thriller

’31 Days of Horror’ Review – Imperium (2016)

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by Nile Fortner

Daniel Radcliffe plays an FBI agent infiltrating a white supremacist organization in Daniel Ragussis’ debut feature.

An idealistic FBI agent, played by Daniel Radcliffe (Kill Your Darlings and Swiss Army Man) goes undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group that’s plotting an act of terror. Based on the real-life experiences of former FBI agent Michael German, the thriller opens with a new and nerdy agent Nate Foster (Radcliffe) getting assigned to go undercover in a neo-Nazi organization suspected of planning a dirty bomb terrorist attack. The organization’s figurehead is Dallas Wolf, played by Tracy Letts (‘August: Osage County), a popular, hate-spouting radio talk show personality and author of Genocide: The Murder of White America.

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’31 Days of Horror’ Review – Maniac (2012)

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Frodo’s Gone Homicidal in ‘MANIAC’

by Nile Fortner

A socially awkward serial killer (Elijah Wood) removes the scalps’ of women and attaches them to his mannequins, to bring a new life to them.

A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Last House on the Left, The Amityville Horror, Cabin Fever, and The Wicker Man are all classic horror films. On the other hand, I believe these classic horror films have not been remade into classic remakes. Many remakes fail to capture the energy, wisdom, and likeness of the original. It is very difficult to capture lightning in a bottle twice, especially with horror movies. Many directors, producers, and writers of horror all tend to follow the same format, and end up being predictable, bland, and lifeless nowadays. However, director Franck Khalfoun (‘P2’ and ‘High Tension’) brings some new life into a cult classic, a new direction, and in my opinion a better film. I believe that Maniac (2012) is a rare exception of the remake actually being better than the original.

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October #PhellasGiveAway – Robocop and Underground Horror Prize Pack!

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Excuse me, I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening.

Hey Friends! We are working with our good friends at COMET TV again and are giving away another prize pack this October!  Check out the Robocop and Underground Horror series giveaway below and make sure to share this post using the hashtag #PhellasGiveAway

We will announce the winner on October 31st!

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’31 Days of Horror’ Review – The Guest (2014)

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by Nile Fortner

Terminator Meets Halloween in ‘The Guest’!

Returning from combat operations in Afghanistan, soldier David, visits the family of a dead comrade, and is invited to stay. However, is David everything he claims to be?  So what’s next for the makers of the film ‘You’re Next’? Some fans might expect another horror film from Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett. I believe we get more than just another horror film. Imagine if John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, ‘The Terminator’, ‘You’re Next’, and ‘Drive’ all found a way to mix up into one bad-ass, bold, and a blast of a movie. We would get 2014’s The Guest!

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’31 Days of Horror’ Review – You’re Next (2011)

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by Nile Fortner

A badass Australian chick decides to kick some ass after some dudes in animal masks break into her family’s home. The hunted becomes the hunter! Director Adam Wingard (V/H/S & The Guest) and writer Simon Barrett (The Guest) infuse the home-invasion horror and thriller genre, with a breath of fresh air.

After a gory, shocking, and interesting prologue, the film then takes us to an empty, wooded, country estate (because nothing bad ever happens in those places). There, we meet a wealthy couple who are getting ready for an awkward family reunion. Our main character Erin, played by Sharni Vinson, (Bait 3D, & Step Up 3D) accompanies her boyfriend Crispian, played by A.J. Bowen (A Horrible Way To Die, & The Sacrament).

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’31 Days of Horror’ Review – Hard Candy (2005)

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by Nile Fortner

With the Flatliners getting horrible reviews, I decided to go back and look at some Ellen Page movies. Ellen Page has had an amazing career, everything from the awkward and lovable teenage girl Juno, to Kitty Pryde in two X-Men films.

Hard Candy is about a girl named Hayley (Ellen Page) that is a precocious teenager who goes to a coffee shop to meet a older man named Jeff (Patrick Wilson), the photographer she met on the Internet. Jeff thinks he is in for a real treat, but Hayley plays a trick on him. After drugging Jeff and tying him down, Hayley reveals that she knows Jeff preys on teenage girls and she has a plan to wring a confession from him.

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