Reborn

Horror

Available on VOD: 10 oktober 2019

Director: Julian Richards

Cast: Barbara Crampton (You're Next, Re-Animator), Michael Paré (The Philadelphia Experiment, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Virgin Suicides), Kayleigh Gilbert, Monte Markham, Chaz Bono (American Horror Story)

A stillborn baby girl brought back to life by an electrical storm before being abducted from hospital by a morgue attendant. On her sixteenth birthday, empowered with the gift to manipulate electricity, she escapes her captor and sets out to find her birth mother leaving a trail of destruction behind her.

Reviews

• BFI.org.uk: a sophisticated dramatisation of an actress’s internalised ‘method’ of processing personal trauma into performance.
• Joblo.com: Kayleigh Gilbert, who did a terrific job in the role of Tess, her performance complimented by the fact that she has a great look for the part. 7/10.
• 28dayslateranalysis.com: Full of interesting scenes and outlandish deaths, Reborn is a horror thriller for those seeking out something a bit refreshing.
• Eyeforfilm.co.uk: We get a playfully formulaic story involving protectiveness, revenge, spectacular deaths (some of which feel richly deserved) and investigation.
• Horrorhothousereview.wordpress.com: Crampton makes a fair fist of the older woman film star determined to fight her way back while still saddled with an overarching sense of loss while Gilbert appears superbly deranged as the girl determined to sort things out for her new-found mom. All in it’s an effective chiller with at least two killer jump out of your seat moments.
• Moviesinfocus.com: A fun flick with a game cast.

Awards

• Best Director - Fantasporto (Portugal)
• Best Director - Roswell Film Festival (USA)
• Best Sci-Fi Feature - Another Hole In The Head (USA)
• Best Horror Feature - Mad Monster Party (USA)
• Best Horror Feature - Horror Hotel (USA)

We Are Still Here

Horror

Available on VOD: 8 december 2015

Director: Ted Geoghegan

Cast: Barbara Crampton (You're Next, Re-Animator), Monte Markham, Larry Fessenden (I Sell the Dead, Hellbenders), Andrew Sensenig (I Love You Phillip Morris, W.), Lisa Marie (Planet of the Apes, Mars Attacks!), Susan Gibney

After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul (Andrew Sensenig) and Anne (Barbara Crampton) move to the quiet New England countryside to try to start a new life for themselves. But the grieving couple unknowingly becomes the prey of a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town they've moved into is hiding a terrifyingly dark secret. Now they must find a way to overcome their sorrow and fight back against both the living and dead as the malicious ghosts threaten to pull their souls - and the soul of their lost son - into hell with them.

Reviews

• Sound On Sight names We Are Still Here one of the 15 best films at Fantasia! Read the full article here.
• HollywoodReporter.com: Although the film moves slowly at first, the scares begin picking up after an ill-advised attempt at a seance that naturally goes horribly wrong. And hell really breaks loose in the final act boasting enough bloody gore to appease modern-day fans. Showcasing juicy performances by its actors who tear into their stock roles with admirable conviction, the film looks terrific.
• Variety.com: Genre fans with a sense of history should make this entertaining chiller a sought-after item. Houses seldom get haunted this well.
• RogerEbert.com: Once the viewer finds him or herself comfortable with the idea that it's going for mildly-spine-tingling rather than gut-punching and eyeball-violating, all holy hell breaks loose. Which in this case turns out to be a pretty hellishly good thing. The scares and the shocks work very well with the twists of the plot, which are within the boundaries of conventional genre fare but are pulled off with panache and some not-displeasing variation. Also exceptional is the use of a dirty white canvas contractor's tarp hanging off a wall in the grand finale, which really puts the expected exploded organic matter that hits it into bold relief. More than a mere homage, "We Are Still Here" is the kind of movie you wish you could take back in time with you and project in your favorite 42nd Street grindhouse.
• Filmschoolrejects.com: We Are Still Here is familiar in many ways, but a clear love for the genre and a ridiculously bloody third act go a long way towards making it a memorable entry in the haunted house canon. Geoghegan shows his knowledge and wit without forgetting to embrace the horror of it all, and he delivers old-school terrors without the need for stylized reminders or ironic appreciations. And it's worth saying again that the damn thing made me jump — and I don't ever jump. The Upside: Legitimate jump scares; solid and plentiful practical gore effects; strong atmosphere; shows love and affection for genre; Monte Markham.
• Dailydead.com: A wonderfully weird, gory and full of heart and poignancy, We Are Still Here is an assured and well-crafted debut from Geoghegan that's clearly a heartfelt love letter embracing what genre fans enjoy most about horror movies. While it may initially seem like a story we've seen before within the genre, We Are Still Here does an incredible job of taking all the right risks with the film's balls-out third act that makes it a truly inventive standout amongst its supernatural peers of late.
• Dreadcentral.com: Nowadays it's hard to make an effective haunted house movie as we've pretty much seen it all. They range from extremely minimalistic to over-the-top silly. We Are Still Here hits the sweet spot effortlessly and is a horror film that is not only firing on all cylinders but delivers on all counts. Keep your eyes out for this one. It's an old school spookshow that is NOT to be missed!
• DVDTalk.com: Featuring an insanely large bloodbath, We Are Still Here finally focuses on the house. It isn't a necessarily scary conclusion, but it's thrilling and entertaining in every way. Horror audiences will be sure to be going wild for this ridiculously over-the-top finale.
• Efilmcritic.com: Houses seldom get haunted this well. Has a strange alchemy that makes an audience lean in a little closer, half-knowing what's going to happen but drawn to the details of it. It makes for a terrific little thriller, a quality piece of genre work that pushes all the right buttons in the right order.
• Fangoria.com: an impressive feat, but what elevates WE ARE STILL HERE even further is the way it manages, from first line to very last, to imbue its exploration of the outer extremes of darkness and horror with a real poignancy, heart and humanity. Modern horror could use a whole lot more of that kind of multidimensional boldness. Here's hoping this isn't the last trip audiences are able to take with Geoghegan and Co.
• Nextprojection.com: We Are Still Here is a celebration of the horror of a bygone era, with enough passion, inspiration, and elbow grease to show that it can still be bizarrely gross and terribly entertaining.
• Thefilmstage.com: We Are Still Here gives us a fun romp that has a bloody finale. In addition to the wicked creature design, with the demons even having a smoldering glow, and wonderful performers, the rich history of the house and embrace of gore left this horror fan in a good mood afterward. Short and fun, this is a film that shows someone with a nice balance of reverence and the ability to establish his own charm.
• Bloodguts.co.uk: As far as creepy goes, this is up there as one of the scariest films this year and it's a surprise that this is Geoghegan's first film. In between the blood soaking and weird happenings, the central cast manage to hold together the film with minimal effort as 84 minutes of terror is pretty persistent. This is a no-holds barred horror that goes from creepy to kickass yet never loses charm.
• Britflicks.com: Geohegan bucks the modern horror trend of cheap jump scares by employing measured, lingering shots that force you to look at some things a little longer than you’d want to.  It’s a stylistic choice that puts him fully in control when he has to ramp up the pace as the film flies towards the finale. This level of confidence and elegance make him one to watch out for at future Frightfests.