Once again, I had the honor of covering Fantastic Fest for Horror Buzz. I watched and reviewed ten or so films. Here are some of my favorites.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

This is such a beautiful and heartbreaking documentary about a Norwegian gamer named Mats Steen. His degenerative muscular disease caused him to seek refuge in the World of Warcraft, where he played the avatar/character Ibelin. Much of this documentary is narrated through the avatars and creatures that populate WOW. During the runtime, we come to know how much Mats meant to so many of his fellow gamers and how, in turn, they provided him friendship and community. This film will stream on Netflix beginning October 25. I can’t recommend it enough. You can check out my full review over at Horror Buzz.

Touched by Eternity

At this point, there’s not much left to do that’s new with the well-worn vampire genre. Writer/director Marcis Lacis likely knows this. Hence why his film, Touched by Eternity, is a sharp horror satire more than anything else. The Latavian film stars Andriss Keiss as the unmotivated Fatso. Though he’s obsessed with podcasts and conspiracy theories about eternal life, when two vampires show up at his trailer, offering him such, he flees them. This movie is a hoot through and through, but it’s also a smart meditation on being human and mortality. Oh, and there’s a knee-slapping scene in which a vampire academic reads her paper about the fanged undead, even citing Marx! Here’s my full review.

What Happened to Dorothy Bell?

If there’s one film I can’t stop thinking about after Fantastic Fest, it’s What Happened to Dorothy Bell?, an unnerving found footage movie from writer/director Danny Villanueva Jr. His feature stars Asya Meadows as Ozzie, a deeply troubled young 20-something who makes a documentary for a school project to unpack what happened to her grandmother, Dorothy, a librarian who eventually lost her mind and attacked Ozzie. There’s a lot of creepy stuff in this one. Oh, and Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and 5’s final girl, Lisa Wilcox, also stars in this as Ozzie’s therapist. I wouldn’t be surprised if a distributor picks this one up soon. Here’s my full review.

Apartment 7A

When I first heard news that Rosemary’s Baby was getting a prequel, I was skeptical. Who would want to touch Ira Levin’s novel and Roman Polanski’s adaptation? Well, when I saw Natalie Erika James’ name attached to it, I had greater confidence in the project. I really liked her 2020 film Relic. Set in 1965 NYC, this prequel tells Terry’s story, and Julia Garner does an impressive job in the lead role. Apartment 7A is now streaming on Paramount Plus. It’s also available to purchase on other streaming outlets. Here’s my full review.

Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire

Writer/director Stuart Ortiz’s (Grave Encounters 1 and 2) Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire is a harrowing commentary on our culture’s obsession with true crime and serial killers. This film makes viewers question why we love serial killers and often forget about their victims. In a mock documentary style, this film contains interviews with two detectives, haunted by the murders at the hands of Mr. Shiny. The less I say about this one, the better. Likely, this film will get swooped up by a distributor. Read my full review here. You can also check out my interview with Ortiz and the cast.