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Indie Movie Review: ‘Headless’ (The Spin-Off of ‘Found’)

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2014 finally brought Scott Schirmer’s Found to a wider audience, along with the announcement that its film within a film, Headless, would go into production thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. I had the good fortune of attending Found’s premiere in Indiana back in 2012, and as soon it was over, people were already asking if Schirmer and crew would make a standalone feature of Headless. It left that big of an impression (it also led to Found being banned in Australia).

Schirmer actually worked on Headless in the capacities of co-producer and co-editor, and let Arthur Cullipher, who led the gore effects on Found, take over directorial duties. The result is a film that makes use of its micro-budget just as efficiently as Found, while taking on a wildly different feel. It does maintain the feel the original Headless segment set up wonderfully, and takes it to new extremes and into the territory from which the original was truly inspired. That would be the insane and sometimes hard-to-find bloodbath flicks of the seventies and early eighties.

When I interviewed screenwriter Nathan Erdel (Todd Rigney, who wrote Found sat this one out) about the direction he planned to take Headless in back in July, he mentioned films like The Last House on Dead End Street and The Headless Eyes – both somewhat obscure and nutty films from the aforementioned era. Having seen the final product, I can tell you the whole team did a fantastic job of capturing that feel. I’d add that I couldn’t help but think about the original Maniac and Texas Chainsaw Massacre at times as well. To be clear, Headless doesn’t borrow too heavily from any of these films directly. It just has that old, dirty feel.

Yes, like Found, it’s low budget, so if you’re looking for some polished Hollywood fare, you’re looking in the wrong place. Quite frankly, too big a budget would probably only hurt a movie like this anyway. If you’ve seen Found, then you’ve seen what Headless is about, and Headless the feature perfectly extends that universe right into an hour and a half of depravity that never has a dull moment. It even manages to work some genuine creepiness in beyond the obvious slasher and gorefest elements you already know you’ll be consuming. This is helped with the introduction of a new “character” known (though not referred to in the movie by name) as “Skullboy”.

skullboy from headless

Skullboy would be our killer’s subconscious/imaginary friend, who kind of serves as a guide on his path of mayhem. This could be silly if not handled right, but it’s handled so, so right. It gives us another character to watch, and helps illustrate the killer’s extremely fucked state of mind and backstory.

The gore effects are fantastically fun, and are even elevated from what we saw in Found, and that’s a very good thing as Headless is certainly a showcase of practical effects.

Where it differs significantly from its seventies inspirations is that it never drags or feels like it’s going on too long. For a movie with so much severed head intercourse, somehow it never feels overplayed. There are also some moments of humor, which probably help in that department as well.

The score and other music work wonderfully, and help create the perfect complement to the trippy visuals, while the acting is right where it needs to be for this kind of film.

Keep in mind, Headless is literally supposed to be a movie from 1978. That’s the tape Found’s characters watched in that film. The real Headless is meant to be that very movie (though it does play out a bit differently than the original tape did – in a totally good way).

Ultimately, Headless is an entertaining slasher film for those who appreciate horror that takes things further than the norm. I would highly recommend anyone who hasn’t seen Found watch that first, because it gives you the context for what Headless is actually trying to be. Still, I believe it stands just fine on its own.

I’ve been waiting for this movie for nearly three years, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I don’t have a release date for you yet, but it’s getting its premiere on Saturday at Culture Shock in Indianapolis.

You can read our interviews with Cullipher and Shane Beasley, who plays the Headless killer (in both movies) here, and our interviews with Schirmer and co-producer Kara Erdel here and here respectively.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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