Welcome back for another daily horror digest! Today’s movie is from a genre I tend to like, but that I find myself being very picky about. Take a look below for that, plus a news brief and some daily trivia!
Movie of the Day
Today’s movie is Don’t Log Off. It was released on streaming yesterday, but it began production all the way back in 2020 amid the lockdowns during the pandemic. So yes, this movie is a bit of a time capsule for that weird, lonely period of time. As you might have guessed, that also means that Don’t Log Off is indeed a screenlife movie, with all of the actors performing remotely for 98% percent of the film.
The movie focuses on a group of friends having a surprise birthday party via video chat. The birthday girl, Sam, gets up to go answer her front door, but she never comes back. Her friends begin to worry, and when one of them drives over to her house to check on her, he disappears too. The remaining friends try to find out what is happening, leading to more disappearances and increasing danger.
I think Don’t Log Off is just okay. When the characters are in immediate danger, the suspense is conveyed well. But almost everything in-between those brief moments can be tough to get through. The pace is sluggish, many bizarre decisions are made, and there is a lot of arguing. The final sequences are well done, but it takes a lot of patience to get there. I also did a deeper review if you want to know more.
Personally, I enjoyed Don’t Log Off fine, but I feel like I’m pretty forgiving when it comes to screenlife movies (despite some recent examples). If you want to watch it for yourself, Don’t Log Off is available to rent on Prime Video and other transactional VOD sites.
Related Movie Recommendation
A screenlife movie similar to Don’t Log Off that I like quite a lot is Unfriended: Dark Web (2018). It’s about a guy who finds a laptop and decides to keep it. While on a video call with friends, he discovers what appear to be snuff videos in the laptop’s files. He and his friends soon realize that they’ve now all been targeted by people connected to the laptop and its contents. You can rent Unfriended: Dark Web on Prime Video.
In the News
Emmy nominations were announced, and The Last of Us received sixteen nominations in total. Other horror/thriller titles nominated are Black Mirror, What We Do in the Shadows, and The Gorge. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson will star in Robert Eggers’ Werwulf. Lily-Rose Depp is also in talks for the film. (Variety)
Vanessa and Joseph Winter, the writers and directors of Deadstream (2022), will write and direct Amityville. The movie is reported as “a radical new spin” on the original Amityville story. (Deadline)
Thea Sofie Loch Næss, who played Agnes in The Ugly Stepsister, will star in the upcoming psychological thriller CRCL9. (Deadline)
Birthdays
Rosa Salazar was born on July 16th, 1985. Rosa’s biggest role was as the title character in Alita: Battle Angel (2019), but her horror movies include a supporting role in Bird Box (2018) and as Lisa Nova in the excellent Netflix series Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021).
Also born on this day, in 1948, is Rubén Blades. Rubén’s best horror roles are as Danny Boy in Predator 2 (1990), and as Daniel Salazar in Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2023).
Other birthdays today include:
- Rachel Talalay (1958) – Director of Freddy’s Dead (1991)
- Scott Derrickson (1966) Director of The Black Phone (2021), Sinister (2012), and The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
- Milly Shapiro (2002) – Charlie in Hereditary (2018)
- Laura Margolis (1973) – the Pin-Up Girl in The Strangers (2008)
Events on This Day
On July 16, 1958, the classic sci-fi horror film The Fly was released in the United States. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, there’s a very good chance you know about the ending and the high-pitched cries of “help me!” I won’t spoil it for those who are yet to discover The Fly, but it’s an excellent film overall, made iconic by a tragic and horrifying ending. The Fly is available to rent on Prime Video.
Lake Placid was also released on July 16th, in 1999. Though it was followed by many inferior (but still fun) sequels and spinoffs, the original Lake Placid is a genuinely good comedy horror film. It’s about a gigantic crocodile living (and eating) in a lake near a quaint Maine town. The cast (Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, and Betty White) is excellent, and the movie is incredibly fun. You can stream Lake Placid on Shudder.
The conclusion to the original Fear Street trilogy was released on this day in 2021. Subtitled Part Three – 1666, the movie crosses over centuries to tell the story about how Shadyside became cursed, and how the teens in 1994 put an end to that curse for the time being. You can stream it on Netflix.
Other horror/thriller movies released on July 16th include:
- Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021)
- Amityville: It’s About Time (1992)
- The Alligator People (1959)
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
Thank you for reading! If missed my new-to-streaming article yesterday, take a look now! I’ll probably be picking from those movies for what to watch over the next couple of days.
