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Just Who Stalks Whom Makes Abigail All The More Scarier. But Is Daddy Dearest Deadlier?

Universal Studios is finally on the right track for reigniting interest in their classic monster franchises with films like Abigail. Now the question is, can they keep the momentum of decent hits going?

Available on VOD (All Platforms)
Spoiler Alert

Universal Studios Abigail is a return to form after a crazy last year of horror movies that have been hit-and-miss. Here, wannabe kidnappers grab a young teen and while tasked to watch over her until the ransom is met, little do they know just how much of a monster she is! Anyone who has seen the trailers knows a lot more about what’s going on than they do. Had they been familiar with Anne Rice’s book Interview with a Vampire, they’d know just how scary Claudia can get, but they’re none the wiser.

Instead, all they know is that she’s the daughter of a powerful gangster. She lives a rather privileged lifestyle, enjoying ballet and playing with her dolls. However, once when we see her offer a sinister grin, and only one member of this gang even offers a sense of guilt, what I got to see is scarier than Alien! Alisha Weir is awesome in the role, injecting enough innocence and pathos to make anyone cautious.

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In Ghost Keeper, You Are The Lord and Master Everyone Needs To Be Afraid Of!

It’s rare to offer a videogame where you can be the bad guy, and Ghost Keeper is perfect to be that creature to rule them all!

Ghost Keeper Title Card Although I was not aware of the video game, Ghost Master, back when it was released back in 2003, to wait more than twenty years for a sequel feels unusual. BLUM Entertainment and Quest Craft‘s upcoming Ghost Keeper looks better than the original (after looking at YouTube gameplays), and the fact it’s set in 19th-century Victorian England is one way to catch my interest! I also get the feeling it’s also vibing on the tropes Disney’s Haunted Mansion made famous.

Here, the idea is to play the role of a mighty leader of the unknown. Players get to order spirits around and hopefully scare the bejesus out of those humans who’ve decided to make the mansion you control their home. The problem is that a few of them know a thing or two about the occult, and there’s even what looks like a ghostbuster who can ruin a player’s day.

I rather like the idea to play the role of the “bad guy,” and in this sim, the question of whether other ghosts will obey is a story I always wanted to see happen. There’s been variations of this idea in cinema, but it hasn’t been explored very well or hasn’t come across my radar just yet.

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Between Duty and Obligation, Ultraman Rising Delivers DreamWorks Style Quality To This Japanese IP

The beauty that’s found in Ultraman Rising is that it’ll appeal to anyone who doesn’t know a thing about this franchise.

Ultraman Rising Poster Coming to Netflix Nov 14, 2024

Just how many Ultramen exist depends on who you ask. With Netflix hosting its own series simply titled after this hero (which feels like a rehash of Iron Man Armoured Adventures) and also Ultraman Rising, the count has unofficially increased by two. Back in 2013, Tsuburaya Productions acknowledged thirty-six heroes existed since Ultra Q’s debut in 1966. As for how many more have existed since then, I believe at least eight have been added

Here, Ken Sato (Yuki Yamada) is an all American baseball star by day, and a Japanese hero by night. The only reason he’s pulling double duty is that his father, who was the previous incarnation, suffered an injury. Someone said it’s best for him to come home.

Even though everybody in Japan loves Ultraman, not everyone agrees. There are other folks who see him as a vigilante. Dr. Onda (Fumihiko Tachiki) is kind of like Harvey Bullock in the Batman universe; he’s a staunch opponent, although both protect Japan from monsters. This scientist leads the Kaiju Defence Force whereas the sports personality is solo. And that attitude won’t get him far in a sport dependent on teamwork.

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Heads up! Indie Videogame, Kitsune Tails is Ready to Rumble!

Following its debut at OTK Games Expo, Kitsune Tails looks ready to impress!

The first public hands-on demo of Kitsune Tails, the platformer styled after beloved classics and steeped in Japanese mythology, arrives ahead of Steam Next Fest, alongside a new gameplay trailer debuted at OTK Games Expo. Developer Kitsune Games and publisher MidBoss™ brings their platformer with queer relationships to PC, Linux and Steam Deck in Q3 2024.

From the Press Release:

Unfurl the ancient tellings of a tale revolving around human ideas of romance and love that come with the complicated relationships of mythological beings. Explore the intro world in the Steam Next Fest demo to see first-hand the fire of Yuzu’s determination to one day confront her former mentor turned antagonist and save her love interest from a sealed elemental prison.

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Going Behind the Scenes with The Creation of the Gods in Chinese Lore

The look behind how The Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms is made defines why this home video release is vital.

Now available on home video
For the movie review, please click here.

The Creation of the Gods is going to be an epic trilogy when it all comes out, and in the meantime, fans of Chinese mythology can marvel at part one, titled Kingdom of Storms at home. The video is beautifully crisp and colour saturation in par with the film version I saw many moons ago, and to be able to pause and take breathers between chapters was heartily welcomed. Had there been a 4K release, I’m sure the flaws can be seen a mile away. Not all of the effects are immaculate and require a bit of suspension of belief (like setting the characters riding on a horse on fire during an early scene).

Also, to learn about the behind the scenes, there’s four featurettes made to reveal how this film was put together. From makeup to set designs to special effects and onset lighting, the gambit is well covered.

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Examining Madame Web’s Lost Threads on Home Video

And we also got ideas on how to fix it, had Madame Web dealt more with the mythical lore that’s barely spun.

Madame Web Bluray Cover — **Available to purchase on Amazon USA**

After watching the bonus features of the home video release of Madame Web, I’m surprised that showrunner S. J. Clarkson actually knew what she was doing. She looked into what made this supporting character from the Marvel Comics Spider-Man comic books special. She got some bits right which gets quickly explained in “Oracle of the Page” but to change it around lots resulted in making it the mess that it is. Between getting a copy to review versus paying to see it made the difference in when I’d eventually watch this film.

By radically changing specific details up and having this story take place early in the MCU continuity might cause problems. There’s a moment concerning Ben Parker, the father to Peter, but will enough people catch the reference? The bigger question concerns how much of this tale is also part of that grander design versus being Sony Spidey-verse specific? The only good part of the film is in how the second incarnation of Spider Woman looks perfect. Sydney Sweeney (instead of Carpenter from the books) is perhaps the best part of the film when she finally dons the black and white costume.

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