Photo by Crypt Rotted Bones Victor Crowley lives!
These mini reviews are a little vague; purposely not going into every key plot points. The intention is not to spoil the films but to intrigue new viewers to seek them out Hatchet is Adam Green’s 2007 first theatrical directorial debut, and emerges from the Louisiana swamps slashing for the fences. For anyone raised on 1980’s horror, Hatchet will instantly make you feel nostalgic for a time when B-slasher movies were R rated, extremely bloody, and the effects were all practical. Add to this a cast that contains such noted horror icons as Robert Englund, Tony Todd, and Kane Hodder, and you have the recipe for a goretastic viewing experience. The plot of Hatchet revolves around a haunted swamp tour gone wrong. After a campy start, the tour takes a turn for the worse as the boat runs aground and begins to sink in the middle of the bayou near the childhood home of local legend Victor Crowley, the films antagonist played by Kane Hodder. Most fans know Hodder as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise, donning the iconic hockey mask in four separate sequels , more than any other actor in that role. In fact, there are many parallels between the characters of Jason Voorhees and Victory Crowley: both suffered from facial birth deformities, both were ridiculed and bullied by the other children, and this eventually leads to each of their demises. In Victor’s case, his death is the result of being trapped in his childhood home when it was unintentionally set on fire by local children from a Halloween prank gone wrong. He was accidentally killed by his own father who attempted to save his son by chopping the door down with a hatchet unknowing that young Victor was pressed up against the other side of the door. Years pass and Victor returns as a Repeater, a corporeal spirit with the ability to remanifest himself after each time he is “killed”. Crowley has only one purpose, he is hell bent on butchering anyone who is unwise enough to step foot in his swamp. As a horror fan it was fun to see Hodder play a different type of slasher. Where Voorhees was slow and methodical, Victor is rapid and spontaneous. He's a barrage of motion and constantly thrashing his body about, resembling a rabid animal. Like Friday the 13th, Hatchet delivers on original and inventive kills: delimbings, gas powered belt sander to the face, and cranial decapitations. The end result is a splatter fest of blood & guts. Add in dark, comedic jokes and one liners, and it is evident that Hatchet is Green’s love letter to the B horror movie slasher genre. Hatchet has a fanatical fan base that affectionately refers to themselves as the Hatchet Army. If you’re a fellow horror nerd, this should definitely be a film you should give a chance. Who knows, you may find yourself joining the Armies ranks. Richard Liebmann 
The search for inspiration is an elusive one for a passionate artist. However once it’s found, an artist will try desperately to hang onto it. What about when it hangs onto you?
Writer and Director John Burr seems to know exactly where he wants to go with the story and just the pace he wants to use to take the audience there. As you watch in the first act the direction deliberately keeps you engaged with tension in a way to let you know that there is so much more to reveal. Adam a is a struggling painter, who can’t seem to find the inspiration he has been lacking in his work. Through a happenstance, he has an encounter with a drug dealer who has business to tend to outside of the city and therefore a proposition is made for Adam to come along on an impromptu road trip. Nudged along by subtle signs, out and about with an an unsavory character in a situation which of course doesn’t go quite as planned. The one thing that does occur, is an enchanting woodland being in the form of a beautiful young woman in tattered clothing, crosses paths with and takes a liking to Adam. Once back in the city, Adam’s life is forever changed as not only has he found his muse but it has found him for better or worse. His inspiration for his paintings is now free flowing. He is turning out the best work of his life and getting noticed by the art scene, as he reaps the benefits of this new found success all the while becoming incredibly close with his new friend who has taken up residence with him. But Adam finds things get a bit messy when he strikes up a bond with an attractive female neighbor who is played charmingly by Kate Mansi. Actress Elle Evans (The Love Witch) plays the mythical temptress who is more an instinctual creature or is she a spirt? ... a cross between a nymph and a wild animal, she appears to be driven by love, devotion and a need to protect the object of her passions, usually in the most savage and brutal way possible. Evans does a fantastic job showcasing her ability to portray this without any dialogue and only body language and facial expressions. Actor Riley Egan portrays the lead Adam and is very believable as a passive introverted artist who can barely speak with base in his voice into a confident artist with swagger and a growing ego. Also Jennie Fahn as Valerie the gallery owner who plays mentor to Adam and believes in his work, is fantastic and steals many of the scenes that she is in. She even clues us in on the lore of the mythical woman, in a very cleverly written scene. Burr’s script is tight in story pacing and natural in character and dialogue. The motivations of all principle characters is clear and real and not ever ham fisted. It also doesn’t hurt that the film is casted so well. The look of the film is nicely polished but not overly so, and atmospheric with it’s tension and suspense, like a one, two punch. I was very pleased bu the third act, because it can be easy not to stick the landing in these films. Legend of The Muse, doesn’t take the easy way out but rather barrels tight through story conventions you would expect and concludes it with a fresh feeling of both integrity for the story and satisfaction for the arc of the characters. The themes of artists of those courting success only to have it come to them by means of darkness and temptation has been done many times before, but in the case of Legend of The Muse, it’s a film that is well aware of that and sharply creates a fresh take here with original lore behind it, which i have to credit to the writer director John Burr. I was thoroughly captivated much like the character of Adam with his muse. John Burr’s Legend of The Muse is a winner for the cast, crew and everyone at Darkcoast. Not only would fans of horror fantasy enjoy it, but also fans of film in general. Highly recommended. Shaunqui Harris 
What if scenarios can be fun to discuss among friends and loved ones. What would you do if your back was against the wall in a difficult life or death situation? We all enjoy playing this game with each other to determine how we would handle things.
Welcome to the world of continuous over the top apocalyptic zombie action, that is the Resident
Evil film franchise. This latest and final entry into the dystopian monster filled world of mayhem is directed by Paul W.S Anderson, and once again stars his wife, the undeniably bad-ass Milla Jovovich. The Final Chapter picks up a short time after the final moments of "Resident Evil Retribution". The Film opens on a grand action sequence, and then takes its time to start feeding the audience the story elements for this soft reboot of the franchise. The Final Chapter is an adequate entry into the series that delivers what Resident Evil fans have come to expect over the last fifteen years; such as Alice’s trade mark stunning entrances, characters we either cheer for or love to hate, and most importantly the zombies. Paul W.S Anderson delivers us one final glorious T-Virus filled battle, and whether you’re new to the series or were here from the beginning, you won’t leave the theater disappointed. This may be the end of a franchise, but what an end it is! Martin Lafrance 
Typically I am not a fan of remakes, most being simply "updated" hollow shells of their predecessors. However, there are a few exceptions worth spending the time to watch, and Night of the Living Dead 1990, is one of them. The plot for NOTLD1990 is almost identical to George Romero's 1968 classic which should not be too much of a surprise as Romero was very much involved in the production of NOTLD1990. He wrote the script and even did the voice of one of the radio news broadcasters. But it was his long time FX Master, Tom Savini, in his feature film directorial debut, who would take command of the undead zombie hordes.
As in Romero's 1968 original, we are introduced to brother and sister duo Johnnie (Bill Moseley) and Barbara (Patricia Tallman), as they are arriving at a cemetery to visit the grave of their recently deceased mother. The siblings are instantly assaulted by a peculiar, shambling man. While Johnnie has a stroke of bad luck, Barbara escapes to a neighboring farmhouse where she meets up with other individuals. Here we are introduced to Ben (Tony Todd), and a frightened young couple Tom and Judy. Together the group tries to fortify the house in order to survive the night as hordes of reanimated corpses begin to gather outside. A family of three is found hiding in the cellar – Harry, an unstable husband (Tom Towles), his wife and their unconscious daughter who was bitten by one of the living dead. The stress and danger of the current situation causes the group to begin infighting, arguing whether it is safer to barricade themselves in the cellar or stay in the main part of the house where there are multiple possible exits should things become dire. The group splits and the intensity of the situation causes characters to make rash, unintelligible decisions that result in their own deaths. Savini's directorial eye differs from that of Romero's. Romero needed to camouflage the film's limitations (due to budgetary constraints) by using exciting or unusual filming angles that took advantage of the shadows created from using black and white film stock. Savini's approach is rather simple; he doesn't detract from the action with unneeded camera movements or rapid edits, crafting scenes that look professional and well thought out. Therefore the remake feels familiar, but fresh and new at the same time. One of the most notable changes from the original is that of Barbara. She is no longer the shock stricken, mousey damsel in distress originally portrayed by Judith O'Dea. After witnessing the death of her older brother in the cemetery, Patricia Tallman's Barbara becomes a woman who removes her emotions from the situation to take charge and fights back. In fact, it is Barbara who points out what has been blatantly obvious to the viewers: the zombies are unintelligent, and extremely slow. "You could just walk right past them!" she observes, while watching the dead from the farmhouse. The rest of the film plays out pretty much like the original with its bonfire and zombie torture freeze-frame scenes. By the end of both movies humanity is really no better than the mindless hordes of undead flesh eaters. As someone who grew up adoring that 1968 classic I still highly recommend Night of the Living Dead 1990 as a companion to the original. Take a few hours to watch both versions, compare how each director chose to shoot the scenes, note striking or subtle differences in characters, and how the end scenes play out slightly different and judge for yourself whether the Savini version is a product of the Hollywood remake formula, or an insightful adaptation of Romero's original vision. Richard Liebmann 
"That boy is about to seek revenge over the town that murdered him. He knows this, he says, because he himself is the heir apparent to that throne of terror so long held by the likes of Voorhees, Myers and Krueger. This man's name is Leslie Vernon."
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a deconstructionist horror comedy that expands on the most common backgrounds and rules of the horror genre, which many viewers were introduced to in Wes Craven's Scream. It's a mash up of classic slasher movies, mockumentary, and found footage. These methods give a very unique approach to the typical killer legend. The film finds budding serial killer Leslie Vernon divulging the tricks of his trade to a news crew, who are documenting his preparations to claim his place among such legendary killer icons as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger, who are considered real-world killers in the film. The news crew (and by extension, the viewer) witnesses the monster himself craft every detail of his forth coming night of terror and murder. This is where a lot of the comedic aspects come in. The film takes all the horror clichés and explains them comically, but with real world logic. We see that Leslie's work out regime has major emphasis on cardio, which he complains about; but how else do you give off the illusion that the slow stalking killer is always just behind his victims, even when they are in full sprint? He walks the news crew through exactly how the events will unfold and gives explanations to classic slasher tropes like the victims discovering dead bodies, only to have the corpses disappear and reappear at different locations in an array of poses. We witness how he selects his "survivor girl," planting seeds of fear by incorporating her family linage into his legend's "backstory." Every aspect of a seemingly coincidental night of mayhem is planned out and thought through: Leslie sabotages the abandoned house where the massacre will occur, nailing the first floor windows shut limiting potential exits; he replaces batteries in the all the flashlights with dead ones; pre-cuts work shed tools to prevent them from being used as weapons; sawing tree branches so they break when the slightest amount of weight is applied to them thereby cutting off the means to escape the second floor; rigging a remote-control that will allow him to cut the house's power, etc. Even when an "unexpected" plot twist occurs, the night still plays out the way Leslie conceived it. Nathan Baesel's portrayal of Vernon is astounding. He is able to convey charm and likability with his line deliveries that make you want to genuinely laugh. At the same time, Baesel is also able to express effectively how dangerous and menacing he truly is when needed. Throw in such iconic horror actors as Robert Englund, Zelda Rubinstein, Scott Wilson and a truly awesome, blink and you'll miss him, cameo by Kane Hodder, and this is a must see film for any horror fan! Richard Liebmann I’m a “Conjuring” enabler |
Hello, my name is Amanda and I’m a “Conjuring” enabler.
SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t seen The Conjuring please stop reading, reassess your life, watch The Conjuring then please return here.
I should admit by the time I actually got around to seeing The Conjuring it was already at the end of it’s theatrical run. Not that I didn’t want to see it! I was hooked by the first trailer. (As a side note, I thought it was about the Valencia Axe Murder House, you should probably look that up too.)
As I was saying, I was late to The Conjuring train but I was convinced that I’d love it! I got the theater early with a friend and she was just excited for the movie as I was.
It was fantastic! It is my second favorite horror movie of all time, right after The Exorcist. What a perfect example of how the tone and build up make a horror movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like slasher films, but they don’t scare me at all. They won’t keep me up like a psychological haunt will.
In fact, I feel like the whole movie leads up to the one scene on the bureau! It sort of goes down hill from there-but what a scene! It’s fantastic! I dare you not to think of that as you get into bed at night as you rush into the safety of your covers. It’s terrifying and wonderfully frightening.
It’s the look of horror on Cindy’s face, seconds before Andrea even turns around. It was in the tilt up to the reveal! Nearly every other shot of Bathsheba is comical (apart from on the tree! Gah!) and after that moment her shots are almost a joke and silly-but at that moment! Curled up and finally full visible is the stuff nightmares are made of! High five cast and crew of The Conjuring!
Which is why I have to share this movie!
The first time I enabled someone was my best friend, Jimmy. Hell, I even bought the DVD in order to bring it over to his house. My then boyfriend and I had already seen the movie and I kept assuring Jimmy that he’d love it.
So we plopped down, at noon, bright, sun filled day, in his living room to watch The Conjuring. Within seconds, at the sight of Annabelle, Jimmy belts out “Nnnooooppppppeee!” followed by a series of “Nnnoooooppppee”s throughout the movie which lead it’s way to Jimmy turning on all the lights on in his house on his way to the bathroom. We called out, “Jimmy, are you ok?”
“Nnnnooooppppee!” Clap, clap was our answer.
The second time I enabled The Conjuring was for my friends Jorge and Elliot and my mum. I had invited a bunch of people over to play video games and when no one showed up ended up with hummus, baba ghanoush and The Conjuring. Let me just say, Jimmy and is nope handled a scene better than one of my friends did.
The third time I enabled was on Valentine’s Day. We each picked a movie. He picked Annie Hall and I picked-what else?!
What, is Valentine’s Day not the day to play a movie where a family is terrorized by a child killing witch? Whatever, it was the first time I’ve ever had a date on Valentine’s day anyway. Go big or go home.
There’s a perverse sense of pride you get when you share The Conjuring. All the little moments. The little jump scares that your friends fall into. That always makes me grin and think “Oh! You just wait until you see her on the bureau!”
by Amanda
SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t seen The Conjuring please stop reading, reassess your life, watch The Conjuring then please return here.
I should admit by the time I actually got around to seeing The Conjuring it was already at the end of it’s theatrical run. Not that I didn’t want to see it! I was hooked by the first trailer. (As a side note, I thought it was about the Valencia Axe Murder House, you should probably look that up too.)
As I was saying, I was late to The Conjuring train but I was convinced that I’d love it! I got the theater early with a friend and she was just excited for the movie as I was.
It was fantastic! It is my second favorite horror movie of all time, right after The Exorcist. What a perfect example of how the tone and build up make a horror movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like slasher films, but they don’t scare me at all. They won’t keep me up like a psychological haunt will.
In fact, I feel like the whole movie leads up to the one scene on the bureau! It sort of goes down hill from there-but what a scene! It’s fantastic! I dare you not to think of that as you get into bed at night as you rush into the safety of your covers. It’s terrifying and wonderfully frightening.
It’s the look of horror on Cindy’s face, seconds before Andrea even turns around. It was in the tilt up to the reveal! Nearly every other shot of Bathsheba is comical (apart from on the tree! Gah!) and after that moment her shots are almost a joke and silly-but at that moment! Curled up and finally full visible is the stuff nightmares are made of! High five cast and crew of The Conjuring!
Which is why I have to share this movie!
The first time I enabled someone was my best friend, Jimmy. Hell, I even bought the DVD in order to bring it over to his house. My then boyfriend and I had already seen the movie and I kept assuring Jimmy that he’d love it.
So we plopped down, at noon, bright, sun filled day, in his living room to watch The Conjuring. Within seconds, at the sight of Annabelle, Jimmy belts out “Nnnooooppppppeee!” followed by a series of “Nnnoooooppppee”s throughout the movie which lead it’s way to Jimmy turning on all the lights on in his house on his way to the bathroom. We called out, “Jimmy, are you ok?”
“Nnnnooooppppee!” Clap, clap was our answer.
The second time I enabled The Conjuring was for my friends Jorge and Elliot and my mum. I had invited a bunch of people over to play video games and when no one showed up ended up with hummus, baba ghanoush and The Conjuring. Let me just say, Jimmy and is nope handled a scene better than one of my friends did.
The third time I enabled was on Valentine’s Day. We each picked a movie. He picked Annie Hall and I picked-what else?!
What, is Valentine’s Day not the day to play a movie where a family is terrorized by a child killing witch? Whatever, it was the first time I’ve ever had a date on Valentine’s day anyway. Go big or go home.
There’s a perverse sense of pride you get when you share The Conjuring. All the little moments. The little jump scares that your friends fall into. That always makes me grin and think “Oh! You just wait until you see her on the bureau!”
by Amanda
What if you were told monsters were real?
What if just beneath the surface of our world exists a vast metropolis where monsters live lives that mirror our own?
These are the questions horror genre director Adam Green poses to us in his newest feature; "Digging Up The Marrow". This is no ordinary feature however as Green presents his newest film as a "faux" documentary. Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper) plays retired Boston detective; William Dekker who reaches out to Green and Green's long time friend and cinematographer; Will Barratt with evidence that monsters exist in a world simply known as "The Marrow". Green starts out the film as the vigilant skeptic but will he and Barratt stand by that humorous skepticism by the time the last frame is revealed? To answer this would spoil the terrifying magic that Marrow truly is.
Based on the art exhibit by artist Alex Pardee, Marrow not only serves as a faux documentary but also as a time capsule of sorts. Before its release in 2015, Digging Up The Marrow was four years in the making. In that time, friend and Holliston actor Dave "Oderus Urungus" Brockie passed away and Green separated from his wife; Rileah Vanderbilt. Both Brockie and Vanderbilt appear in the final cut and while Green originally wanted to cut these scenes, the viewers will be glad they were kept in. It should be known that all in this film play themselves. Wise is the only actor to be playing a character and in my opinion, the role of Dekker is the best performance by Wise since Leland Palmer on Twin Peaks.
What is a documentary about monsters without the monsters? In this regard, Green manages to reveal the monsters of The Marrow in such a way that will leave you begging for more. The slow burn and less is more tactic plays to the betterment of the film and I think many will agree. Pardee is a fantastic artist and the monsters designed by Greg Aronowitz with direction by Pardee have to be seen to be believed.
Digging up the Marrow is more than worth your time as a horror fan. I suggest renting it before making a purchase but the extras on the DVD/Blu-Ray are more than worth the sales price. Extras include a 30 minute documentary about the making of the monsters of the Marrow, 30 minutes of deleted/extended scenes and a commentary featuring Adam Green, Will Barratt, Ray Wise, and Alex Pardee. Disc extras are always something Green spares no expense on with all of his films and Marrow is no exception.
So grab a shovel and get ready to dig as "Digging Up The Marrow" is a film not to be missed.
"The King of Horror" Andy G
What if just beneath the surface of our world exists a vast metropolis where monsters live lives that mirror our own?
These are the questions horror genre director Adam Green poses to us in his newest feature; "Digging Up The Marrow". This is no ordinary feature however as Green presents his newest film as a "faux" documentary. Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper) plays retired Boston detective; William Dekker who reaches out to Green and Green's long time friend and cinematographer; Will Barratt with evidence that monsters exist in a world simply known as "The Marrow". Green starts out the film as the vigilant skeptic but will he and Barratt stand by that humorous skepticism by the time the last frame is revealed? To answer this would spoil the terrifying magic that Marrow truly is.
Based on the art exhibit by artist Alex Pardee, Marrow not only serves as a faux documentary but also as a time capsule of sorts. Before its release in 2015, Digging Up The Marrow was four years in the making. In that time, friend and Holliston actor Dave "Oderus Urungus" Brockie passed away and Green separated from his wife; Rileah Vanderbilt. Both Brockie and Vanderbilt appear in the final cut and while Green originally wanted to cut these scenes, the viewers will be glad they were kept in. It should be known that all in this film play themselves. Wise is the only actor to be playing a character and in my opinion, the role of Dekker is the best performance by Wise since Leland Palmer on Twin Peaks.
What is a documentary about monsters without the monsters? In this regard, Green manages to reveal the monsters of The Marrow in such a way that will leave you begging for more. The slow burn and less is more tactic plays to the betterment of the film and I think many will agree. Pardee is a fantastic artist and the monsters designed by Greg Aronowitz with direction by Pardee have to be seen to be believed.
Digging up the Marrow is more than worth your time as a horror fan. I suggest renting it before making a purchase but the extras on the DVD/Blu-Ray are more than worth the sales price. Extras include a 30 minute documentary about the making of the monsters of the Marrow, 30 minutes of deleted/extended scenes and a commentary featuring Adam Green, Will Barratt, Ray Wise, and Alex Pardee. Disc extras are always something Green spares no expense on with all of his films and Marrow is no exception.
So grab a shovel and get ready to dig as "Digging Up The Marrow" is a film not to be missed.
"The King of Horror" Andy G
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, just the mere mention of this iconic horror staple brings forth images of sexuality, obsession, cursed puzzle boxes, and leather-clad demons with a penchant for extreme body modifications. At its core, Hellraiser is a love story, about the lengths one woman will go to once again be with the object of her affection and desire.
The film opens on the antagonist, Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman), a man who has traveled the globe in hopes of satisfying his perverse sexual hungers. Frank’s insatiable desire to experience the ultimate form of sexual fulfillment finds him in Morocco, where he purchases a wooden puzzle box with intricately designed brass panels adorning its six sides. Upon returning home, he solves the box; and a schism is made to another dimension. Frank’s reward for deciphering the puzzle is an experience that is beyond limits... pain and pleasure, indivisible. This experience is delivered to him at the hands of the Cenobites, humanesque figures whose appearances are riddled with horrific wounds and scars; all are clad in leather robes, stitched through their very skin. Frank does not survive his sought-after encounter, and his body is torn asunder.
Frank’s brother, Larry (Andrew Robinson), moves into their childhood home with his ineffectual second wife, Julia (Clare Higgins). Upon recognizing that the personal effects in the house belong to Frank, Julia begins reminiscing about the affair she shared with her husband’s brother years earlier. This brings about an onset of emotions inside Julia that she has carried with her for years. In the process of moving back into the childhood home, Larry cuts his hand, spilling blood on the floorboards of the damp room where Frank met his demise. It is through this bloodletting that Frank is resurrected, albeit only partially. Frank’s resurrection is one of the most memorable scenes in the film. The graphic depiction of nerves, sinews, and cerebral tissues knitting themselves back together is achieved via a mixture of stop-motion, practical effects, and prosthetics that results in a spectacular gorefest. In order to become whole once more, Frank, who is now a skinless ghoul which resembles a Mütter Museum exhibit come to life, requires additional blood. Julia quickly agrees to acquire the needed blood supply by seducing men at a local bar with the promise of sex and luring them back to the damp room. The unbridled obsession and lust shown on screen between the characters of Frank and Julia never waivers, even when Oliver Smith portrays Skinless Frank.
Larry’s daughter and protagonist, Kristy (Ashley Laurence), witnesses Julia bringing home strange men while her father is away. Quick to defend her father, Kristy confronts Julia and, in doing so, witnesses the skinless form of her uncle. After an altercation between uncle and niece, Kristy finds herself in a hospital and in possession of the puzzle box. Upon examination of the box, Kristy naively solves the puzzle and by doing so summons the Cenobites. Though the Cenobites are on screen for less than eight minutes, and the fact that only Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and the Female Cenobite (Grace Kirby) deliver dialogue, their menacing presence is felt throughout the film. The most horrific-looking Cenobite, the Chatterer (Nicholas Vince), is able to convey just how dangerous these demons are through sheer body acting alone. When Kristy first encounters the Cenobites, she is greeted by the Chatterer grabbing her head and plunging two fingers down her throat as a means of restraint so Pinhead can converse with her. The slothful-looking Butterball Cenobite (Simon Bamford), brings a sense of queasiness with his constant lip licking. A deal is struck where the Cenobites will take Frank back to their nether realm instead of Kristy. I won’t spoil the ending if you happen to be among the few that have avoided the sights this film has to show you for the past 28 years. Hellraiser is crafted from the mind of one of the Masters of Horror; it is beautifully shot and has an art direction that is pure Barker. Christopher Young’s score is haunting and helps immerse you into a world where puzzles are gate keys and interdimensional demons are real. The practical special effects, with the exception of a couple scenes, still hold up and are far better than what some movies use today. While this dark tale of obsession may not be for everyone, it is a classic that should be considered a basic part of everyone’s horror curriculum. Stephen King summed it up best in his now infamous quote: “I have seen the future of horror, and his name is…Clive Barker.”
Richard Liebmann
The film opens on the antagonist, Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman), a man who has traveled the globe in hopes of satisfying his perverse sexual hungers. Frank’s insatiable desire to experience the ultimate form of sexual fulfillment finds him in Morocco, where he purchases a wooden puzzle box with intricately designed brass panels adorning its six sides. Upon returning home, he solves the box; and a schism is made to another dimension. Frank’s reward for deciphering the puzzle is an experience that is beyond limits... pain and pleasure, indivisible. This experience is delivered to him at the hands of the Cenobites, humanesque figures whose appearances are riddled with horrific wounds and scars; all are clad in leather robes, stitched through their very skin. Frank does not survive his sought-after encounter, and his body is torn asunder.
Frank’s brother, Larry (Andrew Robinson), moves into their childhood home with his ineffectual second wife, Julia (Clare Higgins). Upon recognizing that the personal effects in the house belong to Frank, Julia begins reminiscing about the affair she shared with her husband’s brother years earlier. This brings about an onset of emotions inside Julia that she has carried with her for years. In the process of moving back into the childhood home, Larry cuts his hand, spilling blood on the floorboards of the damp room where Frank met his demise. It is through this bloodletting that Frank is resurrected, albeit only partially. Frank’s resurrection is one of the most memorable scenes in the film. The graphic depiction of nerves, sinews, and cerebral tissues knitting themselves back together is achieved via a mixture of stop-motion, practical effects, and prosthetics that results in a spectacular gorefest. In order to become whole once more, Frank, who is now a skinless ghoul which resembles a Mütter Museum exhibit come to life, requires additional blood. Julia quickly agrees to acquire the needed blood supply by seducing men at a local bar with the promise of sex and luring them back to the damp room. The unbridled obsession and lust shown on screen between the characters of Frank and Julia never waivers, even when Oliver Smith portrays Skinless Frank.
Larry’s daughter and protagonist, Kristy (Ashley Laurence), witnesses Julia bringing home strange men while her father is away. Quick to defend her father, Kristy confronts Julia and, in doing so, witnesses the skinless form of her uncle. After an altercation between uncle and niece, Kristy finds herself in a hospital and in possession of the puzzle box. Upon examination of the box, Kristy naively solves the puzzle and by doing so summons the Cenobites. Though the Cenobites are on screen for less than eight minutes, and the fact that only Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and the Female Cenobite (Grace Kirby) deliver dialogue, their menacing presence is felt throughout the film. The most horrific-looking Cenobite, the Chatterer (Nicholas Vince), is able to convey just how dangerous these demons are through sheer body acting alone. When Kristy first encounters the Cenobites, she is greeted by the Chatterer grabbing her head and plunging two fingers down her throat as a means of restraint so Pinhead can converse with her. The slothful-looking Butterball Cenobite (Simon Bamford), brings a sense of queasiness with his constant lip licking. A deal is struck where the Cenobites will take Frank back to their nether realm instead of Kristy. I won’t spoil the ending if you happen to be among the few that have avoided the sights this film has to show you for the past 28 years. Hellraiser is crafted from the mind of one of the Masters of Horror; it is beautifully shot and has an art direction that is pure Barker. Christopher Young’s score is haunting and helps immerse you into a world where puzzles are gate keys and interdimensional demons are real. The practical special effects, with the exception of a couple scenes, still hold up and are far better than what some movies use today. While this dark tale of obsession may not be for everyone, it is a classic that should be considered a basic part of everyone’s horror curriculum. Stephen King summed it up best in his now infamous quote: “I have seen the future of horror, and his name is…Clive Barker.”
Richard Liebmann
13 Ghosts
I remember, when this movie came out my interest was peeked. The concept of an old eccentric collecting ghosts for unknown purposes had interested me to start with, but as soon as I got a look at the house, I was hooked. The absolute beauty of the architecture and flawlessness of the machinery was breathtaking. It put me in the mindset of living inside a Hellraiser Configuration Puzzle Box. The craftsmanship and layout is an exquisite feast for the eyes. I’m convinced I could look at screen shots of every room of that house and easily spend hours finding all the unique intricacies constructed into every inch of the place. I mean, come on, who would not be interested in seeing a house, that is actually a machine, that was built by the Devil and Powered by the dead?
What I did like about the flow of this movie was that they got the tragic story out in the open very early on, in the opening credits, no less. I liked this particularly because it gave the storytellers the ability to just get right into the story and get to the good stuff. There is nothing that bugs me more than a movie that takes the first 45 minutes to get to the damn point and bring on the pain.
As for the characters, I know you are supposed to connect with the “living” in this show, I mean, they are the ones on your side, but for me, while the actors did well, my focus was on the ghosts. Twelve ghosts that represent the Black Zodiac, and irritatingly, you know absolutely NOTHING about them. These characters are so well put together with great concepts and good makeup effects, and you can’t help but wonder, “what happened to that guy?” Well, let me tell you, if you were like me and sat patiently waiting for some idea as to who these people were, where they came from, why they turned out the way they did., you surely ended up just as disappointed as I was when the credits started to roll at the end and you still had no idea why The Jackal was considered the Charles Manson of ghosts. Or why there was huge man with a hammer for and arm and spikes sticking out of every place on his body. In fact, the only one you get any info on at all is The Juggernaut, and even then, you really don’t get much at all and that is just because he was actively being “hunted” at the beginning. I realize the intrigue is part of the point, but for the love of God guys, give me SOMETHING. These ghosts are so dark, so evil, so powerful in their agony that they have the strength to, when combined, can open a window to Hell. I wanna know about those guys. Sadly, unless you bought the DVD and watched the special features section, you would still not have the slightest idea who these ghosts were.
Ok so, I understand that this much information would have made the movie drag out and it would not have allowed for the standard movie time limit, but I would have liked at least a little. I hope that this has given you some insight that you might not have had, but kinda always wanted to know. I know that the deciding factor of me buying this DVD back in the day was because it said right there on the back “Revealed Ghost Files: A Haunted Houseful Of Poltergeist Profiles.” I immediately put down the other movie I was debating on because I just had to know who these ghosts were. Maybe that was the point, good marketing, but I do know this, it makes re watching the movie at least a little less irritating knowing that you at least have some idea as to why these ghosts are so fucking pissed off.
By: Tricia Potter
What I did like about the flow of this movie was that they got the tragic story out in the open very early on, in the opening credits, no less. I liked this particularly because it gave the storytellers the ability to just get right into the story and get to the good stuff. There is nothing that bugs me more than a movie that takes the first 45 minutes to get to the damn point and bring on the pain.
As for the characters, I know you are supposed to connect with the “living” in this show, I mean, they are the ones on your side, but for me, while the actors did well, my focus was on the ghosts. Twelve ghosts that represent the Black Zodiac, and irritatingly, you know absolutely NOTHING about them. These characters are so well put together with great concepts and good makeup effects, and you can’t help but wonder, “what happened to that guy?” Well, let me tell you, if you were like me and sat patiently waiting for some idea as to who these people were, where they came from, why they turned out the way they did., you surely ended up just as disappointed as I was when the credits started to roll at the end and you still had no idea why The Jackal was considered the Charles Manson of ghosts. Or why there was huge man with a hammer for and arm and spikes sticking out of every place on his body. In fact, the only one you get any info on at all is The Juggernaut, and even then, you really don’t get much at all and that is just because he was actively being “hunted” at the beginning. I realize the intrigue is part of the point, but for the love of God guys, give me SOMETHING. These ghosts are so dark, so evil, so powerful in their agony that they have the strength to, when combined, can open a window to Hell. I wanna know about those guys. Sadly, unless you bought the DVD and watched the special features section, you would still not have the slightest idea who these ghosts were.
Ok so, I understand that this much information would have made the movie drag out and it would not have allowed for the standard movie time limit, but I would have liked at least a little. I hope that this has given you some insight that you might not have had, but kinda always wanted to know. I know that the deciding factor of me buying this DVD back in the day was because it said right there on the back “Revealed Ghost Files: A Haunted Houseful Of Poltergeist Profiles.” I immediately put down the other movie I was debating on because I just had to know who these ghosts were. Maybe that was the point, good marketing, but I do know this, it makes re watching the movie at least a little less irritating knowing that you at least have some idea as to why these ghosts are so fucking pissed off.
By: Tricia Potter
A Creepshow Favorite
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I know it’s a bit unorthodox to just write about a piece of a movie instead of the whole thing, but one of the beautiful things about the Creepshow movies is the collection of old-school horror stories that don’t need a lot of time, or explanation to get the point across. No need for a big build up, or having to spend 30 minutes digging into a damaged past or even being made to care too deeply about the players. It’s horror, strictly for horror’s sake and purely for the entertainment of people who just want to see messed up shit happen without having to be made to care too much about it.
One of my favorite such short stories is The Raft. I first saw this show when I was a young child and it sticks out so vividly in my mind simply because it plays heavily on my life-long fear of water and all that could be lurking in it. Now, if it was the show that caused the fear or the fear that made the show stick out to me all these years, who can really say? However, while the story is perfectly gruesome, with its odd lake monster equipped with sticky, acidic skin that melts the skin clean off your bones, the mysterious story of how it bailed it’s author out of jail was always one of the most intriguing stories to me as a young teen. The Raft, originally titled The Float, was written back in 1969 by the great Stephen King. Back then, the Father of all horror managed to get himself arrested by going all around his small town and loading up all the traffic cones he could find, into the trunk of his car. He was pulled over and arrested. He was fined $250 that he was unable to pay and was about to be booked into the jail house for 30 days when out of the blue, a check for the exact amount he needed came to him for the purchase of his short story “The Float”. What was originally a “get out of jail free card” quickly turned into a life-long mystery. You see, despite the fact that Mr. King received payment for his story he has been unable to locate a copy of the magazine with the original story in it. Their purchase of this story by an almost obscure author (at the time) saved him from jail time, yet there is no record at all of it having been published.
So, it’s not just a good story that seems to get my attention. I like the building of the story, its birth, if you will. Where did it come from, how did it get from inside the minds of the greats, to the book I hold in my hands? To me, a story is much more than what is on the paper, and so the story behind the stories is what I find most fascinating.
By: Tricia Potter
One of my favorite such short stories is The Raft. I first saw this show when I was a young child and it sticks out so vividly in my mind simply because it plays heavily on my life-long fear of water and all that could be lurking in it. Now, if it was the show that caused the fear or the fear that made the show stick out to me all these years, who can really say? However, while the story is perfectly gruesome, with its odd lake monster equipped with sticky, acidic skin that melts the skin clean off your bones, the mysterious story of how it bailed it’s author out of jail was always one of the most intriguing stories to me as a young teen. The Raft, originally titled The Float, was written back in 1969 by the great Stephen King. Back then, the Father of all horror managed to get himself arrested by going all around his small town and loading up all the traffic cones he could find, into the trunk of his car. He was pulled over and arrested. He was fined $250 that he was unable to pay and was about to be booked into the jail house for 30 days when out of the blue, a check for the exact amount he needed came to him for the purchase of his short story “The Float”. What was originally a “get out of jail free card” quickly turned into a life-long mystery. You see, despite the fact that Mr. King received payment for his story he has been unable to locate a copy of the magazine with the original story in it. Their purchase of this story by an almost obscure author (at the time) saved him from jail time, yet there is no record at all of it having been published.
So, it’s not just a good story that seems to get my attention. I like the building of the story, its birth, if you will. Where did it come from, how did it get from inside the minds of the greats, to the book I hold in my hands? To me, a story is much more than what is on the paper, and so the story behind the stories is what I find most fascinating.
By: Tricia Potter
Raw Focus
All hell breaks loose when a photographer with a flare for erotic art takes a group of stunning models out into the middle of nowhere for the ultimate photo-shoot. Unfortunately for this crew of young and aspiring talent, this happens to be the same middle of nowhere in-which a trio of psychopathic killers have selected to use as their personal killing fields.”
Raw Focus is a horror thriller written and directed by Bobby Jones, which is currently in post-production. It stars Kinsley Funari, John Chiara, Deanna Sherman, Chanel Lewis, Kayla McDonald, Roger Conners, Rachel Anderson, Brittany Buck, Pakob Jarernpone, Alex Russo, Ana Bell, and Benny Benzino. Visit the official Raw Focus facebook page for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/rawfocusthefilm
https://www.facebook.com/therazorfaceRazorface
Raw Focus is a horror thriller written and directed by Bobby Jones, which is currently in post-production. It stars Kinsley Funari, John Chiara, Deanna Sherman, Chanel Lewis, Kayla McDonald, Roger Conners, Rachel Anderson, Brittany Buck, Pakob Jarernpone, Alex Russo, Ana Bell, and Benny Benzino. Visit the official Raw Focus facebook page for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/rawfocusthefilm
https://www.facebook.com/therazorfaceRazorface
Dracula Untold: Villain or Hero?
When this show first started, I was already taken back by how wonderful the cinematography used to open the tragic story of his childhood really was. I even thought to myself that I was surprised that they did not try to make this a 3D movie. The camera angles were amazing and the CGI, or what they used of it was quite seamless in its execution, even down to a beautiful plunge from the tallest tower, and the disintegration of the vampires. The landscape of beautiful Northern Ireland completed the feast for the eyes.
However, the idea of Vlad the Impaler, the ruthless, blood-thirsty tyrant who hoisted thousands up on pikes for all the world as an example, really didn’t fit with the person they were wanting the actor, Luke Evens, to portray. The Dracula we all know was, as previously stated, a dark, powerful, blood-thirsty ruler with very little conscience and a lust for power. The Dracula in the movie, however, was a soft-hearted man, devoted to his wife and loved his son. He was a compassionate man who took on the powers of the night in order to save what was left of his people. Even when he was referenced as “The Impaler” by his people, I had a hard time seeing this kind man as the monster of history.
The battle sequences were action packed and enjoyable to follow and the fighting was well executed. The use of his shape shifting abilities could have easily been made a farce, but it was actually portrayed well and in a believable manner.When first faced with the choice of vampirism, he is told that he may have the powers and abilities for three days and if he can hold out from drinking human blood, he would be turned back into a man. Luke Evens, did a wonderful job in portraying the pain and inner struggle that this character had to go through and all to save his people and family. But, as we all know, some things just don’t go according to plan.
It seems that Hollywood has decided that Heroes are out and Villains are in. So, they are going back and trying to make bad guys these misunderstood souls that just had extenuating circumstances and work hard to get you to route for the dark side. While I’m not too terribly apposed to this, they do need to understand that some bad guys are just better suited to be bad guys. You take away all our monsters and there will be nothing left for us to fear in the dark and what a boring life that would be indeed.
By: Tricia Potter
However, the idea of Vlad the Impaler, the ruthless, blood-thirsty tyrant who hoisted thousands up on pikes for all the world as an example, really didn’t fit with the person they were wanting the actor, Luke Evens, to portray. The Dracula we all know was, as previously stated, a dark, powerful, blood-thirsty ruler with very little conscience and a lust for power. The Dracula in the movie, however, was a soft-hearted man, devoted to his wife and loved his son. He was a compassionate man who took on the powers of the night in order to save what was left of his people. Even when he was referenced as “The Impaler” by his people, I had a hard time seeing this kind man as the monster of history.
The battle sequences were action packed and enjoyable to follow and the fighting was well executed. The use of his shape shifting abilities could have easily been made a farce, but it was actually portrayed well and in a believable manner.When first faced with the choice of vampirism, he is told that he may have the powers and abilities for three days and if he can hold out from drinking human blood, he would be turned back into a man. Luke Evens, did a wonderful job in portraying the pain and inner struggle that this character had to go through and all to save his people and family. But, as we all know, some things just don’t go according to plan.
It seems that Hollywood has decided that Heroes are out and Villains are in. So, they are going back and trying to make bad guys these misunderstood souls that just had extenuating circumstances and work hard to get you to route for the dark side. While I’m not too terribly apposed to this, they do need to understand that some bad guys are just better suited to be bad guys. You take away all our monsters and there will be nothing left for us to fear in the dark and what a boring life that would be indeed.
By: Tricia Potter
ANNABELLE (spoiler warning)
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The newly released Annabelle hit the theatres today and while the film itself was merely okay, the story behind it is much more intriguing. The true story of the real Annabelle doll starts in the 1970's after a nursing student named Donna receives a used Raggedy Ann doll from her mother as a birthday gift. Donna had a room mate Angie and together they started to notice that something just was not right about the doll. They noticed that if Donna left the doll on the couch before they left that morning, the girls would come home to find the doll on Donna’s bed and the bedroom door closed. Soon after, pieces of parchment, though there was no old style parchment anywhere in the house, would be found with notes scribbled on them, some of them reading “Help Us”, in what appeared to be a young child’s handwriting. Finally, the girls had a friend who was seemingly attacked by an unseen force while he was in a room alone with the doll.
The real doll itself, currently resides behind a locked glass case at the Warren Occult Museum in Monroe Connecticut. The case is adorned with a Holy cross and a warning to not touch the case nor under any circumstances to open it. It is blessed by a Priest twice a month. Now, as for the movie, it takes place in the 1960's at the height of the Charles Manson murders, but it appears to be a fictitious happening that was to have occurred before Donna’s mother bought the doll for her birthday. The real origins of the doll are unknown. However, the film itself did have a nice level of creep factor, but it never really seemed to get the heart totally racing. The doll itself, for instance is actually nothing more than a doll. It is the demon attached to it that is wreaking all the havoc. The demon is in fact seen in the film and in my opinion, it was done quite well. It was no faceless wisp of smoke or a clouded, blurry shadow, but an actual humanoid demon. The creature concept was superb in that the studio did not go overboard with it just because it was supposed to be a demon. The makeup was wonderful and subtle while still being able to convey a sinister ‘otherness’. It was far scarier to me then most I have seen because of the real solidity of it. It is sitting at the bottom of the stairs staring right at you and it is a solid presence. It is there, it can really harm you. The acting was convincing and the plot, while just a touch weak, was made all the more unnerving due to the fact that there is an infant involved. In fact, the only real part in the story that stopped my heart was a preserved assailment on the baby. Other than that, the story’s reach exceeded its grasp. The one thing the demon wants is someone’s soul, no big shocker there, and the inevitable sacrifice at the end; a storyline that has been done to death. Overall, I would not say that this film blew my skirt up, but I feel it was worth seeing just because it gave me the curiosity to dig into the real story. Now, whether you believe what they say about the “real” doll or not, and even if nothing surrounding it ever got as fantastical as it did in the film, it is kind of intriguing to know that someone somewhere took it seriously enough to take such precautions to keep her under glass and away from the seemingly innocent public. By: Tricia Potter |
Ranking of the Friday the 13th films
To many horror fans, today is a holiday. Yep, not only is it Friday the 13th, but it's June 13th Jason's birthday. To add icing to the cake, there's also this huge autumn moon that's supposed to show itself and the next time it will appear on this date I'll be either 78 or 79. Guess I better live it up tonight huh? Cheap beer for everyone!
It's been a tradition of mine for years to watch at least one or two of my favorite Friday the 13th films along with a few episodes of the TV show. The Friday the 13th films hold a very special place in my heart and will forever be my favorite horror series. So today in honor of the holiday I decided to rank the best to worst films in the series pointing out what makes them awesome, and what makes them down right awful. To read the full Ranking of the Friday the 13th films. CLICK HERE.
It's been a tradition of mine for years to watch at least one or two of my favorite Friday the 13th films along with a few episodes of the TV show. The Friday the 13th films hold a very special place in my heart and will forever be my favorite horror series. So today in honor of the holiday I decided to rank the best to worst films in the series pointing out what makes them awesome, and what makes them down right awful. To read the full Ranking of the Friday the 13th films. CLICK HERE.
134 years old and still terrifying as ever!
April 21st is the anniversary of Antonio Bay, the small sea side town where John Carpenter's The Fog took place. The Fog was Carpenter and Hill's next big motion picture after their huge success of Halloween. The Fog is a classic tale of ghosts seeking revenge and creating complete chaos in this small little coastal village. I feel Carpenter honestly in his career made a movie pretty much based off every gene. Action, suspense, romance, tragedy, religion, politics, and even drama. With The Fog, this seems like those old ghost stories you hear about pirates going down with their ship, and returning from the grave seeking their treasure. Carpenter clearly used his love of older horror and spun a timeless tale that is not only visually stunning, but a movie that has such a simple overall idea that still holds up today. I remember renting this movie at the old general store that was up in NH where my parent's summer cottage was. This general store also had a small video store connected to it, and my biggest treat was being able to rent some horror movies to watch on our VCR there. In fact at this very cottage I watched John Carpenter's The Thing for the first time. I remember my mother and father had seen The Fog before and told me how great it was. Watching it with my sister, I still remember how at age 7 I was puzzled by Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins had a sleepover right after meeting (...)
Of course I fell in love with almost every aspect of this film. Carpenter's score was truly one of his best. In fact, I have this score on my iPod and always is so soothing to listen to whenever I'm on a road trip.
I felt Hill and Carpenter were able to make such great films off such simple but very well written screenplays. If you think about it, how simple of a story the original Halloween is. A disturbed mental patient returns to his home town and goes on a rampage killing teenagers. In the Fog, spirits of a sunken ship return to a sea side town 100 years later and kill the decedents of the people responsible for their death. Both of these movies are complete and utter horror perfection. They are elegantly filmed, and still are just as scary as they were thirty or so years ago.
I loved the opening quote by Poe, and the great opening of the old man telling the children of ghost story. In fact the whole first few scenes showing how at the stroke of midnight the whole town begins to go crazy. Loved all the car alarms going off, furniture movie by itself, and things crashing down and breaking. My favorite is when the priest is having a drink in the back room and how he gets up and a huge rock from the wall somehow gets loose and crashed down just where he was sitting seconds ago. Love the music blasting from the radio and the expression on his face. Still gives me chills today.
A big reason why my love for The Fog is so big is the cast. Carpenter seriously knew what he was doing when it came to choosing actors. This is the movie that made me get a huge school girl crush on Tom Atkins. Some girls liked boy bands or guys from Tiger Beat...I fell for Tom Atkins. He seriously is one of the most handsome actors ever in horror. In fact a year after this movie he returned with Carpenter for Escape From New York. And let me tell you...silver fox for sure.
Adrienne Barbeau aka ex- Mrs. John Carpenter looked beautiful as always. Stevie Wayne was a great character in this film as the single mother who works as a late night DJ. I always find radio DJ's fascinating. In fact the first book I wrote one of the main characters is a radio DJ who's station is an old barn silo. I guess you could say I took inspiration from the light house from this movie.
With Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh are two screen legends along with Leigh's daughter Jamie Lee Curtis Ms. scream queen who blew audiences away in Carpenter and Hill's last effort Halloween. This was one of many horror films Curtis made in the span of a few years early on in his career. This movie I find her the most likable and love how she sleeps with Atkins just shortly after meeting him. (can you blame her?) Not only was she stunning in this movie, I love the old school classic original artwork for the film with her pressing against the door. Looks like a poster for a hammer horror movie!
With some Carpenter regulars, the small town is nicely shaped and you can't help but like everyone. Loved the radio station of course and thought it was great it pretty much only played jazz and big band music. KAB, what a station!
Also the use of the fog. Such a simple idea but works so well. Loved the shot of it slowly coming into the radio station and Stevie watching it circle around her feet. Or when Curtis and Atkins are trying to speed around town in the truck escaping it. I mean how do you escape something that can be anywhere it wants? The creatures themselves when shown were great. The close up of the rotting green flesh with worms was amazing. Still, just the simple trick of using the glowing fog drifting around was great. This was not an expensive trick, but worked wonderfully.
This is a movie that doesn't rely on sex or gore. It's a classic tale of ghosts returning from the grave but still packs a punch. One of my favorite shots are everyone leaving the church with the beautiful score playing and the little boy saying "It's going away." Stevie's warning over the radio, and of course the very last shot of the movie. By far one of the best endings to a Carpenter film ever.
The worst though was the remake that came out a few years ago. The moment I heard Fall Out Boy playing over the soundtrack my heart broke into a million pieces. This was a slap in the face, and just plain lazy filmmaking. As far as I know Carpenter was disgusted by the remake. Sorry, shitty cast, shitty CG. = Fail.
Still with a killer release from scream factory with breath taking new artwork, and the cast doing the convention circuits, The Fog is still a fan favorite.
So Happy 21st everyone and remember...watch out for the fog!
- Stacy Still
Of course I fell in love with almost every aspect of this film. Carpenter's score was truly one of his best. In fact, I have this score on my iPod and always is so soothing to listen to whenever I'm on a road trip.
I felt Hill and Carpenter were able to make such great films off such simple but very well written screenplays. If you think about it, how simple of a story the original Halloween is. A disturbed mental patient returns to his home town and goes on a rampage killing teenagers. In the Fog, spirits of a sunken ship return to a sea side town 100 years later and kill the decedents of the people responsible for their death. Both of these movies are complete and utter horror perfection. They are elegantly filmed, and still are just as scary as they were thirty or so years ago.
I loved the opening quote by Poe, and the great opening of the old man telling the children of ghost story. In fact the whole first few scenes showing how at the stroke of midnight the whole town begins to go crazy. Loved all the car alarms going off, furniture movie by itself, and things crashing down and breaking. My favorite is when the priest is having a drink in the back room and how he gets up and a huge rock from the wall somehow gets loose and crashed down just where he was sitting seconds ago. Love the music blasting from the radio and the expression on his face. Still gives me chills today.
A big reason why my love for The Fog is so big is the cast. Carpenter seriously knew what he was doing when it came to choosing actors. This is the movie that made me get a huge school girl crush on Tom Atkins. Some girls liked boy bands or guys from Tiger Beat...I fell for Tom Atkins. He seriously is one of the most handsome actors ever in horror. In fact a year after this movie he returned with Carpenter for Escape From New York. And let me tell you...silver fox for sure.
Adrienne Barbeau aka ex- Mrs. John Carpenter looked beautiful as always. Stevie Wayne was a great character in this film as the single mother who works as a late night DJ. I always find radio DJ's fascinating. In fact the first book I wrote one of the main characters is a radio DJ who's station is an old barn silo. I guess you could say I took inspiration from the light house from this movie.
With Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh are two screen legends along with Leigh's daughter Jamie Lee Curtis Ms. scream queen who blew audiences away in Carpenter and Hill's last effort Halloween. This was one of many horror films Curtis made in the span of a few years early on in his career. This movie I find her the most likable and love how she sleeps with Atkins just shortly after meeting him. (can you blame her?) Not only was she stunning in this movie, I love the old school classic original artwork for the film with her pressing against the door. Looks like a poster for a hammer horror movie!
With some Carpenter regulars, the small town is nicely shaped and you can't help but like everyone. Loved the radio station of course and thought it was great it pretty much only played jazz and big band music. KAB, what a station!
Also the use of the fog. Such a simple idea but works so well. Loved the shot of it slowly coming into the radio station and Stevie watching it circle around her feet. Or when Curtis and Atkins are trying to speed around town in the truck escaping it. I mean how do you escape something that can be anywhere it wants? The creatures themselves when shown were great. The close up of the rotting green flesh with worms was amazing. Still, just the simple trick of using the glowing fog drifting around was great. This was not an expensive trick, but worked wonderfully.
This is a movie that doesn't rely on sex or gore. It's a classic tale of ghosts returning from the grave but still packs a punch. One of my favorite shots are everyone leaving the church with the beautiful score playing and the little boy saying "It's going away." Stevie's warning over the radio, and of course the very last shot of the movie. By far one of the best endings to a Carpenter film ever.
The worst though was the remake that came out a few years ago. The moment I heard Fall Out Boy playing over the soundtrack my heart broke into a million pieces. This was a slap in the face, and just plain lazy filmmaking. As far as I know Carpenter was disgusted by the remake. Sorry, shitty cast, shitty CG. = Fail.
Still with a killer release from scream factory with breath taking new artwork, and the cast doing the convention circuits, The Fog is still a fan favorite.
So Happy 21st everyone and remember...watch out for the fog!
- Stacy Still
The perfect Easter horror film that's eggcellent!
Critters 2 The Main Course -
PLOT - Several years after the first film, teenage Brad Brown returns to his hometown of Grover's Bend to visit his grandmother for the Easter holiday. Unknown to himself, the forgotten eggs from the first film still lay discarded on his family's old property. A local discovers them, selling them off to be decorated and hidden for the town's church Easter egg hunt that weekend. In no time the eggs slowly begin breaking, birthing a brand new race of flesh eating little monsters. With some help from old friends traveling all the way from space, and the town's people, Brad finds himself yet again going to battle with those rolling, killing, and trouble making creatures.
LOWDOWN - There are certain movies that just bring back fond memories of my childhood. The original Critters was a huge favorite of mine. I still remember renting the tape so many times at my local video store that my mother ended up ordering the first two movies for me at the mall. On repeat I would watch this movie over and over again never growing sick of it. I had the biggest crush on Johnny Steele, thought Dee Wallace Stone was the best and most underrated scream queen, and could watch those little critters roll around all day. In fact I believe in the 5th grade when I signed everyone's yearbook I noted to every single one of my friends that over the summer they should rent Critters. I guess it's safe to say I was a pretty big fan.
When I finally got around to watching the sequel, I hope were set very high. The two biggest reasons behind this were that some of the original cast was returning along with the fact Mick Garris directed it. Mr. Garris was a huge part of my childhood growing up. My mother was a massive Stephen King fan which meant I was constantly watching The Stand mini series and Sleepwalkers. When I finally did end up watching The Main Course I was sorta thrown for a loop. I missed the original Brown family, but enjoyed really getting a closer look at the crazy little town known as Grover's Bend. Scott Grimes, went from a cute little kid, to a pretty adorable teenager with ginger hair and one killer earring. It was great seeing so many faces from the original (My only problem with Terrence Mann was his hair in this one, what happened to those frosted tips?!). Adding some zany humor to the mix, Critters 2 had a bigger budget, and was a crazy little film that I'm sure many of us remember watching and loving. Is it over the top? Of course! With tons of action, humor, and the critters finally in the spot light showing their stuff this film really does crank up the volume with quality. I still laugh at the scene where the critters are rolling and flying at the truck (love the critter biting onto the tire and filling up with air). This movie truly does have the critters being the main stars in this movie. Instead of being mostly in the dark with their tiny red glowing eyes, we get to see them up close and personal. My two favorite scenes has to be when they binge at the burger barn, and when they have the big showdown at the end with the town and roll into that big giant ball. Love the farmer getting rolled over and his bloody skeleton left behind.
Also for a PG-13 movie holy boobs! Yep, Ug, the other bounty hunter is still trying to turn into the perfect vessel and decides right off the bat to turn into a Playboy centerfold. As an eight year old I was floored they had nudity in this movie. Eat your heart out Titanic! Love the giant staple in the middle of her stomach.
With lots of laughs, critters, and eggs hatching this is the perfect movie to watch around Easter. I mean where else can you watch space creatures kill the Easter bunny and throw his body through a church window?
A great sequel that isn't as great was the original, but steps up to plate and is a lot of fun!
3 stars!
- Stacy Still
Waxwork - A retro leap into a new dimension of horror!
There is certain artwork that graced many of the covers of the horror section in the old school video stores we often visited as children. Sure, we all remember the stunning colorful images from A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 Dream Warriors, Friday the 13th, The Monster Squad, and yes...
Waxwork.
Who didn’t pick this video up at least once simply out of curiously when they saw the tiny little butler ushering us into an old gothic doorway where dozens of melting ghouls stared out smiling.
Waxwork was the freshmen effort of director Anthony Hickox. A story that he wrote in order to get out of paying for a minor car accident. Whipping out the script in record time, the story showed promise and quickly went into production. Casting a fresh batch of very attractive and talented actors, Hickox made the very wise choice in choosing Valley Girl’s Deborah Foreman as young baby face Sarah Brightman, the virgin damsel in distress. Then, Gremlins’ Zach Galligan as the handsome Mark Loftmore, the unlikely hero who sword fights and makes his maid do his history homework.
The film tells the story of a small group of teenagers that go to a private midnight show at a brand new wax museum that houses some of the most famous killers, monsters, and creatures from history. One by one the teens become separated and make the fatal mistake of stepping up into the displays and suddenly becoming trapped in whatever scene the display was playing out for real. Stuck inside with whatever monster there is, once they are killed they become part of the display themselves.
It isn’t long before both Galligan and Foreman suspect something may have happened to their friends after they leave the museum. Together they discover that the owner is hatching an plot in order to awaken all the creatures in his displays and release all the evil upon to world. These two teens decide it’s up to them to stop the end of the world. They band together, learning the secret of breaking past the barriers of the displays, and fighting against the batch of monsters with a very unlikely rag tag army.
Extremely ahead of it’s time, Waxwork brought a whole new take on camp, and paid tribute to many classic movies. With iconic scenes such as the vampire bloodbath, with steak tar tar, a transforming werewolf, flesh eating zombies, and Marquis de Sade whipping innocent young girls like there’s no tomorrow! With a strong young cast, a great villain, and amazing effects Waxwork will and forever be a complete and utter cult classic.
A few years later, Hickox returned with Galligan for the next chapter in the Waxwork saga. This time taking place moments after the epic finale from the first film. Replacing Foreman as the role of Sarah Brightman, model turned actress Monika Schnarre. A laughable, and amusing 360 in casting choices, Schnarre brought a different take to the Brightman character than Foreman did, but acting side by side with Galligan both made a very attractive powerhouse horror couple.
With an escaped severed zombie hand running a muck after the massive showdown at the wax musuem, Sarah’s stepfather is murdered and she’s framed. Trying to prove her innocence, Mark returns to a friend’s house who helped him in the original and finds a magical time compass that opens up a time portal to different dimensions. Taking Sarah, the couple begins stumbling into different worlds all centered around famous worlds of horror such as Frankenstein, The Haunting, Alien, and even Dawn Of The Dead. In the end, Mark and Sarah end up in a medieval castle, battling an evil warlock that practices black magic.
With great cameos from Drew Barrymore and Bruce Campbell, wonderful comical moments, and one of the best adventures to grace the silver screen from the early 90’s, Waxwork II is a bat shit crazy sequel that strays away from the original format, throwing everything put the kitchen sink in it. Between the epic showdown between the evil warlock and Mark, and the epic rap music video at the end...Waxwork II is a sequel for the books. It’s just a shame we didn’t get a third to see more of Mark and Sarah’s adventures!
Now more than 25 years after the original release of the first film, the two Waxwork movies are always those off beat little films that everyone remembers renting, and loving. With the cast still pretty much looking exactly as they did nearly two decades before, and touring the convention circuit the following these two wonderful films have is still stronger than ever! With these films remastered now in HD, clear, crisp, and ready for brand new SE blu-rays, fans very much like myself have been watching and closely waiting until these films get the treatment they deserve.
With this page, I hope to slowly gain support from fellow fans in showing the studios that these films were made by a very talented director with an amazing cast and crew. This was back when movies were movies and were nothing short of fun. Hopefully with some killer extras, and commentary, and new artwork to give the original a run for it’s money!
So fans, let’s get together to see Mark and Sarah battle of dark side of evil once again!
https://www.facebook.com/GetWaxworkWaxworkIiReleasedOnBluRay?ref=hl
By: Stacy Still
The Burning
Ghastly greetings horror fiends & gore-maniac's alike! Before I rip into the flesh & blood of the 1981 slasher The Burning, I have to dig just a little bit deeper below the dirt.
As I grew up eyeballing horror movies like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street that influenced my writing style. I've always leaned on the cemetery gates of the darker side of life since I was a kid. Watching slasher and monster movies inspired my interest in horror, cult, and B-films. I bloody loved watching horror films for the pure adrenaline rush, and thrill of being terrified out of my Skeletor undies. However, it wasn't until later on as a teenager in heat when I started to really dive into my obsession for slashers, gore, and guts! Pretty much anything horror related became my new obsession. The Burning proved to be the key slasher film that opened the flesh gates for me and spawned my unholy search for all things obscure in the horror realm.
The first time my virgin eyes we're exposed to The Burning was over my friends house for one of our Friday night horror movie marathons. We would spend countless hours
scarfing down pizza, sharing shits n' Dr. Giggles, and eye zapping horror till our eyes bled crimson red. My fellow horror fiends introduced me to this blood gushing splatterfest of a slasher which instantly became a staple in my collection. Ever since that epic night The Burning became one of my most cherished slashers next to Sleepaway Camp, My Bloody Valentine, and Slaughter High to name a few. The Burning delivers some of the following key elements that make up a deadly slasher: a creative back story, likeable characters, bloody epic death scenes, and one hell of a legendary killer. When combining all of these proper ingredients together you are left with a bloody delicious slasher stew and before you know it you'll be craving like a fiend for more gore!
The Burning opens up with a flash back scene set at Camp Blackfoot, a group of campers plan an innocently fun prank on the caretaker Cropsy which literally backfires on them. At night fall, Cropsy is sound asleep when one of the campers sneaks into his room setting up a creepy, crawly, and wormy skull next to his bed with candles in each eye socket. Cropsy is suddenly awakened from his slumber by the loud banging on his window from the campers. He is terrified from seeing the skull that he accidentally knocks it over which ignites both his clothes and bed sheets on fire. The campers watch in sheer terror as Cropsy runs out of the cabin scorched in flames as a human fire ball. Cropsy's left with a deformed face and forever raged both internally and externally. In the traditional fashion of slashers, Cropsy grabs a pair of gardening shears and seeks his revenge on the Camp Blackfoot pranksters and anyone else who steps foot in his path.
The atmosphere of summer camps and slasher’s have always gone bloody hand in hand. Not to mention all of the wild sex and nudity, but lets get to the real juicy parts...the blood and guts! I don't want to give away the whole story scene by scene, though I would like to share with you one of my personal favorite scenes in the movie. WARNING, SPOILER ALERT!
Now let's dive headfirst into one of the more memorable scenes that always stabbed my guts out. The bloody epic raft massacre scene. Quite possibly the deadliest kill scene in slasher history takes place up stream Camp Blackfoot's lake where the unsuspected campers receive a deathly visit from the grim Cropsy himself. Even to this very day I still get the chills every time I witness the glorious shot of Cropsy raising his blood trickled garden shears through the air in a menacing display of death play. In this brutal scene Cropsy slaughters his way, stabbing and slashing through each unhappy camper one by one like an evil art exhibit from hell. I know this isn't done in 3D (Blasphemy!) but I swear after every viewing I literally feel the blood splatter from the tv screen during Cropsy's wicked killing spree!
Another key aspect of this underrated slasher that holds it together with crazy glue is found in the shits n' giggles department.
Let's take a step back from all of the bloodshed and entrails for a moment and reflect on another significant side of The Burning. The laugh-o-meter! The Burning surely delivers
enough gore and body parts for a blood buffet, but lets not forget what also makes up a
classic slasher. Without the comedy factor, The Burning would become dry and simply fall by the wayside. Thankfully, that is definitely not the case and The Burning is jam packed with cheesy one-liners and goofy moments that surely bring a riot fest of laughter and tears.
As the viewer, you can actually relate with the characters and you care about what happens with them which is an unusual occurrence in slasher films. A prime example of this likeable fun can be witnessed in the comedic presence of a very young and full head of cabbage hair Jason Alexander! Jason is by far one of my favorite actors in the film as he brings life to the character with his slapstick humor. Another character that is easy to relate to can be found in Brian Backer who plays Alfred, the stumbling peeping tom. You might remember Brian Backer from the classic 80's comedy Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Alfred plays a cruical role in the plot the movie, sorry no more spoilers! ;) My least favorite character Glacier who plays the typical bully/wiseguy that is always giving Alfred a hard time and no one honestly ever wants around.
In closing the casket lid, The Burning is in the same vein of Friday the 13th series in the sense that it has an iconic killer (Cropsy) and truly sets the chopping block extremely high for other slashers to come. The film blends together the perfect cryptic mood and foreboding atmosphere like a bloody canvas of water colors. The Burning goes beyond expectations and is far more than the typical run of the mill slasher.
\The Burning has it all. It’s a feel good comedy, with action. It has some of the best kill scenes on screen, and definitely stands on its own original bloody stump. For anyone who is a horror hound and fan of 80's slashers in general, The Burning is a must watch! I hope I convinced you by now that Cropsy is an iconic slasher to be reckoned with and definitely holds his ground against Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger!
BY:Todd Wolfson
Ghastly greetings horror fiends & gore-maniac's alike! Before I rip into the flesh & blood of the 1981 slasher The Burning, I have to dig just a little bit deeper below the dirt.
As I grew up eyeballing horror movies like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street that influenced my writing style. I've always leaned on the cemetery gates of the darker side of life since I was a kid. Watching slasher and monster movies inspired my interest in horror, cult, and B-films. I bloody loved watching horror films for the pure adrenaline rush, and thrill of being terrified out of my Skeletor undies. However, it wasn't until later on as a teenager in heat when I started to really dive into my obsession for slashers, gore, and guts! Pretty much anything horror related became my new obsession. The Burning proved to be the key slasher film that opened the flesh gates for me and spawned my unholy search for all things obscure in the horror realm.
The first time my virgin eyes we're exposed to The Burning was over my friends house for one of our Friday night horror movie marathons. We would spend countless hours
scarfing down pizza, sharing shits n' Dr. Giggles, and eye zapping horror till our eyes bled crimson red. My fellow horror fiends introduced me to this blood gushing splatterfest of a slasher which instantly became a staple in my collection. Ever since that epic night The Burning became one of my most cherished slashers next to Sleepaway Camp, My Bloody Valentine, and Slaughter High to name a few. The Burning delivers some of the following key elements that make up a deadly slasher: a creative back story, likeable characters, bloody epic death scenes, and one hell of a legendary killer. When combining all of these proper ingredients together you are left with a bloody delicious slasher stew and before you know it you'll be craving like a fiend for more gore!
The Burning opens up with a flash back scene set at Camp Blackfoot, a group of campers plan an innocently fun prank on the caretaker Cropsy which literally backfires on them. At night fall, Cropsy is sound asleep when one of the campers sneaks into his room setting up a creepy, crawly, and wormy skull next to his bed with candles in each eye socket. Cropsy is suddenly awakened from his slumber by the loud banging on his window from the campers. He is terrified from seeing the skull that he accidentally knocks it over which ignites both his clothes and bed sheets on fire. The campers watch in sheer terror as Cropsy runs out of the cabin scorched in flames as a human fire ball. Cropsy's left with a deformed face and forever raged both internally and externally. In the traditional fashion of slashers, Cropsy grabs a pair of gardening shears and seeks his revenge on the Camp Blackfoot pranksters and anyone else who steps foot in his path.
The atmosphere of summer camps and slasher’s have always gone bloody hand in hand. Not to mention all of the wild sex and nudity, but lets get to the real juicy parts...the blood and guts! I don't want to give away the whole story scene by scene, though I would like to share with you one of my personal favorite scenes in the movie. WARNING, SPOILER ALERT!
Now let's dive headfirst into one of the more memorable scenes that always stabbed my guts out. The bloody epic raft massacre scene. Quite possibly the deadliest kill scene in slasher history takes place up stream Camp Blackfoot's lake where the unsuspected campers receive a deathly visit from the grim Cropsy himself. Even to this very day I still get the chills every time I witness the glorious shot of Cropsy raising his blood trickled garden shears through the air in a menacing display of death play. In this brutal scene Cropsy slaughters his way, stabbing and slashing through each unhappy camper one by one like an evil art exhibit from hell. I know this isn't done in 3D (Blasphemy!) but I swear after every viewing I literally feel the blood splatter from the tv screen during Cropsy's wicked killing spree!
Another key aspect of this underrated slasher that holds it together with crazy glue is found in the shits n' giggles department.
Let's take a step back from all of the bloodshed and entrails for a moment and reflect on another significant side of The Burning. The laugh-o-meter! The Burning surely delivers
enough gore and body parts for a blood buffet, but lets not forget what also makes up a
classic slasher. Without the comedy factor, The Burning would become dry and simply fall by the wayside. Thankfully, that is definitely not the case and The Burning is jam packed with cheesy one-liners and goofy moments that surely bring a riot fest of laughter and tears.
As the viewer, you can actually relate with the characters and you care about what happens with them which is an unusual occurrence in slasher films. A prime example of this likeable fun can be witnessed in the comedic presence of a very young and full head of cabbage hair Jason Alexander! Jason is by far one of my favorite actors in the film as he brings life to the character with his slapstick humor. Another character that is easy to relate to can be found in Brian Backer who plays Alfred, the stumbling peeping tom. You might remember Brian Backer from the classic 80's comedy Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Alfred plays a cruical role in the plot the movie, sorry no more spoilers! ;) My least favorite character Glacier who plays the typical bully/wiseguy that is always giving Alfred a hard time and no one honestly ever wants around.
In closing the casket lid, The Burning is in the same vein of Friday the 13th series in the sense that it has an iconic killer (Cropsy) and truly sets the chopping block extremely high for other slashers to come. The film blends together the perfect cryptic mood and foreboding atmosphere like a bloody canvas of water colors. The Burning goes beyond expectations and is far more than the typical run of the mill slasher.
\The Burning has it all. It’s a feel good comedy, with action. It has some of the best kill scenes on screen, and definitely stands on its own original bloody stump. For anyone who is a horror hound and fan of 80's slashers in general, The Burning is a must watch! I hope I convinced you by now that Cropsy is an iconic slasher to be reckoned with and definitely holds his ground against Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger!
BY:Todd Wolfson
|
The Orphan Killer
Horror films are calculated to cause intense repugnance, fear, or dread. They include incidents of physical violence and psychological terror. They may be studies of the deformed or disturbed, psychotic or evil characters.
That is the basic definition of our beloved genre in a nut shell, but as we all know there are sub cataGOREis as well. If your skin crawls, your heart races, you look over your shoulder and (in many of our cases) root for the killer, that is HORROR. Over time it seems Hollywood forgotten how to put that rush of fear into our hearts, but every so often a movie comes out and we remember why we fell in love with what lurks in the dark and hides around the corners, The Orphan Killer is one of those films! Matt Farnsworth is the brutal genius behind this slasher film, and trust me when I say the blood flows like a river. This film has all the ingredients that make a slasher film! |
Produced by Full Fathom 5 Productions, this much talked about film was released in 2011 and is still getting brutal reviews. We are introduced to Marcus Miller, (played by David Bakus) who as a child protects his baby Audrey (Diane Foster) while his parents are murdered during a home invasion. The two young children are taken to an orphanage, where his protective instincts kick in once again. Young Marcus is tortured and beaten by the nuns and is forced to wear a mask as a form of humiliation and punishment. His baby sister is adopted and leaves the orphanage, and she promises to never forget him. Years pass and the hate and rage grow inside him, and he is hell bent on making everyone suffer, including his baby sister.
Within the first ten minutes of this film, there are five brutal killings, and when I say brutal, I mean just that. No computer generation, just good old fashioned special effects! Matt stays true to his horror roots and hasn’t let his fame change him. He is very humble and always has time to talk to his fans, be it when he is at a convention, walking on the streets or on his social media fan pages.I ordered a few copies of the film over the past two years, and one occasion I received a copy that didn’t play. I told him and with me asking, he told me to give him my address and he would send me out a new one right away. Three days later I had my pale claws on wrapped around it. We have spoken on a few occasions and he is an all around great guy.He has a drive that will give a tank a run for its money! Matt is what I like to call a triple threat, actor, writer and director all combined. He has a sick and brutal mind, and when he creates, he bloody creates! We will be seeing much more from this man in the future, so keep your eyes peeled. If you haven’t seen this brutal film and have yet to sign up in the TOK army, what are you waiting for? This Friday there will be a free live stream of this bloody masterpiece, and Matt informed me it will be the GRIND-HOUSE VERSION!!! Now, if that wasn’t brutal enough, he, along with the beautiful Diane Foster will be doing a Q and A live!
Within the first ten minutes of this film, there are five brutal killings, and when I say brutal, I mean just that. No computer generation, just good old fashioned special effects! Matt stays true to his horror roots and hasn’t let his fame change him. He is very humble and always has time to talk to his fans, be it when he is at a convention, walking on the streets or on his social media fan pages.I ordered a few copies of the film over the past two years, and one occasion I received a copy that didn’t play. I told him and with me asking, he told me to give him my address and he would send me out a new one right away. Three days later I had my pale claws on wrapped around it. We have spoken on a few occasions and he is an all around great guy.He has a drive that will give a tank a run for its money! Matt is what I like to call a triple threat, actor, writer and director all combined. He has a sick and brutal mind, and when he creates, he bloody creates! We will be seeing much more from this man in the future, so keep your eyes peeled. If you haven’t seen this brutal film and have yet to sign up in the TOK army, what are you waiting for? This Friday there will be a free live stream of this bloody masterpiece, and Matt informed me it will be the GRIND-HOUSE VERSION!!! Now, if that wasn’t brutal enough, he, along with the beautiful Diane Foster will be doing a Q and A live!
Click on any of the following links this Friday at 10 pm EST time. Here are the links and make sure to log in, and you will see why true pain is SCREAMLESS!!!
At the website:
http://www.indiehorror.tv/
Justin TV:
http://www.justin.tv/indiehorror
Twitch TV:
http://www.twitch.tv/indiehorror
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/IndieHorror.TV/app_520244178035026
At the website:
http://www.indiehorror.tv/
Justin TV:
http://www.justin.tv/indiehorror
Twitch TV:
http://www.twitch.tv/indiehorror
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/IndieHorror.TV/app_520244178035026
The Living Dead
If you've been a horror fan for more than 5 minutes, you're likely familiar with the cult classic known to the masses as Night of the Living Dead. The film was released in 1968 by George A. Romero to an audience who had never seen anything so fierce and vile. An unknown viral plague has swept the nation, possibly the world, and is causing the recently dead to rise and feast on the flesh of the living.
The film follows the exploits of Barbara. A beautiful young woman who had just joined her brother on a Sunday drive out to the cemetery which held a relative's remains. What began as a Sunday evening of bickering between siblings, resulted in horror as they are attacked by an interloping crazed man. A ghoul. She ran to a farmhouse where herself and several other survivors do what they can to cope with the unraveling of society outside, and the rising tensions inside.
This is a film that is synonymous for being the most remade flick in history. So many have been made that it's simply staggering. As you may guess, most of them suck. You'd be right. However, the idea that they ALL suck is far from the truth. In 1990 the SFX Guru Tom Savini got into his head that he wished to reimagine what he, Romero, and Russo originally created. With the new age came new capabilities in the SFX catalog.
Savini and his crew did extensive research on the act of decomposition in order to make their ghouls not only terrifying, but real. Savini also decided to change up the role of Barbara from the 'Maiden in Distress' type, to the 'I'll rip your arm off and rape you with it until you die.. again' type. Perhaps I'm being a little drastic with my example, but I don't recall asking your opinion, Dick.
With several other little tweaks and turns added into the story, Savini created his piece in order to commemorate the success which took place over 30 years before. Even today, 50+ years after the original, it is still as powerful as it was back then. I'll never forget the first time I saw the original.. or the 1,000,000 times since. If you ask any other fan, they'll likely tell you the same. I'm not sure on anyone else's opinion of Savini's remake, but what I can tell you is this:
Savini's remake is as much a favorite of mine as the original was. I am a die hard Romero fan and will go to my grave and rise from it as one. Today's culture, though over saturated with zombies, it's unsaturated with the simplicity of wonder that was Night of the Living Dead. It's amazing to me how many people have actually never seen this movie. That's the entire point behind this review I'd suppose. To remind the young generation that you don't need extensive gore to make a zombie movie. You also don't need a Hollywood budget to make history.
Night of the Living Dead was shot on a budget which was next to nothing. The film was black and white years after color had stolen the big screen because, not only was it cheaper, but it gave a better atmosphere and tone. It was bleak and reflected the situation. It was art. It is art.
Though Savini had a bigger budget, he didn't let it get in the way. He changed the film enough to make it a semi-new adventure with the same overcast feel of the first. Personally, as remakes go, especially in a world full of them, Savini's reigns supreme. I conclude with this parting idea: Watch them both and write in your opinions. All are welcome. But mostly, just fucking enjoy them.
USEFUL TIP! Night of the Living Dead (1968) is part of the public domain and can be watched FOR FREE in several different places.
Night of the Living Dead (1990) is available for free viewing on the Crackle app or www.Crackle.com
There. Now you have no excuse.
by: Bam Stroker
If you've been a horror fan for more than 5 minutes, you're likely familiar with the cult classic known to the masses as Night of the Living Dead. The film was released in 1968 by George A. Romero to an audience who had never seen anything so fierce and vile. An unknown viral plague has swept the nation, possibly the world, and is causing the recently dead to rise and feast on the flesh of the living.
The film follows the exploits of Barbara. A beautiful young woman who had just joined her brother on a Sunday drive out to the cemetery which held a relative's remains. What began as a Sunday evening of bickering between siblings, resulted in horror as they are attacked by an interloping crazed man. A ghoul. She ran to a farmhouse where herself and several other survivors do what they can to cope with the unraveling of society outside, and the rising tensions inside.
This is a film that is synonymous for being the most remade flick in history. So many have been made that it's simply staggering. As you may guess, most of them suck. You'd be right. However, the idea that they ALL suck is far from the truth. In 1990 the SFX Guru Tom Savini got into his head that he wished to reimagine what he, Romero, and Russo originally created. With the new age came new capabilities in the SFX catalog.
Savini and his crew did extensive research on the act of decomposition in order to make their ghouls not only terrifying, but real. Savini also decided to change up the role of Barbara from the 'Maiden in Distress' type, to the 'I'll rip your arm off and rape you with it until you die.. again' type. Perhaps I'm being a little drastic with my example, but I don't recall asking your opinion, Dick.
With several other little tweaks and turns added into the story, Savini created his piece in order to commemorate the success which took place over 30 years before. Even today, 50+ years after the original, it is still as powerful as it was back then. I'll never forget the first time I saw the original.. or the 1,000,000 times since. If you ask any other fan, they'll likely tell you the same. I'm not sure on anyone else's opinion of Savini's remake, but what I can tell you is this:
Savini's remake is as much a favorite of mine as the original was. I am a die hard Romero fan and will go to my grave and rise from it as one. Today's culture, though over saturated with zombies, it's unsaturated with the simplicity of wonder that was Night of the Living Dead. It's amazing to me how many people have actually never seen this movie. That's the entire point behind this review I'd suppose. To remind the young generation that you don't need extensive gore to make a zombie movie. You also don't need a Hollywood budget to make history.
Night of the Living Dead was shot on a budget which was next to nothing. The film was black and white years after color had stolen the big screen because, not only was it cheaper, but it gave a better atmosphere and tone. It was bleak and reflected the situation. It was art. It is art.
Though Savini had a bigger budget, he didn't let it get in the way. He changed the film enough to make it a semi-new adventure with the same overcast feel of the first. Personally, as remakes go, especially in a world full of them, Savini's reigns supreme. I conclude with this parting idea: Watch them both and write in your opinions. All are welcome. But mostly, just fucking enjoy them.
USEFUL TIP! Night of the Living Dead (1968) is part of the public domain and can be watched FOR FREE in several different places.
Night of the Living Dead (1990) is available for free viewing on the Crackle app or www.Crackle.com
There. Now you have no excuse.
by: Bam Stroker
Boy Eats girl Look, I know the title to this movie sounds like the name of a bad porno, I thought so too. It is actually a pretty decent zombie flick. I stumbled upon this film while browsing my local video store and thought it looked alright, so I purchased it and went home to check it out. As it turns out my money was not spent in vain.
Set in Ireland, this 2005 zombie horror/comedy is about a young man named Nathan. A typical high school student who is hopelessly in love with his long time friend, Jessica, The night he finally works up the courage to ask her out but her father grounds her to stay home. When she finally sneaks away, Nathan has already left their meeting spot and went home. Later that night, Nathan kills himself. His mother uses a voodoo book to resurrect him. Unfortunately for Nathan's mother, she didn't read the fine print. Nathan wakes up to find him self a zombie and gains the required appetite for human flesh, that comes along with the territory. After taking a bite out of someone, he learns of the reason for his insatiable appetite. Unlike the others he infects, he can control his zombie impulses, and tries to stay away from his friends. But when the town becomes overrun with the undead, Nathan and his friends must band together to survive the slaughter.
All in all I give this movie a 7.5/10 rating. Acting and Plot in this movie are lacking in some parts, for most of the movie it is quite good. This is definitely a movie every fan of zombie horror/comedy movies should watch.
by: Donald Costin