Directed by: Curry Barker Run time: 108 minutes Available on: Peacock Rated: R Starring: Inde Navarrete and Michael Johnston Synopsis: Bear (Johnston) just wants the love of Nikki (Navarrete). But sometimes getting what you want and what you need are two very different things. Favorite quotes: “Just because you chose this for her, doesn’t make it less real.” “Bear. Kill me please.” Thoughts: sigh... The whole “careful what you wish for” trope. It’s old, it’s tired, it’

I had the amazing honor of interviewing the author of my #1 book of 2026, Disco Barrington. Check out their answers below and then go snag the book that will be living rent free in your head for long time to come. Christina Pfeiffer: First and foremost, where did the idea for the novella begin and how did you decide the setup/formatting? Disco Barrington: In April 2025, I was sitting in an airport when I got the news that the UK Supreme court had ruled that the definition o

Title: LOOK ALIVE Directed by: Amanda Prescott Country: US Run Time: 3 mins Synopsis: Moral of this film - just don’t do dishes. It invites evil into your life. Favorite line: N/A (no dialogue) Thoughts: The lack of backstory and context adds SO much to the three minutes. It feels longer and that it will never end but in a creepy, scary, spooky kinda way. Very minimalistic, no dialogue, and the suspense between the two characters… killer. Also, it seems she has a ru

Title: THE PROTOCOL Directed by: John Rizzo Country: US Run Time: 8 mins Synopsis: … when a plan doesn’t go the way one thought. Favorite line: “You saved me, now I’m going to save you.” Thoughts: For eight minutes, Rizzo decides to just make the viewer feel every emotion possible. Confusion? Yes. Hope? Yes. Anger? Oh, yeah. Fear? Sure. But he also forces the viewer to ask questions - Would I do the same thing the female main character did? Was the release worth the

Title: HEIRLOOMS Directed by: Dan Ambramovici Country: US Run Time: 13 mins. Synopsis: When Jamie’s mother dies, she is forced to clean and get rid of household goods. But one in particular is going to be a bit to deal with. Favorite line: “I’m cancelling my meetings.” Thoughts: There is a scene that just broke my heart. It was the bamboozle of the festival for me. HEIRLOOMS is creepy, relatable, and deeply unsettling. I loved every second of it. Actor to watch for:

Title: THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF AIR Directed by: Shayna Connelly Country: US Run Time: 16 minutes Synopsis: When Lauren witnessed a tragedy, she has to question everything she holds dear. Favorite line: “Desire doesn’t fade with age… or marital status.” Thoughts: This short is so damn well done. Between the vulnerability the FMC portrays to the realization that photos truly only tell one half of a story that is a millisecond in time. The viewer walks away with heavin

Title: DAGON Directed by: Paolo Gaudio Country: Italy Run Time: 6 mins Synopsis: When a traveler comes home from a tragic situation, he may not have come back alone. Favorite line: “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” Thoughts: DAGON has one of the most oppressive feelings of the festival. What fascinated me the most about this short was the open endedness. Was the boat a warship? Titanic? Was it PTSD? It’s all up to the viewer and with each decision comes a completely d

Title: NEVER FINGERBANG A WENDIGO Directed by: John Brennan Country: US Run Time: 10 mins Synopsis: What should you NOT do when you have a broken heart and a belly full of liquor? Go near a tree, that’s what. Favorite line: “She changed her fucking hair without asking me.” Thoughts: The entire film is shot with VHS camcorders and it brings such a nostalgic and whimsy to it… then you remember the title. It’s silly, insane, and I couldn’t look away - which I feel say

Title: CRAMPS! A PERIOD PIECE Directed by: Brooke H. Cellars Country: US Run Time: 89 mins Synopsis: A young woman must choose her own path but her uterus makes a few decisions for her. Favorite line: “I don’t drink that hippy swill.” “Put a curse on them.” “I’m a Satanist. Not a witch.” Thoughts: Cellars brings it with CRAMPS! From the commentary of patriarchy to loyalty, self-discovery melding with self-love, the viewer is taken on a journey of womanhood. Can it

Title: DEMONETIZE Directed by: Alexander Watson Country: US Run Time: 96 mins Synopsis: Five influencers are offered the gig of a lifetime, spend some time in a house and get paid. The problem is, a few former tenants aren’t all that keen on the visiting. Favorite line: “What are you, a ghost gobbler or something.” - Cherdleys “Oh, I’m about to Build-A-Bear inside of you.” - Cherdleys Thoughts: Imagine the most annoying YouTubers currently (and I could name a few

Title: THE BLACK HILLS NIGHT HIKE Directed by: Various Country: US Run Time: 78 minutes Synopsis: A young woman goes on a night hike with a rag tag group of strangers, but her life will never be the same after. Favorite line: “Do I look like aluminum foil right now?” (SNALLYGASTER) “No, I’m afraid of bears, raccoons, and weirdos.” (SNALLYGASTER) Thoughts: Six different scary stories for the brave at heart. While the main story (the hike) as well as a few others a

“Shoot first. Think never.” If anyone had told me two months ago that I would not only rewatch and enjoy ARMY OF DARKNESS but go on to watch the TV series in its entirety in less than ten days, I would have told you that you needed to take your meds. But of course, I was wrong. This series was a blast and I cannot wait to rewatch it! We find Ashley J. Williams (Ash) a little older (by 30 years), a little more of a dad bod, but just as insane and still hocking hardware. His co

IF IT’S THE BIRDS, WE’RE IN TROUBLE By: L. Marie Wood Release: 6/5/2026 Page Count: 167 Synopsis: Something is wrong in the town of Rothwood and no one knows what is happening. Is it the birds? Bees? Mosquitos? The sun? Time traveler? Meat? First line: “Chaotic discordant horrifically/ beautiful / Abhorrent because it’s you” Favorite line: “I will stay here like the rocks and keep secrets.” Thoughts: Wow. Just wow. It’s epistolary, unreliable in every way, and absolutely intr

“All is fair in love and war” - Mr. Rasczak STARSHIP TROOPERS begins with military propaganda commercials that target children and then move into a reporter being killed … on camera. This is the least weird part of the movie. The basic premise is there’s a war. The war needs fighters. Fighters fight bad guys. Rinse and repeat. The exception here is the bad guy are Kaiju sized bugs. The quote at the beginning speaks so loudly with this movie. SPOILERS ABOUT TO COME INTO YOUR E

Directed by: Sam Raimi Rating: R Run Time: 1 hour, 21 min

Let’s start with THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951). We start this movie in Anchorage, AK (I can’t get away from that damn place even in movies) at an Officer’s Club where we meet two main characters - Captain Hendry and Scotty, a news reporter. Captain Hendry and his crew (including Scotty) are tasked with investigating an “unusual” airplane had crashed in their area. The original group meets up with the research team already at the crash site. And thus begins a bunch of sh

Director: Genki Kawamura Release Date: 4/6/26 (US) Time: 1 hour, 35 mins Rated: PG-13

HERO CAVE By: Syd Madia Release: 7/30/25 Page count: 50 KU: No Hoopla: Yes Synopsis: A skeleton that scares adventurer’s and continuously dies has lost his passion for the job. Can he find that spark again before it’s too late? First line: “Welcome to… uh… Welcome! To Hero - ehhhhh W-Welcome.” Favorite line: “Skeleton on the first floor is ass. If I could give zero stars, I would.” Thoughts: Mr. Skeleton is way too relatable, especially for adults and their everyday life

HOTEL LIMBO By: Ben Harel Illustrated by: Various Release: 4/14/26 Page count: 272 KU: No Hoopla: Yes Synopsis: A young man dies and goes to Hotel Limbo. But in order to help the guests with their baggage as the hotel’s new Bellboy, he will first have to figure out how to bellboy. First line: “Is it time already.” Favorite line: “You power is opening up doors to completely ordinary rooms? What’s my power? Do I turn into a chair?” Thoughts: I thought, “Oh, a cute graphi

EARLY REVIEW ONE NIGHT AT THE SKULL SPARK CLUB By: Bryan Smith Release: 6/26 Page count: KU: TBD Hoopla: TBD Synopsis: Three friends take the night to come together in order to watch one of their favorite bands. A night of drinking, music, and reconciling life… oh, and a bit of blood here and there. Also includes - two stories previously only on his Patreon (which you should ABSOLUTELY join). First line: “One minute Craig King had his eyes fixed on the dark road ahead,