Lists
Best Eli Roth Movies To Watch Before, or After, ‘Thanksgiving’
If you can’t get out this weekend to see the latest Eli Roth slasher, Thanksgiving, it wouldn’t be a bad time to bone up on some of his other works. Roth was once the golden boy of horror. The 51-year-old director and producer kind of changed the game in the early 2000s by re-invented the splatter film eventually creating a genre of his own called “torture porn.”
Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Roth got behind the camera at an early age, shooting parodies or homages to horror movies popular at that time. Quentin Tarantino was a huge influence in Roth’s college years while attending NYU’s film school. He was even nominated for a Student Academy Award for Restaurant Dogs, a gritty homage to Tarantino.
Roth loves horror movies. His History of Horror docuseries is one of the best in-depth looks at the genre from its beginnings to its modern-day appeal. He is also a producer of many projects including The Last Exorcism I & II, The Sacrament (2013) and Aftershock (2012).
He hasn’t directed a mainstream movie in five years so it is exciting to see his name on a movie theatre marquee once again with Thanksgiving. His next project is a movie adaptation of the popular video game Borderlands which has seen more than its fair share of production woes. Due to his commitment to Thanksgiving Roth couldn’t do any Borderlands re-shoots, but gave his blessing to director Tim Miller (Deadpool) to take over.
Below are some great Eli Roth-directed movies to catch up on if you find yourself unable to make it to the theater for Thanksgiving. Most of them are underrated and deserve a second look because one thing Roth knows more than horror movies is the fans who love them just as much as he does.
Cabin Fever (2002)
What started it all. This film will literally get under your skin. It’s a standard horror narrative: friends decide to vacation in the woods, in a cabin, partying. What they don’t know is that they have been exposed to a virus which has devastating lethal effects. Since it’s a flesh-eating virus you know things are going to be icky, and they are. The leg-shaving scene alone is a graphic reminder of how Roth makes movies; suspenseful, moody, and extremely gory. Don’t get this mixed up with the inferior 2016 remake. You can watch this free on the Roku app (with commercials) or on Starz. You can also rent or buy it on all digital platforms.
Hostel (2005)
You can’t mention Roth’s name among friends without saying Hostel. What Jaws did to swimmers, Hostel did for international travelers. Again a troupe of male teenagers gather to have some fun, but this time it’s in Slovakia. They are enamored by two young women who flirtatiously get them to spend the night at a hostel. It’s all bled and breakfast from there as each member of the friend group is dissected one-by-one by a cult of rich psychopaths. “Torture Porn” is born. You can watch this free on Roku, Amazon, Pluto, or Plex. Rent or buy it on all digital platforms.
Hostel: Part II (2007)
More of the same as above, but this time women are the marks. Although it never reaches the terrifying levels that its predecessor did, Hostel: Part II still packs a punch. Continuing with the “torture porn” theme a group of young ladies are vacationing in Europe when they are coerced into staying at the hostel. Each of their passports is used as auction lots with the highest bidder getting to dismember them. It’s disturbing but effective. Free on Roku, Freevee, Pluto, or Plex. Rent or buy it on all digital platforms.
The Green Inferno (2015)
This one deserves a second chance. It’s Roth’s homage to the 70s found footage splatterfest Cannibal Holocaust. Although he doesn’t use the cinéma vérité technique like the original film, it’s no less a brutally realistic look at the savagery suffered by victims of an ancient cannibalistic Amazonian tribe. Rent or buy it on all digital platforms.
Death Wish (2018)
As we mourn the acting loss of Bruce Willis as he slowly succumbs to the effects of dementia in real life, we at least can remember him in his films. Death Wish isn’t one of Roth’s best movies, but Willis is outstanding as Paul Kersey who takes justice into his own hands after his wife and daughter are brutally attacked during a home invasion. Not as gruesome as some of his other films, Roth’s Death Wish definitely has its moments and deserves a watch based on Willis’ performance alone. It is a remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson film of the same name. Subscribers to DirectTV can watch for free or rent or buy it on all digital platforms
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
One of his more recent projects, The House with a Clock in Its Walls transitions Roth from R-rated adult content to a PG one. Starring Jack Black, this fantasy movie is a fun one. Using more CGI than practical effects, Roth loses a little bit of his horror cred, but this is still a wonderful Halloween movie the whole family can watch. Free on Fubo or FXNOW or rent or buy on all digital platforms.
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Lists
Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.
They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.
We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.
We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.
#1. Abigail
An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.
#2. Ready or Not
This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.
#3. Scream (2022)
While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.
#4 Southbound (The Way Out)
Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.
#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)
The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.
#6. Scream VI
Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.
#7. Devil’s Due
Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.
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Editorial
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.
The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.
We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.
Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?
Scream Live (2023)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
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Lists
Horror Movies Releasing This Month – April 2024 [Trailers]
With only six months until Halloween, it is surprising how many horror movies will be released in April. People are still scratching their heads as to why Late Night With the Devil wasn’t an October release since it has that theme already built in. But who’s complaining? Certainly not us.
In fact, we are elated because we are getting a vampire movie from Radio Silence, a prequel to an honored franchise, not one, but two monster spider movies, and a film directed by David Cronenberg’s other child.
It’s a lot. So we have provided you with a list of movies with help from the internet, their synopsis from IMDb, and when and where they will drop. The rest is up to your scrolling finger. Enjoy!
The First Omen: In theaters April 5
A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
Monkey Man: In theaters April 5
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.
Sting: In theaters April 12
After raising an unnervingly talented spider in secret, 12-year-old Charlotte must face the facts about her pet-and fight for her family’s survival-when the once-charming creature rapidly transforms into a giant, flesh-eating monster.
In Flames: In theaters April 12
After the death of the family patriarch, a mother and daughter’s precarious existence is ripped apart. They must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.
Abigail: In Theaters April 19
After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
The Night of the Harvest: In theaters April 19
Aubrey and her friends go geocaching in the woods behind an old cornfield where they are trapped and hunted by a masked woman in white.
Humane: In theaters April 26
In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father’s plan to enlist in the government’s new euthanasia program goes horribly awry.
Civil War: In theaters April 12
A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
Cinderella’s Revenge: In select theaters April 26
Cinderella summons her fairy godmother from an ancient flesh-bound book to get revenge on her evil stepsisters and stepmother who abuse her daily.
Other horror movies on streaming:
Bag of Lies VOD April 2
Desperate to save his dying wife, Matt turns to The Bag, an ancient relic with dark magic. The cure demands a chilling ritual and strict rules. As his wife heals, Matt’s sanity unravels, facing terrifying consequences.
Black Out VOD April 12
A Fine Arts painter is convinced that he is a werewolf wreaking havoc on a small American town under the full moon.
Baghead on Shudder and AMC+ on April 5
A young woman inherits a run-down pub and discovers a dark secret within its basement – Baghead – a shape-shifting creature that will let you speak to lost loved ones, but not without consequence.
Infested: on Shudder April 26
Residents of a rundown French apartment building battle against an army of deadly, rapidly reproducing spiders.
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