Children's Ministry

Filth (2013)

I had one of those very rare experiences watching Filth, whereby when I emerged bleary eyed from the cinema I truly wasn’t sure what I thought of the film. Did I love it or did I hate it?

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Children's Ministry

Film Review: Only God Forgives (2013)

I remember seeing Fear X at FrightFest 10 years ago and witnessing a rather terse Q&A session with filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, where he took issue with the accusation of being nothing more than a Lynch wannabe by a put out audience member who absolutely hated the film.

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Children's Ministry

Blu-Ray Review: The Hunter (2011)

The Hunter may not be the typical sort of film that you see us discussing here at Brutal as Hell, as although it treads into thriller territory at times it isn’t technically a genre film.

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Children's Ministry

Theatre Review: Ghost Stories

The last time I can remember being properly scared by something I saw in the cinema was in 2002 when I saw Takashi Miike’s Audition, and subsequently I’ve concluded that this is a result of two things.

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Youth Ministry

FrightFest 2013 Review: We Are What We Are (2013)

I was pretty surprised when I read that Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street, Stake Land) was working on a remake of Jorge Michel Grau’s film of the same name.

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Youth Ministry

Review: World War Z (2013)

I will to admit having extremely low expectations of World War Z when I went into this screening, despite the unexpected appearance of the one and only Mr. Brad Pitt to introduce the film and big it up to the audience.

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Youth Ministry

Review: Killer Joe (2012)

Directed by William Friedkin and adapted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tracy Letts from his stage play of the same name, Killer Joe is a sleazy, sun soaked neo-noir.

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Youth Ministry

Review: Nymphomaniac, Vols 1 & 2 (2014)

I never know exactly what I think about Lars von Trier. On one hand he’s a master provocateur and prankster that you should never take too seriously, but on the other hand he is a truly unique filmmaker who gets away with making some of the toughest, most thought-provoking films you’re ever likely to see.

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Men's Ministry

FrightFest 2013 Review: The Desert (2013)

The Desert is the first feature from German/Argentinean documentary filmmaker Christoph Behl and it has its world premiere at FrightFest last weekend.

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Men's Ministry

Blu-ray Review: From Beyond (1986)

I can clearly picture the artwork of the From Beyond VHS, as it was burned into my retinas as a child, peering at the lurid titles in the horror section of my local video store.

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Men's Ministry

DVD Review: What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

From Taika Waititi (Eagle vs Shark, Boy) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) comes this delightfully absurd mockumentary about a group of vampires sharing a flat in Wellington.

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Women's Ministry

FrightFest 2013 Review: Cheap Thrills

There is always at least one of the late night screenings at FrightFest that brings the house down and ultimately proves to be one of the highlights of the festival, and this year I wholly anticipate it being E.L. Katz’s directorial debut Cheap Thrills.

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Women's Ministry

Blu-Ray Review: 247°F

We are all aware that horror is an immensely popular and profitable genre, hence the number of straight-to-video releases that line the shelves on a weekly basis.

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Women's Ministry

Review: Oculus (2014)

Oculus is the new film from Mike Flanagan (Absentia) and despite the innocuous title and rather unspectacular marketing campaign, it’s actually a little bit more interesting than your standard horror-lite multiplex hit.

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