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Fall review: survival movie takes horror to new heights

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Movie Reviews

‘AIR FRYER SLAUGHTER’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror

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‘AIR FRYER SLAUGHTER’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror

Air Fryers are one of the most appreciated and streamlined cooking inventions in modern history. Not since the George Foreman grill have we seen so many people swear by a new kitchen trend. But what if the Air Fryer became an instrument of destruction with bad intentions? That’s the question we answer in Air Fryer Slaughter, the newest cult horror comedy by MMH Productions.

Air Fryer Slaughter was written and directed by Matthew Mark Hunter (Nightmares Unleashed 2023), who bolsters a gargantuan 262 directing credits and 250 writing credits to his name. It stars Matt Skinner (Bathtub Shark Attack 2023, read our review here), Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger 1984) and Jessa Flux (Curse Of The Weredeer 2023). Skinner voices the titular antagonist, an Air Fryer with a sarcastic wit and a thirst for violence.

That’s about all we’ve got when it comes to plot, but there’s still plenty that will satisfy fans of Troma-style horror. Air Fryer Slaughter has an impressive array of violence on display, that results in a showcase for the SFX department. Eyes are poked out, faces melted, and body parts fly as our bulky antagonist moves impressively from place to place. Air Fryer is framed much like Freddy Krueger, with puns and quips to go with his trail of dead bodies.

But Air Fryer isn’t just a mechanical maniac, he’s also a viewer to a television reel that hosts a lot of cameos from indie horror standouts. Destruction must also be hard work, because Air Fryer goes on a few sexual quests as well, adding some nudity and laughs to our list of classic horror tropes.

Air Fryer Slaughter is shot on video and seems to leave the door open for sequels and spinoffs in a shared world of schlocky cult horror. Fans of this sub-genre will certainly find this as a worthy addition. It’s available now on DVD.

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Movie Reviews

The Substance – NZIFF Closing Night 13th Floor Film Review

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The Substance – NZIFF Closing Night 13th Floor Film Review

The 13th Floor’s Shamin Yazdani has been busy sitting in the dark, catching as many NZIFF as she can including The Substance on Closing Night. Here is her review and a summary of what was good and not so good at the Film Festival.

And just like that, my NZIFF experience (and selection of auteur films) comes to an end with the closing night film, The Substance

During the film’s introduction, the audience is forewarned that we are in for a wild ride and to expect to be on the edge of our seats. In my version of events however, it’s a ride worth skipping and a seat worth ejecting. 

Better on paper than on screen, the concept of The Substance, while strong, is met with weak execution by filmmaker Coralie Fargeat. Some very salient and relevant issues are acknowledged in the movie (namely aging, conflicting ideologies between the new and older generation/s, the way in which we (women?) contort ourselves in the pursuit of unattainable perfection, “the grass is greener” etc) but ultimately Fargeat falls short in examining these concepts in any meaningful way. She instead leans into lazy tropes, endorses and perpetuates the male gaze through the uninspired fetishisation of the female body, and in the final act, takes an unexpected turn into absurdist territory, which doesn’t land. It drones on in a self-indulgent attempt to provoke and shock for little reason other than to be memorable, and that’s not a good enough reason to waste two hours and 20 minutes of anyone’s time. TL;DR what it delivers in aesthetic it lacks in substance. How meta!

The Silver Lining – the closing night film was by no means a reflection of the calibre of this year’s selections (and hopefully not an indication of 2025’s lineup)! My ratings:

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We Were DangerousXXXx

Head South XXXX

The Crossing XXXX

Sasquatch Sunset XXXXx

Eno XXX

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The Substance XXx

Shamin Yazdani

Shamin is an Iranian New Zealander and multi-hyphenate creative engaged in storytelling across diverse mediums and platforms. She began her professional journey in the UAE and London, steadily advancing to creative producing in broadcast television. Shamin’s contributions in film and creative direction have featured on various platforms and publications including BBC World News, Vogue Arabia, Elle Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, The Gulf Film Festival, MENA Film Festival, and London Shubbak Festival.

Shamin Yazdani
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Here’s What People Are Posting On Letterboxd After Watching “It Ends With Us”

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Here’s What People Are Posting On Letterboxd After Watching “It Ends With Us”

Since It Ends With Us was recently released in theaters, the book adaptation has garnered a lot of attention for the way it was marketed to audiences, as well as the alleged drama that unfolded between the cast and the film’s director. But while a lot of people have opinions about these above topics, what about the movie itself? Well, let’s just say people have a lot of thoughts. Below, we rounded up some of the most opinionated Letterboxd reviews of It Ends With Us:

Note: We provided copies of the reviews underneath the images just in case the text is hard to read. 

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