The Spooky World of Chris Ringler
Welcome to my strange world of Blogs, Books, Movie Reviews, Podcasts, Stories, and Art!
The latest entry in the found-footage horror franchise presents several short films themed around Halloween, but struggles with coherence and originality. While one episode excels in creepiness, others fall flat or feel silly. Overall, the collection lacks depth and connection to Halloween, leaving the reviewer disappointed and unable to recommend it.
On this episode I have another great conversation with author JC Vande Zande, who returns to talk about his newest novel: "Blood on the Witness Tree," a sequel to "The Dance of Rotten Sticks." It's a great conversation that gets into book promotion, how Van writes, the new book, and his advice for someone interested in writing.
MANOR OF DARKNESS follows a desperate brother and sister aiming to rob a posh estate to finance their ailing mother’s care. As they uncover secrets within the home, the film evolves from a typical horror narrative into something more intriguing. Despite some flaws, it offers a unique, suspenseful experience worth watching.
BODY & SOUL is a found footage film depicting police officers on duty, initially engaging with the public effectively. However, it falters when the plot shifts to a tense chase in the woods, becoming disjointed with two bickering officers and lacking narrative depth. Despite its promising concept, the film ultimately disappoints.
THE CHILDREN UNDER THE HOUSE is an analog horror film presented through VHS interviews between a therapist and a non-verbal girl who claims to see deceased children. This unique storytelling technique evokes imagination and fear, despite some emotional delivery issues. It's a chilling, low-budget film worth watching for horror enthusiasts.
This podcast explores the character Freddy Krueger, delving into his motivations and the elements that contribute to his terrifying persona. The discussion includes additional topics, making for an engaging listen. Enjoy this intriguing analysis of one of horror's iconic figures.
Legacy sequels are a strange beast. They are movies dipping heavily into nostalgia for a film property, and while calling back to the things that fans loved from that original film, they also have an eye on rejuvenating a property. Legacy movies are nothing too new, but they have really become a fad in Hollywood, especially in horror, as studios try to wring every last dollar from these movies. They lean on the nostalgic love of these movies, even bringing back characters from the originals. The problem with a lot of them, is that they often feel like cash grabs more than honest attempts at renewing these movies.
I was able to take part in this year's Halloween podcast offerings from the "To Boldly Pod" podcast. Listen to me rattle off some Halloween movie recommendations. Big thanks to Dan, the host of the podcast.
There is something intoxicating about watching documentaries about the process of creating art, and in this case, making movies. Where it really gets good, though, is when you get a glimpse into the indie-filmmaking of emerging and inexperienced filmmakers. Think of “AMERICAN MOVIE” and how engaging the documentary was as it showed director Mark Borchardt… Continue reading Found Footage Movie Review – “FOUND FOOTAGE: The Making of the Patterson Project”
The Reddit post discusses the appeal of found footage films, highlighting the thrill of discovering hidden gems in the genre. It reviews "CLASSROOM 6," where a newscaster investigates a mysterious classroom tied to disappearances. While the film offers solid acting and a creepy atmosphere, it suffers from logical inconsistencies and ultimately lacks memorability.
“LearX” presents a unique blend of ASMR and horror, focusing on a man participating in a social media challenge in a haunted house for $100,000. Despite an engaging lead performance, the film lacks depth and suspense, feeling more like a short film extended into a feature. With improvements, it could become more compelling.
Influencer culture and Vloggers are having their moment in found footage, that's for sure. I have mentioned before how found footage movies seem to have cycles that reflect what's happening in the culture. Vloggers and Influencers seem like a really good "in" for found footage because these are folks who are always streaming and filming,… Continue reading Found Footage Review – DON’T PEEK
There is something confounding about the TERRIFIER franchise. Here, we have three movies made independently, in the way the director intended, and managing to speak to their audience while still maintaining their identity. With villain Art the Clown, we see a modern horror icon becoming an instant legend, and it’s a well-earned title. We are… Continue reading You’ve Entered the TERRIFIER – Talking About the “Terrifier” Franchise
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 