Sci-Fi
Rod Lott
Cinema’s current master of disaster, Roland Emmerich (2012), produced but did not write or direct Hell, a post- apocalyptic film smaller in scope than what the man is used to, yet better crafted.

Comedy
Rod Lott
Don't call them "zombies" — call them "dissidents." That's one of a few well-aimed bits of political satire that populate the Spanish-language romp Juan of the Dead, but worry not: They're used sparingly and none come heavy-handed — a Castro polemic, this isn't.

Horror
Rod Lott
When I first heard of Mimesis, I thought it was a great idea: horror fans unwittingly participating in a live role-playing game that plops them into the classic film Night of the Living Dead. Now that I've seen it, however, I realize I was wrong. It's a terrible idea, and one executed poorly by Dark Fields director Douglas Schulze.

Comedy
Rod Lott
It’s kind of amazing how far $5,000 can get filmmakers these days, especially when Dustin Mills is in charge of the cash. Having helmed the inventive Puppet Monster Massacre and, less effectively, Zombie A-Hole, he now sets his deranged sights on designer drugs in Bath Salt Zombies. As one could surmise, it, too, sits squarely in the DIY horror-comedy realm.

Horror
Rod Lott
When viewers insert the DVD of 13 Eerie into their player, and the menu loads, they’ll be greeted by a crude but cute animation of the cover’s creature doing a little jig. I don’t think it’s meant to be amusing as I took it, but it is a sign that the movie isn’t your average, ordinary zombie film.

Thriller
Rod Lott
For those worried that Birdemic 2: The Resurrection doesn’t match the awfulness of the 2010 original, know this: The first five minutes are of its ostensible leading man walking. The first exchange of dialogue: “Hi!” “Hi.”

Television series
Rod Lott
Fresh off its Emmy win in the short-format live-action category, Adult Swim’s 11-minute marvel known as Childrens Hospital returns for a fourth go-round.