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I love this movie so much

Wonderful character development!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Horror films aren't exactly what I go to the movies for. For one reason or another, most don't do it for me.Honeyspider is one of two films that fall into the Horror genre that I can recommend to literally anyone.I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. A few friends of mine wanted to watch it, and for the first few minutes, I didn't pay much attention. But as the movie progressed, I became more and more immersed in it. It was like I was watching what every horror film should be. Considering production budgets, the film is a technical masterwork. Add in the entrancing and open-ended story, and just the general genre-savviness of the creators, and you have an instant Halloween classic.This isn't a movie that you watch and then go back to the rest of your day. This is a movie you watch, then watch again, then have a conversation with the people who made it on Twitter, and then write a review of while watching it for a third time. I can't express how finely tuned an instrument this film is.If you haven't seen it yet, you need to be watching it.

"Honeyspider" is a new indie horror flick from writer and producer Kenny Caperton and producer/director Josh Hasty . The 2014 project serves as a rejuvenation of classic late 70's, early 80's films, and it is masterfully executed. There's a great balance between the retro feel and inventive techniques, sprinkles of humor, and a terrific atmosphere, the combination of which spin an intricate, delightful tale.The film follows Jackie Blue (Mariah Brown), a college student struggling with classes, work, and her parents' separation. It's Halloween, 1989, coincidentally Jackie's birthday. She's in no celebratory mood, however, but it's more than the stress of familial problems and school. Jackie's Halloween becomes increasingly frightening, filled with peculiar dreams, spiders, and a strange professor (Frank J. Aard)."Honeyspider" retains a distinctly retro feel, evoking classic horror movies like John Carpenter's 1978 "Halloween." This comes as no surprise, considering writer and producer Kenny Caperton's dedicated recreation of the Michael Myers abode. Like Carpenter's memorable flick, there's a methodical pacing that establishes tension. Provocative camera work lends the sense of a sinister presence hiding just unseen. Additionally, protagonist Jackie draws some undeniable similarities to strong heroines like Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp, "A Nightmare On Elm Street"). Poor Jackie just wants a relaxing night, and instead she's plagued by bizarre visions, spiders, and dead bodies.Further fostering the throwback atmosphere is the actual setting. Filming locations include the aforementioned Myers House, as well as a gorgeous old cinema, The Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Jackie drives an old Volkswagen Beetle, a throwback vehicle for sure. A corded phone even makes an appearance, and there's a cool shot in the projection booth featuring an actual film print.Similarities to past films however pay homage, rather than copying. "Honeyspider" bursts forth with innovation, and really freshens up the genre. There's a surprising, and much appreciated, dose of humor peppered into the narrative. It's subtle comedy, as opposed to slapstick found in "The Evil Dead" and "Scream." While Jackie is working the concession counter at the theatre, each customer steals something without consequence, a hilarious sequence. It's witty snippets like this that make "Honeyspider" so unique.A particularly clever inclusion is the fictitious "Sleepover Slaughterhouse III," which presents as a movie within a movie. It plays heavily on horror tropes, including the obligatory topless scene, a silent masked killer, and even an Ouija board. Plus, the name suggests it's one entry in a never-ending franchise. The movie jumps seamlessly between "Honeyspider" and "Sleepover Slaughterhouse III," and the theatre-goers are pretty funny. One audience member, Jackson (David Hensley) keeps making unsuccessful moves on his date, comical segments in between the film within a film.Overall, "Honeyspider" is an imaginative, unique tribute to the horror films we've grown up loving. There are recognizable elements borrowed from beloved slashers, but a hearty dose of originality. Notably, the music is an underrated, but phenomenal aspect. The title derives from a Smashing Pumpkins track of the same name, the "Monster Mash" plays, and the finale features a haunting dream sequence. A disturbingly relaxing piano piece compliments eerie, black and white imagery. What truly sets "Honeyspider" apart is the way the supernatural components aren't fully elucidated. This leaves much to the imagination, which enhances the creepiness. Currently, "Honeyspider" is making various special screenings, including an awesome drive-in showing at the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson, NC. Stay updated on the "Honeyspider" website, as it's a delectably fresh horror flick, one you'll certainly want to catch.Mitchell "Moe" Long http://www.examiner.com/movies-in-durham/mitchell-moe-long

Saturday, October 18th marked the official world premiere of something that had been on my radar for some time. HONEYSPIDER, the first full-length horror feature by North Carolina filmmaker/writer Kenny Caperton alongside director Josh Hasty, held its first official showing at the historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, NC. Built in 1936, destroyed by fire in 1942, and fully restored in 1948, The Gem Theatre is one of the most iconic theatres in the Carolinas, as well as one of the oldest continuously running theatres in the United States today. Needless to say, The Gem has a certain "Old World" charm and arguable level of beautiful creepiness that was so appropriate for a horror film's premiere in the spookiest of seasons.Over the past several years, Caperton has become something of a fixture in the horror community, gaining much-deserved notoriety for building The Myers House: NC – a life-size scale replica of the infamous Michael Myers house from John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN franchise, which is not only his personal love-letter to his favorite genre/film, but also his own private residence. While the house has been featured in several films already, including Caperton's own Halloween-inspired fan-film prequel: 2010's JUDITH: THE NIGHT SHE STAYED HOME, this was Caperton's first attempt at writing an original feature-length horror.Set in the late 1980s, HONEYSPIDER tells the story of Jackie Blue (Mariah Brown), a college student about to celebrate her 21st birthday, which just so happens to also be Halloween. Trying to keep her grades up, struggling with divorced and rather disconnected parents, and a rather creepy professor, Professor Lynch (played by Frank Aard) who seems to have more than a little personal interest, Jackie seems intent on just keeping her head down and trying to get by, holding a job at the local movie theatre (the location of which provided by The Gem itself) where she takes time to study between customers.As Halloween (and of course, her birthday) approaches, Jackie begins to hallucinate, seeing tarantulas nearly everywhere she goes, and receives a mysterious ring as a birthday gift. When Jackie goes to work at the theatre for the big Halloween spookshow of "Sleepover Slaughterhouse Part III" (a film within the film) we're treated to some good old-fashioned slasher action, courtesy of a mysterious masked killer, who of course has his sights set on Jackie, culminating in a bizarre cult ritual. Who is the mysterious killer? Why are he and the cult targeting Jackie? Will she survive? What happens next? At least some of these questions will be answered, but certainly not all, and that's part of why I enjoyed this film so much. While the cult gives the audience just enough to get the gist of things, they never actually explain anything, focusing instead on their own reasons. This was so important to me because too many films these days tend to just give everything away. I mean, why would they explain anything? They know why they do what they do, but what kind of cult and/or killer would really, actually bother to explain why? I found this to be quite pleasing story-wise.Another thing I particularly appreciated was the authenticity of "Sleepover Slaughterhouse Part III" – the little film within the film, which not only captured the look, feel, and overall campiness of your typical 80s slasher flick, but also featured actual 80s title/credit fonts (that may or may not have been obviously inspired by another certain Part III of a slasher franchise), sound, and presentation of such a film that if I didn't know better, I'd be sure I could go find on VHS rotting away on some old video store shelf somewhere. About my only real gripe with the film, come with the sound department, whose audio came off as a bit uneven throughout the film, which could be easily fixed with a quick trip back to the mixing boards, but likely will stay as the one shining flaw in the production. I could argue that the final sequence was a bit drawn out, and could use a slight (and I do mean slight) runtime cut, but that's such a minor thing, that even as I write this review, I don't really see that as something that actually needs fixing that bad.Overall, HONEYSPIDER is a wonderful homage to 80s horror cinema, never taking itself too seriously, while refusing to dip into that dreaded (and quite frankly lazy) slippery slope of "horror-comedy" that so many independent horror films fall back on way too often. Hasty does a superb job of directing and bringing Caperton's story to life with excellent camera work, and the cast does an excellent job of delivering a natural, believable performance that is only strengthened by the fact that they all look like actual, real people as opposed to "Hollywood" types. There are obvious nods to Rob Zombie's THE LORDS OF SALEM with the symbolism and perhaps even some of the styling, and of course The Smashing Pumpkins with the title, but not nearly enough to be any sort of rip-off. This is an original, innovative, and refreshing take on the horror genre that pays its respects to the past while ambitiously looking forward to the future. Not bad for a debut effort, and we can only hope this is a sign of many more great things to come.

I was fortunate enough to see the world premiere of this film in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Parts of the film were shot at the local, historic Gem Theatre, and it features prominently in the film. The Gem Theatre held the premiere, as a double feature with George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. As much as I adore Night of the Living Dead, I had more fun watching Honeyspider. It was fresh, highly ambitious, infectious, mysterious, and genuinely frightening at times. As an independent author and wannabe filmmaker myself, I'm always impressed at what independent filmmakers can accomplish with such a small budget. A lot of times, the smaller budget allows for an increase in creativity and devotion to a project, and Honeyspider is oozing around the edges with creativity and devoted participants.The film begins on a slow zoom in on our beautiful leading lady. Mariah Brown plays Jackie Blue, a college student celebrating her 21st birthday on the most glorious day of the year, Halloween. She works at the local movie theatre, has eccentric friends (two of whom are appreciably dressed as Columbia and Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is ironic, as I wore a Rocky Horror shirt to the premiere!), has to deal with a creepy professor, and has parents who don't really seem to care. Frank Aard plays Professor Lynch, the aforementioned creepy professor, who may be more diabolical than the viewer can imagine. As Jackie goes about her evening, tarantulas begin showing up, tormenting her.Setting the film in the late '80s was a very welcome touch, as I abhor a lot of modern technologies. If the characters were all playing on their current phones, tablets, etc. throughout the film, in twenty years, it would end up being a dated work, like plenty of other films through the ages. The filmmakers wisely set it in the '80s, thereby immediately stamping it as a curiosity piece, allowing the true characters and plot to unfold in a more universal manner. The slow pacing of the film is right up my alley. The best horror films build and build with suspense, thoroughly developing the characters, rather than relying on cheap scares. Take The Exorcist and The Shining, for example. They are based in reality, developing characters and a world which absorb the viewer. Honeyspider takes a page from that book, building a lead character and her world on a firm, believable foundation. Then, when the climax comes, it's that much more unsettling and terrifying.Another facet of this film that I adored was the music and sound design. Some of the sound design felt as though the filmmakers overdosed on David Lynch films before working on this project. Given the fact that the creepy professor's name is Lynch, that doesn't seem like a far-fetched possibility. The music is even one of the first scares in the film. After the first scene, the lead character starts walking back to her dorm, calmly, quietly. Suddenly, the image freezes, the title card appears, and the music strikes a boisterous, sinister chord that jolts the viewer and chills him to the core.What makes Honeyspider so smart, though, is the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. The slow pacing and high ambition never get in the way of the tremendous level of fun the film instills. This is most evident in the movie-within-the-movie. As stated before, Jackie works at a movie theatre. The theatre is showing a film titled, Sleepover Slaughterhouse Part III. This is where I really fell in love with the film. Honeyspider is shot in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The Sleepover Slaughterhouse Part III segments change to a standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio. I adore whenever a film uses varying aspect ratios to tell its story. Woodstock, Life of Pi, and The Grand Budapest Hotel all use this technique, and I love it. The opening credits of Sleepover Slaughterhouse Part III are a scream, not only because of the ridiculously campy faux cast and crew, but because they are fashioned after another famous, ridiculous Part III of a slasher series starring a certain hockey mask wearing individual. Sleepover Slaughterhouse Part III is every horror stereotype Honeyspider is not. This is how the filmmakers allowed themselves to be fun and crazy amidst the serious effort put forward in the rest of the film.My only qualm with seeing the first screening of a film in theatres is that I have to way so much longer for a home video release. I hope this film makes its way onto the home video market quite soon because I want to show it to everyone I know. Honeyspider is a self-proclaimed cult film, and I hate the fact that I didn't "Join the Cult" on the film's website early enough, so I could have gotten a shirt. I am proud to be a part of the Honeyspider cult. I think it's time to retire the V for Vendetta symbol I've been drawing random places, for I have found a new symbol.