COCKTAILS FROM THE CRYPT:

Cocktails From The Crypt, OUT NOW, features 60 cocktails (and 1 mocktail!), all inspired by your favorite horror movies and it’s your how-to guide for curating the ultimate horror movie night. Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to own this ultimate horror movie night companion. Cocktails From The Crypt is available now from your favorite retailer: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Chapters Indigo, and Blackwell’s.

For behind the scenes glimpses and exclusive sneak peeks, follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch, producer credits, and much more!

RELEASED:

October 9th, 2025

LINKS:

Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Youtube –  Fiend Club – Discord – Merch – Leave a Review

WHERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S FILM:

The post [Podcast] V/H/S/HALLOWEEN Interview with Directors Micheline Pitt-Norman & R.H. Norman appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Jon insists this is an undeniable grindhouse masterpiece, and an unrecognized Universal Monster movie, but Kim is pretty sure it’s just a sleazy creature-feature about how teenage boys are gross, and their wieners turn them into monsters. Tune in now to hear both sides of this ludicrous argument and discover what in the basket… Join ussssss

SOLVE THE MYSTERY:

This season of the Nightmare on Film Street has a secret theme. Can you guess what it is? Every movie we discuss on the show this season has classified connective tissue, and if you can accurately predict the theme, you might win yourself a Nightmare on Film Street prize pack! Submit your answer HERE.

COCKTAILS FROM THE CRYPT:

Cocktails From The Crypt, OUT NOW, features 60 cocktails (and 1 mocktail!), all inspired by your favorite horror movies and it’s your how-to guide for curating the ultimate horror movie night. Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to own this ultimate horror movie night companion. Cocktails From The Crypt is available now from your favorite retailer: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Chapters Indigo, and Blackwell’s.

For behind the scenes glimpses and exclusive sneak peeks, follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch, producer credits, and much more!

RELEASED:

October 2nd, 2025

LINKS:

Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Youtube –  Fiend Club – Discord – Merch – Leave a Review

WHERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S FILM:

The post [Podcast] BASKET CASE (1982) appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Beast of War stars Mark Coles Smith (We Bury The Dead) as Leo, an Australian aboriginal with a tortured past, gearing up for the meatgrinder of 1940’s warfare. His effort and ethic have earned him the respect of his fellow soldiers but thanks to a particularly racist prick in their division, his fight begins before the squad ever sets foot on the battlefield. Leo is selfless and fast on his feet, which are qualities you really hope for in a person when you’re stranded in the middle of the ocean. After their boat is sunk by Japanese fighter pilots, Leo helps lash together a life raft for the group to stay afloat, but that’s when the real danger begins. 

Wounded and drifting in a thick fog, the group barley has enough time to catch their breath and assess the situation when a thousand pound killing machine that’s nothing more than teeth and an appetite finds this swim-up buffet. And hoping that it’ll simply get bored and move on is pretty much out of the question while their untreated injuries are continuously chumming the waters like a dinner bell. It’s one battle after another in this indie-war-epic-turned-monster-movie, but thank to Kiah Roache-Turner love for good gory fun, both sides of this merciless equation are filled with brutal cinematic carnage.  

Beast of War isn’t a war movie that suddenly becomes a shark movie, it’s a two-hander of unstoppable death. The poor bastards at the centre of the story are barely given enough time to recover from one big bad villain before another shows up to rock their shit again! And in a fun little horror twist (and perhaps a menacing nod to the Jaws score), the great white picking them off like human-sized hor d’oeuvres as a warbled air raid siren stabbed into his fin that cries out in the fog like a banshee’s haunting wail. Equals parts War Horror and Shark Horror, Beast of War is an unrelenting fight for survival with a dynamite looking creature of the deep, and some rock-solid shark attack sequences.

“It’s one battle after another in this gory indie-war-epic-turned-monster-movie”

Kiah Roache-Turner’s Beast of War is in theatres and on digital Oct 10 and was an official selection of Fantastic Fest 2025. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and let us know what you thought of this gritty WWII shark flick over in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Social Media is A Cesspool. Come Hang With The Cool Creeps. 

BEAST OF WAR Review: We’re Gonna Need A Bigger U-Boat in WWII Shark Horror [Fantastic Fest 2025]

TL;DR

It's one battle after another in this indie-war-epic-turned-monster-movie, but thank to Kiah Roache-Turner love for good gory fun, both side of this merciless equation are filled with brutal cinematic carnage.

Shark

85

Story

75

Effects / Gore

80

Performances

75

79

SCORE

The post BEAST OF WAR Review: We’re Gonna Need A Bigger U-Boat in WWII Shark Horror [Fantastic Fest 2025] appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Halloween has been in the bones of this franchise since the very beginning but it’s only now that we’re finally take the pumpkin plunge. V/H/S (2012) closed out with an ingenious segment titled 10/31/98 which follows a group of friends that accidentally stumble into the wrong house while trying to find a Halloween party. The final mystery tape of the film was written and directed by Radio Silence, who would go on to gift us Ready or Not (2018), and made clever use of a Nanny Cam Teddybear costume to justify why the footage existed (a detail that has gotten a little lost in the franchise as time has gone by). But now, after 13 glorious years of shaky scares, wild wraparounds, and iconic monsters (Raatmaaaaa!), V/H/S/Halloween is finally here to deliver the goods. 

This new collection kicks off with a double-dose of high strangeness. As always, the wraparound story helps to set the mood (this year’s model, directed by Bryan M. Ferguson, is chock full of guts and tentacles, and 80s Halloween nostalgia) but V/H/S/Halloween comes out swinging with an opening segment that is pure madness. Coochie Coochie Coo, directed by Anna Zlokovic (Appendage) deals with an entity that hunts teenagers too old to be trick-or-treating, and isn’t afraid to get g-g-g-gross. It’s a wild pick for an opening segment but immediately lets you know that you should brace for absolutely anything in the next 90 minutes. Caspar Kelly’s (Your Pretty Face is Going To Hell) Fun Size also deals with Halloween rule breakers, but brings some genuine Adult Swim style humor right when it’s needed to help lift your spirits. An absolute highlight of this new bout, and a stern reminder to only take one piece of candy…

Along the way we also have Ut Supra Sic Infra, a story from Paco Plaza (Veronica) that shifts back and forth between a police reenactment tape and cell phone footage for a Grade A ghosty nightmare (and one of my personal favorites), as well as a grimy, camcorder serial killer slow burn called Kidprint from Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) about some real ass small town stranger danger. But the closing segment, Home Haunt, is absolute Halloween Horror gold and undeniable found footage fun. This segment also features a hilarious cameo from a true Master of Horror and is a nonstop parade of practical effects, gore gags, and Halloween ghouls. It’s an absolute stunner of a closer and will surely become a fan favorite segment thanks to the brilliant work of writers/directors Micheline Pitt-Norman & RH Norman. 

“A nonstop parade of practical effects, gore gags, and Halloween ghouls.”

As a die-hard supporter of indie film and found footage in general, these movies have always been a beacon of emerging talent and a demonstration of creative storytelling for me. Half of what makes found footage anthologies so interesting is how each storyteller justifies the use of their camera, although over the years it seems the fans and I care more about those tiny details than some of these movies do. And it’s always a bummer to see valuable real estate being given to already established talent when you know there are countless filmmakers out there just begging for a shot at something like this. That balancing act is always going to be part of the business of getting new eyeballs on the franchise but even with those gripes in mind, V/H/S/Halloween does manage to do both at least some of the time. 

The V/H/S franchise is perfect for every horror fan for the same reason it’s perfect for no one single horror fan. The segments are eclectic and diverse, and if you don’t like one story in particular, there’s probably something more your speed coming right up. Can’t stomach the gross Barbarian-style monster? Think happy thoughts until the haunted phone shows up. Not feeling the John Wayne Gacy-esque madman? There’s an evil record and a killer witch right around the corner! V/H/S/Halloween is another standout in an already stellar series of films and as ravenous spooky season fans, we are (once again) spoiled with a twisted collection of fun-sized bites of Halloween horror fun. 

V/H/S/Halloween recently celebrated its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 and will be available to stream on Shudder beginning Oct 3. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and let us know what you’re favorite segment is over in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Social Media is A Cesspool. Come Hang With The Cool Creeps.

V/H/S/HALLOWEEN Review: Tricks And Treats Galore in This Year’s Bite-Sized Frights Anthology [Fantastic Fest 2025]

TL;DR

V/H/S/Halloween is another standout in an already stellar series of films and as ravenous spooky season fans, we are (once again) spoiled with a twisted collection of fun-sized bites of Halloween horror fun. 

Footage

75

Halloween Vibes

85

Stories

80

Effects

85

81

SCORE

The post V/H/S/HALLOWEEN Review: Tricks And Treats Galore in This Year’s Bite-Sized Frights Anthology [Fantastic Fest 2025] appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Born out of a frustration with the film industry in Canada (really the film industry in general), filmmaker Sean Cisterna’s search for alternative means of financing lead him to a wonderful idea: Creating a workshop to teach seniors how to make a horror movie. Shooting the film was always going to be a challenge but he hit roadblocks early on while pitching the project to seniors with no film experience or interest in horror. Over time the group slowly comes together, and the heads of each respective department are assigned including Audrey Cameron, their 96-year-old sound recordist!

Adapting the short story The Rug from Canadian writer Edo van Belkom (think Creepshow 2‘s The Raft, but with a Persian rug that an old lady finds in the trash) our rag-tag band of retirees come together to make the magic happen. With the exception of some helpful mentors who provide advice on how to nail their respective roles (and, of course, their 40-something director), it’s entirely up to the seniors to make it all happen. And what’s really surprising is how qualified some of these folks are, including David Swift whose childhood love of puppetry is being put to use as the film’s special effects artist or Diane Ament, a former drama teacher with a love for pantomime that is absolutely crushing it as the team’s makeup artist. 

Sure, it’s a little too cute at times but the group themselves are super cute so good luck editing around that! Their individual stories are touching and their reasons for participating are as varied as their lives, but watching everyone get a charge out of seeing it all come together is electric. If you’ve been waiting for your opportunity to get out there and finally direct the project you’ve been talking about for years, this might a real nice reminder that it’s never too late to start, and that doing something creative outside of your comfort zone is good for your head, good for your heart, and good for horror. 

Sean Cisterna’s horror documentary Silver Screamers celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and definitely let us know if your grandma made a horror movie over in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Social Media is A Cesspool. Come Hang With The Cool Creeps. 

SILVER SCREAMERS Review: Adorable Horror Doc Shows the Making of An Elderly Lead Film Shoot [Fantastic Fest]

TL;DR

Sure, it's a little too cute at times but the group themselves are super cute so good luck editing around that! Their individual stories are touching and their reasons for participating are as varied as their lives, but watching everyone get a charge out of seeing it all come together is electric

Characters

90

Story

75

Behind The Scenes Footage

80

Interviews

75

80

SCORE

The post SILVER SCREAMERS Review: Adorable Horror Doc Shows the Making of An Elderly Lead Film Shoot [Fantastic Fest] appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

SOLVE THE MYSTERY:

This season of the Nightmare on Film Street has a secret theme. Can you guess what it is? Every movie we discuss on the show this season has classified connective tissue, and if you can accurately predict the theme, you might win yourself a Nightmare on Film Street prize pack! Submit your answer HERE.

COCKTAILS FROM THE CRYPT:

Cocktails From The Crypt, OUT NOW, features 60 cocktails (and 1 mocktail!), all inspired by your favorite horror movies and it’s your how-to guide for curating the ultimate horror movie night. Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to own this ultimate horror movie night companion. Cocktails From The Crypt is available now from your favorite retailer: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Chapters Indigo, and Blackwell’s.

For behind the scenes glimpses and exclusive sneak peeks, follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch, producer credits, and much more!

RELEASED:

September 25th, 2025

LINKS:

Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Youtube –  Fiend Club – Discord – Merch – Leave a Review

WHERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S FILM:

The post [Podcast] POSSESSOR (2020) appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Before TikTok we all got a lot of important information from one key source. I am of course talking about bristle boards and oral presentations in classrooms. And in keeping with that grand tradition, Piliero’s debut feature begins with a tried-and-true opener: a textbook definition. Oxford English dictionary defines Apophenia as 1. The tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful patterns between unrelated or random things; 2. Confirmation bias; 3. Paranoia- which sure sounds like the baseline feeling I have every single damn day of the week thanks to my internet. From there it’s a nonstop Plinko board of destruction as characters bounce in and out of each other’s timelines like life-ruining wrecking balls. 

“Your worst AI fears are about to be validated…”

In one timeline a reckless troll (played by Aaron Holliday, Cocaine Bear) explains to an acquaintance (Jermaine Fowler, Sting) that he recently found a website that can make the most convincing deep fakes you have ever seen in your entire life. Elsewhere, for reasons we don’t yet understand, a jealous boyfriend confronts his girlfriend about a sex tape she made with their mutual friend, an uber driver gets roped into a Joshua Tree threesome laced with PCP, a weed shop employee (Paige Searcy, Days of Our Lives) gets cancelled after a video of her being a Karen goes viral, and the world’s most intense cosplay designer (Sean Gunn, Agnes) sharpens a life-sized working replica of [REDACTED] unaware that he’s just had a six figure target put on his back. As unconnected as it all seems, there is a method to this terrifyingly plausible madness. 

Like Richard Linklater’s Slacker for the internet age (or Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia but with less frogs) Chris Marrs Piliero’s Appofeniacs weaves stories together in really clever ways, while still giving them the space to exist as their own little islands of digital disaster. While we’re at it, let’s also throw this year’s Freaky Tales into that comparison stew, and not just because they both have surprisingly gory finales. Ok fine, because they both have super fun, crazy gory finales. yayyyy!

“Appofeniacs is a worst-case scenario that is surely being played out somewhere in the world this very second.”

Appofeniacs is a worst-case scenario that is surely being played out somewhere in the world this very second. I get emails constantly from people claiming to be spying on me through my webcam, and I know it’s only a matter of time before I start getting weird videos of my digital doppelganger doing all kinds of blackmailable shit.

Chris Marrs Piliero is first and foremost a clever storyteller…but he might also be the ghost of Christmas Future, here to warn us that it’s too late to change our ways and we better get ready for the Deepfake Doomsday that’s definitely right around the corner. This is how the world ends, not with a bang but an AI prompt. Good luck everybody!

Chris Marrs Piliero’s Appofeniacs celebrated its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival, and let us know if you have any tips on how to prevent the AI-pocalypse over in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord!

APPOFENIACS Review: Interconnected AI Anthology is A Violent Internet PSA [Fantastic Fest 2025]

TL;DR

Appofeniacs is a worst-case scenario that is surely being played out somewhere in the world this very second. Chris Marrs Piliero is first and foremost a clever storyteller...but he might also be the ghost of Christmas Future, here to warn us that it's too late to change our ways and we better get ready for the Deepfake Doomsday that's definitely right around the corner.

Story/Characters

80

Structure

75

Effects

80

Prescience

75

78

SCORE

The post APPOFENIACS Review: Interconnected AI Anthology is A Violent Internet PSA [Fantastic Fest 2025] appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Justin Long (Barbarian) stars as Scott, an absent-minded graphic novelist whose work has slowly taken priority over his family. His wife Liv, played by Kate Bosworth (Before I Wake), and daughter, Chloe (Mila Harris, No Exit), have grown increasing frustrated playing second fiddle to his professional career, but there about to spend a whole bunch of quality time together. Of course, before they’re able to break out the board games and become a family again, their forced to fist fight mother nature after a pack of vicious coyotes comes knocking on their front door.

Part home-invasion, part creature-feature, Coyotes features a good handful of vicious bits and bites. It’s also got a great sense of humor, and not every laugh is coming from the inherently silly Justin Long. The movie has a good cast of characters, including an unstable exterminator played by Keir O’Donnell (Ambulance), a gun-totin’ ManChild played by Norbert Leo Butz (The Exorcist: Believer), and an in over her head escort played by frequent Minihan collaborator Brittany Allen (What Keeps You Alive).

Stylistically, the movie isn’t quite the bullseye it was hoping to hit. There are fleeting moments where the movie adopts a comic book aesthetic, but it doesn’t quite lean into the motif the way a Freaky Tales (2025) is able to justify. And from a pacing perspective, the movie is always just on the cusp of popping off, but never quite unleashes the mayhem I would have liked to see.

That said, there are some great moments of ravenous gore and a few really good belly laughs thanks to the movie’s own ability to poke fun and lampoon some the genre’s most overworked tropes. Let’s just say if there are scenes in movies that always make you roll your eyes, Coyotes hates those scenes too, and it’s got some pretty clever gags that are going to have you chuckling all the way to its explosive finish.

“Great moments of ravenous gore and a few really good belly laughs…”

Colin Minihan’s Coyotes celebrated its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 and hits theatres Oct 3 thanks to Aura Entertainment. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of Fantastic Fest and be sure to let us know if you’re excited to see this new silly creature feature over in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Social Media is A Cesspool. Come Hang Where The Cool Creeps Are.

COYOTES Review: Animals Attack in Goofy Home Invasion / Creature Feature [Fantastic Fest 2025]

TL;DR

Stylistically, Coyotes isn't quite the bullseye it was hoping to hit but this home-invasion/creature-feature boasts a good handful of vicious bits 'n' bites and a great sense of humor.

Story

70

Animal Attacks

76

Characters

75

Humor

78

75

SCORE

The post COYOTES Review: Animals Attack in Goofy Home Invasion / Creature Feature [Fantastic Fest 2025] appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

Directed by Grace Glowicki, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ben Petrie, this bizarro tale of love, loss, and re-animation follows a lovelorn gravedigger who smells of death but longs for romance. As is the case with so many tragic romances, her one true love dies unexpectedly right as their affair is blossoming, leaving her only one logical option: Bring him back from the dead so they can have wild, freaky sex again and again and again. 

“Dead Lover is like a German Expressionist film with silly voices, color gels, and fart jokes.”

Glowicki herself stars as the putrid cemetery siren, Gravedigger, with co-writer Petrie joining her as the clumsy poet, Lover, enraptured by her singular scent (on top of at least a half-dozen other characters). The remaining cast of kooks is filled out by only a small handful of other performers and, honestly, you probably wouldn’t have noticed (I didn’t) if I hadn’t mentioned it.

There are no less than twenty speaking parts, and each personality is its own cartoonish creation. Glowicki’s Gravedigger especially is such a hyper-specific and unique performance that I couldn’t help but ask myself ‘Where do you even begin to find an actor for a role like this??‘ The answer, like so many hurdles in indie filmmaking, is to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. 

Dead Lover is like a German Expressionist film with silly voices, color gels, and fart jokes. It’s a movie that is unapologetically silly and dares you not to have a good time, like last year’s indie barnburner Hundreds of Beavers (but for goth girls). Even with all the silly insanity, the crass humor, and the ridiculous plot, you really feel for Gravedigger.

The whole world wants nothing to do with her, but you want to root for her so bad. Everyone else looks at like she’s been dipped in the bog of eternal stench, but she’s our bog lady and it’s the rest of the stupid world that can’t see how adorable and deserving she is of love. Even if her beloved is the finger of a corpse that she’s propagating like a house plant in hopes of growing Lover again.

Grace Glowicki’s Dead Lover recently screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, as part of their Midnight Madness program. The programmers at TIFF and I often disagree on what qualifies as “Midnight Madness” but Dead Lover is an absolute homerun on all fronts. It’s hilarious, it’s bizarre, it’s 100,000 watts of weird beamed directly into your skull from the mind of an artist that it completely unrestrained.

I would be shocked if this didn’t make John Waters’ annual Best Of The Year list, and assuming you’re also the kind of person who likes to watch adorably f*cked up movies, Dead Lover will be one of your favourites of the year too.

“It’s hilarious, it’s bizarre, it’s 100,000 watts of weird beamed directly into your skull…”“

Grace Glowicki’s Dead Lover had the honor of closing out the Midnight Madness program at TIFF 2025 and will surely be screening in your local cool cinema soon. Join us in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord to stay up to date on release news and let us know if you’re excited for a freaky Frankenstein-inspired dark macabre comedy! Social Media is A Cesspool. Discord is Where All The Cool Creeps Are.

DEAD LOVER Review: Re-animate Your Belief in Deranged Cinema with This Quirky RomZom

TL;DR

Dead Lover is an absolute homerun on all fronts, like a German Expressionist film with silly voices, color gels, and fart jokes. It's hilarious, it's bizarre, it's 100,000 watts of weird beamed directly into your skull from the mind of an artist that it completely unrestrained.

Cinematography

90

Performances

100

Personality/Aesthetic

100

Humor/Story

90

95

SCORE

The post DEAD LOVER Review: Re-animate Your Belief in Deranged Cinema with This Quirky RomZom appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker intimidated by tricky VFX shots, or just a curious horror fan that’s always wanted to know how much it costs to license Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear The Reaper, this is the interview for you! Brandon Christensen chats with us about all the ins and outs of making an indie Halloween flick, directing his son, and completing post-production on two movies at the same time! Join ussssss

SOLVE THE MYSTERY:

This season of the Nightmare on Film Street has a secret theme. Can you guess what it is? Every movie we discuss on the show this season has classified connective tissue, and if you can accurately predict the theme, you might win yourself a Nightmare on Film Street prize pack! Submit your answer HERE.

COCKTAILS FROM THE CRYPT:

Cocktails From The Crypt, OUT NOW, features 60 cocktails (and 1 mocktail!), all inspired by your favorite horror movies and it’s your how-to guide for curating the ultimate horror movie night. Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to own this ultimate horror movie night companion. Cocktails From The Crypt is available now from your favorite retailer: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Chapters Indigo, and Blackwell’s.

For behind the scenes glimpses and exclusive sneak peeks, follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Nightmare on Film Street is a labor of love – and Terror! Support us on Patreon at nofspodcast.com/fiendclub to unlock frightfully good rewards; like bonus episodes, watch parties, exclusive merch, producer credits, and much more!

RELEASED:

September 18th, 2025

LINKS:

Apple Podcasts – Spotify – Youtube –  Fiend Club – Discord – Merch – Leave a Review

WHERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S FILM:

The post [Podcast] NIGHT OF THE REAPER Interview with Director Brandon Christensen appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street.