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Now on Netflix: BASKIN (2015) is Torturous, Horrifying

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There have been very few movies throughout the course of my movie watching career that were able to truly chill me to the bone. The Turkish-language horror flick Baskin, which is now available to stream on Netflix, was one of them.

Depicting Hell is a tricky affair – but when it’s done right, it can be downright torturous to watch. Baskin follows a group of police officers responding to a call for backup. Once they arrive at the mysterious building in which they were hailed to, they find that the inside is more or less a gateway to Hell itself.

Making excellent use of color and mood, the film does its best to try and disgust the audience as much as possible through obscenity and horrific imagery. Spoiler alert: it works. This unique depiction of a literal Hell on earth is not the lazily-concocted brimstone and fire that many would expect; it’s something much more surreal. Watching Baskin is likened to experiencing an intense fever dream that does not let up.

There’s a plot somewhere in this film, too, but it’s somewhat hard to find. While some may criticize the movie for lacking in story and relying mainly on style over substance, I found that the confusion with the overall storyline made for an even more otherworldly experience. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but the vague plot and lack of explanations for everything made me feel even more unsettled after the movie ended. There is a meaning behind this movie – I think – but it may take more than one watch to figure it out.

And while it is incredibly scary, it could have been taken even further. The last ten minutes of the movie seem to be hastily put together and a bit uninspired; still, this does not take away from the Hellish experience that the rest of the movie puts you through. I have no doubt that the reaction to this film, now that it’s available on such an attainable format and viewed by many curious horror fans, will be heavily divided. It’s been highly anticipated, and there will be many who think that the violence, heavy and disturbing as it is, could have been taken further. But as a fan of films such as Suspiria and Hellraiser, I was pleasantly surprised to see a mixture of the two of them in one grisly, rotten film. No, Baskin is not nice. It does not play fair and it will use cheap tricks to get a rise out of people. Still, I greatly enjoyed this film – I even considered sleeping with some lights on after the fact.

Is Baskin my new favorite movie? Not quite. Regardless of how terrifying I found it to be, the loose story and confusing plot points must be addressed and taken into consideration. Still, for anyone looking to scare themselves silly, this movie is a perfectly good choice.

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New Body Horror Film ‘The Substance’ Releases Teaser

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We haven’t seen Demi Moore in a movie since The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent back in 2022. She has been busy though, she had a part in Ryan Murphy’s latest Feud chapter and now she is contemplating altering her body to make it more youthful in the body horror film The Substance.

Apparently, according to the official synopsis, there is a newly developed beauty regimen that “generates another you. A new, younger, more beautiful, more perfect you. And there’s only one rule: You share time. One week for you. One week for the new you. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy. Right? If you respect the balance… what could possibly go wrong?”

A still from the film (used in out header) suggests that this new technology requires a lot more than dabbing it under your eyes or administering a sticky mask. The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was bought by Mubi. No US release date has been announced.

The Substance

The Substance reminds us of another FDA nightmare, The Stuff (1985) in which a commercially marketed whipped treat turns people into zombies. That film is a dark comedy about consumerism and gluttony. While Deadline reports that The Substance is humourous as well as gory, they don’t say how rooted it is in satire.

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Airbnb Scareprank Pits Influencers Against ‘The Strangers’

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The Strangers: Chapter 1 was released this week. This is the first part of Renny Harlin’s trilogy which appears to be a retelling of the 2008 original. Early reviews are passable, but many have said it is not as scary as the original and hope this first installment is just a taste of what is to come.

However, social media influencers got the scare of their lives after they were invited to an Airbnb for a special screening. As they watched the film masked home invaders visited them and their reactions were recorded.

The stunt was put together by actor/executive producer Madelaine Petsch and producer Courtney Solomon. You can watch how it played out below.

Soloman was recently interviewed by iHorror and attempted to clear up some questions about how this trilogy fits into the Strangers universe:

“The one thing that seems to register confusion amongst the OG ‘The Strangers‘ fans is that we remade the movie, or that it’s a prequel. Not really. What we did is we took the DNA of the original setup, and wanted to use that because you really can’t do better for a setup, we’re using that as the jumping-off point. Our characters are different. Our scares and our beats are very different. It’s all setting up a bigger story. You’re following these characters, and you will really get to know the protagonist and antagonist, and as they go through, it’s like they almost know each other.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1

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New ‘Insidious’ Movie Scheduled For August 2025 Release Date

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Get ready for another chapter in the Insidious universe. Variety confirms today that another movie is in the works and it could be in theaters as early as August 2025.

Unfortunately, the cast has not been revealed, nor how this entry will fit into the series overall. That means series regulars Patrick Wilson, Leigh Whannel and Lin Shaye haven’t been confirmed as returning actors.

Variety also stated that this isn’t the spinoff Thread: An Insidious Tale, starring Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani that Deadline announced in 2023. They also point out if this newly announced title releases before Thread, it would be the sixth chapter in the franchise.

Insidious: The Red Door

Insidious has been a hot property for Blumhouse. Initially created by James Wan, the movies have done very well at the box office. Although the last one, Red Door got mixed reviews, it managed to rake in $189 million worldwide, a hefty haul considering the film only cost $16 million to make.

Jason Blum is cited as saying after Red Door the series would take an extended break, “It may not be a forever rest, but it’s certainly going to be a very long rest. … There’s not a plan — as there has been with every prior ‘Insidious’ movie — there’s no current plan in place for number six.”

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