Director(s)- Jacob Perrett (Weird Fiction) and Taylor Rhoades
Starring – Taylor Rhoades (Weird Fiction), Derric Hyde, and Rose Stainbrook
Release Date – 2019
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “Dance until you drop…dead”
Every October for as long as I can remember I hunt and hunt and hunt for Halloween movies to check out. This year I gave that up in order to go on a horror movie spree and so far this has been so fucking entertaining. As of typing this I have watched 16 movies in just 6 days.
A week or so ago I was browsing indie horror movie hashtags on Instagram when I came across a post from Taylor Rhoades. He is the co-director and actor in the Halloween-centric horror anthology Spine Chiller. I reached out to him and he was kind enough to hook me up with a link to their press cut of film. I’m glad I reached out to him because this was a really fun one.
**Spoiler Alert**The film is centered around an upcoming Halloween dance called the Spine Chiller and the locals are preparing for it. People all around town are encountering supernatural moments that places them in serious danger. The first story follows a horror host who finds himself face to face with a masked killer that has already racked up a body count. The second follows a babysitter who gets more than she bargained for when she disregards her employers wishes to stay out of the basement and becomes stalked by the undead. The third tale follows two twenty-somethings that learn that you should always check your Halloween candy before you eat it. The next story follows a young man that ordered his Halloween costume online but was missing the mask. After trying the pieces on he quickly learns why the mask was not included. The last tale follows the horror host from earlier as he goes to the Spine Chiller dance only to find more costume killers looking to draw blood.**Spoiler Alert**
I love indie horror and I love horror movies from directors that are passionate about the Halloween season. Over the years I’ve found myself watching more children’s Halloween films over horror movies because they rarely feel authentic to the season. I’m not exaggerating in the least. So many modern horror movies about Halloween just don’t feel as Halloweenie as movies like Double Double Toil & Trouble and The Worst Witch. Call me stupid but that’s where I stand. With that being said, the last few years I’ve found a few Halloween horror movies that just embodies fall and really gets the Halloween season going. Movies like Witching Season and Baron Von Laugho’s Halloween Spook-A-Thon just to name a few. I can now add Spine Chillers to that list because it was very entertaining and just reeked of Halloween.
The acting in this one is pretty solid but there is some room for improvement. None of the characters really stand out which is a good thing with the way the film is orchestrated. The entire cast looks great and works great together. Some of the scenes were a little awkward but nothing that drags the film down.
The stories for these all work but some are a little more entertaining than others. For the sake of time I’ll mention that the werewolf segment is by far my favorite in the film but they all have their own redeeming qualities. They all embody the Halloween season and really get the viewer in the spirit. The film could use a little tighter editing or possibly a segment that connected them all together a little better but still works for what it is.
Finally, if you want gore you wont find it here. Well, maybe a little but not enough to really stand out. This Halloween anthology hinges on the Halloween fun instead of gore and it works. We do get a little gore later in the film that looks surprisingly well done and the practical effects are decent considering the film’s budget. Overall, Spine Chiller is the Halloween film you are looking for. This movie is fall on film and captures that October feel perfectly. Toss this one in if you want a movie to put you in the Halloween spirit.
