News

Crazyhead May Be the Mean Girls of Horror

Published

7 years ago

December 18, 2016

There’s a subgenre of horror that gets no respect: the horror-comedy. Think about it. It’s either REALLY over the top, slapstick, goofy and chock full of fart jokes or it just isn’t funny or scary. It’s very hard to scare someone but it is even more difficult to make them truly laugh. I’m not talking about a closed-mouth chuckle; I mean the loud and unstoppable laugh of the insane. Not only that but it’s almost exclusively made for men. Always a set of boobs in sight, always a leading man and the women are made to look like a bunch of over inflated jokes. Well, do I have a treat for you, my horror-lovin’ ladies! Drumroll, please…………..Crazyhead(2016)!

Immediately, within the first five minutes of this British television show, I thought, “Oh my God, this is the Mean Girls of horror.” Let me explain myself. What does everyone love best about Mean Girls? Hilarious dialogue that can be repeated in every day conversation, strong female characters, silly male characters that are just there to support the women and the leads are people we can kind of relate to. This Netflix available six-episode series is everything I want in horror television. It follows Amy (Cara Theobold) and Raquel (Susan Wokoma), two very awkward women that can see demons. I don’t want to go too far into the plot because I REALLY want you to see this show. I don’t know if I have laughed this hard in a very long time. I’ll let you in on one tiny scene from the first few minutes of the episode. Amy’s roommate is possessed and they look up an exorcism on the internet. The first step of the exorcism: pee on the possessed to mark your territory “like a lion.” Needless to say, if the exorcism starts this way, it can only get better.

We need to talk about the leading ladies. At least to me, there is a clear favorite heroine here…Raquel. She’s the wise woman of the two, the one who knows what’s going on. The first time she introduces herself to Amy, she goes to pinch her arm and pinches her nipple instead. She is blunt, witty and one of the funniest characters I have ever watched. The awesome part? Not only is she a female lead, but she’s a black female lead that completely steals the show. Don’t get me wrong, Amy is hilarious too but she is more awkward, naïve and goofy. They are perfect for each other. The chemistry between these women is amazing. It makes me wonder if any of the lines that send you into a fit of laughter so intense that it makes you snort like a damn pig were improvised. I am proud of the horror industry as it seems to be the most progressive among all other genres. Take American Horror Story; it is extremely female driven and continues to be each season. Horror has increasingly shown the strength and badassery women are capable of by writing in strong characters that make it through to the end, and face that sunrise bloody and beaten but alive and stronger. A good example is the remake of Evil Dead. Ash is a beloved character but when Mia (Jane Levy) is facing off the baddies at the end, one hand removed and armed with a chainsaw, it almost gives you goose bumps. Lest we forget Maddie (Kate Siegel) in Hush; a movie about deaf woman alone in a house with a killer. If you haven’t seen this movie, get to it because it’s a true embodiment of a strong female lead.

While we’re here, can we talk about the effects? From my experience, TV show effects can be lacking. They can seem cheesy, over the top or unrealistic. The demons in Crazyhead are described to look “like they are burning from the inside,” and they nail it. When one of the girls sees the face of a demon, it is gaunt, skeletal with a glowing from behind the sunken areas of the face. It’s subtle but the effect works and it is terrifying.

crazyhead-demon

Crazyhead has made me jump, scream, laugh like a crazy person and even get a bit teary and it isn’t just funny. There is the perfect balance of scary and funny. Apparently when it comes to horror-comedy, the British really know how to get things done. First came Shaun of the Dead, A Fantastic Fear of Everything, and now Crazyhead. If you want a badass horror-comedy with strong and hilarious leading women, I highly recommend Crazyhead. Similarly, if you just like leading ladies, check out this recent article about the evolution of the Scream Queen.

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Editorial

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

Published

2 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

19 hours 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

23 hours 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.