167 | Synchronic

Directed by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead

Written by Justin Benson

Stars Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan & Katie Aselton

Released 10/23/2020

Rated R

Runtime: 1hr 36mins

RT: 82% critics, 76% audience

Synopsis: Steve and Dennis are paramedics dealing with the fallout from a new synthetic drug. When someone close to them takes the drug and disappears Steve begins to experiment with the drug in an attempt to find her.

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Join us next time when we’ll be coving His House, now currently available on US Netflix.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

166 | Possessor

Written & Directed by Brandon Cronenberg

Stars Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott & Jennifer Jason Leigh

Released 10/2/2020

Unrated

Runtime: 1hr 43mins

RT: 93% critics, 59% audience

Synopsis: In the near future (or an alternate present) a shadowy company performs hits on high-profile targets by infiltrating the brain of random people close to the target and forcing them to commit the murder and then kill themselves, thus destroying the evidence. Tasya Vos, their top assassin, is becoming increasingly violent and is struggling with keeping her secret identity a secret from her family. Though badly in need of a break, Vos agrees to a new assignment, but this just may be the one that pushes her over the edge.

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At least 3 out of 4 of us have been anxiously awaiting this movie and now that it’s supposed to finally be available to rent on 1/26, we’re finally going to get the opportunity. Join us next time when we’ll be reviewing the latest from Benson and Moorhead, Synchronic.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

165 | Scare Me

Written & Directed by Josh Reuben

Stars Josh Ruben, Aya Cash & Chris Redd

Released 10/1/2020

Unrated

Runtime: 1hr 44mins

RT: 83% critics, 73% audience

Synopsis: Two authors on separate vacations pass the time during a power outage by telling each other scary stories.

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The next movie we’ll be covering has been getting a lot of buzz and we’re pumped to finally be reviewing it. Join us next time when we review Possessor, which is currently available for rent on Amazon Prime.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

164 | The Dark and the Wicked

Written & Directed by Bryan Bertino

Stars Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone

Released 11/6/2020

Unrated

Runtime: 1hr 35mins

RT: 90% critics, 63% audience

Synopsis: Siblings Louise and Michael return to the family farm after years of estrangement to help their beleaguered mother care for their dying father. Once there they find that there’s a lot more wrong than just their father’s illness.

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Next up will be our first review of the new year - we’ll be covering Scare Me, which is currently streaming on Shudder.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

163 | The Deeper You Dig

Written & Directed by John Adams & Toby Poser

Stars John Adams, Toby Poser & Zelda Adams

Released online June 5 of this year

Unrated

Runtime: 1hr 35mins

RT: 94% critics, 64% audience (avg. of 30 critic reviews & audience)

Synopsis: Ivy is a psychic who used to be legit but now scams old ladies out of their money. She and her daughter Echo live in an isolated area in rural New York. They’re content with their lonely existence until Echo goes missing. Ivy turns to the paranormal abilities she rejected to find her daughter, and signs seem to be pointing her to a new neighbor; one who is acting very suspicious...

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Our next movie is kind of a wild card. I don’t know a thing about it except that I think the name is stupid. People seem to be liking it tho, and my cohosts were intrigued that it was described as ‘disturbing,’ so here we are. Join us next time to discuss The Dark and the Wicked, which is available to rent now. Here’s a trailer for ya, see what you think. I’m going in blind, myself. Might as well take advantage of not knowing a thing.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

162 | Bad Hair

Written & Directed by Justin Simien

Stars Elle Lorraine, Vanessa Williams, Lena Waithe & Kelly Rowland

Premiered at Sundance January 23, 2020

Released October 23, 2020 on Hulu

Unrated

Runtime: 1hr 42mins

RT: 64% critics, 41% audience

Synopsis: Anna is a young woman with a low-tier job at a struggling music TV station called Culture. She desperately wants a show of her own but is hampered by sexism and by her lack of style. When the station management is revamped in an attempt to increase viewership, a glamorous woman named Zora becomes Anna’s new boss. Anna manages to impress her with her ideas, but Zora makes it clear that she’ll go nowhere until she looks the part. Willing to do anything to succeed, Anna agrees to see the stylist Zora recommends for a fabulous weave. Little does she know that, while the weave giveth plenty, it also taketh away.

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Next up, a supernatural horror movie made by a mom, dad and their teenage daughter. The family wrote, directed, starred, pretty much everything’d in the low budget The Deeper You Dig. Check it out on Shudder so you’ll be up to speed when we discuss in in two weeks.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

161 | [REC]

Directed by Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza 

Written by Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza & Luiso Berdejo

Stars Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano

Premiered at the Venice Film Festival August 29, 2007

Released November 23, 2007; released in US October 17, 2008

Rated R

Runtime: 1hr 18mins

RT: 89% critics, 82% audience

Synopsis: Television reporter Angela and her cameraman Pablo are on a ride-along with members of the fire department when they’re called to help a sick woman in an apartment building. Not long after their arrival on the scene the building is quarantined and they are trapped inside. They soon learn the reason for the quarantine - the sick woman in the building is a zombie, and she’s not the only one.

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We find ourselves in a hairy situation for our next movie. We don’t want you to wig out but you just won’t beweave what this one’s about. Ok, I’m done…our next movie is Bad Hair, currently streaming on Hulu.

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Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Bloodlust Bites | Circle + The Platform

Circle: 

Directed by Aaron Hann & Mario Miscione

Written by Aaron Hann & Mario Miscione

Stars Allegra Masters, Aimee McKay, Julie Benz

Premiered at Seattle International FF May 28, 2015, Released October 16, 2015

Not Rated

Runtime: 1hr 27min

RT: 50% critics, 42% audience

The Platform: 

Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Written by David Desola & Pedro Rivero

Stars Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan 

Premiered at TIFF September 6, 2019, Released March 20, 2020

Rated TV-MA

Runtime: 1hr 34min

RT: 80% critics, 71% audience

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Theme music: "Deuces" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

160 | Session 9

Directed by Brad Anderson

Written by Brad Anderson & Stephen Gevedon

Stars David Caruso, Peter Mullan & Josh Lucas

Released August 10, 2001

Rated R

Runtime: 1hr 37min

RT: 64% critics, 63% audience

Gordon and his crew clean hazardous materials out of old buildings and this time they scored a hell of a contract to clean out the abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital. The catch is, they’ll have to complete the project in a fraction of the time it would normally take. With tensions already high, Gordon and crew start to become affected by their surroundings. And by affected I don’t mean lung cancer.

This part is like someone walked onto the set and was like ‘you know what would be really cool here? How about you zoom in on Caruso like he’s Bruce Willis in Die hard’ and then left.

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It’s back into the vault next time, when we review the Spanish zombie thriller [Rec]. ay dios mio!

Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/