The Nightmare (2015)

Can a documentary be scary?  This one is and it’s because it delves into sleep paralysis and crafts representations of the kind of experiences the interviewees have gone through.   My only complaint is that it gets a bit repetitive but still Rodney Ascher, the director, does an excellent job of capturing the terror that these many people face.   I won’t go so far as to say the film gave me nightmares but it did make me feel a bit uncomfortable as I tried to fall asleep.  You can’t ask for much more than that. B+

Plus One (2013)

College kids at a house party experience a bizarre phenomenon that will challenge their reality.   The heart of the story is David who badly wants to get back together with his ex-girlfriend Jill.  Then there’s his roommate who wants to badly to have sex with the most beautiful girl at the party. It’s more of a science fiction comedy than a horror film, but there is a dark spot at its core that shifts it into the macabre.   For what it is it’s pretty enjoyable, but it never leaps past anything other than a low-budget genre flick. B

The Shinning Girls by Lauren Beukes

I didn’t know if I’d like this when I started it.  It felt like it went all over the place.   But then it really grabbed me and before I knew it I couldn’t wait to see what would happen.  The premise is a good one.  A serial killer finds a magical house that allows him to become a time traveler making it virtually impossible for anyone to find him.   That is until one of his victims, Kirby Mazrachi, survives without his knowledge and she devotes her life to find the man responsible for almost killing her.  Along for the strange ride is an older sports writer who tries to get Kirby to give up her crazy pursuit.  Again I can’t stress enough how enjoyable of a book this is.  It’s scary concept with a hero you can really root for.   Lauren Beukes demonstrates real skill as a writer and I’m looking forward to read more of her work.  A-

Starry Eyes (2014)

A young actress played by Alex Essoe is struggling to make it in the business.  Her friends are all bohemian artists from actresses and film makers.  Yet she’s the less talented of them all.   Finally one of her auditions goes well, and it looks like she’ll be able to quite her waitressing job and start her career as an actress.   Except the production company that is interested in her has other ideas.   I really enjoyed this low-budget fable about the taint of wanting to become famous at the point of literally selling your soul.  It’s a simple story but it works. It’s both gruesome and poetic as only a horror film can be.  Directed and written by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. B+

Kill List (2011)

Director Ben Wheatley directs a film about two British soldiers, Jay and Gal, who return home and become hit men.  Jay has a family and Gal only a girlfriend.  At first the premise is more of a crime thriller than a horror film, but there’s this eerie satanic vibe that keeps chewing at the plot and building until a really terrifying end.  At first it took a good chunk of the film to get me hooked but it really succeeds at becoming a memorable and deranged goodie. B+ 

Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

What a great debut novel from John Darnielle.  It’s the story of Sean Phillips, a young man who designs a mail-in game where he sends out dungeon-dragon like game play instructions. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world.  Yet what is an innocent idea soon becomes tragic with a few players.  The story also tells his back story where it is learned he has a badly damaged face from an incident when he was in high school; it’s while recuperating that he dreams up this game.   Told out of order and in a voice that’s hauntingly memorable, this is a book to read and really embrace.   Some might find the main character a tad unlikable but he grew on me and I could relate to him, even if he was nothing like me. A-

Would You Rather (2012)

I start my annual Halloween Horror Movie Month with this little thriller from director David Grey Levy.   It stars Brittney Snow as a girl who attends a special dinner with the promise of $10,000.   When she arrives the host of the party, Mr. Lambrick (played by Jeffrey Combs) gathers his group of victims, I mean, dinner guests, and tells them they’re about to play a version of “Would You Rather” but with deadly consequences.   It never gets that clever as I had hoped it would.  It’s trying to shock you like a Saw movie but it’s only slightly disturbing.  I would have liked some more thoughtful wickedness.   It’s not all bad, it’s entertaining as much as a low-budget film like this should be.  Don’t expect anything really shocking or unexpected. B