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Movie Review: Disco Italiana Box Set – Severin Blu-ray

Italian filmmakers well and truly got balls deep into any and all American genre cinema trends in the ‘70s and ‘80s in order to make some dough. That eloquent statement brings us to the subject of Discoploitation… yup, that’s right, or pals in Italy saw Saturday Night Fever and said “Fuck yeah, we can do that!” And they did… in a way… and now I’m going to take a gander at the results courtesy of Severin’s new Blu-ray boxset; Disco Italiana! Things kick off with American Fever (1978)… Our hero Tony (Mircha Carven, SS Experiment Love Camp) works as a mechanic by day and tears it up in his white suit on the disco floor at night… he’s also an aspiring actor. All isn’t carburetors and the Hustle however, and Tony finds himself getting involved with Lisa (Zora Kerova, Antropophagus, Cannibal Ferox)… yet another aspiring thespian that he talks down from a suicide attempt. While contending with that, Tony has

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Aug 8, 2026

Movie Review: Paranormal Hollywood Haunting (2026)

British Faux-documentary filmmaker Carl Medland rocked my socks with his trio of funny n’ freaky supernatural investigations into a farm with some bad fuckin’ mojo in the appropriately named Paranormal Farm series (reviews of which can be read here, here, and here). Well, our haunt-seeking host is back with another journey into the bizarre with his latest offering, Paranormal Hollywood Haunting… Arriving in America, Carl sets out to explore the Hollywood mansion of film veteran Arthur Porter and author/health advocate Daniel P’Lopez; an abode nestled right smack in the legendary Hollywood hills. As Carl and his cameraman Mumtaz “Taz” Yildirimlar, begin their investigation, the expected ghostly goings-on begin, but there is a deeper, more personal side to the yarn at hand that soon rises to the surface… That’s the beautiful thing about Paranormal Hollywood Haunting; while treating us to another outré investigation we get a glimpse of a truly human experience. As the film carries on it’s exaggerated fictional preternatural

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Aug 7, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Unholy Night and The Galactic Ghoul (Fantasia 2026)

Unholy Night (Canada, 2026) Official Synopsis Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex and the dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighbourhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family Christmas. Review Unholy Night is a horror comedy with heart. Squabbles between the Italian family members on Christmas Eve and the problems that arise when relatives return from the dead drive the comedy elements winningly. Director Michael Gabriele balances the humor and the horror nicely, along with relationship and family drama. The ensemble cast members all give solid performances, and the makeup for the revenants is satisfyingly creepy. These living dead can speak, cook, and move around well, and can sometimes be calmed down when they become aggressive enough

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Aug 7, 2026

Review and Unboxing: We’re Obsessed with Disney Store’s New Haunted Mansion Hoodie!

Spooky season has officially arrived, and the Disney Store is leading the charge with two massive new drops: one celebrating classic Disney Villains, and the other honoring the undisputed king of dark rides, The Haunted Mansion. I was practically floating when I walked out to my mailbox and spotted a huge white parcel courtesy of the Disney Store. Naturally, I had to film an unboxing for you—the blood-pumping heart that keeps HorrorFuel going! Check out the video below to watch me unbox and model the extremely cozy Haunted Mansion zip-up hoodie and matching keychain. The Unboxing & The Goods Now, the outer mailer bag had clearly survived a harrowing journey through the postal system, but inside, the merch was pristine and wrapped tight. First up was the Haunted Mansion zip-up hoodie. The black fabric is covered in the ride’s iconic, creepy wallpaper pattern—complete with purple faces and piercing lime-green eyes. The inner lining is ridiculously soft; calling it “plush” feels

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 6, 2026

Game Review: ‘Yellowcreek Stories-The Cabin Watcher’

As a writer, you spend a lot of time in isolation, or attempt it, to write with the silent prayers to whatever divine being that’s out there listening, that you’ll be left the f-ck alone. Well, in Carlos Azuaga’s and Jandusoft’s Yellowcreek Stories-The Cabin Watcher, that’s not gonna happen! Yellowcreek Stories: The Cabin Watcher follows a writer named Terry, who is staying at a remote cabin in the forest to work on his latest novel. Unfortunately, his calming night is interrupted by an escapee with a bloodlust that knows no end. Now, onto the game itself. The controls for Yellowcreek Stories: The Cabin Watcher are minimal, which I’ll go into more towards the end. The game’s art is interesting, but I fear it may be AI assets; I can’t confirm as the game’s ending credits were sparse, leading to this concern. The game’s soundtrack fits the story as it screams 80s synth. Normally I don’t like games that lack voice-overs,

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Aug 6, 2026

Movie Review: The Shark Thriller ‘Chum’ is Best Left Stranded at Sea

The year 2026 has been flooded with shark cinema. However, the vast majority of these aquatic thrillers are dead in the water long before the end credits roll. Leading the school as arguably the absolute worst entry of the year is Chum, a movie so aggressively tedious that it makes sitting through a bad wedding feel like a luxury getaway. Warning: Spoilers ahead The Plot The nightmare begins with a picture-perfect destination wedding on the sun-drenched coast of Malta. The champagne flows, vows are exchanged, and the newlyweds attempt to put on a brave face for their guests. The festivities take a quick dive into absurdity. An oversized killer shark crashes the party, stranding the group at sea. When open-water survival against an apex predator seems like the main threat, enter Roy (Jim Klock). Roy is a local fisherman. The Captain is unhinged in every sense of the word. Roy isn’t there to rescue anyone. Driven mad by grief, he

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 6, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Metal Messiah (Fantasia 2026)

Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Vincenzo Nappi After learning of an evil rock ’n’ roll music promoter’s plan to use heavy metal as a means of enforcing society’s cyclical self-destructive nature and to keep individuals from true self-realization, a metallic-skinned and incredibly well-dressed alien beams down to earth to try to save humanity. However, as his presence attracts the attention of private investigators and corrupt police forces, the stranger must fight to keep society from reaching its hedonistic end. Review Devotees of genre-film musicals that combine horror and science fiction elements with rock and roll are bound to get a kick out of Canadian International Pictures’ terrific new 4K restoration of director Tibor Takács’ 1978 Canadian feature Metal Messiah. Written by Stephen Zoller and based on his play, the film is a gritty journey from the mind of noirish detective Philip Chandler (Richard Ward Allen) to the streets and rock clubs of late seventies Toronto, to places

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Aug 6, 2026

Perfume Review: Heretic Parfum’s Season of the Witch Discovery Set Cast a Spell on Me

Let’s be honest: the quest for a signature scent is often a soul-crushing march through a department store haze. Most fragrances are mass-produced to appeal to everyone, which usually results in you smelling exactly like the stranger standing next to you in the elevator. If you’re looking to break the cycle of the mundane, it’s time to seek out the unconventional. Enter Heretic Parfum. Heretic is currently making waves by rejecting the industry’s “pretty” standards in favor of something far more provocative. By leaning into gothic themes and utilizing unexpected botanical combinations, they’ve created an olfactory experience that feels less like a cosmetic and more like an incantation. The Gateway to the Occult: Discovery Sets. We all know the struggle: you don’t want to drop a small fortune on a full-size bottle only to realize it doesn’t vibe with your chemistry. Heretic solves this with their meticulously curated discovery sets. These aren’t just samples; they are invitations to experiment. The

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 5, 2026

Spoiler Free Review: Is Eli Roth’s ‘Ice Cream Man’ A Sweet Treat?

For months, horror fans have been tracking Eli Roth’s latest dairy-themed nightmare, Ice Cream Man. The burning question: Is this a sweet summer treat, or is it as painful as brain freeze? Having just survived it, I’m happy to report that it’s exactly what you expect—for better and for worse. Here’s my mostly spoiler-free review. Set in a picture-perfect, sun-drenched summer resort town, the film taps into the ultimate childhood betrayal: What happens when the neighborhood ice cream man starts serving up soft-serve laced with pure, homicidal madness? Feral Kids and Paper Hats Forget about cavities. The local youth eat this tainted dairy and immediately descend into a state of feral, violent insanity. Playing our twisted dessert vendor is Ari Millen (Orphan Black), who gives off some genuinely spectacular “stranger danger” vibes and anchors the movie with a deeply creepy performance. Millen is backed by a solid ensemble, including Dylan Hawco, and a trio of actors Roth brought over from

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 4, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Corpus (Fantasia 2026)

Official Synopsis It’s the summer of 1998 in New York City; Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg, EUPHORIA), a soulful nightlife photographer and small-time drug dealer, is invited to a party upstate by his long-time friend and unrequited love, a movie star on the rise: Vince Marlowe (Brodie Townsend, HEARTBREAK HIGH). Together with their rowdy friend Ross (Michael Vlamis, POOLS), they drive to a remote, bucolic manor in hopes of some summer debauchery. But when they arrive, they discover that the promise of a party is actually three mysterious women – Billie (Lily Cowles, ANTEBELLUM), Wren (Nuha Jes Izman, YELLOWJACKETS) and Cata (Ching Valdes-Aran, THE EQUALIZER) – whose disturbing agenda draws the boys into a dark web of seduction and terror. Review Director Corrin Evans crafts an intriguing fear-fare feature rooted in 1990s club and art culture with Corpus. Evans and cowriter Lily Cowles — who also stars as a renowned photographer — set the discomfiting tone of the film from the opening

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Aug 3, 2026

More from Reviews

Movie Review: Disco Italiana Box Set – Severin Blu-ray

Italian filmmakers well and truly got balls deep into any and all American genre cinema trends in the ‘70s and ‘80s in order to make some dough. That eloquent statement brings us to the subject of Discoploitation… yup, that’s right, or pals in Italy saw Saturday Night Fever and said “Fuck yeah, we can do that!” And they did… in a way… and now I’m going to take a gander at the results courtesy of Severin’s new Blu-ray boxset; Disco Italiana! Things kick off with American Fever (1978)… Our hero Tony (Mircha Carven, SS Experiment Love Camp) works as a mechanic by day and tears it up in his white suit on the disco floor at night… he’s also an aspiring actor. All isn’t carburetors and the Hustle however, and Tony finds himself getting involved with Lisa (Zora Kerova, Antropophagus, Cannibal Ferox)… yet another aspiring thespian that he talks down from a suicide attempt. While contending with that, Tony has

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Aug 8, 2026

Movie Review: Paranormal Hollywood Haunting (2026)

British Faux-documentary filmmaker Carl Medland rocked my socks with his trio of funny n’ freaky supernatural investigations into a farm with some bad fuckin’ mojo in the appropriately named Paranormal Farm series (reviews of which can be read here, here, and here). Well, our haunt-seeking host is back with another journey into the bizarre with his latest offering, Paranormal Hollywood Haunting… Arriving in America, Carl sets out to explore the Hollywood mansion of film veteran Arthur Porter and author/health advocate Daniel P’Lopez; an abode nestled right smack in the legendary Hollywood hills. As Carl and his cameraman Mumtaz “Taz” Yildirimlar, begin their investigation, the expected ghostly goings-on begin, but there is a deeper, more personal side to the yarn at hand that soon rises to the surface… That’s the beautiful thing about Paranormal Hollywood Haunting; while treating us to another outré investigation we get a glimpse of a truly human experience. As the film carries on it’s exaggerated fictional preternatural

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Aug 7, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Unholy Night and The Galactic Ghoul (Fantasia 2026)

Unholy Night (Canada, 2026) Official Synopsis Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex and the dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighbourhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family Christmas. Review Unholy Night is a horror comedy with heart. Squabbles between the Italian family members on Christmas Eve and the problems that arise when relatives return from the dead drive the comedy elements winningly. Director Michael Gabriele balances the humor and the horror nicely, along with relationship and family drama. The ensemble cast members all give solid performances, and the makeup for the revenants is satisfyingly creepy. These living dead can speak, cook, and move around well, and can sometimes be calmed down when they become aggressive enough

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Aug 7, 2026

Review and Unboxing: We’re Obsessed with Disney Store’s New Haunted Mansion Hoodie!

Spooky season has officially arrived, and the Disney Store is leading the charge with two massive new drops: one celebrating classic Disney Villains, and the other honoring the undisputed king of dark rides, The Haunted Mansion. I was practically floating when I walked out to my mailbox and spotted a huge white parcel courtesy of the Disney Store. Naturally, I had to film an unboxing for you—the blood-pumping heart that keeps HorrorFuel going! Check out the video below to watch me unbox and model the extremely cozy Haunted Mansion zip-up hoodie and matching keychain. The Unboxing & The Goods Now, the outer mailer bag had clearly survived a harrowing journey through the postal system, but inside, the merch was pristine and wrapped tight. First up was the Haunted Mansion zip-up hoodie. The black fabric is covered in the ride’s iconic, creepy wallpaper pattern—complete with purple faces and piercing lime-green eyes. The inner lining is ridiculously soft; calling it “plush” feels

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 6, 2026

Game Review: ‘Yellowcreek Stories-The Cabin Watcher’

As a writer, you spend a lot of time in isolation, or attempt it, to write with the silent prayers to whatever divine being that’s out there listening, that you’ll be left the f-ck alone. Well, in Carlos Azuaga’s and Jandusoft’s Yellowcreek Stories-The Cabin Watcher, that’s not gonna happen! Yellowcreek Stories: The Cabin Watcher follows a writer named Terry, who is staying at a remote cabin in the forest to work on his latest novel. Unfortunately, his calming night is interrupted by an escapee with a bloodlust that knows no end. Now, onto the game itself. The controls for Yellowcreek Stories: The Cabin Watcher are minimal, which I’ll go into more towards the end. The game’s art is interesting, but I fear it may be AI assets; I can’t confirm as the game’s ending credits were sparse, leading to this concern. The game’s soundtrack fits the story as it screams 80s synth. Normally I don’t like games that lack voice-overs,

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Aug 6, 2026

Movie Review: The Shark Thriller ‘Chum’ is Best Left Stranded at Sea

The year 2026 has been flooded with shark cinema. However, the vast majority of these aquatic thrillers are dead in the water long before the end credits roll. Leading the school as arguably the absolute worst entry of the year is Chum, a movie so aggressively tedious that it makes sitting through a bad wedding feel like a luxury getaway. Warning: Spoilers ahead The Plot The nightmare begins with a picture-perfect destination wedding on the sun-drenched coast of Malta. The champagne flows, vows are exchanged, and the newlyweds attempt to put on a brave face for their guests. The festivities take a quick dive into absurdity. An oversized killer shark crashes the party, stranding the group at sea. When open-water survival against an apex predator seems like the main threat, enter Roy (Jim Klock). Roy is a local fisherman. The Captain is unhinged in every sense of the word. Roy isn’t there to rescue anyone. Driven mad by grief, he

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 6, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Metal Messiah (Fantasia 2026)

Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Vincenzo Nappi After learning of an evil rock ’n’ roll music promoter’s plan to use heavy metal as a means of enforcing society’s cyclical self-destructive nature and to keep individuals from true self-realization, a metallic-skinned and incredibly well-dressed alien beams down to earth to try to save humanity. However, as his presence attracts the attention of private investigators and corrupt police forces, the stranger must fight to keep society from reaching its hedonistic end. Review Devotees of genre-film musicals that combine horror and science fiction elements with rock and roll are bound to get a kick out of Canadian International Pictures’ terrific new 4K restoration of director Tibor Takács’ 1978 Canadian feature Metal Messiah. Written by Stephen Zoller and based on his play, the film is a gritty journey from the mind of noirish detective Philip Chandler (Richard Ward Allen) to the streets and rock clubs of late seventies Toronto, to places

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Aug 6, 2026

Perfume Review: Heretic Parfum’s Season of the Witch Discovery Set Cast a Spell on Me

Let’s be honest: the quest for a signature scent is often a soul-crushing march through a department store haze. Most fragrances are mass-produced to appeal to everyone, which usually results in you smelling exactly like the stranger standing next to you in the elevator. If you’re looking to break the cycle of the mundane, it’s time to seek out the unconventional. Enter Heretic Parfum. Heretic is currently making waves by rejecting the industry’s “pretty” standards in favor of something far more provocative. By leaning into gothic themes and utilizing unexpected botanical combinations, they’ve created an olfactory experience that feels less like a cosmetic and more like an incantation. The Gateway to the Occult: Discovery Sets. We all know the struggle: you don’t want to drop a small fortune on a full-size bottle only to realize it doesn’t vibe with your chemistry. Heretic solves this with their meticulously curated discovery sets. These aren’t just samples; they are invitations to experiment. The

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 5, 2026

Spoiler Free Review: Is Eli Roth’s ‘Ice Cream Man’ A Sweet Treat?

For months, horror fans have been tracking Eli Roth’s latest dairy-themed nightmare, Ice Cream Man. The burning question: Is this a sweet summer treat, or is it as painful as brain freeze? Having just survived it, I’m happy to report that it’s exactly what you expect—for better and for worse. Here’s my mostly spoiler-free review. Set in a picture-perfect, sun-drenched summer resort town, the film taps into the ultimate childhood betrayal: What happens when the neighborhood ice cream man starts serving up soft-serve laced with pure, homicidal madness? Feral Kids and Paper Hats Forget about cavities. The local youth eat this tainted dairy and immediately descend into a state of feral, violent insanity. Playing our twisted dessert vendor is Ari Millen (Orphan Black), who gives off some genuinely spectacular “stranger danger” vibes and anchors the movie with a deeply creepy performance. Millen is backed by a solid ensemble, including Dylan Hawco, and a trio of actors Roth brought over from

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 4, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Corpus (Fantasia 2026)

Official Synopsis It’s the summer of 1998 in New York City; Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg, EUPHORIA), a soulful nightlife photographer and small-time drug dealer, is invited to a party upstate by his long-time friend and unrequited love, a movie star on the rise: Vince Marlowe (Brodie Townsend, HEARTBREAK HIGH). Together with their rowdy friend Ross (Michael Vlamis, POOLS), they drive to a remote, bucolic manor in hopes of some summer debauchery. But when they arrive, they discover that the promise of a party is actually three mysterious women – Billie (Lily Cowles, ANTEBELLUM), Wren (Nuha Jes Izman, YELLOWJACKETS) and Cata (Ching Valdes-Aran, THE EQUALIZER) – whose disturbing agenda draws the boys into a dark web of seduction and terror. Review Director Corrin Evans crafts an intriguing fear-fare feature rooted in 1990s club and art culture with Corpus. Evans and cowriter Lily Cowles — who also stars as a renowned photographer — set the discomfiting tone of the film from the opening

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Aug 3, 2026
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