Entertainment Earth

1/28/2021

Terror- Sink to the Hell (EP Review)

Musicians: Terror
Album Title: Sink to the Hell
Genre/ Subgenre: Hardcore/ Heavy Hardcore
Label: WAR Records
Release Date: December 2, 2020 

Full disclosure, Terror are probably my favorite hardcore act. So, anytime they put something out, I get very excited. That certainly was the case with their Sink to the Hell EP which was released in early December. And, as I expected the results are a major kick in the ass.

The four song EP opens up with the pissed off title track. It's got a great chorus to sing along to and an awesome, driving groove with one hell (pun not intended) of a fucking badass riff. Mixing punky speed, skank drum beats, and a headbanging riff the next song, "Don't Need Your Time", has some great tempo shifts in its short running time that will make you want to get moving and moshing. Speaking of moshing, "A New Beginning" feels tailor made to get bodies flaying around, if concerts were still happening. It's lyrics about those who don't get "the music" and "the message" will have you wanting to open a can of whoop ass! It closes off with the thunder and smash of "You Lost All Respect", which had me wanting to trash my whole room while it played. I go back and forth between these last two as my favorites, though all of the songs fucking rule!
Photo by Becca Lader

 Sink to the Hell by Terror is all killer, no-filler EP. This an ass beating that might go by fast, but like a good beatdown, it stays with you. And, by that mean you will be signing these choruses throughout your day (even with the album turned off!). And, you will also want to keep listening to this over and over again, as I have been doing. The EP, then is the perfect holdover this Cali band put out a new full length.


4 out of 5 

1/27/2021

Vixen Media Group Collects Nine XBIZ Awards for 2021


(Los Angeles, CA / January 27th, 2021) — Vixen Media Group, home to world-famous specialty brands Vixen, Blacked, Blacked Raw, Tushy and Deeper, brought in nine XBIZ Awards for achievement in adult film over the past year.
 
Deeper led the way with seven trophies - including Director of the Year for studio boss Kayden Kross - with a spotlight on Muse, which won for Feature Movie of the Year, Best Sex Scene - Feature Movie, Best Cinematography and Best Acting - Lead for Deeper star Maitland Ward.
 
The company also picked up an award for Erotic Site of the Year and Best Sex Scene - Vignette for Brooklyn Gray & Small Hands’ fiery performance in Lewd.
 
Tushy also scored two high-profile awards - Gonzo Series of the Year for Tushy Raw and Vignette Movie of the Year for Influence: Elsa Jean.
 
”These awards represent a culmination of talents across the creative, production and marketing departments of the company. We couldn’t be prouder of our writers, directors, performers and teams that made this production season happen” said Mike Miller, Executive Producer for Vixen Media Group.
 
The XBIZ Awards was presented virtually on January 14th as part of the 2021 XBIZ Show.
 
Find out more about Vixen Media Group at VixenGroup.com.
 
ABOUT VIXEN:
VIXEN is a true leader in the modern age of adult entertainment, the epitome of high-class erotica lensed with an artist’s eye that seeks to innovate the industry with a dazzling focus on beauty, class and sophistication.
 
Founded in July 2016, VIXEN seeks to raise the bar with its videos, gorgeous fantasy vignettes that feature compelling plots set in sumptuous, modern set locations that stimulate viewers’ sense of imagination and innermost desires.
 
Vixen has won 4 combined AVN and XBIZ Awards, including Best New Series, Best New Imprint and Adult Website of the Year.
 
ABOUT BLACKED:
BLACKED is a leading producer of high-quality hardcore erotica focused exclusively on diverse pairings with adult’s most-wanted stars. Launched in June 2014, the progressive studio and content website have earned both industry support and critical acclaim for its eye-popping performances.
 
BLACKED has since earned an outstanding reputation - and numerous industry awards for excellence, while maintaining the impeccable quality and integrity of its multicultural erotic productions that cater to enthusiastic fans of the genre.
 
BLACKED has won 12 combined AVN and XBiz Awards, including Best Cinematography and Adult Website of the Year.
 
ABOUT BLACKED RAW:
BLACKED RAW is the newest specialty erotica studio and content site with a particular emphasis on embracing multicultural diversity, passionate sex and real women - nothing fake or Photoshopped.
 
The creative concept was launched in October 2017, backed by popular demand from BLACKED’S established fan base, and the studio’s leading ladies jumped at the idea of crafting genuine on-camera performances, leaving them exposed and satisfied - completely and totally RAW.
 
ABOUT TUSHY:
Tushy showcases elegantly-produced anal erotica featuring the most beautiful performers in adult. Each scene carefully curated and executed in order to create the very best content in the industry, elevating 'the art of anal sex.' TUSHY has won 10 AVN Awards, including Best New Imprint, Best Cinematography, and Best Membership Website.
 
DEEPER
Deeper.com is a new venture from adult filmmaker Kayden Kross that was launched in April 2019 as part of Vixen Media Group. The new production studio and site will bring a powerful - and empowering - new voice to the erotic BDSM landscape.
 
The award-winning director writes, produces, and often performs in the provocative scenes that make Deeper one of the most captivating new studio debuts in years. The membership site offers crystal-clear streaming and downloads up to 4K Ultra HD.
 
Kross looks to engage and challenge her performers - as well as her fans - in finding a more experimental side of fantasy, and hopes viewers enjoy the multifaceted scenarios that take dominance and surrender to a far Deeper level.

1/25/2021

The Queen of Black Magic (2019) (Review)

Director: Kimo Stamboel
Writer: Joko Anwar
Cast: Ario Bayu, Hannah Al Rashid, Adhisty Zara, Muzakki Ramdhan, Ari Irham, Ade Firman Hakim
Year: 2019
Min: 99

Three young men bring their wives and children with them, as they visit the orphanage that they grew up at. Their purpose being to visit the old man, Mr. Bandi (Yayu A.W. Unru), that ran the orphanage, as he is sick and dying. While, there creepy and increasingly weird things begin to happen, as the place is haunted by the vengeful spirit of Ms. Mirah (Ruth Marini), who used to work there. The reasons for her vengeance are slowly revealed, as the horrible truths of what happened there begin to come to the surface.

The Queen of Black Magic is a very loose, Indonesian remake of the 1981 horror film of the same name and country of origin (stills of which appear during the end credits, if I am not mistaken). I have never seen that film, but have heard of it. That flick will be coming to Shudder next month, February 1, 2021, where we will all be able to see it. For now, this one will be coming to Shudder this Thursday, January 28th. 

Directed by Kimo Stamboel and written by the country's reigning master of horror, Joko (Impetigore, Satan's Slaves) Anwar, the film starts with a slam-bang of a beginning. As we see the first family we are introduced to hit what they think is the dead deer that they see on the road. But, we, and not the family, see a dead girl. It is a great what the fuck moment that sets the whole thing in motion. And, while it slows down considerably from there, once it gets going again, it doesn't let up.

The movie, at first, has a lot of generic and predictable moments, which might even lead you to believe that it is not much more than another clone of The Ring. But, even when it seems to be at its most predictable, it always remains an entertaining watch. And, once the movie gets further along, it has some nice shocking twists which I won't discuss here. All I'll say is that they make the flick get under your skin and makes you feel uncomfortable. 

And, trust me when I say that this one doesn't fuck around. As, there are some really gruesome gore moments dispersed throughout the movie. They include: self slicing, centipede barfing, literal head banging (as in the kind that doesn't involving listening to Slayer), a truly wince inducing staple to the mouth, hot water baths, a vicious decapitation that ranks as one of last year's best kills, and more! 

Most of the CGI is actually pretty good, including a great scene involving centipedes crawling out of someone's skin. But, even in parts with weaker CGI, the film is so well directed by Stamboel, that you'll be caught up in the moment and won't care much. Stamboel also really knows how to use jump scares to effective results. Thanks to his solid directing we get a great looking film, that is further helped along by the excellent acting by the cast.

The Queen of the Black Magic is a wonderfully entertaining, supernatural gorefest that is an absolute blast to watch! It is a bit slow after that roadkill beginning, but once it gets going again it moves at a faster and faster clip. By the end, it simply flies by! While at first, it looks like it is gonna be another generic female ghost flick, it has enough surprising twists to stand out amongst its competition. Plus, it's also good looking, has mostly solid FX, and is further strengthen by good acting. Pumped up with some truly stomach churning gross-out moments, fans of harder edge horror will be enjoying the hell out of it. 


3 out of 4

1/24/2021

1/23/2021

1/19/2021

Shudder: February 2021 Highlights: Include- The Dark and the Wicked, A Nightmare Wakes, & Joe Bob Puts a Spell on You!

 FEBRUARY 2021 U.S. HIGHLIGHTS

titles also available on Shudder Canada, UK and ANZ as noted

NEW SHUDDER ORIGINAL/EXCLUSIVE MOVIES

A NIGHTMARE WAKES — premieres February 4

While composing her famous novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley descends into an opium-fueled fever dream while carrying on a torrid love affair with Percy Shelley. As she writes, the characters of her novel come to life and begin to plague her relationship with Percy. Before long, she must choose between true love and her literary masterpiece.

 

An unsettlingly intimate portrayal of a brilliant artist at her most troubled, A NIGHTMARE WAKES traces the tortured birth of a timeless masterwork and the rightful ascension of its creator to stand alongside her creation.

Starring Alix Wilton Regan (The Wife), Giullian Yao Gioiello (Scream: The TV Series, Marvel’s Iron Fist), Philippe Bowgen (The Mick), as well as Lee Garrett, Claire Glassford, and Shannon Spangler. Written and directed by Nora Unkel. A Shudder Original (Also available on Shudder Canada, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ) 

Trailer: https://youtu.be/RV8B0egYHAE 


AFTER MIDNIGHT — premieres February 11

Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival

Ten years into his small-town, storybook romance with Abby (Brea Grant, Lucky), Hank (Jeremy Gardner, The Battery) suddenly wakes up to an empty home. With nothing but a cryptic note to explain why she left, Hank’s charmed life begins to fall apart. To make matters worse, Abby’s disappearance seems to trigger the arrival of a ferocious creature that crawls out of the old grove on the edge of his property. Directed by Jeremy Gardner (The Battery) and Christian Stella (Tex Montana Will Survive). A Shudder Exclusive. (US only.)  

 

Trailer: https://youtu.be/YHX96WSOsGU 

SHOOK — premieres February 18

When Mia, a social media star, becomes the target of an online terror campaign, she has to solve a series of tests to prevent people she cares about from getting murdered. But is it real? Or is it just a game at her expense? Starring Daisye Tutor (Guest House), Emily Goss (Snapshots), Nicola Posener (The Bold and the Beautiful), Octavius J. Johnson (Sleepless), Stephanie Simbari (Here and Now) and Grant Rosenmeyer (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). Directed by Jennifer Harrington (Housekeeping). A Shudder Original. (Also available on Shudder Canada, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)


THE DARK AND THE WICKED — premieres February 25

Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival

On a secluded farm, a man is bedridden and fighting through his final breaths while his wife (Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Preacher) slowly succumbs to overwhelming grief. Siblings Louise (Marin Ireland, Hell or High Water) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr., The Death of Dick Long) return home to help, but it doesn’t take long for them to see that something’s wrong with mom—something more than her heavy sorrow. Gradually, they begin to suffer a darkness similar to their mother’s, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that an evil entity is taking over their family. Directed by Bryan Bertino (The Strangers). A Shudder Exclusive. (Also available on Shudder Canada, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ) Trailer: https://youtu.be/kcntHs-HUzQ 


NEW SERIES / NEW SEASONS

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES Season 2 —New episodes every Saturday

Matthew (Emmy-nominated Matthew Goode, Downton Abbey) and Diana (Teresa Palmer, Hacksaw Ridge) have hidden in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London where they must find a powerful witch to help Diana master her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. In the present day however, their enemies have not forgotten them. Returning for Season 2: Alex Kingston (Doctor Who), Valarie Pettiford (Half & Half), Lindsay Duncan (The Honourable Woman), Edward Bluemel (Killing Eve), Aiysha Hart (Line of Duty), Daniel Ezra (All American) Aisling Loftus (War & Peace), Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead), Owen Teale (Game of Thrones), Malin Buska (The Girl King), and Gregg Chillin (Da Vinci’s Demons). A SUNDANCE NOW/SHUDDER ORIGINAL SERIES.  (Also available on Shudder Canada) Trailer: https://youtu.be/_3yMVR1LUfc 

 

NEW SHUDDER SPECIALS



JOE BOB PUT A SPELL ON YOU — Friday, February 12 at 9pm ET

Love is in the air for the first-ever Last Drive-In Valentine’s Day special! Joe Bob Briggs hosts a double feature of two unusual films about the power (and horror) of love. Dim the lights, pour a glass of bubbly—Dom Perignon or Lone Star, your choice—and join us on the Shudder TV feed for the live premiere Friday, February 12, or watch on demand beginning Sunday, February 14. 

 

February 1

AUDREY ROSE (Director: Robert Wise)

In this haunting, psychological horror directed by a true master of the genre, a happily married couple find their lives thrown into frightening disruption when a stranger appears at their door claiming that their adopted 12-year-old daughter contains the reincarnated spirit of his little girl. Starring Marsha Mason, Anthony Hopkins, John Beck, Susan Swift. (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC (1981) (Director: Liliek Sudjio)

A woman is accused of being a witch and thrown to her death over a cliff. A strange man rescues

her, nurses her back to health, and tells her that she must master black magic in order to exact

vengeance on her tormentors. Starring Suzzana, Alan Nuari, Siska Widawati, WD Mochtar (Also available on Shudder Canada, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)


Note: This 1981 Indonesian horror classic was the inspiration for Kimo Stamboel’s The Queen of Black Magic, a Shudder Original premiering  January 28. 

 

VAMPIRE’S KISS (Director: Robert Bierman)

After a night of passionate lovemaking in which he is bitten on the neck, a troubled literary editor becomes convinced that he is a vampire and begins to live the role. Audiences in 1989 may not have been ready for Nicolas Cage’s unleashed, expressionistic performance (some in 2021 aren’t either), but the film has become an essential watch among Cage connoisseurs. Starring Nicolas Cage, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, Kasi Lemmons (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

February 2

HEAD COUNT (Director: Elle Callahan)

Newcomer Evan joins a group of teens on a getaway in Joshua Tree. While exchanging ghost stories around the campfire, Evan reads aloud a mysterious chant from an internet site. From that moment, someone—or something—is among them. As unsettling, inexplicable events become more frequent, Evan realizes this summoned shape-shifting creature is targeting them to fulfill a deadly ritual. Starring Isaac W. Jay, Ashleigh Morghan, Bevin Bru, Billy Meade, Hunter Peterson, Chelcie May (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK)

 

February 4

A NIGHTMARE WAKES (see above for details)

 

February 6

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES episode 205 (see above for details)

February 8

NIGHT TIDE (Director: Curtis Harrington)

In this eerie ‘60s thriller from the director of Queen of Blood, Johnny begins dating a woman who thinks she may be a mermaid. Encounters with a witchy woman and the fact that her exes both drowned slowly convince Johnny that staying with her may be dangerous. Fans of mysterious, mid-century horror like Cat PeopleThe Seventh Victim and Carnival of Souls shouldn’t miss this uniquely moving fright flick, which drew on underground filmmaking styles to create an experience decades ahead of its time. Starring Dennis Hopper, Linda Lawson, Gavin Muir (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

THE “WHISPERING CORRIDORS” TRILOGY 

A new teacher's arrival initiates a gruesome series of events at a private school in this acclaimed series of hit horror films based on high school urban legends in South Korea.


WHISPERING CORRIDORS (Director: 
Ki Hyeong Park)

In this dread-filled debut, a former student returns as a teacher. When she strikes up a new friendship with two students, the bodies begin piling up and ghosts haunt the hallways. Starring Choi Kang-hee, Kim Gyu-ri, Kim Roe-ha (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

MEMENTO MORI (Director: Kim Tae Young)

Young student Soh Min-ah finds a diary kept by two senior students, a lesbian couple ostracized for their relationship. When one of the students kills herself, the diary causes Soh Min-ah to experience strange visions and supernatural occurrences as the guilty parties get their comeuppance. Starring Kim Gyu-ri, Park Yeh-jin, Lee Yeong-jin (Also available on Shudder Canada)


WISHING STAIRS (Director: Jae Yeon Yoon)

When best friends Jin-sung and So-hee are driven apart by a ballet competition, Jin-sung visits a magic staircase which grants wishes to those who step on it and asks to win the contest. But when her wish leads to So-hee's death, Jin-sung returns to the stairs to try to undo her deadly deeds. (In Korean with English Subtitles). Starring Song Ji-hyo, Park Han-byeol (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

February 9

CARMILLA (Director: Emily Harris)

Isolated from the outside world, fifteen-year-old Lara lives in seclusion on a vast country estate with her father and strict governess, Miss Fontaine. When a mysterious carriage crash brings a young girl into their home to recuperate, Lara immediately becomes enchanted by this strange visitor who arouses her curiosity and awakens her burgeoning desires. Inspired by the 1872 Gothic vampire novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Starring Tobias Menzies, Jessica Raine, Greg Wise, Hannah Rae, Devrim Lingnau (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

THE STRANGE COLOR OF YOUR BODY’S TEARS (Directors: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani)

This visually stunning Belgian giallo homage follows a man who returns home from a trip, only to find his wife missing. Seeking answers, Dan visits his nasty neighbors who draw him into a surreal mystery that gets stranger and stranger. Is there a conspiracy at work? How many secret passages does the building have? And where is Dan’s wife? Starring Klaus Tange, Ursula Bedena, Joe Koener (Also available on Shudder Canada)

February 11

AFTER MIDNIGHT (see above for details)

 

February 12

JOE BOB PUT A SPELL ON YOU (see above for details)

 

February 13

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES episode 206 (see above for details)

 

February 15

BASKET CASE (Director: Frank Henenlotter)

Siamese twins, separated at an early age, avenge their separation by killing the doctors responsible. Starring Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

THE NINTH CONFIGURATION (Director: William Peter Blatty)

A troubled psychiatrist takes command of a military asylum filled with insane soldiers in this creepy only-in-the-’70s oddity written and directed by the writer of The Exorcist. When Kane arrives at an army castle to cure the inhabitants, he bonds with an astronaut who snapped before a mission. But as the two men examine their demons, it becomes clear Kane may be more in need of help than his patients. Blatty’s unsettling mix of psychological horror and Altman-meets-Joseph Heller-esque comedy has fascinated die-hard cult cinema fans since its release in 1980. Starring Stacey Keach, Scott Wilson, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

OUTCAST (Director: Colm McCarthy)

Mary harbors a dark history but must confront her past when a hunter with magical powers is assigned to capture her and kill her son. As the terrifying cat-and-mouse game continues, a deadly fear takes hold as locals begin to die at the hands of an unknown creature. Combining dark arts with street-level realism, Outcast is an underseen UK chiller from the director of The Girl with All the Gifts. Starring James Nesbitt, Kate Dickie, James Cosmo, Niall Bruton (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK)

 

February 18

SHOOK (see above for details)

February 20

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES episode 207 (see above for details)

 

February 22

ONE MISSED CALL (Director: Takashi Miike)

Student Yoko receives a phone message from her future self, ending with her own death scream. Two days later, she dies in a horrific accident. As the mysterious phone curse spreads, claiming more young lives, Yoko’s friend Yumi joins forces with detective Hiroshi, whose sister met the same gruesome fate. But can they unravel the mystery before the clock runs out on the next victim–Yumi herself? Starring Ko Shibasaki, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Kazue Fukiish (Also available on Shudder Canada, and Shudder UK)

 

OPEN 24 HOURS (Director: Padraig Reynolds)

A delusional woman who set her brutal serial killer boyfriend on fire has just been released from a mental hospital. Her vulnerable demeanor helps her get a job at an all-night gas station. However, left alone to her own devices, her paranoia and hallucinations return with furious consequences. Starring Vanessa Grasse, Brendan Fletcher, Emily Tennant (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

PSYCHOMANIA (Director: Don Sharp)

In this beloved ‘70s mind-blower, a motorcycle gang burst from their graves to crush a world of psychedelic hippie pleasures under the wheels of black leather occult mayhem. Starring George Sanders, Beryl Reid, Nicky Henson (Also available on Shudder Canada)

 

February 25

THE DARK AND THE WICKED (see above for details)

 

February 27

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES episode 208 (see above for details)



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