Horror Crush: Riley Dandy

It's time for another induction into this site's Horror Crush section. This time around it is a relative newcomer in the gorgeous form of Riley Dandy. And, bonus, her induction directly ties into the Christmas season!

Dandy was born on September 17, 1996 in Los Angeles, California. This blonde haired and green eyed beauty is an actress and model and been acting since 2013. She started her career on various short films.

Her first venture into horror was The City of Gold (2018), which I've never seen or heard of before, to be honest. The movie apparently has something to do with the Peruvian jungle, gold, and the city of El Dorado. The trailer makes it look like an action/ adventure flick, but IMDb has it under those two genres, as well as horror. Being it mentions something about demons being inside the mind of the lead character in its plot description, I guess we'll just go with that. Anyway, Dandy has a lead role and clearly looks beautiful. Anyone out there seen this? Let me know in the comments section if you have. 

Still, it's her latest movie, Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022), currently playing in theaters and streaming exclusively on Shudder, where I first saw her and was immediately became a fan. In it, she plays Tori Tooms, who runs an indie record store with a definite punk/ metal bent to it (on a side note, I miss stores like this here, in NYC). She and her co-worker/ friend/ dude who is totally crushing on her, Robbie Reynolds (Sam Delich), go out for drinks on Christmas Eve. The problem is that a military grade robot turned store Santa is malfunctioning and going on a bloody killing spree. With them caught in his axe wielding ways, they'll have to try to stop his unstoppable, metal ass.

Writer/ director Joe (Bliss, VFW) Begos delivers an absolutely killer sci-fi/ horror/ holiday movie that mixes elements from Silent Night Deadly Night and The Terminator, while simultaneously playing homage to them (especially the second flick). It moves at a good pace and leads to an exciting and suspenful climax. Begos also gives a really good looking movie with some spectacular splatter. The gore FX, and the robot, for that matter, are really well done with some brutal kills, including, at least one, that legitimately made my jaw drop! This ranks among my favorite horror movies of the year and is destined be become a Christmas time favorite among horror fans. 

Dandy is fucking awesome in the lead role of Tori. As a matter of fact, she is one of the year's very best final girls (right alongside of Amber Midthunder's Naru in the great Predator prequel, Prey). As such, she's tough and badass, on top of being absolutely fucking gorgeous! Plus, her character wears a Cephalic Carnage patch and a fucking Death tee(!!), curses like a sailor, drinks hard (she LOVES her some whiskey!), loves sex, and sings the praises of Motorhead and the Ramones, all while shitting on Sammy Haggar era Van Halen, Load era Metallica, and post-Badmotorfinger Soundgarden. Her character's taste in horror movies ain't the best, as she thinks that Freddy's Dead, Alien Covenant, etc. are the best in their franchise (obviously this is done on purpose), but no one is perfect. My point is that the character of Tori is definitely top quality girlfriend! Where do I meet a girl like this? Also, it's great that we have moved away from the boring, unrealistic, virginal final girls of yesteryear.

Riley Dandy is not only stunningly beautiful but also a great actress. I really hope she does do more horror movies in the near future. But, one thing is for sure, she has already cemented her place as one of the great modern day final girls. And, it is with all of this being said, that I happily induct her into Horror Crushes!

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A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonymous (Episode Review)

Series Title: Creepshow
Episode Name: Shapeshifters Anonymous
Episode Season & Number: 2.1

Writer/ Director: Greg Nicotero (Based on a short story by J.A. Konrath)

Cast: Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Frank Nictero, Pete Burris, Candy McLellan, Derek Russo, Tom Glynn

Min: 46

Robert Weston (Adam Pally) goes to a secret support group, called Shapeshifters Anonymous, so that they may help him with his problem. You see, he believes that he is turning into a werewolf, and is, in fact, the serial killer that has been on the news lately. He soon learns that there are different types of shapeshifters. But, he also discovers that not only is Santa Claus real, but that he and his helpers hunt and kill shape shifters.

A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonyomous is a Chirstmas themed. nearly one hour long episode. Series runner Greg Nictero directed and wrote it based on the short story by J.A. Konrath. The result is a light-hearted and funny holiday special. Nictero gives it a wonderful use of bright, comic-book colors, like purple and blue. He also adds some awesome homages to classic werewolf movies, that horror fans will get a kick out of.

The acting from the whole cast is lively and entertaining. Adam Pally makes for a particularly likable lead character in Robert. We can relate to him, even if none of us actually turn into werewolves (at least I imagine none of us do). But, it is the lovely Anna (True Blood) Camp, who plays the chapter president Marina, that really stands out. She plays her in a very pleasing manner with just the right amount of flirty sexiness and likable sweetness.

As always KNB EFX knock the special effects out of the park! The creatures all look really cool and add to the fun factor. The epiosde also has some cool gore including ripping and tearing of flesh, head-shots, decapitations, and more!

A Creepshow Holiday Special: Shapeshifters Anonymous is a blast from the cool intro of the creep to the very last reel. The episode is light hearted and has a feel good sentiment that is perfect for the holiday season. To be honest, I couldn't help but smile while watching it. It is also highly imaginative with nice flourishes of gore. This episode is further aided by strong acting from the whole, including a wonderful Anna Camp, as well as stylish and colorful directing from Greg Nictero. It really ranks among the best episodes in this wonderful anthology series. Plus, I feel like this could become an annual Christmas season viewing tradition for me. Fellow horror fans are sure to have the same reaction, when the episode begins streaming this Friday, December 18, 2020 on Shudder. 

3.5 out of 4

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Support Slay Belles And Help them Save Christmas!

All pictures come courtesy of SLAY BELLES.

 

I have an undying love for horror, with a particular for good Christmas horror flicks, and gorgeous women, of course. Well, there is a project called Slay Belles that has all of that. There are some really awesome people involved in front of and behind the camera, and it needs YOUR help to get it finished in time for the holidays! And, it just sounds and looks fucking AWESOME! Give it a look. I know that you'll agree with me, and want to give it a hand.
Follow the following link below for all the info: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/slay-belles-a-spookydan-krampus-film#/story

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Holiday Slasher ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE Releases Trailer

Everyone once in a while I run into a trailer so fucking awesome, that I HAVE to share it! I'm a huge fan of Christmas horror movies, and this one looks to be a great addition to the infamous sub-genre. And, the fact that it features such gorgeous and talented actresses as Jessica Cameron, Ashley Mary Nunes, and Jennifer Wenger, make even more excited for it!
From the press release:

"The Readmond Company has teamed up with Director/Writer Todd Nunes to bring you a terrorizing, blood-soaked Christmas slasher. All Through the House stars scream queens Ashley Mary Nunes (SYFY’S Robot Combat League), Jessica Cameron (Truth or Dare), and Jennifer Wenger (Jimmy Kimmel Live). The film’s gory special effects were created by Tommy Pietch of SYFY’S Face Off and Star Trek: Renegades.
 
All Through the House is an 80s-style slasher film featuring a deranged Santa Slayer who rips through the town of Napa for some yuletide-terror.

Fifteen years ago, a peaceful Christmas neighborhood was engulfed by fear when five-year-old Jamie Garrett was mysteriously taken from her bedroom never to be seen again. Now on Christmas break, Rachel Kimmel comes home from college to find her neighborhood struck again by a reign of terror. A violent killer is hiding behind a grisly Santa mask, leaving a bloody trail of slaughtered women and castrated men to the steps of the Garrett house. Rachel finds herself in a horrifying nightmare as she discovers the twisted secret behind the mask.

“This slasher has been brewing in my mind since I was a kid,” says Director/Writer Todd Nunes. “It’s not a rehash of popular Christmas horror movie subplots, like punishing the naughty, Santa obsessed psychos, or death by antlers. This is a dark, scary, violent story that delivers on a big bloody body count, beautiful girls, and lots of terrifying action. It’s everything I love to see in a horror movie - every murder is shown on screen and the anti-hero is a killer with a diabolical, sadistic mystery.”

“Although I loved my character because she is strong and complex, I’m really drawn to the twisted and crazy characters she meets in this movie,” says actress Ashley Mary Nunes (as Rachel Kimmell). “The Killer in All Through the House is disturbing, gross and really unique - I’m fascinated by the depraved impulses. I know that everyone is going to love all the gore and violence, but there is also a twisted mystery that ties it all together like a big Christmas bow.”

All Through the House was shot in 21 days in the summer of 2014 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Lake Arrowhead, CA. The 95 minute film is currently in post-production. Director/Writer Todd Nunes graduated with honors from The Los Angeles Film School and studied screenwriting at UCLA's Writers' Program. This is the first film by Santa Monica-based The Readmond Company.
Full Cast: Ashley Mary Nunes (Robot Combat League), Jessica Cameron (Truth or Dare), Melynda Kiring (The Fog Lady), Jennifer Wenger (Jimmy Kimmel Live), Natalie Montera, Lito Velasco, Jason Rayer, Johanna Rae (Natural Born Filmmakers), Cathy Garrett, Matt Poeschl (Entourage), Danica Riner, Kelsey Carlstedt, Lyndon Laveaux, Justice Lee, Sarah Miller, Milijana Riner, Noah Boylen, John Nunes, and Sky Boylen.

Full Crew: Stephen Readmond (Producer), Christopher Stanley (Producer), Todd Nunes (Director/Writer), Ryan J. Anderson (Cinematography), Glenda Suggs (Assistant Director), Tommy Pietch (Key Special Effects), Josh McCarron (Special Effect David Passey (Gaffer), Adrian Rivero (Sound), Alexis Evelyn (Editor), Melissa Black (Production Design), Crista Llewellyn (Makeup Artist), Nigelle Paden (Makeup Artist), Patricia McPhaul (Script Supervisor), Sharon Nunes (Set Decorator), Grip (Tamra Garrett), Jennifer Nunes (Grip), Shane Nunes (Production Assistant)."

For more information, visit the film's official website at: http://www.allthroughthehousemovie.com

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SILENT NIGHT (2012)

My review of the re-imaging of the infamous holiday slasher is now up on best-horror-movies.com. Check it out here: http://www.best-horror-movies.com/review?name=silent-night-2012-review

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