The Centipede Strangler (2025) | Feels less like a movie and more like an excuse to grope actresses with Halloween props. 66 minutes felt eternal. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 1.3/10. I put The Centipede Strangler on my watchlist for one noble reason - it was 66 minutes long. That felt survivable. That was before I realized it was another Jamie Grefe joint and before the Cinema Epoch logo crawled onto the screen like a bad rash. At that exact moment, my soul tried to strangle itself.

The description promises something vaguely horror-adjacent. A psychic investigator is driven to madness after being hired to track a killer obsessed with centipedes. Which sounds like it might involve, I don’t know, centipedes, killing, or strangling. Silly me. What it actually involves is the same Jamie Grefe greatest hits package we’ve suffered through before - pervy camera work, zero blood, zero tension, and a profound misunderstanding of what words mean. “Strangler,” for instance, appears to mean “guy who awkwardly presses a rubber centipede onto women while they twitch.”

It opens with a woman having bad dreams, and once she wakes up, the real nightmare begins. The audio. It genuinely sounds like the microphone was placed inside a running washing machine filled with pillows. Someone whispers “centipede” ominously, as if that alone is supposed to do the heavy lifting. It doesn’t. It matters about as much as the red static rising effect, which also goes completely unexplained, like the repeated fake-orgasm-slash-possession scenes that just keep happening because… reasons?

Ah yes, the latex mask returns, that old Grefe staple, looking like it was pulled from a Spirit Halloween clearance bin. Enter the rubber centipede, the exact one you bought as a prank to scare six-year-olds. The actors seem unsure whether they’re supposed to laugh, convulse, or call an ambulance as latex boy gently fondles them with it. Seizures occur. No explanation follows. Characters vanish via what looks suspiciously like someone hitting pause and record. Still no strangling.

Once the washing machine mic is finally shut off, we’re treated to a constant, droning hum that never leaves, like tinnitus with a budget. By this point, I genuinely wondered whether to feel sorry for the actresses. Does Grefe just lie to them? Is there a script? Did anyone ask why nobody actually dies, or gets strangled, or why this feels less like a horror film and more like an excuse to grope people on camera?

The “effects” eventually escalate to fake worms from Bikini Guillotine slithering over someone for absolutely no reason, confirming that the entire special effects budget was spent at a local bait shop. The performers drift around like performance art without the performance, the art, or the talent.

The Centipede Strangler (2025)

Let me be crystal clear. If you see the Cinema Epoch logo, proceed with extreme caution. If Jamie Grefe’s name is attached, avoid it like the plague. The Centipede Strangler earns its #turkey rating by failing to strangle and failing at cinema on every conceivable level. The real horror is that this keeps happening, and that somehow he got these women to take their tops off.

https://jackmeat.com/the-centipede-strangler-2025/

Death Count (2022) | A Saw-lite online nightmare where likes mean survival, proving once again that social media was a mistake. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.1/10. Death Count is one of those movies that’s been quietly loitering on my watchlist like a sketchy guy outside a convenience store, and curiosity finally won. The premise is simple, cruel, and very online. Strangers wake up in individual cells, collars locked around their necks, and if they don’t earn enough internet “likes,” they die horribly. Because of course they do. Nothing says modern horror quite like social media deciding whether you live or get turned into abstract art. And for being strangers as the description tells us, they seemed to know each other real quickly.

We kick off with Sarah French waking up in her cell, confused, restrained, and immediately having a worse morning than anyone who’s ever overslept for work. She quickly realizes she’s not alone, and soon the rules of the game are laid out by the warden, played by Costas Mandylor, who once again proves he has a permanent reservation in “authoritative creep” roles. One of the rules is promptly ignored by Robert LaSardo, because someone always has to test the system. This earns him a swift, painful lesson in compliance and a headache you definitely can’t fix with aspirin.

From there, the movie leans hard into its Saw-lite DNA. Non-compliance results in nasty ejections from the game, and yes, the gore factor is alive and well. The traps and challenges revolve around self-mutilation, disfigurement, and generally doing things to your own body that would make even a tattoo artist back away slowly. Every time that obnoxious siren blares, it’s time for another round of unplanned “body modification,” all while a live audience watches, votes, and pretends this is somehow entertainment.

Once the stream hits the internet, the police get involved, with Michael Madsen showing up as Detective Casey, looking like he wandered in from a completely different movie but decided to stay anyway. The participants must escalate their grotesque performances to earn votes, because subtlety does not win likes. I did briefly wonder why one character didn’t just exploit the internet’s oldest weakness sooner - let’s be honest, boobs will always get votes. Spoiler: the movie eventually agrees with me, just far later than expected.

Between rounds of bodily harm, the film drops in the motivation behind the whole ordeal. Revenge. The backstory is revealed piece by piece, and while the reason for staging this elaborate murder-livestream feels wildly disproportionate to the original offense, that’s pretty much how these movies operate. Everything takes place inside an abandoned warehouse, which keeps the budget low and the scenery nonexistent, though some fake news clips and post-event interviews try to sell the realism and underline the internet’s moral rot.

The ending leans into sequel-bait territory and gets a bit hokey, but by that point, you know exactly what kind of ride you signed up for. Death Count isn’t here for deep character work or a compelling moral thesis. It’s here for brutality, gimmicks, and social media satire with a blunt object. If you’re into Saw-like carnage and don’t need a strong motive to enjoy the bloodshed, this one will scratch that itch. If not, you might want to log out.

Death Count (2022)

I saw the Mahal Empire logo at the beginning and realized I had missed hearing from my buddy Sonny Mahal, so I emailed Sonny around Halloween. On a sad note, he informed me his brother, Michael, who also produced this film, passed away several months back. RIP Mr. Mahal.

https://jackmeat.com/death-count-2022/

Bullet in the Head (1990) | Beneath the gunfights lies a tragic tale of friendship destroyed, proving Bullet in the Head remains powerful even decades later. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 8.1/10. A movie that is perhaps overshadowed in John Woo’s filmography for its momentous gunplay in Hard Boiled or The Killer, Bullet in the Head may just be his most emotionally brutal film. What first appears to be a purely action-oriented film on its surface is, in fact, a harsh story of friendship, loyalty, and how fast things fall apart when blood, money, and war are added to the mixture.

The initial situation is simple enough. It’s 1967, and three young friends are just ambling about, dancing, fighting for sport, and talking about a bright future to come. Ben (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) is the emotional anchor, and Woo takes a while to show these normal-life experiences - visits from family, idle bluster, young invincibility - when disaster strikes and they must flee not only the city, but the entire country of Hong Kong because they are guilty of a murder resulting from a fight with a local gang.

The action is ferocious and impeccably choreographed, but what really hits is the contrast Woo creates. One minute you're watching skillfully choreographed hand-to-hand combat or adrenaline-fueled gunfights, and the next you're placed in the position to deal with the consequences and repercussions of violence that can never be reversed. The score may border on melodrama in some aspects but finds perfect harmony in this film and the corruption and guilt that seeps in as a consequence of the first wrong step.

Vietnam itself functions less as a political lecture and more as a pressure cooker. The trio gets tangled in a gang war involving a corrupt leader and the kidnapping of Chinese celebrity Sally Yan Sau Ching (Yolinda Yam), before stumbling into the much larger machinery of the actual war. Their gold heist accidentally implicates them as CIA operatives, leading to capture, torture, and some genuinely harrowing scenes involving POW executions, often punctuated by the film’s chilling motif - a bullet to the head. Woo doesn’t flinch here, and the violence feels intentionally ugly rather than stylish.

There’s no doubt that there’s an Apocalypse Now influence, especially regarding the American forces, but Woo expresses it in his own operatic way. Money becomes the ultimate corrosive element, pushing relationships that were already on the edge to their limits. There’s no trust left, just desperation, and loyalty turns out to be more brittle than anyone cared to believe.

Even decades later, Bullet in the Head remains on my must-see list when anyone asks. The 4K release wisely restores the extended ending, which fully commits to Woo’s bleak, furious view of betrayal and broken bonds. Compared to the shorter alternate ending, this version lands with far more destruction. In the end, this isn’t just John Woo doing Vietnam. It’s Woo at his most merciless, crafting a war drama with the impact of The Deer Hunter and reminding us why he remains the true godfather of action cinema.

Bullet in the Head (1990)

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Descendent (2025) | A slow-burn sci-fi thriller where uncertainty fuels dread as a traumatized man questions whether he was abducted or just broken. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.7/10. Descendent is one of those movies that actually reels you in with atmosphere, tough performances, and a truly creepy concept, only to utterly blow it when it counts. But for a while, it's an effective slow burn for a sci-fi/psychological thriller that knows how to get under your skin.

The story centers on Sean (Ross Marquand), who is stuck in a dead-end security guard position while awaiting the arrival of his child with his pregnant partner, Andrea (Sarah Bolger). One evening while on duty, Sean notices an unusual light in the sky, falls off the roof, and finds himself in the hospital with no explanation of what actually happened. In his world, Sean’s reality begins to unravel as he suffers visions from alien creatures, nightmare sequences, and random physical changes such as his keen sense of hearing and the compulsion to draw nightmare pictures.

Marquand absolutely carries this movie. If your main exposure to him has been The Walking Dead such as me, this performance should surprise you. He holds Descendent together through sheer commitment, selling Sean’s confusion and obsession as his grip on reality slowly loosens. Wisely, director Peter Cilella keeps most of his focus on Sean's internal struggle, documenting his descent through fractured dreams and increasingly tense arguments with Andrea. Bolger is also very good, keeping things in focus as a supportive spouse who slowly realizes something is deeply wrong. Her performance feels natural and believable, even as the story becomes more abstract.

Visually, Descendent has some genuinely creepy moments. The alien imagery and dream sequences are frightening yet don't go too far. Nor is the uncertainty about whether Sean is dealing with real trauma or something more extraterrestrial for the most part. In fact, I think the line between what is going on has got to be one of its strongest points, as I was left guessing about everything, for the most part.

Unfortunately, that's where the bottom falls out. Without getting into spoilers, the film makes choices that feel like it completely disregards the careful build-up. Any theories or emotional attachment you may have developed gets tossed in the trash and replaced with this unsatisfying ending that feels rushed and basically disconnected from the rest of the movie. It’s frustrating, especially because Descendent had done so much right up to that point.

This is one of those cases where strong acting and atmosphere simply can’t save a weak script. Perhaps this was more effective on the page, but on screen, it does not land. I walked out of this feeling more annoyed than interested. Kind of a shame, given the promising start this flick had.

Descendent (2025)

Worth watching for the performances and mood, but don’t expect a payoff that matches the buildup.

https://jackmeat.com/descendent-2025/

Nightmare City (1980) | Fans of the Italian zombie genre of the early 80s are clearly the target audience for this forgettable entry into a crowded field. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.1/10. I’ve always been a fan of City of the Living Dead (aka Gates of Hell), so it’s no surprise that Nightmare City (aka City of the Walking Dead) ended up on my radar, especially given how often the two are compared. On the surface of things, of course, this appears to be simply another gloriously bonkers zombie flick from that great nation of Italy. An airplane is irradiated en route, lands for reasons that are unclear, and out come the bloodthirsty undead to wreak havoc across rural Italy. These aren’t your slow, shambling undead either. These ones run, think, and most importantly, use weapons. Knives, guns, whatever’s lying around… apparently, radiation unlocks a full arsenal.

It is a premise that offers the possibility for complete and utter madness, violence, and just plain old-fashioned, gory brawl hell, but, alas, the execution is not quite what it should be. The plot is quickly thrown into complete disarray, veering wildly from point to point without rhyme or reason. Characters come and go with minimal development, and it’s hard to feel invested when the film itself doesn’t seem particularly interested in focusing on what is playing out. The pacing doesn’t help either, with bursts of frantic violence followed by oddly sluggish stretches that grind the energy to a halt at the worst possible times.

When Nightmare City really leans into its zombie rampage moments, it does indeed offer the prerequisite gore and brutality: limbs are slashed, throats cut, and the body count rises steadily. However, kills are mostly blunt and functional, relying more on their shock value than any semblance of tension or atmosphere built up to them. There's very little of that creeping dread that defines stronger entries in Italian horror, and the constant barrage of violence starts feeling repetitive rather than unsettling. An idea of zombies wielding weapons is somewhat novel and at times amusing, but without some stronger storytelling to back that gimmick up, it doesn't really land.

On the visual front, the movie has the definite look and feel of 80s-era Italian horror, and the special effects and zombie makeup, while a little tacky, are actually fairly decent for a low-budget production and exude a certain level of grimy, rock-and-roll authenticity. In terms of cinematography and production values, it is beyond a doubt that the movie is, to a certain extent, a product of its own era and might present a bit of a problem for a more modern viewing public.

Ultimately, Nightmare City feels like a film with a great hook that never figures out how to use it effectively. I find it difficult to classify among the better-remembered Italian zombie movies for these very reasons, among others. While there is some nostalgic fun for fans of the genre, Nightmare City is an experience that will be over and done with once the radioactive ash has settled.

Nightmare City (1980)

https://jackmeat.com/nightmare-city-1980/

Sleepwalker (2026) | A grief-stricken mother spirals through fractured dreams and waking nightmares as trauma and reality begin dangerously overlapping. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.2/10. Sleepwalker opens on a familiar but immediately unsettling note, showing a young girl screaming in the night, her mother trying to gently talk her back to sleep after another episode of...what else - sleepwalking. In a thriller or horror film, that kind of opening is basically a warning label that things are not going to stay simple for long. And sure enough, they don’t.

We’re quickly introduced to Sarah (Hayden Panettiere), a mother trying to come to terms with a horrific car accident that has left her young daughter dead and her abusive husband, Michael (Justin Chatwin), comatose. A smooth drone shot across a quiet neighborhood introduces us to a story with obvious intentions of showing how things can seem perfectly normal on the outside, while in reality, something can be horrifically wrong. The film quickly becomes a dissection of the lines between reality and dreams, and how in reality, sleep isn’t anywhere near a SAFE place to be.

Panettiere delivers a dedicated performance, and she and Beverly D’Angelo, as her mother, Gloria, share a strong chemistry, and their dialogue in regards to the accident is very natural. But when it looks as though the film will go floating headlong into abstraction, the memories work to reel it back in. These memories will help fill in the blanks for a marriage that is far from loving, and these moments work very hard in rewriting how one views Sarah and her fear and guilt.

Visually, the film shows its limitations. One particular driving scene stands out as rough, clearly constrained by budget, and the overall production often carries a made-for-TV movie vibe. That doesn’t totally sink the experience, but it does keep Sleepwalker from ever feeling truly cinematic. Director Brandon Auman does a respectable job shaping the haunting elements, though, especially when it comes to atmosphere rather than outright scares.

I really got a kick out of the sequences involving a medium named Bai, played by Lori Tan Chinn, who brings an eerie calm to her role. It’s an effective, creepy scene that briefly sharpens the film’s edge and hints at how unsettling Sleepwalker could have been if it pushed harder in that direction. That and Bai was so much fun in between the supernatural chaos. The film ultimately walks a careful line between psychological thriller and restrained horror, never fully committing to either.

But then things get really dark in the ending, and it was kind of refreshing to see that. And I was glad to see it. On the other hand, when it comes to so many dreams and nested dreams, it's hard to rely on what happens in front of your eyes. By the time it finishes, you are still trying to figure out how many things are real and how many are only in your head or symbolic in some way. An interesting name I caught in the producers' credits, and it's none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. I guess he saw promise in what Auman is doing here.

Sleepwalker (2026)

That said, pacing is a real issue. The film drifts at times, and maintaining attention can be a challenge if you’re not fully locked into its slow-burn rhythm. Sleepwalker requires attention, specifically from its viewers, and is very easy to spoil if discussed too specifically. Curdle your expectations, accept its limitations, and you may find it a decent, if unremarkable, watch.

https://jackmeat.com/sleepwalker-2026/

The Ruse (2025) | Well-acted and nicely shot, The Ruse builds solid suspense, even if stiff performances and offscreen kills hold it back. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.5/10. The Ruse reads decent enough to grab my interest. A home caregiver is sent to watch over a strange old woman in a secluded coastal home, and her unease escalates into terror. While it’s clear from the get-go that this film has its sights set on something more atmospheric and suggestive of frights rather than actual frights, and for the most part succeeds in doing so, there’s sometimes the sense that it’s holding our hands a bit too closely.

As a whole, the film isn’t bad at all. It is a reasonably well-crafted concept that has competent direction and a cast that is largely effectively acted. With that said, there does appear to be a certain level of inconsistency in every conceivable way. The definitive standout in this regard is a performance by Veronica Cartwright. She manages to give a thoroughly engrossing performance that simply keeps events lively and unpredictably twisty. Her dialogue is interesting, and there is a sense in which she evokes a corresponding sense of immediacy in every situation that she finds herself in. By comparison, there is a certain stiffness to the performance by Madelyn Dundon that simply does not convey as effectively.

Visually, The Ruse is impressively put together. The camera work is great, often utilized to convey a sense of tension through clever angles that focus on doorways and empty space. The location is stunning as well, doing some serious work in terms of establishing tone. Cory Geryak dials in some nice cinematography, and his drone work is fantastic in terms of creating a sense of scope in such a compact location. Additionally, Stevan Mena does some great work in creating an atmospheric score that never gets in the way.

Where the film stumbles is in its handling of violence and payoff. The kill scenes rely heavily on cutaways, which is always frustrating, especially when the tension is otherwise well built. There are some genuinely spooky sequences and nicely sustained suspense, but the movie often feels too restrained for its own good. The ending, while pretty fun, highlights this issue the most. It’s twisty and moderately complex, tipping its hand toward classic Hitchcock-style mysteries and even echoing the explanatory tendencies of Agatha Christie stories. Right down to the detective practically explaining the entire movie for us, just in case we didn’t quite connect the dots ourselves.

Mena's love of old school haunted house mysteries is an obvious influence, and while The Ruse is not quite on the level of these classics, it's a decent sequel to Mena's Malevolence trilogy. However, the third act takes a strange turn and has a definite made-for-TV quality to it, which undermines the ambition of what started off so promising. That said, it's a good mashup of the old school mysteries of the ‘80s and ‘90s, that's plenty interesting enough to pass the time.

The Ruse (2025)

https://jackmeat.com/the-ruse-2025/