Indie filmmakers Matt Leal (director) and Matthew Festle (writer) have released ShadowMarsh, a limited-budget horror film that takes horror creativity to a whole new level. And full disclosure—yours truly had the privilege of being an associate producer and even had a minor acting role in the film!

ShadowMarsh introduces us to Jacob Tomlin, played by Mike Ferguson, and Jacob’s niece Piper Tomlin, played by Ellen Woomer. They move back to Shadowmarsh, the town where they both grew up. The town is quiet now but evil from a long ago event is still lurking. Jacob is close with town sheriff Sam Tate, played by Lew Temple. Also prominently featured are Toby Harris, played by Jackson Everest, and Lori Meyers, played by Corinne Mica. The story includes many other local people who have heard of the ancient evil around them, but very few of them take it seriously. As the terror mounts many of these unbelievers have to fend for themselves.

ShadowMarsh is the second film offering from Three Keys Media and aficionados of horror flicks will agree that it is unlike any horror film that fans have ever seen. The horror is uber realistic, making the film grotesque yet visually enticing. It also builds some impressive suspense, and even has an interesting bit of political ideology thrown in.

The small-town setting of Shadowmarsh is perfectly suited to the film. And the title of the film—the same name as the town itself—telegraphs some of the darkness to come. All things considered, the film is an absolute success for these emerging filmmakers. So far, distribution is via dvd, blu-ray, or even old school VHS through the filmmakers’ website, https://threekeysmedia.storenvy.com/.
Jump on the site and grab a copy—you won’t regret it. Three and a half stars for ShadowMarsh.

After Yang is an inspiring film about connection, love, and loss. It is a one of a kind film combining the sci-fi and drama genres, and it is truly compelling.

After Yang is set in a futuristic world where artificial intelligence controls much of what goes on. Colin Farrell plays Jake, who is married to Kyra, played by Jodie Turner-Smith. They live with their daughter Mika, played by Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and a child android named Yang, played by Justin H. Min. Yang breaks down, which saddens Mika, and Jake does what he can to figure out how to repair Yang. But in the process Jake realizes that he hasn’t been as connected to his family as he could have been since they had Yang living with them. The film alternates between past and present, and it’s flashback sequences are dazzling and wonderful. The film’s sci-fi/AI angle only adds to the creativity. The writing is sensitive and moving.

I’m a big fan of films where technology is prominent, so After Yang’s futuristic setting really spoke to me. The film reminded me somewhat of Her (2013), directed by Spike Jonze. The world in After Yang is similar to the world in Her, but the AI feature in After Yang is a person, not an electronic voice like in Her, which makes Yang much more endearing. After Yangreminds us that although technology can add to our life, it can’t replace meaningful relationships with actual people, and we need to keep our loved ones (who are human) close.

I really loved After Yang. Unlike many sci-fi films that are geared toward younger people, this is a sci-fi film that the entire family can enjoy. It was also nice to see a sci-fi film that is empathetic and touching, as well as creative and powerful. After Yang takes us to an alternative world of surrealism, but with meaningful elements. I give After Yang three and a half stars.

The fun of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre came from the loads of bloody violence and terrifying chase sequences. From Netflix comes a continuation of the fun, but one with a bigger population of victims, and even more terror from the evil Leatherface. The ninth film in the franchise, this Texas Chainsaw Massacre is amped up, gritty, and downright disturbing. But in the end it’s still the same old thing, with a few twists.

The key characters in Texas Chainsaw Massacre are Melody, Lila, Dante, and Leatherface, played by Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Jacob Latimore, and Mark Burnham, respectively. Melody, Lila, and Dante are in a deserted Texas town to start a new business, and they have no idea about the evil violence that terrorized the the town almost five decades ago. Leatherface is back after all that time and the town is once again in grave danger. But it’s now the era of cell phones, which gives the film a bit of an entertaining twist.

Like the previous films in this franchise, Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a wealth of disturbing terror that knows no boundaries. And this one manages to reach new heights of slashing and killing, including slaughters on a bus and in an ambulance. As soon as that we’ll-known noise starts, viewers know someone (or many people) is going down.

Certainly not what I would call an amazing film, but Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be entertaining for those who love that sort of violence. Pretty much the same as the others, though. I give Texas Chainsaw Massacre two and a half stars.