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. 

RAW REVIEW: CLEAVERS: KILLER CLOWNS

The second part of my double-bill of reviews for films by the talented folk at Mycho sees us return to the story of Carlton Layton A.K.A. Cleaver the killer clown.

With the character first appearing in Slasher House, then his own movie Cleaver: Rise Of The Killer Clown, he’s become a real cornerstone of the burgeoning Mychoverse.

So is this Cleaver razor sharp? Or is the whole thing getting rusty?

Read on...

CLEAVERS: KILLER CLOWNS (2019)

Dir: MJ Dixon
Stars: Georgie Smibert, Gemma Louise Troughton, Paul Rogers, Jessica Michelle Smith, Holly-Anne Dodkins, Kimberley Lasi, Matthew Baunsgard, Derek Nelson, Olivia Krys, Jimi James, Ben Manning, Chloe Badham

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I’ll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk. Also, this is a direct sequel to Cleaver: Rise Of The Killer Clown, so it will spoil that movie. You have been warned.

Continuing shortly after the blood-thirsty events of the first Cleaver, the film opens in 1995 as police officers Jody-Ann (Georgie Smibert) and her partner Hatcher (Jimi James) are on the trail of notorious murderer Carlton Layton (this time played by Paul Rogers). Upon locating his battered old ice-cream truck, the officers fall afoul of Cleaver and his recently recruited daughter Mary-Beth (Holly-Anne Dodkins).

Five years later Jody-Ann is still searching for her missing partner, causing a great deal of discomfort with local law enforcement in each town she stops at.
The situation only worsens when she is responsible for the capture of a woman named Misty (Gemma Louise Troughton) who claims to have inside knowledge as to the whereabouts of Cleaver. Out for revenge herself, Misty wants out of jail in exchange for the information - putting Jody-Ann in a tough position.

Meanwhile recovering drug addict Tanya (Jessica Michelle Smith) is on a trip through the Mid West with her family, inept dad Larry (Matthew Baunsgard), oafish brother Artie (Derek Nelson), Artie’s infuriating girlfriend Chase (Olivia Krys) and bossy new stepmother Tiffany (Kimberly Lasi) who is just a couple of years older than Tanya.

With tensions already running high, the family cross paths with a seemingly lost and innocent Mary-Beth. As they descend on an isolated farmhouse, they have no idea what awaits them...

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): As I wrote in my recent review for Mycho’s fantastic Bannister DollHouse, the rapidly expanding Mychoverse affords the company plenty of opportunities to diversify their genre offerings. The original Cleaver was a babysitter in peril flick that paid loving homage to the grandfather of that sub-genre, Halloween. CleaverS branches out into another popular Slasher domain, the grimy grindhouse road trip, as inspired by the classic Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

It’s an inspired touch, giving the movie a completely different yet still cohesive feel to what has come before. This is in no small part due to Dixon’s assured direction. CleaverS is clearly another labour of love for the microbudget maestro, and that care practically radiates out of the screen.

Considering their decidedly meagre resources, the films in the Mychoverse are always great looking. Mycho movies often have a Bava or Argento-esque style of lighting, with bold colour palettes and striking framing. There are shots in this movie, such as the moment in which the police officers discover Cleaver’s seemingly abandoned ice cream truck, that are among the very finest Dixon has ever shot.

Of course, visuals alone are not enough to carry a film - it requires a strong plot. CleaverS is one of the most complex storylines to come from the minds of the folks at Mycho, as evidenced by the sizeable cast. More importantly, each character serves a purpose other than to ratchet up the body count. There are proper character arcs for everybody and more than a few surprises along the way.

CleaverS also explores some fascinating themes, especially that of fatherhood and the role a dad should play in protecting his children. This is best evidenced in the contrasts between cheery but weak Larry and his dysfunctional family and the psychotic but doting Layton.

One might not expect a movie titled CleaverS: Killer Clowns to tackle such weighty subjects, but Mycho has and done it well to boot.

Of course, this is a horror movie - and a killer clown one at that -so it’s not all gentle chin-stroking and stirring monologues about the futility of it all. We get plenty of kills along the way, with Cleaver and his little protege showing off their warped sense of humour with a series of deadly ‘prank’ style traps. Cleavers are all well and good but strategically placed piano wire shows true artistry!

These kills would be for naught if we don’t care about the characters getting offed, and despite the size of the cast, Dixon does a pretty good job of getting us onboard (or dead set against) them.

It helps that he has assembled such a strong cast - especially in his core group of leading ladies.

Smibert, Troughton, Smith, and Lasi are all fantastic, each bringing something different to the film, but complementing one another perfectly. I for one hope we will see plenty more from this talented group of actresses.

The same can be said for Dodkins who is clearly having a ball in her Harley Quinn-like role. I've got a sneaking suspicion the folks at Mycho aren’t done with her just yet, and I thoroughly approve.

I was also glad to see familiar Mycho face Chloe Badham pop up again. It’s little more than an extended cameo, but she is great once again.

And it’s not just the female cast members that bring their A-game.

Baunsgard is awesome, bringing several layers to his portrayal of Larry, and nailing it throughout.

Rogers also delivers in a major way.
(Ok, you’ll have to forgive this one but I’ve been dying to make this pun ever since I heard the role of Cleaver was being recast ) with Andrew M Greenwood stepping down as the lead antagonist, Rogers had some, ahem, ‘big shoes’ to fill.
Thankfully he does not disappoint. He manages to channel the essence of the character so the transition is not too jarring, but he also manages to bring some fresh ideas to the part, making it his own rather than a pale imitation.
Rogers is just one more reason why CleaverS connects.

More than any other movie in the Mychoverse to date, CleaverS feels most like an ensemble piece. This means the characters tend to get more to do, and also ups the danger levels as we are never truly sure who will make it out alive. It’s this level of danger and breakneck pave that propel us on towards some very dark revelations - including one that hints at some fascinating possibilities for the series moving forward.

Finally, I think real credit is due to Dixon for so effectively portraying his locations as those on an entirely different continent. I don’t think it will come as a huge surprise to hear that he didn’t fly his cast and crew over to the Mid West to shoot the film, instead cleverly using smartly dressed British rural locations and some expert tweaks on the colour scale to capture that sun-baked feeling. It’s truly masterful sleight of hand and warrants appreciation.
Bravo!

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): A regular point I have to make when reviewing indie horror flicks is that the comparatively low budgets can often leave movies feeling decidedly less slick than the sort of James Wan produced/directed multiplex offerings you’ll find on nationwide release. So consider that point raised here.

Also, do please bear in mind that, while I praised CleaverS for making use of a sizeable and talented cast, the brisk pace of the film did leave me wishing that I could have seen a little more of some of them. Still, it’s a surefire sign of a good thing if you’re left wanting more!

Speaking of the cast, there are a couple of occasions on which this very British group of actors wobble with their American accents. However, I think it’s a testimony to their ability that these times are so few and far between.

Now, while not a weakness per se, I do feel a need to once again stress that this is a sequel. As such, some familiarity with its predecessor is definitely necessary to get the most out of CleaverS. It’s not impossible to keep up - and the clever opening scene does a pretty great job at bringing any newcomers up to date - but I’d recommend this as part of a double-Bill before calling a stand-alone. So why don’t you pick up a region-free copy of the superb Cleaver here before checking out the sequel at Horror-on-Sea in January?

Finally, and this is very much an issue of personal taste, it feels like CleaverS could have been a bit gorier. The title lends itself to plenty of bloody onscreen carnage, as does the throwback feel to genre classics such as TCM and The Hills Have Eyes. It’s not that the film is bloodless - far from it, in fact, it features a couple of decidedly graphic kills - it just feels like it could have been a bit more splatter.

THE VERDICT: Right up until I watched CleaverS, I said that Mycho had never disappointed me.
After watching CleaverS... that STILL holds true! It’s a slick, sick, killer clown flick that highlights everything right with the Mychoverse. It looks great, it builds and expands on its own already fascinating universe and it doesn’t scrimp on the scares either! There are still places that this story can go, and I cannot wait for MJ, Anna and all the other good folk at Mycho to take us there.

That not one but two great Mycho flicks should come along at once is incredible - that CleaverS and Bannister DollHouse should deliver while being so very different from one another is nothing short of a wonder. Attendees at Southend’s Horror-on-Sea Festival have a real treat in store this January. Want to be one of them? Well, you can buy tickets at www.horror-on-sea.com.

Meanwhile, keep up with CleaverS news at Mycho’s official website at https://mycho.weebly.com. And check out their Patreon 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, 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: BANNISTER DOLLHOUSE

Mycho Entertainment is a company that I can’t help but root for.

From humble roots, founder MJ Dixon has built an original horror shared universe, one made up of seven full length movies and a number of shorts.

That an indie company is able to achieve this is already an impressive feat, but what really stands out is that there has not been a single misfire to date.

So you can imagine my joy when Dixon offered The House an early look at his next two films in the series.

The first of these, Bannister DollHouse provides an origin for Slasherhouse II's extremely creepy Molly.

Would it continue the streak of hits? Read on...

BANNISTER DOLLHOUSE (2019)

Dir: MJ Dixon


Stars: Tiana Rogers, Grant Kempster, Susan Lee Burton, Emmeline Kellie, Chloe Badham


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

Bannister DollHouse continues the story started in the Mycho Patreon exclusive short Molly.

It features the Bannister family, dad Kenneth (Kempster), mother Mary (Burton), and their three daughters - Sherry (Badham), Dottie (Kellie) and Molly (Rogers).

Opening at Christmas, we witness a delighted Molly receive a gift of a decidedly unnerving doll from an unknown benefactor.

Of the immediate family, only the eldest daughter, the feisty Sherry, spots something amiss and (following the chilling events already witnessed during the short film Molly) decides to investigate. However, something has its eye on her, and her actions lead to tragedy.

A short while later the fractured family are still struggling to recover from the events of that fateful night. Ostracised Kenneth watches from afar, knowing that something is very very wrong with his youngest daughter.

But even the most devoted of family members cannot ignore the escalating oddness of Molly’s behaviour, forcing the Bannisters to confront the dark and insidious force that has targeted them...




THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): One of the great strengths of Mycho’s expanded universe is that different movies give director Dixon a differential sub-genre to play in - from classic slashers, to sci-fiesque comicbook action flick, to dark psychological thriller, the Mychoverse is exceptionally diverse. Bannister DollHouse adds another new ‘flavour’ to the Mycho menu - the creepy supernatural chiller.

It reminds me a lot of Blumhouse style modern haunting movies, themselves heavily influenced by classics such as The Haunting, The Changeling and Poltergeist. I know some may find the comparison insulting, but as a fan of the likes of Insidious, Ouija (well, the origin movie anyway), The Conjuring and it’s own demon doll spin offs Annabelle (and it’s vastly superior prequel), this is actually high praise.

Bannister DollHouse exudes that throwback ‘spooky’ atmosphere - and is a real hit for it.

Dixon is a talented filmmaker and his movies always look great - his framing of shots and visually striking colour palettes have only become better with each passing movie. This could be the best looking Mycho movie yet. At times some shots look like paintings and the clever use of colour motifs really pops. Bravo!

Of course, good looks alone don’t make a good movie, there needs to be some substance too. Thankfully, Dixon’s script delivers. It’s a very different sort of story to those he usually tells - it’s less grounded and opens up a whole new corner of the Mychoverse (think of this as Mycho’s Dr Strange!)

However, there’s no awkwardness in the transition and Dixon proves just as adept at this type of horror story too. There’s also a strong focus on character in this story, giving us a reason to care about the Bannister clan before the inevitable bloodshed. Too often overlooked in our genre in the past, it’s great to see filmmakers taking the efforts to earn an emotional investment from the audience.

It certainly helps the cause that at the core of the movie there is a cast that are uniformly strong.

Making her return to the Mycho fold having previously portrayed Molly in both 2016’s Slasher House II and the aforementioned short film, Rogers is pivotal to the success of the film. It’s a complicated role requiring real range, and she manages it with aplomb. While I suspect Molly Bannister’s story may be all but told, I’m sure Dixon will find a way to use her again (she’s clearly a favourite having appeared in 2015’s Cleaver too). Fingers crossed!

Badham is another actress who Dixon has used multiple times and it’s easy to see why. She’s quite excellent and I think it’s telling that the only criticism I can find of her scenes is that I wish there were more of them!

Burton is also excellent and takes a role that could well have fallen flat in lesser hands to major beleaguered mum Mary one of the film’s more interesting characters. A classy actress to watch, she strengthens every scene she’s in.

Kempster is also great, and brings a nice degree of pathos to his role. Like both Rogers and Burton, his is a role that could decide whether the film holds up or falls down, and he shows he is more than up to the task with a nuanced performance.

Kellie has plenty of experience and is just as strong as the other actors, even if she does have a little less to do. She’s definitely one to watch.

Now, this isn’t a family drama - Mycho is an unapologetic creator of horror movies. A decent script and talented cast are all well and good, but what about the frights?

Well, I think a strong argument can be made that this is one of the scariest films in the series. Tonally it’s definitely closer to Mycho’s genuinely unnerving Hollower than the more fun and in your face Slasher House flicks.

There are some fantastically creepy set pieces and one of the more terrifying antagonists in the series - a demonic entity that is sure to chill the blood during each of its brief but memorable screen appearances.




THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Honestly, it feels churlish to find fault with a film like Bannister DollHouse, one that achieves so much with so little. In fact I’d go so far as to say that everything in this section of the review will amount to little more than nitpicking, but that is my job after all.

I have referred to MJ Dixon as a microbudget maestro in the past. This is still true, but he is not a miracle worker. While I have likened Bannister DollHouse to the glossy output of Blumhouse, I do feel it is is worth stressing that is a low budget British indie horror movie without the substantial resources of colossal Hollywood studios. Yes it looks good, but do please adjust your expectations accordingly.

Another quibble I have, is with some of the humour injected into proceedings at times. I understand that a film as dark and grim as this needs the tension to be broken at times, but some of the wisecracks felt a little jarring. Sadly the delivery just felt a little off on a couple of occasions too. Perhaps I was just in the mood to be scared? Nonetheless these instances were few and far between and certainly not a big enough deal to have much of an affect on my enjoyment of the film.

Finally, as mentioned above, this is the latest chapter in an ongoing story of many chapters. First time Mycho viewers may find themselves a little daunted. Yes, this is a movie that rewards familiarity with the Mycho brand. However, this is not the equivalent of walking into Infinity War having never seen a Marvel Studios movie.

In fact, Bannister DollHouse is one of the best Mychoverse pictures from a stand-alone basis - and a lack of familiarity with Slasher House II would actually make the entire last act significantly more surprising! But do watch Molly to get the full story - and give those talented Mycho folk a bit more Patreon support while you’re at it.




THE VERDICT: I often review Mycho’s movies positively here at The House. I make no secret of my admiration for what MJ, Anna, and their network of talented collaborators have achieved.

But do not let that trick you into thinking that the movies they create are not worthy of the praise I give them - especially this one.

Putting it simply, Bannister DollHouse is one of the best movies they have made, and a genuine must-see. It’s a dark, creepy spookfest with enough frights to chill the most hardened of horror-loving hearts.

With a superb cast, visuals and plot, this is the real deal - and more than worthy of the Mycho name.

The next effort CleaverS has certainly got its work cut out following this - stay tuned to see how it fares.


Both Bannister DollHouse and CleaverS will have their world premieres at the Horror-on-Sea festival at Southend’s Park Inn Palace Hotel in January. You can buy tickets at www.horror-on-sea.com.


Meanwhile, keep up with Bannister DollHouse news at Mycho’s official web site at https://mycho.weebly.com. And check out their Patreon 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, 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: MASK OF THORN

Anybody looking at Universal Studios' continued woes bringing its Dark Universe to fruition could be forgiven for thinking that it is extremely difficult creating an expanded cinematic universe in our beloved horror genre.
But those of you familiar with the work of British indie production company Mycho Entertainment would also know that this is certainly not true. As auteur MJ Dixon has proven since the release of the stellar Slasher House back in 2012, all that is required is a singular vision, careful planning and a whole lot of effort.
Fans of Dixon will be aware that some of the first seeds of the Mychoverse were sewn back in the short-film Thorn, when the titular hulking, masked slasher monster made his first appearance.
Since then Thorn has gone on to steal the show in Slasher House, then expand on his mysterious backstory in the movie's first sequel, 2014's Legacy of Thorn. It was in this film that we learnt the monstrous Thorn re-emerges in the small town of Avondale every leap year on 29th February.
So with four years nearly up, it's time for Dixon's masked maniac to re-emerge — he's back in the soon to be released Mask of Thorn, a prequel to Legacy.
So do Mycho have another micro budget masterpiece on their hands?
Read on...

MASK OF THORN (2017)

Dir: MJ Dixon
Stars: Eve Kathryn Oliver, Sophie Bryant, Maria Lee Metherington, Lydia Cashman, Martin W. Payne, Tracey Chatterley, William Marshall, Michael Batty, Eduardo Cupi, George Horn, Clarke Tribe, Atticus Machiavellian

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

Mask of Thorn opens with a superb sequence in Avondale General Hospital in the early Seventies. A mysterious patient, Mina (Metherington) who vanished some time ago, is admitted in a terrible state, desperately holding her newborn daughter close.
As the confused night skeleton shift try to tend to their charges, an unexpected power outage heralds the arrival of a colossal masked man who proceeds to butcher all in his way. Yet, as deadly as he is in his own right, it soon becomes apparent that the monstrous Thorn may not be acting alone.

Flash forward to the mid-Eighties and we meet sweet Bethany (Oliver), who is about to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, despite the reservations of her strict and uptight parents, Derek (Payne) and Joyce (Chatterley). As her parents leave to prepare for Bethany's party, they instruct her that somebody will come to collect her later that evening.
However, they reckoned without the influence of Bethany's bad-girl best friend Olivia (Bryant) and her group of rebellious pals who whisk Bethany away for a surprise party in the now empty high school building.
As the youngsters party, they are blissfully unaware that Thorn is once again stalking the streets of Avondale seeking prey... but he has a dogged adversary of his own.

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Regular readers of this blog will know I've got a real soft spot for Mycho's output, even ranking Hollower among my favourite films of 2016 and penning this glowing review for Slasher House II. The feats that Dixon and his crew achieve with such modest budgets are truly bewildering, and I'm delighted to say that Mask of Thorn continues Mycho's run of indie classics.
Needless to say, a familiarity with the previous entries in the Mychoverse will be rewarded (with a couple of familiar, albeit younger, characters making a return)  but perhaps the greatest achievement that Dixon manages is to make this story strong enough to stand on its own two feet. There will be no confused head-scratching from first time Mychoers here.
Dixon's script is intelligent and full of references to classic horror movies, especially the Halloween franchise. I  couldn't help but laugh at fellow critics who came down hard on Mycho's Cleaver as a mere Halloween rip-off. They had clearly missed the point — that the killer clown tale was actually an intelligent and well-intentioned homage to the grandfather (and arguably the very greatest) of slasher flicks. This continues (albeit more subtly) in Mask of Thorn — from the Halloween II-esque hospital opening sequence (which was among my favourites in the movie) right through to the black robed cultists of the later sequels.
However, that's not to say that Mask of Thorn does not deliver in its own right. While the story skips the intricate flashforward/flashback structure of Legacy of Thorn, it's still very intelligent and delivers some superb spooky moments.
The film looks great, and I was genuinely shocked to hear that it cost about half of the budget assigned to Legacy — this is a movie that looks polished far beyond its means, from clever Eighties set aesthetics (and costumes), right down to some shockingly gruesome gore effects. Let us not forget, that despite its more complex mythology, Mask of Thorn is a slasher movie first and foremost, and slashers NEED to deliver a bodycount.
This is certainly on hand in this latest Mychoverse offering, with Thorn rending helpless victims left, right and centre with his trademark over-sized machetes, or his bare hands. There's a sizeable cast of suitable cannon-fodder, which the bad guy makes short work of.
However, there are also plenty of well-rounded characters who give the viewer more than enough to root for.
Of course, a character is only as good as the actor or actress that brings them to life, and Mask of Thorn boasts a quartet of exceptional actresses in key roles. 
Oliver brings a sweet naivety to our heroine Bethany. She's cute, likeable and portrays the character with a vulnerability that is key to gaining audience sympathy. She's certainly one to watch.
So too is the excellent young Bryant, who gives a real nuanced performance as Olivia, capturing her character's tough but loyal qualities brilliantly. Bravo, young miss!
Elsewhere the spiky Cashman (who Mycho fans might recognise from the spine-chilling short, In Tents) plays the baddest of bad girls Julia with plenty of attitude. She's clearly having a ball with her role and so did I! This is a fun character brought to life fantastically through a fun performance.
Finally, the exceptional Metherington is given plenty to do in her role and she is more than up to the task. She is absolutely great, and shows her full range throughout the film.
But it's not just the girls who deliver the goods here, there are some great performances fro  the guys too. I particularly liked Tribe's snarling tough guy act, while the icy buttoned-up work from Payne was also very impressive.
A lot of people seem to think that the role of silent slasher villain doesn't offer much of a challenge, but there are plenty of subtle touches required to make a memorable monster. Just look at how beloved Kane Hodder is with genre fans for his portrayal of archetypal boogeyman Jason Voorhees. These subtleties are not lost on Machiavellian who brings Thorn to life with a barely contained seething rage. He clearly gets how to do horror. 
I've always loved the character design for Thorn, and with his hulking frame, cruelly grinning skull face and otherworldly glowing blue eyes, Thorn looks as badass as ever here.
The final thing I want to single out for praise is the awesome Eighties-style end credit track by HockeyMask Heroes. Bringing to mind power rock anthems such as Dream Warriors by Dokken, He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask) by Alice Cooper or Shocker by The Dudes of Wrath, it's not just a great theme, it's a cool track in its own right. There are a few faux Eighties tracks on the movies soundtrack and, to a child of the Eighties, all are quite excellent. Top work gents!

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Mask of Thorn is an exceptional low-budget slasher movie. However, it IS a low-budget slasher movie. Movie accustomed to the glossy production values of Blumhouse's cinematic blockbusters may find the more rough and ready feel of most of Mycho's works a little jarring. This is a great movie, a top-notch slasher, but do please adjust expectations accordingly.
For the most part Mask of Thorn overcomes any budgetary constraints but every now and then there is the odd, very minor lapse.
The same came be said of the cast — while the standouts mentioned above really are quite wonderful, some of the other actors don't quite hit their lofty standards. There are no consistently poor performances, but every now and then some line deliveries feel a little stilted or wooden. Still, this is very much a rare occurrence and certainly does not serve to provide any severe hindrance to enjoyment of the movie.
Finally, while the movie certainly expands on the mythos of Thorn, it still leaves plenty of unanswered questions, and isn't really the origin story that some fans may be expecting. Here's hoping in four years time we'll be seeing Dixon's metal-masked monster return once more — I'd certainly be down with a Birth of Thorn or Cult of Thorn tale!

THE VERDICT: In the past I've said that I'd love to see a studio throw a big budget at MJ Dixon to see what he could do with those sorts of resources. Well now I've changed my mind.

Mask of Thorn is the latest in a long line of exceptional fright flicks from Mycho that show Dixon and co don't need an astronomical budget to deliver. I don't want studio executives getting in Dixon's ear telling him what to do, I want more of this talented director's work on his own terms. I want the much needed follow-up to Cleaver, I want to see Mychoverse: Phase Two featuring Slasher House II's villains, and, most of all, I want to see Red and the Demon settle their long-standing feud once and for all.

In Mask of Thorn we see everything that has made Mycho a genre fan-favourite. It's a throwback slasher with modern attitude, blood and guts with brains, and one of the very finest UK indie horrors in years. Highly, highly recommended.

Mask of Thorn will be released in 2018. Until then, why not keep up with any news over at the film's official Facebook page, which you can find here. Give it a like while you're there too, I'm sure the guys and gals at Mycho 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.