Panic Fest 2026: Grind (2026) Review

Directors: Ed Dougherty, Brea Grant, Chelsea Stardust

Notable Cast: James Paxton, Christopher Rodriguez Marquette, Rob Huebel, James Urbaniak, Barbara Crampton, Vinny Thomas, Aubrey Shea, Courtney Pauroso, Ify Nwadiwe, Jessika Van, James A. Janisse, Sharlene Cruz, Jon Gabrus, Teri Gamble, Hannah Alline, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Anastasia Washington, Bries Vannon

 

Well, if you’re going to make a socio-political satire horror film, taking a shot at the gig economy is a great way to do it. In an age where satire is essentially dead, thanks to real-world events that could not possibly be any dumber, it’s nice to see a film like Grind succeed at being successfully funny and manage to be creatively empowered to have something to say while doing it. It helps that the talent in front of and behind the camera are working with the same spirit and tenacity to make it all work, but Grind manages to blend comedy and horror in some refreshingly fun and smart ways. Each story in this anthology has its own distinctive voice without betraying the film's overall intention, and the combination proves to be lethally hilarious. 

 

Jakob's Wife (2021)

Director: Travis Stevens

Notable Cast: Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, Bonnie Aarons, Nyisha Bell, Sarah Lind, Mark Kelly, CM Punk

 

In my humble and often questionable opinion, most vampire films can be placed into two categories: hoity-toity castle artsy vampire cinema and buried in a dirty grave fun vampire flicks. Not that films can’t be both to some degree, as is the spectrum of film, but those are the two ends for me. Judging by the strong casting, the poster artwork, and the title, the expectations that came with Jakob’s Wife seemed to lean heavily toward hoity-toity. It would fit with the current state of horror trends and, quite frankly, I was sold on that idea. However, this film easily leans towards the latter category, albeit in a smart way. It’s a cinematic mixture of classic elements and modern twists. Not only are fans loving it, but critics seem to share the appreciation of the quirks and strengths of the film’s oddities in its choices. Jakob’s Wife is a stellar example of a team of creatives taking a tone and embracing both the silliness and the intelligence of its messages and delivery. 

 

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018)

Directors: Sonny Laguna, Tommy Wiklund

Notable Cast: Thomas Lennon, Nelson Franklin, Jenny Pellicer, Michael Pare, Barbara Crampton, Charlyne Yi, Matthias Hues, Udo Kier

Hype is a cruel mistress. When the Puppet Master reboot was announced there was general shock from the horror community. Not only was Charles Band still going strong with his own Puppet Master series, but he made it very clear that he would not be ending his series in light of this reboot. If anything, Puppet Master was a franchise that desperately needed the reboot retreat and probably has for decades. The announcement, along with inclusion of genre auteur S. Craig Zahler as the writer, was somewhat refreshing. When you add that the film was directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund, who delivered the stylish if flawed Blood Runs Cold which was made for the amount of money someone might collect from couch cushions, then there was hype. Too much hype. As the credits rolled on Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, it was hard not to feel a sense of disappointment. So much potential and the film was focused on delivering a silly, tongue-in-cheek experience that Band’s series is known for instead of delivering something a bit different.

Re-Animator (1985)

Director: Stuart Gordon

Notable Cast: Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, David Gale, Robert Sampson

It was only last year that Arrow Video dropped on fans the fantastic new version of Bride of Re-Animator and it started a lot of online conversations about when the US would finally see some kind of new deluxe package for the original Re-Animator. Well leave it to Arrow to follow through on the unspoken promise and dropping a massive limited edition box set of the cult classic to match their previous release. Re-Animator is a film that uses its perfectly blended quirky tones of horror and comedy in the perfectly prescribed dosage and it’s quite deserving of a release like this. So not only does this film remain the iconic black comedic horror classic that has situated itself as a universal film to love for cult audiences, but this massive release matches the spunky and off beat style in an artistic manner, playing up images and content to spin fans into a fever pitch. This is the kind of collector’s release that not only showcases the a fantastic film in a grand manner, but it matches that kind of love with the features and packaging. Truly, the only thing better would have been if it came with a note attached to it that said, “Cat dead, details later.”