DVD Review: TORCHED (2004)

TORCHED was the first film from director Ryan Nicholson. Nicholson is the same sick-o (and I say that with the utmost respect!) that brought us the films LIVE FEED, GUTTERBALLS, and HANGER. No matter what you thought of his latter films, this early film of Mr. Nicholson's is one you will surely want to check out.

Here is the plot synopsis from Plotdigger Films:

Deanna has it all: brains, beauty, and a promising nursing career. But a chance encounter that leads to a scarring rape turns Deanna’s perfect life into a perfect nightmare. Now, as Deanna loses her grip on sanity, she has only one goal: to find the sick bastards who harmed her and show them what sick really means. With an array of powerful weapons at her disposal — including a blazing blowtorch — Deanna's revenge will be a dish served hotter than hell!

Being Mr. Nicholson's first film, I expected it to look like it. I expected cheap production value, bad acting and just an just an ok film experience overall. This film delivered none of that..in fact, it delivered just the opposite. Most filmmakers evolve and learn as they go and their films improve over time. Mr. Nicholson obviously knew what he was doing right out of the starting gate. You could tell me this was his newest production and I would have no problem believing that.

The film itself is a good 'ol rape revenge flick. Reminiscent of grindhouse revenge films such as LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, TORCHED takes the revenge film to a whole new level. The torture Deanna inflicts upon her rapists is extreme and sadistic. The name of the film comes from the fact that one of Deanna's main torture methods is to periodically use a blowtorch on her assailant. She torches the mans legs and genitals. Hey, speaking of genitals, as we do when talking about most of Nicholson's films, there is an extremely graphic scene that is guaranteed to make even the most seasoned Horror fan squirm, especially us guys. I actually had to turn away from the screen at one point. I wont give it away, but I will say it involves hypodermic needles and male genitalia. Need I say more?

As I have said about past films of Nicholson's I have reviewed, whether you like these extreme films or not, you can't deny that he is bringing something new to the genre and makes films that really affect you, long after you have watched them. For that, I appreciate Mr. Nicholson and the films he makes, and look forward to all his future films.

CLICK HERE to purchase a copy of TORCHED on DVD
CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Plotdigger Films

Check out the trailer for THE LAST EXORCISM

Originally titled, COTTON, this film is now titled THE LAST EXORCISM. It is being produced by Eli Roth, which makes me think the film will have more gore in it than usual in exorcism type films. With a rash of exorcism films that have been released in the last few years, is anyone excited about seeing this film? I wasn't, until I watched the trailer and now I will be seeing it for sure. Turn down the lights, turn up the sound, and watch the creepy trailer for THE LAST EXORCISM.

This film is scheduled for theatrical release on August 27, 2010.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for THE LAST EXORCISM

DVD Review: EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN (2010)

Those of you in the Washington D.C. area that remember watching Count Gore De Vol on his weekly Creature Feature show will love this film. Those of you that have never heard of Count Gore De Vol will love it even more! Why? Because you will have the joy of meeting one of the greatest (if not, THE greatest) T.V. Horror Hosts of all time! Before, I go any further, here is the plot synopsis from the BrinkDVD website:

EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN is an amazing and funny true life story of television personality Dick Dyszel, whose popular television characters, "Count Gore De Vol" and "Captain 20," continue to inspire generations of fans and artists. Featuring rare, never before seen footage, along with interviews with writers like Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), filmmakers such as Jeff Krulik (Heavy Metal Parking Lot), as well a new generation of horror hosts John Dimes ("Dr. Sarcofiguy") and Jerry Moore II ("Karlos Borloff"). Dick Dyszel's career and impact shows how art can sometimes come back to re-influence itself, and how the best days will always be ahead.

I grew up in a somewhat small town. It was the 2nd largest city in the state, but still a relatively small town in comparison to other states. My city, or even any surrounding cities, didn't have a show like Creature Feature or a Horror Host to watch like a lot of kids did, which I never really thought much about, until after viewing this great DVD. I realize now the joy I missed out on as a kid by not growing up in a larger market. Thankfully, EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN is here and can help us re-live our childhood and see the joys of Horror Hosts like Count Gore De Vol! You will get to see footage of all 3 of Dick Dyszel's characters he played on T.V. , including not only the Count, but also a character named Captain 20 and even the infamous Bozo The Clown!

There are tons of interviews with other genre notables, which is a lot of fun to see, and it is interesting to hear how much others were influenced by this one man, Count Gore De Vol!

I highly suggest this film. I had never even heard the name Count Gore De Vol, yet I found this film to be incredibly entertaining, very well made, and a great homage to this man that I now want to learn more about! This one is a must buy for sure!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of BrinkDVD

DVD Review: EVILUTION (2008)

We’ve all heard the old adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. I guess that should pertain to movies as well. I couldn't tell what kind of horror movie EVILUTION was by its cover. Is it science-fiction horror? Possibly. The soldier on the front, along with the jets and the DNA strands made me feel like it was, which is why I was so eager to give it a look.
Imagine my surprise when I started watching it and discovered it’s actually a zombie film.
The plot for EVILUTION is this, courtesy of imdb.com:

A microscopic alien life form has been discovered with the ability to possess the living and resurrect the dead. The US Army tried to communicate with it but failed. The Army then tried to create a genetically altered version of the alien in order to resurrect dead soldiers on the battlefield. The alien fights back, turning soldier against soldier. Scientist Darren Hall kidnaps the last pure specimen of the alien, determined to the reverse the damage inflicted and learn the secrets of life. Hiding in a mysterious building named The Necropolitan, he continues his experiments. On one fateful night, the alien is set loose on the unsuspecting tenants resulting in a new evolution of apocalyptic horror as infected tenants attack the unsuspecting, turning them into a cannibal horde. Darren and a small group of survivors must now find a way to destroy the alien possessed before they can escape into the city and bring forth the end of the human race.

I have to admit that EVILUTION caught me by surprise. It is one of those movies that start off wanting to go one way, but then shifts gears later on and tries to go another. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but doing so involves strategy and well-laid-out plot pieces. Thankfully, Evilution has both…for the most part.

The main character, Darren Hall, is played by Eric Peter-Kaiser, whose most recent claim to fame is portraying Mark Johnson in the 2004 hockey movie MIRACLE. Peter-Kaiser does a great job with his role, playing the quirky scientist who is only slightly distracted by his seductive neighbor Maddie. The character of Maddie is played by Sandra Ramirez, who currently stars in RAZOR, a movie currently in production featuring Sid Haig and Richard Moll. These two work well together and play off of each other nicely.

The movie itself was shot pretty well, for being a low-budget feature, although I think some of the Steadi-cam shots weren’t actually that steady. The special effects were good, with several nice gore scenes spliced in amidst the action. And the plot gives us a nice helping of humor that is interlaced with the horror, particularly when the characters Killah-B, Asia Mark, and Random are on the screen. These three gangsta-wannabes half-way made the movie for me.

My only complaint with this film is the very ending, when the movie tries to shift from being a horror movie with a science-fiction tone (i.e. ALIENS) to something of a supernatural thriller. I will not give away the ending, for those of you who want to see this, but I will tell you that I was left with a confused look and several questions as the credits started to roll. Overall, though, this was a fun movie and one I can see myself revisiting in the future.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of MVD Entertainment

WE HAVE A WINNER!!! DVD giveaway #8 winner is.....

Congratulations to Autumnforest, author of the awesome Ghost Hunting Theories blog! Autumnforest has won an awesome prize pack consisting of 6 dvd's, courtesty of Indican Pictures! Autumnforest just won a copy of each of these dvds: SCREAM QUEEN, LITTLE ERIN MERRYWEATHER, GORY GORY HALLELUJAH, A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, DEAD IN THE WATER, and BLACK WINE! Congratulations Autumnforest!

Don't worry if you didn't win, you can purchase all these fine dvd's over at the Indican Pictures Store by CLICKING HERE.

DVD Review: KILLER BIKER CHICKS (2009)

KILLER BIKER CHICKS was both written and directed by Regan Redding and is distributed by R Squared Films. This is not a true Horror movie, although it does contain some very horrific scenes. This film is a throwback to the great exploitation flicks of the 60's and 70's. The film feels like it would be right at home in a dark theater on New York's 42nd street. Here is the basic plot synopsis from the R2 website:

In the heat of the Nevada desert, in the middle of nowhere, exists a hidden world of violence, corruption, sex, drugs and rock & roll. The only thing hotter than the sun bleaching the landscape is the handful of ruthless biker chicks that rule it. When a band of musicians run into car trouble, they discover help in the shapely form of biker queen Mother (Rose Gorlano) and her girls at a lone gas station. But salvation is only an illusion as the boys and several other weary travelers find themselves caught in the crossfire between a rival biker gang, corrupt cops, drug deals gone bad and the meanest Killer Biker Chicks ever to ride the roads.

As I mentioned , the film is not a true Horror film, but does contain some scenes that would be right at home in any Horror flick. In fact, the opening scene shows the gang of girls as they torment a man that obviously did them wrong in some way. They have him tied up to some posts out in the middle of the desert, and eventually end up burning him alive. As we see his hands still tied up, but all the flesh gone revealing skeletal remains of his hands, I knew I was in for a real treat with this film. The rest of the film didn't disappoint, but did get a bit confusing to me when it went a different route and started with a segment that was mainly comedy, merely playing for some laughs. I didn't feel it was necessary and to me disrupted the gritty and violent tone of the film up to that point. But don't worry, the film gets back on track and finishes with a bang! Overall this was a fun film and any fan of exploitation films should give this one a chance.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for KILLER BIKER CHICKS

CLICK HERE to purchase a DVD of the film

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of RSquared Films

This weeks Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, May 25th

Here are the Horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 5/25/2010:

(Click a title to see a trailer for that film)

* BABYSITTER WANTED

* CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD [DVD & Blu-ray]

* CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH [Blu-ray]

* DARK NATURE [DVD & Blu-ray]

* FINALE

* HARD RIDE TO HELL

* IT WAITS [Blu-ray]

* THE LANDLORD

* THE ROAD [DVD & Blu-ray]

* THE SHADOW WITHIN

* THE SHORTCUT [Blu-ray]

* SOMEONE'S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

* TELL TALE [DVD & Blu-ray]

* TRUE BLOOD: COMPLETE 2ND SEASON (HBO Series)

My latest contest ends this week! Enter NOW if you haven't already!

Entering to win is easy and you could win this prize pack consisting of 6 DVD's from the great folks over at Indican Pictures!!

CLICK HERE to go to the original post and enter the contest! (comments left on THIS post will not count towards the giveaway)

Check out the trailer for Marilyn Manson's PHANTASMAGORIA: THE VISIONS OF LEWIS CARROLL

I remember hearing a few years ago about a film project shock-musician Marilyn Manson was working on. He was following in the footsteps of Rob Zombie and was to move to film making by directing his first feature film, PHANTASMAGORIA: THE VISIONS OF LEWIS CARROLL. The Internet was abuzz with talk of this film and what to expect, and I remember seeing a still shot, but that was it. I never saw a trailer until now. I just happened to run across this trailer while browsing TrailerSpy.com. I thought this was something new, until I saw at the end of the trailer that it says "Copyright 2006". So I am not sure if I missed this somehow, or if it is just now making its way onto the web. Either way, here it is. The basic plot is this:

In Victorian times, an author who lives by himself in a castle, has visions of a girl named Alice. His name is Lewis Carrol and he finds himself terrified of what waits for him each night. He has become a symptom of his own invention. "Now all my nightmares know my name."

The trailer looks like a Marilyn Manson music video if you ask me. It is basically just scene after scene of weird images. What do you think of this? Had you seen this trailer before? Are you excited about this project? Let me know your thoughts!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for PHANTASMAGORIA (NOTE: Trailer is a RED BAND trailer, so has some images that are not safe for work!)

It's a man....it's a cyborg....it's...MANBORG!!

While browsing the Shattered Ravings blog, I read about a film called MANBORG that sounds really crazy. QuietEarth.com posted a story about it and the trailer. You will definitely want to check this out. Here is the basic plot:

The film is about a soldier who gets killed fighting in a war against hell only to come back as a cyborg in the future. He then teams up with a crew of colorful characters to fight Dracula. There's going to be stop-motion monsters, arena battles and hoverbikes! And kung-fu and demon-nazi-vampires.

While more Sci-Fi probably than Horror, this still warrants a mention on this blog. Any film that contains demon-nazi-vampires is my kind of film! The look of the film, from what I can tell on this trailer anyway, looks like a throwback to films of the late 70's or early 80's. Some of the film even looks like a video game to me. This should be pretty interesting for sure! Check out the trailer below.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for MANBORG

DVD Review: THE LANDLORD (2009)

And you thought your apartment building was bad! Wait until you watch THE LANDLORD, from Massive Ego Productions. You will never complain about broken air conditioners or leaking faucets again after seeing what these tenants go through....at least you don't have to deal with demons living in your apartment trying to eat you! THE LANDLORD was written and directed by Emil Hyde. Here is the basic plot synopsis from imdb.com:

The Landlord is the story of Tyler, the unfortunate young proprietor of a demon-haunted apartment building. While finding tenants has never been a problem for Tyler, keeping them alive long enough to pay rent is. No matter how nicely Tyler asks, he cannot keep the demons from eating the renters (or persuade them to wait a month or two, even). They never listen. And why should they? They have an all-you-can-eat buffet of delicious human flesh and Tyler as their pet monkey. But all that might change when Tyler takes a liking to the newest tenant, a desperate young woman running from demons of her own.

Before I go any further, let me point out this is an extremely low budget movie...shot on just $20K with a largely volunteer cast and crew. Don't expect too much from this film, and you will not be disappointed. Expect to just have fun and be entertained. Also, while the film is a Horror/Comedy, go into it realizing that it is much more of a comedy than a Horror film. Now for the good and bad. The acting in this film was something I could not get past. I have to admit it is pretty bad. That is something I noticed from the very beginning and it set a bad tone for me at the beginning. With everything else going on, you tend to forget about that though, and are able to get past it. Some of the jokes fall flat, but some are so dead on they really make the film. Once scene in particular shows a girl at a women's clinic looking to get an abortion. Before they let her make her decision, they show here a video that looks like one of those cheesy videos you would watch in school. As the narrator speaks of abortions being the same as murdering your newborn baby, we see a sweet young mother pull out a butcher knife and start stabbing her newborn baby she was holding in her arms. As I type this, I realize that the stabbing of infants does not sound like a topic that would normally invoke humor, but the way it is done here, well, you just cant help but laugh!

One more thing I have to mention is the great DVD cover art. It reminds me of a great older VHS box from the 80's. If only the film were as good as the box art makes it look, we would really have something special. But, keep in mind this was the director's first film ever....which is pretty impressive. If this is what he did with his first film, I look forward to seeing his future films and improvements within.

The movie will be released to DVD on May 25th by Tempe Video.

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of THE LANDLORD and watch the trailer and buy a copy of the DVD.

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Massive Ego Productions

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Tempe Video

Have you seen the trailer for DAMNED BY DAWN?

If not, stop what you are doing and watch this right now! DAMNED BY DAWN looks like an old school horror film that reminds me a lot of the EVIL DEAD films and CEMETERY MAN. Here is the basic plot:

During a violent thunderstorm, a family is awoken by piercing shrieks which summon the dead to rise again. Their lives explode in a blood soaked fury as they battle malevolent spirits, whilst fighting to save their souls from eternal torment with... the Banshee.

This movie looks like it will be a lot of fun. Do yourself a favor and check out this great trailer now!!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for DAMNED BY DAWN

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the film

DVD Review: DEAD AIR (2009)

When I first saw the cover for DEAD AIR, I immediately thought of my buddy Scott’s review of Pontypool, from back in April. The covers are similar, as are the write-ups about each movie on the backs of the cases. This instantly put me on guard with an air of skepticism; Pontypool was released a full year before Dead Air. Could director Corbin Bernsen have ripped off a movie idea?
Thankfully, he did not…well, very much, anyway. The overall premise is similar, but these two movies are drastically different in execution. Likewise, both are entertaining and definite ‘musts’ for fans of the zombie genre.
Here is the basic plot courtesy of imdb.com:

“Logan Burnhardt is the ego-king of the airwaves, but his unflappable persona is put to the test when a terrorist bio-attack unleashes a plague of flesh-ripping maniacs on Los Angeles.”

The film is released by Anthem Pictures and the main star of the film is the great Bill Moseley, who I got to meet last month at the Texas Frightmare Weekend. Moseley is most renowned for his roles as the sadistic Otis from House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, and the freakish Chop-Top Sawyer from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. The character of Burnhardt is a long trek away from either of these two previous horror icons, taking on a more heroic role in the movie as opposed to a butchering one.

Dead Air has a well thought out plot that includes an insightful look into the concept of bio-terrorism and how it could very well topple the United States as a super-power. The acting is excellent, with Moseley and leading-lady Patricia Tallman playing off of each other perfectly. Tallman is certainly no stranger to horror either, with titles like MONKEY SHINES, the 1990 remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and ARMY OF DARKNESS on her resume (yes, folks, she was the possessed witch in Army of Darkness!).

The description of the plot above is very brief and does not delve very deeply into the underlying themes of the film, which include loyalty, patriotism, and duty. But those themes do nothing to bog down the film in any way. The film flows along at an even pace, building suspense and tension as it goes.

The special effects are also well done, although my only complaint about this film is that there are only a couple of good gore shots. And when I say a couple, I mean literally, there are only two. How can you have a zombie flick without gore? It’s just unheard of!

But Dead Air is definitely entertaining and fun to watch. The characters are likable and believable and the production value is top-notch. The film does not really break new ground as far as zombie lore and the genre goes, but it is definitely worth watching.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for DEAD AIR

CLICK HERE to purchase a DVD of DEAD AIR or any other of the great films from Anthem Pictures

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Anthem Pictures

DVD Review: CRUSTACEAN (2010)

I have always had a fascination with carnival side shows. I remember as a kid going to our state fair and seeing the "tiniest person alive" and the woman that was half person/ half snake! These are now considered "non-PC" shows, so they are not found in fairs and carnivals today. Luckily we have movies like CRUSTACEAN to get our "freak show" fix. CRUSTACEAN was written and directed by L.J. Dopp. Her is the basic synopsis from the DVD:

A lobster-clawed freak from a lurid sideshow wreaks a wrath of bloody horror --through a rural community so small that only two families live there--in this over-the-top parody of grindhouse sci-fi/Horror flicks from the 50's through the 80's. The film stars Hanna Harper (Co-Ed Confidential) and HELLRAISER's Peter Atkins. You've heard of the Elephant Man? Well, meet Lobster Baby!

CRUSTACEAN is a Horror/comedy that doesn't take itself seriously at all, I mean, with a premise like that, how could it! It knows it is a silly, crazy, film and all it sets out to do is have some fun and entertain, and that is exactly what it does. There is something in this film for everyone. Comedy is all throughout it, but us gore hounds are not left out, as there is plenty of flowing red stuff! It is amazing how much blood comes out of a person when they are squeezed at the neck by Lobster Baby! Also, watch at the end for a great gut busting scene reminiscent of the scene from ALIEN (if the crew of ALIEN was a bunch of rednecks in a trailer home). Also noteworthy of this film, is the wonderful music throughout. Listen to the words closely as some of the songs are laugh-out-load hilarious! I would recommend this DVD to anyone that is a fan of the Horror/comedy genre.

CLICK HERE to watch the 7 minute CRUSTACEAN trailer!

CLICK HERE to visit the official site and purchase the DVD!

This weeks Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, May 18th

Here are this weeks Horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 5/18/2010:

(Click a title to see a trailer for that film)

* THE DISAPPEARED

* FREAKSHOW

* GAMERA: THE GIANT MONSTER

* THE HAUNTING OF WINCHESTER HOUSE

* MONSTER

* MUTANT VAMPIRE ZOMBIES FROM THE HOOD

* THE NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS
* THE NEW DAUGHTER

* SOUTHERN GOTHIC

I would give anything for this to be a real reality show....

Check out this fake commercial for a fake Fox reality show called, So You Wanna Be My Zombie. It was created by the filmmakers of the upcoming independent Horror film, SLICE, as a promotional piece used to show investors in order to raise money for production of the film. SLICE will be directed by Chris Allen Williams and is in the financing stages now. Visit the official SLICE website to learn about investment opportunities for this film. Hopefully we will get to see SLICE on dvd someday, but until then check out this very creative investor commercial, where loosing a challenge doesn't just get you kicked off an island, but it results in death!!

Dario Argento's next film is DRACULA 3D??

According to Shocktillyoudrop.com, legendary filmmaker Dario Argento will be writing and directing a new Dracula film that will begin filming in Italy next January. And...if that isn't cool enough news, it is also being reported that it will be in 3D! (Yes, I am one of the few that actually love all the new 3D movies!). I hope this report is true....nothing is mentioned about it on Argento's imdb page. Maybe it is too early and just hasn't been posted on there yet. I hope this is true, as I would love to see what Mr. Argento could do with this classic tale. What do you think? Is this a project that you would be excited to see?

DVD Review: MIDNIGHT MOVIE (2008)

I just finished watching Phase 4 Film's MIDNIGHT MOVIE. The film is an interesting mixture of slasher film and supernatural horror film. A nice twist to the slasher genre and something new that you probably haven't seen before. Here is the basic plot synopsis from imdb.com:

At a run down theater in a sleepy suburban town, a group of friends attend the midnight screening of a 1970s cult horror film. These unsuspecting teenagers are unaware that the director and star of the movie made a bloody escape from a psych ward five years earlier and may still be on the loose.As the midnight movie begins, the kids heckle the old black-and-white scenes. But they are jolted when the killer butchers one of their friends...on screen! They soon realize that the killing is not a prank. They are locked inside the theatre and the killer from the movie is after them!Caught between reality and the screen's flickering shadows, are they becoming the unwilling stars of the very horror movie they are watching?

This was a really fun film to watch, and one you might need to watch again to catch everything, as it can get somewhat confusing. The kids in the theater are watching and old film from the 70's called "The Dark Beneath". While they are watching, the screen flickers and then cuts to a scene of their friend who had gone to the bathroom. The kids see their friend get killed on screen and after finding out it is not a prank, the rest of the kids start dying off one by one. The strange thing about this film is that the slasher comes out of the film and can control the surroundings in a very unique way. For instance, in one scene, the kids are all locked in the theater but see a policeman outside, called to investigate a disturbance there. The kids run to the glass doors and beat on them trying to get the cops attention. It is though the cop doesn't even see them. The film then cuts to a shot of the policeman's point of view from outside the theater looking in, and you don't see anyone in the theater...the lobby looks all clear. Then a cutback to inside the theater shows all the kids still screaming and beating on the glass doors. Apparently the killer controls what he wants people to see and not to see. This was a very effective scene that set a good tone for the film.
Overall, the acting is good, and the makeup effects are really well done. The killer in the film has a great look, wearing a mask made of the top half of a skull. This movie is a lot of fun and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some fresh ideas when it comes to the slasher genre.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for MIDNIGHT MOVIE

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Phase 4 Films

SPIRIT CAMP is now an official selection to the Dances With Films Festival!

I am very excited to announce that the awesome film SPIRIT CAMP just got selected to the Dances With Films Festival! SPIRIT CAMP will be making it's Los Angeles premiere Saturday night, June 5th @ 11:45 PM at the Laemmle Sunset 5. All you people lucky enough to be living in the L.A. area that can get to this screening, do yourself a favor and GO!

For those that aren't in the L.A. area, or just can't wait until June to see this great flick, then CLICK HERE to purchase a copy of the SPIRIT CAMP Unrated Special Edition DVD!
OR...CLICK HERE to purchase the Limited Edition DVD that contains an Autographed Pair of Panties, and a Limited Edition Autographed Print!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for SPIRIT CAMP!!

Have you seen the trailer for Robert Rodriguez's film MACHETE?

If you haven't seen this yet, watch it now! If you have already seen it, watch it again!! This movie looks amazing. As most of you know, MACHETE was one of the fake trailers that played with the film GRINDHOUSE back in 2007. The double feature of Robert Rodriguez's PLANET TERROR and Quentin Tarantino's DEATH PROOF made up the GRINDHOUSE film and it gave you the true grindhouse/drive-in experience, including trailers before the first film and during the intermission between the two films. MACHETE was the trailer that played before the films started and it was such a great trailer that fans have been asking for a full version of MACHETE. Well, Robert Rodriguez listened to his fans and is making a full length feature film of MACHETE. Rodriguez has recruited an all star line up for this film, including Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, and, of course, Danny Trejo as Machete!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for MACHETE courtesy of Ain't It Cool News. com

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a prize pack of 6 FREE dvds!!!

The great folks over at Indican Pictures have given me a set of 6 dvd's to giveaway to one lucky winner of my latest DVD giveaway! Don't forget to enter if you haven't already, and be sure to tell your friends! Tweet about it....post a link to the contest on Facebook! I want as many people as possible to have a chance to win these great dvd's! To enter the contest, CLICK HERE to go to the original post and follow the instructions to win! (comments left on this post do not count towards the giveaway)

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, May 11

Here are this week's Horror related DVD releases for 5/11/2010
(click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

* DAYBREAKERS
* DISPOSAL OF A CORPSE
* FLESH FOR THE BEAST MEDIA MIX (cd/dvd/blu-ray combo pack)
* LEGION
* MAYUKI
* TERROR OVERLOAD
* UNDERBELLY

**Note...you must check out the trailer for DISPOSAL OF A CORPSE. It could be THE WORST trailer I have ever seen in my life. I mean, even if a movie is horrible, they filmmakers can at least make a trailer that makes us think the movie will be good....but this trailer doesn't even do that! Seriously, have you ever seen a worse trailer for a film? If you have, share the link with us in a comment below!!

Check out the addictive PC game, PLANTS VS ZOMBIES

Thanks to my buddy Scott over at the Shattered Ravings blog for letting me know about this addictive game, PLANTS VS ZOMBIES! This is a fun game where you protect your home against an onslaught of zombies by means of your garden, which you fill with many different types of plants that can fight off the zombies! You start out with pea shooter plants and sunflowers. You "buy" more plants with sun units you collect throughout the game. Random sun units fall from they sky and, the sunflowers you plant also dispense sun units. The more sun units you collect, the more plants you can plant, increasing your chances of surviving the zombie Apocalypse!! Along the way, you will find seeds for other zombie fighting plants, including a snow pea plant which shoots frozen peas (which cause more damage than regular peas) and cherry bombs with explode immediately upon planting and can take out several zombies at the same time. If you don't have enough fire power to kill the zombies before they get to your plant, the zombie will eat the plant and continue on to your home! If all this sounds silly, it's because it it. But it is highly addictive and just plain fun! The zombies are more cartoonish than those in most zombie games, but the sound effects and zombie moans and groans make up for that.

CLICK HERE to visit Big Fish Games to download a free demo of the game. The demo lets you play the game for 1 hour. After that, if you like the game you can purchase the full version for only $6.99!

DVD Review: CAESAR & OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE (2009)

CAESAR & OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE was written and directed by Dave Campfield and is distributed by Fourth Horizon Cinema. Campfield also co-stars in the film as Caesar. This is a sequel to CAESAR AND OTTO (2008), but you do not have to have seen that film to enjoy this one. Here is the basic plot synopsis from the official website:

After punching out the police chief's mentally challenged brother, an effete tough guy, Caesar, is on the run.
Together, he and his slovenly half brother, Otto, take on new identities as counselors at the strangely vacant Camp Sunsmile.
The would-be summer camp has attracted a motley crew of Hollywood outcasts, all with something to hide. But when the mysterious Carrie (Felissa Rose, star of Sleepaway Camp) shows up, counselors begin disappearing one by one.
Soon, Caesar and Otto find themselves at the edge of a summer camp killer's blade as they run, duck, and swoosh for their lives!

This film if definitely more comedy than Horror, but has a good Horror plot and a surprisingly good amount of gore for a Horror/Comedy film. Caesar and Otto, played by Dave Campfield and Paul Chomicki, are a fun duo to watch. Dave Campfield is especially fun to watch. His acting style is so different, that it is almost annoying at first, but it grows on you really quick and you will end up getting most of your laughs from his character. The film also co-stars Felissa Rose, who played Angela in the 1983 horror classic, SLEEPAWAY CAMP. It was great seeing her get back to here summer camp roots!

The film was shot in just 10 days on a very low budget. There are no elaborate set pieces or anything, but what the movie lacks in production value, it more than makes up for in just pure fun. This movie is proof you don't have to have big a big budget to make a very enjoyable film. This film is just fun, plain and simple, which is something that a lot of movies that come out these days fail to achieve.

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the film and watch the trailer

Book Review: TELEVISION FRIGHT FILMS OF THE 1970s by David Deal

Remember all the great made for TV Horror films from back in the 70's? They just don't make TV horror films like that anymore. TELEVISION FRIGHT FILMS OF THE 1970s by David Deal takes the reader on a excellent in-depth journey through this golden age of made for TV Horror films. This hardcover book is published by McFarland Publishers and can be ordered through their website (http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/).
Deal's book covers close to 150 made for TV fright films from the 1970s. Each title is in alphabetical order and gives a basic plot synopsis about each film, along with lots of other in-depth info and trivia tidbits about each film. At the end of each movie section, there is a list of the Cast and Credits, along with the Running Time, the original Air Date, and the network the movie originally aired on.
With almost 150 films discussed in detail, you will find many well known films such as DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, KILLER BEES, and SALEM'S LOT, just to name a few. You will also find some very obscure titles, such as DEATH CAR ON THE FREEWAY, SNOWBEAST, and SKI LIFT TO DEATH! If you are like me, and are too young to have seen these films when they first aired, it is a lot of fun to read about all these great films you missed. Some films I have seen, but didn't realize they were made for TV, such as TRILOGY OF TERROR with Karen Black, and Steven Spielberg's DUEL. The book is also full of photos and movie posters of the films. You will read about and recognize many movie and TV stars throughout the book such as Carl Weathers, Jack Palance, Ernest Bornine, Patty Duke, Anthony Perkins, Larry Hagman, Alan Alda, Linda Blair, James Earl Jones, and Barbara Eden just to name a few. It is pretty amazing the caliber of stars that participated in these movies back in the 70s. Nowadays, there are very few if any made for TV films on network TV. TELEVISION FRIGHT FILMS OF THE 1980s is a perfect way to relive, or learn about for the first time, these great made for TV films!

You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.

I finally got a chance to see the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake tonight....

From reading some reviews and blogs, a lot of people are coming away disappointed in the new A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET film. I am not one of those people. I am actually coming away pleasantly surprised at just how good this film is. I LOVE the original film, so wasn't expecting too much out of this "re-imaging", which was probably a good thing. My expectations were low, and my satisfaction after seeing the film was very high. As everyone knows by now, Jackie Earle Haley is the man in the striped sweater this go around, taking over the Freddy reigns from the original Freddy, Robert Englund. Jackie does a great job as Freddy, and really brings a fresh take to the character. Jackie plays Freddy with a much darker, serious vibe than Englund did, but don't worry, the new Freddy still has his famous one liners for you to enjoy. Except now when he says them, it is more creepy and sinister than just silly like the original Freddy.
Overall I loved this film and hope you will give it a chance if you haven't seen it yet. For those that have seen it already, please comment and tell us what you thought of the film!

TEXAS FRIGHTMARE WEEKEND 2010 has come and gone. Here is a wrap up of the weekend....

The day before the Texas Frightmare Weekend is always so joyous, as I am full of anticipation of what lies ahead for this Horror nut. The Monday after is the exact opposite. It is a sad day knowing the weekend is over and it will be an entire year until the next show! As usual, I had a great time at this year's convention and plan on returning next year for sure! Here is my wrap up of the weekend, including a few actors and films you need to keep an eye on.
First off, let me talk about the celebrity guests, as they are the main draw and the reason we go to these conventions. Here are some pics of a few of the celebs I was able to meet.

Tim Sullivan, director of the 2001 MANIACS remake and the upcoming 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS. Tim is one of the nicest people I met at this year's convention, and even let me wear the famous Dixie Flag eyepatch!

Sid Haig, best know for his role of Cpt. Spaulding in HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS

Bill Moseley, Chop-Top from THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 and Otis, from HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES and THE DEVIL'S

REJECTS

Doug Bradley, best known for his role of Pinhead in the HELLRAISER films

John Lansch (co-producer) and Kerry Beyer (director) of the awesome film, SPIRIT CAMP. This is a great film and Kerry is a great guy. This guy has a huge future ahead of him in the Horror genre.

Legendary filmmaker, George Romero, director of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD, etc.

hh

hh

hh

Sarah Butler, a name you might not know now, but will soon. She plays the role of Jennifer (originally played by Camille Keaton) in the remake of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Breathtakingly beautiful, and a hell of an actress as proven by some clips we saw of Sarah from I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE

hh

hh

A few highlights from the weekend in terms of the films that were screened, were the exclusive clips from the I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE remake. This film looks like it is going to really pack a punch and stay true to the gritty, dirty, and violent vibe of the original film.

One of my favorite films that was screened was one called SWEATSHOP. This is a great film that introduces us to a new iconic killer, "The Beast", who's weapon of choice is an anvil welded onto an iron pole. Needless to say, "The Beast" causes quite a mess with this weapon and the gore is the main attraction in this film.

My favorite film of the festival was the screening of SPIRIT CAMP. I had seen this film just the week before, and even review it a few posts back on this site. It actually had a disadvantage as I was seeing it for the 2nd time, but it was just as enjoyable, if not more so, the second time around! So SPIRIT CAMP gets my nod as best film of the weekend.

This week's Horror related DVD releases: 5/4/10

Here are this week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, May 4th
(click on the title to see a trailer for that film)

* BLOODMYTH
* COLD STORAGE
* DARK NATURE
* EVIL TOONS
* THE GATEKEEPER
* GOD OF VAMPIRES
* MEADOWOODS
* MOTHERS DAY MASSACRE
* NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY
* ROGER CORMAN THE BEST OF THE B's 2: NAUGHTY NURSES AND TAWDRY TEACHERS
* SLASHER
* VAMPEGEDDON

I'm baaaack!

That's right, I am back from the 5th annual Texas Frightmare Weekend, and had an awesome time as expected. I am still coming down from meeting all the great stars this weekend....and hey, did this really happen??

This picture doesn't seem real to me.....I can't believe I got to meet this living legend, George Romero!!

Stay tuned for more pics in the next few days! I will also do a run down about all the great films I saw screened and some new actors and actresses I met that you need to keep an eye on!!