Vindicated (2011) by Scott Harper - Horror Novel Review

Having read author Scott Harper's Shadow Castes: Book 1 - Aspects book earlier this year, I noticed that I also had a copy of the third book in his Wendy Markland trilogy. It all started with 2008's     Predators or Prey?; a vampire story that I was initially luke-warm on. Last year, I realised there was a sequel - the excellent Necromancer, which had zombies as the main enemy. Capping off the trilogy is Vindicated, returning to vampires, and a perfect finish to the trilogy.

I think this takes place roughly six months after the events of Necromancer. Monster hunter, Wendy Markland has headed to Florida, though has noticed a car has been following her the entire way. Confronting the driver at a gas station, he introduces himself as Colm Pryce - a fellow monster hunter who brings with him terrible news. He tells Wendy that she is being hunted by a very powerful group of vampires who call themselves 'The Kindred of Malignity'. Their leader is Adolph Larson; a vampire so strong that he has powers rarely seen (such as being able to be outside during the daytime). Colm also tells Wendy that what makes this group more dangerous is that each time a member is slain, the remaining members inherit that dead vampires strength.

Vindicated was a great end to the trilogy. Where Necromancer was an almost stand-alone story, this one has ties back to both novels. Never the most capable or enthusiastic of monster hunters, Wendy is really shown to be on the back-foot here. There never seemed a single point in the novel where she is doing anything but reacting to the actions of her attackers. As antagonists go, The Kindred of Malignity were pretty cool. I loved that each member was given at least a little bit of backstory to their characters. This gave an almost Kill Bill feel of the unique gang members all out to get Wendy. While in peril and out of her depth, she is helped by the group never seeming to ever take her seriously as a threat. The vampires are either really inept, or the apparently super vampires are not that much more dangerous than the normal type, with them spending the entire book constantly underestimating Wendy.

The horror comes in three key ignition points throughout the story. Each time the group get in a battle with Wendy and Colm you could be sure of a thrilling read. Lots of gory decapitations of victims, and lots of extreme violence given to the paper tiger vampires. I zoomed through the 281 page novel, barely able to put it down. By this point in the series I was really hooked, liking protagonist Wendy despite her continuing off-putting narcissistic qualities of constantly admiring her own body. Being a Harper book, of course this heroine is a flawless beauty, something she is well aware of. There is some growth to be found in her character, with her leaving the book a very different person at book's end than she was at the start. This was a transition I hadn't expected.

Vindicated was a great finish to the story of Wendy Markland. I really liked how flawed and ultimately human she was. She gets emotional, she makes terrible mistakes both in her actions and her priorities, but she really grew as a character over the course of her three books.

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Poppy Playtime: Chapter 4 'Safe Haven' (2025) - Horror Video Game Review

In-between playing mascot horror Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 'Deep Sleep' and this latest (for consoles at least) entry; Poppy Playtime: Chapter 4 'Safe Haven', I fell down a giant rabbit hole in the form of the very rough, yet equally addictive Garten of Banban series. I was so down this hole that even when I picked up Chapter 4, I still didn't return. Instead, playing through all 8 games in that other series before finally being able to come back. I had in my head that both game series were on an even level with each other, but playing this one, I quickly realised how much more polished and well made Poppy Playtime of course is. Unavoidable spoilers for previous games to follow.

As a former employee of the sinister toy company, Poppy Playtime, you had returned to the factory ten years after a disaster closed it down, following a cryptic letter you received in the post. Safe Haven begins with you descending into the darkest level of the secret underground facility, where there is no longer any pretence as to the twisted experiments being performed by the company. Between the underground prison and surgical wing lies the titular 'Safe Haven', a home for all the non-violent sentient toys, who hide there, protected by Doey the Doughman (a large creature made out of what appears to be Playdough). Poppy arrives and announces a plan that would see the complete destruction of the entire Poppy Playtime facility, as well as the sinister Prototype (the mastermind behind the initial disaster ten years previously). To carry out this plan however, the employee must travel to the domain of  'The Doctor', to retrieve a high access key card that he has in his possession.

Following the trend of the other games, this fourth chapter is again longer than any of the ones that came before, with my overall (Poppy) playtime being over five hours. Deep Sleep introduced more of a pure horror vibe, and that continues here, the bleak and brutalist prison area being a prime example. There is lore here in spades, with this chapter having more notes and videotapes to discover than ever before. The story that plays out during this chapter is also the most involved yet, featuring a big cast of characters. Helping you are Poppy, Oliver, Kissy-Missy and Doey. That later one was a fantastic new one, coming across as almost cartoon-like with his comical exaggerated movement and jovial way of talking, yet also containing within him a lot of darkness that occasionally bubbles to the surface.
Much of the chapter has you pitted against 'The Doctor', an antagonist who is more cerebral, watching you over CCTV rather than physically trying to kill you. He is a constant presence, taunting you, directing where you are able to go, and occasionally sending enemies after you, most notably, the lion-like yarn creature; Yarnaby.

There are puzzles to solve and chase sequences as always, but also an increased focus on stealth sequences that see you pushing switches while avoiding a prowling creature. The stealth is pretty simple as the creatures appear to have atrocious vision, only able to spot you when they are almost on top of you. I enjoyed the chase sequences, nearly all of which were fun to do. There was the odd moment of frustration when it wasn't exactly clear where you were meant to go while being chased. There were also a few boss battles, but all followed a similar pattern of pressing switches and pulling levers.
Safe Haven is graphically lovely, especially coming from the very simple and plain level design of Garten of Banban. I really enjoyed traversing the areas here, occasionally giving a Resident Evil 4 vibe with its mine areas and labyrinthian medical facility areas. All of this leads up to a cliff-hanger finish that was a return to form after the underwhelming end to the last chapter.

Playing Poppy Playtime: Chapter 4 'Safe Haven' made me realise just how superior in quality this mascot horror game is to nearly any other one in the sub-genre of horror video games. I have a soft spot with both this and GOB, but with both games it feels like an ending really needs to come into sight, rather than treading water by stretching out the plot. Many had assumed that Chapter 5 would be the the final game, but apparently that isn't the case. Regardless, the second it drops on consoles, I will be plunging in feet first.

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Stranger Things: Season 5 (2025) - Horror TV Show Review

I will start as always with my obligatory statement about having been made redundant from my bill paying job just in time for Christmas. That is relevant as it coincided with the release of the fifth and final season of amazing horror TV show - Stranger Things. Due to the turmoil in my actual life, it was only on Christmas that I got around to watching this final season (binged watched the first 7 episodes over two days with my family), and with the way the show is being released, at the time of typing, the final episode has yet to be released. I believe it is coming out on New Years Eve. As much as I enjoyed season 4, I would be lying if I said there were not large parts of it I did have issue with. It sometimes felt in a bid to stuff as many characters in it as possible, some of those characters were given pretty abysmal storylines. On the flip side; it did have Eddie - one of the show's best overall characters.
Part of my hesitation for watching this final season was whether the ball would be dropped, whether all the characters growth and stories would come together for a blissful whole. Not having seen the final episode (at the time of typing this section), I can't yet answer that. What I can say is; there will be unavoidable spoilers for previous seasons.

The fourth season ended on a heck of a cliff-hanger; with Vecna's (Jamie Campbell Bower - Twilight) plan successful, the hellish Up-Side down tore open gateways into the sleepy town of Hawkins. The fifth picks up roughly two years later, with a lot of the damage covered up by the military. Hawkins has become quarantined, with no one allowed out of the town, and only certain people allowed in. The cover-up is that the 'natural phenomenon' that flooded the area with ash, could have infected the inhabitants with a new type of a possibly contagious disease. In actuality, the military have used the quarantine as an excuse to send in lots and lots of soldiers. They sealed up the majority of the dimensional tears with vast steel plates, leaving one entrance left which they guard with heavy security. Going even further, the army have set up a compound inside the Upside-Down where experiments have been going on, the soldiers all answering to ruthless military scientist Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton - Terminator 2: Judgement Day).
The heroes of the show have spent the past two years searching the Up-Side Down for signs of Vecna, with Hopper (David Harbour) sneaking in whenever the army open up their guarded gateway, but they have began to get disillusioned with their lack of progress as there has been no sign of the monster. That is until their latest expedition, when it becomes clear Vecna has resurfaced from his hibernation. He is back, and with a new plan that involves kidnapping certain children who are all of an age that Will (Noah Schnapp) was when he was first taken.

It felt a little dialled back how everything is in Hawkins compared to the season 4 finale, but viewers are soon brought up to speed on what is happening, mostly via a radio broadcast that Robin (Maya Hawke) is doing in her new role as the town D.J. With the age of the child actors ever increasing, this time skip was needed, and it works. With the trouncing that Vecna had, it made sense he needed time to recuperate from his wounds. One of my complaints from season 4 was how the huge cast of characters only came together right in the final episode. This time around it gets things right, with the characters reuniting at several points during the season, as well as going off in their often humorous or exciting groups. The story obviously begins in 'Chapter One: The Crawl', then never lets up. Each episode follows on directly from the preceding one, so it feels like one uninterrupted highly action packed story going on, rather than skips in time. Before, some of the characters were dealt dirty, appearing in pathetic side stories that had little bearing on the main plot. Here, the characters are handled much more sensibly, every side story here is relevant to the overall plot, with no filler to be found.
Despite a large cast of characters, even more new ones are added here, with two in particular really standing out. Early on in 'Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Weaver', the titular Holly (Nell Fisher - Evil Dead Rise) is captured by Vecna's monsters and ends up in a fantastical dreamworld creation. She was a great new character, and she gets a substantial role as she explores the dreamworld, giving revelations to Vecna's origin that was last seen hinted at in the stage play - Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Another great new character was 'Dipsh*t' Derek (Jake Connelly), a big boned child bully who in the best Stranger Things fashion (see Steve - Joe Keery), was made very likeable, despite his many personality flaws. Returning characters are on the whole as enjoyable as they ever where, for better or for worse. Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) are still my least favourite of the core cast, but at least this time around they are more relevant to the story (and the later finally redeemed himself in my eyes in the final episode). I thought the dynamics between Steve and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) was perfect here, and has some of the biggest feels, with Dustin still deep in mourning after the death of his idol Eddie last season. It felt like all characters here were treated well. Ones who had only ever had secondary roles are thrust right into the forefront of the plot, while new ones were given enough screen time to shine and make an impression.

There is plenty of action here right from the start. The iconic Demogorgons feature heavily in many of the these scenes, and the army act as a second enemy for the heroes to face, sometimes leading to thrilling three way battles where the different groups all end up in combat with one another. The soldiers are mostly presented as an enemy force, but I did feel a bit bad for the grunts who often act as cannon-fodder for the advancement of the story, with monsters and heroes alike blasting them away without a care in the world, when to me, the grunts just seemed like normal people trying to do the jobs they had been assigned. The special effects are on the whole amazing, with only certain scenes with large scale action scenes looking occasionally a little bit CG heavy.
Up to the final episode, you get psychic powers, gun battles, car chases, deep revelations as to the nature of the Up-Side Down, and surprising new insights into known characters, Will in particular really comes into his own, even if his core side-plot is dealing with his homosexuality, that to my (poor) memory had already been dealt with last season. The new friendship between him and equally gay Robin, was one pair-up that I didn't see coming, but which works fantastically well. Each episode manages to end on a big cliff-hanger that always brought me right back to find out what happens next. But what about that final episode, did it stick the landing, or did it Game of Thrones it smack bang into a wall? At the time of typing I do not know, it is just under a week until that final episode airs. This review will be continued in 2026, where I will write the last few paragraphs, to follow...here.

Having now seen that final two hour episode, I can say that for me it did stick the landing. Literally my only complaint was how long the epilogue section was; did we really need a 40 minute epilogue? I thought Bower's performance was astoundingly good in this finale. The show maintained its amazing pacing, making for me one of my favourite seasons, and ending on a loving note. I don't get the hate for this season, enough hate that the myth of a secret ninth episode that wraps up the story more satisfactory soon came to be believed. A near perfect end to a wonderful show, Stranger Things is a modern classic.

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Garten of Banban II (2023) - Horror Video Game Review

It was about what I expected when I played through the first in the Garten of Banban series of video games last month. A mascot horror game that takes heavy inspiration from the much better made Poppy Playtime series. I did say then, that if I saw the subsequent ones on sale I would take a look of them. Less than a month later and those games are on sale, so I gave Garten of Banban II a try. Unavoidable spoilers for the first game to follow.

The first game ended with you descending on a hidden elevator into the depths of the Banban's Kindergarten, before getting attack by a giant creature. This one picks up immediately afterwards, the attack caused the elevator to crash, with you saved by the creature breaking the elevator's fall. You emerge into a secret underground complex, and it is there that someone spots you on the complex's camera system. A man's voice informs you that he has become trapped in the security room, and has asked for your assistance in finding the key card to free him. Can this man be trusted though?

Much like with Poppy Playtime Chapter 2, Garten of Banban II is more of the same but offers a larger experience than the roughly 45 minutes of the first game. It is hard to quantify exactly how long this one took, as I did have the game paused for minutes at a time due to texting a friend while playing. I reckon that this one took me just over an hour to complete, and at a once again dirt cheap price, I find it hard to complain about that length. Thankfully, while still obviously low budget (the signs on the walls and the notes you find still all appear like they were written on MS Paint!), this was a much better made game than before, and is made up of more than just one long corridor with branching rooms off of it. Again in first person, your main goal is finding key cards to proceed further into the labyrinthian underground complex. You still have a drone that you can send to press switches, though this seemed to be used less this time around. Puzzles were all easy, but they were fun to do, not so easy that they felt pointless obstacles to progress. These puzzles range from collecting a group of chick mascots and returning them to their nest, to pressing switches in a correct order, and one sweat inducing platforming section over a large pit, which was more fun than its similar counterpart in the first game. The highlight of this second game was when you find yourself inadvertently trapped in a classroom with a teacher mascot, having to answer the questions she gives you, with surreal break time mini-stories involving the other students, who were made up of non-sentient watering cans, bowling pins, and shade wearing basketballs! I really enjoyed that section, felt unique, doing something different in feel to Poppy Playtime at last.

Before there were only the two mascot antagonists, and both barely featured. For this second game there were at least six of the creatures. I can't recall their names, but these included the return of the bird from the first game, the teacher mascot, a giant snail, a large spider, and a hulking great green monster among others. Similar to Poppy Playtime, some of these mascots are able to talk. The voice acting wasn't great, it felt like they had just dragged random people off the streets to read the lines. In the context of these normal voices coming out of vaguely creepy looking creatures though, the voice work grew on me. There were plenty of jump scare moments should you get caught in any of the sections where that is possible, unlike my first experience, here, I jumped a fair few times. The chapter culminates in a chase sequence, that while not original, was pretty cool, mainly due to the wonderfully massive Jumbo Josh. Dotted around the game world are letters and video tapes. I never actually got a chance to use the tapes, but the letters added a surprising amount of lore to what had seemed to be a wafer thin game story-wise. There are still many lingering questions, but I had far more of an idea what was going on than I did previously.
Level design is better here, but again, the game world doesn't feel like a realistic place, you have dark chasms that stretch into darkness, and this place if real, you would have to assume was created by a maniac, due to the amount of artificial puzzles and level design. It is after all a game though, so perhaps I'm being a bit harsh on that front.

Garten of Banban II was a lot more fun to play than the first. It is still obviously low quality, but I found this to be better designed in general, and I didn't really find any of it frustrating to get through. It also delighted by doing some original things, rather than just feeling like a copied clone. Even with those new ideas, I could never escape the feeling that this is just a poor imitation of a better series, but I would be lying if I said there wasn't some fun to be had here, and would be lying if I said I didn't immediately boot up the third game at the completion of this one.

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Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 'Deep Sleep' (2024) - Horror Video Game Review

I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to check out episodic horror game; Poppy Playtime late last year. I had expected something like Five Nights At Freddy's but more basic. Instead it was the opposite, feeling like that game if it had been expanded upon to be more than just a single room puzzler. Both Chapter 1 'A Tight Squeeze' and Chapter 2 'Fly in a Web' were quite light on genuine horror moments, I would even go as far to say they are relatively child friendly. That isn't the case for Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 'Deep Sleep' - this chapter heightens the terror to make an experience that I would not recommend for those who don't enjoy horror. Of course, unavoidable spoilers for what has come before.

Chapter 2 ended with self aware doll Poppy Playtime deciding you were too useful to let go, and so at the last moment diverted the train that was transporting you to the surface, to instead send you deeper into the nightmarish facility, inadvertently causing the train to crash in the process. The third chapter begins with chapter antagonist - CatNap, picking up your unconscious body and discarding it in the trash compactor room. Regaining consciousness at the last moment, you escape the room, and soon get in contact with new character; Ollie, who communicates via a telephone device you collect. He tasks you with powering up a huge machine to divert the hallucinogenic red gas that is blocking the way deeper into the vast underground complex. To do this, you must head into Playcare - the giant biodome orphanage, that also happens to be the stalking ground of the lethal CatNap.

With each subsequent chapter being more expensive to buy, I really hoped the game would increase to match the price rise. That again is the case here, where Chapter 1 was around an hour long, and Chapter 2 around two hours in length, by the time the end credits for Chapter 3 appeared, I had been playing for around four hours. It is more of the same, you explore maze-like levels in first person, solving puzzles, while avoiding the chapter specific enemies who instant kill you should they get a hold of you. The game is at its most unique with the biodome setting, a vast area that is designed to look like it is outside, despite being very very deep below the surface. The central hub area here is made to look like a small town, with various buildings that you travel to as you attempt to reroute the power. Your adventure takes you to a variety of locations, from a school, to caverns, and offices. The horror is in abundance here, with much of it suggested rather than shown in detail. There was something really quite unsettling exploring dormitories and nurseries that featured blood stained bunk beds and cots.
To help assist you, as per previous chapters, new abilities for your grab-hand device are given. You get an upgraded grab-hand that lets you stretch out the hands further, and get two additional upgrades for it - one that allows you to use jump pads, and one that fires flares to light up dark areas. I spent much of my time here cursing how dark the game world was, especially when at the midway point your torch is destroyed. This was a problem of my own making, as I completely forgot I had a flare gun attachment that would have been very useful at giving light to the sometimes pitch black areas! The gun can also be used to protect against the pint-sized enemies that appear in the terrible Playhouse section. Terrible as in horror filled, not terrible as in badly made. Again, forgetting I had the flare gun made that part of the game a whole lot harder.

I was pleased that there is quite a lot of lore revealed during this chapter. You get information about the event that led to the initial disaster in the 90s (that you were seemingly the sole survivor of), and also get a good idea of your ultimate goal in the facility, with the hinted at main antagonist - 'The Prototype', making more of an appearance. The big bad of Chapter 2 was a constant presence, constantly interacting with you. CatNap has a far more hands off approach and barely even appears until the final half of the game. Puzzles were simple, but involved enough to feel satisfying to solve, mainly revolving around moving batteries about, and setting up relays to power up doors. The chapter culminates with a big boss battle, which was basically Five Nights At Freddy's, having you needing to monitor a series of corridors that something was trying to advance down. The hands-off approach of  the chapter antagonist was balanced with a few other enemies, a teacher robot that only moves on you when you aren't looking at it, and a horde of tiny robotic animals. These were both neat and effective enemies to face. Often these take the form of chase sequences. There were quite a few of these sections, though strangely, the checkpoints for these were never just before them, but several rooms before. This led to a pointless minute or so walk to get to the section that you previously died in each time (should you fail). Added to the horror mix are nightmare sequences (a result of the hallucinogenic red gas lingering around). These parts gave some variation, adding rather than detracting from the overall experience.

Each chapter of Poppy Playtime has both increased in length, and increased in horror. It was a pleasure to have the best looking area of the game yet with Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 'Deep Sleep', and I appreciated how survival horror like this felt, even if you are only in actual danger during set events, rather than constantly. I loved the lore here. The dark locations, and not knowing where to go during chase sequences occasionally frustrated, but myself forgetting I had a flare gun was no doubt the cause of some of these frustrations. As I say at the end of each chapter review; I can't wait to pick up the next chapter and get further into the Hell of Playtime Co.

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Whispers (2025) - Horror Film Review

Originally intended to be the third part in a short horror film series called The Whisper, the scope of this grew enough that it was decided this would instead serve as a feature length sequel, and renamed Whispers (not to be confused with 2015 film, Whispers). Written and directed by Miroslav Petkov (The Whisper 2: Natural Connection, Drums), this indie horror may follow on from the stories of short films I have never seen, but it also worked very well as a standalone movie, with the low budget not getting in the way of some great ideas.

Bonnivar Park has been the site of vast numbers of disappearances over the years, with locals coming  to believe the park is cursed, and the authorities at loss as to how to explain the huge amount of missing people in the area. After his girlfriend, Sophie vanishes while at the park, Nick (Nikola Penchev) becomes determined to find out what happened to her. Following a tip, Nick thinks he may have discovered the place where Sophie vanished to; an abandoned building deep in the centre of the vast natural area. He enlists the help of Alex (Petkov), whose sister - Maggie (Simona Rose The Whisper 2: Natural Connection), had also disappeared, while looking for Sophie no less, as well as the strong and silent Caine (Vélin Borata), who also lost someone to the park. Together they head out to the abandoned building where it is believed they will find the answers they seek.

The synopsis may not sound like the most exciting story out there, but that is just the beginnings of Whispers unexpected journey. The film follows a similar format to what Weapons did - showing the same story shown from the perspective of various characters, each named chapter showing events from the named character's perspective. It begins with 'Nick' that was the weakest of the chapters here, mainly because I never really got a sense of just what sort of person Nick actually was. That was only notable because most of the other central characters all got fleshed out to the point where they became to feel more real than the character of Nick ever achieved. Each chapter over-lapped with other chapters, so for instance, in 'Nick' you have Alex seeing the man at the park, while later on during the 'Alex' chapter, you then get to see the aftermath of that scene. That idea was used repeatedly, I loved seeing the same scene but with additional information revealed before and after. It gave Whispers a feeling of a puzzle that was slowly getting solved for the viewer. Each of the chapters ends in the same place; with the three men, heavily armed, arriving at the abandoned building.

Despite not having seen the two short films this is a sequel to, it was obvious what they would have been about. Having a look online, The Whisper was about Sophie going missing, while The Whisper 2: Natural Connection was about Maggie's own vanishing. This was all stuff that had been revealed throughout the course of this one, so I didn't feel I had missed too much to not enjoy the story.
I liked how the film created the feel of the Alex and Maggie sibling bond; dreamlike flashback sequences where the character in the present is moved back into the past, with it then revealed to have been a thought someone was having 
Some cool ideas here I liked, such as the strange red symbols painted on walls and trees that appear able to mind control anyone who looks at them, characters hallucinating, teleportation, as well as some murder and mayhem. The low budget means there wasn't a lot visually to look at. For instance, the scenes at the abandoned building lost a little bit of their impact due to not really being able to show enough to make the horror scenes there work perfectly, but the strength of the neat ideas carried things through without any immersion breaking. Where the story went was fine, but I enjoyed the misdirection and rug pulls in the lead-up more, such as the crazy mid-film sequence that had me questioning everything that had came before. The park and abandoned building locations were both neat, the building full of potential atmosphere, even if the big story reveal never really fits the building type.

Seeing the low budget at movie's start, I was apprehensive this may be a slog to get through. Whispers succeeds despite some obvious budget constraints, which shows the impressive filmmaking skills here. The core acting was great, the acting for many of the other characters not so much. At its core this was a serious story, but one that happened within a reality where everything is patently absurd
My low expectations for the film were swiftly surpassed - thanks to the clever use of chapters, fleshed out protagonists (mostly), and a sense of atmosphere.

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The Rotting Zombie's Round-up of Horror News for December 2025

I keep saying this nearly every blog post lately, but there has been change in my life with my bill paying job of 13 years unexpectedly making me redundant a few weeks before Christmas. I have set myself the goal of not reiterating this come the new year, but it has led to some changes for this blog. With much more free time on my hands, and with a slightly unhealthy urge to constantly work, I think this site will benefit in the short term. That will include me putting up a blog post a day rather than just week days (should I have any posts ready to go), and in a few weeks I will work on this site full time for a month. Onwards to the news.

They're Here is the latest film from Rick Danford. This short supernatural horror began production in December, the story follows a young woman who returns home after a disastrous séance to discover that something evil may have followed her back. The short features just the one actress - Natalie Brienen, and a single location. This will also feature voice work from Sarah Webb (Damsel of the Doomed) and D'Andre Noiré (The Clock). Once finished, They're Here is going to be heading to the international film festival circuit, with it hoped the short will either feature in an anthology film, or as a proof of concept for a feature length movie.

The Nameless Ballad has begun filming in Fara, Sabrina, coming from filmmaker Federico Zampaglione (The Well, Shadows). It stars Jamie Ward (His Dark Materials, Juliet & Romeo) as an introverted young successful musician. Under pressure to make new songs, and a slave to his addictions, the man heads to an isolated villa for inspiration. There he instead becomes prey for a dark evil that resides in the house and feeds on people's deepest fears. The film also features Alana Boden (Mr. Selfridge, I Am Elizabeth Smart), Giglia Marra (Morrison), Fabrizio Ferracane (Black Souls), Seumas Sargent (The Signal), Reed Stokes (The Tour Guide), Mia Desando, Vincenzo De Michele, and Sergio Ceglie. The Nameless Ballad is expected to premiere at major genre festivals in 2026.

The first images from Mary Shelley's Christmas Nightmares have been released. This Gothic horror comes from De Havilland Pictures, and will be the feature length debut of filmmaker Johnathon de Havilland. Inspired by the storytelling traditions of the works of Mary Shelley (surprise surprise), Edgar Allan Poe, Mary E. Braddon and James Skipp Borlase, this was filmed mainly inside an authentic 19th-century manor near Louisville, Kentucky. Starring Macy Dame (Pesadila), Erica Dyer (The Zuri Johnson Story) and Timothy Pogue (Unnatural), the story revolves around a group of characters who set out to come up with the most scary ghost story possible one dark and snowy Christmas Eve night. Currently in post-production, Mary Shelley's Christmas Nightmares is aiming for a holiday release in 2026.

15 years after the release of The Dead 2: India, The Ford Brothers are returning for a third and final film in their trilogy - The Dead 3. I remember enjoying the first movie dug out an ancient review I did of The Dead), that had a unique setting in South Africa, I never caught the second, but news of a third is still exciting. The film's locations have yet to be revealed, the press release states '...it will have a fresh and original take, while still staying true to the classic roots'. The synopsis states a man uncovers a global conspiracy that has returned the dead to life. He sets out on a revenge filled mission to locate the people responsible for the madness, finding them hiding out on a secure island fortress.

Troma Entertainment have announced the the Tromatic Special Edition Blu-ray debuts in January of Frightmare and Luther The Geek. In the former, a Hollywood horror icon; Conrad Ragzoff (Ferdy Mayne - Conan the Destroyer) shows off his latest movie to a group of college kids, and then later that day ends up dying after an altercation with his long-time director. After his funeral, a few of the college students break into a mausoleum and steal Ragzoff's corpse to use in a memorial party. During the party, Ragzoff somehow comes back to life and sets out to kill his fans. Bonus features include the original DVD intro, an archival audio interview with director Norman Thaddeus Vana, a historical commentary among other extras.
Luther The Geek meanwhile tells the story of a young boy whose life is transformed after seeing a geek at a local carnival sideshow. The experience led to the boy's teeth becoming broken, and later being replaced with a pair of metal dentures. With a new found thirst for blood, the boy now grown up, sets out to find victims to feed his obsession.
Both films are due for release on 20th January 2026.

Finally for today, Vertigo Releasing have announced the digital release of Witchboard; a remake of the 1986 classic of the same name, coming from Chuck Russell (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors, The Blob). Starring Madison Iselan (Annabelle), Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), Charlie Tahan (Ozark), Mel Jarnson (Mortal Kombat) and Antonia Desplat (Three Days on the Wing of Madness), this tells the story of Emily, someone who unearths an ancient spirit board that causes those closest to her to start randomly dying in shocking ways. Witchboard will be released on Amazon, Apple TV, Sky Store and YouTube Movies on February 2nd.

The Rotting Zombie's News Anthology for Tuesday 9th December 2025

After a week off doing posts on here (almost), I'm back and refreshed to once again pick up the mantle of the Rotting Zombie. In personal news, it looks like I am soon to be made redundant from my bill paying day job, so that's fun! Anyway, here are three terrifying news stories plucked from the depths of my bloody mail sack. Onwards to the news.

There are some new releases from Arrow Video US for January of next year. 13th January sees the limited edition 4K UHD release of Evil Dead Rise. I gave this film an 8/10 in my review back in 2023 where I stated '...I thought this was a solid and nasty horror film, one that doesn't shy away from allowing absolutely any character to become a victim'. The film is set in an apartment block where an earthquake leads to the discovery of a certain cursed book with the power to summon demons. The limited edition features a host of extras including a double-sided fold-out poster and a collector's booklet.

January 20th is when action/adventure thriller Snakes on a Plane gets its worldwide 4K UHD debut, featuring a brand new 4K restoration plus hours of special features. A Blu-ray release is also coming out the same day. The film does what it says in its title, with an FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction) getting caught in a trap from a major crime lord after a hundred poisonous snakes are released on a passenger plane where he is escorting an important eyewitness to the crime lord's crimes. I remember this film was ok, though I admit to never having had the urge to return to see it a second time.

Finally for today, anthology horror At Death's Door is now available on Tubi. Directed by Frank Palangi, this brings four stories based around the concept of how ordinary choices can lead to deadly situations. This stars Aaliyah Al.Fuhaid, Erica James, Frank Palangi, Jared Curtis, and Nicole Mecca. At Death's Door can be found here.

Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 'Fly in a Web' (2022-24) - Horror Video Game Review

In a rare break from watching mainly horror films for review, I decided to spend this weekend (at time of typing) exclusively playing horror video games. Having had an unexpectedly fun time with Poppy Playtime: Chapter 1, I decided to pick up the second chapter; Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 'Fly in a Web', due to it being in a sale for around £4. I wasn't sure if it would be value for money despite the low price, and it was that which put me off buying the more expensive Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3 & 4. Would this second episode carry on the surprising fun the first offered? This was the Playstation 5 version of the game which released in 2024, and, obviously, spoilers for Chapter 1 to follow.

The first chapter concluded with you defeating the monstrous Huggy Wuggy and making it to the area that had been highlighted in the VHS tape you had originally received in the mail. Instead of discovering your missing former colleagues of the Playtime Co. toy factory, you instead discover the titular Poppy Playtime; a small self-aware doll. Having freed her from the case she was trapped in, she promises to help you escape the factory, as it is something she also wants to do. With the way back out blocked, Poppy suggests you head deeper down into the underground complex to the toy test area where there is a train that you can use to leave the facility. Arriving there however, you encounter a new horror - Mommy Long Legs. This creation uses her impossibly long appendages to capture Poppy, and then reveals to you that in order to use the train, you must play three children's games with Mommy, with her giving you part of the train start-up code for each game you successfully complete.

I had hoped this chapter would be longer than the first, and thankfully it was. With the first one done in under an hour, this one took me roughly two hours to beat. By the time you get to the train station, the chapter goals are clear - playing each of the three games. These include a memory game called 'Musical Memory', 'Wack-a-Wuggy' that is similar to the classic 'wack-a-mole' game found at arcades, and a tense spin on musical statues, simply titled 'Statues'. These were all fun to do, and had a Portal type feeling of getting to head behind the scenes from the initial play rooms.
Gameplay is once again mainly made up of simple, yet enjoyable puzzles involving the grab handle accessory you are armed with. Previously, both hands were able to conduct electricity, this time around you get an upgrade - a green grab handle that is able to briefly store electricity. This creates opportunity for different types of puzzles, such as one section where you have to open a series of gates in order to push a minecart along some tracks.

Horror is again quite meek, though I would argue Mommy is just as creepy as the mute Huggy Wuggy. This antagonist is constantly talking to you, and seems to be angry that she had been trapped below ground on her own for so long. Her look is kind of like Stretch Armstrong crossed with Mr. Tickle, her arms, legs, and neck all able to stretch to ridiculous lengths. I thought maybe the long maze-like chase sequence the first chapter culminated with would again appear. More sensibly it is a lot more stripped back. There are a variety of short chase sequences, but more stream-lined, like the developers were well aware they couldn't get away with the exact same thing again. This was about as scary as chapter 1 (I.E: not very) but that did not get in the way of my enjoyment. 
I realised this time around that it is worth hunting down the secret VHS tapes. These tapes provide lore and backstory and were worth finding. Often they would include live-action footage of actors playing employees of the factory.

I had figured that a second round of Poppy Playtime might have shown a lack of variation. The toy testing area felt suitably different to the factory of chapter 1. Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 'Fly in a Web' remains a most happy surprise, and of course has left me very interested in continuing the journey into this hellish facility.

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Jacker 3: Road to Hell (2025) - Thriller Film Review

Unsurprisingly, Jacker 3: Road to Hell is the third film in a series. What I found interesting was that the previous two films were both released in the 90s; Jacker in 1993, and sequel - Jacker 2: Road to Hell in 1996. This third entry makes use of the thirty year gap for one of its plot points, as well as brings back a host of the original actors to reprise their roles. Having never seen the first two films I did feel l was playing catch-up a bit, so my synopsis might not be entirely correct as there were parts of the movie that left me a little confused, my fault entirely for joining the series with the third film. This new entry is directed by James Panetta (Phil Herman's Unearthed, Doomsday Stories), and once again written by Phil Herman, the writer of the previous films, as well as the person who plays the titular villainous role.

Thirty years previously, a serial killer known as 'the Jacker' (Herman) went on a notorious killing spree, his modus operandi typically being to murder his victims during carjackings. Despite his large amount of victims, the police were never able to capture him due to the killer seemingly striking at random, before one day vanishing without a trace. Now, with no explanation other than possibly due to it being the anniversary of the original killings, the Jacker is back, once again creating a large kill-count. This causes Gloria (Debbie D - Phil Herman's Unearthed, Doomsday Stories) to reappear; a survivor of the original Jacker killing spree who went into hiding after he failed to kill her. Now she begins to have troubling nightmares about the man, seeming to have some type of psychic connection with the killer, and realising he is back she desperately tries to alert people.

Did I have much of an idea what was going on? No. Did I have a fun time watching this very low budget thriller? Hell yes. It begins with a prologue sequence in which a man shoots his wife dead, before being killed in turn by a policeman. Before he goes however, he is able to transfer his essence into his young son. I wasn't sure of the importance of this scene, but it does set up the murky possibility that the Jacker is supernatural in nature. This supernatural element doesn't appear heavily, but it is referenced again later in the film, and you could argue the many nightmare sequences characters have are also a cause of this.
The story is split between a multitude of characters, some of which only appear in order to become more victims for the serial killer, some who have their own little subplots going on, such as journalist Chris (Christopher Kahler - Phil Herman's Unearthed, He Sees You When You're Sleeping), and of course Gloria; the main protagonist but whose story mainly takes place away from the new killings. Jacker's storyline has him back on a meandering murder-spree, he of course kills people whose cars he has stolen from them, but also his fair share of home invasions, and happenstance while out walking the streets of the city. He makes for an entertaining villain, seeming to get pleasure out of his motive-less killings, and he talks a fair bit. It was also amusing that many people seem to recognise who he is before they are dispatched by him; the event from the past having left a scar on the city.

There are a whole bunch of death scenes, the Jacker's weapon of choice usually being a gun which he uses to single shot his victims. There are some closer kills, even one severed penis to be found here! Scenes typically have these characters begging for mercy, and occasionally even getting that mercy. Favourite of these had to be Butch Patrick (Eddie from The Munsters) playing a fictional version of himself outside a fan convention. There are a few scenes with female nudity, often feeling like these were only there for titillation. There were also various scenes that were played for comedic effect, with the indie feel of the film world these moments fitted in seamlessly with the more dramatic scenes. Perhaps part of his supernatural powers, perhaps just to make the film flow more smoothly; Jacker appears able to be exactly where he wants to be at any given point. He flits around between scenes, so one moment he will be invading a home, next scene he will be out walking in woodland, the next scene he will be meeting someone to try and buy guns, with no rhyme or reason to why he is where he is. He made for an entertaining antagonist, but he didn't make for a cohesive feeling character, a force of nature rather than anything deeper.

Despite being a bit lost as to what had come before, I enjoyed Jacker 3. I liked how the killer wasn't needlessly cruel, living to kill, not living to torture, and I liked the cheerful way he goes about things. The plot involving Gloria did feel very disconnected to his storyline, at times this slightly felt like two separate movies playing out in the same film universe. Jacker 3: Road to Hell was an entertaining indie thrill ride. Don't always expect the strongest of acting (especially during the amusingly wooden news segments), and don't expect too much plot, but this was a solid indie film which never became dull.

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28 Years Later (2025) - Zombie Horror Film Review

It feels like a large portion of my life has been spent with the rumours of a new entry in the 28 Days Later series swirling around, but now, in 2025 a new film has finally been released in the form of 28 Years Later (directed by Danny Boyle - 28 Days Later, and written by Alex Garland - Annihilation, 28 Days Later), the first of a planned trilogy. I was concerned how a new entry could match the splendour of the previous two. The first movie is a straight up classic, and while the sequel, 28 Weeks Later has some faults, it also has one of the very best opening scenes of any movie ever. Upon watching this new movie I came to realise that this isn't so much a sequel, as a completely new story that just happens to be set in the 28 universe. Obviously, some spoilers for the other films to follow, and ignoring semantics, I will be referring to the rage virus infected as zombies.

After a brief prologue set at the start of the rage virus outbreak, the action moves to funnily enough, 28 years later. A single line of intro text explains away how the virus was beaten back from Europe and once again contained within the United Kingdom. The entire country has been quarantined, patrolled by boats, with no one allowed in or out of the place. A small community have survived, living on a small island off the coast, linked to the mainland by a single pathway which floods at high tide. Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Nosferatu, Kick-Ass) has decided to take his twelve year old son, Spike (Alfie Williams) on a rite of passage trip to the mainland, so that the boy can get his first taste of fighting the zombies that plague the land. While on the trip, Spike notices a large fire burning in the distance, but his father is hesitant to tell his son the significance of what can be found there. After a series of adventures, Spike returns to a heroes welcome, and learns from one of the islanders that the fire is where an apparently insane former doctor (Ralph Fiennes - the Harry Potter series of films) lives. With Spike's mother Isla (Jodie Comer - Killing Eve TV show) seriously ill,  and with his increasing disillusionment with his womanising father, Spike takes it upon himself to sneak off the island with his mother, to go on a foolish quest to travel to the doctor and try and get help for her.

It soon became clear that tonally this is a far different beast to the films that came before. This could be seen immediately in a traditional 28 style zombie attack sequence that takes the form of the prologue. Rather than that iconic tune playing over the horror, there was instead more of a jaunty jolly sound, contrasting roughly against the chaos. The music choices throughout were strange and eccentric. This, coupled with the surreal and pretty crazy post-apocalyptic Britain gave the feel of a zombie film via the lens of The Wicker Man, and a little bit of LSD thrown in for good measure. From start to finish there are so many bizarre flourishes that shouldn't work, yet they somehow do. From stock footage of archers spliced in with characters in film firing arrows (bow and arrow being the main form of weapon in this world), to weird kill scenes that see the action paused and then unpaused from a different camera angle, the film had a feel all of its own.
Spike is a flawed character due to the immature decisions he makes based on his age, but he also had the devil's luck, somehow muddling his way along his adventure. I thought for a child protagonist he was pretty decent, and Taylor-Johnson and Comer were also strong as their respective flawed and complex characters. The best of the supporting characters was Erik (Edvin Ryding), a Swedish soldier who accidentally ended up in Britain and who has some of the most funny lines in the film. I really enjoyed the scenes where he is trying and failing to find points of reference with Spike, the boy not knowing what a delivery driver, internet, or even a radio was. Fiennes was a good side character as well, and memorable with his dyed orange skin.

Set design was strong throughout, but I did find myself missing the more relatable environments, as there was a move to more natural settings and ruins. Some of the references were a bit too on the nose, such as a petrol station where the 'Shell' sign had lost its 'S', but still looked great.

There was a lot more zombies than I had expected, and it became hard to see them as purely virus afflicted humans. Years have not been kind to them, and now have evolved into different types. There are bloated pasty white ones who can only slither along the ground, running emaciated zombies, and hulking nightmares referred to as 'Alphas' who are very hard to kill and extremely powerful. These different types gave a bit of a The Last of Us feel to the film, and all combine to make for some thrilling scenes. Highlights include a small subplot following a group of panicked soldiers, and Spike and Jamie's early journey where they end up being pursued by running zombies through dense woodland. The zombie effects are fantastic as expected, bringing visually interesting creatures to the screen.
The story was relatively straight forward, but goes along at a fair pace. There was an intense slow-down in the film's second half, with a strange temple made out of bones where things get metaphysical and almost an essay on what it is to live and die. I could see this part being a bit of an acquired taste.
I had heard the ending of this film was very strange, but I wasn't prepared for just how weird things got. It's not hyperbole to say that 28 Years Later may just have the most bizarre ending to any film I have ever seen! The whole cinema seemed stunned into silence with such a left field finish, but I did kind of love it. 

The answer to how to make a sequel to two such iconic films was to make a film that had a tone and vibe all of its own, rather than trying to ape what came before. The pacing suffers a little in the second half, but this kaleidoscopic 1970's feeling fever dream delighted time and time again. As a sequel it wasn't the best, but as a new film that just so happens to be set in the same universe this excelled. As I sit here writing this review, I can't wait to get to see 28 Years Later again, and I am very excited to see the next film, which is due out only next year.

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