July 13th: My first full day at MIFF. Featuring another fantastic performance from Greta Lee, a stylish lucid dream of a film from the Philippines, and a riveting account of doomed arctic exploration by hot air balloon. Late Fame (2026): Director: Kent JonesScreenwriter: Samy Burch, based on the novella by Arthur SchnitzlerProducers: Christine Vachon, Pamela…
July 12th: Day One for me was actually Day Three of the festival. That’s what I get for having a day job. I got off to a very strong start with the world premiere of indie horror gem Still Ohio, followed by new-to-me Oscar nominee Past Lives. In a way, both movies are about not…
Or, “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”*. As I’m sure our twelve dedicated readers will remember, I posted a rare non-Octoberween review last week (Still Ohio, check it out). I saw that film at the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). Run by the Maine Film Center in Waterville, ME, the festival showcases work from…
That’s right, folks. Your favorite mostly-defunct Halloween blog is attending the 29th Annual Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). I won’t be reviewing every movie I see—Past Lives has already gotten its laurels—but I couldn’t wait until Octoberween to tout this future horror classic. Still Ohio (2026 MIFF Premier): The Plot: College freshman Ana (Fernanda Lopez)…
It’s Halloween, and we’re bringing our most jam-packed Octoberween in years to a close. Second Breakfast shared a delightful double feature with two very different takes on Frankenstein. I roamed across time and tone to bring you reviews of 28 Years Later; Fido; Good Boy; Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack; Lake…
Today’s Dracula vampire is brought to you by France (by way of Russia). The Vourdalak (2023): The Plot: The Marquis d’Urfé (Kacey Mottet Klein), an emissary of the King of France, takes refuge with a strange peasant family after being waylaid by bandits in 18th-century Eastern Europe. Told to seek aid from the elderly Gorcha…
Dracula’s Daughter (1936): The Plot: Immediately following the events of Dracula (1931), Dracula’s “daughter”, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), searches in vain for a cure for the vampire’s curse, which lingers even after the Count’s death. Meanwhile, Professor Von Helsing (Edward Van Sloan and yes, it really is Von Helsing in the movie) is arrested…
After Wednesday’s review of one of the more serious Godzilla movies, Rooster Illusion is letting its proverbial hair down with an ultra-low budget horror comedy from the team behind recent silent slapstick masterpiece Hundreds of Beavers*. Lake Michigan Monster (2018): The Plot: Eccentric drunk Captain Seafield (director Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) assembles a motley crew…
I’ll be switching things up a bit this week with some good old fashioned giant monster mayhem. This one’s even kind of a ghost story. Make sure to check in on Friday for my review of Lake Michigan Monster, a very different creature feature. Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001): The…
I’ve always enjoyed doing double-feature articles, especially for Octoberween. I will be totally upfront with you, dear reader: the connective tissue is not as strong in this double-feature as I thought it was going to be. There’s a little, “do these things go together?” A question Victor Frankenstein must have asked himself often. Bear with…
Wow, when was the last time I reviewed a movie while it was still in theaters? Wait, nobody look that up. Good Boy (2025): The Plot: Loyal dog Indy (Indy, the director’s dog) accompanies his sick owner Todd (Shane Jensen) to a secluded house in the woods. Indy senses a sinister presence lurking in the…
Zing. Still got it. I’m bridging the gap between last week’s review of 28 Years Later and this coming Friday’s review of Good Boy (a movie that’s actually still in theaters?!) with a heartwarming tale of a boy and his zombie… Fido (2006): The Plot: On an alternate 1950s Earth, space radiation causes the dead…
Rooster Illusion 