We continue a run of beautifully shot films that pack in a load of subtext under a veneer of horror. Although in the case of The Untamed, that horror comes from the action of its primary characters as they wrestle with their sexual appetites and the violence the repression and sublimation of those desires evoke. I mean, you can take out the Lovecraftian tentacled space alien and you’d have the exact same film. That’s right: this is a movie about a Lovecraftian space alien with an insatiable libido that becomes aggressive and hungry, and that NOT where the horror in this film lies. How about that?

ChrisSeptember 19, 2025September 20, 2025Leave a comment

Reviews

Hooptober 12.0 – Demon (2015)

Being Film #5 for Hooptober 2025

The full weight of history lies just under the surface of Demon, the stunning final film from Marcin Wrona, who tragically took his own life during the film’s run at the festival circuit. With no jump scares and little in the way of violence or gore, the film manages to burrow under your skin, taking what on the surface is a possession film and running with the term as a scathing indictment of ignoring the past and the passive evil of possessing that which was ripped away in violence. A day later it still lingers in the front of my mind.

ChrisSeptember 18, 2025September 20, 20251 Comment

Reviews

Hooptober 12.0 – The Possessed (1965)

Being Film #4 for Hooptober 2025

Films like The Possessed, or La Donna del Lago in its original Italian, are the reason I constantly try to seek out new films whenever Hooptober comes around. A proto-giallo that also functions as an Italian noir evoking the dream-like narratives David Lynch would forge just over a decade later, it’s a gorgeously shot film that takes the plot mechanics of what the genre would come to be known for, but drapes it under a blanket of striking black and white photography and ambiguous sequences that play as both dream, premonition and clues to the mystery surrounding its characters.

ChrisSeptember 17, 2025September 20, 20251 Comment

Reviews

Hooptober 12.0 – Dead Of Night (1945)

Being Film #3 for Hooptober 2025

Anthology films are hard to nail down. You not only have to have a strong selection of stories that work, but the framing device often can make or break the film. So there was already a stacked deck against Ealing Studios, the English film studio known more for comedies like The Ladykillers and The Lavender Hill Mob. But by leaning into that sense of oddness, Dead Of Night works out just right, balancing stories that veer from silly to obscure to terrifying, and letting the frame reinforce the pervading weirdness.

ChrisSeptember 17, 2025September 20, 2025Leave a comment

Reviews

Hooptober 12.0 – The Black Phone (2021)

Being Film #2 for Hooptober 2025

I had the bar set low for The Black Phone, the latest horror collaboration between the writing/directing team of Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. On one hand, I wasn’t the biggest fan of either the Sinister films or Deliver Us From Evil, save for the gnarly exorcism. On the other hand, I’ve enjoyed Cargill’s novels and this latest film comes with some true horror bonafides, being an adaptation of a Joe Hill short story. The result is a tight, thrilling film that might be my favorite Derrickson showcase to date, visceral and honest without resorting to funneling in needless exposition or backstory. It’s creepy urban legends mixed with the usual King small-town supernatural, and I fell for it hard.

ChrisSeptember 15, 2025September 20, 2025Leave a comment

Reviews

Hooptober 12.0 – Monster Island (2025)

Being Film #1 for Hooptober 2025

There’s a lot that goes into choosing the first movie in this marathon: do you get the requirements out of the way first? Look at runtimes? Or is it something more ephemeral? I wanted to start with the simple things that made me a fan of the genre as a kid, and that is monsters. Specifically monsters that are practical, man-in-suit creations. And so here we are with the aptly named Monster Island, a small period piece that makes the most of its limited budget, cast and location to craft a fun if slightly underwhelming creature feature.

ChrisSeptember 15, 2025September 20, 2025Leave a comment

Cinema Dual (TEST SITE)

Examining a life through the media we consume. In other words, I’m reviewing all of my physical music media in alphabetical order, one day at at a time. Except when I don’t, as has been the case for the past few years. Still, we march onwards…Coffee essential, but not mandatory

Tag: hooptober

Hooptober 12.0 – The Untamed (2016)

Hooptober 12.0 – Demon (2015)

Hooptober 12.0 – The Possessed (1965)

Hooptober 12.0 – Dead Of Night (1945)

Hooptober 12.0 – The Black Phone (2021)

Hooptober 12.0 – Monster Island (2025)