Birds are falling from the sky. Fish are floating dead in the water. Electronic devices suddenly stop working. And local fisherman Tom (Neville Archambault) is having regular blackouts. What is this mysterious force that is causing chaos on Block Island?
Tom’s son Harry (Chris Sheffield) and daughter Audry (Michaela McManus) try to help their dad whose drinking and hallucinations are getting increasingly out of control. Harry’s friend Dale (Jim Cummings) thinks it’s all a government conspiracy and everyone else just thinks Tom has a drinking problem. As Audry begins to investigate, Harry is slowly being taken over by this force and the ghost of his dad guides him further into danger.
Written, co-produced and directed by Kevin and Matthew McManus , The Block Island Sound is a seaside thriller that offers viewers plenty of mystery and a satisfyingly slow build. I wasn’t sure where the story was taking me but I was definitely along for the ride. This film reminded me a little of the seaside horror genre film The Beach Housewhich I reviewed recently but I found The Block Island Sound even more riveting. I appreciate that the film doesn’t offer any answers but does question the role of electronic devices in our lives and how they affect not only our minds but our bodies.
The Block Island Sound premiered at the virtual 2020 Fantasia Film Festival.
When 17-year-old Nayeli (Ruth Ramos) is raped by the neighborhood gringo Rayan (Cesar Mijangos), she seeks help from her brother Uri (Daniel Fuentes Lobo). Uri sides with his friend rather than his sister calling her a whore. Spurned by her brother, she visits the local coven of witches to enact her revenge. Not only is Rayan about to pay the price for his violent act against Nayeli but Uri will have to watch it all go down.
Directed by Ashley George and set in present day Mexico, Diabla packs a punch in a mere 17 minutes and will linger in your mind long after the film is over. For female viewers especially, Diabla will serve as a visual representation of all of the revenge fantasies that we have for the men in our lives who have hurt us in one form or another. In this way, Diabla is highly gratifying even when it shocks and disturbs.
Ashley George’s impressive short horror film speaks directly to women who have been hurt physically and emotionally by men.
Diabla is part of the virtual 2020 Fantasia Film Festival.
What happens if your virtual meeting room is haunted?
Host is a new Shudder original horror film about six friends who decide to hold a virtual séance using the popular video communication platform Zoom. As the group’s evening of entertainment quickly unravels into a night of terror, viewers are immersed in a found footage-style horror movie that shows the worst-case scenario when technology and the supernatural converge on a computer screen.
Filmed in the homes of the actors and directed from afar, Host was conceived of by director Rob Savage (Dawn of the Deaf, 2016), who collaborated with his producing-partner Jed Shepherd (Salt, award-winning short, 2018), producer Douglas Cox (Dawn of the Deaf, 2016), and writer Gem Hurley (Tin Foil) to craft the story and script. In his director’s statement, Savage credited his enthusiasm for found footage horror movies, specifically Unfriended (2014), for inspiring Host, but it was Savage’s recent Zoom prank that propelled the idea of the film that’s now streaming on Shudder.
Host is haunting, and it doesn’t waste time telling its scary story. There is no trivial dialogue or banter to introduce the characters. There is no music to lull you into the story. There are no intro credits because, after all, you’re just watching a free 40-minute Zoom session. Savage quickly familiarizes viewers with the group’s relationship dynamics and drama, and he grasps our short attention spans with speedy pacing and plenty of obligatory jump scares…and he does it in less than an hour.
The friends, played by Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louis Webb, Caroline Ward, Radina Drandova, and Edward Linard, have outstanding chemistry, which bolsters the film’s authenticity. For viewers, the experience is a bit uncanny because it feels like you’re zoom-bombing a private moment between friends. Savage attributes the harmony of the cast to their long standing friendships beyond the “set” of the film.
In addition to acting, it is worth noting that the actors operated their own cameras and assisted with their own lighting and practical effects. While all of the actors were stellar in their own roles, we must give Emma Louis Webb a special round of applause, because her genuine fear and panic are palpable on screen, and she does a lot of the emotional lifting toward the end of the film.
Host is an outstanding horror film because it doesn’t allow us to escape the terror of our current reality. This film is set in the present amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and every facet of the film—from the plot to the production—reminds us of that alarming fact. Why are these friends having a Zoom call instead of meeting up at someone’s house or a pub? Because they and we are in the middle of a pandemic. Why are they risking their spiritual and physically safety by holding a séance via Zoom even though, as their spiritual guide warns, the group will be “slightly less protected than they might have been”? Because of the pandemic. Why can’t they leave their homes to escape their frightening situations? Because pandemic. When two of the characters do come face-to-face, they greet each other by bumping elbows. Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic.
It’s difficult to go into detail about the plot without spoiling the fun of the film. So, for a fully immersive—and potentially haunting—experience, grab your laptop and just press play!
Host is best described as a fraught fifty-seven-minute thrill ride with Paranormal Activity (2007) meets Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) vibes.
Ally Russell occasionally creates content for the Horror Writers Association’s Young Adult & Middle Grade blog, SCARY OUT THERE, and she hosts the FlashFrights podcast on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Ally lives in Boston and works at an independent children’s publisher. She enjoys talking about cryptids in her free time. She can be found on Instagram at @OneDarkAlly.
“The most traveled, the most colorful, the most efficient, the most highly decorated bomb group of WWII.”
Michael Cudlitz, Band of Brothers
The 93rd Bomb Group, part of the Eighth Air Force, executed some of the most daring missions of WWII. Their base camp was in Hardwick, England, a hamlet just north of London and south of Norwich. They completed 396 missions, were instrumental in Operation Torch and have been celebrated for their bravery and ingenuity. Every year the 93rd Bomb Group reunites in the U.S. to reconnect, share memories and keep their history alive. Some years they trek to where it all started and Hardwick embraces the 93rd with open arms. Locals share stories, meet with the surviving members and there is even a small museum that exists in their honor. The reunions also serve as an opportunity for family members to learn more about their loved ones who have since passed on. The annual 93rd reunion is an important example of how we must keep history going and how it is imperative that we preserve these memories so they are never forgotten.
Directed by Michael Sellers and narrated by Band of Brothers star Michael Cudlitz, Return to Hardwick: Home of the 93rd Bomb Group is a loving tribute to one of the most extraordinary strategic bomb units of WWII. The documentary includes interviews with historians and family members but most importantly the surviving 93rd members themselves. We hear from a dozen different pilots, waist gunners, tail gunners and navigators. Their stories make this film an important time capsule.
As a documentary, Return to Hardwick is nothing groundbreaking. In fact it’s fairly rudimentary. One interesting thing it does it superimposes computer imagery over footage of Hardwick to demonstrate how the 93rd would have used the airbase. Military history buffs will love the extensive information about the 93rd’s missions. Casual history buffs like myself might find themselves a bit overwhelmed by this. However, this documentary really checks off all the boxes of what a good film that preserves the history of WWII can really do. I hope it will be shown in museums and that future historians will refer to it as the valuable source of information it is.
Return to Hardwick: Home of the 93rd Bomb Group is available on VOD.
“Politicians say they’re going to help us. Fuck that. The thing is a person needs a job to survive but you need work to feel like you’re worth something.”
Benny Mendez (J. Salome Martinez)
Allery Parkes (Peter Gerety) finds comfort in his daily routine. He packs up his thermos with coffee and lunch box with a simple meal, walks to the local plant and does the job he’s been doing faithfully for the past 25 years. Unfortunately for Allery, everything is about to change.
It’s the last day before the plant officially closes for good. No longer having a job is something that Allery just can’t process. The thing is, Allery is still reeling from the loss of his son Gabe. He and his wife Iola (Talia Shire) have been going through the motions, trying to get through each day. Allery’s job is the one constant in his life. It gives him a sense of purpose. And he’s not about to let it go.
So Allery goes back to work. He breaks into the plant and starts cleaning. His former coworkers think he’s nuts. But one coworker, Walter (Billy Brown), thinks Allery might be onto something. As Allery and Walter develop a bond, the work together to revive the plant. The other coworkers become curious and join in. This quiet, unassuming man is about to find his voice and reconnect with the part of himself he had lost with the death of his son.
“It’s just something I need to do.”
Allery Parkes (Peter Gerety)
Directed by Robert Jury, Working Man is a small film with a big message. It offers deep insight into the life of the American laborer. This way of life has been dwindling with the rise of globalization and corporate greed. These people have been a significant driving force in our current political climate.
Jury’s film explores the closing of American factories and the subsequent upheaval that this causes in small communities. The main character’s identity and self worth is wrapped up into his life as a working man. There’s something to be said about having a sense of purpose in your life. Going to work, doing a good job and feeling like you’ve accomplished something. There’s value in this that goes beyond monetary compensation. For Allery, the routine and the reliability is a security blanket. It’s also a way for him to avoid dealing with his own personal issues.
At first the film seemed predictable. I enjoyed the slow build to what I thought was an inevitable conclusion. But it took an unexpected turn which I thought made it more interesting. Peter Gerety’s reserved performance as the film’s unlikely hero is compelling. He matches so well with Billy Brown who plays Walter, a much more intense hero who shakes things up in the story. Talia Shire’s role reminded me a bit of Adrian in the Rocky films. The character of Benny Mendez, played by J. Salome Martinez, delivers the film’s ideology. There is a diverse cast with various ages, races and genders (including one minor transgender character) represented.
The story is set in the Rust Belt and filmed in the Chicago suburbs. About the film, Robert Jury said, “my greatest hope for Working Man is to create a curiosity, a dialogue, and a meaningful connection with folks – regardless of personal beliefs or alliances. Loss, grief, recovery, and love are universal. The time feels right.”
Working Man is now available on DVD and video on demand.
