Panic Fest 2023 | Slay Away

REVIEWS

[CFF Review] THE HAUNTING OF HYPE HOUSE is a Supernatural Social Commentary Struggles to Impress

[Review] HUNT CLUB is Feminist Revenge Horror Prevailing Over Society’s Alpha Male

[CFF Review] HELL HATH NO FURY is a Murder Comedy of Errors

1985: The Year of the Homoerotic Horror Film

How A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET formed a Child's Understanding of Art

BRAIN DAMAGE: Celebrating 35 Years of Gay Phallic Worship

[Decoding Evil] When Passion Becomes a Prison for THE MENU’s Chef Slowik

[Interview] CLOCK Editor Alexandra Amick on Telling Female Stories and Maternal Horror

[Interview] A Conversation with BURY THE BRIDE Actor and Producer Chaz Bono

[Interview] A Conversation with Bury The Bride Co-Writer and Star, Krsy Fox

[Interview] A Conversation with Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls Director Andrew Bowser

[True Horror] The Portrayal of Human Trafficking in EDEN and How We Discuss Victimization

[Death Creeps] Death’s Blanket and THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER

[Slay The Date] Bloody Good Characters and The Superior Performances in Bob Clark’s Black Christmas

[Decoding Evil] A Study of Michael Myers and the Halloween Film Series

ALL FEATURES

[Panic Fest Review] BLACK MOLD is a Study of Fear and the Decaying Mind

E. L. King

May 15, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] BLACK MOLD is a Study of Fear and the Decaying Mind

Like a decaying body in a rural field, the abandoned buildings scattered across the country decay, rot, and decompose, eaten away by...

[Panic Fest Review] BLISS OF EVIL is a Queer Horror Mystery With a Rock and Roll Sound

Dani Shembesh

May 9, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] BLISS OF EVIL is a Queer Horror Mystery With a Rock and Roll Sound

Bliss of Evil is rather enjoyable, with several important things to say about why evil people do terrible things.

[Panic Fest Review] BLUE HOUR Proves What is Lost Should Not Always Be Found

Dani Shembesh

May 4, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] BLUE HOUR Proves What is Lost Should Not Always Be Found

As found footage horror films go, Blue Hour establishes a curious mystery and an ending that gives its audience a modicum of closure.

[Panic Fest Review] AGATHA is Allegorical Horror’s Industrial Wasteland

Dani Shembesh

Apr 30, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] AGATHA is Allegorical Horror’s Industrial Wasteland

Told as a series of Victorianesque vignettes, Agatha is a novel approach to hushed occult horror.

[Panic Fest Review] ABRUPTIO is a Bizzare, Lurid, and Dark Drama

Mitchell Brown

Apr 30, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] ABRUPTIO is a Bizzare, Lurid, and Dark Drama

Marlowe’s nearly ten-year-long passion project blends bizarre visuals, lurid violence, and the dark personal drama of a troubled character.

[Panic Fest Review] INVOKING YELL is Found Footage Rife with Narcissism and Misandry

Dani Shembesh

Apr 29, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] INVOKING YELL is Found Footage Rife with Narcissism and Misandry

Ambitiously filmed throughout one weekend, Invoking Yell is a unique addition to the genre.

[Panic Fest Review] THAT’S OUR TIME is a Bittersweet Reflection on Humanity and Loss

Dani Shembesh

Apr 29, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] THAT’S OUR TIME is a Bittersweet Reflection on Humanity and Loss

The horror lies within the deep-rooted grief and loneliness that pervade Danny’s world. The film doesn't need to scream to be heard.

[Panic Fest Review] RAZZENNEST is a Unique Arthouse Horror Experience

Sarah Kirk

Apr 28, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] RAZZENNEST is a Unique Arthouse Horror Experience

Grenzfurthner’s avant-garde approach may be too offbeat for some, but it should be applauded for its creativity and innovative direction.

[Panic Fest Review] THE INTERNET REMAINS UNDEFEATED Reveals the Internet is a Scary Place

Dani Shembesh

Apr 28, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] THE INTERNET REMAINS UNDEFEATED Reveals the Internet is a Scary Place

Buoyed by its small but effective cast, creative storyline, and Connaughton's impressive cinematography, the film is utterly unforgettable.

[Panic Fest Review] NIGHTMARE AT CAMP BLOODBATH is an Irreverent Horror Comedy at its Bloody Best

Dani Shembesh

Apr 28, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] NIGHTMARE AT CAMP BLOODBATH is an Irreverent Horror Comedy at its Bloody Best

Entertaining and irreverent, Dylan Arnow's Nightmare at Camp Bloodbath is both a parody and a tribute to beloved classics.

[Panic Fest Review] CHICKS Depicts the Raw and Regurgitative Bonds of Sisterhood

Dani Shembesh

Apr 24, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] CHICKS Depicts the Raw and Regurgitative Bonds of Sisterhood

Enveloped in a hot pink fever dream, Geena Hernandez's short Chicks is a provocative exploration of freedom, femininity, and empowerment.

Dani Shembesh

Apr 22, 2023

[Interview] A Conversation with BURY THE BRIDE Actor and Producer Chaz Bono

Dani Shembesh interviews Chaz Bono to discuss his career and his complex character in Bury The Bride.

[Panic Fest Review] FENG SHUI is a Clever and Frightening Twist on Home Invasion

Dani Shembesh

Apr 21, 2023

[Panic Fest Review] FENG SHUI is a Clever and Frightening Twist on Home Invasion

The film reflects an uncomfortable uncertainty: are we ever truly alone, and would we ever know otherwise?

[Panic Fest] LACED Review – Queer Villainy and Toxic Relationships on a Cold Winter's Night

E. L. King

Apr 21, 2023

[Panic Fest] LACED Review – Queer Villainy and Toxic Relationships on a Cold Winter's Night

While its story isn’t unique, Laced is well executed — saved by impeccable performances, direction, and visually rousing cinematography.

[Panic Fest] THE ONCE AND FUTURE SMASH Review - Before Leatherface, There Was Smash Mouth

Mitchell Brown

Apr 20, 2023

[Panic Fest] THE ONCE AND FUTURE SMASH Review - Before Leatherface, There Was Smash Mouth

It's funny, self-aware, and full of fun nods to horror genre trends — historical and contemporary, both factual and fabricated.

[Panic Fest] BLACK DRAGON Review – A Forceful and Unflinching Look at the Brutality of War

Dani Shembesh

Apr 20, 2023

[Panic Fest] BLACK DRAGON Review – A Forceful and Unflinching Look at the Brutality of War

Defiant and intense, Black Dragon's forceful, unflinching look into the morality (or lack thereof) of war is divisive and electric.

[Panic Fest] THE FORE-MEN Review – Existential Loneliness is the Heart of Adrian Bobb's Sci-Fi Short

Dani Shembesh

Apr 19, 2023

[Panic Fest] THE FORE-MEN Review – Existential Loneliness is the Heart of Adrian Bobb's Sci-Fi Short

Sci-Fi Horror short, The Fore-Men, delivers a viciously lonely view of what the world might be like if humans were at their worst.

[Panic Fest] TRIM SEASON Review – Uterine Horror's Neoteric Mother Crone Comes in Blazing

E. L. King

Apr 19, 2023

[Panic Fest] TRIM SEASON Review – Uterine Horror's Neoteric Mother Crone Comes in Blazing

Trim Season is an abundantly entertaining horror film. Vida plays on familiar Folk Horror tropes while remaining fresh in her execution.

[Panic Fest] BURY THE BRIDE Review – The Hunters, the Wolves, and the Dangers of Falling in Love

Dani Shembesh

Apr 18, 2023

[Panic Fest] BURY THE BRIDE Review – The Hunters, the Wolves, and the Dangers of Falling in Love

Bury The Bride's well-balanced pacing, intriguing narrative, surprises, and well-built tension, create a film that thrills.

E. L. King

Apr 17, 2023

[Interview] A Conversation with Bury The Bride Co-Writer and Star, Krsy Fox

E.L. King (Slay Away) interviews co-writer of Bury The Bride, Krsy Fox at Panic Fest 2023.

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