Image Credit: Eastern State Penitentiary

Halloween is the one time of year when people can dress however they want — from cute couple costumes to terrifying creatures. Although the holiday is mainly for young children to go up to strangers’ porches and collect enough candy to leave them in a sugar coma, adults love to participate too. Philadelphia is a big city with countless things to do on Halloween night, from college parties to haunted ghost tours. This article lists the top ten things to do in Philly on Halloween night, with links to each. 

10. Halloween Parties 

Cost: depends on the party 

As the first option on this list, Halloween parties are the most common way for college students to celebrate the holiday. Philadelphia is at the epicenter of various colleges, from Rutgers to Penn-State, meaning there will be dozens of parties the week of Halloween. Even if you’re looking for parties outside of college, various parties and other events throughout the city are perfect for party-hopping with your friends. By asking around, searching on Instagram, or visiting sites like Eventbrite, you’re bound to find a good time. 

9. Glow at Washington Township 

Cost: $30 plus various add-ons 

If you have a car, Glow is an event at Washington Township where you drive along Route 66 to experience various Halloween-themed light shows and attractions. Although it is a non-jump scare event, Glow is a perfect option for photo-lovers or a date idea. 

https://www.visitglow.com

8. Philadelphia’s Nightly Ghost Tours 

Cost: $27 ($24 if booking online or by phone) 

Named one of the top fifteen “must-see” attractions in the country, Philadelphia’s Nightly Ghost Tours is a year-round tour available for all ages and lasts between 75-90 minutes. There isn’t

much information about the tour online, but it begins in Signers’ Garden where you learn about various locations around Philadelphia. Although not as scary as the next tour higher up on the list, Philadelphia’s Nightly Ghost Tour is an informative experience that’ll leave you with more knowledge about Philly than you previously had. 

https://www.ghosttour.com/philadelphia.html

7. Spooky Twosome 

Cost: $15 for mini golf and $20 for the tour 

This year, Franklin Square offers Spooky Mini Golf as part of Philadelphia’s “Spooky Twosome” event with the Betsy Ross House, which offers the Bloodletting & Burials event, a haunted house tour. However, you don’t have to attend both events if you’re only interested in one. https://historicphiladelphia.org/events/spooky-twosome/ 

6. Murder Mystery at Without a Cue 

Cost: $35 ($25 on Groupon) 

Although considered an unconventional Halloween activity, Without a Cue hosts an unforgettable Murder Mystery game at Red Rum Theater. The current game is based on the Brady Bunch sitcom, called “The Very Brady Murder,” or you can also participate in themed bingo on “Freaky Fridays.” The game lasts between 90-120 minutes and runs on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons, perfect for a pre-game if you want to check out any of the night attractions on this list as well. 

5. Dark Philly Adult Night Tour 

Cost: $38-$48 (depending on the day) 

Considered the best haunted tour in Philadelphia, Dark Philly Adult Night Tour is a Rated-R tour strictly for adults that provides uncensored stories about vampires, pirate ghost ships, haunted attractions, torture, executions, and the red light district. The tour begins at the Liberty Bell Center and ends at the Library Company, where you’ll pass by 12 other locations during the tour. It’s also open all year round, so even if you’re unable to make the tour on Halloween, you can go any day!

https://www.grimphilly.com/ghosts

4. Fright Factory 

Cost: $35-40 (depending on the day) plus an additional $15 if interested in VIP

Fright Factory is a fairly well-known attraction and is arguably the best attraction in Southern Philadelphia. Located in the basement of an old factory, this 25,000-square-foot attraction is split into three themes: Industrial Nightmare, South Side Sanatorium, and Fright Factory Unholy. There are various special effects and a physically demanding environment seeing as you might get touched by the various actors and effects, but this only adds to the thrill. Although the factory seems like a fun time, this is the lowest haunted house on the list based on the fact that it only lasts between 30-40 minutes. However, if you’re okay with a short-lasting fright, this is still a great place to check out. 

3. Lincoln Mill 

Cost: Starting at $35 

As the third attraction on this list, Lincoln Mill is a real haunted location that was discovered after 2021’s Hurricane Ida damaged the basement and revealed a hidden chamber. The mill’s owner, Viktor Kane, committed atrocities on his workers during the Great Depression, and legend says that the dark entity that possessed him inhabits the mill to this day. Lincoln Mill is now a haunted house that is described as “a fully immersive horror experience featuring live scare-actors, production quality sets, animatronics, and special effects,” according to the website, and the attractions change every year. If you’re looking for a thrill in a real haunted house, this is the perfect place! 

2. Eastern State Penitentiary 

Cost: $40-$60 online (price differs by date), not including any additional add-ons 

Eastern State Penitentiary is arguably the most famous attraction in Philadelphia, where tourists come from all over just to spend a night inside the haunted prison. The 10-acre prison contains a variety of attractions, including five haunted houses, five live entertainment lounges, four

separate tours, and nine themed bars and eateries. Unlike many of the other attractions on this list, you can spend your entire Halloween here and still not have time to experience everything Eastern State has to offer. The only reason why Eastern State Penitentiary isn’t number one on this list is because everyone knows it’s a must-see attraction and frankly, anyone who has lived in the Philadelphia area probably won’t visit the penitentiary more than a couple of times. However, if you’ve never been or don’t mind seeing the same attractions again, Eastern State Penitentiary is still a must-see attraction. 

https://www.easternstate.org

1. Night of Terror 

Cost: $40+ (VIP and other upgrades available) online not including any additional add-ons 

As the number one attraction on this list, Night of Terror was named the second-best Halloween Attraction in the Northeast for a good reason. Located at Creamy Acres Farm, the park has five

attractions: the Ride of Terror hayride, the Haunted Paintball Hayride, an immersive haunted house called “Dark Dreams,” a haunted walk through the farmlands called the “Harvest”, and the newest attraction called “The Playground.” General admission covers every attraction except the Haunted Paintball Hayride. Still, if you’re willing to pay an additional $30 (plus $5 if you want extra paintballs) on top of your $40 ticket, the added cost is worth the opportunity to shoot live paintball rounds at moving actors and props. Since Night of Terror is located on a farm, the website recommends that you only wear shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty in, so refrain from wearing bright colors or anything else you don’t want potentially stained. Although the attraction is not technically in Philadelphia, Night of Terror is the largest Halloween Park in New Jersey and is a must-see for anyone who loves Halloween. 

http://www.nightofterror.com/index_default.html

Honorable Mentions 

Before revealing number one on this list, there are two attractions that are a must-see but couldn’t make the list because they are pretty far from the city and only accessible by 1-2 hour car rides. However, if you’re up for a drive, you should definitely consider visiting Field of Screams and Pennhurst Asylum. 

Located in Lancaster, PA, Field of Screams is a thrilling attraction with two haunted houses, a haunted hayride, and an immersive experience in their haunted woods. For $40, you can experience all four attractions and are guaranteed a scaringly fun time! 

https://fieldofscreams.com

Located in Spring City, PA, Pennhurst Asylum is rated one of the best Haunted Houses in the country, with four attractions that will “push you to the limits of your sanity,” according to the website. The attractions include asylum, tunnels, morgue, and catacombs, and can all be experienced by purchasing their all-access pass for $62. Although on the pricier side, this is a great experience for any horror fan. 

old home 23

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The Candlelight Concert Series, an offshoot of Fever entertainment company, has bewitched audiences around the world since its origin in Madrid in 2019. With its ambient glow, this phenomenon has spread to over 100 cities worldwide, Philadelphia included.

The candle-lit concerts are typically performed by a string quartet. The themes range from classical symphonies to jazz, fantasy and anime soundtracks. Unique venues are staples of the Candlelight Series—Masonic temples, aquariums, and even cemeteries are not off-limits.

Each October the Candlelight Series treats Philidelphians to a strange and unusual concert, fittingly held in the historic and haunting Laurel Hill Cemetery. Should you choose to attend the event, upon arrival you will be overtaken with the hundreds of candles (battery operated for obvious safety reasons) that line the darkened cemetery walkways and adorn the many mausoleums and ornate graves.

Laurel Hill Cemetery is the perfect resting place for this gathering. The cemetery has a rich history with the city of Philadelphia as well as a destination spot for art appreciators of the macabre genre. Founded in 1836 as a solution to overcrowded churchyards in Philadelphia, Laurel Hill Cemetery was the city’s first rural cemetery and the second in the U.S. It became the preferred burial site for Philadelphia’s elite, and the cemetery slowly filled with grand monuments by renowned sculptors and architects. More than just a cemetery, it serves today as an outdoor unearthly art museum. The creation of Laurel Hill, reflecting Romantic ideals, aimed to replace unhygienic urban burial grounds with serene landscapes and classical monuments. 

Starting October 8th and running until All Hallow’s Eve, the Candlelight Concert Series will return to Laurel Hill Cemetery with the Listeso String Quartet. They’ll capture the spirit of Halloween with a fun and chilling setlist, from Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” to a very classical “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, and some familiar themes of Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, Beetlejuice and more.

Surely an eccentric way to mark the start of spooky season, the cemetery will welcome a performance every Tuesday night, hosting a 6:30 pm show as well as a 9 pm show for the braver souls among us.

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By Sophia R. Westfall

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities, otherwise known as MARCH, has just introduced its new printmakers space this fall. Located at 325 Cooper Street in Camden, the center offers space for research as well as community collaboration. MARCH often collaborates with the Writers House as well as visiting authors. Just last year, MARCH announced their newest initiative: environmental humanities, and they are now dedicated not only to preserving the history of Camden, but to using Cooper Street as an educational model for environmentalism, history, and, newly, printmaking. 

The printmakers space is located in the MARCH building and has adopted the name Proof. Aside from student-led research about the history of printmaking, Proof will be offering a series of workshops for students and faculty to attend. These workshops will offer the history of printmaking, with the incredible opportunity to experiment with those various historical methods. However, as part of MARCH’s new initiative, each workshop will be taught through an environmental and regional lens. Many of the materials will be sourced in the surrounding Camden region, while some of the printmaking methods will date back as far as the conception of civilization. 

Proof highlighted one of their upcoming workshops this past September at the Arts and Musical Festival. They offered attendants of the festival the opportunity to make their own anthotype. An anthotype is a negative print using photo-sensitive light and other materials like plants to make the print of. While there are various methods to produce an anthotype, Proof created photosensitive paper by mixing turmeric powder and rubbing alcohol together. This mixture creates a UV sensitive bleach. Once the paper is treated with the mixture, the sun causes a reaction that makes the coloration of the paper fade. By putting objects, or in Proof’s case, stickers, on that paper before being exposed to the sun, everything beneath the object remains dark and the rest of the paper fades light yellow. This creates a negative print visually similar to an x-ray. 

This is one example of the many unique and environmentally friendly projects Proof will be offering at their workshops this semester. Other’s include traditional Roman beeswax printing, making paper from recycled Rutgers paper, or even growing leather out of kombucha SCOBY and orange peels. This upcoming October they will be offering their first official workshop where attendants will make their own fountain ink out of wild blueberries and will get the opportunity to practice their quill penmanship too. While attendants are not expected to come to every workshop, it is encouraged. Each workshop will build upon the one prior, until each attendant produces a complete, biodegradable notebook by the end of the semester. 

Interested in making paper, or learning to bind a book, or grow your own vegan leather? Join MARCH’s newsletter and be the first to sign up for Proof’s newest workshops. 

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On April 18th, The Gleaner hosted another campus movie night, this semester featuring the cult classic, Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF). Despite freezing wind and the upcoming dread of finals week, plenty of students were able to make it out to the quad for a night of free food and a good FNAF scare. Upon seeing the costumes and decorations covering the quad, passers-by may have wondered what the draw is to a film like Five Nights at Freddy’s?

Originating as a horror video game in 2014, Five Nights at Freddy’s is centered around a chain of pizza restaurants called Freddy Fazzbear’s Pizza and the company’s mascot, an animatronic of Freddy himself. Players control the pizzeria’s night guard as they have to fight against Freddy and other animatronics who come to life at night. As players make their way through the game, they begin to learn about the history of the restaurant and its animatronics, who they defend themselves against.

The games rose in popularity as they garnered views on YouTube. Youtuber, Makiplier, who is one
of the most popular Five Nights at Freddy’s gamers, posted his first video playing the game on August 12, 2014. Claiming in the title of his video “scariest game in years”. His gameplay series has now gained over one billion views on YouTube. Traction gained from videos like his is what has allowed the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise to expand with seemingly infinite sequels that are still being released today, and consequently led to the 2023 movie adaptation, and the upcoming 2025 sequel.

In over the ten years since the game’s first debut, its fanbase has begun to dwindle. But, current college age students are the people who grew up playing and watching the game during its heyday. Alex Brasberger, a math major at Rutgers Camden, talks about his previous love of the games saying, “I saw the movie, but I don’t really play the games anymore”. Which seems to be the general consensus from people who grew up with the game. He explains how he was introduced to Five Nights at Freddy’s
through friends as well as YouTubers like Markiplier and IHasCupquake, and that while he liked horror games, it wasn’t really the game itself, but the YouTube videos, culture, and the game’s lore that drew him to the franchise. Another student, Don Frenzle, explains the lore of the game, stating, “It wasn’t much the game itself, it was more the stories and what-not behind it that captivated me.” Then, beginning to discuss the movie, Frenzle and Brasberger shared similar opinions: “It had some of the aspects of the lore that YouTubers used to touch on, but it wasn’t amazing at including it,” Brasberger expressed. Frenzle also added that the film felt “too kid-ified,” making it stray from the game’s original intended audience. But, both stated how they enjoyed the movie, Frenzle calling it “fun” and “decently-made.”

While the movie didn’t necessarily live up to the standards that many fans hoped it would, it still did well in the box office, grossing almost 300 million dollars. If you’re a Five Nights at Freddy’s superfan or just simply a gameplay watcher who enjoyed the game’s lore and stories, hopefully you were able to make it to The Gleaner’s Five Nights at Freddy’s movie night last month. If not, stay tuned for next semester’s movie night so you don’t miss out on another fun night on the Rutgers Camden quad!

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Review by Gretchen Purvis

Jacqueline Holland’s novel The God of Endings, released in March 2023, follows Collette LeSange, a vampire who was turned by her grandfather after the death of her parents and brother during a tuberculosis epidemic left her deathly sick as well, nearly one hundred and fifty years ago as a teenager in 1834. When the story opens in 1984, she now spends her time in upstate New York, where she runs her own private arts school for young, rich children during the daytime, teaching her students painting and French language skills she has picked up during her long life. Colette keeps a large group of cats that she has trained to act as her personal blood donors so that she can take what she needs and avoid hurting any one of them by taking too much at once.

But this peaceful lifestyle becomes complicated when she meets Leo Hardman, a kind and artistically talented child whose complicated home life and sickly nature makes Colette worried for him once he shows up to school one morning with an injury neither parent explains to her satisfaction. She tries to find out more about Leo’s relationship with his parents, but is apprehensive of running afoul of them and is not certain how to go about this investigation. At the same time that Colette is trying to walk a fine line
between showing concern for one of her young student and avoiding meddling in family matters, she also begins to find that her appetite for blood—which she had previously been able to satisfy with her pet cat donors—has increased, and she begins to sleep fitfully where she had once slept peacefully before. Finally, both issues come to a head; when Holland draws the story to a close, the ending might be slightly unexpected and bittersweet, but it also contains a sense of hopefulness.

The God of Endings is on the slightly longer side—Amazon lists the hardcover copy’s length at 480 print pages—and Holland takes full advantage of that length to narrate two separate storylines: Colette’s attempts to find out more about Leo’s family life, and her life in Europe after her grandfather sends her across the Atlantic, where she struggles to find her place and eventually creates a new network of family and friends. This network of relationships is mortal, unlike her, and when they pass away, she
travels around the world as she deals with her grief and finds a new place in life. This past storyline might be Colette’s past, but it explains many of her present choices and informs her ultimate decision at the book’s end. The God of Endings can be found for sale in print (either hardcover or paperback) or digitally at many major retailers, like Amazon and Barnes & Nobles; and is also available to borrow for free as a print book at the Camden County Library System, where current Rutgers Camden students who live on or work for the campus, regardless of permanent residence, can register for a library card for free, which will be valid for one year (more information can be found by following this link: https://www.camdencountylibrary.org/get-library-card).

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Story and photo by Sadie Fiore

“I want my walls to walk.”

This was the sentiment shared by Margery Amdur, the artist behind Stedman Gallery’s Spring installation, Seams to be Constructed. The installation, which ran from January 16 to April 13, was a constant work in progress, and intentionally so–part of the artistic process was its constant changes.

During a pre-reception talk about her process and inspiration, Amdur, who is also a member of the Fine Arts faculty at Rutgers–Camden, said that “I never made clothes, my mother never made clothes, we went to a seamstress and the dressmaker, but I always had the desire to make and work with my hands, but I didn’t know how.” This desire was shown throughout the exhibit, which consisted of a variety of sewn objects, including clothing-like items and textiles. 

Amdur said that her art is often, “a stand-in for the body,” and that “the body is implied.” Her expression was evident in the repeated motif of the crinoline or hoop skirt, an 18th and 19th century undergarment worn by women to support their large and restrictive skirts, as well as the twisting wire sculptures throughout the exhibit, which seemed to echo the shapes of the human body.

“It was sort of a Martha Stewart way of working, but then it became, [that] I had to break the rules.” Amdur continued. She accomplished this by using unconventional artistic materials and mediums–wire, computer-generated designs screen printed onto fabric, and, most notably, makeup sponges, which she uses to create three dimensional pieces that resemble mushrooms and fungi. 

The closing reception was well attended, and the crowd consisted of students, some of which were Amdurs, as well as other artists, school administrators and faculty, all of whom expressed their admiration, with one faculty member expressing how wonderful the exhibit was in an educational sense, for the students who saw and interacted with it. 

Up next in the Stedman Gallery: The Department of Visual Media and Performing Arts (VMPA) will be showing the class of 2024 Senior Thesis show, showcasing the work of students in the fields of Animation, Graphic Design, Painting/Drawing, Sculpture and Intermedia opening May 1, with a reception on May 11 at 5pm. More information can be found at https://vmpa.camden.rutgers.edu

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Book cover image credits: Scribner

Review by Gretchen Purvis

Agustina Bazterrica’s horror novel Tender is the Flesh—originally published in
Argentina in 2017 and published in English translation in 2020 in the United
States—asks the reader to imagine a world where animals cannot be eaten for meat and
consequently meat consumption has shifted to human livestock, or “special meat,”
instead. Tender is the Flesh follows a former animal slaughterer, Marcos Tejo, who now
works at a slaughterhouse dealing in “special meat,” and his inability to reconcile his
moral discomfort with his job’s demands or leave his job. Tejo’s interpersonal
relationships—with his coworkers, such as the butcherer who calmly accepts her meat’s
shift from animal to human; with his estranged wife following their young son’s
untimely death, from which Tejo never emotionally recovered; and with his sister and
her children, who have no such qualms about “special meat” and push Tejo for access to
livestock, or heads, to rear themselves through his job—soon take center stage,
especially once his coworkers gift him a young, attractive female livestock.
Tejo’s initial inability to decide what to do with her—he resists his coworkers’
repeated requests for a celebratory barbeque together, as he finds himself “incapable of
killing the female in his barn” (pg. 52), but cannot decide what he wants to do
instead—offer Bazterrica ample opportunity to explore how both Tejo personally and
society more generally is affected by “special meat.” These moments, rather than
distractions from Tejo’s interactions with the gifted female head he keeps on his
property, are the core of the story and inform his attitudes towards her; when he
eventually makes his decision about what to do with her at the end of the book, it comes
as little surprise because everything previously has slowly built up to it.
Though Tender is the Flesh often focuses more on cannibalism’s dehumanizing
and often traumatizing social effects than the actual process of butchering humans for

consumption itself, the practice permeates Tejo’s nearly every interaction. This is a
horror novel, and there is plenty to unsettle and unnerve the reader: cannibalism, rape
(though not depicted, its occurance is obvious in the narrative), and animal cruelty and
death. When Tender is the Flesh does get explicitly violent, each scene comes sudden
and fast; you get the feeling the physical violence comes as an extension of heads’
treatment. There is a short but explicitly violent section in the middle, clinically
describing the slaughtering process, as Tejo leads several prospective employees—who
function as audience surrogates for worldbuilding exposition—through the
slaughterhouse and answers their questions about the process of keeping and
slaughtering humans as livestock (pg. 53-77).
Tender is the Flesh can be found in print for free at the Camden County Library
System (CCLS)—library cards are available for all current Rutgers students, regardless
of Camden County residency status, and books can be checked out for 3 weeks at a time
before renewal; for more information, look at CCLS’ website:
https://www.camdencountylibrary.org/get-library-card—or for purchase elsewhere in
either ebook or print format, such as Target, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.

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Story and pictures by Julio Dagand

On any given Thursday night, the Raptor Roost in Rutgers University–Camden’s Student Center basement is a fairly quiet place. Studying, campus club events, or even just people using the space to play a game or go on their phones are all that can usually be seen in this miniature agora. 

However, on the evening of Thursday, February 29, the familiar little assembly room was transformed into a ground zero for a cacophony of the loud music, even louder hair and clothes, and chaotic moshing that can only be found at a punk rock concert. This was courtesy of four local New Jersey punk rock acts that had been invited over to the Roost by WCCR President Joey Lescht and the minds at Rutgers Camden Radical Media, the new name given to Rutgers Camden’s very own radio station. The four acts were El Dingo, Red Kings, Comethead, and Violent Highs. The admission was free, meaning that any wandering soul was welcome to partake. The only requirement or request of any kind? Earplugs on at the door. “We sound better with plugs in, yall!” belted the frontman of Audubon band El DIngo as they kicked off the night’s first set with their songs “Tunnelrat” and “Seinfeld”.

Next came Red Kings, who forewent the standard drummer and guitarists setup for a simpler synth set up to complement their electric punk stylings.

Representing Rutgers Camden’s very own student body, Comethead provided the penultimate performance of the evening in their own inimitable style. With runny mascara and unmistakable goldenrod-colored hair done up in liberty spikes, Comethead’s “Conkrete Commando” took charge of the microphone and of the evening alongside his bandmate “Swampratt”. Moshing with the audience and baring their chests and backs for the audience to decorate in body paint, Comethead proved to be natural born showmen. 

The Conkrete Commando, in addition to playing with Comethead, is a WCCR DJ and one of the masterminds behind the free concert. The concert itself is an extension of the WCCR’s rebrand as “Radical Media Rutgers Camden” and a follow up to last semester’s Halloween Bash. An Urban Studies major from Texas, he met the student known now as Swampratt in a calculus class before forming Comethead, and the duo soon resolved to bring some punk energy to Rutgers–Camden. With Swampratt giving only the word “chaos” when asked for a mission statement, it would appear that, for now, the duo have gotten their wish.

The evening’s final punk offerings came from a band called Violent Highs, headed by Philadelphia born rapper Tawobi. When asked to describe the band’s sound, he simply smirked and offered an unprintable two word response. This eclectic energy showed in the performance they gave, marked by Tawobi’s distinctive scratchy vocals and rolled-back eyes. Tawobi said that the main driving force behind the band from his perspective was a desire to critique things like gentrification and racism, themes that also feature predominantly in his solo career.

WCCR will be hosting events similar to this show in the future, and are hosting a variety of shows throughout the week on the station accessible through https://wccr.camden.rutgers.edu.

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If the premise here, a blood-soaked Thanksgiving-themed slasher film directed by the guy who did those Hostel movies and Green Inferno, sounds like a joke, that’s because it started out as one.

The film now simply, and sort of confusingly, titled Thanksgiving, first came to life as a fake trailer in another movie, the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s double featured horror comedy Grindhouse showcases Rodriguez’s films like Planet Terror and Death Proof, released in 2007. Just over fifteen years later, this gag trailer is ready to come out of its cocoon and take center stage as Hollywood’s foremost Thanksgiving-themed horror movie.

Hey. If Valentine’s Day can have one, then sure. Why not? 

Eli Roth is known for a lack of restraint and a love of gore, and on the gore front, there are scenes in this movie that absolutely do not disappoint. The film’s opening salvo is a demented Black Friday riot gone awry that had me chuckling and cringing in equal measure—never before have shopping carts been used to such devastating extent on a human body!

After the riotous good time of the opening kills that the movie sort of becomes rather bland, like under-seasoned stuffing. An ordinary by-the-numbers slasher film ensues you’ve got a small town, a dutiful sheriff, a vengeful killer with a hidden identity, and plenty of douchey teenagers and frumpy waitresses to stand in his way as victims. The requisite turkey time twists DO get thrown in—our axe-murderer is themed after the first governor of Plymouth, y’see—but it doesn’t do enough to live up to its outrageous origin as a parody trailer, it’s funny premise, or even its rollicking opening. The gore stays punchy and gross most of the time, but a few key moments go too far and come off as particularly fake-looking. 

Outside of the opening, some of the kills do deliver, and some of the scenes of the Pilgrim-themed killer stalking his prey are a bit frightening when they’re allowed to properly simmer, but this movie didn’t make me laugh enough to qualify as a good horror parody or freak me out enough to stand out as a legitimate screamer. With nothing left to fall back on besides a unique premise, a great opening, and a few scant thrills, I was left a little hungry by the end of this would-be feast.

 Overall Rating score: 7/10

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Cover Photo by Pushpak Dsilva on Unsplash

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