It is definitely safe to say that the acquisition of Anne Rice’s epic library by AMC Networks, has paid off in spades for fans of her work, and fans of horror in general. Because the new iteration of Interview with the Vampire was nothing short of brilliant. Courtesy of the decision to update the story for modern times and have it dig deeper into previously unexplored themes and those decisions informed us, that the television versions of her tales would do her proud and trailblaze as her work did in the past. And of course, that end result… built all kinds of excitement for the next adapted property from Anne’s collection, Mayfair Witches. 

Because it means we will get the same quality from that series as well, and as of today, we now have proof of that. For earlier, AMC released a brand-new trailer for the show. One that breaks down in better detail Rowan’s plight and hints at how this adaptation is going to wow us, and well, since you’re reading this because of your interest in the next chapter in the Immortal Universe on AMC… here is that very trailer and a different version of the newly released key art to help you prepare for the arrival of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, courtesy of AMC. 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular collective fear that has seemingly disappeared from our world, is that of the ocean and all that resides within it. Which is likely due to the fact that science has (mostly) proven that a lot of what we feared during the maritime era of the world… doesn’t exist. For there are no Krakens waiting below the surface of the deep, to claim whatever ship rolls along. Nor are there are sirens and mermaids that are eager to feast upon the flesh of lonely sailors. Granted, there are still terrors of the deep to fear, ones that are grounded in weather and waves, and there might be some unknown creatures lurking beneath the surface since we’ve only charted but a sliver of the ocean and its life… but science has indeed put this fear out of mind.
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But it is an important fear to spotlight and explore now and again. Because it gave rise to powerful storytelling back in the day. The kind that was grounded in notions of horror since the thought of flesh eating sirens isn’t exactly a cuddly concept, nor is being chased by a massive and vengeful whale, and of course… there are some modern stories that still reflect the ferocity of nature in the water thanks to Jaws and the like, and that is precisely why this week’s episode of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, opted to focus on the sea. To continue to educate the audience on the history of horror and its legacy in modern times and of course… to give the Titans something new and exciting to work on, since creating a unique and thriving sea monster was their task in ‘Sea Monsters of the Depths’.

That is… after everyone reunited and learned that no one went home last week and post one scary Fright Feat Challenge. Simply because each Titan had to climb into a tunnel and work fast to figure out how to escape it before water came pouring into their little sliver of terror and well, that led to some scares for certain, since all of them had to endure the horror of being submerged in an enclosed space. But they all endured the challenge and refused to give up and that allowed for each of them to begin to create their respective sea monsters and that in turn led to quite the epic floor show. One that featured the return of Dahli and Saint as guest judges and well, their return and the incredible work put into this week’s challenge… led to some epic and dramatic moments.

On the stage, that all related to the performances. Since Drac and Swan were big on seeing the absolute best from the Titans here and understandably so. After all, being this deep into the competition demanded such and that brought forth some harsh critiques for those that didn’t quite capture the spirit of the challenge. Since Koco and Melissa raised concerns, whereas Astrud, Evah, HoSo and Victoria, received praises for giving life to movie quality aquatic monsters that stood true to the history of aquatic themed horror. But once that was done, the other drama came into play. For a chance to vent proved too good to pass up for Melissa, who unloaded on the group because of all the drama that took place and well… that brought about incredible conflict and understandably so.

Because the pressure at this point, is palpable, and everyone is trying their best to handle the heat because that’s part of the process… but it boiled over here and left Melissa in a dark place and that in turn led her to make one hell of a powerful decision. One that absolutely changed the course of the season. As to how that is the case, we cannot discuss here, since you need to experience it firsthand. But what we will discuss to close this recap out, first, is the sheer genius of the Boulet Brothers. For taking the time to explore a unique corner of the horror world and put it on display and teach us through the costume work of the Titans once again. But we also need to discuss, the sheer genius of that ending. Because these shows are often so carefully curated to be slick that we forget the pressures of competition and the toll it takes and it was important to be reminded of the fact that the folks that do this, are people and subject to emotions and kudos to the show for reminding us of that… as we enter the toughest leg of the competition. Until next time. 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Horrortales.666 Part 3’.

It truly is quite the wonderful time to be a fan of the horror genre. For the genre is at an all-time high popularity wise and for proof… just look at popular media. Since there are plenty of spooky books on the shelves, and television is rife with horror stories, as are theaters. Since major studios have finally embraced what the genre has to offer. Not to mention, there are now horror streaming services available, and the indie horror market continues to impress by offering up one unique story after another, courtesy of another wonderful aspect of living in this era… technology.
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For now, with a lot of effort and a ton of love, and a quality camera and microphone, any aspiring filmmaker can join the fray and that’s led to some revolutionary horror stories, and the rise of brand-new horror franchises, such as the Horrortales.666 saga. For this fascinating anthology series, one that is purely indie and guerrilla in nature, has now spawned multiple films that feature a hapless and suffering Burglar, that is subjected to reading about twisted horror stories at the request of a malevolent spirit, and this is a franchise that has truly resonated with fans. In fact, the original was so well received by audiences and even the horror community, that its second chapter featured some horror heavies and that was so well received, that a third entry has arrived at last.

For Horrortales.666 Part 3 recently hit the on-demand market and well, the good news is that this sequel delivers on so many fronts. For starters, the wraparound story with the Burglar continues to impress. Because this poor man suffers more than ever here and tries his best to find agency and fight back against the evil… with interesting results to say the least, and that is critical to pleasing the audience and establishing the tone of this particular chapter. Because not only does it ease the viewer back into this twisted world, but the raw anger the wraparound story exhibits, informs the viewer that this sequel is going to do its best to differentiate itself from its predecessor, and truly freak us out.

Which is mission accomplished for certain. Because at times, this is a supremely dark and disturbing horror anthology feature. In fact, the sequence, ‘Devious Stratagems’ wins out for darkest sequence in this film. Simply because it digs deep into the depravity and cruelty, we are capable of, and that leads to some supremely disturbing scenes for certain. The kind that will prompt some viewers to cringe and potentially turn it off. Because it gets that dark and that twisted, but that is obviously the intention. Since clearly, this sequel wants to up the ante and lean hard into the horror, and it isn’t the only vignette that goes the dark route. Because ‘Death is the Only Option’ also features some horribly unsettling moments.
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However, so that the terror is never overwhelming or overtly disturbing the other vignettes in this feature balance out the raw terror present here. Since ‘The Vessel’ offers up a magnificent homage to the ghostly horror films of the 1970s, complete with the right look since this segment appears as though it was filmed on 16mm or 35mm and has that 70s glow. Plus, it also features some wonderful twists and turns that keep the viewer engaged. Not to mention, ‘Victoria’ is also quite the treat. Since it harkens back to the genesis of the genre with a silent film style that takes us on quite the ride as we follow a lonesome vampire and the troubles she encounters.

If anything, all of these elements blend together to provide us with a delightful sequel. One that does the franchise proud by staying true to everything its predecessors established, all while taking the franchise in a bold new direction. One that informs us that the saga going forward is going to try new things and explore new concepts, and work harder to scare us, and that makes this a must-watch for certain, especially for hardcore horror fans. Because this one really does offer up everything we love about the genre and it is a good gateway flick to explore what the genre is capable of, and since this film makes mention of a sequel on the horizon… this is a story that leaves you excited to see what other ground this franchise can break. Courtesy of the freedom it enjoys by being free from the trappings of the old system of filmmaking.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘A Wounded Fawn’.
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The phrase, toxic masculinity, is one that evokes an immediate emotional response in anyone that hears it, and it makes sense as to why. Because at long last, we have a proper label for the weird and strange behavior that men take part in, and those words also evoke memories of times we’ve either dealt with a dude-bro that felt the need to flex up his ‘wonder’ or saw one attempt to do so in public, in an embarrassing manner of course. Which means that in essence, the emotional response we experience in thinking about that phrase is a combination of irritation and shame. Shame for the person that chose to be that guy in the moment and irritation because… we’ve all grown tired of dealing with this nonsense on a regular basis. 
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Which of course, begs quite the important question in our minds. In that, since this behavior continues to persist and is now being defended or escalated by those who partake in it, how on earth… do we finally put an end to it and move on? Which is a question that of course, has no easy answer. Since this is the kind of problem that is… generational in nature since parents and society tend to nurture it and allow for it to persist. Making the long-term end to this… elusive in nature. But in the here and the now, there has to be more that we can do, and it just so happens… that a brand-new horror film on Shudder explores what kind of immediate work we can do to combat such problems in a supremely unique and terrifying manner, and that makes A Wounded Fawn quite the powerful and poignant motion picture. 

Because this is a story that takes us on a journey, that doesn’t seem to be about such matters at all, at first. Since we are introduced in this film to a woman named Meredith Tanning who is… trying to start over after dealing with a toxic man and a toxic relationship. Which has brought her to a man named Bruce Ernst who appears to be the anthesis to her worries. For he is an intellectual at heart and supremely low key in nature for a change and he’s even taken the time to invite Meredith to a romantic weekend getaway at his remote cabin. Which of course she agrees to in the hopes of possibly having the healthy relationship she’s always sought. But alas, it doesn’t take long for Meredith to learn that Bruce is not what he appears to be. In fact, he is a bloodthirsty serial killer that has chosen Meredith to become his latest victim.

Which is a plot that doesn’t seem all that grounded in notions of toxic masculinity and how we combat it at a time where it is being flashed about proudly, and other elements in this story seem to reinforce that. Since this is at its core, a horror film through and through. One that brings the scares via intensity and jarring violence and a vibe that is supremely 70s. In fact, in some ways, this feels like a tribute to George A. Romero’s Martin, since the aesthetics of the house, the look of the ‘celluloid’ and the appearance of the characters and even of the blood, since it has that 1970s 3M glow… all harken back to that film and even some of Argento’s work, such as Suspiria. But once we get past the magic of that, make no mistake about it… this is a movie that goes after toxic masculinity and what it has to say about the central theme is quite powerful and fascinating.
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For once there is a moment of separation between Meredith and Bruce, and she is able to fight back and teach him a valuable lesson in thinking he had power over her… Bruce is left to his own devices. And he is robbed of his kill and robbed of the power that he loves to have over women via his toxic mentality and personality and being pulled away from that… and isolated… and eventually confronted regarding his behavior, transforms his character from bold and boisterous monster… to craven little coward. One that struggles to reconcile his dark actions and begs for forgiveness when faced with the raw horror of what he's done. Which makes for a trippy and satisfying third act to the story where the villain gets his Devil’s Due and where the answer to our question finally comes to light.

In that, in order to combat this now, these dude-bros have to be removed from the situation where they think they have power and be forced to reconcile their actions. So, they can understand the impact of their nonsense and feel something other than an urge to flex up and be the ‘Alpha’, and that… could do some wonders in present day and teach these toxic dudes a valuable lesson that could slowly spread and gently begin to enact change. Is that of course, a perfect answer? Heck no. But it is a start, and accountability does go a long way, when done right, and while this movie doesn’t provide a perfect solution, it does deserve a round of applause for saying aloud that the problem exists and for starting a conversation on how we address it now. And it does so in a compelling and unsettling manner, which is of course, what good horror does and in the end, that makes this an important motion picture. One that has a lot to say about a real-world horror that has persisted for far too long.