I had a great time with Parker Finn’s original feature Smile. It was a fun flick with great performances. Even still, when I stepped into the theatre for Smile 2, my expectations were in check. And yet, I, along with the rest of the audience, all responded to the new sequel. The surprisingly excellent sequel offers a compelling story that builds on its creepy premise. The kills are intense, and for a longer film, it never wears out its welcome. Much of the success can be given to the talent of its filmmaker, Parker Finn. However, you also have to give credit to the film’s star, Naomi Scott. The actress gives an incredible performance and makes you truly care about her dilemma. Check out our own Chris Bumbray’s review here.

It’s always nice to step into an interview with genuine excitement for the film. And I loved this movie. First up, I spoke with the filmmaker, Parker Finn. He talked about building this cinematic world and casting Naomi Scott in the lead. Next up I had the chance to speak with Ms. Scott. Having interviewed her before, I was more than pleased to talk again. Naomi is excellent here, and she opened up about playing a pop star who is facing a serious crisis in her life. Smile 2 is a terrific horror film, but it’s also incredibly unsettling, and it rarely pulls any punches. It’s more than a little refreshing to see a genuinely great sequel, and for me, this one is certainly up there.

Check out Smile 2 this weekend with a crowd!

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There is something quite creepy about getting lost in the woods. The filmmaking duo Celine Held and Logan George add something unique to that trippy and intriguing story. Caddo Lake stars Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, and Diana Hopper. The film explores the disappearance of an 8-year-old girl and the lives it affects. To say too much might be a disservice, as there is much to admire here. All the performances are terrific, but Dylan O’Brien and Eliza Scanlen who stand out in this complex and grounded tale. The two are exceptional, and given the impressive script, it offers both much to work with.

I first interviewed Dylan O’Brien during the press tour of one of the Maze Runner features. He was awesome to interview and has only gotten better. Since then, we’ve spoken often (we just interviewed him about his work in Saturday Night), and frankly, we’ve gained quite a friendly and respectful relationship. I genuinely dig this guy, and he is a fantastic talent. His work in Caddo Lake continues to impress (check out our review). The actor’s character takes on a very personal journey in this story. While there are many secrets, it works due to the grounded nature of the script and the amazing talent bringing their voice to it. And he had much praise for the filmmakers and their creation.

Caddo Lake is refreshingly inventive, with excellent performances from the cast. Check it out this week on Max!

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While writer/director Damien Leone‘s Terrifier films may not be annual releases, they are welcomed by the horror community with open arms whenever they do happen to unleash onto the world. I, like many others, was very excited when it was announced that the third entry would be taking place at Christmas time. With how many classic films have come from that specific niche, it’s easy to have very high expectations. And with the current entry having walkouts during the opening, you know that audiences are in for something brutal. I happened to love the movie and think that it’s the best film in the trilogy!

It’s clear from talking to stars Lauren LaVera and David Howard Thornton that they could not be bigger fans of the franchise. From their love of the characters to a desire to give horror fans something they haven’t seen before, it’s clear they both love it. So we get into their favorite kill in the newest entry, as well as where they hope the franchise goes in the future. And given the Christmas theme, I had to ask them which Christmas Horror films were their favorite. This is a great chat that you don’t want to miss!

TERRIFIER 3 plot synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

TERRIFIER 3 will release In Theaters Nationwide on October 11, 2024

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We’ve seen vampires take many different forms over the years. We’ve got the more classic monster types and the more seductive, sexy types. As a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I’ve always liked a combination of both. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name, The Radleys follows a family in Britain as they try to hide the fact that they’re vampires. And I use the term vampire loosely because, while they may feature similar attributes, there are nearly just as many traits given to the vampires that don’t exactly fit the lore. I’m not sure I can ever jive with that style but those less into the horror side of things may get a kick out of it. While I loved some of the performances, the movie didn’t entirely land with me.

I talked to star Damian Lewis about his role(s) in The Radleys. See, Damian plays twin vampires and they could not be more different. Peter is more levelheaded and boring, making the decision to not drink blood anymore for his family. But his twin Will is absolutely diabolical. So I had fun picking Damian’s brain about playing the two characters. As expected, there seemed to be a slight favorability towards evil Will. He was also sure to praise his co-star Kelly Macdonald who is great as wife, Helen. Check out the interview above!

THE RADLEYS plot synopsis: Award-winning actors Kelly Macdonald (No Country For Old Men) and Damian Lewis (“Billions,” Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood) star in a dark comedy- thriller about a seemingly average suburban family with a juicy secret: they are vampires. In the light of day, the Radleys might seem normal, but they can only abstain from their natural cravings for so long until the bloody truth bubbles to the surface and turns their quiet country life upside down.

THE RADLEYS will be in Theaters, On Digital and On Demand October 4, 2024.

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It’s a special occurrence when a film can pull off something entirely original. We’ve seen so many iterations of so many different stories, that sometimes watching movies can feel a bit like playing the same mad libs-style game over and over. Thankfully people like Greg Jardin exist who can bring something new to the table. Using science as the crux for the swapping of bodies, the story for It’s What’s Inside is able to focus on identity and the complex nature of relationships. And it does so brilliantly. This is easily one of my favorite horror films of the year (Bumbray saw it earlier this year and loved it too) and you’re going to want to check it out when it comes to Netflix.

It can be a little chaotic when interviewing so many people but thankfully the It’s What’s Inside cast made it fairly easy. Reina Hardesty, Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Gavin Leatherwood, Nina Bloomgarden, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Devon Terrell, and David Thompson make up the cast. Given the body-swap nature of the story, I had to ask which character the actors enjoyed playing the most. It really sounds like the set was a blast, with summer camp vibes in full effect. And finally, I had to inquire about a sequel. Writer/Director Greg Jardin was also a wealth of knowledge as I picked his brain about some of the editing tricks in the film.

IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE plot synopsis:

A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend arrives with a suitcase containing a mysterious device capable of inducing body swaps. Tempted into playing a twisted game, the group uncovers hidden truths, suppressed desires, and deep-seated grudges. As their lives are swept up by deceit and startling revelations, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE peels back layers of intrigue with its mind-bending twists and turns. Greg Jardin’s debut feature, celebrated at Sundance and SXSW, merges thriller, dark comedy, and sci-fi into a provocative and stylish narrative, daring viewers to question: How well do we really know ourselves?

IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE IS EXCLUSIVELY STREAMING ON NETFLIX ON OCTOBER 4TH, 2024.

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Do you remember the first scary movie you watched? To be fair, mine was Halloween, so I got an early taste of R-rated terror. However, for many, it was something like The Monster Squad, The Watcher in the Woods, or perhaps The Gate. And now, we have a fun ride with the good and spooky natured, Monster Summer. Featuring Mel Gibson, Lorraine Bracco, and Mason Thames. For Mason, who was terrific in The Black Phone (and will soon be seen in The Black Phone 2), the actor proves that he is one to watch. The actor brings heart to his performance and shines opposite Gibson.

Recently, I sat down with the two, and the legendary Mel Gibson (who we previously interviewed HERE), was full of praise for his younger co-star. Both actors work especially well together, and frankly, it’s not surprising that Thames is getting a ton of work on genre projects. He’s a talented young man, and he brings honesty to both this and, of course, his turn as Finney, opposite Ethan Hawke in The Black Phone. Monster Summer is certainly more in line with a family film, but the Halloween-inspired elements work. If you are in the mood, you might find Monster Summer an early holiday treat.

Here’s the official synopsis: Monster Summer follows a local boy, who after his best friend is mysteriously taken, begins to suspect that a supernatural entity may be hunting the children of Martha’s Vineyard. After seeking the help of an aging detective (Gibson), they soon discover they’re on the path of a witch who has recently retired to their island. 

Monster Summer is heading into theatres this coming Friday, October 4th.

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For years Samara Weaving has been one of the most fascinating actors in the horror genre. Every time she shows up, there’s an infectious energy that makes her pop off the screen. And she has a knack for picking cool projects. I love it when a movie has a gimmick that it takes through its entire running time. Weaving’s latest venture, Azrael, follows a society post-Rapture, where it’s been deemed a sin to speak. So the film is almost entirely barren of dialogue and really hinges on its performance from lead, Samara Weaving. I loved the film and you can check out my review. The story is a little stereotypical but its the execution that really impresses. The world-building is fantastic and is a great playground for Weaving’s Azrael to exist in.

I was lucky enough to talk to Samara about her role as Azrael, and what it was like to play an entirely mute character:

“It was weird, man. It was a real [weird]. That’s why I did it. You know, I read the script and I was like, “Oh, this is a challenge that’s not going to come around again. I really want to push myself because I’m psycho. Yes, I will go to Estonia in the cold, in the rain, in the snow, and do five weeks of night shoots. Great… But yeah, it was a trip, I think. Having your voice kind of stripped from you and just having to lean on physicality and facial expressions and really listening and looking at other actors and getting real weird with it. It was cool. It was great.”

And as someone who interviews a lot of actors, two things they tend to avoid are Night Shoots and Outdoor Filming. With Azrael taking place almost entirely outdoors and the majority happening at night, this was a nightmare for some actors. Yet Samara took it on like the champ she is, welcoming the challenge.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but that seems to be all [I’m doing] recently. It’s just “Ohh, is it all nice? And it’s all on location. Sign me up. That’s great.” I don’t know.  Yes. It’s like brutal and it’s uncomfortable and peoples emotions are really high because people are tired, but there’s something…there’s like a sense of camaraderie. And you get the things that you’ve really been planning . You’re all there, cause you really love it and you care about it. You can’t be anything other than super humble and super willing. And you know, like you’re gonna be upside down on a tree for three days. Great. Let’s go, you know.”

Without any lines of dialogue, Samara’s prepwork was unlike any other film she’d done as she didn’t have to do any line memorization. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t plenty else to prepare for, as the role was plenty physical. But without dialogue, meant the character’s background wouldn’t be handled in a typical way:

“A lot of the story was in the script, but there was a lot of like back story that I just kind of wanted to have, for my own sake. Because the challenge for me going into it was like: how do we keep audiences invested in this character? We need to find these emotional beats and make them really pivotal. Really poignant. Or else you’re just watching someone fight people for a long time, which is great. Also, if that’s what you’re into. But just to try and make it the audience being curious about what is happening and having the ambiguity of it all be like “of service to the story” and not a bad thing. So that was what I was concerned about. And the prep really for me…it was like doing stunt training and learning those fight sequences, but also just sitting with: OK, what is this characters arc and journey? Like I would any kind of script and just get weird and pretentious with it. But then it was kind of scary.”

Finally, I had to make sure to ask her about her new film Carolina Caroline with Kyle Gallner which just wrapped filming.

“Ohh it’s gonna be magical. It’s gonna be…he’s awesome. I’ve been wanting to work with him for ages and I’m so glad we got to find this and it’s going to be such we both come from. You know horror, but this is the total departure from that, but I.”

And if you’ve been around the site you’ll know we’re big fans of Strange Darling (I may or may not have seen it 5x), so I had to ask Samara about her experience with the film, and she responded, “Isn’t it good?” Hilariously enough, I was supposed to interview Kyle on the day of the premiere, but he had to drop out for undisclosed reasons (turns out, he was filming this film). Thankfully, Samara was able to give a little insight into that with a fun story about Kyle missing the premiere:

“Well, we were working in Kentucky [on Carolina Caroline]  and he couldn’t make his premiere. And so we got the whole crew to go and see it at a local Kentucky theatre. And then we rented out like a little dive bar and we all just, like, had a mini premiere for him there. It was really fun.”

I had an absolute blast talking with Samara and wish you guys could see the actual video as she’s so charismatic and likable. And make sure to check out Azrael when it comes to theaters this Friday. And for you folks who avoid the theater, it will release to Shudder latest this year.

AZRAEL IS PLAYING EXCLUSIVELY IN THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2024.

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It can’t be said enough how difficult it is to create a successful movie. But to create one in the horror landscape that perseveres and gets theatrically re-released 10 years later? Practically unheard of. We find ourselves in a time where there’s almost too much content, requiring a bit of luck to even catch on with audiences. Yet back in 2014 (or probably more appropriately, 2015) it was hard to find anyone who wasn’t smitten with The Babadook. Having created a brand new horror icon and doing so amongst some very messed up moments, writer/director Jennifer Kent created one of the greatest horror films of the last decade.

It was my absolute pleasure to talk with Kent about her experience with the film. We touched on the film being released a decade later as well as the very controversial ending that potential financial backers wanted changed. And anyone who’s seen the film knows that the boy, Samuel, can be a bit grating. So much so that there was quite a harsh reaction to the boy upon release. We discussed that as well as the lengths Kent would go to shield the boy from the harsh subject matter.

Do you think The Babadook holds up ten years later? Let us know in the comments!

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Never Let Go is definitely one of the most highly anticipated genre movies of the fall season. The latest from Alexandre Aja features Halle Berry, Anthony B. Jenkins, and Percy Daggs IV is one that resonated with me big time. In it, a mother and her children are tormented by a malicious spirit which keeps them, literally, tied to the foundations of their home. At its heart, it has an amazing performance from star Halle Berry, who grounds the horror somewhat. The sweet and loving nature of her relationship with her children is beautifully played out. But, it also has plenty of horror elements baked in, which show off Aja’s amazing talent for the genre in a big way. Recently, I had the chance to interview Berry, Jenkins, and Daggs, and I found it to be an utterly charming experience.

First off, I’ve never had the chance to talk to Ms. Berry before. She is a spectacularly sweet person, and I’m still giddy about how damn cool she is. It was so enjoyable just talking with her and her co-stars. We chatted about playing this kind of role and her connection to horror. Both Anthony and Percy were very easy to talk to. They had such great energy that it was clear why they worked as well as they did, casting-wise, in the film.

I also had the chance to chat with Alexandre Aja. We’ve spoken on a couple of projects before, and he is always a very friendly guy. And I still have such a ridiculous love for Haute Tension (even with that twist). We discussed how he approached dealing with the themes involved in the film. And it was clear that this was a movie-making experience that meant a lot to Barry and the rest of the cast. I dug it a lot.

Scripted by KC Coughlin and Ryan Grassby, Never Let Go follows a mother (Berry) and her fraternal twin sons (Daggs and Jenkins) who have been tormented by an evil spirit for years and are convinced to never let go of their family’s protective bond. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, their connection is severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival. Here’s a different version of the synopsis: As Evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother (Berry) and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

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I’ve long appreciated the work of filmmaker James Watkins, and his latest is no exception. Speak No Evil – a remake of the excellent Denmark thriller by the same name (read our review of the Danish film HERE) – takes the ordinary and makes it horrific. In it, Ben and Louise (Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis) are a couple on vacation. While there, they run into the charismatic couple Paddy and Clara (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi). The two families get along well. So much so, Paddy insists they come and spend time with them at home that summer. They take them up on that offer. And no, they shouldn’t have. It’s a taught and scary thriller with exceptional performances from all involved. Recently, we had the pleasure of sitting down for interviews with Watkins, McAvoy, Davis, and McNairy.

First, James McAvoy (who reteamed with his Split and Glass producers at Blumhouse for this film) spoke about playing a character as despicable as he can be charming. He is stunning in the role. And during our conversation, James discussed taking on more challenging roles throughout his career. And yes, he is perfect for the role of Paddy. Mackenzie Davis is always a delight, and she is just as terrific here as a woman concerned about the new questionable friends. She opened up about taking on this role and how her character reacts to the madness. It was a fun and fascinating conversation. Ms. Davis is excellent here, and thankfully, her character adds a little sanity to the creepy thriller. I’ve never had the chance to interview Scoot McNairy, and I am glad I did. Scoot may be one of the kindest fellows that you could meet. The man is a joy to talk with. We had a fun conversation about his relationship with the original film. And yes, like the others, he is terrific here. He is a part of a solid cast that will make the movie all the more disturbing.

Finally, we spoke with James Watkins. James and I talked about his own adventures in bleakness with the excellent Eden Lake. However, with Speak No Evil, he took a slightly different turn from the original. And they both work. Rarely does a horror remake match up to the original, but even with the changes, Watkins’s take on Christian Tafdrup’s original is horrifically compelling. Speak No Evil is a fascinating exploration of trust and boundaries and the evil that some men do.

Check out Speak No Evil this Friday at a theatre near you.

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