiceover by Riley Wolfington. Audio production by George Wolf. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Nightmares Film Festival

Life’s Only Gettin’ Greater

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Flytrapper

Screens 2pm Saturday, October 17 at Nightmares Film Festival.

by Hope Madden

Forty-five seconds into director Drew Britton’s Flytrapper and I was hooked. Co-writer/co-star Georgia Lee King cuts the most fascinating figure as Crystal, a psychopath who is defiantly, delightfully, dorkishly certain of herself.

Crystal’s days of marauding and cutting sick rap beats are interrupted by an unannounced visit from her BFF, Melonie (Leah Piescinski).

Britton’s approach is naturalistic. Nothing feels staged, takes linger, and a very lived-in relationship emerges between the two leads. But this is not your average scary movie. Flytrapper is like if Ken Loach made Napoleon Dynamite as a grisly, female led horror.

The humor is so natural and delightful that the sudden bursts of violence really startle. King’s performance is ferocious and funny with surprising depth and vulnerability. Piescinski’s quiet turn never steals the spotlight, but offers something authentic and tender. The pair’s chemistry and delivery are the secrets to the levity.

You never feel as if Flytrapper is mocking these two characters in the way that other films centered on social misfits sometimes do. King and Piescinski understand Crystal and Malonie so well that, while you can never predict where the story is leading, the surprises land as natural—albeit misguided—choices they would make.

The movie looks great, too. Set in a small, lakeside town with no air conditioning in a sweaty summer, Flytrapper immerses you in an environment that suits its tale. You feel dropped into a town where most shops are still cash only, where WIFI is hard to come by and the surveillance state is still miles and miles away.

It’s a gorgeous, low-fi environment where friendship, murder, and musical creativity flourish. But Britton does lean into absurdity now and again with gloriously weird dream sequences.

It’s an odd combination, but it works wonderfully to deliver a genuinely unique cinematic experience.

Nightmares Film Festival

Pieces of Me

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What I Remember

Screens at noon on Saturday, October 17 at Nightmares Film Festival.

by George Wolf

Equal parts mystery, found footage thriller and exploration of queer identity, writer director Alex Hera’s impressive first feature What I Remember casts a truly hypnotic spell .

Ryan (Cabe Thompson) and Sam (Alexandra Boulas) have a fateful meeting one afternoon in the woods around their small town of Brookhaven. Ryan is constantly recording a video diary, and we see his POV as he stumbles upon Sam and her friend Drew (Taylor Morris) having a heated argument.

After breaking free of Drew, Ryan and Sam walk the trails together, sparking a tender and empathetic friendship that builds to something deeper, one that anchors Hera’s tale of shifting timelines, awakening identities and persistence of memory.

Ryan and Sam hatched a plan to leave town together, but Ryan’s disappearance left Sam grasping for answers. As Hera employs a data-moshing technique to blur the edges of time, place and vlog footage, another mystery from the past comes to light. The whereabouts of Hayden, a long-missing local gay man, have never been uncovered, sparking unmistakable questions about local threats to those in the queer community.

Boulas is terrific in a performance that only improves as the emotions of the narrative deepen. Hera mines those feelings with great care, leaving What I Remember as a collective of sketches that build to a mysterious meditation on finding the people and places that allow you to find yourself.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Candyman

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Daniel, 151

Artist at Cabrini Green

Lives in Chicago

Less than a mile away

Dreaming | Painting | Sweets | Beekeeping 

Sweets to the sweet! Lover of street art, whispers in the classroom, writing on the walls seeking …you. It was always you. Be my match. The pain, I can assure you, will be exquisite. Our names will be written on a thousand walls. 

They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What’s blood for if not for shedding? I came for you. Come with me and be immortal.

Allow me at least a kiss. Just one exquisite kiss.

*by Hope Madden. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Mayor Vaughn

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Welcome, my fellow Amityvillains! 

No…er..not villains..vill-e-yuns. Amity-villites. 

Fellow citizens of Amity, welcome to another beautiful Fourth of July weekend! As you know, we in Amity have made our name through friendship, and this weekend gives us another chance to meet many new friends who will come to spend those summer dollars and enjoy our wonderful beaches! 

Yes…about the beaches…I’m happy to report that under my supervision, we have caught and killed a fish that was apparently annoying some swimmers. Now, the Chief and his rich friend with city hands have both assured me that there will be no more trouble of that sort, and this will be one of the best holiday weekends Amity has ever had! 

So remember, for safe beaches and attention getting sportcoats, Vote Vaughn! 

Now go swimming!

*by George Wolf. Video starring Ralph Scott in partnership with Mills James Productions. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Outtakes

Villain Diaries: Operations

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To: All

Fr: Operations

Re: Spring Rite

It’s that time again. You can feel the electricity—excitement, worry—and that’s normal. It keeps us sharp. Teams all over the world—Japan, Sweden, Brazil—are feeling that same electric current today. But for us, worry is overrated. We have the talent, the skill and the precision. We are the failsafe because our outcomes are near perfect.

So, who will it be this time? The majestic unicorn? Demon ballerina? Zombified pain worshipping backwoods idiots? Merman? It doesn’t really matter, does it? So long as the sacrifices are young and they make the choice for themselves. 

That’s where you come in: Chem’s well placed neurotoxin, the Harbinger’s old school warning, the perfectly timed cave in. If we do our jobs, the sacrifices will choose their doom, and one by one, the ritual will be fulfilled.  

It’s a big day, and one worth celebrating. We work hard all year long for this. So, get your bets in, have fun, and remember: What we’re doing is important. There is nothing more important.

We offer this work in humility for the blessed peace of their eternal slumber, as it ever was.

*by Hope Madden. Voiceover and audio production by George Wolf. Art by Michael Anthony Carroll.

Disclaimer: Villain Diaries is a non-commercial work of fan fiction and parody. All characters, names, and elements from the film belong to their respective copyright and trademark holders. I don’t own them and I’m not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the creators, studios, or rights holders. This piece is an original creative commentary inspired by their work. It is shared for free, for entertainment and critical purposes, and earns me no money. If you’re a rights holder and have concerns, please contact me at maddwolf95@gmail.com and I’ll respond promptly.

Outtakes

Middle School Fantasy

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Matchbox: The Movie

by George Wolf

So, a toy movie? Like Barbie?

Well, that’s a stretch. And remember, Jaws is a shark movie, but so is Sharktopus.

Apple TV’s Matchbox isn’t sharkspoitation bad. In fact, if you just hang with its overlong runtime, the film finds an unabashed cornball groove that will bring both smiles and eye-rolls.

The title only refers to the fact that a group of middle school friends were Matchbox enthusiasts back in the day. Now, decades later, one of those friends is a secret agent while the rest stayed in small-town Ohio.

But after completing a dangerous spy mission for his boss (Danai Gurira), Sean (John Cena) goes back home to pay last respects to an old mentor. After sharing beers with the old Matchbox gang, they’re all drugged and pulled into a globe-trotting chase for a stolen bomb.

Good thing that Aimee (Jessica Biel), Ted (Arturo Castro), Crosby (Sam Richardson) and Charmaine (Teyonah Parris) all have skills that come in mighty handy in a save-the-world scenario. Director Sam Hargrave (the Extraction films) puts his action skills to work for a minor league True Lies that keeps a kid-friendly feel despite all the violence and explosions.

Why this is over two hours I don’t know, but everyone in this likable cast seems to be having a good bit of fun. Cue it up with a few cold ones after the kids go to bed, and Matchbox: The Movie should give you a bit of fun, too.

Expect some groans, as well, but that’s what the beer’s for.

New In Theaters

Weak Thrills

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Animals

by George Wolf

Director/co-writer/star Ben Affleck continues his Netflix partnership with a serviceable thriller that is curious in its timid approach to being thrilling.

Affleck stars as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate who is mulling a big decision to get the funds for one last campaign push. Then his young son is kidnapped, throwing his candidacy and his sputtering relationship with his wife (Kerry Washington) into chaos.

With Steven Yeun as the campaign manager and Gillian Anderson popping in as a high-end fixer, the cast alone is enough to keep you watching. But after borrowing a twist from a similar classic, the film settles into a comfort zone that is just too comfortable.

The editing is choppy, and the narrative feels like it’s been re-shaped by too many producers and focus groups, leading to an unsatisfying final act more in line with a morality play.

There are moments of substance here, but just like too many campaign promises, Animals is a pretty smile without much behind it.