THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE (2016)

November 29, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged 2010s, bluray, ghost, horror, witch | Leave a comment

THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE (2016)

I need to start the review with a caveat: I’m not really a fan of this type of supernatural film. The Conjuring universe may be the highest grossing horror franchise of all times… but I don’t rate it. I’m not someone who enjoys a supernatural ‘ghostly’ tale. I like my horror more grounded in a physicality of reality rather than a metaphysical one. I like my slashers and my zombies and my monsters but tales about ghosts, well, I’m not one to actively seek them out unless they are well made, or with actors that I like.

That being said, however, and sadly I’m burying the lead here, I think this film is an absolute, top-level, corker of a supernatural ghostly film. Ten out of ten, nothing else to write, amazing flick, everyone must watch.

…

… oh, you’re still here? You want a ‘proper’ review of a film I’m obviously going to gush all over. Ok then…

*‘Jane Doe’ (Olwen Catherine Kelly) is found*

The Autopsy of Jane Doe was written by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing who wrote the screenplay for Eli and The Nun II, but do not judge this film by those credentials. It was directed by André Øvredal, who blasted out of the gates with the well-regarded Trollhunter (2010), and also gave us the wonderful Scary Tales to Tell in the Dark (2019). Øvredal had seen The (aforementioned) Conjuring and asked his manger to find him a script with a similar old school supernatural feel, and this amazing horror film was born.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe tells of father and son morticians, Tommy (Brian Cox) and Austin (Emile Hirsch) Tilden who have finished their grisly but necessary work for the day, and Austin is about to head out with his date, Emma (Ophelia Lovibond) when the town sheriff, Burke (Michael McElhatten) turns up with a late emergency autopsy.

On a gurney is the corpse of Jane Doe (Olwen Catherine Kelly), found half-buried in the basement of a house that had other corpses in it, but her body has no signed of any trauma, until the two start the autopsy, and find many mysteries surrounding her.

*Emma (Ophelia Lovibond) and Tommy (Brian Cox)*

What’s stranger though, is the unusual happenings around them: mysterious figures, the weather suddenly changing… but what is going on?

Watch it and find out!

The relationship between Cox and Hirsch’s characters really make this film. They really do feel like a father and son team, and it’s not just saying the word ‘Dad’, it’s subtle motions and expressions that really feel real.

Øvredal’s direction is magnificent. The mystery of Jane Doe’s corpse is so slowly revealed, and is so preposterous but somehow it never becomes ridiculous. The whole thing is played so strictly straight that at no time are you inclined to find any of it amusing. Throughout it bucks trends and tortures us with expectations that either don’t pay off, or pay off differently than you expect.

One can’t talk about this film without mentioning Kelly’s performances as the corpse as well. Kelly is a stunning woman and is naked and immobile through the entire thing, but also is in no way alluring. The dichotomy of this exposure to appealing nudity that has no appeal due to whatever it is that stops it… we know she’s not a corpse, right, so that can’t be it! Øvredal talks about how impressed he was with her performances, and the courage any woman would have being naked every day for 5 weeks amongst all the people required to make a film.

The only other time I’ve seen something like this in a film was Mathilda May in Lifeforce.

Basically, I can’t recommend this film enough. I think it’s not just one of the best post-millenium horror films, but it’s also one of the best horror films ever, and when you consider I don’t rate supernatural ghostly films, that’s the highest praise I can offer.

Extras: This UK Bluray release of the film only has one extra and it only goes for 5 minutes but that’s far and away ahead of Umbrella Entertainment’s bareass DVD release here in Australia. We have here on this disc is an interview by Alan Jones (no, not Australia’s Alan Jones, the good one from the UK) with André Øvredal, where they discuss casting and all of that sort of stuff… well, as much as 5 minutes allows, anyway.

Film: 10/10

Extras: 3/10

Rewatchability: 10/10

This Bluray was purchased from an EBay reseller.

Girls Nite Out aka The Scaremaker (1982)

November 15, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged 80s, arrow video, bluray, horror, Slasher | Leave a comment

Girls Nite Out aka The Scaremaker (1982)

*The cover to Arrow Video’s bluray release*

When you watch a lot of horror… too much? No, never… but a LOT of horror, especially stuff from back in the 80s, when you get to my age, the memory gets fuzzy and you can’t quite remember if you have seen stuff or not.

Now I am sure I saw a cover of a VHS of The Scaremaker, and the villain of the piece looks VERY familiar, but I’m just not sure if I have ACTUALLY seen this or not. I don’t think I saw the VHS cover in person though, it may have been in a magazine or something.

This film was directed by Robert Duebel who other than some American Playhouse stuff, didn’t seem to stay in genre filmmaking which honestly, and I’m burying the lead here some what, is probably for the best.

*Lynn (Julia Montgomery) looks on in amusement*

Every year at Dewitt College (played by Upsala College in New Jersey which closed in 1995… probably out of embarrassment), the sorority houses engage in a scavenger hunt the night after the basketball team win their championship game, and this year is no different!

The girls are looking forward to a lot of fun, and our tale follows Lynn (Julia Montgomery), Dawn (Suzanne Barnes), Sheila (Lauren-Marie Taylor), Jane (Laura Summer) and Kathy (Carrick Glenn), amongst others on the hunt but what they don’t realise is that they are being stalked by a manic who is dressed in a modified version of the school mascot, a bear… with knives installed in its paws.

Who will survive? Is it gory? Is nudity involved? Will we be entertained?

Ok, so I won’t answer the first question for spoiler reasons, but the answer to the last three questions is n not really, no and probably not.

This film does have a bit of blood in it and the killers costume, whilst clunky, is a standout, though probably impractical. It’s does not have the 80s slasher trope of nudity, which is unusual, and made even more weird by the slutty behaviour of some of the characters: you know what I mean, those female characters who usually flash, put out and then become victims. Right or wrong is not what I’m judging here, I’m just saying it’s an odd trend buck for the period of slasher films.

*The janitor is going to be disappointed with the state of the locker room*

Now the Bluray does make reference to the multiple sources to make this ‘complete’ version but whether it was the filmmaking or Arrow Videos sources, I found the film to be FAR to dark and some points. I also have to say it took me several goes to get through the film as I found myself getting bored through it. Actually, I did have fun spotting actors from other films that didn’t go on to become big names, and I was constantly saying stuff like ‘that’s the guy from Creepshow 2!

Girls Nite Out is strange in that it feels like a slasher made for or by Christian Television; there is this weird ‘nice’ vibe about it. Now I understand that ‘nice’ isn’t an insult in general, but it is meant as one here. This film commits the biggest crime a film can make; it’s just boring.

At least it had Carrick Glenn in it who I loved in The Burning.

Extras: It’s Arrow Video so of course there is a fine bunch of extras on this disc.

Commentary by Justin Karswell and Amanda Reyes

Staying Alive is an interview with actress Julie Montgomery who played Lynn Conners. She talks about her acting and modelling history and is delightfully animated and really engaging. A great interview.

A Savage Mauling is an interview with Laura Summer who played Jane. More fun recollections of the making of the film.

Alone in the Dark is another interview, this time with Lois Robbin’s who played Leslie Peterson. As above, so below.

It Was A Party! is yet another interview but this time with Paul Christie, who played Dancer, still more recollections and career reviews.

Love & Death is yet ANOTHER interview but with Lauren-Marie Taylor and John Didrichson, who played Sheila and Ralph respectively.

These interviews were great but the absence of Carrick Glenn, my favourite of this film and of the film The Burning, was disappointing!

Archival Interview is another interview with Julie Montgomery but from several years ago. More of the same, really.

Alternate Title Card shows the beginning but with The Scaremaker title card instead.

Original trailers gives us both a Girls Nite Out and a The Scaremaker trailer. The Girls Nite Out trailer is a bizarre thing as it features someone not in the film, talking about being scared.

Film: 3/10

Extras: 8/10

Rewatchability: 1/10, unless like me you couldn’t get through it in one go.

*The man versus bear debate was never more real*

This Bluray was purchased from Metal Movies

MADHOUSE aka THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL (1981)

November 1, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged 80s, arrow video, bluray, horror | Leave a comment

MADHOUSE (1981)

*The cover to Arrow Video’s release of Madhouse*

There was a little girl who had a little curl,

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good, she was very, very good,

And when she was bad, she was horrid.

This is the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that Ovidio G. Assonitis (Man from Deep River) developed into a script, initially with Roberto Gandus (Macabre) until creative differences split them and it went to Stephen Blakely (his only credit according to IMDB) to finish. Assonitis also took on the role of director for this film.

Madhouse, aka There was A little Girl, is probably better known as one of the films on the 39 notorious prosecuted Video Nasty films in the UK in 1984, along with better known films as I Spit on Your Grave and Last House on the Left. There’s an amazing documentary about these films by Jake West called Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape from 2010 which really digs into the nitty gritty of the whole time which I can’t recommend enough! There’s also a sequel which furthers the history called Video Nasties: Draconian Days, also worth a watch.

Madhouse tells the tale of Julia Sullivan (Patricia Mickey) is a young and successful schoolteacher at a school for the deaf, living in Savannah, Georgia. As her birthday approaches, she’s haunted by the traumatic memories of her childhood and her violent, disturbed twin sister, Mary (Allison Biggers). The two were inseparable as children until Mary’s increasingly erratic behavior, included cruel violence and resentment towards her sister, led to her being institutionalised.

*Enter porno-stached male lead, Sam (Michael MacRae)*

Years later, Julia learns that Mary has escaped from the asylum.

Suddenly, people close to Julia begin turning up dead in brutal ways. As Julia’s sanity begins to unravel, she’s drawn into a terrifying game of cat and mouse, where family secrets, religious guilt, and deep psychological scars collide in a house filled with darkness.

In the final, twisted confrontation, Julia must face not only her deranged sister but the truth about her past—and survive a birthday she’ll never forget…

My first question is… how the heck have I never seen this film? It reminds me of The Burning in so much as it ignores the standard tropes of the slasher films that, at the time of release, were becoming popular and did something a little different. The story is engaging and interesting and the cast are great.

*Seriously, don’t trust a dog in a horror movie*

I understand why it was a video nasty as it has come violence against children and some animal cruelty, even though the animal is obviously fake, so be warned if that sort of stuff effects your enjoyment.

Not me though, I loved it. I’m sure it’s going to become a regular on my movie rewatch rotation!

*The menu screen for the Madhouse Bluray*

Extras: Arrow Video consistently provide good extras and this disc is no exception!

Audio Commentary with The Hysteria Continues

Running the Madhouse is an interview with Edith Ivey, who played Amantha (come on, is it Samantha or Amanda: pick a lane), the landlord in the film. There is some very nice recollections on the making of the film and the language issues between cast and crew.

Framing Fear is an interview with cinematographer Roberto D’Ettorre Piazzoli and he goes through his career and the making of Madhouse.

Ovidio Nasty talks about the film and the response in the UK in 1984.

Alternate Opening Titles and Original Trailer are nice additions.

Film: 8/10

Extras: 7/10

Rewatchability: 8/10

Purchased from Metal Movies on eBay

THE WICKER MAN (2006)

October 4, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged bees, bluray, horror, Nicolas cage | Leave a comment

THE WICKER MAN (2006)

*The Australian Bluray of The Wicker Mam*

I used to be a massive proponent of the remake. From John Carpenter’s The Thing, to Chuck Russel’s The Blob, even stuff like the Robin Williams Flubber one, or the Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy… but that’s all changed, I’m afraid.

Once movie companies realised that something they had assumed all along, that cinema goers are idiots just dying to see not a good film, but a license they are familiar with, they started taking advantage. Disney are probably the main offenders with their live action remakes of their own animated properties, some which aren’t ’live action’ at all but there is such a glut of unnecessary remakes that between it, comic movies, Star Wars and movies based on books by Steven King, there is barely anything new at the cinema at all anymore.

The very worst of these, or at the very least, one of the films that features high in the list of the worst of these is Neil LaBute’s remake of Robin Hardy’s magnificent 1973 film The Wicker Man. In it’s defence, it is beautiful shot and the female cast are amazing, but Nicolas Cage’s role as the male lead feels like an invasion into quality.

Hang on, I’m getting ahead of myself here.

The Wicker Man (2006) tells of police officer Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) who has been invited by his ex-fiancée, Willow (Kate Beahan) to the island she lives on to investigate the disappearance of her daughter, Rohan (Erika-Shaye Gair). What he finds there though is a matriarchal cult that has an active disdain of his sex, and are very much in tune with the bees and their hives that they tend to upon the island.

He starts his investigation but more and more feels as though he is being deceived by the women, including Sister Beech (Diane Delano) who runs the inn, both Sisters Rose and Thorn (both played by Molly Parker) and after being stung by a bee, of which he is deathly allergic to, the local doctor, Dr. Moss (Francis Conroy).

He eventually gets to meet the one who is in charge of the island, Sister SummersIsle (Ellen Burstyn), but he feels even she is not being honest with him and they are all impeding his investigation.

What is the secret of the island? Is he really there to investigate a girl’s disappearance or are more sinister plots at play?

This unfortunately, is the film that turned Cage from being a competent actor in roles suited to his acting style, to a meme, something he has more or less played off ever since… even to the point when I told non-horror fans of my intention to do this review, it was met with ‘The bees… THE BEEEEEEEEEES!!’ The meme-ification of Cage has even resulted in a film dedicated more-or-less to it in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a film that I feel pulls the piss out of Cage to his bare face.

He’s getting paid and he’s getting exposure so why would he be bothered by that?

In LaBute’s favour, as I previously stated, this film is beautifully shot and has some outstanding set pieces that are like paintings of midwestern American landscapes. He wrote and directed the film and some of the decisions made with the script just seemed ‘Hollywooded’ with romantic links rather than simply a police officer performing his duty. I guess with the policeman being particular to the states and having no power in a different state makes sense due to jurisdiction, but it feels ingenuous.

The story that LaBute has crafted is very much showing that Cage’s intrusion into the matriarchal society is not welcome certainly feels like a man has written something that is supposed to be perceived having some feminist roots, but at no point does it ring true, and in actual fact, the women of the island seem cruel in their command of the society rather than fair, and giving we the viewer no opportunity to be sympathetic.

I’m a fan of Nicolas Cage! Hell, I wouldn’t have a whole month dedicated to him on my site if I didn’t have some kind of affection for him, but I know that his acting style is all about hysteria. He’s the kooky-eyed madman in every film he’s in, that’s his schtick, but it’s hard to replace the pious subtlety of Edward Woodward’s performance from the first film in that manner. It’s not just that though; Woodward’s low-key performance would have worked here really well, but Cage’s performance is arrogant and unpleasant. He treats the entire populace of the island with utter disdain when it’s supposed to be suspicion. It just doesn’t work. LaBute’s intention was possibly to make him seem so intrusive but it comes across as unlikable and abrasive.

I can’t see in this film where my sympathy is supposed to lie: the suspicious and unlikable women of the island, the jerk stranger in a strange land or the poor child who has disappeared, who we don’t really get to know.

It’s at this stage I must point out how awfully obvious the use of the name ‘Malus’ is, both with its use of the ‘male’ sound and the fact that it’s Latin for ‘harmful’, and the hamfisted tribute to Edward Woodward in Malus’ first name and Willow’s surname. Unnecessary and, dare I say it, amateurish.

Sadly, this does nothing to defend the honour of good remakes, and is a terrible shame as there are some great opportunities for some great female characters that are just overwhelmed by Cage’s descent into an Instagram meme.

Extras: A total of three extras on this disc.

Cast and Crew commentary is with LaBute, Lynette Meyer (Costume designer), Joel Plotch (Editor), Beahan and Sobieski. It’s a pretty thorough and interesting commentary. It is interesting insomuch as the unusual decisions that were made with character motivations and some other ideas that don’t work in the slightest.

Alternate ending. Meh.

There are also trailers for Ghost Rider and Perfect Stranger.

Film:2/10

Extras:

Rewatchability: 0/10

Purchased from JB Hifi

HERETIC (2024)

September 27, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged bluray, horror | Leave a comment

HERETIC (2024)

Religion has been a great source for horror films since the beginning of cinema itself. From Haxan to The Exorcist to Saint Maud, possession, demons, the devil and godly justice have been regular sources for religion to be inserted in the genre. Sometimes it’s seen favourable to religion and sometimes not, but even though as a society we seemingly become less religious, and those that are, becoming more diverse in their choice of religions, this type of horror still seems to be popular amongst the punters.

A lot of religious horror movies have a questioning of faith, or at the very least, a testing of, and this is probably where the popularity lies, as we as humans persistently question what we do, why we are doing it and what is actually ‘right’.

That testing of faith is exactly what Heretic is all about.

Heretic tells of two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) who are in town to spread the word of the Lord, but have a specific objective to visit Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) who has enquired about the church.

Upon approaching the house, they are greeted by the man who promptly invites them in, assuring them that his wife is in the kitchen baking a pie for them to share and enjoy, and that she would be joining them later as she is shy around people she doesn’t know.

The conversation immediately takes to the church and after a few difficult and awkward interactions, the girls realise that Mr. Reed may not be what he says he is, and that his interest in the church and even with God involve him challenging faith and the faithful, and may involve some experiments that he has been performing within his house… his house that has no phone reception, and time-locked doors, and difficult choices…

I thought this was a beautifully shot film with some amazing performances and one surprising one by Grant, who seems to be relishing the role, that may have been let down by a slightly soggy ending. Here’s the funny thing though: I don’t like it when people get really in depth on the ‘meaning’ behind a film and I find that usually I prefer a film to just entertain me based on what I see, and I don’t need subtext or whatever to further enjoy it… but this did made me stop and actually discuss the film with family and friends beyond my usual superficial viewing… which means I’m either getting older, smarter or more patient.

Either way, this film is great.

If I am to criticise the film at all, it is for a subplot with Topher Grace as an Elder of the church who is looking for the girls by retracing their steps which ends with a messy joke that I can’t figure out if it was a commentary of the church and its putting faith before the safety of its people, or if it was just a flippant moment to alleviate the tension, which to me, didn’t. It felt like a vaudevillian aside that if edited from the film, wouldn’t be missed.

Still, as I said, it is a small criticism of an other wise great film.

Extras: There is only a director’s commentary on this disc by the directors and it’s a fascinating insight into the making of this film and their inspirations. I love commentaries that really unravel the thoughts behind the stories of films.

Film: 9/10

Extras: 7/10 (there’s only the commentary but it’s a solid one)

Rewatchability: 7/10

This film was purchased from JB Hifi

ABIGAIL (2024)

September 13, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged bluray, horror, radio silence, Vampire | Leave a comment

ABIGAIL (2024)

I used to be a massive purchased of horror movie magazines. Over the years I’ve bought all of them: Famous Monsters, Fangoria, Rue Morgue, The Dark Side, Fear, Samhain, Deep Red… far to many to list, and these mags were my window into films that formed a list of stuff I wanted to see.

Tragically, in 2025, magazines have become an unobtainable product. Rue Morgue and Fangoria are almost $30 each; that MORE that the price of some blurays, and there are so many sales on blurays it makes them REALLY. REALLY. Expensive. So, even though I am an avid supporter of physical media over streaming, streaming can have its place. For me, it’s where I see films that I may choose to purchase later… it’s an audition process for my physical media collecting process. This film, Abigail, I first saw on Netflix, and actively pursued it on home video.

Abigail was written by Steven Shields (The Hole in the Ground) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not), and was directed by the duo of Tyler Gillette and Matt Bettinelli-Olpen, from the production company Radio Silence, who were also responsible for the brilliant Ready or Not and Screams V and VI.

Abigail tells the story of a crew, Joey (Melissa Barrera) the medic, Frank (Dan Stevens) the brains, Rickles (William Catlett) the look out, Sammy (Kathryn Newton) the hacker, Peter (Kevin Durand) the muscle and Dean (Angus Cloud) the driver, hired by a fixer named Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), to abduct a young girl named Abigail (Alisha Weir) for the reward of $7,000,000 each.

They have a problem though: Abigail is a vampire, and the gang are trapped in a house, with no phones and no internet. Can they survive, or will they turn on each other before Abigail can even get started on them.

Normally in a review I’d try to resist spoiling main plot points, but Abigail’s secret is hardly a secret at all, especially when you consider that even the tagline suggests that ‘Children can be suck MONSTERS’. I must say I wish that I had not known the secret of the film and got the surprise that films like From Dusk til Dawn gave me. Normally I don’t care about spoiler but this would have been a nice but if fun.

This is essentially a modernised version of Dracula’s Daughter (1936), even giving the name ‘Lambert’ , the director of that film, to one of the characters. I don’t think I’ve seen the original so I can’t actually comment on any similarities but I can say that this film is a bunch of fun.

The actors playing the gang are so great in their roles, and the tension is palpable but the real highlight is Weir as Abigail. As a girl she’s fragile and delicate and after the reveal she is a scary as any monster in any monster movie, but without jingoistic catchphrases; she is just a deadly force to reckoned with dressed up in a 12 year old girl costume.

All in all, a fun film that, and this is contrary to almost everything I normally think, could be ripe for a sequel that pursues either Abigail’s lust for blood, or even Joey in her pursuit to destroy Abigail’s father… This was a marvellous film that proves that Radio Silence are amazing at what they do.

Extras: There’s a decent chunk of extras:

Deleted and Extended Scenes are, as is mostly true, better off not in the film. I still love that home video gives us the opportunity to see this stuff.

Gag Reel is, as usual, something that is probably more interesting for the cast and crew to reminisce on the fun days they had making the film. For us, it’s a curio, a distraction and little more.

Blood Bath takes a look at the amount of blood used in the filming of Abigail. I must admit that this is the generation of effects I really love: practical effects with just a touch of CGI to enhance it. The wonderful thing about this featurette is that everyone talks about how surprised by how much blood was used. Fantastic.

Hunters to Hunted looks at the design of the cast and how the directors fit them together, creating a world together.

Becoming a Ballerina Vampire is all about our titular beast, Abigail, and Alisha Weir who plays her so wonderfully.

Directing Duo Matt and Tyler unfortunately doesn’t discuss their history but does talk about the experience of making this film. I would have liked to have seen HOW two people direct a film together but as one would expect, it all relates to this film. My favourite line is that one of them says ‘we want to make movies WE like’ and I really LOVE that lack of cynicism.

Finally we have a commentary by Matt and Tyler, along with editor Michael P. Shawler, which doesn’t just talk about directorial decisions but also editorial choices. These people really love their jobs and it’s a great look at how important the roles are and how well Matt and Tyler work together.

Film: 7/10

Extras: 7/10

Rewatchability: 10/10

This Bluray was purchased from JB Hifi

TAROT (2025)

August 30, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged bluray, curse, gore, horror | Leave a comment

TAROT (2025)

*The Australian Bluray release of Tarot*

Being an old fart means it is always with great trepidation that I approach a new horror movie! I have been fooled before by Conjurings, Insidiousness, Annabelles and Ouijas, but I am forever optimistic! Occasionally, a Sinister slips out from under the veil of utter tripe, and maybe, just maybe, Tarot will slide out with it.

Let us have a look see, shall we?

Tarot was written and directed by Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen, and is based on the novel Horrorscope by Nicholas Adam’s, and tells the tale of a group of friend who have run out of alcohol whilst away for one of their birthdays. In searching the home they are staying at, they find a basement full of weird astrological stuff, amongst which they find a tarot deck packaged in a wooden box.

One of their crew, Hayley ( Harriet Slater) knows how to read peoples horoscopes with tarot cards and even though she should not do it, as it is not her deck, she proceeds to offer a fortune to all her friends.

After they return home, they start to be picked off one by one in horrific ways, and so they search out advice from Alma (Olsen Fouéré) who had a similar thing happen to her years ago and has been searching for the cursed deck, the same one these friends have used, to destroy it.

Will they destroy it before it kills them all?

I have mixed feeling about this film. On one hand I am extraordinarily happy to see a new movie based on a book that doesn’t have the names ‘Stephen King’ next to it, and honestly I am not quite sure how closely the movie follows the plot of the book, but it does feel VERY generic as it riffs on several other horror movies. The ‘cursed thing’ in the basement like Evil Dead, the ‘something is trying to kill us’ like Final Destination, and even the design of the ‘things’ is a little Th13teen Ghosts’ for my liking… but somehow it works and doesn’t sufficiently entertain.

I think the thing that wins this over is the majority of the cast are quite likeable and over and above some silly dialogue moments, it seems to work quite well except for the presence of Spider-Man’s Jacob Batalon whose appearance does not sit well amongst the others, and he feels like a desperate ring-in to get views. Films have been doing this sort of thing for years so I appreciate why he would be employed in this film, but it almost feels like he is trying to hard. You know that guy who know who desperately wants to be part of the group and overcompensates? That guy.

I know this all sounds like I did not actually like the film but in actual fact I found it perfectly enjoyable and a nice little horror palate cleanser. Easy to watch and not to hard on the brain matter.

Extras: There are three extras on this disc each just going for a few minutes:

A Twist of Fate Making the Film is a very brief making of, just discussing the origins of the story.

A Circle of Friends looks at the cast and how they got on during the making of the film.

Killer Outtakes, like most outtakes, are probably funnier if you were a part of the team making the film.

Film: 6/10

Extras: 4/10

Rewatchability: 6/10

This film was purchased from JB Hifi.

THE PURGE (2013)

August 2, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged bluray, dvd, horror, the purge | Leave a comment

THE PURGE (2013)

*The Australian Bluray release of The Purge*

Film: I always find it funny when you observe a piece of science fiction pop culture after the date that that sci-fi piece takes place. I still find it hilarious that the science fiction magazine 2000AD still calls itself that, but branding is a strong and important part of any pop culture, unfortunately, and it restricts creativity at its very source.

The Purge was written and directed by James DeMonaco, who wrote the screenplay for the remake of Assault on Precinct 13 in 2005, another film, like most thrillers in the vein of this, that sees people banding together in trapped environment against something trying to get inside.

Remember the Alamo, indeed!

Our plot involves James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) and his family, wife Mary (Lena Healey), daughter Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and son Charlie (Max Burkholder) on the most celebrated American night of the year, the night of The Purge. The Purge is one night a year where no crime will be punished for: murder, assault, robbery… it’s all on the cards and the police will do nothing about it.

James loves the Purge as being a security contractor, he has made a lot of money from many people, including his own gated neighbourhood, by selling them state-of-the-art security systems.

The family are well prepared for the Purge except for two things that James does not expect. The first is 16 year old Zoey’s boyfriend, Henry (Tony Oller), an 18 year old young man who James doesn’t not approve of, has hidden himself within the house… for nefarious means on the night when no crime will be punished? Maybe.

The second issue is that Charlie observes a vagrant (Edwin Hodge) being chased through the streets by a gang led by an unnamed leader (Rhys Wakefield) who have decided to use the Purge to cleans the city of undesirables, and lets him into the house to save him as Charlie doesn’t believe the Purge is a good idea. The vagrant immediately disappears within the mansions walls.

*The gang descends upon the the Sandin’s house*

It’s an even worse idea when the gang descends upon the house with an ultimatum: give up the vagrant or the whole family pays the price.

As the Sandin’s are attacked from both inside and out, the question will be asked: who will survive the night?

The Purge is a violent sci-fi horror film released in 2013 that takes place in 2022… yep, three years prior to this review being written… and even though we thankfully have not reached the point where a yearly violent purge is how we sort out the world’s problems, I think the elements of society not being nice to itself for monetary reasons is sad.

There is some exciting things about this film that really thrilled me. One is that the people attacking the house and the vagrant have no character name. The fact that, like in real life, people move in and out of your life and do things to you and around you but remain nameless. That anonymity makes the story so much more terrifying; people having their lives assaulted for no reason other than a governmental edict.

There’s a great tale of the difference between the haves and the have-nots and just how even the haves feel like have-nots in comparison to successful people.

This film certainly riffs on ideas presented in The Strangers from 2008 which borrowed a bit from the French films Ils aka Them from 2006. The difference is that those films had terrifying elements as there was no reason for the attacks, which is an awful thing to encounter. I think what makes The Purge worse is that citizens are being given permission to commit these assaults, which suggests a corrupt government that no longer works for the people.

The casting is excellent as well. Hawk and Headey make for a great couple, and honestly I love everything Headey does anyway so I may be prejudiced on that point. Kane and Burkholder are pretty good too, even though Kane feels like weebish eye-candy with her school uniform and Burkholder suffers a little of annoying child syndrome. The real heart of the piece though is Wakefield as the unnamed leader of the gang: self-important, self-justified, arrogant and with a mullet that lends legitimacy to the world worst haircut, he steals every scene he is in.

The story is deliberately told and has a great pace and the violence, even though you know it’s coming, is still surprising when it happens. I found the film a blast to watch and I look forward to getting stuck into the sequels which are going to be awesome, right?

Right?

Extras: Only one little pisspoor extra on this disc, which is a making of called ‘Surviving the Night: The Making of The Purge’. Its brief but does explain the origins of the story, but it’s mainly a fluff piece.

Film: 8/10

Extras: 2/10

Rewatchability: 8/10

This Bluray was purchased from JB Hifi

HEART EYES (2025)

July 5, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged bluray, horror, Slasher | Leave a comment

HEART EYES (2025)

*The Australian Bluray cover to Heart Eyes*

I’m a slasher guy.

I love all horror, if it’s done well, but specifically, I love slashers, mainly because I grew up with them, and I’ll include giallo films in amongst that because you know, they are technically slashers from Italy! (I know, I know, I’m being facetious)

I love me a good slasher franchise, and even better, I love it when a single slasher is stands out and really shows what can be done with the sub-genre: The Burning, Tenebrae and more recently, films like Freaky and Thanksgiving really make me take notice and I’m always really keen for a fresh one with original ideas…

… which of course leaves me open for lots of disappointment, and with that I’ll introduce you, and bury the lead on my opinion, to Heart Eyes.

This film was written by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy, the last two who gave us the wonderful, and aforementioned, Freaky, and was directed by Josh Rubin,who directed Werewolves Within and Scare Me.

Heart Eyes tells of the serial killer known as the Heart Eyes Killer, or HEK, because of the awful mask they wear that has a night vision goggle set in the shapes of hearts, who travels from city to city, killing lovers every Valentine’s Day.

Our heroine, Ally (Olivia Holt) is concerned for her job at a beauty company because she did a Valentine’s Day campaign celebrating tragic lovers in the real that HEK comes to her city, and it’s not tracking well with her bosses. Enter handsome troubleshooter, Jay (Mason Gooding) with whom she has an immediate attraction to, which is reciprocated.

*The potential franchise themselves, Heart Eyes*

They go on a work dinner to attempt to work out what they can do but it would appear to everyone that the sexual tension is real… especially to HEK who thinks they are a couple, and actively pursues them, but when the attack fails, Jay ends up being accused of being the killer by cops Hobbs (Devon Sawa) and Shaw (Jordana Brewster)… yep, they are called Hobbs and Shaw…but what if it’s not Jay, and the killer descends on the police station to take out anyone who gets in their way….j

Unfortunately I don’t have much positive to say about this film. For starters, the Heart Eyes’ costume is just stupid, specifically the mask, and doesn’t read well in the confines of the film as it looks like a bad prop. Even down to a couple of times the lighting makes it look like it’s a movie prop instead of something that’s Freddy Krueger-Styled character may have fashioned in his workshop.

Another thing is the film consistently feels like an abandoned Scream franchise script, with so many plot point stolen… sorry ‘paid homage to’ in it. What doesn’t help this Diet Coke Scream is that the cast is littered with actors from the Scream franchise, making it seem even more desperate in its attempt to emulate its superior supposed source.

This movie is clearly shot for the romcom vibes of a film by someone like Nora Efron but it doesn’t track well because the tension required in a horror film is completely absent so at no point is there an opportunity for the viewer to get scared, or even just get creeped out. Don’t get me wrong, there is some really great violence and gore gags, but the lead up to them doesn’t make them pay off as well as if they were films as a ‘proper’ horror movie.

What’s worse, and another part of the film that definitely doesn’t work, is a lot of the dialogue, from name checking romantic comedies (‘I’ve got to get back for My Best Friend’s Wedding’ – cringe!) and even blatantly attempting to rip off dialogue situations… not the actual dialogue… from films that are both more scary and much funnier, like Hot Fuzz.

Now I’d like to point out I don’t expect much if any originality in a slasher film, but i do think there are times where you should at least make an attempt to cover up the tracks you are leaving on the territory you are trespassing upon.

I will say that as a final girl I did like Olivia Holt, even though she was technically playing Kate Hudson in every romcom she’s ever been in rather than an actual final girl. I think if this had have been a film about a marketing genius screwing up an ad campaign whilst there was a serial killer on the loose, it had the potential of being a far better film… like a Devil Wears Prada mixed with Son of Sam where the killer is reference but not an actual part of the story.

I think that sometimes films are made not for the objective of making a film, but instead, are made to become a franchise for future financial benefits but I think filmmakers need to get away from this and return to just making good movies that MAY become franchises if they are successful.

It’s a nice dream. Let me have it.

*Menu screen to the Australian Bluray cover*

Extras: There is barely fifteen minutes of extras on this disc.

Murder and Meet Cutes: The Making of Heart Eyes which hilariously describes on several occasions how scary this film is going to be, all the while comparing it to Sleepless in Seattle.

Sigh.

Gag Reel – I’m sure the actors would fondly look back on these as fun and amusing days on set, but they all just feel like made-for-home-video- bull rap now. Unfunny and at less than 3 minutes, overlong.

Deleted Scenes – normally I agree with the omission of some scenes but I do believe there was a couple of opportunities here that

The Commentary with Josh Rubin is actually informative and fun. He seems to be a funny guy who loves the process of filmmaking. Shame this film is pretty average.

Film: 4/10

Extras: 5/10

Rewatchability: 2/10

*We needed another slasher franchise like a hole in the head*

This Bluray was purchased from JB Hifi

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 (1982)

May 24, 2025 by J.R. in To Watch Pile and tagged 80s, bluray, Friday the 13th, horror, jason voorhees | Leave a comment

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 (1982)

I have suddenly realised how hard it is to continue to discuss a series of films that has gone on as long as the Friday films did without repeating oneself. I will endeavour to do so.

The Friday the 13th films are staples of the horror diet, along with Halloweens, A Nightmare on Elm Sts and even Saws and The Conjurings (even though I don’t rate any of the films in The Conjuring universe, I appreciate how important they are in the horror genre) and you can almost guarantee that any horror fan with have seen one of each of the franchise, and even may like at least one as well.

Friday the 13th Part 3 was a victim of the success of the first two films though they needed a gimmick. Unfortunately, it was decided to make a 3D film rather than to make a film with a good story. For me this is an immediate drawback as I detest 3D films, mainly due to my eyesight not being fantastic and preferring not to wearing the stupid glasses, and in that preference, having to watch a film in 2D where the actors spend the whole time stick things into the camera lens to give the 3D fans something to gawk at.

Friday the 13th Part 3 was written by Martin Kitrosser and Carol Watson and was directed by Steve Miner, who also directed Part 2, and takes place the day after the events from Friday Part 2… so I guess this is ACTUALLY a Saturday the 14th film…

Anyway, the story tells of Chris (Dana Kimmell) who is returning to her family’s country home after an absence of two years due to some trauma she encountered… which will get revealed later!

She is joined by a bunch of friends as support, but they are also secretly joined on her property by a biker gang that friends Shelley (Larry Zerner) and Vera (Catherine Parks) accidentally cross when getting some groceries for the weekend. Her country love interest, Rick (Paul Kratka) also meets up with them.

The problem is, though, that Jason Voorhees, fresh off the massacre at Camp Crystal Lake, is still hunting through the woods for more prey, and when he comes across the farmhouse, he’s ready to create more carnage.

The story is so generic it’s almost parody, but this film does have the honour of being the film that gave Jason his iconic hockey mask look, which no doubt has made the owners of the licence millions of merchandising cash over the years, not to mention the NHL-affiliated companies probably scored some extra sales as well with sports gear.

*Jason’s takes a helping hand from Ali (Nick Savage)*

Unfortunately I actually don’t rate this Friday very high because of all the distracting 3D rubbish. I means it’s an 80s slasher so high production values and academy award winning acting are less a priority over boobies and blood, and the story really isn’t any worse or better than any other slasher, but the fact the film almost comes to a complete halt every time someone wants to poke something at the camera. What makes it worse is that this Bluray doesn’t have a 3D option so it’s literally just a 2D version of a 3D film.

I still rewatch it regularly, but only as the pathway to part 4.

*The menu screen to the Australian Bluray*

Extras:

Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror looks at the reasons why they decided to go 3D with this film, with various comments from Peter Bracke, the author of Crystal Lake Memories and people who worked on the film. With the Crystal Lake Memories doco and book being such a definitive guide to the series, a twelve minute peek is barely scratching the surface.

Legacy of the Mask is about the look of Jason Voorhees, and how it evolved over the film series, including the origins of the infamous hockey mask.

Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular has a bunch of movie industry people discussing the key ingredients for a slasher film.

Lost Tales of Camp Blood Parts 2 and 3 is a couple of amateurish ‘further tales’ of Jason. Skip this junk.

There is also the trailer for the film.

Film: 3/10

Extras: 5/10

Rewatchability: 5/10

*The town crazy from the previous film was just immediately replaced.*

This Bluray was purchased from JB Hifi

Digital Retribution

Horror, sci-fi, action, cult, exploitation, more!

Tag Archives: horror

THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE (2016)

Girls Nite Out aka The Scaremaker (1982)

MADHOUSE aka THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL (1981)

THE WICKER MAN (2006)

HERETIC (2024)

ABIGAIL (2024)

TAROT (2025)

THE PURGE (2013)

HEART EYES (2025)

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 (1982)