Category: Reviews

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Special Guest Review of the CHILD’S PLAY Series, Part 2

By Frank Pittarese

Bride of Chucky (1998) After three movies with the same basic plot, this one takes the series in a (mostly) new direction. Charles Lee Ray’s lunatic girlfriend (played by Jennifer Tilly) gets hold of Chucky’s remains and magically resurrects the little maniac. But when she pisses him off, he kills her and transfers her soul into a bride doll. The plastic pair manipulate and eventually terrorize a couple of runaway teens, with the intention of digging up Charles Lee Ray’s body to retrieve a magical amulet. That amulet, which supposedly would let them transfer their souls into the teens, is a total retcon. It was never mentioned before now, and a crime scene photo here shows Ray wearing it when he died. Nope. Didn’t happen. I checked the footage. But okay, okay…whatever works.

While the body-swap is still central to the plot in a minor way, this really is a breath of fresh air. First off, it’s a lot more comedic than what we’ve seen so far. It owns the fact that the premise is ridiculous, and leans hard into the absurdity of the situation. Tiffany makes an excellent partner for Chucky. He finally has someone to play off of — someone who isn’t a child — and she’s strangely sympathetic, at times. They mayhem is endless, the teens (Katherine Heigl and Nick Stabile) are likable enough, there’s a gay kid who isn’t at all cartoonish, and John Ritter makes an appearance as an overbearing uncle. The kills are clever, but the most over-the-top moments are the sex scene — between the dolls — and the ending, which is a real jaw-dropper. Chucky is back on track. For now. Grade: A-

Seed of Chucky (2004) Six years after Tiffany gave birth (yep, that’s what I said), we catch up with the kid, Glen, living a life of captivity in England as part of a ventriloquist act. Meanwhile, Chucky and Tiffany — now just normal dolls — are being used as props in a Hollywood feature film about their murder spree. When Glen sees their parents on TV, they head to America and — using that bullshit amulet invented in the previous movie — restores their evil souls to their doll bodies. And if that’s not complicated enough, the Chuck & Tiff want to use actress Jennifer Tilly (who plays herself in this one, as well as providing the voice of Tiffany) to birth ANOTHER baby, and transfer their souls into the bodies of her and her chauffeur. My head is spinning and I just watched the damn thing.

Any gains made in Bride of Chucky are lost here. The slasher element is still in play, but the comedy is what drives this one, and almost all of it feels tortured (if not straight up vulgar; I could live without seeing Chucky whack off). The body-swap aspect of the series has become exhausting. With Bride, they had the chance to do something else and they alllllmost succeeded, but here we go again.

Glen (sometimes Glenda) is an interesting character, though. The child of Chucky and Tiffany is non-binary, which is pretty progressive in 2004. While they play it for laughs, but only to a degree (and most of the wisecracks come from Chucky), it’s still an interesting choice. But Glen’s design is hideous. They look like the mutant offspring of Chucky and Annabelle. Jennifer Tilly, bless her heart, is really committed to this insanity, and I guess the concept was nutty enough to attract the likes of John Waters, who plays a sleazy photographer. But as much as I want to like this one, it’s a rough ride. Grade: C

Curse of Chucky (2013) Soon after a Good Guys doll arrives at the Pierce household, the matriarch of the family dies under mysterious circumstances. Chucky circumstances. Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif, daughter of Brad Dourif — the voice of Chucky), paralyzed since birth, plays host as her sister —  with family and nanny in tow — arrives to reminisce and bicker about money. Things seem normal, except for that creepy doll. And why is Charles Lee Ray in the family’s home movies? Let the murders begin!

After the sloppy misstep of Seed, the franchise returns to proper horror-mode. With a gothic vibe and a slower, more deliberate pace, Curse hits all the right notes. Chucky is used minimally for maximum effect, and while he still spouts the occasional wisecrack, this one plays things straight. It’s a huge relief.

One small problem: the unrated cut has a post-credits scene that not only features a major callback to the early films, it literally sets up the next movie in the series. But that version isn’t in the DVD boxed set and it’s not the one streaming on Peacock, so missing that short scene feels like you’ve missed a chapter. It’s a cool bit (which I’m gonna spoil in the next review). Grade: A-

Cult of Chucky (2017) Oof! This franchise is a roller coaster. After the tight creep-fest of Curse, the final entry in the series is a dreary pile of poo. Four years after the last movie, adult Andy Barclay passes the time by torturing Chucky’s severed head. Meanwhile, Nica Pierce is in a mental hospital, having been blamed for her family’s murders. Nica is so screwed up that she even blames herself. Then a Chucky doll arrives at the hospital, courtesy of Jennifer Tilly (still possessed by Tiffany), and a second doll soon follows, along with death and mayhem — all while Andy still seems to have custody of Chucky himself. What’s real? Who’s crazy? Who cares?

This muddled, lethargic mess is a frustrating watch. It’s hard to tell what’s real, and it’s even more difficult to get invested. They seem to be going for a Dream Warriors vibe in featuring a handful of mental patients, but they’re all unpleasant and annoying. Nica is a morose lump. The promise of Andy, which came with the previous film’s post-credits scene (and the opening of this one) feels unfulfilled, as he’s reduced to a subplot until the final act. Answers do come, and the multiple Chuckys (the titular “cult”) are explained (in an offhand way), but by that point, things are completely off the rails and still confusing. The ending sets up another chapter, and is legitimately intriguing…but this one could have been a thousand times better. Hopefully, the TV series will get things back on course. When this franchise is good, it’s great, but when it’s bad, it’s a disaster. This one is bad.

BTW, this sequel also features a post-credits scene which also only exists in the unrated cut — which also features another returning character. The bottom line is: Always go with the unrated cut. With everything. Grade: D-

Make sure you read Part 1 if you missed it!

Please follow Frank Pittarese on Twitter and Instagram.

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Special Guest Review of the CHILD’S PLAY Series, Part 1

By Frank Pittarese

Child’s Play (1988) Serial killer Charles Lee Ray (a.k.a. the Lakeshore Strangler) is shot in a toy store by a detective — but before dying, he transfers his soul into a Good Guys doll using a voodoo spell. The doll makes its way to the home of little Andy Barclay and within 15 minutes, Chucky begins a spree of murder and terror. And of course, nobody believes Andy when he blames his doll. This is the best of the series. The cast is great. The endearing Catherine Hicks plays Andy’s frantic mom, Chris Sarandon is a disbelieving detective (until he learns otherwise), and Alex Vincent plays six-year-old Andy. As far as child actors go, Vincent isn’t show-bizzy at all. Some of his line deliveries are rough, but he feels like a real kid (and sort of a dumb one at that). It becomes very easy to worry about the squirt as danger unfolds.

This movie was made long before CGI was a thing, and a team of nine puppeteers, child actors, and little people bring Chucky to glorious life. Brad Dourif provides Chucky’s voice (and still does) but here’s a bit of trivia: Chucky was originally voiced by Jessica Walter(!), who was replaced after the movie bombed in a test screening (30 minutes of footage was also cut). This series has its ups and downs (more of the latter, I guess), and it perpetually goes off the rails as the series becomes more “comedic,” but Chucky is such a little asshole that I can’t help but love him, so I’m a fan. Grade: A-

Child’s Play 2 (1990) In the aftermath of the first movie, Andy’s mom is under psychiatric observation (we never see her again) and Andy is in foster care. Meanwhile, the Play Pals Corporation rebuilds Chucky, and he promptly runs amok, going on a murder spree as he tries to get hold of Andy. This is a decent sequel, but they’re already slipping into repetition. Expect another round of “Chucky did it!” as Andy gets blamed (again) for Chucky’s crimes. Christine Elise (Emily Valentine on Beverly Hills 90210) adds some flavor as Kyle, a teenage foster kid and ally to Andy, but it’s mostly a by-the-numbers slasher movie. The real highlight here is the showdown in a toy factory, as Andy and Kyle not only try to survive Chucky, but avoid the deadly doll-making machinery. It’s a strong set piece/climax that really saves an average movie. Grade: B

Child’s Play 3 (1991) Eight years after the last movie, the Play Pals Corporation is back in business — and thanks to blood dripping into a vat of plastic, Chucky is reborn. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Andy Barclay has been shipped off to a military academy after flunking out of foster care. Once again, Chucky pursues Andy, desperate for a human body. But there’s a new kid on the scene, played by THE MOST ANNOYING CHILD ACTOR EVER, and Chucky decides he wants an upgrade.

Three movies in and this franchise is on shaky ground. This is the third time we’re seeing the same basic story — and while that worked for almost a dozen Friday the 13th and a whole bunch of Elm Streets, this premise doesn’t have as much…range? By tying Chucky so tightly to Andy, the story has nowhere to go. So again, Chucky commits acts of mayhem and ruins Andy’s life. Again, Chucky chants his little body-swapping spell. And it’s all a drag this time because the setting is so awful. Asshole characters abound (including a ridiculously cartoonish barber played by Hellraiser’s Andrew Robinson), and the sympathetic ones are dull at best, but really sort of annoying. It’s not unwatchable, it’s just mediocre. Except for THE MOST ANNOYING CHILD ACTOR EVER. He is unwatchable. The franchise needs a hard kick in the ass, and for better or worse, that kick is coming… Grade: C+

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Child’s Play reviews!

Please follow Frank Pittarese on Instagram and Twitter.

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Mini Reviews: SAINT MAUD, THE CAVE, and THE WITCH

Saint Maud (2020) A victim of false advertising, this was marketed as some kind of supernatural horror film in the vein of Hereditary but is instead a psychological character study about a young nurse (Morfydd Clark) who, after experiencing a traumatic event, slowly downward spirals into an unhinged mental state. Symbolism and suggestion are the real “horrors” of the movie, with the screenplay (by director Rose Glass) relying a bit too much on the title character’s uneven personality and backstory, which we only get glimpses of. Good acting, especially from Jennifer Ehle, but there just isn’t a whole lot of meat on these bones. C

The Cave (2005) Fun monster romp about a group of spelunkers who run into subterranean creatures while investigating a series of uncharted caves underneath the Carpathian mountains. Released the same year as the The Descent and although not as good, or as scary, this features more elaborate make-up FX and some impressive action set pieces, with elements borrowed from Pitch Black and Aliens. B–

The Witch (2015) A brooding atmosphere drenches this intense psychological horror fable about a religious 17th century family outcast by their community and forced to settle on their own isolated farm in the woods. When their youngest disappears, and the eldest son (Harvey Scrimshaw) begins showing signs of possession, the family begin to suspect a witch is in their midst. Director and writer Robert Eggers ignores convention and delivers an authentic account of farm life in the 1600s, putting the family’s trials and tribulations first, with excellent performances from Scrimshaw, Kate Dickie, Ralph Ineson, and especially Anya Taylor-Joy as the eldest daughter. The witch antics are just bonus material, and it all leads to a knockout ending. A–

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URBAN LEGEND and URBAN LEGENDS Mini Reviews

Urban Legend (1998) One of the better post-Scream horror offerings with enjoyable shades of ’80s slasher tropes about a college tormented by a hooded ax killer who uses famous urban legends as their modus operandi. Good characters and excellent atmospherics help heighten this above its Abercrombie good looks and a majorly goofy red herring in the form of Robert Englund hamming it up as the mysterious professor of – yup – urban legends. Although not nearly as gory as it could be this is still a thoroughly enjoyable flick. B

Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) Decent sequel goes meta (not unlike Scream 3) with several film school students making a class project about the killings from the first movie (titled Urban Legends) while being stalked by a psychopath wearing a fencing mask. This lacks the pacing and energy of the first movie, and there’s a cockamamie subplot involving a dead character’s twin, but it has enough spunk and humor to keep it moving to its goofy climax. Don’t shut off the movie too soon or you’ll miss the surprise cameo at the end complete with the theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents. B–

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DERANGED and ED GEIN Mini Reviews

Deranged (1974) Hysterically OTT Psycho dupe (that predated Texas Chainsaw Massacre by several months) about an Ed Gein-like simpleton (Roberts Blossom) whose obsession with his mother spirals out of control after she dies, resulting in him stealing her corpse and going on a grave robbing and killing spree. This early gore shocker is so distasteful that it’s rather unbelievable how well made it is, with good acting from Blossom, campy laughs, gross Tom Savini make-up, and a charmingly sleazy atmosphere. B+

Ed Gein (2000) Lacking the visceral detail and intensity of Ed Gein-inspired films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this “biographical” movie of the notorious Wisconsin grave robber and killer features a well cast Steve Railsback as Gein whose life of torment from his abusive, religious fanatic mother (Carrie Snodgress) slowly turns him into the maladjusted psychopath we have come to know. Despite it’s gruesome subject matter the film is surprisingly restrained, even dull at times, and some of the make-up FX seem cheesy and inauthentic. C

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Quick Review: The new Wrong Turn goes off course

This review might contain spoilers!

Those expecting to see something similar to the 2003 cult fav Wrong Turn when they sit down to watch this reboot will be sorely disappointed. Despite having been written by the original Wrong Turn‘s Alan (Halloween 4) McElroy, the new Wrong Turn offers up a completely different tale, one that feels more inspired by Ari Aster’s Midsommar than any of the previous six Wrong Turn flicks. I’m even going to guess this film was written as an “original” story and at the last minute was slapped with the Wrong Turn label at the hands of worried investors.

The only similarity between this new WT and the first movie is the trapped-in-the-woods plot, but unlike the original film none of the characters in this new one at any point take a wrong turn, making the title even more pointless. This new group of aggressively annoying Gen Z hipsters run afoul a violent backwoods community in the wilds of West Virginia, a community of dirty rednecks who dress in animal furs and speak in a Danish dialect. Deformed, ax-wielding hillbillies are out; suave, handsome woodsman are in.

The biggest sin the new WT makes is its overly complicated mythology surrounding the woodsy society known as The Foundation: these characters are not as interesting as the filmmakers think and their history and politics for why they do what they do are unconvincing and hollow. They live in the woods and preach to outsiders and burn their eyes out of their heads because on paper it probably sounded good. What us WT fans want is simple stalk-and-hack splatter fun and not a film, as well made as it is, that’s trying to be something it’s not.

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Horror at Sundance ’21

I had the opportunity to participate in this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival, and naturally I selected most of the titles out of the horror section. In doing so I watched several good new horror films that will hopefully find larger audiences later this year.

My favorite pick out of the five movies I watched over the weekend is easily Eight for Silver, Sean Ellis’s (Anthropoid) brooding, exciting take on the werewolf story. The film stars Boyd Holbrook (Logan, Gone Girl) as a pathologist in late-1800s England who’s sent to a remote town where a mysterious animal attack has taken place against the son of the land’s owner (Alistair Petrie). Also written by Ellis, the movie cleverly mixes old school atmospherics with modern storytelling, creating a film that feels fresh while at the same time manages to hit you with several good scares.

Impressing me, as well as the critics, was British filmmaker Prado Bailey-Bond’s full-length directorial debut, Censor. The movie is set in 1985 London at the height of the “video nasties” panic as film censor, Enid (Niamh Algar, Raised by Wolves), begins to unravel when she believes an actress in one of the newest horror flicks she’s reviewing is her long lost sister. Fiction and reality begin to blur, sending Enid down a rabbit hole of obsession and violence. Bailey-Bond does a great job mirroring the real life hypocrisy of the time as well as both poking fun at the gory B-movie horrors of the early ’80s and embracing them.

Knocking is Swedish director Frida Kempff’s first fictional feature-length movie and based on a short story. The film stars Cecilia Milocco as Molly, a woman released from a hospital and dealing with the recent death of a loved one. In classic Polaski fashion, Molly begins to hear strange noises in her small apartment that may or may not be real. Much like Censor, Knocking questions reality and brings us into its central character’s psyche, and although Knocking doesn’t go as far as it could, it’s a solid little movie with a wonderful performance by Milocco.

One of the bigger disappointments is the New Zealand shocker, Coming Home in the Dark. Written by James Ashcroft and Eli Kent, and directed by Ashcroft, this centers on a school teacher (Erik Thomson) who, along with his family, is taken hostage and terrorized by two men who may have something to do with the teacher’s past. Made in the same visceral way as Last House of the Left and Wolf Creek, Dark isn’t shy about presenting its violence up close and personal. But, unlike those films, Dark doesn’t understand that it’s not the brutality of those classics that make the story work; it’s the suspense that it could happen.

Anyone familiar with director Ben Wheatley (Kill List) will expect a unique, crazy movie experience, and the filmmaker’s newest, In the Earth, is no exception. Filmed last year during the pandemic, the film is about the aftermath of a devastating virus and a scientist (Joel Fry) who, along with the help of a forest park ranger (Ellora Torhia), must trek on foot to reach a colleague doing research in the woods. They get in over their head when they encounter an unstable man living in the woods.

As with Kill List, the less you know about In the Earth the better. The film unravels like a psychedelic nightmare, and at times it’s not clear what is and isn’t real. Although its plot is murky at times and character motivations are unclear, the movie does offer several shock-worthy moments, including one that could rivals the hobbling scene from Misery.

Although this year’s Sundance didn’t offer the next Blair Witch Project or Hereditary, it did feature some wonderful little flicks that deserve wider audiences, and will hopefully be available on a streaming platform sometime soon!

For more information on the Sundance Film Festival, please visit their website.

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My 10 Favorite Horror Films of the 2010s

Since a new decade is up and running, I wanted to look back and discuss what I think are ten amazing horror movies from the past ten years. I’m not saying these are the best; I’m just saying these are ten movies I love and deserve a mention. Have fun reading, and if you haven’t seen this films yet, please seek them out and watch them! You won’t be disappointed!

10. World War Z (2013) The best zombie movie since 28 Days Later. An adaptation of Max Brook’s popular book was always going to be scrutinized by fans no matter how good it turned out. Luckily, Marc Forster’s $100 million-plus movie version is a crackerjack thrill ride from beginning to end, and, dare I say, better than Brook’s overrated novel. Brad Pitt is fine in the role of Gerry Lane – although, honestly, the role could have been filled by any competent actor – but it’s Forster’s aggressive, frenzied direction that creates scenes of incredible suspense and makes the movie work so well.

9. V/H/S 2 (2013) This cinematic roller coaster ride is the best anthology movie in years. Fast-paced, funny, and scary, V/H/S 2 delivers five stories that are all successfully thrilling, but two stand out as mini-classics. “Slumber Party Alien Abduction” features a small group of kids besieged by a horde of space visitors during a sleepover (flashes of The McPherson Tape come into play), and “Safe Haven,” which follows a film crew as they descend into (literal) hell while investigating a mysterious Indonesian cult, is itself is a near-masterpiece in grueling horror.

8. Willow Creek (2013) Bobcat Goldthwait’s suspenseful, slow burn creep-out is probably the closest a found footage movie has come to replicating the claustrophobic dread of The Blair Witch Project. The premise is simple yet effective: a young couple (Bryce Johnson and Alexie Gilmore) venture into the wild terrains of Northern California to find evidence of Bigfoot only to get in over their heads when fiction turns into reality. Goldthwait understands how POV horror works at its best and utilizes this by slowly building the tension with sound effects, suggestion, and imagination. It all culminates in a hold-your-breath ending.

7. The Witch (2015) An atmosphere-drenched 17th century setting elevates this minimalist supernatural chiller above most other ilk, as does powerful acting and a genuinely creepy environment. The dark, bleak woods of Ontario, Canada, create a surreal world of shadows and mystery, conjuring up more powerful imagery than most of 2015’s horror movies combined. And who can forget Black Phillip, perhaps the cleverest manifestation of evil depicted on screen in years?

6. Midsommar (2019) Never has a movie awash in such bright sunshine been so claustrophobically intense. Director Ari Aster followed up Hereditary with a wild road trip of sheer, raw, emotional suspense – not only delivering a daring horror story, but telling a powerful tale of mental illness. The film’s robust two-and-a-half hour runtime seems daunting, but Aster wisely fills the time with a build-up of dread, leading to a powerhouse climax that will feel like a gut-punch.

5. The Conjuring (2013) James Wan moved past his torture porn legacy in the Saw series by setting his sights on old-fashioned ghostly antics, following up the brilliant Insidious with this instantly iconic supernatural shocker. Wan took the haunted house subgenre and turned it on its head, making it feel as alive and fresh as Poltergeist did when it was released in 1982. The Conjuring was so successful that it launched its own cinematic universe (including the terrific Annabelle: Creation) and made international stars out of real-life ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren, portrayed wonderfully by Patrick Wilson and Vera Famiga.

4. Sinister (2012) Future Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson returned to the world of horror after directing The Exorcism of Emily Rose in 2005 with this bleak tale that involves snuff movies and the ghosts of murdered children. A roller coaster ride from beginning to end, Sinister contains some of the creepiest, and scariest, moments in a horror film since The Blair Witch Project.

3. A Quiet Place (2018) One of the more original horror movies of the last ten years, A Quiet Place reminds me of the classic thrillers of Hitchcock, and proves just how powerful misdirection and suspense can be. Director/writer John Krasinski, with fellow writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, wisely avoid a world-view disaster-type of scenario and instead focus on a family’s fight for survival against a species of ferocious, hearing-enhanced predators. The film’s intimate setting heightens both the scares and the emotional impact.

2. Insidious (2011) The second James Wan film on my list, Insidious is perhaps his finest hour since Saw. A literal funhouse of a movie, filled to the brim with creativity, classic storytelling, and good, old-fashioned scares, Insidious is the ultimate modern haunted house chiller. Wan elevates a familiar scenario by infusing it with colorful characters, witty writing, and a rich, otherworldly atmosphere that drenches the movie in a mist of frightening, yet playful, images.

1. Hereditary (2018) Before 2018 nobody had heard of filmmaker Ari Aster, but that all changed after the release of this spellbinding, nerve-shredding venture into hardcore horror. The brilliance of the film is how Aster keeps the plot moving with unpredictability, perfectly weaving a web of mystery, terror, and mythology – juxtaposed against brutally painful family drama – right up until the shock ending. Toni Collette, as the family matriarch, delivers a compelling, emotionally-draining performance that, quite frankly, puts most actors to shame. A horror film that gets under your skin, and that deserves to be on the same shelf as The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, and Psycho.

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Russell Crowe goes ballistic in Unhinged

Road rage is one of those universal events that plague people every day, and while we’ve seen it portrayed in movies before (Duel, Joy Ride) it’s offered up as a straight-forward, unapologetic thrill ride in Unhinged. Directed by German filmmaker Derrick Borte, Unhinged is a high-octane psycho-thriller that moves at a fast pace and, although overloaded with plot conveniences and one of the biggest foreshadowings I’ve ever seen, it’s a film that understands the mechanics of a good race-against-the-clock chiller and how to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Caren Pistorius plays a harried single mother whose busy morning gets even more chaotic when she pisses off a mentally unbalanced killer (Russell Crowe, who gives amazing rage face). Crowe passive-aggressively asks for an apology, but instead gets a face full of dust as Pistorius drives off, leaving him stewing in his own crazy juices and plotting deadly revenge on her and her family.

Essentially a slasher flick with cars, Unhinged is slow to start as we listen to the vapid conversations of cut-and-paste characters. But, when the action kicks in (with a literal slam), the movie becomes a nonstop cat-and-mouse ride that manages to keep you engaged, surprised, and, a few times, shocked. What I liked most about the screenplay (by Carl Ellsworth, writer of Red Eye and Disturbia) is that it wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty.

Crowe is perfectly cast as the madman of the title. Nearly unrecognizable, the Australian actor brakes for no one and goes all out bananas. Just his side-eye glare is enough to send shivers down your spine in what is one of the better, more authentic psycho roles since Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

Will Unhinged win any awards for originality? Not likely. But if you want a fun, easy way to spend 90 minutes I highly recommend it.

To rent or purchase Unhinged please go the the website for details.

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Paranormal Farm: The Meta Found Footage Series

This post contains some spoilers. I recommend watching the films and then come back and read/watch.

If you’re a fan of found footage horror you’ll most likely have heard of the Paranormal Farm series, one of the more inventive in the Paranormal Activity sweepstakes. The first Paranormal Farm, released in 2017 and directed by British filmmaker Carl Medland, has paranormal investigator and psychic, Carl (Medland), traveling to a remote country farm to meet Lucy and Darren, who believe their home and surrounding land are haunted. 

Upon meeting Lucy and Darren at their sprawling farm, Carl is informed that Lucy’s and Darren’s daughter, Jessica, disappeared in the nearby woods five years earlier. Carl suggests the supernatural activity happening in their home could be the spirit of Jessica, and uses the idea as the basis for his investigation. Lucy also mentions the presence of a “beast” that roams the land but Carl seems to dismiss that as unimportant. Carl also takes note of the strange collection of scarecrow-like mannequins that are scattered throughout the property – great material for any horror film.

Carl is left to spend the night at the farm by himself and experiences several creepy incidents, including objects moving by themselves, body possession, and someone stalking the grounds in a clown mask. It all comes to a chaotic conclusion with a relatively satisfying, if weird, ending, but if you’re expecting anything resembling normality in this film you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Paranormal Farm is not your typical FF movie: it sits in a higher, surreal level of both campy self-parody and imaginative storytelling. This is a film that knows what it is and knows how to navigate through the template of the FF arena, at the same time offering up some impressive visuals and original characters.

This is also a movie that throws a lot of information at you at a fast pace, and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll feel like you’re in a maze. But that’s one of the charms of PF, its ability to disorient and confuse you, which just adds to the intriguing mystery of the story; often you have no clue what you’re actually looking at. It’s like the David Lynch of found footage movies.

Paranormal Farm II: Closer to the Truth (2018) is the ultimate meta sequel as it doesn’t continue the story from PF but is more of a spin-off. Picking up a few months after the events of the first movie, Carl is back on the farm interviewing Lucy and Darren, not as a paranormal investigator, but as a filmmaker. Carl is making a behind-the-scenes feature for the DVD release of PF, which we’re told was Carl’s fictionalized account of the real supernatural events Lucy and Darren have experienced over the years. Got it? OK, let’s move on!

With his friend and editor, Taz (Mumtaz Yildrimlar), along for the ride, Carl gets more of the real story from Lucy, Darren, and their neighbors about what inspired him to make PF. We also find out the disappearance of a local girl, Sarah, was the basis for Jessica in the first film. There’s also talk of nearby cults, and, of course, the infamous beast that roams the area. While investigating the story, Carl discovers a nearby house where the father (Robert Gray) of Sarah lives and who some of the neighbors think is actually the beast.

The deeper Carl digs into the local “cult,” a group of people who meet in the woods around a fire (not unlike the climax of PF), the stranger Darren and Lucy act; and a makeshift séance performed by Carl contacts the supposed ghost of Sarah, upsetting Lucy, who says, “Nothing has been done incorrectly. It was all done ages ago. Why is it being brought up again?” Are Lucy and Darren hiding the truth about what happened to Sarah?

PFII transcends the found footage subgenre: it doesn’t play by the rules and it doesn’t care if you don’t like that.

How can Carl and the gang take the premise any further? That’s answered with Paranormal Farm III: Halloween (2019), which sees Carl and Taz back on the haunted farm a month after their visit in PFII. They need Lucy and Darren to sign their contracts in order to get the footage included on the DVD release of the film, but once Carl and Taz arrive they find both Lucy and Darren being attacked by two of the mannequins that dress their property.

But the supernatural occurrences don’t stop there. Later on, Carl seemingly moves an object with his mind and is attacked by something that covers him in blood. But, in PF fashion, Carl and the gang move passed the incident to uncover even more oddities, including a mysterious box with a petrified rat, and Darren’s increasing anger and annoyance with what he thinks are Carl’s fake movie antics.

We’re also introduced to a local blind woman who, like Carl, has psychic abilities and who may be able to help Carl uncover the truth about the paranormal activities plaguing Lucy and Darren.

All of the information from the three films sounds scattered and random, but everything eventually comes together, including revelations about the beast and the truth of Lucy and Darren’s haunting.

One of the clever things about PFIII is that we’re actually told what happens in the very last frame of PFII while Taz is editing the scene on his computer. You can’t get much more meta than that.

If you want a bit of crazy, creepy, and sharply funny entertainment you can’t do any wrong with the Paranormal Farms. As of this writing, Paranormal Farm II and III are currently streaming on Amazon Prime. You can purchase all three Blu-ray discs through Amazon.

For more information and updates on the films check out director Carl Medland’s Instagram!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cZ3TB9RCc4