Table of Contents
Welcome back to Creepy Catalog’s daily horror digest! It’s back to binging on movies, and I have another triple-feature today. Unfortunately, it didn’t go so well, but that’s all part of the process. Take a look at my quick reviews for three new movies below, and keep reading for daily news and trivia!
Movies of the Day
River of Blood
Star Rating: 2 out of 5 (kind of bad)
I was looking forward to River of Blood. I have a fascination with the cannibal exploitation movies from the late 1970s and into the 1980s, and this seemed to want to be seen in a similar vein. I didn’t expect anything like those movies from decades ago, but I was hoping for at least something like a knock-off Green Inferno. Instead, River of Blood is a jungle adventure with relationship drama, a bit of gore, and an underwhelming story.
River of Blood is about two couples kayaking in Southeast Asia (they don’t tell us the country, there’s just generic on-screen text that says “Southeast Asia”) when they run into a tribe of cannibals. The biggest issue I have with the story is that the biggest jerk in the movie gets to be a hero, and the woman who seemed like the protagonist barely does anything. She’s just along for the ride. Also, the CGI blood sprays are distracting. A decent amount of practical effects are used, but they’re sometimes undercut by the CGI. More practical gore would have helped this movie immensely. River of Blood is a digital rental on Prime Video.
No Tears in Hell
Star Rating: 2 out of 5 (kind of bad)
No Tears in Hell is about a serial killer who preys on people living in extreme poverty. The killer, Alex, has help from his mother to clean up and cover up his actions. Alex also enjoys cooking and eating his victims. The character has potential to be interesting, but the movie lacks tension. For one thing, the pacing is glacial. Alex narrates as he lives his life and brings a few victims into his apartment, but that’s all the movie really does.
There’s an attempt to get into Alex’s head and explain his madness, but it’s underdeveloped. There’s also a police presence looking into the disappearances caused by Alex, but again, it’s underdeveloped and never feels particularly urgent or dramatic. No Tears in Hell just doesn’t have much going on, and it’s not stylish nor brutal enough to make up for the lack of story. On the positive side, Luke Baines is good as Alex, and the gore effects are decent for the budget (there should have been more though). Rent No Tears in Hell on Prime Video.
Into Nightmares
Star Rating: 1.5 out of 5 (bad)
Into Nightmares begins with a father, Warren, receiving news that his daughter’s body has been found. Warren’s son takes him to a nursing home, and while there Warren suffers from sleep paralysis. He begins seeing a dark presence while paralyzed, and when other residents go missing, he suspects the staff of harboring dark secrets. The basic idea of Into Nightmares is good, and the creature Warren sees looks sufficiently creepy. However, the directing and acting are so stiff and stilted that it’s difficult to get into the story. I found myself losing interest quickly because of it. Into Nightmares is available to rent on Prime Video.
In the News
- Fantastic Fest has released their 2025 lineup of films. The festival takes place in Austin, TX from September 18th to the 25th. You can see the full schedule on their site.
- Mason Gooding (Chad Meeks-Martin in the Scream franchise) describes Scream 7 as “domestic,” “homely,” and “unconventional.” Plot details are still under wraps. (Deadline)
- The Duffer brothers, creators of Stranger Things, are in talks to sign a deal with Paramount to create new movies and shows. (Variety)
- Vicious, starring Dakota Fanning, will now be released on Paramount+ after previously being pulled from its expected theatrical date. Vicious is the upcoming film from The Strangers creator Bryan Bertino. No date for its release has been announced. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Birthdays
Natasha Henstridge was born on August 15th, 1974. Natasha made a big impact on science fiction and horror with her feature-film debut as the human/alien hybrid Sil in Species (1995). She also starred in Species II (1998), and she had a cameo in Species III (2004). Natasha’s acting career includes all genres, but she regularly returns to horror and thrillers, most recently in House of Abraham (2025) and Cinderella’s Revenge (2024).
Also born on August 15th, in 1985, is Emily Kinney. Emily played Beth Greene in The Walking Dead from season two until season five.
More birthdays on August 15th:
- Lou Perryman (1941) – L.G. McPeters in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Ann Biderman (1951) – Co-writer of Copycat (1995) and Primal Fear (1996)
- Anthony Anderson (1970) – Scream 4 (2011), The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
- Jennifer Lawrence (1990) – House at the End of the Street (2012), Mother! (2017)
Events on This Day
Event Horizon was released in US theaters on August 15th, 1997. Though it didn’t fare well at the box office (it failed to make back its budget), people who enjoy good sci-fi horror knew what a gem Event Horizon is. The film gained a cult following after its release on home video, and it remains popular today. There’s even a prequel comic-book series coming out next week (August 20th).
David Cronenberg’s The Fly was also released on August 15th, in 1986. This body-horror classic won an Academy Award for Best Makeup in 1987, beating The Clan of the Cave Bear and Legend. A sequel was released in 1989 which follows Seth and Veronica’s son, but David Cronenberg wasn’t involved, and only John Getz returned to reprise his role from the 1986 film (as Stathis Borans).
Freddy vs. Jason also came out in US theaters on August 15th, in 2003. It is the eighth movie in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and the eleventh movie in the Friday the 13th franchise. Directed by Ronny Yu, Freddy vs. Jason is a blast. It also served as the last movie of each franchise’s original run before they both had remakes a few years later (2009 for Friday, 2010 for Nightmare).
That’s all for today! Hopefully tomorrow’s batch of movies will be better than today’s.
