Little Bites

"Little Bites" has a unique premise, which flows from a very literal application of the metaphor of addiction being a monster which eats away at you, little-by-little, till one day there is nothing left. Given the almost non-existent budget, the Spider One (the younger Cummings brother, i.e. Not Rob Zombie) / Kirsty Fox writer / director couple, augmented by the much improved cinematography of Andy Patch, did astonishingly well. The set (basically a very cool gothic house) creature - and bite effects, 70's setting, and claustrophobic camera work, created a tense and oppressive atmosphere, which worked very well. Horror screen queens, Crampton and Langenkamp excelled in minor roles, and Sklaroff did the cool measured patronising voice. Fox really gave the performance her all, and her character at times worked brilliantly. However, the script needed a lot of work. Some interactions were written very unnaturally, and the failure to move past the basic metaphor and to run said metaphor is almost criminal. The duality between the visual events and the mental cause thereof needed decent capitalisation and the continuous spoon-feeding of the metaphor, just made a way too long 104 minute film, feel even longer. A mixed bag film, but because of the originality of the idea and the decent visual execution, despite the micro budget, "Little Bites" gets a 6/10.

Single mother shoos her kid away with grandma so she can deal with the bloodthirsty demon/vampire living in her downstairs storage room. Minor, independently-produced horror outing was something of a family affair: writer-director Spider One is also married to the lead, Krsy Fox, who doubled as the film's editor; both were producers on the film, along with executive producers Cher and her son, Chaz Bono, who has a supporting role. There's nothing at all wrong with the acting--which is quite solid--and the production doesn't feel slapdash; however, Spider One's script doesn't go in for a backstory, leaving itself open to unanswered questions and gaps of logic. This guy just wants to get to the finale, which has a comical twist--though, again, it doesn't make much sense. *1/2 from ****

I enjoyed the movie. The first two thirds were really good, I'd give it an 8. The slow building tension, the acting was spot on. I was actually impressed with Krsy Fox's performance. Heather Langenkamp's performance was my favourite, she has a limited role but she makes it so memorable. The pace of the slow boil was good in my opinion. It wasn't so slow that I lost interest and it didn't rush and lose the delicate tension. The last third I almost felt like maybe the original script was changed? It took me out of the movie a bit hence my rating coming down to a 7. It was not bad by any means, I still enjoyed it. I would have preferred an ending that kept in tone with the first 2/3. I actually think that Spider One created a solid movie though. I actually would love to see him explore other genres, I think he could create an interesting body of work.

I recently watched Little Bites (2024) on Shudder. The story follows a woman who allows herself to be eaten by a monster to keep her daughter safe. Meanwhile, child protective services starts asking questions, her health rapidly declines, and the pressure of keeping the monster fed becomes overwhelming. At some point, she won't be able to juggle it all...

This film is written and directed by Spider One (Allegoria) and stars Krsy Fox (Terrifier 3), Barbara Crampton (From Beyond), Jon Sklaroff (Three Kings), and Elizabeth Phoenix Caro (The Christmas Chronicles).

This was a mysterious and unsettling horror film, with Jon Sklaroff delivering a standout performance as both a villain and a monstrous presence. The ghoul's design and voice work are particularly effective, adding a sinister atmosphere to every feeding scene. The bites and gore effects are well done, and the film delivers some strong jump scares. The mother-daughter dynamic is well-executed, making the emotional weight of the story feel real. The mother's slow transformation and descent are handled well, and the film builds toward an ending that is both satisfying and chilling.

In conclusion, Little Bites is a solid entry in the horror genre that's worth a watch. I'd rate it a 6/10.

Starts well enough, creepy and atmospheric. Immediately thrown into the premise which isn't a pretty on in its own right. Pretty horrific situation with choices that are moreso.

Then, well, it's sits idling a bit. Almost feels like a film made out of a short but there was promise. Kept me interested for a bit and just further continues down the hole that feels like filler, only to stumble into a disappointing "flat" finish. Overall, interesting. Chalked this one up as many"missed opportunities" as it was creepy and atmospheric and built enough tension, only to waste so much time spinning it's tires, it loses it's early-on head of steam.

4/10.