Deathstalker (2025)

 

Now cards on the table I've never seen any Deathstalker movie, I vaguely remember the original only because of it's slightly saucy poster. So when this remake was online my interest was zero until I found out the director Steven Kostanski directed the awesome 'Psycho Goreman', so I had to give it a watch...sweet jubus! This film is so bad, that yes, its so good, wooden acting, ridiculous plot, just what the fuck is going on, and the most OTT practical effects you can imagine, goblins, pigmen, a flying screaming head, a giant eyeball with legs. Utter rubbish, should have had at least 15 mins shaved off the runtime, but the film went from boring to leaving a smile on my face.

2.5/5 (4/5 for so good it's....)

A Woman Scorned (2025)

 

I love a good revenge movie so my expectations weren't high for this, low budget, straight to Amazon Prime, but I had to give it a go. Well it all starts off promising, two sisters on a vacation, run into some local fucknuts, all goes pear shaped, other Sister goes out for bloody revenge, and boy she does. Loads of stabbing, shooting, chainsaw and axe action you can't fault, but with a running time of 90 minutes it gets really silly in very little time, our heroine turns into Rambo, she 's dispatching bad guy after bad guy, she kills four or five then another truck turns up with reinforcements! Silly nonsense, worth a watch? yeah, why not.

3/5

Inside Number 9: The Devil Of Christmas (2016)

 

I have to admit I've hardly watched any episodes of "Inside Number 9", something on my list to do next year, but I thought I'd start off with one of the Christmas specials. It's a Krampus story but with the director giving an occasional voice over on the making of, it's a cheap and cheesy low budget show he's making which he relish's in, the classic Krampus is the core of the story, but being 'Inside Number 9' created by the brilliant Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (and in this episode starring the wonderful Rula Lenska) you just know there will be  a dark denouement, great stuff, and I'm looking forward to further exploring this show.

4/5

Exhibit A (2007)

 

Exhibit A is a chilling descent into domestic chaos, charting the transformation of a father from comical, almost childish antics (staging fake video's for prize money) into seething rage and borderline madness. What begins with lighthearted humor quickly unravels as his web of lies tightens, exposing cracks in his fragile facade. The shift is both unsettling and compelling, with each moment of denial pushing him closer to collapse. By the end, the film delivers a brutal gut wrenching finale that will linger in your memory ...

4.5/5

Violent Ends (2025)

 Got to admit I'd never heard of this straight to stream flick, but with reading favorable reviews I though I'd give it a go, and it's well worth your time. Violent Ends is a deliberate slow-burn thriller that rewards patience with strong performances and unsettling tension. The acting anchors the story, giving weight to its brooding pace. Just when the atmosphere feels almost too restrained, sudden bursts of shocking violence will erupt, reminding us of the danger simmering beneath the surface, these sharp contrasts elevate the film, making it a solid thriller.

4/5

One Battle After Another (2025)

 

When a movie has a running time of over 2.5 hours you know you're in for the long haul, many, many movies have had these big run times, The Shawshank Redemption (142 mins), The Departed (151 mins), Pulp Fiction (154 mins) all great movies and well worth every minute but some, well the recent Running Man weighing out at "just" 133 minutes was stretching it a bit. So when this flick got all the rave reviews I thought I'd get my Welsh ass up to Vue for a, um, viewing but then I saw the run time....nah, I'll wait to see it on my sofa in front of the 65" OLED...so does it justify your time? Oh yes. Absolute quality from the off, the movie never slows down, I absolutely love De Caprio and Sean Penn, who is a legend, and these guys are firing on all cylinder's throughout. The plot thunder's along, some great action set pieces, the film just sparkles with life, top 5 of the year easily.

4.5/5

The Running Man (2025)

 

The original "Running Man" movie from back in the late 80's I did watch, just once, all I can remember is that it starred Arnie, was written by Stephen King and that's about it. So when a remake was announced I can't say I was that excited, until I heard Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, The Cornetto Trilogy) was directing. So on a 2 day trip in London with two free Odeon tickets I thought I'd give it a go on the big screen, and 2 hours 15 minutes (!) later what did I think? Well it's bloody long, I mean 2hrs + of a bloke being chased around, in all honesty it's not really thrilling or exciting, I thought it might have some Robocop style political satire with some ultra-violence thrown in (there is some which got my attention) but the main Character Ben played by Glen Powell is rather unlikeable so it's hard to get involved in a movie that seems to go on for ever. You'll watch it once and forget about it sadly.

3.5/5

The Woman In Cabin 10 (2025)

 The movie boasts a good cast of Keira Knightley, Guy Pierce and Hannah Waddington as a pissed up lush, but the movie sails along (pun intended) gently and you get no real feel of actual tension, it's the type of movie Channel 5 or Hallmark would show at 3pm on a Winter's Sunday evening when you could cozy up with a cup of tea and a blanket. It's not a bad film in all fairness but not one that will have you on the edge of your seat.

3.5/5

The Price We Pay (2012)

 Don't judge a book by it's cover, or it's Movie poster as I did with this one. I was expecting a run of the mill heist movie goes awry, and that's how it sets its stall out for a good half hour. Three thugs rob a Pawn shop, take a hostage (the lovely Gigi Zumbado) then on the run, take refuge in a remote farm house...then it's take the most about turn you can imagine. Think Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Hostile "horror torture porn", I really wasn't expecting this, the final third is batshit bonkers with an utterly insane Hellraiser inspired finale all played out in the unforgiving bright sunny daylight. Available on Amazon Prime this is a twisted, bloody gore soaked surprise.

4.5/5

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) Classic video clip

 One of the hottest horror clips ever.

The Thing (1982) Classic Spider Head scene clip

 

One of the greatest sfx moments in Horror, incredible practical effects from the legend that is Rob Bottin, and quite easily an all time classic genre movie.

10/10

Beast Of War (2025)

 

Set during WW2 a group of soldiers are stranded in the middle of the Ocean after their Ship is sunk by the enemy, now they must survive without water and limited food....and a Great White hunting them with a terrible attitude! I didn't really have high hopes for this but the reviews were quite positive and it turns out to be a real tense well made thriller. Filmed with a dark misty "damp" look, there's some great humour throughout, almost Jaws meets Crocodile Dundee with it's quirky Aussie cast, and the shark, no CGI, looks pretty good and there's ample lashings of the red stuff with blood, guts (literally) and body parts getting sliced open and apart. Great fun!

       4.5/5

 

Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now (2025)

 What can you say about Sabbath, but particularly John 'Ozzy' Osbourne that hasn't already been said before? Well it changed my life musically forever the first time I heard the killer doom and riffs of "War Pigs" back in 1979 aged 12 years old. Ozzy was THE madman of rock, out drank, out snorted every Band, even going to sniff piss covered Ants off a sidewalk to outdo Motley Crue. But beneath the Prince Of Darkness persona he was deeply loved, Sharon pretty much saved his life and endured great, and dark bad times with him, but they both got stronger through numerous health scares etc. This heart warming, and equally heartbreaking, 2 hour programme documents what hell they endured, Ozzy almost paralized by a fuck up American Surgeon, his fight to play the "Back To The Beginning" show, and the fact it was an enormous success, his performance far exceeding what fans and critics feared, would he play just a couple of tracks, or none at all?  He passed away just weeks later, I'm sure the roar of the crowd still ringing in his ears as he took his final bow....10/10

Black Phone 2 (2025)

 

The original Black Phone release back in 2021 was an absolute blast, a nasty down and dirty eerie horror thriller, this release is a sluggish, disappointing sequel that panders its original premise with a painfully ponderous downright boring first half. The pacing drags, the tension ponderous, only when 'The Grabber' finally shows up does it kick into life with two good scenes, oh and a decapitation, during another bloody dream sequence of course, but this is far to late to save this bore-fest. One of the most disappointing releases for many a year, and one I thankfully didn't waste good money on at the Cinema for.

       2/5

 

Coyotes (2025)

 

This flick is pure popcorn mayhem horror fun. A movie with it's tongue firmly entrenched in it's bloody toothed cheek, great likeable characters, yeah the Coyotes are CGI but look great and fantastically menacing with their yellow evil eyes, teeth like razor blades, dribbling drool then blood, in a way this reminds me of 90's horror flicks such as the wonderful 'Tremors', no pretentions, just a a film maker who wants the viewer to have a bloody (pun intended) good laugh!

4/5 

Rec 3:Genesis 2012

 

The original 'Rec' film released way back in 2007 is a  21st Century horror classic, it was followed up by a few sequels which for some reason I just ignored, that is  until watching a youtuber  ( I think it was The Flick Connection) highly rated this one, and boy was it worth it. It's a blood soaked Wedding massacre, brutal, stylish and darkly funny, the Spanish know how to make nasty horror, this is a gory gem well worth a watch during these dark long nights.

(oh and it's a available on the wonderful Shudder Channel)

4.5/5