Scary Tales: Dead Zone is a low-budget horror anthology that attempts to weave three separate stories into a single frame narrative, but unfortunately, it struggles on nearly every front. Directed by Geno McGahee and starring Chris Spinelli, Lorrie Bacon, Mark Carter, Eric Michaelian, and Adriana Medina, the film offers glimpses of creativity but largely fails to deliver suspense, scares, or coherent storytelling. The premise is straightforward: a couple gets lost in the woods after an argument, encounters a strange man, and is drawn into his bizarre stories, supposedly inspired by his days as a detective.
Read MoreBikini Hackers (2023)
Scott Hillman’s Bikini Hackers is an audacious, if uneven, entry into his repertoire of low-budget, camp-leaning cinema. Clocking in at a brisk 67 minutes, the film attempts to merge comedy, crime capers, and a playful take on lesbian romance, centering on a group of women who plot to redistribute wealth by taking down a major corporation—all while clad in bikinis. The premise is delightfully ridiculous, and for about half the runtime, the film delivers exactly the sort of chaotic charm Hillman fans might hope for.
Read MoreMad Cowgirl (2007)
Gregory Hatanaka’s Mad Cowgirl is an audacious plunge into the surreal and the grotesque, a film that refuses to be tamed or neatly categorized. At its core, it’s the story of a woman, played with volatile intensity by Sarah Lassez, who discovers she is dying of a brain disorder and embarks on a hallucinatory journey that quickly spirals into violence, madness, and eroticized chaos. From the opening moments, the film establishes itself as a piece of uncompromising, fevered cinema—simultaneously alluring and unsettling.
Read MoreAwakening of Emanuelle (2021)
At just over an hour long, Awakening of Emanuelle attempts to recast the classic Emanuelle persona into a modern thriller-drama centered on a fashion model seeking reinvention. Nicole D’Angelo leads the cast with Adam Weston Poell, Chris Spinelli, Lynn Ellison, and Jason Toler supporting, under the direction of D’Angelo and Gregory Hatanaka. On paper, it promises a darkly seductive journey of self-discovery—but in execution, it’s far more uneven than the title suggests.
Read MoreMuerte: Tales of Horror (2018)
If you’re in the mood for a low-budget, high-gore horror anthology that leans hard into B-movie territory, Muerte: Tales of Horror might just scratch that itch. Directed and co-written by Christopher Ambriz, this Texas-shot feature delivers three macabre tales wrapped in a supernatural frame story involving a cursed comic book and an unsettling occult shopkeeper. The movie opens with a seemingly ordinary theft: a teen named Zak is asked to swipe a mystical cloth but instead grabs a graphic novel called Muerte.
Read MoreFelines (2023)
Rich Mallery’s Felines is a bold, if uneven, dive into a world of desire, danger, and dysfunction. The film follows a troubled young woman who becomes enamored with a femme fatale, pulling her into a whirlwind of drugs, deceit, and murder. On paper, it promises a taut crime drama with thriller elements and a darkly erotic undertone, but in execution, it teeters between provocative and problematic.
Read MoreDarling Nikki (2020)
Gregory Hatanaka’s Darling Nikki is a dreamy, drug-laced descent into one woman’s fractured psyche—a neon noir that tries to merge erotic fantasy with psychological drama, often teetering between the two without ever finding full footing. It’s the kind of film that feels like it should be sexy, but ends up more curious and melancholy than titillating. At the center of this trippy swirl is Nikki, a married woman leading a double life as a high-priced escort.
Read MoreThe Empty Acre (2007)
The Empty Acre, directed by Patrick Rea, is a quietly unsettling horror that uses its low budget to surprising effect. Set in a remote Kansas farming town, the film follows Beth and Jacob Nance, a couple whose lives spiral into fear and uncertainty when a mysterious, invisible force abducts their infant son. On the surface, it’s a familiar horror premise—but Rea’s approach lends the story a distinctive, almost Lynchian tone that lingers long after the credits roll.
Read More