Good Boy started with a simple high concept: a haunted house film, where the main character is the family dog–and the only one who can see the forces that haunt us. Our canine hero, Indy, finds himself on a new adventure with his human—and best friend—Todd, leaving city life for a long-vacant family home in the country. After moving in, Indy is immediately vexed by empty corners, tracks an invisible presence, perceives phantasmagoric warnings from a long-dead dog, and is haunted by visions of the previous occupant’s grim death. When Todd begins succumbing to the dark forces swirling around the house, Indy must battle a malevolence intent on dragging his beloved Todd into the afterlife!
Director: Ben Leonberg Producers: Kari Fischer, Ben Leonberg Screenwriters: Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg Cast: Indy, Shane Jensen, Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin, Anya Krawcheck, Max
The PlayStation favorite will haunt big screens this spring.
by Michael Gingold from Rue Morgue: Sony Pictures/Screen Gems releases UNTIL DAWN exclusively to theaters April 25. Based on the hit video game written by Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick, it was directed by David F. Sandberg (LIGHTS OUT, ANNABELLE: CREATION) from a script by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman (IT), and stars Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’Zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell and Peter Stormare. The synopsis: “One year after her sister Melanie mysteriously disappeared, Clover [Rubin] and her friends head into the remote valley where she vanished in search of answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they find themselves stalked by a masked killer and horrifically murdered one by one…only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning of the same evening. Trapped in the valley, they’re forced to relive the nightmare again and again–only each time the killer threat is different, each more terrifying than the last. Hope dwindling, the group soon realizes they have a limited number of deaths left, and the only way to escape is to survive until dawn.”
I have always tried to understand the way a society might look that was just and fair and effective. I’ve let those questions creep into my artistic impulses in both music and movies. But an artist doesn’t want to be defined as having a political agenda and so I have insisted that the political is personal for me.
I wrote the disconnex website in 2016, the result of decades of musings about the troubles in the world. I rarely publicize it because in fact I am not a political animal. I am interested in the philosophy of living and the limitations of human discourse.
What a strange time in history we are in when on the same day we coronate such an onerous group of right wing leaders in Washington, we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose quote “Judge me not for the color of my skin but the content of my character” is now rejected by many on the left.
You tell me if you see any hope here. Good luck. —LF
With Wolf Man now in theaters, we’re taking a look at ten fun werewolf movies from the past decade that deserve more love. BY MICHAEL CONWAY
BLACKOUT Directed by Larry Fessenden
Larry Fessenden’s Blackout is a moody, character-driven exploration of werewolf mythology set against the backdrop of a small town during a blackout. The story follows Charley, an artist struggling with his darker urges, as he faces the dual challenges of self-control and an increasingly paranoid community.
What makes Blackout unique is its emphasis on psychological horror and small-town dynamics. Fessenden brings his indie sensibilities to the film, crafting a deeply human story that examines guilt, morality, and the monster within. The practical effects, including gruesome werewolf transformations, are top-notch, and the film’s intimate scale makes its scares feel personal.
Streaming on Tubi
LATE PHASES Directed by Adrián García Bogliano
Late Phases centers on Ambrose, a blind Vietnam veteran who moves to a retirement community plagued by mysterious animal attacks. The film masterfully combines poignant drama with old-school horror, as Ambrose—a grizzled but determined protagonist—sets out to uncover the truth and protect his neighbors.
Nick Damici gives a powerhouse performance as Ambrose, capturing both his physical limitations and his indomitable spirit. And, of course, our favorite stoner record store employee, Ethan Embry, is also a standout. Seriously, this dude needs a resurgence. The film’s werewolf transformations are delightfully practical, harkening back to the genre’s heyday, while its exploration of aging and isolation adds emotional depth. Late Phases is a rare gem that balances heartfelt storytelling with bloody thrills.
In honor of the Wolf Man remake, we brave the edges of werewolf cinema where things get a little hairy. By Matthew Jackson
Blackout (2023)
Indie horror legend Larry Fessenden took on werewolf cinema with this low-budget gem, pulling apart not just how difficult being a werewolf would be physically, but how it would affect someone psychologically during the daylight hours. The story of an alcoholic artist who’s realized that he kills with every full moon, Blackout plays all the werewolf hits, and then digs deeper. If you realized you were a werewolf, what would you do? Would you turn yourself in? Would you reckon with your own legacy? Would you do some strange combination of making amends and self-flagellation? Fessenden’s film, carried along by a wonderful lead performance from Alex Hurt, asks all of these questions and more, granting an added emotional dimension to well-worn concepts, while also never letting up on the horror throttle.
If you need more lycanthrope action after watching the new Wolf Man currently in theaters, we have you covered. All of the werewolf films listed below are streaming for free right now on Tubi. by Chris Catt
#2 BLACKOUT Blackout crafts a modern spin on a classic monster. Charley (Alex Hurt) is an alcoholic struggling with depression, and he is convinced that he has been hurting people as a werewolf. He’s come to the decision to take drastic action to stop himself, but before he ends it all, he tries to do some good for the people of his community. Written and directed by Larry Fessenden, Blackout is the filmmaker’s second modern take on a classic monster after his 2019 Frankenstein film titled Depraved
Description: In a run-down small-town between Miami and the Everglades, Cozy (Lisa Bowman), a dissatisfied housewife, longs for an adventure. One night, at a nearby bar, she meets Lee Ray (Larry Fessenden), an equally disaffected handyman who’s never left home. As sparks fly between them, a gun accidentally goes off. Thinking they have committed murder, the pair decide to flee, but their naive natures and limited bank balances mean they don’t get very far. Cleverly playing on procedural drama tropes, Kelly Reichardt’s remarkably assured debut feature showcases her keen eye for observing the unsaid in this story about the stories we tell ourselves to escape the banality of everyday life.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
2K RESTORATION by Oscilloscope Laboratories
Uncompressed stereo PCM audio
Audio commentary by Kelly Reichardt and Larry Fessenden
Audio interview with writer and curator So Mayer (2024)
Larry Fessenden: Invisible Man, Renaissance Man, Monstrous Midwife – a visual essay by critic Anton Bitel on the career of actor and producer Larry Fessenden including his work with Reichardt and other independent filmmakers (2024)
“Drive-by” outtakes
Restoration featurette
Trailer
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet with new writing by Caitlin Quinlan
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
10 Best Movies Set In Alaska, Ranked By Rob Hunter
Every state has its own histories, landscapes, and stories worth telling, but some lend themselves to more visually stimulating tales than others. There are bland-looking states that shall remain unnamed, and then there are ones that feel intriguing and inviting no matter which way the camera’s pointed. Hawaii is an obvious pick on that count, but Alaska gives it a real run for the top spot. It is an endlessly stunning place to be with natural beauty staring you down from every direction. That beauty can come at a cost, though, as nature can be both unrelenting and unforgiving.
That reality, when coupled with the vast size of the state and a sparse population, leaves it ripe for drama, danger, and stories about isolation both intentional and otherwise. It’s a place where a detective can be driven mad by the lack of night (“Insomnia”), a humorously inappropriate romance can take hold (“The Proposal”), and an amateur hockey team can win big (“Mystery, Alaska”). None of those films landed in our top 10 movies set in Alaska, though, so keep reading to see what titles made the cut.
#9 THE LAST WINTER
A small group of oil company employees work to establish a base in the Arctic National Refuge with plans on drilling for black gold. The earth and nature itself seem to have other ideas.
Comparisons to John Carpenter’s masterpiece, “The Thing,” are inevitable given the location and setup, but these are wholly different beasts. The alien threat in Fessenden’s film comes from within, and it rises in a slower, far from tangible form. The only monster here is humankind’ voracious appetite for environmental destruction, and as the Earth strikes back with madness and paranoia, it serves to highlight our absolute culpability in the climate change that might ultimately be our downfall. Fittingly then, it’s a downer of a film serving as a cautionary tale even as it suggests we’re too late to fix the problem.
Larry Fessenden’s “The Last Winter” wears its eco-horror label loud and proud in the guise of a slow-burn thriller that scratches a very specific genre itch. Cinematographer G. Magni Agustsson takes fantastic advantage of filming locations in Alaska and Iceland to capture the stark beauty of an unforgiving landscape. The cast does great work giving the group a lived-in feel with familiar faces like Ron Perlman, Connie Britton, and James Le Gros as the one who first suspects that Mother Nature is done taking crap from humans. As with “The Thing,” the ending is a bit ambiguous, but we know one thing: A change is needed.
Glass Eye Pix is the fierce independent NYC-based production outfit headed by award-winning art-horror auteur Larry Fessenden with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts. Read more...
