Shudder Day: Sea Fever (2019)

 In spite of living on a peninsula, I'm not much of a 'go on a boat' guy.

That said, Films like this remind me that maybe it is for the best.

This is...

Siobhan is a Marine Biologist who is studying for her Education.

As part of that, she must work on a boat to get firsthand experience.

Things are awkward enough- a tightknit crew welcoming in a stranger- but she's also a redhead.

They go out to Sea, but there's clearly some tension already.  Money is tight and they need this haul to go well.

This leads the Captain- almost Wolverine once Dougray Scott- to go into an area that's off-limits, hoping to catch more.

Instead, they are caught by...something!

They send Siobhan down to check the water around the ship, thinking that it is barnacles.

As you can tell, she's thrilled about this.

It turns out to be the tendril of some sort of strange creature, like a jellyfish or a squid.

She spots a ship nearby and goes to it with two of the crew.

In case you didn't know, we are in full The Thing territory, so the nearby group are all dead.

Things get bad on the ship as one of the crew gets infected and acts strange.

He dies and the risk of infection is now clear.

Siobhan wants them to wait 36 hours to make sure that nobody is infected.

The trip back to the mainland is slowed down and now we go full The Thing with the group testing the others.

Who is infected?
Who will die?

To find out, stream it now.

A slow burn Horror Film, which is ironic given how much water is always on screen.

The Film does a nice job of setting up the 'world' of the Film with its characters, setting and intrigue.
You get why people make the choices that they do.

Things happen really organically, as well.  It is nice to see.

The creature of the Film (teased on every other Poster than the one I picked) is an interesting one.  This is another case of an animal as the 'villain' by way of it just doing what it does naturally (pun fully intended).

There's no evil monologue or big reveal- it is just a creature.

The conflict comes from how the people react to it, the situation and each other.
And yes, it does somewhat borrow that from The Thing as well.

All of that said, this one is a recommendation for those looking for a more nuanced and less visceral Film.
And no, it's not about this thing...

Seriously, who made this?!?

A Film about what happens when everyone starts to make bad choices.  Nature is not always there to help you out either.

Holiday TV: Evil Druids on 'Friday the 13th: The Series!'

 Another Friday the 13th in the year 2026 is here.

Let's see if there's a properly Irish Episode to cover.

***

We're at the 2nd to last ever Episode and it is...

A woman is about to give birth at a Private Center.

The Nurse says that the Father-to-be needs to go outside with a candle for a ritual...and he's grabbed by roots and pulled into the base of a tree!

Johnny- the new Male Lead for Season 3- meets the woman from earlier.

She was told that only her Son survived, but she doesn't buy it.

Johnny looks into her story and, well, she's right.
This would be a bad Episode if she was just crazy.

The Center is run by Druids- all Ladies- is helping couples give birth to fraternal twins and then keeping the girl child.

They're also sacrificing the Husbands, because Cults.

The girls are all part of a plan to form new Druidic Covens across the World!

Step 1: Make A Bunch of Covens
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Profit!

The group finally believes Johnny as he finds out more about the group.

It all revolves around an artifact- a Cernunnos Idol.

It makes magic fruit or something as long as you do the rituals correctly.

The Mom, of course, doesn't wait for help and is left to die by the evil Druids.

They do what Dr. Phibes did to Terry Thomas, but slower and less efficiently.

The trio try to stop it, but things don't go well at first.

Jack is nearly sacrificed, while Johnny attacks the tree at the roots.

Lightning strikes and the ritual is ruined.

The tree falls on the evil Doctor and the day is saved.
The End.

A strong Episode, even if the promise of a Wicker Man isn't delivered.

The idea of evil, lady Druids is a good one.  It only took 71 Episodes to get there!

Granted- in a real-world situation, this evil plan has about 100 holes in it.  This is the Show about magical artifacts though, so...

While watching the Episode, I was making Wicker Man jokes to myself (jokes about bear suits and bees, etc.).  Seconds later, they say that they are preparing a Wicker Man!

Well, it is actually just a Wicker Coffin to burn.  Boo.

Regardless, this one has an evil villain with a lovely Irish brogue and Jack speaking Gaelic.
Oh well, time to check out this Show in...8 months.

Sorry, Jack.

An Episode with good villains and an interesting Artifact.  Just don't promise me a Wicker Man and then give me nothing!

Holi-Shudder-Day: Oddity (2024)

In lieu of a Leprechaun Film, let's check out something well-reviewed and Irish instead.

Slainte!

A woman is left alone in a House in the middle of nowhere at night.

A strange, one-eyed man knocks on the door.

He says that he's here to help.

A year later, we meet the Sister of the same Woman- who is blind and can 'read' objects.

Do Stop Signs count?

She wants to know more about what happened to her Sister.

The Husband would be the guy to ask then, wouldn't he?

Why is he so suspicious?
Why does he not listen to anyone when they are worried?

His new beau ends up stuck in the same House from before with the blind Sister and her new....friend?

She gets curious, but what is the real danger here?

Are you ready for the world's most awkward Dinner?

If so, you should be ready for Oddity...but you aren't.

And yes, even this Film has a fake, AI-generated Trailer Image.

That's...not for this Movie.

To find out what *actually* happens, stream this one now.

Better to wear green than suffer in the dark.

This Film isn't quite as Irish as I'd hoped.  Nobody drinks Guiness or anything!

That said, it is really good.

The Film is similar to stuff like Hereditary with its slow burn, freaky moments and sudden scares.  This isn't like the Conjuring Films- thank Patrick!

Oddity is a Film that does alot with very little.  Simple setups, long shots and payoffs are the name of the game.

If you're looking for big Action or amazing VFX, look elsewhere.
If you're looking for Character Drama, tension and scares, this is for you.

Also it sure is nice to see the Brother of the guy from The Fear getting work.

A genuinely-unsettling, strange and scary Film.  Just know that you'll have to wait for every payoff - they're worth it!

Shudder Day: Arcadian (2024)

Nic Cage and Shudder are a match made in Heaven.  

Let's see what his most recent Film is like...

It's the end of the World as we know it!

Naturally, Nic Cage survived.

15ish years later, he's raising his two Sons as they live out in a Farm.

They live a humble life and are sure to be locked into the House by sundown.

They try to make the most of the situation, living comfortably as a family.

However, the one Brother is constantly leaving to go to 'The Rose Farm.'

Considering that someone or something is trying to claw their way into the house every night, should you be distracted that much.

Is it safe for you or anyone else?

Of course, he's a young man, so he's got one thing on his mind.

And no, it's not roses.

Who will live?
Who will die?

Will the reveal of the Monsters be worth all of the build-up?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that is interesting contrast of many things at once.

The Film looks peaceful, with its lovely farmlands and hills in Ireland.
The Film gets very chaotic when the Monsters make their (erratic) moves!

The Film is all about Family and staying together.
The Family is torn about by one's desire to hang out with a girl somewhere else.

The Monsters- no SPOILERS- are freaky things.
The Monsters don't really get explained and you *really* want to know how they got like this.

The Film is sold on Nic Cage vs. Monsters.
Nic Cage is a key part of the Film, but the Plot gives the main focus to the young Leads.

Arcadian is a fun and interesting low-budget Horror Film.  There are certainly lots more 'Family surviving against weird monsters' after A Quiet Place (not that the Film introduced the concept).

This is a good one of those, even giving us a Relax at the Waterfall Scene to boot!

A Film with a tight focus, a small Cast and some crazy Monsters.  They are definitely worth the build-up, so give this one a chance.

Shudder-day: Unwelcome (2022)

 A trip to Ireland sounds great!  No catch, right?
Right?!?

In London, a Couple are attacked after getting the great news that she is pregnant.

That sure does ruin their vibe!

They end up inheriting the Husband's Aunt's House in Ireland and decide to get away from the City.
Can you blame them?

Hell, it looks gorgeous.

The Aunt's friend says that they have to feed the Red Caps ('cute' little goblins from Irish folklore) that live in a little house/hut nearby.

Sure, sure- whatever you say.

Home renovations are taking place and tensions get high.  When someone ends up dead (and their head is delivered), it gets worse.

It usually does.

To find out what happens when those Red Caps finally show up, stream the Film now.

A bit of a slow burn, but it is ultimately worth the wait.  Until you get to the juicy stuff, you get a good Plot and nice characterization.

The Husband, for one, plays a very different kind of Hero, someone who is really dealing with alot of trauma.  It is a very impressive performance to play someone who doesn't exactly rise to the occasion like an 'heroic man' would.

Colm Meaney as 'Daddy' (he insists on being called that) is quite good as well.  He brings surprising menace to the role, especially if you only ever think of him as his Character on Star Trek.  Everyone does a pretty good job here to be fair, from the bullies in the Intro to the Drunken Townsperson from later.

The draw here is, of course, the creatures.  They really show up strong for the finale, so, again, stick with it.  They look great and I appreciate that they aren't, to use a gaming term, OP.  They aren't some overwhelming little creatures a la Chucky, but they can be quite deadly.

Unwelcome is a different kind of Creature Feature, but in a welcoming way.  I don't mind this kind of thing once in a while, especially with the Irish/British/UK feel of it all.

Now here's a representation of what all Parents with young children look like before they wake them up in the morning...

A fun little tale that escalates quite a bit in the Third Act.  If you want the usual Creature Feature, however, look elsewhere.  Slainte.

DTV Trash?: Ghost Rig

A Film that I've been putting off for months.  

The basic story: a Co-Worker of my Brother gave him some random stuff.  

The stuff he didn't want- like this- he gave to me.  

It's how I got The Wicker Tree as well, FYI.  

The Film is Ghost Rig, a 2002/3 Horror Film.  It is about ghosts on an oil rig...sort of.  Okay, not really.  It's not much more creative than this, sadly, but I'll get to it.  

The Cast includes... oh boy...'Logan' from Baywatch.  It also includes the future Star of Super Vet.  You see, one of this Film's Leads segued into Veterinary Science and got a Reality Show out of it.  

Someone worked after this- that's always a good sign!  

The Director hasn't gone on to do much, other than some Crime Dramas in his home Country. 

Is this Film a good example of why he hasn't done more Films?  To find out, read on...

A group of Environmental Conservationists fly in to occupy an abandoned Oil Rig.  The reason: it will be demolished to make a 'natural coral reef.'

Why is that bad again?

They have to wander around it- that will pad the runtime! - but at least they have a map.

Also, one of them has a gun and it's a huge deal.
Wow, this really ISN'T an American Film!!!

More wandering around.  

More of them being assholes.  

Excitement?

To further amplify things, we get them doing Video Logs.  

I highlight this one for dramatic effect later.

As some of them start to die and one acts crazy, they also learn that one of them is undercover.

He's clearly not good enough at his job to be underhanded in a Room that he knows has cameras in.

As the numbers whittle down, one of them discovers a body and a video camera.
Yep, they're watching Found Footage here, although the Film is not fully that.  

It's...odd.

The gist of it: some evil force is on board and everyone left and/or died.  

Now it can possess you!

When the final Cast is whittled down to 4 people, it turns more into The Thing than ever.

While they don't do a blood test per se, they do test to see if you bleed, so I'm counting it.

In the End, it turns out that Wheelchair Guy (aka Future Vet) knew who was possessed and wanted the power for himself.  Why?  

Because being possessed heals you.

I guess you're supposed to want to go back throughout the whole Film to see the hints, but...meh.

In a weird moment, he sits down to watch the rest of the Found Footage...that conveniently didn't show him the first time.  How did he work around that?

He kills everyone and leaves, whereupon they reveal that he made a 'magic circle' on his body to control the power.  

Oh, that explains the alternate Title (see below).  The End.

A slow, plodding nothing of a Film.  

To be fair, the Movie has some sort of atmosphere.  Granted- it is based on being in a bunch of ugly, badly lit hallways made out of metal.  It's somewhere I wouldn't want to be.  

That also has nothing to do with the Horror- it just looks like I'll get tetanus from just breathing in there!  

The whole Oil Rig part doesn't factor much into the Plot.  It's just a pretense for 'Oh, we can't leave' and that's it.  They keep talking about the Rig, but it doesn't amount to much plot-wise.  The first half is soooooooo slow.  It just keeps going.  

They just wander around.  They just bicker.  They just wander around.  

When they are finally done with that, it doesn't improve all that much.  Now there's a vague evil in the area and one of them goes full Jack Torrance with an axe.  It gets silly when biting is the means of transference of evil.  The evil also never has a real form for us to see- just a silly voice filter.  I guess I shouldn't have expected a monster...even if the UK Box Art promises one.  

They couldn't just spring for a good mask to show in a dark light?  Nothing?  The part where it becomes The Thing is just kind of sad.  The whole ending works for the Villain due to people being stupid.  

The Film's big reveal(s) is/are alright, but don't feel 100% earned or fair.  Again- why does the footage they watched in full not show him the first time?  It's also fun to break down the full-circle logic of his plan.  

Step 1: Escape Rig.  

Step 2: Join Environmental Group that I know will occupy rig.  

Step 3: Trap myself in dangerous situation and ensure I'm the last one left.  

Step 4: Escape Rig (without paralyzing myself this time).  It's goofy.  

The Film is pretty dry, so it's not a strong recommendation overall.  That original Title is better though...

Next up, I check out a Made For TV Movie that shows how bad the future could be.  It will put things in perspective, no?  Stay tuned...