Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. This is for the week of May 5 through May 10.

Yay:

In a Violent Nature made someone puke at the Chicago Critics Film Fest screening. It’s the first time this year that a critic got sick at a movie that wasn’t a Blumhouse film. 

Nay:

Radio Silence pulls out of remake of Escape From New York. Darn, we wanted to see Snake try to escape a remote locked-down mansion full of distopean New York City “crazies.”

Yay:

A new Twisters trailer dropped, focusing on the powerful forces of nature that tear through rural towns. It’s a great alternative to watching candidates do the same thing on local news during this year’s presidential press cycle.  

Nay:

Producer Bryan Fuller walks away from A24’s Friday the 13th series Camp Crystal Lake saying the studio wanted to go a “different way.” After two years of development for a horror series it seems that way doesn’t include ideas from people who actually know what their talking about: fans in a subreddit.

Yay:

Finally, The Tall Man from Phantasm is getting his own Funko Pop! Too bad the toy company is failing. This gives new meaning to Angus Scrimm’s famous line from the movie: “You play a good game…but the game is finished. Now you die!”

Nay:

Football king Travis Kelce joins new Ryan Murphy horror project as a supporting actor. He got more press than the announcement of Dahmer’s Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts actually getting the lead. 

Discovering hidden gems in the world of cinema can be thrilling, especially when it comes to indie films, where creativity often flourishes without the constraints of massive budgets. To help movie buffs find these lesser-known masterpieces, we’ve curated a special list of indie horror films. Perfect for those who appreciate the underdog and love to support emerging talent, this list is your gateway to potentially uncovering your next favorite director, actor, or horror franchise. Each entry includes a brief synopsis and, when available, a trailer to give you a taste of the spine-chilling excitement that awaits.

Insane Like Me?

Directed by Chip Joslin, this intense narrative centers on a combat veteran who, upon returning from overseas duty, becomes the prime suspect in his girlfriend’s enigmatic disappearance. Wrongfully convicted and incarcerated in a mental asylum for nine years, he is eventually released and seeks to unravel the truth and seek justice. The cast boasts notable talents including Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts, along with Samantha Reddy, Jack Maxwell, Paul Kolker, and Meg Hobgood.

“Insane Like Me?”debuts on Cable and Digital VOD on June 4, 2024.

Silent Hill: The Room – Short Film

Henry Townshend wakes up in his apartment, finding it chained shut from the inside… A fan film based on the game Silent Hill 4: The Room by Konami.

Key Crew & Cast:

• Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, VFX: Nick Merola
• Starring: Brian Dole as Henry Townshend, Thea Henry
• Director of Photography: Eric Teti
• Production Design: Alexandra Winsby
• Sound: Thomas Wynn
• Music: Akira Yamaoka
• Assistant Camera: Hailey Port
• Gaffer: Prannoy Jacob
• SFX Makeup: Kayla Vancil
• Art PA: Haddie Webster
• Color Correction: Matthew Greenberg
• VFX Collaboration: Kyle Jurgia
• Production Assistants: Brandom Weavil, Lauren Smith, Steve Visbeck

Alien Hunt

On a hunting trip in the wilderness, a group of siblings discovers an abandoned military outpost on their land, but is it what it seems? Their trip takes a sinister turn when they find themselves facing off against a relentless army of extra-terrestrial beings. Suddenly, the hunters become the hunted. The formidable squad of alien soldiers will stop at nothing to wipe out the enemy and in an all-out, brutal battle for survival, it’s kill or be killed in Alien Hunt.

This brand-new sci-fi horror from director Aaron Mirtes (Robot Riot, The OctoGames, The Bigfoot Trap, Painted in Blood) is set for its US Premiere on May 14, 2024.

The Hangman

To mend their troubled relationship, a middle-aged door-to-door salesman, Leon, takes his teenage son on a camping trip into deep rural Appalachia. Little do they know of the mountainous region’s sinister secrets. A local cult has summoned an evil demon born of hate and pain, known to them as The Hangman, and now the bodies have begun to pile up. Leon wakes up in the morning to discover that his son is missing. To find him, Leon must face the murderous cult and the bloodthirsty monster that is The Hangman.

The Hangman will have a limited theatrical run beginning May 31. The film will be available to rent or purchase on video-on-demand (VOD) starting June 4th.

Ever wonder what your favorite horror movies would look like if they had been made in the 50s? Thanks to We Hate Popcorn But Eat It Anyway and their use of modern technology now you can!

The YouTube channel reimagines modern movie trailers as mid-century pulp flicks using AI software.

What is really neat about these bite-sized offerings is that some of them, mostly the slashers go against what cinemas had to offer over 70 years ago. Horror movies back then involved atomic monsters, scary aliens, or some sort of physical science gone awry. This was the era of the B-movie where actresses would put their hands against their faces and let out over-dramatic screams reacting to their monstrous pursuer.

With the advent of new color systems such as DeLuxe and Technicolor, movies were vibrant and saturated in the 50s enhancing primary colors that electrified the action happening on screen, bringing a whole new dimension to films using a process called Panavision.

Arguably, Alfred Hitchcock upended the creature feature trope by making his monster a human in Psycho (1960). He used black and white film to create shadows and contrast which added suspense and drama to every setting. The final reveal in the basement would probably not have been if he had used color.

Jump to the 80s and beyond, actresses were less histrionic, and the only emphasized primary color was blood red.

What is also unique about these trailers is the narration. The We Hate Popcorn But Eat It Anyway team has captured the monotone narration of 50s movie trailer voiceovers; those over-dramatic faux news anchor cadences that emphasized buzz words with a sense of urgency.

That mechanic died out long ago, but luckily, you can see what some of your favorite modern horror movies would look like when Eisenhower was in office, developing suburbs were replacing farmland and cars were made with steel and glass.

Here are some other noteworthy trailers brought to you by We Hate Popcorn But Eat It Anyway: