'the EL MARIACHI of horror films'

Found this great review from www.esplatter.com/2006news/screamfestla

Shriekfest Shocks Hollywood

October 3, 2006 -- Not to be confused with Screamfest LA -- but ultimately related as it takes place in the same neck of the woods in the same time of year -- Shriekfest is one of the largest horror film festivals in the country. Here's an exclusive update from Steve Biodrowski on highlights of the 2006 Shriekfest Festival, which took place in Hollywood, Calif.:

The big winner for Best Feature Film at this year’s Shriekfest Film Festival in Hollywood was THE OTHER SIDE, an independent feature film that wowed audiences at a screening on Saturday night and elicited rounds of applause on Sunday when the award was announced – pretty impressive when you consider that many if not most of the audience were fellow filmmakers entered in the competition.

Competitiveness aside, THE OTHER SIDE was the obvious choice, even in a field that included several other impressive titles. Gregg Bishop’s action-packed opus – about souls that escape from hell and are tracked down by almost unkillable “Reapers” intent on bringing them back – may be the EL MARIACHI of horror films: a low-budget calling card that opens doors to Hollywood, allowing for a big-budget sequel-remake down the road. (One of the running gags during the Q&A after the film was which stars would replace the excellent cast of the original, with names like Ewan MacGregor and Michael Clarke Duncan thrown around.) There is no distribution deal for the film yet, but Hollywood would have to be crazy to let this one go direct-to-video. It’s like a horror movie version of THE TERMINATOR, THE HIDDEN, and SUPERMAN II all rolled into one: it delivers the goods – action and special effects – but also tells a complex story without ever dragging the pace to a standstill.