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Before Watching Evan Peters’ Dahmer Series, Check These Out

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Since it was just announced that Ryan Murphy is making a limited series called Monster, starring Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer, we thought we would give you some other titles to watch before his series drops on Netflix. Although no firm date has been released, Monster is speculated to drop sometime in September. (You can watch the full trailer of Evan Peters in Monster here.)

Jeffrey Dahmer is the despicable serial killer who lured young male victims into his home and dismembered them. It is reported that he killed 17 men and boys before he was arrested and sentenced to several life terms.

True crime fans are fascinated with Jeffrey Dahmer. Their morbid curiosity might fuel their need to understand how such a mild-mannered, soft-spoken man from Milwaukee could perform such unspeakable crimes. There are some movies already out there that try to explore the reasons. Some are better than others, but the grotesque nature of the subject matter remains the same.

Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer

The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer (1991)

This low-budget film has all the earmarks of a documentary. Its low-grade film and real-world sets give it a Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer effect, which is creepy enough. But the most disturbing thing about this film aside from its cinéma-vérité feeling is the realistic props.

From severed limbs to severed heads and other bodily appendages, The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer isn’t for the faint of heart. Carl Crew wrote the screenplay and also stars as the murderer himself. The movie was reportedly made in secret and was supposed to have a theatrical release. But it ultimately went straight to video in 1991.

You can watch the full movie on YouTube if you type the title into the platform’s search engine.

Raising Jeffrey Dahmer (2006)

Taking a different approach, Raising Jeffrey Dahmer examines the killer’s father and how Dahmer’s childhood may have led him to commit such horrific acts. The title is a little misleading in that it suggests more of an insight into the killer as a kid, but in reality, it has more to do with the aftermath following his arrest.

The movie was panned by critics and ultimately casual viewers as being too stylistic and not following the prompt in the title. One IMDb review said, “Snooty, pompous, and pointless. This movie makes a very weak attempt to use art-house-style drama to represent the story of Dahmer. I actually got fooled into initially thinking that it was a documentary.”

Available on DVD.

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

A better attempt at chronicling the life of Jeffrey Dahmer is My Friend Dahmer. Based on a graphic novel of the same name, this film follows the murderer as an adolescent in high school. Adding to the uniqueness of the film, it was written by Dahmer’s actual childhood friend John Backderf, or “Derf” as he was called back then.

Ross Lynch takes on the title role which won him praise among critics. But ultimately the movie falls between what really happened and perhaps the guilt Backderf felt while writing it. He paints the titular character as more sympathetic than psychopathic, and in that regard, it feels inauthentic.

Available on Freevee through Amazon.

Dahmer (2002)

Today we know Jeremy Renner as a big-budget action star, but long before he became an Avenger he played Jeffrey Dahmer. This is actually an above par entry into the life and times of the serial killer. Thanks to Renner’s performance we get a sense of duality that allows us to see into the madman’s sick mind while still exploring his emotional sensibilities.

Available on Freevee through Amazon.

The Jeffrey Dahmer Files (2013)

Part documentary, part live-action re-enactment, The Jeffrey Dahmer Files again switches focus. This time to the detective following the case. The film also includes testimony from the Milwaukee Medical Examiner and Dahmer’s neighbor Pamela Bass with which he became close.

This film is the most critically praised on the list. It was a part of the Milwaukee Film Festival and took home the Grand Jury Award in 2012.

Watch on AMC+

The Cannibal Killer: The Real Story of Jeffrey Dahmer (2020)

Good luck finding the last one on this list to stream. We were only able to come across it on DVD at the production company’s website. This bizarre ultra-low budget gem isn’t a true narrative about the serial killer but is historically accurate.

According to the synopsis, this film, “is an award winning fictitious yet historically accurate horror crime docudrama narrated by Jeffrey Dahmer (Giancarlo Herrera) using actual quotes by the infamous serial killer responsible for murdering and dismembering at least 17 young men.

The story explores the psychodynamic of Dahmer’s relationships with his neighbors, grandmother, and his victims, both pre and post mortum.”

The subject matter may be morose, but the interest is still there. And while we wait for Ryan Murphy’s re-telling of the Dahmer horror show, maybe one of these titles will help prep you for what to expect until then.

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The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Movie Reviews

Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Haunted Ulster Live’

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Everything old is new again.

On Halloween 1998, the local news of Northern Ireland decide to do a special live report from an allegedly haunted house in Belfast. Hosted by local personality Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) and popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) they intend to look at the supernatural forces disturbing the current family living there. With legends and folklore abound, is there an actual spirit curse in the building or something far more insidious at work?

Presented as a series of found footage from a long forgotten broadcast, Haunted Ulster Live follows similar formats and premises as Ghostwatch and The WNUF Halloween Special with a news crew investigating the supernatural for big ratings only to get in over their heads. And while the plot has certainly been done before, director Dominic O’Neill’s 90’s set tale of local access horror manages to stand out on its own ghastly feet. The dynamic between Gerry and Michelle is most prominent, with him being an experienced broadcaster who thinks this production is beneath him and Michelle being fresh blood who is considerably annoyed at being presented as costumed eye candy. This builds as the events within and around the domicile becomes too much to ignore as anything less than the real deal.

The cast of characters is rounded out by the McKillen family who have been dealing with the haunting for some time and how it’s had an effect on them. Experts are brought in to help explain the situation including the paranormal investigator Robert (Dave Fleming) and the psychic Sarah (Antoinette Morelli) who bring their own perspectives and angles to the haunting. A long and colorful history is established about the house, with Robert discussing how it used to be the site of an ancient ceremonial stone, the center of leylines, and how it was possibly possessed by the ghost of a former owner named Mr. Newell. And local legends abound about a nefarious spirit named Blackfoot Jack that would leave trails of dark footprints in his wake. It’s a fun twist having multiple potential explanations for the site’s strange occurrences instead of one end-all be-all source. Especially as the events unfold and the investigators try to discover the truth.

At its 79 minute timelength, and the encompassing broadcast, it’s a bit of a slow burn as the characters and lore is established. Between some news interruptions and behind the scenes footage, the action is mostly focused on Gerry and Michelle and the build up to their actual encounters with forces beyond their comprehension. I will give kudos that it went places I didn’t expect, leading to a surprisingly poignant and spiritually horrifying third act.

So, while Haunted Ulster Live isn’t exactly trendsetting, it definitely follows in the footsteps of similar found footage and broadcast horror films to walk its own path. Making for an entertaining and compact piece of mockumentary. If you’re a fan of the sub-genres, Haunted Ulster Live is well worth a watch.

3 eyes out of 5
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Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Never Hike Alone 2’

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There are fewer icons more recognizable than the slasher. Freddy Krueger. Michael Myers. Victor Crowley. Notorious killers who always seem to come back for more no matter how many times they are slain or their franchises seemingly put to a final chapter or nightmare. And so it seems that even some legal disputes cannot stop one of the most memorable movie murderers of all: Jason Voorhees!

Following the events of the first Never Hike Alone, outdoorsman and YouTuber Kyle McLeod (Drew Leighty) has been hospitalized after his encounter with the long thought dead Jason Voorhees, saved by perhaps the hockey masked killer’s greatest adversary Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) who now currently works as an EMT around Crystal Lake. Still haunted by Jason, Tommy Jarvis struggles to find a sense of stability and this latest encounter is pushing him to end the reign of Voorhees once and for all…

Never Hike Alone made a splash online as a well shot and thoughtful fan film continuation of the classic slasher franchise that was built up with the snowbound follow up Never Hike In The Snow and now climaxing with this direct sequel. It’s not only an incredible Friday The 13th love letter, but a well thought out and entertaining epilogue of sorts to the infamous ‘Tommy Jarvis Trilogy’ from within the franchise that encapsulated Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Even getting some of the original cast back as their characters to continue the tale! Thom Mathews being the most prominent as Tommy Jarvis, but with other series casting like Vincent Guastaferro returning as now Sheriff Rick Cologne and still having a bone to pick with Jarvis and the mess around Jason Voorhees. Even featuring some Friday The 13th alumni like Part III‘s Larry Zerner as the mayor of Crystal Lake!

On top of that, the movie delivers on kills and action. Taking turns that some of the previous fils never got the chance to deliver on. Most prominently, Jason Voorhees going on a rampage through Crystal Lake proper when he slices his way through a hospital! Creating a nice throughline of the mythology of Friday The 13th, Tommy Jarvis and the cast’s trauma, and Jason doing what he does best in the most cinematically gory ways possible.

The Never Hike Alone films from Womp Stomp Films and Vincente DiSanti are a testament to the fanbase of Friday The 13th and the still enduring popularity of those films and of Jason Voorhees. And while officially, no new movie in the franchise is on the horizon for the foreseeable future, at the very least there is some comfort knowing fans are willing to go to these lengths to fill the void.

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