Boston Underground Film Festival coverage 📽️, 'Are You There' wakes us up 😝, & more!

This week, we tackle one of Bee's favorite themes: Destination Horror.

For many holidays when growing up, my family would go to the Concord Hotel in upstate New York (think of it like an 80s version, just updated, of the whole bungalow/hotel colony in Dirty Dancing). During these long drives, and way before social media, we'd either be on our Nintendo Game Boys or looking for animals on the side of the road. It was a time to just read, chat with our parents/siblings, and/or sleep. It was simpler times like these that I wish later generations could appreciate. Once we've arrived, we knew we were going to have a great weekend with no interruptions or distractions. It was all planned out, from the daily activities to the meals throughout the day. In horror films, unlike our experiences, the characters expect a time to unwind and get away from it all, including an abundance of drugs and alcohol, not knowing that they're in for a real treat (potentially being murdered or kidnapped).

Now, in current times, traveling, whether by car, boat, train or airplane, to a destination is the least of our worries. Mostly everyone traveling are distracted by a number of electronic devices while having no regard for their surroundings. There's a lot to be on the lookout for, such as, let's say, driving behind a truck's log-filled flatbed (a la Final Destination 2)... as well as student drivers. They're the worst.

As for Destination Horror itself, and this week's Recommended If You Like (Blumhouse's Fantasy Island), not every great beginning has a great ending. And no, that is not a Semisonic reference. So many of the films feature happy-go-lucky characters who are anticipating the times of the lives, unaware that the clock is ticking for them.

Buckle up and stay safe!

Issue 038’s Letterboxd list can be found here

My virtual destination this week was to Boston Underground Film Festival. It was my first time covering the festival, and while I only got to peruse a handful of films, I had a blast checking out what they had to offer. This week/end, I also get to cover Unnamed Footage Film Festival - you can check out my ongoing coverage on B-Sides & Badlands. Below, I have reviews for the four films I was able to cover out of BUFF, and there is absolutely plenty to like as a genre fan. Dig in!

Writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt takes a claw hammer to the classic Cinderella story and makes it into mince meat. The Ugly Stepsister focuses not upon Cinderella but one of her "evil" stepsisters. In this version, Elvira (Lea Myren) only wants to be seen for her beauty. She's a mockery of everyone around her, with her braces, knob-nose, and pale skin. Her mother opts to get her surgery from a local physician, who first removes her braces and then performs a gruesome procedure to straighten her nose. What transpires next is a slow mental collapse, as Elvira seeks to woo Prince Julian. Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), often chided as "Cinderella," turns her attention to a fairy god mother who turns her chariot into a pumpkin and conjures up a beautiful dress. The story progresses just as you might expect, dabbling a bit in Grimm's original story for grotesque, nauseating imagery. The Ugly Stepsister is well worth the wait, as it devolves from a charming, magical story into a macabre yarn about desperation, body image, and jealousy.

Head Like a Hole serves as writer/director Stefan MacDonald-Labelle's feature directorial debut. An existential, one-locatoin setpiece, the super gay film follows Asher (Steve Kasan) after he answers a ad for a researcher position at a mysterious company. When he interviews for the role, he's told that everyone there is mostly in the dark about what kind of work they're doing. All they need Asher to do is watch a hole in the wall in the basement, take on-the-hour measurements, and record his findings. That's it. The hours tick on for years, and each day feels longer than the last. But Asher perseveres until he gets a raise. Emerson (Jeff McDonald), the guy in charge, urgest Asher to give the hole (or "anomaly") a name. Once he confesses some of his darkest yearnings, he does give the oblivion a moniker that seems to trigger something inside of it. From there, all bets are off. Head Like a Hole is a character-driven horror that relies on Kasan's onscreen presence to keep the viewer invested - and he does wonders. You might think you know where MacDonald-Labelle is headed, but you have no clue. The finale is more than earned, and a little insanely repulsive.

The poster for Vulcanizadora pays homage to Faces of Death. You could argue the film itself sends up a tribute to the controversial film (which is getting a remake). With what could have certaintly worked for a found-footage flick, the film tells the story about two best friends who hike through the wildnerness. Their intent doesn't become clear until mid-way through, only teased by a jaw device that one of them has packed in their knapsack. Writer/director Joel Potrykus, who also plays the fun-loving, talkative Derek, switches gears after a tragic event and veers completely into crime/thriller territory. It's difficult to discuss, but Potrykus packs in plenty of disturbing events to lock the audience into the narrative. Vulcanizadora isn't exactly what you might have planned, but if you're willing, you go along for a humorous and grim take on death, fate, and redemption.

Escape from the 21st Century sees writer/director Li Yang just having fun. As the premise states, a group of teens discover that sneezing creates a wormhole through time ahead 20 years. What they see for themselves in the future is not quite what they expect, especially for one young boy who undergoes quite an impressive glow-up as an adult. The split timelines leads to zaniness and intergenerational mayhem that'll have you guffawing in your seat and never wanting it to end. As things grow more tangled and complicated, the group must accept what their fates are in the world - despite everything they try to do. For a good time, Escape from the 21st Century will certainly scratch that itch.

Fantasy Island is, at times, a terror-filled adventure where reality and fantasy come together, and, of course, includes the usual Blumhouse formula (a twist of sorts). As for the films on our list, they all start with an idyllic setting, only for it to go downhill very fast. Check out our list on Letterboxd and choose your poison.

Whether it's a solo or group trip, always expect the worst. For some in the horror films on this list, they encounter a strange cult, an island that speeds up the aging process, or a cabin in the woods that is more sinister than anything ever expected. Buckling your seatbelt should be the least of your worries. Check out the list on Letterboxd.

The official trailer for Final Destination: Bloodlines arrived this week. And it's a doozy. Opening on a family barbeque, death, as petty as always, circles around the like vultures. You think broken glass in a tub of ice will do the trick, but that's a small piece of the Jenga-like puzzle death has created. It all hangs in the balance. As we come to learn, a woman had a vision many years ago that began the entire trajectory of the series. She's death-defying for generations, leading to descendents that never should have existed in the first place. Thus, Bloodlines. Apparently, it became the second most popular horror film trailer ever. Iconic. Watch the trailer. [written by Bee]

"Becoming famous can be murder" reads the title cards in the trailer for Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock 'n' Roll. Imagine if you melted together such influences as Shaun of the Dead and Green Room into a pot. This is what you'd get - what looks like to be a hoot and a half with plenty of blood, guts, and gore. Sign me up! Watch the trailer. [written by Bee]

After making awesome films such as Dead Snow and Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead, as well as Violent Night, Tommy Wirkola is directing a shark film, Shiver, which will be released in theaters on Independence Day weekend (2026)!

Shudder’s April lineup has been released. There are a number of new films, including Shudder Originals Shadow of God, 825 Forest Road, and Dead Mail, as well as classics like Rawhead Rex and Unfriended. Check out their Letterboxd list here.

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