The Sinner, Season 2 (2018)

Starring: Bill Pullman, Carrie Coon


Premise:
Season two has a young boy murdering two people thought to be his parents. Instead it is revealed that they all belong to a cult and there is much more to the story. Detective Harry Ambrose returns to home town to help out with the investigation.

My Take:
Another season full of twists and turns where the original story isn't quite what it seems to be. Though a lot of it becomes a little predictable, the show does enough to keep the viewer interested.

Rating: In the middle

Watched: USA

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Jackals (2017)

Starring: Jonathan Schaech, Debra Kara Unger, Stephen Kerr
Director: Kevin Greutert


Premise:
A family kidnaps their son from a cult and tries to deprogram hi but the cult has other things in mind.

My Take:
The characters simply do to much dumb stuff to make the viewer care about them which makes the viewer lose interest quickly.

Rating: Warning

Watched: Showtime

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Wakwak (1989)

Starring: Richard Gomez, Manilyn Reynes, Eduy Manzano, Janice de Belen
Director: Peque Gallaga, Lore Reyes


Premise:
A cult leader rallies his followers against soldiers trying to protect civilians.

My Take:
I've watched a lot of Filippino horror flicks and this one is completely different than most. It's grounded in reality with the cult story and a second major story with one of the women in the cult. It's an older looking movie but in a way that helps the overall feel of the movie.

Rating: In the middle

Watched: Netflix DVD




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American Horror Story: Cult [Season 7] (2017)

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Alison Pill, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, Billy Eichner, Colton Haynes


Premise:
After the Presidential elections, a lesbian couple tries to cope with the outcome and changes in the people of the town while a young, angry man decides to run for city council. He also may the head of cult that is terrorizing and murdering people in the town.

My Take:
This season was rather exhausting to watch. Though there a three episode stint that had me engrossed, then as usual it falls off the rails. I really haven't been a fan a series for awhile yet for some reason I keep watching. Most of the main characters are painfully annoying. The interesting secondary characters dont make it. A few surprises and twists just are not enough nor is the base of the story in reality.

Rating: Warning

Watched: FX

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Abattoir (2016)

Starring: Jessica Lowndes, Joe Anderson, Dayton Callie, Linn Shaye
Director: Darren Lynn Busman


Premise:
A reporter discovers that rooms where mysterious murders are occurring are being ripped out and collected by a mysterious man. After tragedy strikes her family she searches for answers.

My Take:
The premise and the final act where it all comes together as sort of a patched together "Hell House of the Damned" are interesting. But getting to the end is rather boring.

Rating: Warning

Watched: Netflix Instant

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Children of Sorrow (2012)

Starring: Bill Oberst Jr, Hannah Levien, Whitney Neilsen, Galen Howard,
Director: Jourdane McClure


Premise:
A woman infiltrates a cult in order to find her missing sister and instead falls under their spell.

My Take:
Another movie where the found footage concept does it no favors. Really little happens until the final act when the true motives of the cult leader are revealed. Then things get intense. For me, it was too little and too late by then.

Rating: Warning


Watched: Amazon Instant

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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The Invitation (2016)

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, John Carroll Lynch, Emayatzy Corinealdi
Director: Karyn Kusama


Premise:
A couple is invited to a dinner party thrown by his ex wife and her new boyfriend. Old friends arrive and so does the trauma of the former couple which leads the man to believe their hosts have anterior motives.

My Take:
The movie does a great job of building intense drama between the former couple by showing on how they are each coping still with their child's death. Then it plays a fine line between what is reason for the gathering vs what might be in the mind of the main character. It's all boils up to an outstanding climax.

Rating: So Good

Watched: Netflix Instant

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Forever Evil (1987)

Starring: Red Mitchell, Tracey Huffman, Charles Trotter
Director: Roger Evans


Premise:
After surviving a mass murder by unknown entity, the sole survivor uncovers a cult is responsible and is trying to resurrect an ancient God for a return to Earth

My Take:
Oh my, this is just bad all around 80's cheese fest of bad horror.

Rating: Steaming Pile

Watched: DVD Purchase

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Southbound (2016)

Starring: Danna Gould, Kristina Pesic, Fabianne Therese, Anessa Ramsey, Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Mather Zickel, Kate Beahan, Justin Welbourn,
Director: Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath, Radio Silence


Premise:
Five connected tales of travelers confronting evils while heading down a deserted highway.

My Take:
Each story works on some level for me. I like that each is connected to each other and with an overall concept of the movie. A fun and creepy time.

Rating: So Good

Watched: Amazon Prime

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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House of the Witchdoctor (2013)

Starring: Allan Kayser, Bill Mosely, Leslie Easterbrook,
Director: Devon Mikolas


Premise:
A group of college kids go to one of their houses for the weekend only to be terrorized by recently released psycho and his sidekick.

My Take:
The viewer doesn't really care for too many characters in this movie and it takes away from the big twist that shifts the focus of the third act. Before that, the movie is really a lot of the same type of torture and criminal violence that has been seen before.

Rating: Warning


Watched: Amazon Instant




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Baskin (2016)

Starring: Mehmet Cerrahoglu
Director: Can Evernol


Premise:
A group of police officers get called for backup to a secluded, abandoned factory. What they find upon arriving is a beyond anything they could comprehend.

My Take:
If you want a "what the fuck" movie then this is for you. Things are not wrapped up neatly or even fully explained but it's more than made up for with the sheer amount of craziness that is shown on screen.

Rating: So Good


Watched: Amazon Digital

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Regression (2015)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis, Dale Dickey, Aaron Ashmore
Director: Alejandro Amenabar


Premise:
A father confesses to raping his daughter but has no memory of committing the act. The detective investigating the case begins to believe a Satanic cult is the cause.

My Take:
The movie does a good job at building up suspense and keeping the viewer guessing on what may actually be happening due to the incorporation of victims having false memory planted. Too bad the way it wraps up is rather unsatisfying.

Rating: In the middle

Watched: Amazon Prime

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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The Veil (2016)

Starring: Jessica Alba, Thomas Jane, Lily Rabe
Director: Phil Joanou


Premise:
The lone survivor of a cult who committed mass suicide returns to the camp years later with a documentary crew trying to get answers.

My Take:
A borderline flick that has a good cast and solid story. Unfortunately the middle falls into sort of familiar territory. Thomas Jane stills the show doing his best Jim Jones impersonation.

Rating: In the middle


Watched: Netflix Instant





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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The Sacrament (2014)

Starring: AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Kentucker Audler, Amy Seimetz, Gene Jones
Director: Ti West


Premise:
A news crew does a piece on an isolated communicated where one of the crew member's sister is staying. Once they arrive the community is not as happy as it leads on.

My Take:
A good film with solid performances, particular by Gene Jones as the cult leader. Though if you know anything about Jim Jones then one knows the movie parallels many of the tragedy's aspects. Still worth watching and kept me glued to my seat.

Rating: So Good

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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The Leftovers, Season 1 (2014)

Starring: Justin Theroux, Liv Tyler, Amy Brenneman, Carrie Coon, Amanda Warren, Michael Gaston, Emily Meade, Chris Zylka, Margaret Qualley, Scott Glenn, Christopher Ecceston


Premise:
After 2% of the world's population mysteriously disappears, a small town is forced to pic up the pieces and move on. Though many find it hard to do and seem lost.

My Take:
The series took awhile to sink its teeth into me, but about half way through I found it to be rather interesting. Though it does ask far more questions then is being answered at this point. It is still a show that is a little different and has some potential for future seasons. Hopefully we get answers behind the multiple cults, strange animal behavior, those who make contact, and the man who can take away people's pain.

Rating: In the middle

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Darkest Night (2013)

Starring: DJ Perry, Anne Gauthier, Issa Litton
Director: Noel Tran


Premise:
A family gathers for the holiday at a mansion in the Philippines. Soon strange events and unexplainable things occur. 

My Take:
It's a very story centering around black magic and demons. Unfortunately, with the found footage style of filming so many of the scenes are dimly light where it's hard to tell what is happening and drawn out dialog. I would have liked to seen more about the demon worshiping cult.

Rating: In the middle

 




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Penumbra (2012)

Starring: Cristina Brondo
Director: Adrián García Bogliano, Ramiro García Bogliano


Premise:
A woman is showing an apartment to a possible tenant. As she waits with the buyer's agents things soon start to seem amiss and a solor eclipse is nearing.

My Take:
The first half of the movies plays out as dark comedy with a lawyer having a bad day while trying to sell an apartment. She's getting in a fight with a bum, loses her keys, missing an important business meeting, and other little things keep piling up. A number of associates of the buyer start showing up, each one more strange than the next, and she starts to suspect something is amiss. And it is, turns out these people are part of a smal cult who believe the solar esclipse will give life beyong their life. For me, the movie works very well even if the explanation behind the cults motives are a bit odd and unexplained. However the tension is excellently built, the comedy is subtle, and the acting is great.

Rating: So Good






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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