Entries from October 2009 ↓

UK Genre Vet Join Now Filming ‘Basement’

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

Danny Dyer, who starred in both Jake West's Doghouse and Chris Smith's Severance, will topline the psychological horror Basement for Pinewood Studios, reports Screen Daily. Shooting is already underway. Written and directed by first time feature film-maker Asham Kamboj, it tells the story of five people who inadvertently enter an underground base and run into a nightmare scenario. Other cast members include Kierston Wareing, Lois Winstone (Beyond the Rave), Emily Beecham (28 Weeks Later) and Jimi Mistry.

UPDATE: AFM ’09: ‘Chain Letter’, ‘Killing Jar’, ‘The Ledge’, ‘Able’, ‘Blood Snow’

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

UPDATE: Added details on 'Blood Snow'. With the American Film Market only a few days away, more and more indie horror films are coming to the forefront. This morning we got our hands on the new art for Deon Taylor's long-delayed Chain Letter, along with details on The Killing Jar, The Ledge and Able. Read on for all the goodness and keep up with all of our AFM coverage by clicking here.

Book Review: The Hollower

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

The Hollower was Mary SanGiovanni's first novel and it is truly excellent. The story is about a shape-shifting entity called the Hollower and when it is not hiding behind a stolen face the Hollower is a rather scary sight. It wears a big black coat and hat and a pair of black gloves that only indicate the presence of hands because between where the coat sleeves end and the gloves begin there is nothing but fresh air. Perhaps the most frightening thing about the Hollower, however, is what lies beneath the brim of its big black hat. Face would not be the right word because a face has features and the Hollower's not-face has none. No eyes, no nose and no mouth; just an expanse of white that makes it resemble an egg with a hat on... [Excerpt only. Full review available on site]

awesome movie poster friday – the SHOCKTOBER PART 3 edition!

October 30th, 2009 — awesome movie poster friday, charles nelson reilly, From The Feeds, SHOCKTOBER

Wow, I can't believe SHOCKTOBER is winding down! Slim pickin's this week, for as you all know I had a spate of dookitastic movies, many of which don't even have posters. Thank Charles Nelson Reilly above for Splinter!

Day 30: “No flesh shall be spared.”

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds, Reviews, SHOCKTOBER

Richard Stanley's 1990 sci fi/horror flick Hardware, has been considered a cult classic by many. Until recently, it'd only been available on VHS or an exceptionally cruddy DVD release; well, Severin has changed all that, giving Hardware to the masses on Blu-Ray as well as a deluxe 2-disc DVD for those of us still living the lo-res life. So, should said masses be excited about getting their mitts on this long-lost & beloved film?

Nuclear war has transformed the world into a radioactive desert wasteland, but glimpses of its former glory peek through: cabs still run, TV still plays, and people still have jobs. Moses Baxter (Dylan McDermott) has been out scavenging in the wastes when he comes across a super neato robot head. He brings it home to his artist girlfriend Jill (Stacey Travis), thinking she'll find a use for it. She welds it into a sculpture and all is well...but what neither she nor Moe knows is that the robot is a M.A.R.K. 13, a deadly military-grade bot that can reassemble itself. Soon the M.A.R.K. 13 is awake, complete, and ready to kill kill kill!

While Hardware's narrative is fairly thin and a bit slow to get rolling, it's still an enjoyable ride through that dystopian '80s-flavored future; I, for one, am glad that not even nuclear annihilation can apparently stop people from quipping "Take a chill pill!". The film certainly pales in comparison to its obvious cousins, Mad Max and The Terminator, but if one can overlook the shortcomings of plot and, at times, the performances, there's a lot to appreciate.

The visuals are really where Hardware shines. Stanley and cinematographer Steven Chivers have created a complete, if small, world. The production design is top notch; though the action is largely confined to Jill's apartment, there's always some new detail to take in, from package design to the retrotastic computer graphics.

Frame after frame is simply gorgeous. This is masterful low-budget filmmaking that's all too rare; I didn't care if the story was a bit anemic, I still dug looking at the purty pictures.

Of course, your results may vary, and that's the tricky thing about films considered "cult classics". Some folks are going to rejoice over discovering something so long hidden, while others are going to wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place. Then again, that's probably true of all movies to an extent- yes, I know, I'm particularly profound today- but when a movie is buried for decades only to be unleashed, at last, with some fanfare, expectations run high. Were Hardware's visuals not so delightful, honestly, I'm not sure how much people would be talking about it. It's got some novelty in terms of music and cameos from musicians (Lemmy as a cab driver, putting on Motorhead's "Ace of Spades"? Yes, please.), but the story is familiar and there are several films in this genre that are far superior.

Still, it ain't a bad way to spend 90 minutes- when are non-CGI killer robots ever truly a bad thing?

‘I Spit on Your Grave’ Remake Shooting MONDAY

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

Bloody Disgusting learned exclusively that production officially begins this Monday on I Spit on Your Grave, a remake of Meir Zarchi's classic 1978 film Day of the Woman. We also learned that Steven R. Monroe (Left in Darkness) will be getting behind the camera for the remake that will star Andrew Howard, best known among genre fans for his roles in Adam Mason's The Devil's Chair, Luster and Blood River. In the original, a woman is abducted, brutally attacked and raped and then left for dead. She survives, hunts her attackers and dispatches them in graphic ways.

AFM ’09: Black & Blue Films to Remake ‘The Asphyx’

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

Because apparently, everyone has heard of the film, Black & Blue Films has acquired the remake rights to 1971 cult horror film The Asphyx. It will be written and directed by Matthew McGuchan, reports Screen Daily. The original, which was directed by Peter Newbook, told the story of Victorian scientists trying to capture the soul as it leaves the body so they could isolate it and cheat death. The remake will be set in the present day and will feature Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade star, Alison Doody. It will shoot in London next June.

Oct 30, Eye in Portrait Follows You Until You Die

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

What's the name of the early 70's horror film where a man dies and leaves his family his creepy house and estate, and they are slowly picked off by

Oct 30, Man in Black Cape with Red Spider Sets Fire

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

What's the 70's movie with the man in the black cape with a red spider on it? It scarred me for life whenever I'm in a house with gas lines - the

Oct 30, Wife Mocks Husband After Cutting His Tongue Out

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

I'm trying to remember the name of a 70's movie - here's the ending: A husband is seated and about to eat a meal his wife has prepared. She

First 5 mins of Colin

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds, movies, Zombies

Check out the first five minutes of the small budget ($70) zombie flick that made big waves at Cannes. Looks okay, but I was expecting a stronger opening...

Midnight Podcast Episode 159

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds, Podcast

episode159

Two fantastic guests join me on the podcast this week: writer Max Brooks talks with me about The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks and a lot more, while special effects/makeup guru Rick Gonzales talks to me about his immense experience in the film industry.

I got to play the Left 4 Dead 2 demo this week, and I talk about whether it’s worth getting. Jeff from DC sent in his review for the UK infected movie Doghouse (2009), SkeleTony and I each review Last of the Living (2008), and I review the new DVD/Blu-ray release of Night of the Creeps (1986). Brian in Colorado talks about a winter beer that’s been banned in Maine.

Zombie News:

Real News: “Iowa Man Called Zombie, Assaulted”

Zombie Research: “Zombies Make People Crazy”

Music this week: Zombie Influx | 400 Lonely Things | The Flaming Lips | Siouxsie and the Banshees | Depeche Mode | Virgin Prunes | Stephen Lynch

AFM ’09: Eliza Dushku Gets ‘Locked In’

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

Beyond the break you'll find the AFM trailer for Suri Krishnamma's Locked In, which stars Ben Barnes, Sarah Roemer, Brenda Fricker and Eliza Dushku. The story moves through the lives of two fragile yet determined people and maps a private geography of love, loss and ultimate redemption. Josh leaves his advertising career at its peak, everyone wants either to be him or to have him. Then he walks away from it all, the money, recognition and the life. A car accident will leave his daughter in a strange coma and when everyone has given up she starts communicating with him, or is he going mad?

Early ‘Jennifer’s Body’ DVD/Blu-ray Date

October 30th, 2009 — From The Feeds

A December 29th date is rumored for Fox Home Entertainment's Blu-ray and DVD release of Jennifer's Body. No further details are available. Penned by Diablo Cody, the story of a cheerleader (Megan Fox) who is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. Her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshiping rock band responsible for the transformation.

Tales of Horror 162 Frankenstein 7 of 13

October 29th, 2009 — From The Feeds

Frankenstein. 1938. Program #7. Transco syndication. Commercials added locally. The Baron has a conversation in the woods with the monster, who again demands that Frankenstein create a mate for him.

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