Bubba the Redneck Werewolf (2014) does the impossible.

Making a monster movie for no money is crazy difficult especially if you want to paint outside the lines of the common staples: zombie, ghost, werewolf, and vampire. But even taking on one of the core four can be daunting. Just think of the masterpieces already done with each and the task could be overwhelming. I would guess werewolf is also the least explored of those four since the FX are the most challenging. This is all my way of saying I love Bubba the Redneck Werewolf because it's an indie with so much heart, great casting, and it's genuinely funny. Malone Thomas is perfect as Bobbie Jo and she really anchors the film. Fred Lass is also excellent as Bubba in werewolf form but the writing is genuinely clever particularly when combined with the resourceful filmmaking. I was surprised I never heard of this before but clearly a lot of great indies fly under the radar without huge marketing budgets. I wish they had made sequels and I rarely, if ever, say that these days.

Delirium (1987) is quite an unusual giallo.

I love it especially the iconic eye-face effect but the lead actress really steals the show and the cinematography is outstanding too with some great use of shadow (and color of course). Having watched a fair amount of giallo now, this one certainly stands out with the killer's unique bizarre visions of his victims. There are some nice twists and turns too that keep you guessing about the murderer's identity. I'm so happy my friend Jason recommended this to me. Thank you! This is absolutely an awesome film and I just had to get the rare Code Red Blu-ray with the perfect cover. If you're curious to see more Italian horror, this and Torso are my favorites besides Argento's classics of course. Fulci's Don't Torture a Duckling is up there too. It's really an amazing time to be a movie lover. I just hope people keep supporting physical media because so often rarer titles are not on streaming sites (neither are all the awesome extras and I just love behind the scenes docs).

Stay (2018) is an excellent indie film.

And I mean indie as a compliment. Nothing is more amazing than finding a real indie that kicks ass. Making a movie is insanely difficult, and true indies (if you have Brad Pitt, a million dollars, or Fox Searchlight, that would be Hollywood masquerading as an "indie") require years of sacrifice, pain, and dedication. So often personally financed at great risk by the filmmakers themselves, these are passion projects. Even putting all that aside, Stay is still an awesome film with characters you can care about, relate to, sympathize with, and understand. It is a gripping story about an addict struggling to recover and finding romance along the way. I love how when we first meet Ryu, you wouldn't know he is the main character. Working at a fish market rearranging trash, he blends right in like a real person just doing their job and the way you see shots before that of other real people around him working sells that. Little details make all the difference. These actors do such a fantastic job you really believe in them. They have a chemistry that is undeniable. You get to see so much of Tokyo too and not the common touristy areas but more so, the real life here. The score is great as well. After four long years, fifteen festivals, and six awards (yes, I stole that from their website), the film has finally come out on Amazon Prime so please support it here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's not horror but it's great.