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Movie Review: ‘Spring’ (From Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead)

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It’s too bad Spring wasn’t released in time for Valentine’s Day because it’s one of the most romantic horror movies I’ve ever seen.

Written by Justin Benson and directed by Benson and Aaron Moorhead (the duo behind 2012’s Resolution), the basic plot of Spring is this: A young American man (Evil Dead 2013’s Lou Taylor Pucci) travels to Italy after his mother dies and he gets into some trouble. He’s not a bad guy, but finds himself in a situation where his being in another country might be in his best interest. While taking in the old country, he meets a mysterious woman (Nadia Hilker) and experiences love at first sight. As you might imagine, this will not turn out to be an ordinary love.

There are also appearances from The Battery’s Jeremy Gardner and Resolution’s Vinny Curran.

It’s hard to say that Spring will be something all horror fans will enjoy. It’s very slow-paced, dialogue-heavy, and it dedicates a lot of time to developing the love story that is its backbone. None of these are bad things, and many will appreciate them (I certainly do), but they’re probably not for everyone.

The poster touts it as “a hybrid of Richard Linklater and H.P. Lovecraft,” with a quote from RogerEbert.com, and that’s actually not a bad description at all. It certainly has heart and the Lovecraft influence is undeniable (even if the filmmakers say they weren’t really familiar with Lovecraft’s work when they made Resolution, which also made some reviewers think of it).

The ways in which the creature elements are presented in Spring are every bit as interesting as the elements themselves. They’re often presented almost casually with little of the type of fanfare typically utilized in creature features. This style combined with loads of stunning European scenery and architecture, thematic nature shots, and a beautiful score make for an alluring combination not often experienced in a horror film.

I don’t want to make it sound like there is very little creature horror going on in the film. There is certainly enough to satiate your lust for monsters. It’s just handled in a way that I’d refer to (perhaps for lack of a better word) as more maturely than the typical monster movie.

Another interesting angle to the whole story is the downplaying of a supernatural element which would ordinarily provide the basis of the proceedings. Explanations (whether plausible or not) are kept under the net of realism.

While it’s still pretty early in the year, I fully expect Spring to make it onto plenty of 2015’s top ten lists for horror. It’s a strong showing for the genre and one you should definitely check out.

With titles like Spring, Digging Up the Marrow (review) and What We Do in the Shadows (review), it’s quickly shaping up to be a fun year for monster movies.

Spring opens in theaters on VOD on Friday. Later this week, we’ll be posting an interview with Benson and Moorhead. Stay tuned.

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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