Ahead of the TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming docuseries launching next month, CreatorVC has announced the final pre-sale campaign, as well as revealed the series’ launch
trailer. The five-part documentary series, which features over 50 horror luminaries, including acclaimed filmmaker John Carpenter and Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka, is available to pre-order now ahead of its release in April, with exclusive perks including early digital access to episodes 1 and 2, your name in the credits, access to the Darkness Unlimited streaming service, and a digital copy of their previous documentary, FPS: First Person Shooter.

“Horror games provide an incredible breadth of experience, emotion, and catharsis away from the conventional gaming power fantasy, and their remarkable culture of innovation dates back almost to the beginning of video games,” says writer and director Richard Moss. “It’s been a fascinating journey and heartwarming privilege to tell the story of the genre in this series.”

Each of the five episodes delves into a different theme, beginning with survival horror and then moving onto licensed games, FMV and interactive movie games, the indie horror scene, and ending on “cursed” and controversial games. The all-star cast includes such legendary game developers and personalities as:

• Roberta Williams (director of Phantasmagoria)
• John Romero (co-creator of DOOM)
• Denis Dyack (director of Eternal Darkness)
• Corey Taylor (Slipknot vocalist)
• Swery65 (director of Deadly Premonition)
• David Szymanski (creator of DUSK and Iron Lung)
• Hifumi Kono (director of Clock Tower)
• Airdorf (creator of FAITH: The Unholy Trinity)
• Will Byles (director of Until Dawn)
• Jeremy Blaustein (translator for Silent Hill 2)
• Sam Barlow (director of Her Story and Immortality, writer for Silent Hill Shattered Memories)
• Mathieu Cote (co-director of Dead By Daylight)
• and many more!

“It has been a dream come true shooting all over the globe with the people that shaped horror gaming history,” says producer Daniel Richardson. “Seeing TerrorBytes take form and become the documentary we always dreamed it could be has been infinitely rewarding, and I’m sure fans will find a lot to love in this celebration of one the medium’s greatest genres.”

Those interested in pre-ordering TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming can do so from the official site. And look out for our review of the first two episodes soon!

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“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” It’s a well-known proverb that frequently applies to revenge thrillers that see their protagonists slowly transform into monsters themselves when wholly consumed by their vengeance. The logline for Redux Redux suggests a similar path for its lead character, a distraught mother driven to murder her daughter’s killer over and over again, snuffing out every iteration by hopping through the multiverse. Luckily the McManus Brothers, writer/director duo Matthew and Kevin McManus (The Block Island Sound), know how repetitive this sounds and use it instead as the foundation for a violet yet profoundly emotional journey.

We meet Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) well into her established routine of stalking and then dispatching Neville (Jeremy Holm) by any means necessary. Her wrath and determination feel as fresh as the cuts and bruises on her face when the reality is that her vengeful murder spree of one single man is now edging toward the thousands. Despite the endless practice, it’s dangerous and volatile work that puts Irene at risk of getting caught by authorities or worse – dead. Yet the higher the body count gets, the more subtle changes between universes throw catastrophic wrenches into Irene’s plan of attack. Changes that could potentially break her addition to murdering Neville or cause her to lose her humanity altogether.

The McManus brothers smartly ground their multiverse in reality; despite its sci-fi leanings, every version of Irene’s world looks identical save for small changes in character or routine. For example, in one realm, Neville is a waiter instead of the line cook at the diner. Irene prowls to track him. Or a convenience store clerk might be more welcoming in this universe than the last. It’s subtle variations that keep Irene, and the viewer by proxy, on her toes even in a deeply familiar setting. While that occasionally sparks an intense getaway from the cops, Irene simply hops into her coffin-like multiverse machine, a not-so-subtle visual metaphor for the grave she’s willingly digging for herself to move on the next. 

Just when Redux Redux feels poised to continue down this path toward exhausting repetition, it introduces a narrative foil in Mia (Stella Marcus), a rare victim of Neville’s found still alive. The teen runaway turned trauma survivor clings to her savior, shattering the careful routine and injecting a chaotic unpredictability. That’s largely due to Marcus’ bold performance; Mia is a teen who rebukes authority and is as unwaveringly stubborn as Irene. Her loose set of morals born of survival needs becomes both an asset and a hindrance in ways that often lead to exciting chase sequences, confrontations, and even horror-leaning violence right up to the intensely harrowing and violent finale. It’s the much needed shakeup that both Irena and her story needed to avoid retreading similar fare.

Also clever is the way the filmmakers structure this twisted revenge tale. Irene is introduced as the violent aggressor, framing Neville as a hapless diner employee with smaller clues of villainy. As Irena continues down her path, however, her guard lowers, giving glimpses of her vulnerabilities and soulful heartbreak as Neville showcases more and more of his sadistic streak. Holm becomes utterly terrifying in the climax, ensuring that no matter whether Irene loses herself to vengeance for good or not, it’s justified if it means ridding the world of this sick maniac. 

Redux Redux takes the tired multiverse concept and makes it feel fresh through its gritty, grounded approach and tautly wound storytelling. There’s a complexity to Irene’s grief that’s authentic and layered, more than earning her emotional journey and rooting interest even as she makes missteps. Slickly directed and cleverly told, Redux Redux makes for a dread-soaked and pleasantly unpredictable surprise of an indie sci-fi thriller.

Redux Redux made its world premiere at SXSW. Release info TBD.

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Brian Trenchard-Smith, the British-Australian director of such Ozploitation classics as Turkey Shoot and Dead End Drive-In, eventually made the big move to Hollywood in the early 1990s, and in due time, he was entrusted with the third installment of that decade’s most madcap horror franchise. Amazingly, Trenchard-Smith made his mark on a genre series already known for its schlocky pleasures and cheesy execution. And for those who prefer the wackier and more untamed entries in the Leprechaun universe, they really have Trenchard-Smith to thank; he steered these films in a cracked direction that still has fans talking to this day.

What better person to direct a Leprechaun sequel than the man who once said subtlety isn’t his middle name. Trenchard-Smith, a director of many self-deprecating quotes, made his Hollywood horror debut with another sequel, Night of the Demons 2, before boarding Leprechaun 3. In fact, it was his relationship with the aforementioned film’s producers — Jeff Geoffray, Walter Josten and Henry Seggerman — that led to Trenchard-Smith’s hiring. Despite Leprechaun 2 underperforming at the box office, there was still a desire to finish the series as a trilogy. Of course, plans changed once the numbers came in and Warwick Davis’ iconic character proved to be an audience draw, even in the straight-to-video market.

If ever asked what Trenchard-Smith specifically did to make the Leprechaun franchise somehow even more memorable, fans might single out his emphasis on humor. Those first and second films were, unquestionably, in the ballpark of comedy horror, but it is Leprechaun 3 that embraces levity, even if it comes at the expense of scares and tension. Whatever iota of genuinely intentional fright this series possesses can be found in its front end, whereas the remaining three chapters of Lubdan’s original exploits seem perfectly content with just making their viewers laugh.

Image: Warwick Davis watches Michael Callan’s wish play out in terrifying fashion.

In the original trilogy, Leprechaun 2 was the first to relocate its titular villain to urban surroundings, but Leprechaun 3 has the more notable, not to mention most thematically fitting, scenery change. Rather than revisiting Los Angeles for another of his carnage crawls, Lubdan finds his way to Las Vegas. That choice of Sin City is pitch-perfect as the Davis character metes out ludicrous punishment for the greedy folks at a casino.

As with its immediate predecessor, Leprechaun 3 centers on a young couple with the worst luck. However, unlike Leprechaun 2’s Cody and Bridget, this sequel’s Scott and Tammy aren’t already paired up before their mutually ill-fated encounter with Lubdan; appropriately, John Gatins and Lee Armstrong’s characters meet by chance only once the latter’s car trouble has left her stranded in the middle of busy Las Vegas. This is also where the story begins to play with its throughlines of greed and selfishness; no one, namely someone from around these parts, helped Tammy, except for the guy passing through and on his way to college.

Scott and Tammy’s situationship-turned-romance feels chop-chop, all out of an effort to get on with the main attraction of the film — the killing spree, obviously — but it would be remiss to overlook the two main characters and only view them as a means to an end. In retrospect, Scott and Tammy are rather likable, in spite of their thinly written selves, and it’s easy to root for them. Of the two, the put-upon and jaded Tammy is the most developed; she is wary of any man who shows an interest in her, given the sleazy and exploitative male company she keeps, but her shell of cynicism and distrust starts to crack the more she gets to know the sincere-to-a-fault Scott. David DuBos’ script, along with Trenchard-Smith’s revision, does not go to great lengths with the character building, yet what little it does manage to squeeze in between the mayhem and “Leprechaunthropy” is appreciable.

Image: Warwick Davis and Lee Armstrong in Leprechaun 3.

The aptly named Lucky Shamrock Casino was a hotbed of avarice, desire and fame-seeking long before Ludban showed up, but now there was a way to make those innermost wishes come true. Herein lies the fun of Leprechaun 3, which carries over, as well as expands on, the “be careful what you wish for” element that began with the first sequel. This time, though, that certain aspect of the plot is emphasized for the sake of body count and set pieces. 

It just wouldn’t be a Leprechaun film without spilling some innocent blood, although the majority of the deaths here belong to folks less savory than the usual bystanders caught in the crosshairs. Surely, the most objectionable in this lousy lot of victims is the slimy casino owner (Michael Callan) who nearly takes advantage of a bewitched Tammy. His equally doomed companions, casino dealer Loretta (Caroline Williams) and magician Fazio (John DeMita), can’t be lumped in with their scummy employer, seeing as the two’s wrongdoing is more cartoonish than malicious. Nevertheless, there is no room for any moral gray area in this film, and Loretta and Fazio don’t escape Lubdan’s lust for sadism. From the most botched body-lift to ever grace the screen, to a mere magic trick gone gruesomely wrong, Loretta and Fazio’s deaths are definite highs in this low-brow sequel.

Leprechaun 3 isn’t a sequel without shortcomings; the weaknesses are often part of the overall charm. However, a decrease in budget this time around — $1.2 million versus Leprechaun 2’s $1.5 million — restricts the film’s sense of motion. In lieu of chases across parts of Las Vegas, or really any major changes in venue, the hapless prey and their green predator stick closely to the casino. Which, by the way, is Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel dressed up to be a casino, a morgue, and pretty much any location shown in the film. To Trenchard-Smith and his crew’s credit, the multifunctional shooting site is convincing enough, but the sparse movement in the story becomes noticeable.

Warwick Davis has since praised Trenchard-Smith — “he manages to get so much out of so little money” — and called Leprechaun 3 his favorite, on account of its comical appeal. Indeed, Trenchard-Smith was a great fit for the series that, ultimately, favored humor. And while other horror franchises might show signs of decline well before their third outings, this one lucked out and delivered yet another instance of wicked entertainment.

Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Image: Warwick Davis as Lubdan in Leprechaun 3.

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Lexi Underwood (“Cruel Summer”), Case Walker (Monster High: The Movie), and Kat Cunning (Purple Hearts) will star in Bad Karaoke, Deadline reports.

The horror-comedy is set to begin shooting this month in Los Angeles from District 78 Films and Father Greg Productions.

It follows a group of friends in a cover band making their way from Portland, Oregon, to perform at a wedding in Napa, California. When they discover an abandoned karaoke machine in the back of a dive bar, the motley crew must find a way to defeat the cursed machine before it eliminates them.

Underwood plays songwriter Emily and Walker plays bassist Noah, with Cunning as lead singer Hannah, who has come to terms with a career as a cover band musician only to learn it might become the death of them.

Chris Lightbody and Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. are making their feature directorial debut from a script by Lightbody and Spencer Yaras.

District 78 is made up of Lightbody, Steinmiller and Yaras, who work as music producers and music directors on “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Masked Singer,” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” among others.

Kat Cunning in ‘Purple Hearts’

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Many of us were shocked when we found out the serial killer “BTK” (short for bind, torture, kill) was by all accounts a normal, suburban family man. He was also a Boy Scout troop leader and active member of his church. Though history has shown us these are positions often used by nefarious human beings to cloak their evil, the idea that Dennis Rader was an active and allegedly loving father and husband at the time of his capture still haunts us.

It’s the sort of thing that makes all of us wonder what the poor family members left in the wake of the monster must be feeling. Having their entire lives turned upside down in one earth-shattering moment. Not only is the child losing a parent but also having their past and childhood deformed and manipulated into the cruelest of things.

The Clovehitch Killer is a story about being that child in that situation as it actively unravels.

Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) plays against type in the 2018 movie from director Duncan Skiles as a dorky, middle-aged dad with a bad back and an even worse goatee. His idea of breaking the rules consists of having a soda pop in the garage where his wife can’t see. Or so it seems. In truth, when he’s not tickling kids at the local community fundraiser (ugh), he’s dealing with an insatiable blood lust to bind, torture, and murder women.

As many serial killer films tend to do, The Clovehitch Killer uses the actual killer as more of a peripheral character. We watch Clovehitch through the eyes of his timid teenage son Tyler (Charlie Plummer), as his awkward father transforms into a horrific murderer fueled by sexual deviance.

It’s fascinating just to watch Don (McDermott) in his normal habitat. Loading canned goods from the garage or cracking Dad jokes as they play Rummy together. This guy is repressed. This guy has dark secrets. And it’s so obvious that it isn’t obvious at all. It’s hiding in plain sight. Tyler’s mother (Samantha Mathis) is a dutiful wife, devoted Christian, and strict mom. And under the surface, deeply unhappy. It’s almost as if she knows deep down there is something awful hiding just beneath her nose. In this case, it’s a secret room in their crawl space that houses a shower, toilet, and a box of BDSM porn magazines and trophies from the many victims of her husband.

The community they live in plays a major role in the film. The simple, yet cold backdrop of a small Kentucky town living in the wake of a heinous serial killer who has haunted them for years. Yet, they have no choice but to move on, go to church, and act as a normal, forgotten community just the same. Save for a once-a-year memorial to the victims that feels so depressingly minimalist it could have taken place in Napoleon Dynamite. If only there were anything funny about it.

The teenagers that surround Tyler are perhaps the most depressingly repressed of everyone. For example, when Tyler goes to his friend after discovering his father could be Clovehitch, the friend is only concerned with the thought that Tyler was about to confess he was homosexual. It’s in places like this where evil can most easily hide by simply going through the motions among the other shuffling members of an antiquated community. Or maybe, where going through these motions can repress someone into an abyss of their own evil. This is what makes The Clovehitch Killer so unsettling throughout even the most mundane moments. We are watching these characters live this life that feels like the thinnest of veils for something horrific underneath.

While the “coming of age” aspect of Clovehitch is admittedly undercooked by the lack of personality in Tyler’s character, that’s sort of the point. We’re watching a repressed teenager walk through one of the most shocking life events imaginable. It begins with a girl he’s awkwardly making out with finding a piece of torn BDSM porn wedged in the seat of his dad’s truck and believing it was his. It’s a microcosm of the entire idea of the film: two teens, joylessly going through the motions of what teens do in a small town, suddenly receiving a rip in the fabric of their rural Truman Show-like existence. Only instead of Ed Harris with a headset, it’s Tyler’s dad wearing a dress and choking himself in the living room while the family is on vacation.

When Clovehitch finally gets to the unveiling of its killer at work and we witness awkward dad become a serial killer in action, it remains uncomfortable and surreal. He hurts his back crawling in the basement window and breathes heavily through his ski mask, manipulating his victim that he’s just a bank robber looking for a car to steal. The authenticity of the layout of the victim’s small Kentucky neighborhood home adds to the moment in a way that most films don’t. It’s almost as if sometimes Hollywood forgets that horrible things happen in everyday places. Set decorator Emily Blevins did a fantastic job of keeping the look of the homes as minimalist as the film itself and in doing so only added to the haunting realism of the moment. A disconcerting moment where something profoundly evil appears somewhere profoundly ordinary.

This all leads to the moment Tyler enters the room with the gun on his dad, who is sitting and watching his victim suffocate to death beneath the hold of an everyday grocery store bag. And it kind of feels like we’re there with all three of them. The last place we’d ever wish to be.

From here, Clovehitch tries to do perhaps a bit too much. There’s a twist with some plot holes and an ending that sort of overreaches the natural flow of what came before. Still, The Clovehitch Killer checks a lot of boxes for fans of multiple horror movie subgenres. There’s a true crime element, a fascinating serial killer story (that involves both suburban and psychological horrors), and one more time for the cheap seats… an extremely underrated and ultimately mean performance from Dylan McDermott. One that successfully shows off the dark side of how easy it is to provide society with exactly what it wants to see as a “safe” human being.

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