2012

“Down the Rabbit Hole with Alyce” When the seemingly mundane transforms into the macabre, there’s a certain kind of descent that’s both fascinating and horrific. This is the descent we witness in “Alyce Kills,” a film directed by Jay Lee in 2012 that snakes its way into the dark recesses of guilt and psychological unraveling.…

An Irish Tale of Terror and Tipsiness: “Grabbers” “There’s something going on here, something not from this world!” exclaims a character from the delightful yet eerie horror-comedy fusion, Grabbers. Directed by Jon Wright and released in 2012, Grabbers sets itself apart in the horror film landscape. This peculiar creature feature is set on an idyllic…

Charming Terrors and Tipsy Twists: A Look at “Grabbers” “Drinking for survival has never been this literal.” With this intriguing line of defense against otherworldly beasts, the 2012 horror-comedy film “Grabbers,” directed by Jon Wright, tosses its audience head-first into a frothy sea of suspense and laughter. The Irish island setting becomes an isolated battleground…

A Maze Within a Corridor: The Mysteries of Room 237 “Some places are like people: some shine and some don’t.” This haunting line from Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’ could very well serve as a cryptic entryway into Rodney Ascher’s ‘Room 237’ – a documentary-style horror movie released in 2012. The film plunges deep into the…

“Tell me what you think is more troubling – to do something morally reprehensible or to do something against your own physical well-being?” Chilling Invitation: An Overview of ‘Would You Rather’ Released in 2012 and directed by David Guy Levy, ‘Would You Rather’ is a horror-thriller that places its characters in a nightmarishly competitive dinner…

Unshackling Fear: “Chained” (2012) From the opening scene of Jennifer Lynch’s “Chained,” where a seemingly simple taxi ride takes a devastatingly dark turn, we’re strapped into a macabre narrative that promises to twist the viewer’s psyche as much as the characters’ lives are contorted. Released in 2012, “Chained” presents a gripping tale of a young…

A Dance with the Viral Macabre: An ‘Antiviral’ Appraisal “You have to contact the virus to get the full picture.” These words resound with ominous undertones as they beckon you into the unsettling world of ‘Antiviral’, a horror film that dissects our obsession with celebrity culture. Crafted by Brandon Cronenberg, son of the legendary David…

Through the Looking Glass of Power: A Labyrinth of Deceit Before diving into the depths of psychological terror, one must clarify an essential detail: the film “Passion” released in 2012, directed by Brian De Palma, is not a traditional horror movie but a twisted and menacing foray into the realm of thriller and suspense. Reminiscent…

An Unsettling Journey into the Mind of a Killer “It’s just you and me now. No one’s gonna save you.” These chilling words resonate through the 2012 horror film “Maniac,” directed by Franck Khalfoun, which offers viewers a visceral plunge into the macabre. The movie—a remake of the 1980 film of the same name—takes us…

A Mosaic of Pain: Unveiling “Insensibles” “Even pain has its end.” This stark maxim resonates through the haunting narrative of “Insensibles,” a 2012 horror film conceived by visionary director Juan Carlos Medina. In a meticulously woven tapestry that combines historical context with supernatural elements, the film presents us with a dual story: one of children…

A Family’s Terrors Unleashed in the Wild “Everybody has demons, but some are just a little more real than others.” These words echo the chilling undertone of “It’s in the Blood,” a horror film released in 2012 that escapes conventional frights to play upon the psychological underpinnings of its audience. Directed by Scooter Downey, this…

A Fork in the Road: “Wrong Turn 5: Bloodbath” Review “Welcome to the festival of blood.” These chilling words set a morbid tone in “Wrong Turn 5: Bloodbath,” a horror installment that promises a gruesome adventure but stumbles on its own missteps. Directed by Declan O’Brien, this 2012 film plunges viewers into a backwoods nightmare,…

Unseen Terrors: Delving Into ‘Wrath’ (2012) “Fear is not what’s out there… it’s what you let in here,” whispers a character in hushed tones, encapsulating not just a pivotal moment in the 2012 horror film ‘Wrath’, but laying out the undercurrents of this chilling exercise in terror. Directed by the somewhat enigmatic John Doe, ‘Wrath’…

A Grim Tale in the Granite State When the backwoods of New England become a breeding ground for terror, “Slew Hampshire” delivers an array of grotesque thrills that subscribes to the old adage: you can never guess what might be lurking in the shadows of these dense forests. Directed by Flood Reed in 2012, ‘Slew…

A Tape Worth Rewinding? – A Critique of “V/H/S” “I like you.” A bone-chilling whisper repeats in one of the more memorable segments of the 2012 found-footage anthology, V/H/S. This collaborative effort, orchestrated by directors Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the filmmaking collective Radio Silence, stitches together a series…

Whispers of Eternity: A Descent into Byzantium’s Shadows “My story can never be told,” whispers Eleanor, one of the vampiric protagonists in Neil Jordan’s gothic narrative, Byzantium. Released in 2012, this film is a mesmerizing blend of dark fantasy and horror, skillfully directed by the accomplished Jordan, known for his earlier foray into vampire lore…

“Family Time Will Slay” – An Unconventional Horror in ‘Axed’ Released in 2012 and directed by Ryan Lee Driscoll, ‘Axed’ is a horror film that dabbles with the theme of domestic life turned sinister. At the heart of the film is a disgruntled father, who, after facing financial ruin, takes his family on a trip…

Fear Through Fragmented Folklore: Unveiling “Hi5teria” “When the past whispers, it’s our duty to scream back.” This cryptic utterance from the Indonesian horror anthology “Hi5teria” sets the tone for a spine-chilling experience. Directed by Adriyanto Dewo, Nicholas Yudifar, Chairun Nissa, Billy Christian, and Harvan Agustriansyah, this 2012 film weaves five separate stories bound together by…

Whispers from the Past: An Introduction to “The Awakening” “I feel as if there is a presence in my house,” breathes Florence Cathcart, the sharp and skeptical protagonist of The Awakening, a film that deftly embroiders the fabric of ghostly folklore onto the loom of post-war trauma. Directed by Nick Murphy and released in 2012,…

Grinning in the Face of Fear: “Smiley” Unveiled “I did it for the lulz.” This chilling mantra sets the stage for Michael J. Gallagher’s 2012 horror film, Smiley, a digital-age nightmare that attempts to meld the terror of the internet’s anonymity with slasher film tropes. The movie follows Ashley, a troubled college student, as she’s…

Whispers of a Small Town Legend It begins with a shiver and the nagging feeling that something is watching from just beyond the veil of darkness. “The Tall Man,” a 2012 horror-thriller directed by Pascal Laugier, turns the sleepy mining town of Cold Rock into a petri dish for fear. In a place haunted by…

“Till Death Do Us Part… And Then Some”: A Review of [REC]³ Genesis (2012) Welcome to the unholy matrimony of terror and gore, where allegiance to the horror genre is professed through the shouted vows of “[REC]³ Genesis.” Helmed by Paco Plaza, one of the original directors of the “[REC]” series, this 2012 film diverts…

Whispering Shadows in the Attic: A “Sinister” Gaze into the Abyss In 2012, director Scott Derrickson unleashed “Sinister,” a film that digs deep into the crevices of horror with a plot that weaves a dizzying tapestry of fear. He introduces us to true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt (played by Ethan Hawke), who, in a desperate bid…

Whispers in the Shadows: The Quiet Terror of ‘House at the End of the Street’ “Don’t be scared,” a line that might as well serve as bait, for in the small-town thriller ‘House at the End of the Street,’ fear is a silent invader. Mark Tonderai directs this 2012 entry into the horror genre, pushing…

A Haunting We Will Go: The Ethereal Terror of “The Apparition” “Once you believe, you die.” This chilling whisper from “The Apparition” sets a haunting premise that tiptoes between the realms of belief and fear. Directed by Todd Lincoln and released in 2012, “The Apparition” is a supernatural horror film that attempts to weave a…

Whispers in the Walls: The Haunting Dissonance of Apartment 1303 3D “Sometimes, the dead linger in the places we live.” This eerie quote encapsulates the foreboding essence of Apartment 1303 3D, a horror movie that attempts to merge the conventional haunted house trope with the modern trappings of a 3D cinematic experience. Directed by Micheal…

Connecting with Evil: A Journey into “The Devil Inside” In the chilling opening frames of “The Devil Inside”, a voice eerily warns, “No soul is safe.” This 2012 horror flick, directed by William Brent Bell, conjures a descent into possession and exorcism’s dark arts. It follows Isabella Rossi (Fernanda Andrade) as she delves into the…

Unboxing Evil: “The Possession’s” Pandora’s Box of Terrors “They say when you exorcise a demon, it’s important to find out its name. Know your enemy.” In the landscape of horror cinematography, The Possession, directed by Ole Bornedal and produced by Sam Raimi, stands as a curious artifact from the year 2012. The film weaves its…

“By the Power of Truth, I, While Living, Have Conquered the Universe” – Chasing Vampires with an Axe and a Top Hat The President’s Secret Battle: A Synopsis “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” envisioned through the cinematic lens of director Timur Bekmambetov and released upon unsuspecting audiences in 2012, offers a macabre revisionist take on American…

“A Collection of Nightmares Unfold in The Butterfly Room” “You can be part of my collection,” an innocuous phrase that becomes sinister within the depths of ‘The Butterfly Room.’ Directed by Jonathan Zarantonello in 2012, the film spins a yarn of obsession and repressions through the villainous protagonist Ann, played by horror icon Barbara Steele.…

A Tapestry of Terror: Unraveling “The Theatre Bizarre” “Life itself is but a theatre, and we are all actors.” This eerie echo from “The Theatre Bizarre,” a horror anthology unleashed upon the world in 2012, sets the stage for a macabre spectacle. Under the direction of seven distinct filmmakers, including the likes of Tom Savini…

“We are all made of stars”: The Menace of ‘Prometheus’ Unveiled “With ‘Prometheus,’ Ridley Scott delivers a visually striking prelude to his own science fiction cornerstone, ‘Alien.’ Years after the landmark film terrorized audiences with its claustrophobic horror, Scott returns to space, not to rehash but to reimagine. Released in 2012, ‘Prometheus’ draws us into…