Rob Roy’s American Werewolf is a low-budget creature feature that attempts to combine small-town suspense with classic monster horror, but it struggles to deliver a compelling experience. The story follows Sheriff Sam Anderson as he investigates a series of savage killings in the quiet town of Pinegrove, only to discover that the werewolf he’s hunting may be closer than he thinks. Assisting him are an oddly out-of-place deputy and the over-the-top YouTube investigator Raven Nevermore.
Read MoreBolero (2024)
Bolero is a whirlwind of cinematic chaos—a sixty-minute experiment in narrative collision that will either mesmerize or utterly confuse viewers. Directed by Nicole D’Angelo and Gregory Hatanaka, with a screenplay by Jamie Grefe, the film follows a woman traveling through dimensions to find a distant man. At its core, the premise is intriguing, hinting at a metaphysical exploration of love and longing, but the execution often feels scattershot.
Read MoreConvulsion (2023)
Convulsion is an audacious dive into existential sci-fi that, despite its low-budget streaming origins, manages to grip with both intensity and style. Gregory Hatanaka, working from Jamie Grefe’s script, crafts a narrative that is as enigmatic as it is unsettling, blending the mundane with the metaphysical. At its core, the film follows Ethan, a man whose life is upended by uncontrollable seizures stemming from a mysterious extraterrestrial encounter.
Read MoreLove Crime (2022)
Love Crime is an indie true crime drama that delves into obsession, jealousy, and the tragic consequences of a destructive relationship. Directed by Nicole D’Angelo, who also stars as Jodi, the film loosely chronicles the infamous case of Jodi Arias and her murder of Travis Alexander, though it chooses a highly subjective lens: we see events largely through Jodi’s memories and perceptions rather than as a straightforward retelling. This approach gives the film a reflective, almost meditative quality, even if it sacrifices some factual clarity.
Read MoreLove Never Leaves (2025)
Love Never Leaves is a hypnotically unsettling foray into minimalist horror, showcasing Jamie Grefe’s continued talent for transforming the tiniest of settings into a world brimming with dread. Set almost entirely in a single luxury AirBnB, the film follows an aspiring actress, played with doe-eyed intensity by Mariana Carvajal, as she encounters the house’s eccentric and unnervingly theatrical owner, “Ronald,” brought vividly to life by Chris Spinelli. The dynamic between these two is both tense and darkly humorous, creating a claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game that lingers long after the credits roll.
Read MoreSouls of the Damned (2024)
Souls of the Damned, written and directed by Frank Palangi—who also appears in the movie—offers a dive into dark, supernatural themes, but delivers a mixed experience. The premise is intriguing: a group of witches harness the suffering of one man through horrific nightmares. There’s clear ambition in Palangi’s vision, with the story flirting with elements of time loops, witchcraft-induced hallucinations, and surreal horror sequences.
Read MoreSleaze Please: The World of Bill Margold (2024)
Sleaze Please: The World of Bill Margold is a surprisingly engaging and intimate look into the life and legacy of one of adult film’s most complex figures. Clocking in at a brisk 54 minutes, Gregory Hatanaka manages to deliver a compact yet surprisingly thorough documentary that explores not only the career of Bill Margold but also the broader 1970s and ’80s porn industry, with all its glitz, grime, and human drama. The documentary’s real strength lies in Margold himself.
Read MoreChoke (2020)
Choke, directed and written by Gregory Hatanaka, is a puzzling experiment in indie filmmaking that struggles to find its footing. The film attempts to blur the lines between reality and fantasy, following a nihilistic detective and a serial killer whose lives intersect through a mysterious young woman. At just 73 minutes, it’s brief, yet crams in an overwhelming number of montages, monologues, and seemingly symbolic scenes—many of which fail to resonate or clarify the story.
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