Entries from August 2008 ↓

- While you were sleeping, I went to see Disaster Movie and reviewed it for AMC. I think it was only because the hellish experience that was Demon of Paradise was still coursing through my veins that I didn't want to kill myself. So for that, I thank you, Demon of Paradise. Now get the eff out of my life forever! I seriously need to watch a quality movie before I find the nearest Grand Canyon and go all ten kinds of Thelma and Louise.

- Go visit my ol' pal Arbogast and check out his quasi-tribute to America's Next Top favorite caver, Beth, from The Descent. To avoid fainting, I must keep repeating, there are good movies out there...good movies out there...good movies out there...good movies out there...thanks for the reminder, Arbo! Beth rules and she rules hard.

- From the I weep for the children who are supposedly our future department: The Internets are all up in arms over the kinda sorta news that Vadim Perelman (The House of Sand and Fog) maybe kinda might helm the super possible Poltergeist remake. It's a fowl story, indeed, that Bloody-Disgusting has related. No one expressed their trepidation at the prospect more poignantly than commenter horrorchick81, however:

they need shot! y remake a GOOD classic horror/supernatural movie? who would star in it anyway everyone dies from them movies anyway bc of the poltergeist curse. there is noo way that this tupid ass remake will live up to the original even if they did get craig t nelson to reprise his role as stephen. anyone know what ever happened to that kid who played robbie in one an two?? i am soo signing it. never even seen house osf sand and fog so cant bitch bout the directer dude.

Verily...they need shot. And in case you were unaware of all the rumors of hauntings and curses surrounding the original Hooper/Spielberg production, horrorchick81 goes on to shed some light:

uh ya there is a thing as curse, how do you explain heather orourkes untimley/mysterious death??? the orignal cane/julian beck!? umm doninique dunnes (cant think of her name but she was robbies and carl annes sis in the first) death when she was strangeled by her boyfriend when i guess a friend/neighbor was litening to the poltergeist soundtrack?? taylor dying? that mysterious light when tangena got her pic. taken in the photograph?? to me that aint coincidence that is a curse so idk what u are talkin bout when u say there is no curses.

Maybe that's why I'm suddenly mired in bad movies when my week started out so well: there is a thing as curse. Who knew? I mean, besides horrorchick81, natch.

Now if you'll excuse me, I suddenly feel a burning desire to make some parse trees.

The Digital Bits reports some disheartening news. According to the website, Genius will finally release the Grindhouse films, Planet Terror and Death Proof, on Blu-ray Disc on 12/16 (SRP $28.95). Extras, however, appear to be identical to the prevoius DVD editions - therefore, no trailers will be included (what the f*ck!) From groundbreaking directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez comes the ultimate film experience: a double-bill of thrillers that will recall both filmmakers favorite exploitation films. Grindhouse will be presented as one full-length feature comprised of two individual films helmed separately by each director. Tarantinos film, Death Proof, is a rip-roaring slasher flick where the killer pursues his victims with a car rather than a knife, while Rodriguezs film explores an alien world eerily familiar to ours in Planet Terror. Welcome to the Grindhouse - itll tear you in two.

If you head on over to BDTV, you can watch the international trailer for J.T. Petty's The Burrowers, which features your first clear look at the creatures in the film, which were created by Almost Human FX (who worked on all of Apatow's films). Lucky attendees of the Midnight Madness portion of this year's TIFF will be treated to the world premiere of the film in September. After a family is brutally murdered in their home, a group of ranchers and infantry men embark on a crusade to find the killers. When a mysterious killer attacks their ranks, they discover that carnivorous creatures are hiding beneath the surface of the earth waiting to feed on their flesh. Click the title above for loads of stills or click here for all TIFF news.

In addition to the new poster and the other new stills, B-D reader 'Burst' just e-mailed me a link to a video containing loads of new images from Lionsgate's Saw V, which hits theaters October 24th. The video, which contains plenty of new clues, can be found beyond the break... what theories do you guys have? What can you make of the images? Most interesting is the last still, pay attention.

If you head on over to Premiere.fr, you can check out yet another clip from Fabrice du Welz's Vinyan, which will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. Still not having accepted the loss of their son in a tsunami disaster, Janet and Paul Behlmer are back in Bangkok. Hanging onto the fact that his body has never been discovered, Janet desperately clings to the idea that pirates might have kidnapped their kid in the confusion that followed the catastrophe. Looking for someone to guide them in the Thai underworld, they bribe their way to a mysterious Mr. Gao, who takes them to Ranong, where a mercenary supplies them with a boat and crew to explore the pirate-infested shores of Burma. Slowly, they will lose themselves into a strange child-infested jungle and to their inner demons. Click here for all TIFF news.

Blu-ray.com reports that Shriek Show, a horror film arm of Media Blasters, has announced their first two Blu-ray titles, both of which are due to hit store shelves on November 25th. Technical specs and special features for the titles - FLESH OF THE BEAST (Uncut)' and SHADOW: DEAD RIOT (Uncut) - are currently unannounced.

Review by The Wolf

Whenever I get sent a screener for some independent film, I get a bit apprehensive. I mean, a majority of them that I’ve seen aren’t really all that good. Hell, they’re downright terrible. When Sarah (Fatally Yours) offered her staff of writers multiple screeners to pick from a while back, I wanted to pick a film that sounded like it could be decent. That’s when I saw Maniac on the Loose on the list and decided, “Hey it sounds cool. Maybe it’ll be good.” So I requested it and days later, I received it through the mail.

After opening the package, I found a note from the production company, Big Biting Pig Productions, telling me not to reveal any of the twists and plot devices in the film. I was like, “Oh no, this film is trying to be The Usual Suspects. This can not be good.” So I went in watching with low expectations - only to be surprised that Maniac on the Loose is a pretty good indie horror flick! Who knew?

Some crazy dude from a mental asylum escapes the joint, heading back to the neighborhood he once grew up in. Before you can say Halloween, the head of the asylum and the movie’s prick on a stick, Dr. Franklin Grimm (Nick Faust), does his best to keep the situation out of the public’s eye because not only could he lose his job, but ruin his respected reputation as well. What a caring individual.

Meanwhile, some chick named Melissa (Jessica Cook) gets into her car and drives over to some dude named Alex’s house. Apparently they met on some internet dating site (without photos no less - smart broad) and they plan to have a blind date. She turns on the radio to hear some report about the escaped mental patient, warning people to be on alert because the guy has no remorse for his actions. As a matter of fact, he’s some famous family serial killer named John Bromley. It’s always nice to have a famed serial killer in your town. Gives the neighborhood some personality. Anyway, Melissa and Alex get caught up into the maniac’s plans, leading to twists and turns in the story that must be seen to believe.

This will probably be one of the shortest reviews I’ve ever written, since I can’t spoil anything but talking about certain stuff about the film. I will say that Maniac on the Loose is one of the better screeners I’ve received to review. Like The Usual Suspects, what you see isn’t always what it appears to be. Plus like Pulp Fiction, the story has a non-linear narrative where the past and present collide to give us insight to the situation and how it came to be. Usually many filmmakers use this tactic as a way to look better as a director and screenwriter, but failing miserably when nothing makes sense and end up confusing the viewer even more. Maniac on the Loose, fortunately, doesn’t end up confusing anyone because it all makes sense once it reaches its conclusions. Hell, I didn’t get some of the twists while watching it until they were presented on screen. Pretty impressive filmmaking there.

Writer/director Steve Hudgins has crafted together a very good indie flick. Hudgins doesn’t have a lot of money to work with, but the visuals were still good. The flashback stuff and the transitions revealing the twists in the film were very well done. Not once was I confused by what I was watching. There is also some gore and stuff, and the shots of the gorier scenes were cool. The pacing was great. The editing was great. Hudgins did a nice directorial job overall. One of the better looking indie horror flicks I’ve seen.

The acting was very good. The performers were all unknowns and all had a place in the film. There were some moments of maybe being a bit over the top when it came to acting, but other than that, I was fine with it. I wish I could talk more about it but that would be spoiling things. Still, it was a nice job overall.

There are also special features on the DVD I received, such as a blooper reel, two trailers, and three deleted scenes. They don’t really add much to be honest but at least the thought and attempt was there.

Things I’ve Learned While Never Using an Internet Dating Site Again:

- If you want to escape from a mental asylum, wear grey footie slippers. No one will hear you walk, open doors, or sound any alarms. So that’s how my stalker, I mean my number one fan, did it…

- Melissa had beads hanging in her car. I sense a flasher! Whoo-hoo Mardi Gras! Titties!!

…Sorry. I got carried away there. I can act like such a boob sometimes.

- Dr. Clark felt that his talents were wasted at Dawson’s Springs. I’m sure James Van Der Beek felt the same when he lived by that creek with the same name. Remember: You don’t want to wait for your life to be over.

- Don’t ever lick your lips at a woman. Unless you’re LL Cool J, you’re just gonna ruin any chances of doin’ it and doin’ it and doin’ it wild.

- “Max” licked the rim of Melissa’s glass of water before serving it to her. I prefer soap and water for cleaning gunk off of my drinking glass, but I appreciate the late effort.

- Dr. Grimm told Dr. Bloomfield (who happens to know his actors and films) that he should quit medicine and become a critic. Okay, who read my journal and based a character on me? I hope no one makes a film about the “sticking just the tip in” incident…

- During a forced sexual situation, Melissa spat in the face of her attacker. Damn, I was hoping she swallowed. Boo!

The Final Howl:
Maniac on the Loose is a good indie horror flick that’s worth more than a single watch. Instead of being some Halloween clone like it could have been, it offered some originality by creating a series of twists and turns that worked in its favor. Just like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (review), I’m more untrustworthy of the people in my neighborhood. Who knows if that friendly neighbor is doing nothing more than setting me up in a trap? What a messed up world we live in.

Big Biting Pig Productions Official Site

Watch the Maniac on the Loose trailer:

Review by Jude Felton

Being the clueless monkey that I can sometimes be I had no idea that Ghost Walk was a follow-up to Keene’s previous novel Dark Hollow. However, according to the authors comments at the beginning of Ghost Walk, it is not essential to have read that book previous to this one. This is just as well as I was looking forward to Ghost Walk a hell of a lot. I will however definitely be picking up a copy of Dark Hollow, as after reading this I am eager to find out more about Lehorn’s Hollow, which is the root of all the dastardly shenanigans in Ghost Walk.

This book is centered around the opening of a Halloween ghost walk in the woods surrounding Lehorn’s Hollow; a legendary place where over the years many bad things have happened, not to mention the fact that they are said to be haunted. The owner of the walk is Ken Ripple, and he is opening the walk to raise money for charity in honor of his deceased wife. Of course, he is hoping that he, along with his staff, can just scare the bejeezus out of the paying customers. He doesn’t want to scare them to death though, and that may well just happen.

Assigned to cover the story of the opening of the walk is Maria Nasr, a freelance reporter who is struggling to breakthrough into serious journalism. However, after doing her research on Lehorn’s Hollow, and its infamous history, she finds herself drawn to the subject and feels that there may in fact be a book in the making about it. She interviews Ken for her story, but also tries to track down one of the areas infamous characters, Adam Senft, who murdered his wife after seeing things at the Hollow. She isn’t allowed access though, and it is whilst sitting in her car following her rejection that she meets Levi Stolzfus, a strange man who is convinced that something bad is going to happen. He needs Maria’s help, along with Adam’s, to try and stop an unbelievable evil from entering our world.

First off, let me just say that Ghost Walk was a cracking good read. Keene slowly sucks you into the story, and before you know it you’ve flown through the whole damned thing. The story itself was a blast, there is a perfect sense of impending dread throughout which keeps you turning the pages. But it is the little details in the novel that made it work for me; references to beings from his earlier novels, such as Ob and Leviathan, all help tie things together in Keene’s world of horror. You could say that all his novels work in universes parallel to each other, and they way they play out in his books none of them are ones you would want to live in.

Also, the attention to detail and care for his characterizations is nigh-on flawless. Main characters aside, it is the folk that only appear for a few pages that work so well. In a short amount of time you will build up a bond with these characters, only to have them snatched away from you. They may be fodder for whatever lurks in the woods, but you will care for them in that short amount of time.

My only slight problem was in the ending, which seemed to happen a little too quickly for me. It was building up nicely, and then in a short amount of time the end was upon me and then over. Now granted, this may just have been because I was enjoying the book so much, but it did seem just a little too easy come the end. That all being said, Ghost Walk is a tremendous read, and needs to be read. When Keene is in his zone, as he appears to be a permanent resident these days, not many genre authors can touch him. He makes it look so damned easy, and for that he must be applauded.

On a final note, at the end of Ghost Walk there is a preview of his next novel Castaways. I held off reading it purely because i knew I would get sucked in and want to read the rest of it!

Ghost Walk is certainly a journey into horror that you need to take.

Review by Jude Felton

I’ll admit that I had no idea what to expect from this short movie. Sometimes though that works out for the best, not always, but sometimes. Fortunately, in the case of This Side of Nightmare it was definitely a case of working out for the best, as this is a short and sweet sucker-punch of a short movie. None of the 11 minute running time is wasted, it just gets in, does its job and then swiftly exits.

The movie itself follows two lovers as they make their way home through New Mexico. They hit a rabbit, which somehow manages to spray the windscreen, and pull over to inspect the damage. Whilst stopped another car pulls over. At first the two girls think that maybe they are going to offer some assistance, but it soon becomes quite apparent that the two in the other car aren’t quite all there. The friends make a hasty exit, and hope that is the last they will see of the strangers. Of course, that is not to be and very soon things take a quite dramatically downbeat turn for the worst.

The story here isn’t the most original ever committed to film; it is however executed quite nicely. There is the odd moment where I thought we were heading down shaky-cam avenue, although this is primarily at the beginning of the movie and doesn’t encroach too much on the viewing experience. On the whole This Side of Nightmare is a well made effort, it is nicely edited, the limited effects are decent enough and the acting from the four actresses is spot on. There is more than enough here to keep you entertained, but then at 11 minutes you’d have to have some seriously bad ADD not to be able to sit through it. My real hope is that director Peter Grendle gets to make a slightly lengthier effort next time out, as the promise is there on the screen for all to see in This Side of Nightmare.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short and I do recommend checking it out. It doesn’t offer all that much new and original, but it’s a short, not so sweet and very ballsy little movie.

Red Letter Cinema - This Side of Nightmare’s Official Site

THE LOST EPISODE

This show was originally supposed to go on April 11, 2008.

Root Rot opens the show with special guest Corey. They talk about things like:

• George Romero
• drinking
• Intervention
• crackheads
• The Midnight Horror Show
• The Horror Drunx

Zombie Movie Review:

• Hell of the Living Dead/Night of the Zombies/Zombie Creeping Flesh/Virus (1980)

Last October we brought you this ultra-early look at J.T. Petty's The Burrowers, which features a creepy look at one of the underground creatures from the film. Since then, we've seen nothing all too interesting. Today we scored another five stills, non of which would lead any of us to believe it's a horror film. I can't wait to see it and tell you what I think... In the film, after a family is brutally murdered in their home, a group of ranchers and infantry men embark on a crusade to find the killers. When a mysterious killer attacks their ranks, they discover that carnivorous creatures are hiding beneath the surface of the earth waiting to feed on their flesh.

Earlier today we brought you a first look at the final poster for Lionsgate's Saw V, now a few B-D readers sent us a link to a brand new image from the film, which arrives in theaters October 24th. Unfortunately, there's nothing all that new in the image as it's already been shown in the teaser trailer and in an earlier still - hopefully more will pop up soon. In the fifth installment of the popular SAW franchise, which was directed by David Hackl, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends.

We learned that IFC Films has acquired Mark Tonderai's UK horror-thriller Hush for release here the States. No word on whether the film will hit theaters before arriving on DVD, we'll update you as soon as it's officially announced. In the film a young couple on a motorway journey are drawn into a game of cat and mouse with a truck driver following a near accident

Here's your random announcement of the week, according to THR Ricky Schroder (yeah, the kid from Silver Spoons) has signed to direct HELLHOUNDS, a telefilm that will air next year on Sci Fi Channel. The movie, set in 500 B.C., stars Scott Elrod ("Men in Trees") as Kleitos, a Greek warrior who with his companions fights against the hellhounds of Hades to rescue his bride from the Underworld and bring her back to life. The telefilm, written by Paul A. Birkett, is said to be full of CGI and special effects. The film begins shooting Sunday in Romania.

Inside Entertainment Weekly's Fall Preview piece, they dubbed Darren Lynn Bousman's Repo! The Genetic Opera "The Best Sci-Fi Musical Starring Paris Hilton," and released a brand new image of Hilton as Amber Sweet in Lionsgate musical horror film arriving in limited theaters November 7th. You can take a look at the image inside or click the title for more. In the not-so-distant future when an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet, scientists gear for a massive organ harvest. A biotech giant comes up with easy organ payment plans, but all financed organs are subject to legal default, including repossession at the hands of repo men.