RAW REVIEW: PANDAMONIUM (2020)

Long term readers of this blog will be all too aware of my love for Mycho, the independent cinematic universe helmed by the extremely talented MJ Dixon.

With a whopping eight feature-length films already released, ranging from typical throwback slashers to psychological thrillers, from sci-if infused action flicks to supernatural chillers, the Mychoverse is a rich interconnected viewing experience.

Now, ahead of its premiere at the 2020 Horror-On-Sea Festival, Dixon and co offered me a chance to look at their latest effort in yet another sub-genre.

Pandamonium expands on the story of Slasher House II’s stripper hating, panda mask-wearing Jakob Jakushi - this time going the comedy-horror route.

Would Dixon’s talents lend themselves to giggles as well as gore?

Read on...


PANDAMONIUM (2020)



Dir: MJ Dixon

Stars: Oriana Charles, Will Jones, David Hon Ma Chu, James Hamer-Morton, Lee Mark Jones, Derek Nelson, William Marshall, Dani Thompson, Chloe Badham, Charlie Bond, Tatiana Ibba, Annie Knox, Nad Abdoolakhan, Martin W Payne, Pablo Raybould, Charlie Clarke, Susan Lee Burton


SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

Arielle (Charles) has landed an admin job at top law firm Killmore & Percival. However, rather than be overjoyed at her big break she comes to realise that she is now working with a group of hard-drinking, drug-using, sexist city boys, headed up by the truly obnoxious Damian Hook (Hamer-Morton).

Forced to work late on her first day, she finds a sympathetic fellow new starter, Daniel (Jones) but things soon unravel when Damian and his cronies hire a team of strippers lead by tough as nails Jasmine (Thompson) - who lets slip a secret about Arielle’s past.

However, the arrival of Jasmine and her crew spells trouble in more ways than one - they have drawn the attention of the notorious Stripper Ripper, panda-mask wearing Jakob Jakushi (Hon Ma Chu). Now with a prime selection of victims assembled in one place, Jakushi won’t rest until he has killed them all - and anybody who gets in his way.





THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): I’ve always been a fan of Mycho’s darker more serious films - as my glowing reviews of grim psychological thriller Hollower and the spookily supernatural Bannister DollHouse will attest. So I approached Dixon’s first crack at full-on comedy with some trepidation.

Thankfully, my fears were utterly misplaced. Of course, some of the wisecracks that he has written for his teen characters and the always acid-tongued Red are side-splitters, but even they could not have prepared me for how smoothly the Mycho team have made the transition to humour.

It’s a non-stop barrage of gags, some well-performed physical comedy and just enough black humour to keep things suitably dark for a movie about a misogynistic panda-headed serial killer.

That’s not to say that the script is all fluff - there’s a strong theme of female empowerment throughout (as there so often is in the Mychoverse works) which might come as a shock to those who will inevitably make snap judgements after reading the synopsis, and some surprising emotional depth to boot.

It’s easy to care for characters when they are written so well and portrayed as brilliantly as they are here.

The frankly wonderful Charles gives what might be my favourite performance in a Mycho movie yet. Her well-rounded character is given plenty to do over her arc and whether she is inspiring sympathy or awestruck admiration, she manages it effortlessly. This is one actress I cannot wait time to see more of.

Equally great is young Tom Hardy-alike Will Jones, who shows real likeability along with serious acting chops. Remember that name, he’s going places.

I also loved the work of Thompson who manages to inject some nice humorous moments into her tough girl performance. I’m crossing all non-essential appendages that we’ll see her cross paths with Red one day.

Speaking of comedy, none deliver as many laughs as our deplorable city boys, with Hamer-Morton chewing the scenery with great aplomb every time he’s on screen. He reminds me of Ralph Inneson’s Chris Finch from The Office - a huge twat but so unapologetically awful you can’t help but grin every time he pops up.

The same holds for the delightfully deranged Lee Mark Jones and Nelson. The pair were in some of the funniest moments in the movie, and while they may not have been the subtlest characters their OTT energy was precisely what the film needed. Bravo gents.

Rounding out the frightful foursome was a familiar Mycho face in the form of Marshall. He’s great too as are the other returning Mycho alum.

Regular readers will know how much of a fan I am of the terrifically talented Badham - so I was delighted to see her back again - while a welcome albeit short appearance by the great Payne also added massively to the film.

In truth there are no weak links - Bond, Ibba and Abdoolakhan are all ace - but one of the very biggest pleasures came from seeing the return of the incredible David Hon Ma Chu. A horror movie is as only as good as its threat - and in this case, we have a superb performance. He made a big impression during his extended cameo at the beginning of Slasher House II - here he has so much more to do and really makes the most of it. It’s difficult to portray a character when your facial expressions are covered all the time, but his laconic and derisive delivery makes for a chillingly realistic yet bizarrely charming psychopath. He makes Jakushi a Ted Bundy-like bear headed buddy and it totally works. A post-credits message suggests there might be more to come for this character - if David Hon Ma Chu is attached then count me in.

It’s not just the wit, warmth and performances that make Pandamonium a must watch - the film never forgets that a horror movie needs scares too. There are some tense set-pieces scattered throughout the film, shot with Dixon’s usual impeccable timing and eye for framing, and the kills are shockingly brutal at times.

Dixon’s eye-catching use of colour (a trademark in Mycho’s output) is as on point as ever while the snappy editing (especially during a Commando-esque tooling up sequence involving office stationery) gives an already electric flick even more energy.

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): It is becoming boring to write this caveat to low budget indie horror, but once again I need to stress that Pandamonium was a labour of love assembled on a shoestring budget. The cost of this movie is probably less than that spent on catering for your typical big studio Hollywood horror movie.

Pandamonium looks fantastic for a film with such humble resources - but it is still a low-budget film. This means that at times it can become a little rough around the edges. Please do adjust your expectations accordingly- it’s very much worth it.

For example, the offices of celebrated law firm Killmore & Percival don’t exactly suggest the workplace of a top affluent business. There are no wide bright marble hallways or pristine boardrooms with huge mahogany tables. Instead, it’s a more typical looking office setting. I’m sure with a bigger location budget and unlimited research time Dixon would have shot in a building straight out of LA Law. Instead, the Mycho team did what they do best - take what is available and scale it up to purpose. This is just one more reason to praise their work, not a stick to beat them with.

While I praised the work of the larger cast, it does feel as if a few characters could have used a little more screen time. Of course, when you have a slasher movie you need bodies to up the body count, but it does feel as if a couple of characters have little more than a few minutes of meaningful screen time before they are dispatched. This is a tough one to address - make the movie much longer and it can risk feeling bloated. Ultimately I suppose this is a testimony to Dixon’s characters - the only flaw I could find was that I wanted more!




THE VERDICT: For the last few years MJ, Anna and their team at Mycho have asked me to check out their latest movies ahead of their big premieres at the Horror On Sea Festival in Southend each January. And every year I have been inspired to write ebulliently positive reviews for their efforts.

This streak continues with Pandamonium.

Die Hard meets Severance by way of Halloween, this mishmash of mirthful and murderous mayhem is a resounding hit. Great comedy, superb performances, some killer horror sequences and a lightning pace that never lets up make this another indie must-see from Mycho.

Trust me in this case you will have no choice but to grin and ‘bear’ it!

Pandamonium will premiere at Horror on Sea on 18 January. You can buy tickets for the event here.

In the meantime, why not read more about the movie at its official Facebook page. Or better yet, hit up the Mycho Patreon and help them create more quality indie horror.

If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

DARK WEB: AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CREEPYPASTA - PART 35: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VINCENT VENA CAVA

It's been a long while since I've shared a Dark Web feature on here, but it seems to be a good time to catch up with those features, that were published elsewhere before - sadly - those sites folded. But don't fear, from now on Dark Web will be publishing here - and I've lined up some fantastic stories and interviews with some genuine heavyweights in the field.

It's almost like these interviews could be for an exciting project in the future...

Usually these Dark Web features will focus on a single story, or a connected series, but this weeks does something a little different. Instead I focus on the work of a single author, one of the most successful and popular writers of Creepypasta the genre has produced — Vincent Vena Cava.

With a wealth of work to his name, including iconic pastas such as The Pastel Man, A Favor For a Favor, Picture This and the fantastic Wendall Lane Diaries, the LA-based author has caused quite a stir with his fiction, gaining recognition and approaches from several huge media companies, including 20th Century Fox (when he wrote The Eye of Ra, which was part of a viral marketing campaign for the movie The Pyramid) and Starz. He has also been published multiple times, including the inclusion of his stories Right On Time and Picture This in the short story anthology, The Creepypasta Collection: Modern Urban Legends You Can’t Unread. (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-creepypasta-collection-mr-creepypasta/1123556473)

All of this in just four short years since he first started publishing work on the web under the Vincent Cava name.

He even saw a project successfully funded on Kickstarter that combined his talents with those of genre YouTube heavyweight Mr Creepypasta and top DeviantArtist Chris Oz Fulton. The resulting Creepypasta Comicbook (of which I’m a backer) is a fantastic debut effort and fans are eagerly anticipating subsequent issues from the team.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had the tremendous pleasure of conversing with the amiable, humble and supremely talented Cava, asking him about his influences, storytelling processes, several of his most notable stories and what the future holds.

Our interview follows below.


HICKEY'S HOUSE OF HORRORS: Hi Vincent, and thank you so much for agreeing to speak with me. First, I'd like to ask you some general questions about your influences, before asking specific questions about some of your stories, including The Pastel Man, Right On Time and your Wendall Lane Diaries series. I hope that's ok?

VINCENT VENA CAVA: No problem, I'd be happy to answer your questions — and btw, you just named two of my worst stories! Haha! Is that what people know me for? Good God.

HHoH: Oh dear, you are too harsh on yourself, they're all fine stories! May I ask which two you're least happy with? As an aside, some of my favourites include The Hall Monitor, The Job, Selfie, The Ocean's Cool Air, and Little Black Bugs. I expect a few of those will be the subject of future features should you be happy to speak with me about them!

VVC: Thanks! The Pastel Man is the first thing people really noticed me for and I'm sure I'll be tied to it forever, haha. I believe the story has weak stakes and the prose is pretty amateur. I've been working for years to hone my craft since I decided this was something I wanted to make money doing and I feel like I've gotten better since then. Right on Time is just fan service and if you aren't familiar with Jeff The Killer then, in my opinion, the story is sort of weak (maybe even confusing?), but it is what it's supposed to be
I am fond of Wendall Lane though. 



HHoH: Here are my first few questions, they're non-story specific, but should give my readers more of an idea about you as a writer.
Which writers, horror or otherwise, do you consider yourself a fan of?

VVC: I'm a fan of so many authors! Some of my biggest influences are Vonnegut, Lovecraft, King, Heinlein, and Philip K. Dick.

HHoH:Do you consider yourself a fan of Creepypasta?

VVC: I'm a fan of anything that has to do with horror, but I'm not entirely sure what Creepypasta even is. It's such a fluid word.
It seems like everyone has their own definition of "creepypasta". What makes something creepypasta? Is it only stories featuring certain characters? Is it only scary stories? Who says what's scary? Does a story have to appear on specific websites like r/NoSleep or creepypasta.com to make the cut?
Last I checked, the author of The Martian, Andy Weir's, short story The Egg is featured on creepypasta.com. I don't think he posted it there, nor would I call it horror, but is it a creepypasta nonetheless? To me, are you a fan of creepypasta is a difficult question to answer because I don't even know how to go about defining it.

HHoH: What work of your own are you most proud of?

VVC: I'm really happy how people reacted to A Favor for a Favor. I've since given it a little rewrite and I think it's a better story now. Picture This was a really therapeutic story to write so I was happy when people responded well to it. I'm also pretty proud of the graphic novel I just took to Kickstarter.

HHoH: What is your favourite Creepypasta by an author other than yourself?

VVC: Hard to answer that question, so I'll stick to writers who are generally known for online horror. Anything by Matt Dymerski, T.W. Grim, Michael Whitehouse, and IPostAtMidnight is usually great. I think they're all really polished writers. Anything by them won't disappoint.

HHoH: You're a prolific writer, regularly releasing stories to the web. How do you keep the creative juices flowing? Is writing a process that you enjoy or is it more about getting your stories out there to an audience?

VVC: Keeping the creative juices flowing isn't a problem. I have more stories in my head than I can write. The slowest part of my process comes from crafting my prose and trying to develop a unique and interesting narrative that will fit with what I'm writing. Writing isn't just about telling people a story. It's about HOW you tell them a story. A lot of young writers don't realize that. When you do it correctly, your prose can be poetry.
And most importantly...
Read. Read. Read.
You have to read if you want to be a good writer. And you have to read great writers. I get people asking me what to read. Don't just read horror. Read Hemingway, read Melville, read James Joyce, and Asimov, and Clarke. Read Oscar Wilde, read Doyle, and London. Read non-fiction too! Read, read, read. Great stories can inspire you....you get the picture.

HHoH: Why do you think Creepypasta resonates so much with the fandom?

VVC: I think a lot of the fans of these online, user generated horror stories are younger or at least became fans when they were younger. This...trend is like a gateway for a lot of young people. It can introduce them to the world of literature and I think that's wonderful. Many times, these stories are not written for children so of course there's always intrigue for kids when it comes to taboo subjects.

HHoH: These fans have flocked to some characters, who really have become iconic to the community, such as The Rake and Jeff the Killer, a character you incorporated into your story Right On Time (you can hear Mr Creepypasta’s narration of the story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu9NvCTJbHs )
What inspired you to write a story that contributes to the Jeff the killer mythos?

VVC: I just wanted to pay a little fan service. Jeff is a popular character and people are usually excited to hear a new Jeff story. I figured why not try my hand at a little fan-fiction. I don't know if I'm actually contributing to the "Jeff mythos". I don't really consider any Jeff story to be canon. There are so many tales written by so many people. But that's cool. It makes the character and his personality somewhat amorphous. He isn't really defined by any set of rules and whoever is writing him can put their own spin on it.

HHoH: What drew you to the character?

VVC: The character's popularity is what drew me to him. Haha!
People like reading Jeff stories, I like writing stories, so why not try writing a Jeff story?

HHoH: Your Jeff is less sympathetic than the version traditionally portrayed, he's almost a force of remorseless destruction than a human, a lot like John Carpenter's original idea for Michael Myers in Halloween. What inspired you to portray the character in this way? 

VVC: To be honest, I never found the character to be very interesting and the broken emo kid thing isn't all that scary. That's the problem a lot of people have with Jeff, which is why I decided to write around him.
He couldn't be the protagonist in Right On Time. Protagonists don't give you nightmares. I believe the character can be frightening, so long as you move away from the "woe is me" stuff. If you want him to be scary, don't let the audience into his head.
You have to strip away anything that makes him human. Make him a monster. That's why Michael Myers works. And let's face it, the Jeff character is basically an amalgam of slasher movie clichés. I just followed the trend.

HHoH: What do you think the attraction is to Jeff for Creepypasta fans? 

VVC: I think most Jeff fans are pretty young. He's an antihero, he's counterculture. He plays by his own set of rules. If someone upsets him, he stabs them. I see why teenage girls and boys are into him.

HHoH: Do you have any further plans to feature Jeff in your stories? 

VVC: Not right now. I'd rather not write a ton of Jeff stuff, but maybe in a future comic book.

HHoH: Are you happy with Right On Time? 

VVC: I think Right On Time is good fan-fiction. The problem with it is that you need to know who Jeff The Killer is for it to make a whole lot of sense. Otherwise, it's just an interesting story with an "out of nowhere" twist. If you don't know what Jeff The Killer is, you might read it and wonder what the hell just happened. What did he mean by "go to sleep"?

HHoH: Do you have any plans to write stories featuring any other existing Creepypasta characters? (Excluding the Rake — who Vincent covered as part of his Wendall Lane Diaries series AND for the Creepypasta comic book)

VVC: Yeah sure. I'd love to write more stories based off some of the Internet's more popular characters. It's fun for me. I have no plans at this moment, but if it's something people would be interested in then I'm game for it.

HHoH: I mentioned the Creepypasta comicbook just now. I recently received my PDF copy of the comic and I wanted to extend my most heartfelt congratulations on what is a really great read. You must be very, very proud of it! Any news on whether there'll be an issue 2? I'd certainly be onboard if so!

VVC: Thanks for backing the comic! Glad you're enjoying it. Unfortunately our distributor (backerkit) had some trouble with ios mobile devices, but I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it.
We definitely want to put out a second comic, but first and foremost we want to focus on getting out all the rewards first. We’ll probably have a second comic up next year, hopefully twice as long.

HHoH: The Rake plays a major role in one of the stories in the Creepypasta comic that you have created with MrCreepypasta. I understand you spoke with Bryan Somerville (who I’ve interviewed for this Dark Web series before: http://www.ukhorrorscene.com/dark-web-steven-hickeys-essential-guide-to-creepypasta-part-28-the-rake-re-visited/) about adapting the character for the comic. How was it working with him?

VVC: I didn't really work with Somerville on the comic. I just asked him for the ok and gave him a short summary of the story, then he signed a contract giving me permission.

HHoH: The Rake is one of the more recognisable Creepypasta beasties, and you created one of your own with the monstrous Pastel Man. (Read the story here: http://www.creepypasta.com/pastel-man/)
His story is one that feels very much like an old-fashioned morality play. Was that your intention?

VVC: The Pastel Man is most definitely a morality play. All of my work fits those themes.
I very rarely write about good vs Evil
It is my belief that we all exist on a moral spectrum — No black and white, just shades of gray. That's why most of my characters are inherently flawed.
I also believe that an antagonist with a more sympathetic reason for doing bad is much more compelling than one who just wants to eradicate all humanity or kill a protagonist because he's a bad guy. My protagonists also usually only act out of self-preservation rather than altruism. They aren't heroes.
But they are more relatable… in my opinion at least.


HHoH: It's one of your earlier stories and earlier you stated that you weren't entirely happy with it. Would you ever consider re-visiting the story either with a sequel or rewrite?

VVC: As for my dislike for the story, I believe that it's prose is lacking compared to what I can do now and the protagonist could probably use a bit more motivation. He is, in my opinion, almost too ‘guilty’.
I am heavily considering giving the story a rewrite. I am also considering revisiting The Pastel Man in the second Creepypasta comic.

HHoH: One of your more recent projects to draw considerable recognition from the fans was the Wendall Lane Diaries. In your own words, how would you describe the series?
VVC: The Wendall Lane Diaries are centered around a house where reality is broken. It's a paranormal hot spot much in the same way the Bermuda Triangle is. One might encounter ghosts, monsters, reality warping paradoxes if they stay there long enough. The occurrences are random. The only thing they have in common is that they're confined to the house and the property it sits on.
I worked with the cast of Ash Vs The Evil Dead to put out five new stories in the series, narrated by Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Ted Raimi and others.

HHoH: I’ve heard the stories via MrCreepypasta’s YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3vq3HFjqkVkZabGSM02I8G960DBHu9xh) and just wanted to compliment you on how awesome they were. Bravo!
I just wondered if you could give my readers a little insight into how the collaboration with Starz came about?

VVC: Starz was interested in promoting their show Ash Vs The Evil Dead so they contacted YouTube creator Mr. Creepypasta to read original stories. They wanted the stories to be loosely connected.
Since he's not a writer, he asked me if I'd be interested in writing them. The whole thing was really intense, I had about two weeks to crank out five stories for the series.
In the end it was a fun opportunity to meet the great actors of the show and to speak with horror icons like Bruce Campbell.

HHoH: And finally, where is the best place for me to send my readers to get more news on your work? Are there any preferred links for me to send my readers to read your literature?

VVC: I'm so stupid, I don't have a landing page haha. But I'm all over social media. Twitter, Facebook, youtube, snapchat, tumblr, Instagram, ect. Every account is @vincentvenacava
Hope that answers your questions!

HHoH: It really does, thanks so much.


As one of the more senior and respected members of the community, Vincent Vena Cava’s story shows that, if you’ve got the talent, Creepypasta really can lead to great things.

Come back next time when I speak with another creative talent who’s been on the scene for a long time about one of the oldest, yet most recognisable and complex pastas ever.

RAW REVIEW: SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

The Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark books, like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and J.B. Stamper’s Tales For The Midnight Hour series, have amassed a cult following among children of the 80s whose first experiences with horror came within their pages.

However, rather than Alvin Schwartz’s fine writing, it was the book’s illustrations by Stephen Gammell that haunted a generation of budding genre fans. And it is these images that serve as the visual inspiration for the long-awaited movie adaptation.

So could this modern take on classic childhood terrors bring a little darkness to today’s audiences? Or would it be a tall tale too far?

Read on....

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK (2019)

DIR: André Øvredal

STARS: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much but continue at your own risk.

Set in 1968, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is the story of a quartet of teens - bookish budding author Stella (Colletti), mysterious outsider Ramone (Garza), uptight and squeamish  Augie (Rush) and crude comic relief Chuck (Zajur) who discover a cursed book as they attempt to escape the attention of jock bully Tommy (Abrams) and his goons on Halloween night. 

Penned by local legend Sarah Bellow, the book - consisting of a number of short spine-chilling tales - was said to be written in the blood of the children she murdered. 

After removing the book from a suitably creepy haunted house, our protagonists are shocked when new stories start to appear within its pages... featuring several familiar characters.

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): A clever little puzzle box of a film, the clever set-up of this story allows writers Dan and Kevin Hageman to implement a number of stories from the anthology-style source material in ways that specifically reference each character’s own fears and hang-ups. 

Taken from American folklore and in some cases urban legends, these stories provide the necessary jolts, while the narrative structure stops the movie from simply feeling like a collection of short films.

Trollhunter and The Autopsy Of Jane Doe helmer Øvredal is becoming something of a force within the genre and his team ensure that the flick boasts expert pacing, tonnes of atmosphere, and some genuine scares along the way.

The teen cast are strong, with each putting in a believable and endearing performance. Colletti makes for a fine female lead, while Garza and Rush both display fine comic timing.

The leads are ably backed up by a strong supporting cast who do plenty with a less integral characters. Abram’s swaggering bully and Ganzhorn’s pretty but self-conscious high schooler stand out in a cast with little in the way of weak links. Elsewhere familiar faces Norris and Bellows also add gravitas to proceedings - with Bellows in particular seeming to have lots of fun with his role as a cynical town sheriff.

However, the real stars of the film are the fantastically creepy monsters, brought to life by fantastic effects work and top physical performers such as Javier Botet and Troy James. The Toeless Corpse, the Pale Lady, Harold the scarecrow, the Jangly Man... each feels as if sprang straight from Gammell’s haunting illustrations and is more than capable of carrying a horror movie on their own. That we get so many top-drawer boogeymen in the 1hr 47min runtime is spoiling us!

At the heart of so many of the movie’s heart-stopping set pieces - from the inexorable pursuit through the ‘red room’s’ corridors to the stalking sequence in the moonlit cornfield - Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark doesn’t shirk when it comes to the first word of its title - and that’s before we even get to the brutally disturbing body horror of classic urban legend ‘The Red Spot’...

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is a strong and atmospheric genre flick - yet the film is not without its flaws. 

A familiarity with the cult source material (which is definitely less well known this side of the Atlantic) is definitely a bonus as some sequences may seem odd or confusing without knowledge of the stories. The dog scene lifted straight from Me Tie Dough-ty Walker is great for us fans but borders on goofy if you don’t understand the significance of the creature’s strange growls and whimpers. 

And while the sheer number of suitably spooky antagonists is a strength, it also serves as a weakness as they have very little depth beyond ‘scary creature chasing character X’ if you don’t know the story (or stories in the case of the Jangly Man) from which they came.

Also the movie’s historical setting seems rather arbitrary, contributing little to the plot other than a more relaxed attitude to racism among some of the more unsavoury characters, a rather shoe-horned and poorly explored Vietnam draft subplot, and some political digs toward Nixon and the current U.S. government. 

It feels like there really was a bigger message behind choosing this era as the setting for Sarah Bellow’s revenge - sadly it seems that it may have got lost in translation along the way.

THE VERDICT: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is good old-fashioned spooky fun - an ideal gateway flick for teens who want to get into horror, much like the original book served way back in 1981.

Fans of Shwartz’s hit trilogy of books will be delighted, while I suspect this eerily atmospheric and legitimately frightening big screen introduction will introduce a whole new generation to the chills within their pages.

Proving a hit at the American box office, a second chapter appears inevitable at this stage - and I will be first in line for More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.

If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

RAW REVIEW: THE CURSE OF LILITH RATCHET

Eddie Lengyel’s Scarred, that I reviewed here back in November 2015, was a cool throwback slasher movie that very much suggested Lengyel is a horror director to watch.

And now he’s back, but this time he takes on more crowd-pleasing mainstream fright flicks like the Conjuring or Insidious movies with American Poltergeist: The Curse Of Lilith Ratchet.

Scarred proved a strong effort, but would his creepy ghost story deliver the frights as well?

Read on...

AMERICAN POLTERGEIST: THE CURSE OF LILITH RATCHET (2018)











Dir: Eddie Lengyel
Stars: KateLynn E Newberry, Rob Jaeger, Roger Conners, Angela Cole, Brianna Burke, George Tutie, Crissy Kolarik, Debbie Scaletta

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

Friends Alice (Newberry), Lauren (Burke) and Dylan (Conners) make a bizarre discovery in a small antique store - a shrunken head said to belong to a local legend, the witch Lilith Ratchet.

Upon presenting their find to supernatural podcast host Hunter Perry (Jaeger) they learn that playing an ancient game with the head (think hot potato but with the severed body part) runs the risk of awakening the ancient spirit.

Of course, Hunter - looking to give his show a ratings boost - gathers a group of fans to a special party to play the game. One by one they are eliminated until a winner is crowned.

But the game doesn’t end there - and as the losing players fall one-by-one the group enters a terrifying race against time to break the curse - before Lilith breaks them.




THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): The biggest trend in crowd-pleasing horror right now is the spooky supernatural story. Almost a backlash to the torture porn craze of a few years ago, now blood has been replaced by chills, and the visceral reaction of these movies is caused by the jump scare rather than lashings of gore. The likes of Insidious and Sinister have proven to be real heavy-hitters while The Conjuring franchise has become one of the most profitable in the genre with The Curse Of La Llorona, the sixth entry, currently in cinemas.

What American Poltergeist: The Curse Of Lilith Ratchet proves is that it’s not only James Wan helmed big studio efforts that can make this format work.

Director Lengyel emerged as a great filmmaker with Scarred. With this movie he proves that was no fluke. He has crafted a fun and spooky flick that almost acts as a greatest hits of the ‘Blumhouse’-style genre movie, all while bringing plenty of new touches to the table as it does so.

The story is simple, not overly complex, but brings a couple of unique hooks to make it feel fresh. The game element of the storyline is very cool, while the flashbacks detailing the macabre story behind arch-villainess Lilith are also great fun.

That Lengyel frames each shot so well as to really evoke a suitably uneasy feeling also helps to elevate the ghoulish subject matter.

It helps that he has such a strong cast at his disposal. Newberry does a fine job as the leading lady, ensuring the viewer always feels sympathetic toward her plight.

Burke is a real revelation as Lauren and this promising young actress is one I shall be looking out for in the future.

It’s not just the ladies who impress, Jaeger delivers arguably the stand-out performance as Hunter- bringing the sleazy character to life without ever descending into caricature. His character also takes quite the journey and it’s fascinating watching him.

Conners (who I spoke highly of before in my review for Chill: The Killing Games) is also quite excellent. I enjoyed his work before, and it was a pleasure to see him once again.

Last but not least, Crissy Kolarik is brilliant as the titular phantom. The role is primarily silent, a wordless performance built on sheer theatrical physicality. Kolarik does not just understand this, she revels in it. A good horror villain can elevate a genre flick - and this is a very good horror villain indeed.

The character design is a huge part of what makes the character work - she looks not unlike Insidious’s infamous Bride in Black crossed with the criminally underrated Dead Silence’s Mary Shaw with a hint of the divisive Stay Alive’s Elizabeth Bathory all topped off with The Woman In Black. Think spooky pale-faced Victorian school ma’ams and you get the idea. It’s a recurring motif in horror for good reason - it works!

Credit has to go to make-up artist Daniel Blain Click and special effects guru William M. Johns for bringing the look to life so effectively.

And Johns delivers in other areas too. We get some decidedly grisly wounds and bloody kills along the way to the unexpected conclusion of Lengyel’s tale. That Lengyel can take so many familiar ingredients but still deliver some surprises along the way speaks volumes about his skills.




THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): As I wrote earlier, Blumhouse’s character-driven ghost/demon stories are very much in vogue when it comes to the horror genre. It is good to see a smaller indie tackle these subjects - however, it is worth remembering that The Curse Of Lilith Ratchet is doing so on a significantly lower budget than your average Blumhouse national release.

It isn’t that Lengyel’s movie is shoddy - far from it - but of course it isn’t quite as polished as a lot of those big studio flicks. As such it is worth adjusting your expectations accordingly.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in a few scenes in which perhaps the time and budget to construct tailored sets would have worked to counter the limitations of the locations used.

I think it’s safe to say the hiding place chosen during the opening kill isn’t the strongest, while a key stand-off during the climactic game of cat and mouse in the night club where the game began also feels a little hampered.

I know it’s not really fair to pick at these things, caused by financial and time constraints rather than any deficiency of skill, but they are moments that can pull some people out of the moment.

These same constraints mean that not every performance hits the highs of the best moments during the movie. It’s not due to any lack of effort on the part of the actors, but every now and then the odd line does fall a little flat. Thankfully this is something that only occurs rarely, and does not significantly hinder enjoyment of the movie.

Finally, the pacing of the movie can get a little erratic at times. There are a couple of longer scenes that could probably have been excised or at least trimmed significantly to help the flow of the story. The movie does clock in at a little over 100min - it could afford to lose a minute (or five).




THE VERDICT: It is so refreshing to see a skilfully told jump-scare genre flick coming from the indies rather than a massive studio. It is even better to see that it is genuinely fun!

Lengyel has delivered the goods once again - sure, it’s a little rough around the edges at times, but at its core, The Curse Of Lilith Ratchet is pure entertainment. It features a neat hook with its game plotline, and an extremely cool villain. Under the writer/director’s assured guidance, and buoyed by some sterling performances and effects work, this is a sure-fire hit.

It’s not often I get to the end of an indie horror flick and instantly look forward to a sequel - rest assured, that if Lengyel and his crew want to return to this story, I am ready for Ratchet!

American Poltergeist: The Curse Of Lilith Ratchet is available at Walmart and Amazon.com - UK readers, stay tuned for an official release date. In the meantime, why not check out the film’s official Facebook page here? Give it a like while you’re there too, these guys deserve it!

If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

RAW REVIEW: THE HOLE IN THE GROUND

It would appear that 2019 is all set to be the year of the spooky kid. With the much anticipated Brightburn and The Prodigy on the way, eerily blank-faced little boys are the genre’s must-have right now.

The first of this batch of films, Irish director Lee Cronin’s The Hole In The Ground is already gathering plenty of hype following a stellar reception at Sundance, and has even been called this year’s The Babadook by some critics.

So would I want to dive in? Or would I want to leave it long buried?

Read on...

THE HOLE IN THE GROUND (2019)

DIR: Lee Cronin

STARRING: Seana Kerslake, James Quinn Markey, Simone Kirby, Steve Wall, Eoin Macken, Sarah Hanly, James Cosmo, Kati Outinen

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I'll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

The Hole In The Ground is the story of a strong but fragile single mother, Sarah (Kerslake) and her crumbling relationship with her odd son Christopher (Markey). 

Opening shortly after the pair moves into the creakiest creepiest house in all of rural Ireland, following an implied hellish ordeal at the hands of young Christopher's abusive father, the story really picks up steam after a trip into the nearby forest reveals a gargantuan sinkhole, while an ominous rant from the local crazy old lady with a tragic backstory of her own (Outinen) suggests all is not as it seems. 

Soon Christopher’s demeanour becomes all but unrecognisable, causing Sarah to wonder if the boy that returned from the woods is really her son...

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): First time feature director Cronin made waves with his acclaimed short Ghost Train (and eagle-eyed viewers may well spot a shout-out to that excellent piece of entertainment) and the scare-crafting skills on display there are evident in this movie too. 

At times genuinely unnerving, if the success of a horror flick is measured in scariness The Hole In The Ground absolutely delivers. It looks fantastic, and even the quieter moments drip with an all-pervading sense of dread.

Cronin’s eye for a shot really brings the film to life, turning the dank forest into a character all of its own, while it also boasts some impressive and understated effects during a couple of the more nightmarish moments.

The film is certainly buoyed by its sterling cast. The terrific Kerslake really is quite incredible, giving a rich and layered performance as Sarah. She manages to portray a woman n the edge without ever becoming annoying, and she also gets a chance to do something decidedly creepy late on in the movie that might just be the most chilling of all the scares in the film.

Markey is also brilliant in his big screen debut - at times sweet and cute, others unnerving and eerie. I fully expect to hear both mentioned during Awards season later this year.

As well as the two incredible leads, there are also stand-out turns from great character actors Outinen and Cosmo, who is as fantastic as ever - but if you see his name on a project I'm sure most of you know that is what you're getting.

These cast complement the story co-written by Cronin and Stephen Shields. They bring the well-written characters to life, while a deliberate but steady pace sees the fear ratchet up steadily as some skillfully worked set pieces provide regular jolts and aid in the telling of the story. 

Speaking of the plot, it also earns points for the way in which it takes a healthy dollop of folklore from the Emerald Isle as the basis of its frights. It's something I'd love to see even more of from now on.

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): While The Hole In The Ground is undoubtedly very good, I do feel it is a touch premature to be mentioning it in the same breath as modern classics such as the aforementioned The Babadook or Robert Eggers’ The VVitch. 

The Hole In The Ground isn’t quite as smart as Jessica Kent’s grief allegory, nor does it feel as groundbreaking in what it does as Eggers' 2015 period chiller.

It is a good story, but it is one you have probably heard before. Of course, in horror it isn't so much the story as how it is told that matters (just look at the hundreds of slasher movies from the Eighties as a case in point, then consider just how much the classics differ from Halloween's much celebrated template). 

Another small sticking point would be the ending of the film - obviously I cannot ruin that here, but it did feel as if it were going to offer up a nightmarish twist, that ultimately never came. I can't help but wonder how much more impact the movie might have had if it embraced the darkness of such a nihilistic conclusion. Still, what we do get is very enjoyable indeed, so perhaps I'd be better off appreciating what we do get.

THE VERDICT: As I said before, comparisons to The Babadook might serve to harm The Hole In The Ground in the long term. Sadly nothing can be done about hype once it has started to gather steam.

Perhaps this finely crafted little tale is better off compared with other recent offerings from across the Irish Sea, such as Corin Hardy’s The Hallow or Ivan Kavanagh’s The Canal - and it is arguably even better than those very good films.

The Hole In The Ground is an easy recommendation for those of you looking for a slick, sophisticated horror movie.

There’s no burying your head in the sand here - The Hole In The Ground establishes Cronin as a real talent to watch in the future - and as somebody who called this shot back when I reviewed Ghost train more than four years ago, I couldn't be happier to be right!

The Hole In The Ground is in cinemas from today - 1st March - by Vertigo Releasing.

Go check it out - and check out the film's official Facebook page here.

If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog. Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

RAW REVIEW: THE THEATRE OF TERROR

Long-term readers of this blog may recall the quirky indie flick Faces that I reviewed way back in March 2015. 

It was an imaginative and intelligent movie that ticked a hell of a lot of boxes. 

So you can imagine my delight when the good folks at Theatre of Terror asked if I would like to take a look at their newest offering, a throw-back anthology flick, named after the production company itself. 

Would this be a showstopper? Or would I be wishing for the final curtain? 

Read on... 


THE THEATRE OF TERROR (2018) 

Dir: Tom Ryan

STARRING: Tom Ryan, Lauren Renahan, Heather Brittain O’Scanlon, Adam Ginsberg, Scott Gorbach, Sarah Schoofs, Russell Hackett, Bob Cleary, Alan Rowe Kelly, Randy Memoli, Marc Abbott, Christopher J. Murphy, Paugh Shadow, Tim O’Hearn, Tommie McGuckin, Heather Drew, Patrick ‘Bone Man’ Boyer

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

The Theatre of Terror opens with a young woman (Renahan) discovering a flier about a campaign to save a historical movie theatre facing closure.

Upon arrival, she encounters the theatre’s decidedly odd proprietor (Ryan) who proceeds to demonstrate the power of film by showing her a series of gripping and disturbing shorts.

The first of these - The Gift - follows a woman (O’Scanlon) who has lost an enviable career, a loving family, and her own sense of self-worth. Resorting to prostitution, a nightmarish encounter with a customer sees her forced to take refuge in a quaint antique store. But is there more to the shopkeeper (Ginsberg) and his wares?

The second story - The Bookworm - follows an introverted young man (Gorbach) who uses his sizeable inheritance to purchase a library. However, he soon comes to suspect that more than literature can be found on its dusty bookshelves.

The third segment - Abducted - is the story of simple Ned (Hackett) who becomes captivated by a series of strange phenomena in the forest near his home in the wake of a number of mysterious disappearances.

The fourth story is entitled Endangered and follows a group of animal rights activists (including Renahan again) who decide to take action to protect the local grey wolf population. However, after an act of sabotage goes awry, they realise that isn’t just the wolves that are at risk in these woods.

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): The Theatre of Terror director Ryan has made no secret of the fact that this movie is his love letter to classic anthology shows such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. With that in mind, the movie delivers in spades.

There’s real variety in each of the stories contained within, and they take on a wide range of themes and sub-genres. But the thing that makes Ryan’s movie stand out from the crowd is a focus on characters.

Each segment feels as if it is the characters that Ryan has created that drive the story, rather than a ‘cool’ set-piece or plot twist. It makes each story more gripping because you actually know, understand, and - most importantly - care about the protagonists.

It certainly helps Ryan’s cause that he has assembled some very talented actors for the movie. Both Heather Brittain O’Scanlon and Adam Ginsberg from The Gift are arguably the standouts.

O’Scanlon is quite brilliant and delivers a brave, believable, heartbreaking performance that left me eager to see more of her in the future.

There are also impressive and show-stealing turns from the subtle and assured Gorbach and a crackling and maniacal Alan Rowe Kelly, whose Tales of Poe was well reviewed here at the House before.

The actors are given plenty to work with, even with the comparative brevity of each short, and they run with it.

These are not just compelling storylines, they are diverse too, meaning that even if you may not like one of the segments one of the others is sure to hit the spot. From psychological dramas to gory creature features, Ryan shows his range throughout The Theatre of Terror.

Often ambitious undertakings, such as the monster effects that are central to a couple of the shorts here, suffer in indie flicks due to budgetary constraints. However, there are a couple of great practical effects on display here, in both the Bookworm and Endangered segments, that are genuinely great.

Credit too must go to the ToT scouting team for securing the historic Loew Theatre for the wrap-around segments of the story. The beautiful and dramatically ornate old picture house is the perfect setting for this film, a building so rich in character that it practically becomes one in Ryan’s story. Wonderful work.

And while the visual effects are undoubtedly impressive, it is Ryan’s direction that packs the biggest visual punch. He knows how to frame a shot, to tell a story through his visuals, and the right times at which to use subtlety to create far more effective chills than over-the-top gore and jump scares.

This sort of dread-inducing storytelling was used so effectively back in the days when The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and The Night Gallery ruled the airwaves. It’s only fitting that a man paying homage to these shows should have such a strong grasp on what made them so iconic to begin with. 

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): It grates on me to have to do this so often, but it is necessary to point out that while a very impressive indie movie, The Theatre of Terror is still an indie movie nonetheless.

This means that it doesn’t quite have the polish that you might see in a multi-million dollar big screen offering such as those churned out by Blumhouse. Do please adjust some of your expectations accordingly.

One such example here might be during the Abducted segment. While the visual effects that bring the Bookworm and Alpha Beast to life in the segments I mentioned above are quite fantastic, those on display here don’t quite hit their lofty standards.

Another possible problem to some viewers is one that is endemic in all anthologies - unless the viewer has a very wide range of tastes, some segments are likely to leave them cold. What’s more, the difference in tone can jar somewhat and The Theatre of Terror is no different.

This is a tough criticism to make - variety is essential to the success of an anthology, otherwise it becomes repetitive and uninspiring very quickly, but it does affect cohesiveness.

Ryan has cleverly slowly escalated his stories, starting with the quietest and most subtle, slowing building to the most extreme of his tales. However, this does have an effect on the pacing. The first half of the movie is significantly slower than the second. I enjoyed the subtlety of these quieter early stories, but genre fans of more intense fare may well find themselves clock watching here.

Those same fans may also find fault with the scares on hand too. Not every segment is an out-and-out horror story, and most (like the classic TV series that inspired them) are perhaps more creepy than a nerve-shredding fear fest. If you are looking to be left unable to sleep in terror, this is probably not the movie for you.

VERDICT: The Theatre of Terror is my kind of anthology. It shows variety and heart in its storytelling, no shortage of skill in its filmmaking, a strong and compelling cast, and a note-perfect callback to some of the greatest shows to ever shape the genre.

No, it’s not a perfect movie, suffering from a few of the problems inherent in this form of storytelling, but Ryan’s work is never less than charming. It’s a fine showcase for the talents of him and his clearly very dedicated cast and crew. If you are in the mood for a clever, creepy throwback with plenty of heart, Theatre of Terror is the movie for you.

You can buy the movie at its official web site here. Also, check out Theatre of Terror’s Facebook page here - why not give it a like while you’re there? I’m sure these very talented filmmakers would appreciate it!

If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.