Dir: Jim Field Smith
Written by: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Nat Saunders, James Serafinowicz
Starring: Nick Frost, Malcolm McDowell, Samson Kayo, Susan Wokoma, Emma D'Arcy, Simon Pegg, Julian Barratt

​When news of a new sitcom from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost hit social media, the internet's ears all pricked up, and the excitement levels hit heights not seen for a long, long time for a TV comedy.  This comedy partnership has been responsible for some of the finest moments of comedy gold to grace our screens, well if you ignore World's End and their acting role in Slaughterhouse Rulez, could Truth Seekers reach the giddy heights of their last TV comedy outing (I'm not mentioning it by name I'm determined not to give space to the title in this review, I want to be the only review not to say it)?

Let's be clear right from the start, those looking for a clone of the best-known sitcom, are going to be severely disappointed. This is, in no way, a clone of that show.  In fact to call it a Pegg/Frost show is a bit of a mislead, yes they are the lea scriptwriters on the show, but sadly their shared onscreen time is limited to short "scene-setting" sections of comedy gold.  A perfect example of this is when Gus ( Nick Frost) is introduced to his new partner Elton (Samson Kayo).  The chemistry between our two comedy friends is a joy to watch, and this is the sort of thing that you can't just create, the symbiotic way in which they play off each other can only come from decades of friendship and working together.  Would we have liked to scene more screentime being shared between them, yes and no, while these moments are great fun, this is a story where one of the underlining themes is the forging of new friendships. Watching the relationship between Gus and Elton take the journey from awkward workmates thrown together, to warriors against the gathering forces of darkness.  

The camaraderie between the Truth Seekers is one of the highlights of the series. It is not just Gus and Elton who benefit from a sympathetic and heartwarming treatment from the script,  Elton's sister Helen (Susan Wokoma) and Gus' father Richard (Malcolm McDowell) have perhaps the most heartwarming of the relationship strands in the series.  There is a lovely gentle sense of trepidation between the pair of them as their friendship solidifies.  

What helps the series is the standout performances of the supporting cast, I don't mean this as a dig at Pegg or Frost, but neither of them stretches their acting chops here if you have watched them in anything else before then you know exactly what you are getting, Frost probably does more with his character as the narrative unfolds. There is a moving scene towards the latter half of the series that shows he is capable of so much more than his usual roles expect of him.  

Malcolm McDowell is brilliant in this, when you are so used to watching him either as a highly confident man, or some cold as ice villain, it is a revelation to watch him as a slightly awkward, and nervous old man, I'll never look at a pair of white y fronts in the same way ever again.    

Samson Kayo was an actor who I was unfamiliar with before watching Truth Seekers, and boy what a revelation he was, his comic timing and how he bounced of Frost and Wokoma, in particular, was a pleasure to watch.  The brother and sister dynamics of Kayo and Wokoma is one of the genuine highpoints of this series.  How Kayo and Wokoma portrayed a bother and sister haunted by a tragedy in their youth and the effects on them in the present day is a sympathetic examination of trauma can have long-lasting effects.  Not something you would expect from a supernatural comedy, but you get it here, and it is another reason why Truth Seekers is not just your run of the mill comedy show.  

As for the story itself, I was going to do an episode by episode breakdown, but in doing so, it would give away far too much of the plot. Despite that it is a show that is built around tropes and plot devices that are on the relatively well-worn side, there are far too many surprises and creative handling of these tropes to do such a thing.  But buckle in for a crazy ride that includes ghosts, possessed dolls, haunted world war two radios, "zombie" dogs and a device plot for the show's villain.  Not to mention more conspiracy theories than you can shake a roll of bacofoil at.  

All I will say is ghosts are real, and Gus, the original Truth Seeker of the show has spent a lifetime seeking them out, but the arrival of Elton John, no not that one, brings the reality of ghosts right to Gus's front door, and they must find out the truth before many lives are put at risk. 

Truth Seekers is first and foremost a comedy, but unlike recent horror-centric comedies like Hubie Halloween, Truth Seekers honours the horror in the story.  In far too many cases, the horror or supernatural element of the story is the but of the joke, and horror fans like myself get rather bored of this.  It is clear from the very first scene that Frost and Pegg are both genre fans, which of course is evident to anyone who has watched the Cornetto trilogy, or that show which shall not be named, but even so, there was a degree of concern going into this that it would be just another a comedy that doesn't take the genre seriously enough.  The gags both visual and spoken are built around making light of the situations that they find themselves in or as a wonderful tongue in cheek nod to some classic horror film references.  Even now the stairlift gag which plays a few times during the series still brings out a little chuckle.  It's a running gag that could have worn thin, but they manage to find creative and inspired ways to get the most out of it.  

And just as the comedy in the show shows reverence to the genre, the horror element does exactly same and considering this is a comedy they don't shy away from the scares either.  There are some nail-biting moments and at least one or two moments that brought forth a swear laden shout when this jaded horror reviewer almost wet their pants.  Yes, you can argue that there is nothing particularly new on offer here, but don't be fooled into thinking that this means that Truth Seekers is a badly cut and shut dodgy car you would buy from some bloke down the pub.  Truth Seekers is a finely crafted show that exemplifies the notion that you can still be highly entertained by something that isn't afraid to wear the genre's past on its sleeves.  

I loved how, despite obviously being a show that is built around a whole series story arc, the arc was played down somewhat in the early episodes.  Having fully self-contained stories with just hints at the bigger story allowed the show to breathe, the characters to gel and the viewer to get super comfy and invested in the main narrative thread running through the show.  I don't know at the time of writing this review if all of the episodes are going to be released on the same day if they are I would suggest clearing a four-hour window in your schedule and get plenty of popcorn in because you are going to be glued to your screens watching one of the highlights of this year's television output.  

Getting comedy right is hard enough, as getting horror right, and the fact that Pegg and Frost, have managed to combine these two genres into one utterly fantastic fun-filled series is a testament to their craft.  

None of us will be going out Guising this year ( sorry I'm Scottish and Trick 'n Treating is an American term I refuse to use), but if sitting in and watching Truth Seekers is the price that we have to pay it is one that I am more than willing to pay.   I just hope I don't have to wait a whole year for the second series of this.  

​

K.  This was a lot more fun than I expected it to be.  Hawk and Rev are an odd couple who end up in over their heads battling vampires in their town of Santa Muerte, California.  Hawk is a night security guard and middle aged ‘failure to launch’ man child.  Rev is a vegan pacifist, tai chi enthusiast.  One night Hawk spots some vampires, or at least he thinks they’re vampires, and the inept duo sets out to do them in.  The film knows exactly what it is, a no/low budget horror comedy, emphasis on the comedy, and it delivers.  For the most part.  There are jokes and improv that doesn’t always land but mostly it’s a silly fun vampire adventure.  Obviously, the vampire action is limited but they manage to do a really solid job with the effects and there is a particular dismemberment scene at the climax which is genuinely hilarious.  There are certain flaws I could point out, the script could be tighter and some of the jokes could be more honed/polished but overall the film’s good humor and charm won me over and I enjoyed it.  So I can’t complain too much.  It’s a perfect flick to put on with some friends and some beers and just have a good time.


C. I’d love to be a PA during this production, because the cast and crew’s passion seeps from every scene. This is a project made from love and to entertain… even if it’s just themselves.


Hawk and Rev is one of those movies that knows exactly what it is and they play into completely. No budget? Calling in favors from friends? Lack of resources? “Perfect, let’s embrace it!” It’s done in such a way that feels like a live action Adult Swim series (Children’s Hospital, Eagleheart, etc.), which with what’s going on in the world was a perfect refreshment for all this “serious” horror we’ve been viewing as a group lately. I will say in connection with the Adult Swim comment, it probably would’ve worked better as those 15 minute episodes instead of a feature because there’s a lot of repetition. However, the way they tackled this project seems difficult to criticize any issues in regards to acting, the script, editing, whatever. It’s dumb fun to the extreme and though it took me a little bit to get in, once I was, I was completely there for the ride.


Funny enough I don’t have much to say. One. There isn’t a lot of the movie to actually talk about. Two. It’s something that just needs to be seen for those that enjoy that brand of humor that I mentioned prior. While I don’t encourage this for everyone, it is a movie you’d watch late at night, with friends and alcohol. I viewed it midday and was completely sober and I still found it fun but I feel a group dynamic would really make even the groan-worthy jokes become that much sillier. In the last couple years there’s been so many projects that are “throwback” stories and oddly this takes it to such a dumb extreme that it feels like a satire not only on those 80s flicks but spoofing the current movies/shows that base their whole marketing off of that nostalgia.


I’d definitely watch it again but I have the worry this may be one of those microbudget festival movies that does its rounds and then disappears without any form of release.


J. The saving grace of this film was the two lead actors.  They portray their hapless dipshit characters well and had terrific chemistry.  Otherwise, this 80 minute film felt like 180 minutes because of how repetitive things got and the near zero action.  There’s wall-to-wall dialogue and a lot of it works and is funny but you can only go that route so long.  A vampire comedy film that works really well for me is Bloodsucking Bastards and this film has a very similar approach but the non-existent budget I think, is a big problem.  30 minutes would have played much better than 80.  There’s not-so-subtle digs at From Dusk Till Dawn that seemed awkward and unnecessary, especially bitching about Tarantino’s acting, which to me is low hanging fruit.  These “jokes” are numerous too for some reason.  The dialogue is reference heavy, which does work well and I did love how the Hawk character seems to love The Lost Boys as much as I do. There's also a Cobra reference so that alone moves this one up a notch or 2.  In terms of the script, there’s a red herring that doesn’t work at all but it’s not terribly important because of how thin everything about the “story” is anyway.  Hawk and Rev is a valiant effort but it should be shorter and it would’ve been more effective.

American Psycho is a 2000 American black comedy psychological horror film co-written and directed by Mary Harron, based on Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel of the same name. It stars Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Guinevere Turner, Reg E. Cathey and Reese Witherspoon.

Producer Edward R. Pressman purchased the film rights to the novel in 1992. After discussions with David Cronenberg fell through, Harron was brought on to direct and cast Bale in the lead role. Lionsgate acquired worldwide distribution in 1997 and temporarily replaced Harron and Bale with Oliver Stone as director and Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Patrick Bateman. DiCaprio left in favor of The Beach and Harron and Bale were brought back.

American Psycho debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, and was released theatrically on April 14, 2000. The film was a financial success and received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for both Bale's performance and the screenplay. It has since developed a cult following.

On Halloween night, Tara Heyes finds herself as the obsession of a sadistic murderer known as Art the Clown.

Director: Damien Leone
Writer: Damien Leone
Stars: Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, David Howard Thornton 

Well, 2020 has been the year that came the closest to breaking me and so many of the readers of the site. If it was a horror movie, 2020 would have been laughed out of the cinema for being far too unbelievable, stupid, and filled with a cast of characters so unrelatable that no one would want to spend a minute in their company, let alone 90 minutes or more. 

Thankfully, though for the horror movie fans 2020, has been an exceptional year,  one of the best vintages for a long time. With such greats as VFW, Relic, Sea Fever, The Wretched, The Platform, and Host.  And now heading to a screen near you is the latest film to get the Ginger Nuts of Horror's seal of approval, Hosts. Now pay attention here this is Hosts not Host, confusing I know, but Hosts had finished production before Host was even first heard off on the horror social media scene, but leaving aside any confusion, what we as horror fans are left with is, is two films with similar-sounding titles that should both rank in everyone's top ten horror films of the year.  

First conceived by writers and directors Adam Leader and Richard Oakes in 2018, Hosts confirms the well-known notion that Christmas is not what it is all cracked up to be. When a family invites their neighbours, over for dinner on Christmas Eve, they do not realise that their friends are now hosts (see that's where the name comes from),  to demonic forces, and they soon find themselves fighting for their lives as their neighbours decide that this will be a Christmas nobody forgets. 

This is going to be a hard review to write, not because of my feelings towards this film, hell I loved it, but more because it is one of those films that you need to watch knowing as little about it as possible, to gain the full effect. There are several crucial scenes whose impact will be significantly lessened if you are waiting for them to happen. One scene, in particular, left me with the same cold, numb and stunned feeling that I felt after watching Once Were Warriors for the first time. It was so powerful and shocking that I had to pause the screener I was given and get up, to go for a walk and quick smoke.

The timing, in terms of the lead up to the scene, and how the scene plays out were a perfect example of a director, cast and writer working together and knowing exactly what was needed for the film to ensure anyone, even a jaded horror fan like myself, would be shocked to the core.  

However, a horror film shouldn't be judged on scene alone, we all know that for a horror film to work, we have to be engaged from the first shot to the final shot, and if it is terrific, we are still engaged long after the final credit has rolled. (it's been just over a week since I watched Hosts, and I am still mulling it over in my mind such is the effectiveness of this film).

While the film itself is relatively simple in concept, mashing a home invasion thriller like The Strangers with a demonic possession film such as The Fallen, its execution on all levels is nothing short of scintillating. From the low key opening scene, up to when the two possessed neighbours enter the house we are lulled into a false sense of security, yes we know there is going to be something nasty on the horizon; otherwise, this wouldn't be an horror film. But as soon as they enter the house, the tension is layered on with a precision we normally only expect from a seasoned horror director,  with every element of the cast and production team working in perfect unison to create a genuinely unsettling experience.  

Adam and Richard's direction is tight, and on point throughout the film, but respectful enough to allow the small cast of characters to riff of each other's performances. Their direction also has impeccable timing; there are scenes in this film where the driving beats hit that massive bass drum sending booms of terror right into the middle of your gut. No scene outstays its welcome, there isn't a point in the film where your attention wanders, waiting for the story to move to the next stage. Much of the success of the film's directional success could be down to their experiences of music video production, but either way, this is a directing duo, that have great things ahead of them.

As mentioned above, in term of plot points and narrative structure this is, at its heart, a pretty simple movie, which is by no means a criticism, I particularly loved how there is very little time given over to unnecessary, heavy-handed exposition. Within minutes we know what is going on, thanks to the creative use of a news report, we know the couple are the latest victims of a demonic plague. We know that terrible things are going to happen to the neighbours, and that's pretty much it in terms of a background story. The effectiveness of the film would have been hampered if there was any attempt at trying to expand on this. Those of you looking for a nice neat, thoroughly explained film might have to leave your expectations at the door.  Hosts plays its cards very close to its chest and keeps its poker face unflinching until it's time to reveal the royal flush (note I have no idea if that's the best hand in poker). 

The film also looks stunning, the use of the limited locations is used to their full potential, with some fantastic shooting angles and repeating motifs, the Stag head, in particular, is a stroke of genius. I loved the way it was used as a sort of a scene break, and a foreboding precursor for the things to come.  

The colour-grading used throughout the movie is also excellent, with a special shout out to the outdoor scenes, the electric blue wash given these shots lends the film an otherworldly sense of dread and disorientation.  

Wrapping up everything that we see on the screen is a sumptuous score by Benjamin Symons.  The mark of a great score is one that never becomes obtrusive, but understands that its purpose is to lift what is happening on the screen without it taking over.  Symons' score adds a wonderful layer of creepy tension to the film complementing each scene to the fullest. 

But all of this is a moot point if the acting can't live up to the technical production side of a film. When a film relies on the performances of seven actors, for its entire run, there needs to be a strong sense of compatibility between the actors. The ensemble cast of Hosts is a tight knit entity, Frank Jakeman (A View to Kill, Rise of the Krays), Nadia Lamin, Lee Hunter (Vikings, Eastenders), Jennifer Preston, Buddy Skelton, deliver accomplished performances of the family brutalised by their neighbours. The nuanced acting allows the viewer to become completely immersed in their plight, and even allowed for a suspension of disbelief with regards to how the characters react to a specific scene. I was initially a bit put off by it, but after dwelling on the scene, and those leading up to it, I can now see it as a refined portrayal of shock and grief.

A great horror film needs a great monster or two, and with Neal Ward (Two Graves, To Dream), and Samantha Loxley Hosts has two gloriously gruesome monsters. Whether they are coming across as cold faced emotionless dinner guests, or when they kick it up a gear to the utter embodiment of psychotic killer, you can see that they are relishing the opportunity to flex their acting muscles. They say it's in the eyes, and both Neal and Samantha, have that cold, cold stare of a real killer. And yet even when they are maxing out on the psych front, their performances remain wholly grounded. One of my biggest gripes in horror films where the monster is human is far too many times the depiction drifts into pantomime villain territory. Thankfully both Neal and Samantha have the acting chops to prevent this from ever coming close to happening. There is a scene in the attic of the house that displays their refined acting ability correctly, but you will be captivated by their performance throughout the film.

Also of note, the chemistry between Nadia and Samantha was another highlight of the film.  There is a sort of ying-yang thing going on here with Nadia's emotionally charged depiction of a doe eyed victim contrasting perfectly with cold unflinching portrayal of the possessed killer. There is a  underplayed fragility to Nadia's performance, more than matches the psychotic performances from Samantha and Neil.

I'd hate this year to be the year where two films went head to head just for the sake of having similar titles, I loved Host, and I love Hosts, they are two completely different films that share nothing other than their names. And this reviewer is not going to do either film a disservice by saying which one they preferred, even if they both feature in my top 5 films of the year.  

What I will say though, is this, Hosts is a triumph of filmmaking, acting and storytelling, a lean, mean, uncompromising, brutal film that will leave the viewer wishing they had a bigger sofa to hide behind, and double-checking the door locks before heading off to bed.  

A woman's conviction that she will die tomorrow spreads like a contagion through a town.

Director:
Amy Seimetz
Producer:
Justin Benson, David Lawson Jr., Aaron Moorhead, Amy Seimetz
Writer:
Amy Seimetz

Caleb grew up all over the Midwest of the United States, but eventually settled on calling Saginaw, MI his home.  His earliest memories are of watching movies ranging from Tim Burton’s Batman to Back to the Future; which some would consider to be a horror film (his mom wants to sleep with him – come on).

He spent his time in undergrad at Saginaw Valley State University where he study the craft of acting.  He starred in over 20 productions there including Pippin, The Crucible, The Andrews Brothers, and One for the Pot.  He also received the award for Outstanding Theatre Major during his senior year.

Caleb decided to continue his theatrical education by attending grad school at Eastern Michigan University, where he received an MA in theatre performance.  There he developed his love for teaching and furthered his love of movie watching.  Caleb is currently an Adjunct Instructor at SVSU, where he teaches theatre to non-theatre majors and education majors.
 
In 2017, Caleb decided to develop his own creative outlet that would fulfill his desire to perform and his desire to watch movies.  So, he launched his YouTube channel called Caleb Watches Movies, where he randomly selects films that he owns from all genres and produces a review from the average person’s perceptive.  It is a great mixture of humor, performance, realness, and honesty.  The channel has seen tremendous growth in a short amount of time, and it is also Caleb’s catalyst to etch his legacy in a recorded medium.

He currently resides in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, cat-sons and cat-daughters.


https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebWatchesMovies
 
https://www.facebook.com/CalebWatchesMovies
 
https://twitter.com/Calebwatchmovie
 
www.instagram.com/calebwatchesmovies/
​

Director: Brendan Walsh
Producers: Brendan Walsh, Amanda Bowers, 
Screenplay: Brendan Walsh, Daley Nixon

Caleb grew up all over the Midwest of the United States, but eventually settled on calling Saginaw, MI his home.  His earliest memories are of watching movies ranging from Tim Burton’s Batman to Back to the Future; which some would consider to be a horror film (his mom wants to sleep with him – come on).

He spent his time in undergrad at Saginaw Valley State University where he study the craft of acting.  He starred in over 20 productions there including Pippin, The Crucible, The Andrews Brothers, and One for the Pot.  He also received the award for Outstanding Theatre Major during his senior year.

Caleb decided to continue his theatrical education by attending grad school at Eastern Michigan University, where he received an MA in theatre performance.  There he developed his love for teaching and furthered his love of movie watching.  Caleb is currently an Adjunct Instructor at SVSU, where he teaches theatre to non-theatre majors and education majors.
 
In 2017, Caleb decided to develop his own creative outlet that would fulfill his desire to perform and his desire to watch movies.  So, he launched his YouTube channel called Caleb Watches Movies, where he randomly selects films that he owns from all genres and produces a review from the average person’s perceptive.  It is a great mixture of humor, performance, realness, and honesty.  The channel has seen tremendous growth in a short amount of time, and it is also Caleb’s catalyst to etch his legacy in a recorded medium.

He currently resides in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, cat-sons and cat-daughters.


https://www.youtube.com/c/CalebWatchesMovies
 
https://www.facebook.com/CalebWatchesMovies
 
https://twitter.com/Calebwatchmovie
 
www.instagram.com/calebwatchesmovies/
​