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Valeska

Hailing from the Great White North, Valeska is a freelance writer and zombie enthusiast who balances a passion for maple syrup with a love for blood. She spends her time devouring scary stories, critiquing slasher films, and living deliciously. You can follow her on twitter @bitchcraftTO or visit her website anatomyofascream.com

Film Review: Dr. Lamb (1992)

Rate This Movie SYNOPSIS: A taxi driver with abnormal urges and violent tendencies begins to slaughter women taking his cab late at night, sparking an intense police investigation. REVIEW:  A Category III psychological crime horror film from Hong Kong, 1992’s Dr. Lamb (AKA Gou yeung yi sang) was directed by Danny Lee and Billy Tang and written by Law Kam-fai. …

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Film Review: Tomie: Another Face (1999)

Rate This Movie SYNOPSIS: A three-film anthology focusing on female apparition who appears to different people in different circumstances, but always with horrific results. REVIEW: Directed by Ataru Oikawa, Tomie: Another Face is based on the manga by Junji Ito and features three separate stories with one common thread — the protagonists in all three tales are haunted by Tomie, …

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Film Review: Ringu 2 (1999)

Rate This Movie SYNOPSIS: In a direct continuation of the original Ringu film, a young woman investigates the disappearance of her mentor after a mysterious video appears that seems to cause the deaths of those who view it. REVIEW: Ringu 2 is not a film that wastes a lot of time with early exposition when it comes to describing the …

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Film Review: The Wailing (2016)

SYNOPSIS:  A desperate policeman fights to rescue his young daughter, who has been possessed and overtaken by a malicious supernatural power after a rash of violent killings plague his small town. REVIEW: A film that definitely made my Top Ten list of 2016, The Wailing is a gorgeously-shot supernatural mystery that dances confidently and compellingly between comedic, dramatic, and nail-bitingly …

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Film Review: Wolf Devil Woman (1982)

SYNOPSIS: An orphaned baby adopted by wolves grows up and becomes a talented martial artist who swears revenge on her parents’ killer. REVIEW: Wolf Devil Woman (1982) is a Taiwanese fantasy-horror (and, I would argue, attempted comedy) film starring, penned, and directed by Pearl Cheung Ling, an actress well-known for her work in martial arts films in the 1970s and …

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Film Review: The Wizard’s Curse (1992)

SYNOPSIS: A sorcerers’ cult resurrects two of their slain members as one dual-sexed monster, who will achieve ultimate invincibility and strength if it is allowed to eat the brain of a female virgin born during a spiritual time. REVIEW: Hong Kong fantasy-action sex-comedy The Wizard’s Curse is directed by Cheung-Yan Yuen, whose previous works include Kung Fu Hero and The …

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Film Review: Bio-Zombie (1998)

SYNOPSIS Two obnoxious slackers are forced to grow up and learn to take responsibility when a zombie outbreak occurs in their mall. REVIEW: While in the middle of writing this review of Bio-Zombie (1998), I learned the devastating news of George Romero’s death. It’s almost fitting that I would learn of this when I did, as Bio-Zombie was so inspired …

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Film Review: Wicked City (1992)

SYNOPSIS: When humans are cast into an epic war with reptilian monsters, an anti-monster agent falls in love with the enemy. REVIEW: Set in Hong Kong near the turn of the last century, Wicked City (1987) is a Chinese adaptation of the first of a series of Japanese speculative horror fiction novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi. Directed by Peter Mak, …

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Film Review: Funky Forest: The First Contact (2005)

SYNOPSIS: A surreal series of loosely connected and often absurd comedic vignettes touching on themes including alien life, relationships, and the dangers of interpretive dance. REVIEW: 2005’s Funky Forest: The First Contact is less an anthology than an arthouse collection of long-form shower thoughts, anecdotes, and tiny fever dreams. Directors Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine, and Shunichiro Miki have assembled a …

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Film Review: Freeze Me (2000)

SYNOPSIS: A woman who has fled her hometown to escape a violent encounter in her past is tracked down by her assailants five years later and must resort to her own brand of violence in order to survive. REVIEW: As someone who generally tends to avoid rape-revenge films, this was an oft-uncomfortable viewing experience for me. But it was also …

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Film Review: Be My Guest (2009)

SYNOPSIS: A peaceful family vacation on the mountainside turns deadly when a man’s disgruntled ex-employee arrives seeking a bloody revenge. REVIEW: South Korean films hold a very special place in my heart for their predilection toward genre-bending. Films like Madeo (2009) and The Wailing (2016) exquisitely blend elements of drama, horror, intrigue, and light comedy, offering film experiences that feel …

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