Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995) | I went in expecting a Japanese Evil Dead knockoff and got exactly that, along with some goofy #Shocktober moments I wasn't expecting. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.3/10. I know I typically say something like I remember hearing about a movie or reading something about it back when I was working at WCV. Not this time! I can honestly say I have never heard of Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell before. And when your cover claims to be the "Japanese Evil Dead," you know it is immediately hitting my watchlist. So I grabbed my glasses and popped on this #Shocktober flick.

After a surprise phone call interrupts his daily workout, beefy bodybuilder Naoto (Shinichi Fukazawa) agrees to meet his photojournalist ex-girlfriend Mika ((Asako Nosaka)), who needs help researching haunted houses. Accompanied by a professional psychic, they visit an abandoned house once owned by Naoto's father. Unfortunately, there's a dark secret lurking inside, and the trio soon find themselves trapped and tormented by a relentless ghost with a 30-year grudge. Apparently, some people really need to learn when to let things go.

The opening logo immediately screams VHS rental days, which is a good sign. We kick things off with a woman stabbing a man for marrying someone else. This quickly turns into a double-stabby affair, and let's just say he wins that particular battle, burying her in the floor. Unfortunately, she refuses to stay buried because, in her mind, he belongs to her. Nothing like a little relationship drama to get the evening started.

Thirty years later, Mika is investigating supposedly haunted locations and dismisses some photographs as "photoshopped images, actually." Wow, they were already blaming Photoshop back then! Also directing, Shinichi Fukazawa does a decent job building atmosphere with ominous background music, sudden jolting sounds and the occasional everyday object that apparently deserves its own horror movie close-up.

The psychic Mizuguchi (Masaaki Kai) eventually decides to investigate alone, despite already having a clock dropped on his head during their first visit. Not exactly the safest working environment. His encounter with the undead woman doesn't go particularly well either, and swallowing a necklace turns out to be this movie's rather unusual version of possession.

Once Mika and Naoto enter looking for him, things really get going. The doors lock, the warnings arrive a little too late, and we're treated to plenty of blood, creative practical effects, and even some stop-motion animation. The budget is obviously tiny, but Fukazawa makes surprisingly good use of camera tricks, time-lapse and clever editing to stretch every dollar.

And then Naoto loads a shotgun, gets his close-up and delivers a very familiar "Groovy." Okay, question answered! The Evil Dead inspiration is definitely not subtle. Between the ridiculous slow-motion bodybuilder shirt-busting moment, fighting disembodied body parts, and using barbells as weapons, there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments here. I never thought I'd see gym equipment put to this kind of use.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell is rough around the edges, undeniably low-budget and occasionally ridiculous, but that's also where much of its draw comes from. It's a blood-splattered love letter to practical effects horror that offers more than enough creativity and silliness to make it fun. For fans of horror films who like to uncover hidden gems, this is a must-see film. Just don't expect your average workout movie!

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995)

https://jackmeat.com/bloody-muscle-body-builder-in-hell-1995/

The Cycle (2026) | The Cycle takes its time getting creepy, but the mystery and old-school practical effects make this Shudder shocker worth the wait. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.7/10. Going into this #Shocktober flick, all I knew was that I spotted Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice on The Cycle poster. About three seconds in, I also discovered that Shudder was involved. So, naturally, I prepared myself for some unpleasant business. And by unpleasant, I mean the sort of autopsy footage that makes you reconsider your lunch choices.

We begin with Dr. Megan Garland (Deborah Ann Woll) examining photographs of a decomposed body before traveling back to February 2025, where police chief Ian Marks (Donovan) is investigating a particularly nasty crime scene. Megan, a forensic anthropologist at the Crichton Institute of Science, soon learns that her missing father, Peter Stump, has been found dead near a house where a woman and her young daughter were murdered. She initially wants nothing to do with the investigation, which is understandable when your family reunions apparently involve body bags.

However, the mystery surrounding her father's death proves too intriguing to ignore. His remains show evidence of prolonged physical trauma but surprisingly little decomposition, suggesting he spent months sealed away somewhere before being dumped. Meanwhile, the other victims have injuries resembling animal attacks, and further incidents involving the investigating officers make it difficult to dismiss everything as the work of some overly aggressive wildlife.

As Megan digs deeper, connections emerge between her father's disappearance in 1991 and a horrific attack on Lou Bishop (Carl W. Crudup) that happened on the same date. An emergency phone recording adds another unsettling piece to the puzzle, while conflicting forensic evidence makes an ordinary explanation seem highly unlikely. I'll leave it there because this is one of those films best enjoyed without having half the mystery explained to you beforehand.

Director Jordan Downey and cinematographer Kevin Stewart make excellent use of Astoria, Oregon, USA, keeping everything dark, foggy, and thoroughly miserable. Whether that's the weather or the local residents' reaction to the murder rate is anyone's guess. Either way, the atmosphere is terrific, with some genuinely creepy shots that make the surroundings feel as threatening as anything lurking in the shadows.

The real star, though, is the practical effects by Patrick Magee. They're reminiscent of the glorious 1981 effects work in The Howling and An American Werewolf in London. I'm sure Rob Bottin and Rick Baker would approve. Highly detailed prosthetic corpses, convincing decay, real maggots, and gruesome mutilation effects make the autopsy scenes a wonderfully disgusting showcase. Best of all, the effects appear to rely on practical craftsmanship rather than obvious CGI. Thank goodness someone still understands that sometimes the best computer-generated effect is no computer-generated effect at all.

The story takes a little while to get moving, but that slow burn pays off. Resist spoilers, and you'll have fun piecing together what's happening within this deeply troubled family, rather than simply waiting for the next dismemberment. The mystery is well written, the effects are fantastic, and the ending wraps things up nicely.

The Cycle earns its place alongside excellent Shudder offerings like Late Night with the Devil and When Evil Lurks. It may take its time getting under your skin, but once it does, you'll be glad you stuck around. Just maybe don't schedule a medical examination that day.

The Cycle (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/the-cycle-2026/

Pumpkin Patch (2025) | Ever wondered what happens when AI, a pumpkin-headed vigilante, and a lifetime of movie references collide? Welcome to Pumpkin Patch. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.3/10. There’s a certain charm to watching someone throw absolutely everything they have at a project, even when the end result leaves you wondering whether you’ve watched a movie or an exceptionally long video game cutscene. Pumpkin Patch is an ambitious, AI-generated feature from Brian James Gage, and while I admire the effort, I’m not entirely convinced the machines have learned how to entertain us just yet.

We open with a digitally animated plane called Scare Force One being chased by flying monkeys. Yes, The Wizard of Oz has apparently declared war on Halloween. Things go sideways, and the President of Halloween crash-lands inside the dreaded prison colony District 13. Even better, her escape pod looks like it was borrowed directly from Escape from New York. I can see BJG is a movie fan. Subtlety, apparently, didn't make the final cut.

From there, Commander Ichabod Crane, Special Agent Katrina Van Tassel and Robo Bones (the Monster Intelligence Agency’s cybernetic security officer, naturally) enlist a pumpkin-headed vigilante to rescue the President and retrieve a mysterious hexagonal case. Because apparently, even in a world full of monsters, the government still needs some bloke who spends his time getting into bar fights to save the day.

A bar-fight montage introduces our titular hero, and we’re off at a breakneck pace. There are skeletons everywhere, an interesting assortment of creatures, and enough familiar genre nods to keep a movie buff busy. I even caught a little The Warriors in the mix. Honestly, I’m not sure I can keep up with all the references, let alone the story.

That’s partly because Pumpkin Patch feels so incredibly rushed. Scenes zip past before they’ve had much chance to register, and the whole thing has the unmistakable energy of someone racing against a deadline in a computer lab. It’s an impressive project, but I'm not sure I'd call it a film in the traditional sense.

Here’s where we’re heading with completely AI-generated movies. You know that one friend who constantly shares pictures of themselves hanging out with famous celebrities in front of famous landmarks? This movie is essentially the same idea. Ask your AI of choice to put a character in a scene from your favorite movie, repeat until you have enough footage, then call it a feature. The difference is that Gage has actually stitched enough of those scenes together to make an hour-long production, while also handling nearly all the voice acting. That’s a tremendous amount of work for one person.

But here’s my problem. I wasn’t having much fun watching it. The best comparison I can make is an overdrawn video game cutscene, complete with the feeling that I should be holding a controller rather than sitting through another scene.

As an experiment, it’s ambitious and occasionally amusing. As a movie, though, it left me on the fence. I admire the effort, but the technology still has some way to go before assembling a bunch of impressive-looking scenes becomes genuinely entertaining filmmaking.

At least Pumpkin Patch understands the assignment when it comes to #Shocktober. It’s full of Halloween monsters, movie references, and a pumpkin-headed lunatic. I just wish the actual movie had been as entertaining as the idea behind it. Maybe the sequel will take us one step closer to AI's Hollywood domination.

Pumpkin Patch (2025)

https://jackmeat.com/pumpkin-patch-2025/

Ready or Not: Here I Come (2026) | Grace just wanted to survive one terrible night, but apparently murdering one rich family unlocks the deluxe edition of hell. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.6/10. I meant to check this one out a while ago, but somehow it got lost in the ever-growing watchlist. Honestly, it’s probably a good thing it waited until #Shocktober. I thoroughly enjoyed the first Ready or Not, and this sequel delivers another generous helping of family dysfunction, bloodshed, and people discovering that rich Satan-worshipping families really need to find a better hobby.

Moments after surviving an all-out attack by the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) stumbles out of the mansion covered in blood and promptly collapses into the arms of the authorities. You’d think surviving a murderous family would earn her a quiet hospital stay and a nice cup of tea. Nope. Before long, she discovers she’s advanced to the next level of the nightmarish game, this time with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) dragged into the festivities.

Apparently, killing one obscenely wealthy family isn’t enough. Now four rival families want Grace dead so they can claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Because nothing says responsible global leadership quite like a bunch of privileged nutjobs murdering each other over a Satanic game.

Old man Chester Danforth (David Cronenberg) gets word of Grace’s survival, and the news spreads across the globe. His children, Ursula (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Titus (Shawn Hatosy), have their own parts to play, while Elijah Wood pops up as the Lawyer, delivering some wonderfully deadpan expressions. Nothing like a little legal representation when your family business involves ritualistic murder.

The rules are explained thoroughly enough, and the families certainly seem committed to following them. So committed, in fact, that it doesn’t take long for the sisters to come under attack in the hospital. Holy explosions! I guess the fine print on this particular inheritance agreement is bloody important.

The basic setup is familiar. Survive until dawn while a bunch of rich weirdos try to kill you. Except there’s not a whole lot of hiding going on. It’s more like hunt the sisters, with Grace and Faith improvising their way through increasingly ridiculous encounters. One fight, accompanied by Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart, is an especially amusing combination of romantic power ballad and spectacular violence. If you enjoy watching people explode, congratulations, you’ve found your flick.

Weaving once again proves she can carry a movie, balancing the action and humor without turning Grace into an invincible killing machine. The sisters survive through a healthy combination of desperation, luck, and sheer bloody-mindedness. Newton makes a solid addition, while Gellar is always welcome at my lunch table.

It’s an unnecessary sequel, sure, but it’s also a thoroughly entertaining one. Same basic fun as the original, plenty of clever moments, and enough carnage to keep the family reunion interesting.

Ready or Not: Here I Come (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/ready-or-not-here-i-come-2026/

Zombie Night (2013) | You'd think a movie about zombies coming out at night would have a few scares. Zombie Night scared me with its acting and storytelling. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.5/10. Zombie Night is proof that zombies aren't the only things that can come back from the dead. Looks like basic storytelling can also be resurrected, stumble around aimlessly for a while, and then collapse in a heap. This particular zombie flick has a simple premise. The undead emerge after dark, leaving the living to survive until morning. Sounds promising enough, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the brains appear to be in short supply both on-screen and behind the camera.

The biggest problem with Zombie Night isn't the zombies. It's the acting, which is so wooden in places that I half expected termites to become the main antagonists. Daryl Hannah at least makes a valiant effort to inject some life into proceedings, but there's only so much one person can do when the rest of the production appears to have been assembled during a particularly uninspired lunch break. And then there's Anthony Michael Hall, who somehow ended up in this mess. You have to wonder what was going through the minds of these otherwise recognizable actors when they read the script. Was the pay good? Was there free catering? Did someone promise them a much better movie would be made later?

Then there's the plot, or whatever passes for one. The dead are walking, people are in danger, and everyone seems to be making decisions that suggest survival is very much a secondary concern. Why have the dead risen? Is this a regular nightly occurrence? What's actually going on here? Don't expect satisfying answers. Zombie Night seems to have decided that explaining anything would only get in the way of its relentless pursuit of mediocrity.

Of course, there's a certain entertainment value in watching a movie spectacularly fail to get its act together. You reach a point where you're no longer invested in the characters or their survival. Instead, I am watching out of sheer morbid curiosity, waiting to see what fresh nonsense the filmmakers will throw at us next. It's the cinematic equivalent of witnessing a car crash in slow motion, except the car is made of cardboard and the driver apparently hasn't passed a single driving lesson.

Sadly, accidental comedy can only carry a film so far. The daft decisions, uninspired performances, and gaping holes in the story might provide a few unintentional laughs, but they don't magically transform Zombie Night into a hidden horror gem. Even a low-budget zombie movie needs something to keep the audience engaged, and a cast of familiar faces wandering through a barely coherent story isn't quite enough.

Zombie Night is a lame, mindless horror film that makes you wonder whether the zombies got the better end of the deal. Unless you're a fan of gloriously inept horror or simply enjoy shouting at characters who seem determined to get themselves killed, your evening would probably be better spent watching something else.

After all, life is too short for bad movies. And if you're going to spend a night with the undead, at least pick one that doesn't kill off your brain cells before the opening credits are over.

Zombie Night (2013)

https://jackmeat.com/zombie-night-2013/

Trick and Treats (2025) | Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater takes a very dark turn in this Halloween horror that has some decent tricks but not nearly enough treats. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.8/10. My watchlist for movies to hide in clearly isn’t enough, because I also have playlists for specific holidays, including #Shocktober Flix. Trick and Treats has been tucked away on that list, so it’s time to untuck it and see what Halloween treats, or tricks, it has in store.

It’s Halloween, and Ashley (Loren Ledesma) and her costumed friends find themselves locked inside a bar in the middle of nowhere, threatened with torture and death by a gang of bikers. Things kick off with a familiar voice telling us that, like most stories, this one is based on actual events. The trick is figuring out which parts are true. That voice certainly sounds like Malcolm McDowell, who also voices Trick, the pumpkin. A quick look at the credits confirms there are a few more McDowells lurking about, although they’re confined to bit parts. Apparently, pumpkin duty runs in the family.

Before we get to the main event, we travel back to around 1800, where a fellow named Peter rides about in a horse-drawn carriage with a giant pumpkin. His wife, Elizabeth (Anastasia Edwards), must be possessed by a demon, because apparently that’s the only reasonable explanation for her infidelity. When whipping the evil out of her fails, Peter resorts to binding her inside a pumpkin. That’ll require some practical effects to squeeze a whole woman in there! Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater…Keep singing, and you’ll get my point.

After that delightfully twisted opening, we jump to modern-day Halloween, where the credits somehow make ordinary costumed kids look downright creepy. Then, look who’s preaching. Gary Busey as a pastor. Meanwhile, three scantily dressed girls and a guy are heading to a party when they swerve to avoid a child in the road and end up in a ditch. Looking for help, they wander into the wrong bar, where Trick the pumpkin awaits and has quite a story to tell.

The bikers are certainly committed to their threats, although I’ve rarely seen potential abusers spend quite so much time mucking about before getting down to business. The story isn’t particularly original, but it’s still a reasonably entertaining little horror tale. You might, however, get tired of the girls’ constant crying and wailing. At some point, I wanted the pumpkin to eat the soundtrack.

One particularly nasty torture scene deserves credit for doing more with less. Rather than showing us a questionable makeup job or bargain-basement CGI, writer-director Eric Hector cleverly keeps the aftermath out of sight. It’s an effective way to work around budget limitations without drawing attention to them. Sometimes, what you don’t see really is scarier than what you do.

Ledesma also makes a convincing badass when Ashley finally gets going, and a late twist helps round things out nicely.

Trick and Treats isn’t a great horror movie, and it could have done considerably more with the horror elements it introduces. Still, there’s enough pumpkin-flavored nastiness to make it watchable for a Halloween playlist. Just don’t expect it to haunt your memory long after the credits roll. A trick, perhaps, but not much of a treat.

Trick and Treats (2025)

https://jackmeat.com/trick-and-treats-2025/

Beliath (2026) | Beliath isn't the worst found-footage horror I've seen, but that's like winning a prize for being the least irritating person in the room. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.6/10. Beliath begins with the text - “2001. There were several brutal murders in Sussex. The following footage was recovered from a London flea market years later.”

Oh goodie! My favorite kind of horror movie: found footage. No straight face on that comment.

Beliath introduces us to Mark (Evan Emanuel) and Rachel (Caitlin Cameron), two aspiring journalists following the story of a 22-year-old woman whose body has been discovered in the woods. When the police tell them to clear off, naturally, the sensible response is to leave. Just kidding! These geniuses decide they need one more shot of the crime scene. Getting a good angle for the documentary is more important than avoiding becoming the next episode of Unsolved Mysteries. And they get a tasty surprise, which ends up being the best scene in the whole movie.

What begins as a routine crime report soon spirals into eerie folklore, buried cults, and unsettling discoveries that blur the line between journalism and obsession. Sounds promising, right? Unfortunately, the line between journalism and stupidity gets considerably more attention.

There are warning signs everywhere that these three (we never see the camera guy, Martin) are in way over their heads, but that doesn't stop them from making one dumb decision after another. Apparently, common sense didn't make the equipment list. And while I can appreciate characters making mistakes in horror movies, there's a difference between believable human stupidity and deliberately walking into danger because the plot needs another ten minutes.

The acting doesn't do this any favors, either. I'm not blaming Caitlin Cameron, as she's working with what's been written, but Rachel is seriously irritating. Now, all we need is some snotting directly into the camera, and we'll have the complete found-footage experience. Mark, meanwhile, spends enough time staring at walls that I was beginning to wonder whether the walls had a more interesting story to tell. At least he nailed the assignment.

On the plus side, the underground tunnels make for some pretty cool locations. There's an atmosphere here, and the opening genuinely grabbed my attention. Sadly, that initial promise disappears faster than common sense in a horror movie. The ending is predictable, and the cult storyline feels like a massive missed opportunity.

Beliath starts strongly but goes absolutely nowhere interesting. Rather than exploring its folklore and cult mythology, it settles for familiar found-footage nonsense, irritating characters, and an ending you can see coming from miles away. Seriously, if you're going to introduce a creepy cult, do something with it! Instead, we get the equivalent of, “There used to be a cult here. Not anymore. Oh, wait, you mean the cult I'm in? OH, THAT ONE.” Brilliant. Somebody alert the Pulitzer committee.

I've seen worse found-footage movies, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement. Unless you're a die-hard fan of this nauseating genre, I'd give this one a miss. There's a decent horror movie buried somewhere in here. Unfortunately, finding it would probably require a documentary crew, several brutal murders, and a trip to a London flea market.

Beliath (2026)

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