by Britt Hayes
Most of you are familiar with the name Jovanka Vuckovic. The former editor of Rue Morgue magazine has moved on to work in film with her first endeavor, a short film executive produced by Guillermo del Toro called The Captured Bird.
The short is being described at Vuckovic as “ambitious”, and the concept art (seen in this article) from the officialsite acknowledges that statement. Vuckovic says her inspirations are “a childhood nightmare, by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, the fables of the Brothers Grimm and the contemporary paranormal phenomenon …

by Marc Patterson
Alright, alright, alright rock n’ rollers… it’s slowly approaching that time of year again. A time of year where film geeks rejoice… together at the same time and in the same place. And that time is from September 23rd to September 30th, and that place is Austin TX for the annual revelry of cinematic delights that is known as Fantastic Fest. No… my poor sappy ass hasn’t been yet. YET… But don’t count me out. After all, our lovely editor Britt Hayes will …

The Devil’s Chair (2006)
Directed By: Adam Mason
Starring: Olivia Hill, Eric M. Breiman, Gary Mackay, David Gant
Review By: Kayley Viteo
The Devil’s Chair is a highly intriguing film and one I genuinely enjoyed. So when I saw a fellow BAH contributor had written a solidly negative review (read here), I felt like I owed it to the film to write my own take on it. I’m not going to lie – I was quite surprised that I did enjoy this film. Adam Mason and Simon Boynes also wrote Broken, which …

By Marc Patterson
We got our first look at The Human Centipede during last years Fantastic Fest. Kayley Viteo called it “lovingly crafted in a sort of demented fashion”.  (read full review) I haven’t yet had the chance to see the film for myself, but from the trailer and her review I can’t think this might be a more perfect way to summarize the film. Towards the end of Kayley’s review she mentions how she would be shocked if it got any sort of theatrical release. When it …

by Ben Bussey
Having spent almost a decade of my life in Liverpool, I can attest to there being some scary places and scary people in that neck of the woods. Still, generally I never had to put up with anything worse than being woken in the night by loud-mouthed drunks and/or their godawful music. I certainly never experienced anything quite so startling as a gun-toting military unit storming the street and sealing it off, without any explanation as to why. But that’s precisely the situation in Salvage, a new movie …

Fantastic Fest ’09 Review: Macabre (2009)
Studio: Gorylah Pictures
Directed By: The Mo Brothers
Cast: Ario Bayu, Julie Estelle, Imelda Therinne, Shareefa Daanish, Arifin Putra
Review By: Kayley Viteo
I knew next to nothing about Macabre when I walked into it, save for what I read in the Fantastic Fest program guide. That being said, the bloody picture advertising it was all I really needed to know. I love slow-burning character horror like no one else, but I also love blood and gore and Macabre delivers violence to the extreme.
Macabre is an Indonesian horror film …

Fantastic Fest ’09 Review: The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
Directed By: Tom Six
Cast: Dieter Laser, Akihiro Kitamura, Andreas Leupold, Ashley C. Williams
Review By: Kayley Viteo
The Human Centipede is a sick, twisted piece of cinema. When I first heard about it, I was so excited because it sounded so disturbingly unique and refreshing in a way that could, possibly, even push me to my limit. I can stand pretty much anything, but the plot of this one is pretty damn disgusting.
Dr. Heiter (Dieter Laser) is a world-famous surgeon who has begun …

Fantastic Fest ’09 Review: Antichrist (2009)
Studio: IFC Films
Directed By: Lars von Trier
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Review By: Kayley Viteo
Reviewing this film is like trying to fathom something you know you can’t possibly understand. Just when I felt like I was getting a handle on what the film was saying or doing, I would encounter yet another image or sound that made me rethink myself. That is, in essence, what I love about Antichrist – it is simultaneously baffling and addicting, intriguing and disgusting. I would caution readers that …

Fantastic Fest ’09 Review: Trick ‘r Treat (2009) 

Directed By: Michael Dougherty 

Cast: Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Leslie Bibb 

Review By: Kayley Viteo
Horror anthologies are an old favorite of mine as I grew up watching Creepshow practically on repeat. When I first heard about this one, it was playing locally here in Austin, Texas at Harry Knowles’ Butt-Numb-A-Thon. That was way back in 2007 and ever since then, I’ve had to wait in anticipation as everyone lucky enough to see it said nothing but amazing things. …

Fantastic Fest: Day 8
-Kayley Viteo
The final day of Fantastic Fest was a good day, even if I was only able to cram two screenings in. I’m already feeling a bit nostalgic for the random conversations with other film nerds and chocolate milkshakes at midnight screenings, but I also have to admit that I’m looking forward to a full night’s sleep and going to bed before 4 in the morning.
Secret Screening: This turned out to be Universal Soldier: A New Beginning, which I knew nothing about. It’s another movie in the …