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  • The Final Girls' turns 10 🗡️, Our favorite Teen Horror ☠️, 'Pins and Needles' draws blood 🩸, & more!

The Final Girls' turns 10 🗡️, Our favorite Teen Horror ☠️, 'Pins and Needles' draws blood 🩸, & more!

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Matt Orozco | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

Teenagers and horror movies, is there a better combination across demographics and genres? Setting aside that a large chunk of horror movies involve a cast of teenage characters (even if 30+ year old actors play them), data shows that 68% of kids love horror movies and that affection tends to persist into adulthood. While everyone arrives at horror at different times, the impact that horror has on the teenage mind is profound. In adolescence (ages 6-17), children begin to form preferences, which will become more refined in their early adult years (ages 18-24). The focus on the teenage experience in horror is also what draws so many young folks to the genre, as it is one of the few genres where teens are often the main characters. Their experiences, problems, and ways of viewing the world are reflected en masse, making it easier to see oneself in horror than it would be in, say, action.

The sad thing is, teens often don't fare well in horror, and our willingness to put them in peril for the sake of entertainment emphasizes the notion that in horror, no one is safe. To honor the role that teens play in horror, this issue of the Horrorverse is all about them. From the best of them, like Laurie Strode, to the worst of them, like Malachi, teens are as important to the genre as stingers and jump scares. We honor those teens with films that exemplify their place in the genre, including the good, the bad, and everything in between!

By Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | X

Ryan Coogler's Sinners is finally coming to streaming services. Well, just one, MAX, which will stream the film exclusively beginning July 4, 2025. Get ready to sink your teeth into one of the year's best films.

We have a new trailer for The Strangers: Chapter 2. A direct sequel to last year's Chapter 1, Madelaine Petsch returns as Maya, and must fight for survival once again. Read more about it on Macabre Daily.

Neon Rated has some goodies for collectors with the release of 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases for The Monkey, Longlegs, Revenge and more. Head to their shop here.

According to Variety, Doug Liman will be directing a new film for Stephen King's The Stand. Yes, there will be ANOTHER one.

Justin Seaman is back with another Barn film! The Barn III begins production this month. Get involved via their indiegogo.

Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | X | Neomi Vafiadis | Instagram | Letterboxd | Matt Orozco | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

Young filmmaker Chase (Brennan Keel Cook) wants to make a movie. Specifically, he hopes to mount his first feature length film, a found footage story. Director Max Tzannes uses genre conventions in Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project to lure you into the story. It feels both familiar and fresh, as he guides you into a filmmaking crew's horrifying reality. As the shoot unravels, dark and sinister things begin to unfold. Chase shrugs off his girlfriend and assistant director Natalie's (Erika Vetter) concerns, leading to an explosively bloody finale. The Making of the Patterson Project is a surefire delight for any found footage fan. [written by Bee]

With his directorial debut, Colin Tilley trades in expectation for a frightening horror experiment. Eye for an Eye feels familiar on paper, but its execution delights with a spooky monster design (think: Pumpkinhead and Dark Harvest), a lead character you deeply care about, and jolts of scares that’ll keep you up at night. It’s not enough these days to be a well-made indie. It must positively answer these questions: Does it frighten you? Does it leave you heaving in panic? And does it close with a satisfying conclusion? Tilley, known for directing music videos for Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, and countless others, checks all the right boxes for something truly special. [Read Bee's review]

Chelsea Clark leads James Villeneuve's new film, Pins and Needles. Playing diabetic biology grad student Max, Clark delivers a deeply layered character who finds herself going up against a pair of psychopathic bio-hackers. That's the fancy term for cannibals. When Max and her friends bust two tires on a spike strip, they find themselves in the middle of nowhere. Their only hope is a nearby secluded house, but the homeowners have something far more sinister in mind. A lean and mean story, Pins and Needles never fussies over the story or holds its cards too close to the vest. It's a straightforward survivalist story that serves as a proper vehicle for Clark to be as badass as possible. On a meager budget, Villeneuve uses the one location to his advantage - allowing a claustrophobic feeling to push up against the viewer. It's easily one of the year's biggest indie treats. [written by Bee]

Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd 

Bette Davis Eyes: The Tragic Beauty of The Final Girls

Out of all life experiences, death is easily the most brutal. You can never be ready for it. It comes barreling down life's tracks when you least expect it. Todd Strauss-Schulson understands the brutality of the Grim Reaper and the grieving process - they're both forever tethered together and never seem to end. The Final Girls fuses a Scream meta-awareness with the heaviness of losing someone and how the smallest things can recall their living memory. Smells, sights, and sounds can trigger a flood of new emotions, raw and unfettered. Whenever I hear certain songs, I'm taken back to another time and place, as though I'm trapped there, unable to breathe or scream.

In Strauss-Schulson's film, he uses Kim Carnes' iconic "Bette Davis Eyes" as an emotional linchpin for the lead character, Max (Taissa Farmiga). In the opening scene, her mother Amanda (Malin Akerman) leaves an audition deflated when casting only remembers her from a 1980s slasher, Camp Bloodbath. "Am I ever gonna live that movie down?" she sighs, looking over at Max, who sees her as the movie star she is. On the drive home, their favorite song "Bette Davis Eyes" comes on the radio. Amanda turns up the volume and begins to dance. Max smirks and bobs her head. When she spills coffee all over Amanda's headshots, they are side-swiped by another car, and they go rolling down the quiet street. The song fades out, leaving a devastating image. Cut to the opening title card. That moment hangs over the rest of the film.

During a screening of Camp Bloodbath and its sequel, which happens to mark the three-year anniversary of Amanda's death, a fire breaks out ala Final Destination style. Flames consume the entire movie theatre. The group, including Gertie (Alia Shawkat) and her step-brother Duncan (Thomas Middleditch), Chris (Alexander Ludwig), and Vicki (Nina Dobrev), darts to an emergency exit behind the projection screen. In doing so, they transport themselves into the movie. When they shake off their dizzying stupor, it becomes clear that the only way to escape is to avoid serial killer Billy Murphy's blade.

Because they're not on the counselor's roster, they become wild cards in the story. Their presence causes an outward ripple, but even they can't stop the inevitable stack of bodies. Many of the core group fall by his machete, and their oozing blood remains another reminder that you can't escape death.

While The Final Girls satirizes your micro-budget '80s slasher, the movie itself is not your typical slasher. Max's journey threads throughout the entire story, as she confronts her mother's death and learns that it's all part of life. The most vital scene arrives in the finale, when only Max and Amanda's Nancy character are the last women standing. In their conversation, Max pleads with Nancy not to go outside and become another of Billy's victims. But, as Nancy replies, she's not meant to be the Final Girl; Max is. "That's not who I'm supposed to be, remember?" Nancy says. "Honey, let me do this... Max, I'm not afraid."

"I've never felt more real or more alive ever before," she adds, her eyes glistening with tears. Max, in her panic, calls her mom and says that she has a daughter. But Nancy replies that she is not gone. She's right here, and she'll always know where to find her - in Camp Bloodbath. As I hold back tears, even writing this, I'm reminded of all the people I've lost in my life - my dad, mom, sister... and countless friends along the way. That heartbreak is never gone, I know that. It just fuses with who I am.

The film punctuates its message with "Bette Davis Eyes." Nancy leaves the rickety church and steps out onto a purple-hewn lawn. She turns to Max and dances to the beat. Moments just before Billy Murphy appears and kills Nancy, Max swallows Nancy's words and realizes, in part, that she's right. Her visage will always be around, immortalized on film in a slasher movie. That's where she can find her mom again.

As I push play on The Final Girls (again), I know that this is how we heal - through our favorite comfort films. Even the films that make us cry can provide a cathartic quality. It's all about healing in some way. Whether it's to cope with a dumpster fire of a country or the death of loved ones, horror movies serve as a unique vessel that you can't find anywhere else. In showing death without any pretext, we can learn so much about life and death, and learning to live again and wallowing in pain. It's all part of the long, winding process of grief. The dying out of one's life may stain our hearts, but we all recover eventually. It's a cliche... but time really heals all wounds.

Sure, you might fall into an abyss of reliving that misery from time to time - but it's always necessary if we want to breathe again.

"She's precocious, and she knows just what it takes to make a pro blush. She got Greta Garbo's standoff sighs, she's got Bette Davis eyes."

Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | X | Neomi Vafiadis | Instagram | Letterboxd | Matt Orozco | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

Teen Horror has been around for years, but has evolved with the introduction of modern day technology. If you look at classics such as Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, there are no cellphones or gaming devices. They're pure off-the-grid fun full of sex, drugs and rock & roll. Like, totally, go see our picks on Letterboxd.

Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | X | Neomi Vafiadis | Instagram | Letterboxd 

Wes Craven's Scream was a big hit in 1996. Since then, we've had (soon) six sequels, but there are a number of films who reek of Scream's influence. A masked killer (or killers) preying upon vulnerable teens (and adults), killing them in creative ways. It's a regurgitated formula that sticks like corn syrup, but works to its advantage. Check out the list on Letterboxd.

Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | Matt Orozco | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

Last year, Renny Harlin's The Strangers: Chapter 1 didn't really thrill audiences. It was a decent effort, and I thought it was okay, but sort of shrugged off a sequel to it. Fans of the original films weren't too happy with this reimagining, but a trilogy may play in its favor. I've been trying to avoid trailers as they give away too much, but I couldn't help myself. The Strangers: Chapter 2 actually looks very exciting, and we'll get a peek at what "The Strangers" look like without their masks (not that it really matters - just bring on the gore and violence).

Slay (not to be confused with Slay from last year) is here to slice its way through your heart. The stacked cast and behind-the-scenes crew has me giggling with joy. And the killer's look? Reminds me of someone with a new film out today.... [written by Bee]

Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd

A micro-budget indie, Ryder Houston's Rapture in Blue uses its meager resources to a great advantage. It's as though you're witnessing the film's psychedelic spiral right in front of you. A young teen, who learns he's gay, confronts himself and his past. As he connects with another young teen, who now lives in his childhood home, he learns that self-acceptances is a real gateway to freedom. [written by Bee]

Apocalypse After, directed by Bertrand Mandico, offers an existential and beautiful piece of erotica. The writer/director make the story indecipherable — letting our very powerful imaginations to fill in the gaps. It’s stunning to watch, a cinematic experience you won't soon forget. Two lovers connect while filming a fantasy film at a seaside resort. As the shoot concludes, the lovers (Apocalypse and Joy) burn hot, their love immortalizing them forever. [written Bee]

Established in 2020, Macabre Daily is your home for the dark side of pop culture on the internet providing news, reviews, interviews, and opinions about the world of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and cult films! Macabre Daily serves over 11,000 visitors per month to our website and over 13,7000 followers on our social media platforms. Our team of contributors covers a wide array of media such as movies, television, and physical media. Visit www.macabredaily.com for more info.

Get ready for spine-chilling entertainment with SCREAM TV, your ultimate source for horror in North America! Our thrilling selection of films and TV series will have you on the edge of your seat, whether you're a casual fan or a die-hard horror aficionado. Embrace the terror by accessing SCREAM TV through your favorite devices, including iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Android, and Google platforms. Our 24/7 live channel brings you non-stop frights and heart-pounding suspense, ensuring you'll never be alone in the dark. Learn more here.

Scary Carrie of Witchy Kitchen and Spooky Sarah of Geeks Who Eat have teamed up to create Final Girls Feast, a podcast that discusses food in horror movies! Listen to all of their podcasts at FinalGirlsFeast.com.

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