Directed by: Damien Power Starring: Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl Go Horror Rating: D Setting this movie up, we have a textbook mystery on our hands. Troubled girl on the run who ends up locked down with a batch of strangers in a visitor's center. But wait, there's more! There's some sketchiness afoot and a wrongdoer within. Cool, it should pan out alright... right? Not so much. This movie never reaches, and realistically never came close to reaching any value as a thriller. It was predictable, although the twists were fair. The mayhem in later parts hit the right nerves and helped regain some worth, but overall this movie was insubstantial. The cast drastically varied from very likeable to dreadful and definitely had a hand in restricting airflow to the scenario.

You can never go wrong with a classic horror movie, that’s just a fact, but now with all of these remakes popping up it’s time to discuss whether there are any worth watching. Can a remake beat an original? Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes the original is just better. I’ll dive into a few below and give my thoughts. Psycho (1960) vs. Psycho (1998) I recently had a chance to rewatch the original and it definitely still holds up. Anthony Perkins starred as Norman Bates in this version, and successfully portrayed the shy motel clerk as well as the deranged “Mother”. Obviously, over time it doesn’t feel as scary as it does unsettling, but the whole “Mother” part still gives me the heebie jeebies. A shot for shot remake of this movie starring Anne Heche and Vince Vaughn was released almost 40 years later. It wasn’t nearly as successful and actually received 3 Golden Raspberry nominations. Critics claimed this was a pointless remake, and my hot take? I’d tend to agree. Save yourself some time and don’t bother with anything but the original. Winner: The Original - Psycho (1960), by a longshot. The Evil Dead (1981) vs. Evil Dead (2013) Here we have an example of a much more effective remake.The 1981 original, directed by Sam Raimi is considered one of the most popular cult classics of all time, and kicked off the Evil Dead franchise. While the 1981 version is considered more of a comedy-horror, the 2013 remake has a significantly more violent and gory vibe. In 2013, Fede Alvarez (with Sam Raimi as one of the producers) directed the remake which was a hit among horror fans. Critics praised this remake for staying true to the story while also adding its own original spin. This version surprised fans with its brutality and has seemingly left a lasting impression, as well as a new character to root for. Winner: The Original - The Evil Dead (1981), but the remake succeeded and delivered (a lot of) fresh blood into the story. Awesome movie, but the original holds up a bit more. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) I’ve always been a huge fan of this series, so this is definitely one to discuss! The first movie came out in 1974, and became the driving force for the legendary slasher franchise we now know and love. This includes multiple sequels, prequels, comic books and video games. Leatherface is a horror icon and will go down as one of horror’s most evil villains. Upon release it was heavy-hitting and made slashers more relevant and terrifying. The first remake came in 2003, and is the version most of us are familiar with. This version stars Jessica Biel, R. Lee Ermey, and also brought back Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel on board as co-producers. This one felt a little bit shallow, but very vicious and savage. For some, this was right on the mark for what they’d want in a remake. Winner: The Original - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), although we get total value out of the 2003 remake and it’s absolutely worth checking out.

Directed by: Charlie McDowell Starring: Jason Segel, Lily Collins, Jesse Plemons Go Horror Rating: B At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the film is definitely held together by a tight setting and solid cast. Segel seemed a little out of place from his typical acting zone and I wish he brought a little more aggression to the table, especially deeper into the movie. That's not to say he didn't deliver, as I thought he balanced his character's emotions well. Plemons is a satisfying actor to watch and did a great job playing a man who felt he was in control, despite being one of the hostages. Collins was good, too, but for some reason I wasn't overly empathetic for her, or the person she tried to portray. Still, she's likeable enough to earn a few points on the badass scale. The premise of the movie carried well for about an hour, but briskly abandoned itself when trying to web its way through class friction and relationship turmoil. The ending is a bit untidy for my liking. It felt like a quick, cold bolt of lightning that didn't leave any real shock, but injected just enough energy to make it worthwhile.

We're getting another entry in the 'Conversations with a Killer' series from director Joe Berlinger - The John Wayne Gacy Tapes. Netflix drops this 3-episode, limited series on April 20th. 'He dined with the powerful. He preyed on the vulnerable. Beneath a smiling exterior was the horrifying darkness of a sadistic serial killer.' “Serial killer John Wayne Gacy was an aspiring politician, beloved local contractor, and part-time clown-for-hire who murdered 33 young men between 1972 and 1976. The majority of his victims were found buried under his house, in the quiet northwest suburbs of Chicago. Fifty years later, DNA scientists are still trying to identify all of his victims, but thanks to 60 hours of unearthed audio between Gacy and his defense team, we have fresh perspective on the narcissistic mindset of the murderer and a deeper understanding of how he operated for so long with impunity. The second installment in an ongoing series from filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes), this three-part documentary also features new interviews with key participants – some of whom have never talked before, including gut-wrenching testimony from one of Gacy’s survivors – all in search of answers to a crucial question: How was a public figure like Gacy able to get away with murder for so long?”

Directed by: Robert Rippberger Starring: Booboo Stewart, Scarlett Sperduto, Nils Allen Stewart Go Horror Rating: C It seems I might be in the minority when I say the movie had me in the first bit, and lost traction closing out. I didn't mind the long-take dialogue and even though the conversation and script felt medium-well as opposed to medium-rare, the characters and small-town charm appealed to me. Max (Stewart) and Avery (Sperduto) had flow and I really liked their interactions. It almost felt like a found-footage movie and even though predictable, I found enjoyment waiting for the 'how' as far as what was coming next. Where the movie starts to crumble is when we get to the 'haunted house' that for some reason still has connected utilities. The rubbish on the walls and general decay of the house didn't increase the scariness of the adventure, it more or less made me feel like they were just at a drug dealer's place. Kudos for trying to create a new monster and a relatively unique idea surrounding it. I can't help but feel, though, that the insertion of Rudy (JonSteele), the tactics and process of the monster, and the awkward as hell way that Avery and her brother just sort of lurk and hang around the house was mundane and weak. We get an end result that suffices so at least the movie climbs back onto it's feet to conclude.

Directed by: Kerry Bellessa Starring: Michael Beach, Summer Bellessa, Anthony Ruivivar Go Horror Rating: C The scariest part of this movie was how infused religion was throughout. I mean, I guess that was the point, but damn did it feel forced. Jonah (Michael Beach) was convincing and played his part well but I had no real attachment to any other character. There were some genuinely unsettling parts to this movie and some of the religious aspects at play didn't fully turn me off, as they made sense for the story. Not sure if that's a compliment or not. I was certainly invested at first and glad I knocked this title off my list. It just sort of devolved into a bargain bin title by the time it wrapped.

There’s one word I haven’t been able to get out of my mind in the week since I finished Kitty Horrorshow’s masterpiece 'ANATOMY' - Betrayal Think about the times in your life where you are the most vulnerable. Maybe it’s when you’re in the shower, when you’re stoned on the couch, when you’re sharing intimate moments with a partner. For some of us it’s easy to let our guard down and allow ourselves to be vulnerable, for others it can be nearly impossible. For all of us, though, there’s a pretty obvious setting in which we are at our absolute peak of vulnerability, and that is asleep in the comfort of our own homes. Anywhere else is foreign, it takes us time to learn a new space and build that key familiarity, but in our own homes we feel like we can know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we can trust the walls around us to keep us safe. What happens when that home we leave our bodies to every night turns malicious? What happens when it betrays that trust? As much as it is a video game, ANATOMY is a vessel for pieces of spoken word recorded to tape, and then played back in this kitchen. True to the name, these tape recordings paint the house as a living organism with biology, systems and, of course, anatomy. You scour this house which is at once totally alien and yet eerily familiar, searching for more pieces to this narrative, and in the meantime this sense of betrayal grows and grows. I know how a house works. Of course I do. I’ve lived in one my whole life, and have visited countless more. I know what a house is, and this isn’t one. This isn’t where the bathroom goes. Garages aren’t supposed to be this big. This kitchen is too deep. It’s dark – painfully dark – and there’s not a single light switch to make it brighter. Who needs this many bedrooms anyways? This isn’t a house, no, this is a space not designed for me. At $2 and only 45 minutes in length, there is no recommendation glowing enough that I could give ANATOMY. It’s terrifying in a way that can only be experienced firsthand, and affecting in a way that’s kept it in the forefront of my mind nearly every waking minute since completing it.

It's always a good day when anything Half-Life related drops, and today is one of those days with a trailer for Half-Life: Alyx's new mod 'Levitation'! A collaboration between FMPONE and Corey Laddo, this VR mod has you exploring a levitating building, with some familiar characters (Russell and G-Man) back in the mix. The mod will be free if you own Half-Life: Alyx and should be available in the latter half of 2022, through Steam Workshop. Have a look at the trailer below!

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette Go Horror Rating: B As someone who loves a good helping of cheese or bologna in their horror, I hope to see new Scream movies in theatres every year for the rest of time. In saying that, this release wasn't great, but was certainly delicious. The biggest piss-off was how many characters received upwards of 50,000 stab wounds and blunt force trauma, yet still managed to survive or stumble around long enough to receive mild medical attention. I also have to admit that the name-dropping of other films and using terms like "elevated horror' really drove me nuts. When you try that hard to earn scene points, it should, and does, do the opposite. It was a weird trade off where the script seemed to demand that the new cast emerge as trendy and edgy, rather than the older movies where it felt organic and nerdy. You want to be nerdy, not pompous. Campbell, Cox, and Arquette are all beauties. Back at it and keeping things on track. All noble efforts and they really stabilized the film. I have tons of faith in the new crew taking the reigns and keeping this series stabbin' along, but they surely benefited from having the OGs around. Tara, Mindy, and Sam (Ortega, Brown, Barrera) have bright futures in the franchise, and are likely to become a batch of complete badasses.

As you may or may not be aware, the crew over at Level 99 Games have launched a Kickstarter campaign for 'Dead by Daylight: The Board Game'. As of writing this, they've hit $700,000, more than doubling their initial goal. This is great news for them and horror fans alike because it seems the board game version will hold true to the video game. For those who don't know the drill, you have group of survivors who navigate a map, fixing generators to aid in their escape. You also have a killer who is actively hunting your team down and sabotaging the mission as you progress. It's a terrifying game that provides endless fun for you and your amigos. We can only hope the table-top version will be just as gnarly. The one downside to this release is that there won't be any licensed content. You won't be able to play using any characters from other horror franchises that Dead by Daylight has teamed up with. There's a standard edition and a collector's edition. A few big differences and a bit meatier a price point. Check out the Kickstarter page for all the info and back this game immediately!