Throughout the decades, slasher film villains have had their fair share of bizarre motivations for committing violence. In Jamie Langlands’s The R.I.P Man, killer Alden Pick gathers the teeth of his victims to put in his own toothless mouth in deference to an obscure medieval Italian clan of misfits.

The Twisted Childhood Universe gathers steam with it’s latest addition of Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare—a slasher that embraces the complexity of queer characters.

Bones and roots adorn the walls of their dimly lit home. A mjölnir necklace hangs around K.’s neck as he hand carves incense into a small cauldron burner and a breathy soundtrack begins to play. This is a couple that is in tune—with themselves, with the natural world, and, as we will soon see, the supernatural world, as well. 

Co-director of New Fears Eve, P.J. Starks, talks about the making of his newest hit on Screambox, working with industry legends, and what’s next for both “The Doctor” and the director, himself.

In his feature directorial debut, Alex Kugelman looks to peel back the layers of nepotism and gatekeeping in Hollywood in Don’t Trip. Starring Matthew Sato and Will Sennett, and with appearances by Fred Melamed and Chloe Cherry, Don’t Trip follows Dev Ryan, a struggling screenwriter whose desperation to get his script into the hands of a producer sends him hurtling toward a (comically) tragic end.

LandLord isn’t going to color inside the lines. Sure, it’ll color inside some of the lines, but this coloring book wasn’t made by someone looking to retread all the cliches. It was made by someone who almost wants you to fall for some of the tropes. If you fall for the tropes, after all, you won’t be expecting the punch.

Last year, I found myself at odds with the majority of moviegoers who saw Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.  The reactions generally ranged from apathy to vitriol—how dare they stain the reputations of such loveable public domain characters? That film garnered only 50% approval from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and a shocking 3% from critics.

As a masked figure called the “Sweet Angel” goes viral in a social media challenge, three teens play the game as a joke, each nominating someone they’d like to see die. But when they are unexpectedly chosen by the Angel, they’re forced to follow through on their nominations, or risk death themselves.

In both mainstream and indie circles, true crime-inspired thrillers are on the rise, and directors at this year’s Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival Thriller Picture Show did not disappoint.

With the long-awaited remake of Nosferatu by Robert Eggers quickly approaching, it’s a great time to dust off your old favorite vampire flicks to amp yourself up. Whether you’re an Interview with the Vampire (1994) person or you’re more into The Lost Boys (1987), or even if you’re a 30 Days of Night (2007) fanatic, vamps have the unique ability among monsters to adapt to almost any kind of story.

This past weekend saw the conclusion of the Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival’s third annual Thriller Picture Show, where dozens of horror-loving filmmakers descended on the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley to meet, chat, and above all, enjoy a wide variety of shorts and features.

What Sleeps Beneath is excited to sponsor the Third Annual Thriller Picture Show, with our Director of Content, Ande Thomas, honored to serve as one of this year’s judges. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting scar on the world, but one of the few silver linings that we can take from the experience is the sea of pandemic-inspired horror that came out of quarantine.

There Is a Monster, a small budget supernatural horror film from writer and director Mike Taylor, is fresh out of the starting gate on VOD platforms. Based loosely on his own family’s experiences, There Is a Monster is a personal work for Taylor, starring Joey Collins as Jack, a veteran portrait photographer whose small studio is just starting to gain traction.

Pittsburgh’s Moving Picture Festival: Thriller Picture Show will showcase a collection of independent films from October 7-9 at the Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley, Pennsylvania.

Indie filmmakers are the heart of the horror genre. While mainstream horror flicks bring in large numbers, it is the indie films that typically push the boundaries and take on ambitious themes. Often uncomfortable, gross, or downright strange, here are some of our very favorite indie horror films.

Heading into the Chattanooga Film Festival, there were a few films that I had my eye on. One that managed to sneak in under my radar, however, was a quiet, unassuming title directed by first-time feature film directing duo Perry Home Video called Soft Liquid Center, which centers around a character trying to extricate herself from an ex-boyfriend who refuses to move on. It’s a deeply unsettling film dripping with style, so unlike any other film you may have seen and yet seems so effortlessly familiar. 

Finally, audiences will get to see the dark art of yoga for what it truly is. Coming into Chattanooga Film Festival, Mind Body Spirit, a found footage-style horror film about a hopeful yoga influencer, was one of the higher profile draws featured in the festival’s lineup.

The horror genre is well suited for the short-film format, allowing filmmakers to explore their creativity, often leading directly to bigger productions and full-length adaptations. In celebration of the 10th annual Chattanooga Film Festival, Ande Thomas reviews their Dangerous Visions Shorts Showcase.

Shudder has become an indispensable source of horror with its highly curated collections and broad selection of original works. Read on for a list of (more than) top ten Shudder original films.