There's something to be said for a lean, mean horror/thriller. If you think about it, some of the best genre movies are the ones that cut all the bullshit and present a simple, scary story, and tell it effectively. John Carpenter's Halloween was one. Steven Spielberg's Duel another. And that's just a couple. But I'd like to add director John Hyams's Alone to that list. Perhaps best know for his well done Universal Soldier sequels Regeneration and Day of Reckoning, Hyams proves he has what it takes to make an effective chiller, focusing on character and technique to tell a scary story of a widower who is kidnapped by a serial killer and taken to his remote cabin. She escapes, and must not only survive him, but the elements. A simple premise, but Hyams and screenwriter Mattias Olsson kill it -- if you'll excuse the term. This movie grabs you with an effective opening, which could have been a whole movie in its own right, where fragile Jessica (well played by J...

The dust has settled from not one, but two weekend broadcasts From The Basement. And, if you haven't heard it already, we proudly present to you this, the podcast version of the show. Jason and Shawn's countdown to Halloween continues as they take on a number of spooky season offerings, including Netflix's Vampires vs. the Bronx and the acclaimed series The Haunting of Bly Manor. Jason also caught the new thriller Alone from director John Hyams. Are these tricks or treats? Stick with us! And stick around, as The Basement Boys catch up with older releases Final Girl and the WNUF Halloween Special. What's that? You'll just have to listen. Listen you shall too, as Mike S brings another horror-themed review in from the Carport, and Jason and Shawn present the weekend entertainment rundown. You can hear it all right now by pushing play on the player below!

That's the good news. The bad news is the fourth installment in the long-running Universal Soldier series will be made in 3D. Foresight Unlimited announced Wednesday that production would begin in the fall on the next film in the series. Dolph Lundgren will return, along with JCVD, to do some damage. John Hyams, director of Universal Soldier: Regeneration, will helm the project. Fans of the podcast will know that Shawn and I quite enjoyed Regeneration, he more so. The film featured some great and gritty action scenes with nary a pixel of CGI noticeably in sight, which makes news of the 3D involvement somewhat upsetting for yours truly. At least they aren't shooting it in 2D and converting it after. We'll post more news as it comes in!