author lowell greenblatt — Articles

Erik And Carson Bloomquist Talk "Founders Day" And More!

My colleague at Macabre Daily, Matt Orozco, coined the term “nutmegger horror” to describe Connecticut-based horror films. While this sounds like a subset of Christmas horror, I’ll take his word for it, since he is a native of Connecticut, as are Erik and Carson Bloomquist, the minds behind the new slasher “Founders Day.” Written by the brothers and directed by Erik, the film takes place in a quaint New England town, where a killer in an ornate judge mask (“The Founder”) is picking people off days before a heated local election.

Vote or Die: Macabre Daily Celebrates “Founders Day!”

Hyperbole is a problem in the world of online film criticism. This isn’t a new observation, by any means. I’ll be the first to admit I overuse “bonkers” way too much when describing moments in movies that are seemingly pulled out of the abyss of the imagination. Believe me when I tell you that the ending of “Founders Day,” the new film from Erik Bloomquist (co-written and co-produced with his brother Carson Bloomquist), is so incredibly, off-the-wall bonkers, you have to admire them.

Macabre Daily invades April's Edition of the New Jersey Horror Con!

This weekend was another great edition of NJ Horror Con. The ever-expanding event returned to Edison, New Jersey with more guests, more vendors, and a VIP experience after the show closed on Friday night. We were more than happy to consume as much as possible this year and it did not disappoint!

Lone Wolf: Macabre Daily Tears Into Larry Fessenden’s “Blackout!”

Saint Patrick’s Day is lousy with werewolves. If you went out in public on March 17th, chances are you’ve seen them. People who get so drunk that they enter a feral state and experience sudden bursts of rage that could harm innocent bystanders. But don’t worry. They’ll pass out and forget what they’ve done when they wake up. Does any of that sound familiar when seen through a horror lens? Larry Fessenden asks us to look through it with his latest film, “Blackout” from Glass Eye Pix and Dark Sky Films.

News, ReviewsLowell GreenblattApril 12, 2024author lowell greenblatt, Blackout, larry fessenden, Glass Eye Pix, Dark Sky Films

Get ready to enter "A Town Called Purgatory!"

There just aren’t enough horror westerns. Sure there’s “The Burrowers” and “The Pale Door,” and “Bone Tomahawk” (sort of), but it’s an ambitious subgenre we could always use more of. Actor/Director Matt Servitto’s new film “A Town Called Purgatory” will scratch that itch and add some Native American horror to boot!

Larry Fessenden talks to Macabre Daily at the premier of his werewolf opus, "Blackout!"

Last month, Manhattan’s IFC Center hosted the premiere of Larry Fessenden’s new werewolf film, “Blackout” from Glass Eye Pix and Dark Sky Films. Fessenden is a New York mainstay, who has been churning out quality indie films for over 30 years. His latest is a story of a small-town painter named Charley (Alex Hurt), who grapples with the fact that he’s the one killing locals when the moon rises.

The New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival Returns This April!

The New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival returns to the NJ Expo Center April 19-21!

Macabre Daily talks to Jason Jenkins about PHANTOM LIMBS, his upcoming book on unmade horror!

The Adams Family Enters a “Hell Hole” with their next Shudder release!

The Adams Family announces their 3rd feature film, HELL HOLE, which has found a home on horror's favorite streaming service, SHUDDER!

NewsLowell GreenblattFebruary 15, 2024author lowell greenblatt, SHUDDER, Hell Hole, Adams Family

The First Great Horror Film Of 2024 Is Here In Andrew Cumming's 'OUT OF DARKNESS' [Review]

The first great horror film of 2024 is here, and it’s not what you would expect. Andrew Cumming’s “Out of Darkness” has been described as “paleolithic horror,” which is certainly part of the elevator pitch, but that just scratches the surface of its many descriptors. It’s a dark, foreboding film that has a few twists on what initially seems like a simple set-up.

News, ReviewsLowell GreenblattFebruary 12, 2024author lowell greenblatt, Andrew Cumming, Out of Darkness, Survival Horror

Credit Where it's Due: A Review of "GHOSTWRITTEN"

Though the genre has been around for only 20 years, mumblecore films have common signifiers. They’re low-budget, mostly single-location films with few characters and naturalistic dialogue. Chris and Jay Duplass made a cottage industry of these films (my personal favorite is “You Sister’s Sister”) before each of them branched out into more “mainstream” projects, including horror. Chris made the “Creep” films and now Jay stars in “Ghostwritten,” a ghost story that still keeps one foot planted firmly in the mumblecore world.

Chrome, Steel, And Sequins: A Review of "She Is Conann"

Remember last January when we thought Halloween 2023 would be a parade of 2,000 “M3gans?” That didn’t quite come to fruition (Hi Barbie!). While it definitely won’t have the same mainstream appeal, Bertrand Mandico’s “She is Conann,” a queer arthouse fantasy epic, will definitely inspire some crazy costumes. If that was too many descriptors, well, get ready for more.

New Book “Phantom Limbs” Collects The Stories Of Unmade Sequels!

For most horror sequels, prequels, and remakes, there’s a story about a different version that almost came to be. Author Jason Jenkins would explore these in his “Phantom Limbs” column for Bloody Disgusting, along with interviews from the creatives behind them. Now he’s assembled the first volume into a new book. Coming this Spring from From Encyclopocalypse Publications, Jenkins collects the columns for the first time in print!

News, BooksLowell GreenblattJanuary 9, 2024author lowell greenblatt, Phantom Limb, unmade films, Encyclopocalypse, Jason Jenkins

Felissa Rose talks to Macabre Daily at Necromantic Brew Co.'s Dismember to Remember!

Long Island, New York is recognized for many things. We’re the home of Billy Joel, third-wave emo, and the people who actually claimed to believe George Santos. One of our numerous exports is the infamous slasher film “Sleepaway Camp.” While the film shot in upstate New York, the cast and crew primarily hailed from Long Island, as did their accents, including the star of the film, Felissa Rose. Interviewing Rose on Long Island is almost like interviewing Elvis in Graceland. If there was ever a place to talk to the scream queen, it would be at Farmingdale, New York’s Necromantic Brew Co. Earlier this month, the brewery hosted an event featuring Rose and the hilarious Dave Sheridan as they hung out, signed autographs, played drinking games, and provided commentary for “Victor Crowley,” “Scary Movie,” and for its 40th anniversary, “Sleepaway Camp.” I highly recommend “Sleepaway Camp” with live commentary from Felissa Rose, just for the record.

Jeff Hayes Talks To Macabre Daily About His New Book About “Sleepaway Camp!”

Everyone remembers the first time they saw “Sleepaway Camp.” Robert Hiltzik’s deranged debut slasher is so indelible, it’s nearly impossible to imagine it as part of a horror marathon. If you’ve never seen it before, what other films would you remember? To commemorate the film’s 40th anniversary, author and filmmaker Jeff Hayes has written a book, “Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire, from 1984 Publishing. Hayes talked to us about writing the book and his journey to talk to the people behind the scenes. He also debunked some rumors about the genesis of the film, and gave us some details on the script on the in-development reboot!

Tom Holland Talks With Macabre Daily About His New Book: "Oh Mother What Have You Done?: The Making of Psycho 2!"

This year marks the 40th anniversary of “Psycho 2,” one of the most underrated sequels of all time. Written by Tom Holland and directed by Richard Franklin, the very idea of a sequel to Hitchcock’s classic was a major gamble, but it paid off in a major way. Due to the film’s success, Holland went on to write and direct seminal horror classics like “Child’s Play” and “Fright Night,” as well as continue collaborating with Franklin on “Cloak & Dagger.” His latest venture is “Oh Mother, What Have You Done?: The Making of Psycho 2,” which chronicles Holland, Franklin, and editor Andrew London as they set out to make a film Hitch would be proud of.

News, InterviewsLowell GreenblattNovember 29, 2023author lowell greenblatt, Tom Holland, Psycho 2, Anthony Perkins, Richard Franklin

Campfire Stories: Inside the new book “Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire!”

This year marks 40 years since the release of “Sleepaway Camp,” which is both hard and easy to imagine. Easy, because it’s dated, yet hard because it hasn’t aged. It’s still the deranged slasher wrapped around a sweet tween romance (and for some reason, an entire baseball game). Not to mention one of the most infamous endings in horror. While it’s celebrated at cons and revival screenings, author Jeff Hayes has written “Sleepaway Camp: Making the Movie and Reigniting the Campfire,” a new book chronicling the making of the film.

The Home Depot of Dr. Caligari: The Adams Family Tells Us Where the Devil Roams!

After making a splash with 2019’s “The Deeper You Dig” and last year’s “Hellbender,” the Adams family (not that one) have returned with another feature just one year later. The filmmaking collective is known for making independent films on and around their property in upstate New York. John Adams, his wife Toby Poser, and their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams have been writing, directing, producing, and acting in their own films for years, and I’m probably missing a few jobs. They do just about all of it. Their latest film from Yellow Veil Pictures, “Where the Devil Roams,” is their most ambitious project yet. Under the banner of their production company Wonder Wheel Productions, they've crafted a dark fable about a family of carnies who murder wealthy people during one winter of The Great Depression. If that sounds like a Rob Zombie movie, well, he wishes. Sorry, Rob.

A Love/Hate Letter To The Craft: “Stopmotion” Is A Haunting Debut!

Watch any behind-the-scenes vignette on the making of a stopmotion animated film, and your jaw will hit the floor. Making those films is a lengthy, strenuous exercise in tedium that you hope will yield a compelling film. We all love “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” but when you realize it takes a full day to record mere SECONDS of footage? If you think about it, there really aren’t that many compared to hand-drawn and CGI-animated films. Robert Morgan’s first full-length feature “Stopmotion” isn't a documentary, but rather a window into obsession like “May” or the recent “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster.”

Doin’ it for Stu: Joe Lynch’s Naked Theater of “Suitable Flesh!” [Review]

Watching “Oppenheimer” in a packed theater was one of the more shocking movie moments of 2023. Not because of how the display of Cillian Murphy’s hubris will kill us all someday, but because of his first sex scene with Florence Pugh. It was short and tame, yet people gasped like they just realized Bruce Willis was dead. It was as if this 17+ audience had forgotten movies used to have sex scenes. But Joe Lynch, he with a recall that rivals Pepperidge Farms, remembers. His new film “Suitable Flesh” is a throwback love letter to the 1990’s by being both an erotic thriller and a cosmic horror film. This isn’t to say we were all perverts in the ‘90s, but moviegoers in general were used to watching a nude scene or two in major R-rated releases. Paul Verhoeven, the daimyo of erotic thrillers, peppered them in, while still serving the story instead of descending into porn (while I never cared for them one way or the other, why as there so much nudity in “Starship Troopers?”) Lynch walks the line between Verhoeven and the late great Stuart Gordon (who allegedly pitched Lynch to direct this before he passed) in creating a body-hopping horror film with blood, galore.