News

Horror Short, Tailypo, is Fearfully Charming

Published

9 years ago

August 23, 2015

Over the last couple of years, I have become a big fan of short form horror films. Like a great short story and its novel counterpart, the form allows for a chilling tale to be told, generally in under a half hour, that encompasses everything a feature length film offers in a fraction of the time. It’s not an easy feat when one considers everything that must be accomplished in that brief period of time. Most shorts seem to go for the jump scare or a big shock to get its point across. There is nothing wrong with this and I enjoy them as much as any other, but every once in a blue moon, a horror short comes along that manages to captivate and intrigue the imagination. Cameron McCasland’s new short film, Tailypo, manages to do just that.

McCasland went way back into the folklore of the Appalachian Mountains to bring us the tale of an old man and his faithful dog who happen upon something not so natural in the woods outside their cabin. The old man is hungry and game has been scarce. His eyesight is failing him so when he sees something wandering about in the woods, he fires at the creature hoping for a decent meal. He and the dog scramble forward to see what they’ve bagged, only to find a tail lying on the ground. He examines it and decides there is enough meat on the tail to make a stew and heads back to his cabin. As night closes in, he and his dog enjoy the stew and settle in to bed, not knowing that the creature is coming back for his tail and will have it one way or another.

As I said before, this is an old tale from the Appalachian region of the United States but one the managed to travel to a campfire in Texas when I was a boy. I remember it scaring me to death and I couldn’t help but imagine the voice in the night as Tailypo looked for his missing tail. McCasland’s film stays true to the legend. Tailypo is described variously as a cat or dog like creature with glowing eyes and razor sharp teeth. It’s certainly not a creature you want to piss off.

That’s not the only throw back to this film, however. There is a certain “Tales from the Crypt” feel to the story and the way that it is filmed. I half expected the Cryptkeeper to show up to finish out the tale after its explosive ending and I mean that in the best possible way. As the credits rolled by at the end, I was filled with a feeling of nostalgia. Too many of these stories no longer get passed on and that, as my mother would say, is a crying shame.

Tailypo will be releasing soon and making its way to computer screens and film festivals near you in no time, and this is what I encourage you to do. Get your kids, nieces, nephews, (anyone over the age of say 8) together. Build a blanket fort. Tell a few ghost stories, and then turn on Tailypo just before turning the lights out for bed. Then sneak back in and whisper, “Tailypo, tailypo…who has my tailypo” and watch them come unglued. It’s what we did when we were kids and that needs to be passed on to the next generation.

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

23 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

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Lists

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

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.