LAMPIE (2025) NYICFF 2026

Young girl who helps her father run the local lighthouse is forced to go work at "The Black House" after her failure to light the lamp causes a shipwreck. She is forced to be there in order to pay off her debt. Her task is to take care of the boy who lives there.

The easiest thing to say is just go buy a ticket. This is one of the best films to play at NYICFF in the last few years, which says a great deal because of all of the great films that have played the festival.  This film is going to get a cult following and you will want to get in on the ground floor.

This is one part fairy tale, one part magical realism tale and several parts grand adventure. I don't want to spoil where or how this goes, just know that odds are you are not going to know where this film is going to go. It's full of great characters who sell every turn of the plot.

This is just pure cinematic magic of the highest order and finding films like this is why I love going to NYICFF evey year.

Highly recommended- this film is going to end up on one of my year end list come December.

Carnival of Blood

Set in Coney Island this is the story of a psycho killing people on the midway. I'll leave the actual plot for you to work out when you see this.

This is one of those so bad its good movies, one where your jaw hangs open in disbelief at whats going on.

Take for example the music. Its folk music. Why? I have no idea. I don't think anyone who had a brain cell couldn't see that the music chosen has nothing to do with whats going on on screen. Its so opposite to what you are seeing it grates on you.

Its occasionally acted and partially written which makes it somewhat watchable.Its a movie to get drunk to and watch and laugh at.

Its interesting to watch the carnival scenes since its incredibly obvious that they are filming at an operating carnival since people are constantly looking at the actors in a puzzled manner. The crowd scenes after the opening decapitation are fall down funny. As is the response time of the police and medics to the crime scene, never has help arrived that fast in New York.

If you're in the mood for grade Z entertainment I recommend the film for a nights rental.