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Fiendish Fables (Review)

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Director – Brad Twigg (Milfs vs. Zombies, Frames of Fear)
Starring – Mackie Lou Vigal (Drug Related, Dark Awakening: A Star Wars Fan Film), Chris O’Brocki (Step Up, Stab 5), and Alex Neumeier (Nightmare Next Door, Driven to Succeed)
Release Date – 2016
Rating – 3.5/5

Tagline – “These tales are beyond grim”

When I was younger I was ashamed to say I lived in West Virginia.  When social media took off with sites like Myspace and YouTube I refused to put my location on my profiles when I would set up an account.  I did not want to be ridiculed or mocked for living in such a desolate wasteland in terms of art and culture.  That has since changed.  After I met my wife and we married I moved to a different part of the state.  I went from living in one of the poorest counties in the country to living in a tourist destination.  After I moved here I soon learned that I actually lived in a state rich with culture and art.  I was also shocked to learn that there was several indie filmmakers living in the mountain state.

One such filmmaker is Brad Twigg who has churned out several solid indie horror flicks.  Twigg is responsible for Milfs vs. Zombies andGhoulish Tales.  He recently wrapped up a new anthology film, Fiendish Fables.  He was kind enough to send a review copy my way.  Thanks man!

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**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a brother and sister who visit’s their late grandfather’s estate to speak with the real estate agent about selling the property.  While checking out the property they find an old book and open it.  They quickly learn that this was the inspiration to the ghastly stories he told them as children.  They decide to read a few before leaving the home for good.

The first story they come across follows a young woman walking through the woods when they are approached by two men who then force themselves on her but there is something far worse in the woods than two rapists.  The next story follows a two detectives that are investigating a series of murders around town.  The only connection is that they are men who cheated on their wives.  As one of the detectives gets close to one of the widows he soon realizes that it was not someone they were looking for but something.

The third story follows a young girl in college that received a mysterious scholarship.  When she approaches the professor behind her financial grants and scholarships he acts weird about the entire ordeal.  She befriends a young man who is an aspiring paranormal investigator.  They become close and he eventually tells her about her dark past and why the professor brought her to that particular college.  After reading the three stories the siblings awake to find their deceased grandfather waiting on them.**Spoiler Alert**

I love a good anthology.  I grew up on them and I get just as excited now for one just as I did as a kid.  My favorite part of an anthology is the wrap around story that bookends all the segments.  A lot of modern anthologies are just a collection of shorts that start immediately after another with no rhyme or reason.  This takes the fun out of an anthology.  Fiendish Fables was able to hold them together and make a rather impressive indie horror anthology.

The acting in this one is indie rich.  The cast shows a lot of heart and dedication to their roles but just fell a little short.  They have talent, that’s for sure, but some scenes fell a little flat in terms of acting and conviction.

The stories for this anthology is pretty fun and a great tribute to the anthology films of the 80s.  The film’s wrap around piece is something we have seen before following a central character telling stories.  This is the same concept as the original Tales from the Crypt movie, as well as, The Offspring, and the television shows Tales from the Crypt and Are You Afraid of the Dark.  It may not be that original but it is still a fun way to bring an anthology together.

The segments are all equally as fun.  The first segment was probably the most brutal but is also the shortest.  The other two segments are a lot longer and take us in two different directions.  The first of these was a creature feature that I was just not expecting.  It was great and had a surprising shock ending.  The last segment was fun and couldn’t have been the crowning jewel of the film but did not follow up on the cult angle.  It was still fun but a missed opportunity in my opinion.

Finally, this no budget horror film has several on screen kills that will satisfy any blood lust you may have.  The kills are bloody and gruesome and the effects are fun.  They are cheap considering the film’s budget but Twigg and company refuse to let a little thing like budget from stopping them.  There is plenty of blood and some nice gore.  Overall Fiendish Fables is a trip to a time when anthologies was a staple in every horror fan’s late night movie marathon.  It has monsters, beautiful women, and blood thirsty killers.  Check out this no budget nightmare immediately.

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Blacktooth

(Staff Writer) Lover of all things horror and metal. Also likes boobs and booze.

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