The Piranhas are coming!! Check out the 9 mintue video clip from PIRANHA 3D!

Wow...if anyone has any doubts about how good Alexandre Aja's PIRANHA 3D is going to be, check out this footage that BloodyDisgusting.com posted on their site yesterday. This is the footage the studio premiered at Comic-Con this past week. Apparently someone snuck a video camera and recorded it, so it is a little shaky and the audio is bad, but you can definitely see what a gory fun ride this film is going to be! I actually wasn't expecting to see this much gore from this film, so I am even more excited about this now. Eli Roth (director of CABIN FEVER and the HOSTEL films) said in an interview that he used 500 gallons of fake blood when filming HOSTEL. On this film, they used over 7000 gallons! This is gonna be a very bloody summer!! PIRANHA 3D is coming to theaters Aug. 20th.

CLICK HERE to watch the PIRANHA 3D Comic-con footage courtesy of BloodyDisgusting.com

(UPDATE--the footage was removed from the BloodyDisgusting.com site, so I have linked to a new site that still has the footage...but not sure for how long!)

Guest DVD Review: OLDBOY (2003)

Welcome to another Guest Review on Hayes Hudson's House of Horror! Today's reviewer is a first time guest reviewer, Camiele White. Article writer by day, renegade poet by night, Camiele loves any and everything film. She chases only the original (or incredibly funny) and has been known to talk for hours about subjects that most people just don’t care about. Right now, she gets her jabberjaw jollies writing about Halloween costumes. If you want to give her a buzz, she can be reached at cmlewhite at gmail.com.

OLDBOY
“Be it a grain of sand or rock, in water they sink as the same.”

It‘s a rare moment, indeed, when a writer stumbles across something that completely defies expectation. A film which I’d expected to be something of a Korean gore-fest turned out to be truly one of the most heartbreaking films that I’ve seen in the past five or six years. It’s an honour to have the opportunity to write a review for the film Oldboy, a gem of a film that actually had me grabbing at my eyes, not for the fear of gratuitous gore, but because I was attempting to keep the brimming tears from falling from my eyes.

The film opens with an eye-opening sequence (a man being executed by being leaned ever so slowly over the ledge of a balcony) and then leads into the titles where we meet the compulsively drunken Oh-Daesu. He’s been pulled into a police station, yet again, for being drunken and disorderly in the streets. What the audience sees is an overweight man with a happy disposition, but who’s a crazy, screaming, stripping freak who in the same instance that he swears at the police officers wants to be their friend. All of this on his three year old daughter’s birthday. He’s clutching a package in which he’s protecting his daughter’s birthday gift –a pair of angel wings. His friend, Joo hwan, decides enough is enough and takes him out of the station. They stop at a phone booth in the pouring rain so that Daesu can call his family to let them know that, as usual, there’s nothing to be alarmed about and that he’s on his way home. He assures “his little Sweet Pea” that everything’s alright and that he’s coming home soon with her birthday gift.

He walks away from the phone and that’s the last anyone sees of him for 15 long years.

I won’t go into detail about what our protagonist goes through in those 15 years (from 1989 tot 2004). What matters is what drove him to survive. Through two failed suicide attempts, an unrequited love affair with a television pop star, and ritualistic hypnosis, Oh-Daesu has only one goal in mind: absolute revenge. Counting down the years by etching hash marks into his right hand (using a notebook coil as a makeshift tattoo needle), he’s finally released (new suit, new mobile, new hair cut). This is where the story takes a turn for the unfortunate and relentlessly mindboggling.

I’m not going to divulge the full details of the film. I leave that to a discerning reading audience to figure out for themselves; however, the plot twists are as radical as the forms of torture Daesu employs upon all those involved in his kidnapping, ultimately ripping him away from his family and his “little Sweat Pea”. We are introduced to Mi-do, a young woman who used to work at a sushi restaurant but has fallen in love with Oh-Daesu, despite the jarring difference in age (Daesu has her by at least 25 years).

And that’s what gets the film under your skin. More so than the freakish ways in which people are punished for their wickedness, the story evolves into something that’s so incredibly intense, you can’t help but feel as though you’re involved in each and every scene. The infamous hammer-and-teeth scene lives up to its reputation. The epic battle between Daesu and a mob of gangsters protecting the fortress that once held Daesu captive is both genius and hilarious; however, very few people actually tout the film for its marvelous sense of story. Convoluted, somewhat. Twisted, most definitely. However, it grabs you so much that anyone ready to cast a judging eye in the script’s direction have only scraped at the surface of the film for fear of being sucked completely into a depressing vortex of familial agony.
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From the atmospheric cinematography to the ingratiatingly innocent explosiveness of the soundtrack, this film blitzes the audience for about 90 minutes full of the most unrelenting feeling of anxiety. The climax, of course, being the final showdown between Oh-Daesu and his captor, Woo-jin, whose story is just as complex and even more twisted than the life to which he’s subjected Daesu, is probably the most haunting, yet beautiful, scene in the entire film. The darkness of the atmosphere coupled with the splicing of images from past and future makes for a challenging manner of cinematography that audiences will either love or hate. The story also attacks the audience, forcing it to become painfully intimate with the main characters and their stories –which, despite the objections of quite a few viewers, are brilliantly intermingled.

It’s a tricky task for a director and his cast as the story tellers of the people to produce a work that from the moment the camera is turned on repulses the audience. How, essentially, can a film be repulsive and gorgeous, brutal yet brilliant? It’s a conundrum that not only changes the idea of horror cinema, but totally messes with the idea of acceptable drama. Luckily for me, Park Chan-wook and his cast of brilliant actors (Choi Min-sik as Oh-Daesu, Yu Ji-tae as the maniaclly genius Lee Woo-jin, and Kang Hye-jeong as Daesu’s love interest, Mi-do) succeeded in bringing to life a film that, for all intents and purposes, should’ve failed the moment it hit theatres.

Of course, I can’t divulge the details of the last 20 minutes of the film, which are both incredibly scored and visually stunning (in the most brutal sense of the word). However, I can tell you this: you’ll better understand and appreciate the value of silence and keeping to your own affairs.

All in all, Oldboy is one of the most challenging and most engaging films I’ve watched in the last five years, hands down. I’ve never been so moved by a film that I couldn’t help but turn away only to find myself forced back to the screen –again, the push and pull of intrigue and repulsion. Brilliantly directed, acted, and the story is so convoluted that audiences will either applaud its balls are just walk away shaking their heads –this film is so accidentally brilliant that I can’t stand it. You want a rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars. You want a grade, A-. A must see for anyone who has a heart that wants to be broken over and over again.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for OLDBOY

Editors note: The reviews and opinions expressed by our guest reviewers are not associated with or necessarily shared with those of Hayes Hudson's House of Horror. If you would like to be a guest reviewer on the 4H blog, feel free to contact me at hch91@hotmail.com. Guest reviewers are not compensated for their reviews, but will get promotion for their website or business.

DVD Review: RUN! BITCH RUN!

Wow, with a name like that, it's gotta be good! And it is...it is actually very good. RUN! BITCH RUN! was written and directed by Joseph Guzman and is distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures. Here is the basic plot from the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

Catherine and Rebecca are two Catholic School girls going door-to-door selling Religious paraphernalia in order to pay for their books and education. Things go horribly wrong when they knock on the wrong door in the wrong neighborhood. Run! Bitch Run! is a throw back to the classic 1970's Rape and Revenge films like 'Last House On the Left' and 'Ms. 45.

If you like the films mentioned in the plot above, as well as films like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and THRILLER (aka. THEY CALL HER ONE EYE), then you are sure to like this film. It has an old school feel to it...with an intentionally grainy look that makes you feel like you are watching a classic rape/revenge flick from the 1970's.

The main difference in this film and the classic exploitation rape/revenge films that it is being compared to, is that this film is much more brutal and bloody than those other films.

While most of the classic rape/revenge flicks show you the aftermath of the murders or hint to what happened, RUN! BITCH RUN! shows it to you, in all its bloody glory!

The acting in this film is very good and the writing and directing are excellent. Breaking Glass Pictures is known for releasing some very brutal, controversial films, and this one is no different. This film is an instant classic and is highly recommended to fans of the exploitation genre of films.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Breaking Glass Pictures

DVD Review: CORNERED!

I recently had the opportunity to check out the great slasher film, CORNERED! The film was directed by Daniel Maze and is being distributed by Phase4Films. Here is the basic plot from the Phase4Films website:

During their nightly poker game, a group of lowlifes are terrorized in their own convenience store by a masked killer as players begin to disappear one by one. Be warned & watch what you say… someone may be listening!

It seems that there have been quite a few good 'ol Slasher films coming out on DVD lately. This is a very welcomed trend, and I hope to see it continue...especially if the Slasher films are as good as this one. CORNERED is a throwback to the slasher films of the 80's but manages to stay fresh and bring something new to this saturated sub-genre of Horror films.

When the movie starts, the employees are getting ready to head upstairs for their game of poker, but as they are buying their snacks and drinks, they begin to discuss a killer that is on the loose in their city that has been targeting convenience stores and their employees. Their conversation turns to what they would do if they caught him in their store. Each one tells how they would kill this serial killer. Well, when the killer traps them in the store, and starts offing the employees one by one, he turns their ideas back on them, killing each one in the way that they had mentioned. I won't say anymore, as I really don't want to spoil this one for you.

The acting in this film is excellent....I don't remember a bad actor in the bunch. Most of the actors I had never seen before, although you will recognize James Duval from his many films and, of course, Steve Guttenberg. Guttenberg is as likable as ever, although can you ever look at this guy without seeing Sgt. Mahoney?

The pacing of this film is perfect, with almost no slow points and action and suspense throughout. The kills are violent and very bloody. This is a great slasher film that stays true to the genre, yet brings its own uniqueness with it. I would highly recommend this film for any Horror fan.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to view the official CORNERED! movie site

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Phase4Films

HORROR IN REAL LIFE! 8 Severed Heads Found Throughout Mexican City of Durango!!!

On Tuesday, July 27th, Mexican authorities were tipped off that they would find something "amazing" in four parts of the city of Durango, Mexico. In each location was a pair of severed heads, 8 in all. Victims were identified as members of competing drug cartels. In a movie, this might be cool. In real life, this is very disturbing.

CLICK HERE to view the news video from cnn.com

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, July 27th

I know I am a little late on this...somehow I forgot to post this on Monday night like usual. So, better late than never, here are the Horror related DVD's that came out this week:

(click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

* ATOM AGE VAMPIRE

* ATOMIC BRAIN

* BEYOND THE DARKNESS

* THE BURNT HOUSE

* CATHERINE'S PAIN

* CIRCLE

* DON'T LOOK UP

* LIGHTS CAMERA DEAD

* LIVE EVIL

* NEIGHBOR

* NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED

* PICKMAN'S MUSE

* THE PROWLER [Blu-ray]

* PUPPET MASTER (re-issue)

* PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL

* SLOW TORTURE PUKE CHAMBER

* THE UNINVITED

Wow....quite a list this week! I think the must buy this week is NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED. This is a re-telling of the classic George Romero film done in all different animation styles from a number of different contributors. Also, check out the trailers for THE BURNT HOUSE and NEIGHBOR...they look promising as well!

DVD Review: THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE [FIRST SEQUENCE] (2009)

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE was both written and directed by Tom Six. For those few that haven't heard of this movie, here is the basic plot from imdb.com:

Two pretty but ditsy American girls are on a road trip through Europe. In Germany, they end up alone at night with a broken car in the woods. They search for help and find an isolated villa. The next day, they awaken to find themselves trapped in a terrifying makeshift basement hospital along with a Japanese man. An older German man identifies himself as a retired surgeon specialized in separating Siamese twins. However, his three "patients" are not about to be separated but joined together in a horrific operation. He plans to be the first person to connect people via their gastric systems. By doing so, he plans to bring to life his sick lifetime fantasy, the human centipede.

I have heard mixed reviews on this film, so I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought this film was brilliant. It was by far one of the most entertaining Horror films I have seen in a long time. It starts out like so many other Horror films, with girls lost in the woods, having car trouble, and finding a house to seek help at. But that is where any similarities between this film and any other Horror film stop. This is one of the most original Horror films you will ever see. It is also one of the most disturbing films you will ever see.

The acting in this movie is superb. The mad Doctor is played brilliantly by Dieter Laser and the two main girls, Lindsay (Ashley C. Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) are excellent as well. The look of fear in their eyes as they are strapped into their "hospital" beds and listening to the Doctor's explanation about the procedure he is about to put them through is remarkable. It almost feels real at some points as you watch their terror come across the screen.

Once the Doctor successfully makes his "Human Centipede", it is one of the most disturbing things you will ever see. 3 people grafted mouth to anus sounds gross...but actually seeing it onscreen is gut wrenching. I won't say to much about it, as it has to be seen to be believed. You have to give the filmmakers credit for coming up with such a unique premise. I don't know what kind of person would ever think of this, but I'm glad they did!

This is apparently the first film in a proposed trilogy of films, with the next film scheduled for release in 2011 and titled THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE [FULL SEQUENCE].

FIRST SEQUENCE is scheduled for release onto DVD and Blu-Ray on October 5th of this year.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the official website

CLICK HERE to pre-order the dvd from Amazon.com

DVD Review: BLITZKRIEG: ESCAPE FROM STALAG 69 (2008)

BLITZKRIEG: ESCAPE FROM STALAG 69 was produced, written, and directed by Keith J. Crocker and released by Wild Eye Releasing. Some might remember Mr. Crocker from his past feature film, THE BLOODY APE. This time around, Mr. Crocker goes from a creature film to the forgotten genre of the Nazi exploitation film, in the likes of ISLA: SHE WOLF OF THE SS, SS HELL CAMP, etc. Here is the basic plot from imdb.com:

Enter Stalag 69, where torture is just the Beginning for this bloody band of Nazi Butchers! Germany, 1945. Stalag 69, a POW camp ruled by the sadistic SS commandant Helmet Schultz, is nothing but a blood-soaked playground for this perverse Nazi monster who uses his American, Russian, and British prisoners in cruel and ghastly biochemical weapons experiments. When a group of young, wanton USO girls are captured and fall into the hands of Schultz and his battalion of butchers, the brutality is turned up and the unsuspecting girls are gored, gouged and ground up - all for the pleasure of Schultz and his SS brothers and sisters. Now it's up to the rag-tag survivors of the camp to strike back against their captors and Escape from Stalag 69, alive or on a slab!

BLITZKRIEG is a welcome return to the Nazi exploitation films of the 60's and 70's. The acting is pretty good throughout the film and the blood and makeup effects are excellent. Crocker spares no expense when it comes to recreating the torture scenes reminiscent of Nazi films prior. The Horror the Nazi's shell out to the prisoners is horrible...but it doesn't compare to the Horror that the prisoners give back when they extract their revenge on the Nazi soldiers!

The film is paced pretty well, although I do think a minor flaw is that the film might be a little long. Clocking in at 135 minutes, I feel that there were a few scenes that could have been edited out for a shorter run time. That is just my opinion though, so take that for what it is worth. Overall this was a very fun, entertaining film, which is what every film should be. This film was a vast improvement over Mr. Crockers previous effort, and I look forward to any future projects he is involved with!

The DVD itself is packed with special features, including commentary, trailers, deleted scenes, bloopers, production stills, and more!

CLICK HERE to visit the official BLITZKRIEG website and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to buy the DVD


CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Wild Eye Relesasing

DVD Review: MANSON FAMILY MOVIES (1984)

MANSON FAMILY MOVIES was written and directed by John Aes-Nihil and is distributed by Cult Epics. Here is the basic plot from the film's imdb.com page:

In response to the legend that the "Manson Family" may have filmed themselves in some of theirs exploits, this film is a re-creation as to what a film of their may have been like. The film, shot in a piecemeal fashion, is an intentionally amateurish faux "home movie" of the events leading up to, and including, the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders

If you didn't know better, you could almost believe that these are the actual home movies of the Manson family that were somehow found and released to DVD. These are not, of course, the real films, but I feel these are about as close as anyone could ever come to re-creating them. The films are very grainy and amateurish, and look remarkably identical to the real Manson films that I have seen clips of.

I will not go into the history of the Manson family, as I assume anyone interested in Horror films probably knows all about it. Manson and his family pulled off many robberies and murders, of which some of them they recorded on film. This film shows you exactly what those films probably looked like.

There is no dialog in this film at all. All the films are silent, so the filmmaker chose to put music to the films. But not just any music. You will hear actual recordings of the Manson Family singing in their creepy, hypnotic harmonies. Some of the Family's music on this DVD has never been released, so that is a treat in itself. If you have never heard any of the Manson Family's music, you really should. It has it's own unique sound and gives you a creepy feeling listening to it....knowing the evil that these people handed out during their crime spree.

One other thing worth mentioning about this DVD is the special features, which include a 30 minute interview with Charles Manson himself, and a batch of actual LAPD Crime Scene photos. These both are very interesting and worth the price of the DVD in my opinion on their own.

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Cult Epics

DVD Review: A FOUR COURSE MEAL (2006)

A FOUR COURSE MEAL is an excellent example of what a Horror anthology should be. Written and Directed by Clay Liford, it tells four separate stories of Horror. Here is the basic plot synopsis from the R Squared Films website:

An ancient demon hides out in a death row prison, feeding on the condemned men who will not be missed. In a fairy-tale vision of Russia, a brutish Ogre becomes the guardian of orphaned children . A lowly data-entry clerk finds his job threatened by his company's new affirmative action policy. One that attempts to incorporate the workforce's newest members - the living dead!

The plot synopsis leaves out the first story in the anthology, which is a morning show cooking segment gone wrong. Very bloody and full of sick humor! I loved it.

The second installment is about the monster who attacks the death row inmates. This was my personal favorite among the 4 stories. The story idea was original and the monsters make up effects were very well done and very unique looking.

The third story was about the Ogre in Russia, and to be honest, this installment did not hold my attention. This was my least favorite segment of the anthology.

The last story is my second favorite of the film. It is a wonderfully done short about a group of people in the corporate environment getting laid off and them being replaced by zombies! Zombies will do most any job and you don't have to pay them! Our main character is tired of the zombies getting all the jobs, so he disguises himself as a zombie and re-applies for his job. Since he is now a "zombie", he gets his old job back. But working with a bunch of stiffs isn't as easy as he thought it would be, as he has to act and behave just like a zombie in order to keep his job.

Overall, this is one of the best Horror Anthologies I have ever seen. The original CREEPSHOW is probably my overall favorite, but this one has to be next on that list. The acting in all 4 of the segments is wonderful, and each story has a very different and unique idea to it that keeps you entertained. Even though I didn't personally care for the 3rd installment, you can still appreciate it for what it is, and even so, 3 excellent segments out of 4 is a great feat for any Horror Anthology to pull off. I highly recommend this film. You will not be disappointed!

Bon Appetit!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to buy the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of R Squared Films

WOW..check out the newest ultra violent red band trailer for MACHETE!!!

Previous trailers have been very exciting, but this one tops them all. I saw this while browsing Firstshowing.net and just had to share it! MACHETE is directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The film stars Danny Trejo as a man on a mission of revenge after being double crossed by his former boss. The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, and Robert De Niro! I can't wait for this!! MACHETE is scheduled to open on September 3rd of this year!

CLICK HERE to watch the Red Band Trailer for MACHETE!!!

CLICK HERE to visit the official MACHETE website

DVD Review: BUTCHERED (2010)

Now this is refreshing. A slasher movie that reminds me of the good 'ol days. The slashers from the 70's and 80's! BUTCHERED is a fun film that should appeal to any fans of the slasher genre.

Here is the basic plot from the Anthem Pictures website:

A group of teens decides to spend the weekend on a local island to say their final goodbyes before heading off to college. Little do they know, a convicted serial killer escapes from the authorities while on death row at a maximum security prison. Touted in the headlines of the local papers as "The Butcher" due to the manner he hacked up his victims in the local town deli, he takes cover on THE VERY SAME ISLAND. It becomes a battle for survival as the teens attempt to fight back against this unimaginable foe.

The killer in the film is known as "The Butcher". He is a brutal killer who uses a shovel, and axe, or anything else he can find to kill. There are lots of great "kills" in this film and plenty of blood to keep you gore hounds happy.

The acting is good overall, although a slight bit of over-acting done by a few of the the actors. You have your stereotypical array of kids in the film...including the jock, the preppy kid, the dorky one, etc. A few of the characters are somewhat annoying, but overall the majority are likable. The cinematography is excellent, with some very spooky scenes. There are a few scenes where the killer is shown back lit with fog all around that are very well done.

Overall this was a very enjoyable film and one I will be watching again. You don't see many good slasher flicks coming out these days, so I would highly recommend BUTCHERED to you.

One other thing to mention is the inclusion a short film titled, THE DAVID LONG STORY. It is an excellent complimentary film to go along with BUTCHERED. This short film tells the story of a guy who thinks he is meeting a filmmaker out in the woods to shoot a horror film. Little does he know, he will actually be starring in it...as the victim!! This is a great short film and is almost worth the price of the DVD alone!

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CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for BUTCHERED

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Anthem Pictures

DVD Review: VAMPEGEDDON (2010)

I recently watched Midnight Releasing's VAMPEGEDDON! The film was written by David C. Hayes and directed byJeffrey Alan Miller. Here is the basic plot from imdb.com:

Chased out of the old world, the dark vampire lord Giovanni flees to the American southwest where he sets up a new brood. Longshank, Brittan's premier vampire slayer follows him here, and in a final confrontation in the Arizona desert both are killed. A hundred years later Melissa, a gorgeous, goth, lesbian college student, is obsessed with becoming a vampire and escaping her terrible home life. Along with her four friends, Ted, Liz, Mona, and Kent, she regularly conducts ceremonies where she tries to commune with dark forces. When she buys an old, evil book at a creepy garage sale she finally has the key she has been searching for. Following her dreams of Giovanni and a map in the book the five friends hike out to "Massacre Lane" and finally summon up some real vampires.

Overall, VAMPEGEDDON is a fun film. I can't say it is a great film by any means, but it is a fun film. The vampires in this film are the old school cape and white face paint type which I actually enjoyed. Any vampire movie that doesn't feature vampires that sparkle already is a plus with me. The film is a very low budget film and it shows, but the filmakers make the most of it and end up with something they can be proud of.

The acting in the movie is mixed, but most of the acting is on the bad end as opposed to the good end. The movie does produce some good gore effects, which is always a nice addition to any film, although it could have contained a few more kill scenes. I assume budget constraints limited that.

Now, all that being said, I actually enjoyed this movie for what it was..which is a silly vampire film filled with blood and babes. It is not to be taken seriously, and I can't think of a better movie for a group of guys to sit around and watch and just have a good time. Some movies are made to make you think..this movie was made for the exact opposite. You don't have to think, you can just sit back and be entertained.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for VAMPEGEDDON

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Midnight Releasing

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, July 20th

Here are the Horror related DVD's that were released today, Tuesday, 7/20/2010:
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

* 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS
* BEING HUMAN Season 1 (TV) [DVD & Blu-ray]
* EVIL ALIENS [Blu-ray]
* FORBIDDEN WORLD (ROGER CORMAN'S CULT CLASSICS) [DVD & Blu-ray]
* GALAXY OF TERROR (ROGER CORMAN'S CULT CLASSICS) [DVD & Blu-ray]
* SUTURES

I think the must buy this week is Tim Sullivan's 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS!
If you liked 2001 MANIACS (based on Herschel Gordon Lewis' TWO THOUSAND MANIACS), then I think you will love this sequel. I had a chance to talk to Mr. Sullivan a few months ago at the Texas Frightmare Weekend and he said they really went all out on this film and it is even wilder and crazier than the first one! I have this on my must buy list for sure!

DVD Review: NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY (2010)

I love Horror movie documentaries. I love seeing behind the scenes photos and clips, and hearing stories about how a movie was made. I have seen many Horror movie documentaries, and this one is by far the best! NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY is one of the most in depth, comprehensive looks at a film franchise that you will ever see. In a word, this documentary is brilliant.

Hosted by Nancy herself, Heather Langenkamp, this documentary interviews almost everyone involved with this film series, from main stars, like Robert Englund (Freddy) to director Wes Craven, down to all the minor cast and crew members. There are even interviews with all the people behind New Line Cinema at the time the film was released. One very interesting topic that is discussed in the differences that New Line founder, Robert Shaye, and director Craven had when it came to the making of the first film. They obviously locked horns over many different ideas and shots, but in the end they worked throughout it, both compromising over some aspects, and ended up making one of the best slasher films of all time.

Another great aspect of this documentary is the rare photos and clips that I had never seen before. For instance, did you know when they started making A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2, they decided to use another actor for Freddy Kruger? Robert Englund's agent was asking too much money for his return, and they thought they would just have another actor play Freddy. They figured they could put anyone in the Freddy make up and be just fine. Well, that was a failed experiment, as the new Freddy was absolutely horrible. You will actually see some test footage of this "other" Freddy and you can tell within seconds that he was just not going to work out. Luckily, they worked out the money issue and brought back Robert Englund, and the rest is history.

The production of the DVD itself is amazing. Worth the cost of the DVD alone is the opening re-imaging of the film done entirely in stop-motion claymation. I literally had a huge smile on my face as I watched this new creation of something I loved so much. The menus and overall design of this new documentary is breathtaking.

The feature documentary times in right at 4 hours! That does not include all the extras on the 2nd disc, which include:

*Extended Interviews
*First Look: Heather Langenkamp's "I Am Nancy"
*For the Love of the Glove
*Fred Heads: The Ultimate Freddy Fans
*Horror's Hallowed Grounds: Return To Elm Street
*Freddy vs. The Angry Video Game Nerd
*Expanding the Elm Street Universe: Freddy in Comic Books & Novels
*The Music of the Nightmare: Conversations with Composers & Songwriters
*Elm Street's Poster Boy: The Art of Matthew Joseph Peak
*A Nightmare On Elm Street in 10 Minutes

Overall you are looking at almost 8 hours of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET info. This is a must have for Horror movie collectors and fans of the ELM STREET series.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for NEVER SLEEP AGAIN
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD!
CLICK HERE to visit the official website of CAV Distribution, the distributor of NEVER SLEEP AGAIN

Check out the trailer for the new film DEVIL

While browsing through Firstshowing.net, I found the trailer for the new film called DEVIL. This film is part of a trilogy of stories from director M. Night Shyamalan called, The Night Chronicles, which is a group of three films where he comes up with the idea and hands it off other filmmakers to complete. The plot for the first film in this series is simple:

A group of people trapped in a elevator realize that the devil is among them

This trailer looks great, and this is one I will definitely check out once it hits theaters! It is scheduled to be released on September 17th of this year.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer courtesy of Firstshowing.net

HAYES HUDSON'S HOUSE OF HORROR is back!!

As you might have noticed by tonight's new post, I am back from Vacation! So, expect daily posts once again like you are used to! Tell everyone you know that HAYES HUDSON'S HOUSE OF HORROR is back open for business!

Book Review: ED WOOD: MAD GENIUS [A Critical Study of the Films]

I just finished the great book, ED WOOD: MAD GENIUS [A Critical Study of the Films]. The book is by Rob Craig and published by McFarland Publishers (www.mcfarlandpub.com/). Here is a brief description of the film from McFarland website:

Filmmaker Ed Wood was controversial and critically maligned, even labeled "the worst director of all time," yet he achieved cult status and remains of great interest today. This book frames Wood’s work, such as the cross-dressing themed Glen or Glenda? and the haphazard Bride of the Monster, as reflections of the culture of their era. Wood invariably worked with infinitesimal budgets, shooting at breakneck speed, incorporating plot twists that defied all logic. Yet there was a tangible if unfocused thematic thrust to Wood’s films, which meditate fitfully on gender, religion and society, revealing a "holy trinity" of fixations--sex, death and resurrection. Wood’s infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space encapsulates the fixations and flaws that were his hallmarks, and with 22 other films, is explored here. A filmography and 47 photographs are included.

Most everyone with interest in the Horror genre knows about Ed Wood, or at least, knows the name. Dubbed "the worst director of all time", Ed Wood's films have obtained a cult following and are now considered cult classics. This book is a very comprehensive look at every film of Ed Wood's including not only the films he directed, but even a section about all the films that Ed Wood wrote, but didn't direct.

Each Chapter in the book discusses one of Ed Wood's main films, from his first film GLEN OR GLENDA, to his "masterpiece", PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, all the way to his final film...a film a lot of people might not be too familiar with called NECROMANIA--A TALE OF WEIRD LOVE from 1971, a film that mixed his usual Horror elements with a hardcore adult film! Crazy stuff! You can read all about this film and all the rest of his films in this great book. You will get in-depth descriptions of the films, as well as quotes, and behind the scenes info and trivia about each of Mr. Wood's films.

Once again, McFarland Publishers has put out a superb book pertaining to Horror films, and it is one you will definitely need to add to your Horror library.

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.

HAYES HUDSONS HOUSE OF HORROR is on vacation!

Sorry to all my followers, esp. my new readers who might have read about this site in the latest issue of RUE MORGUE magazine. I am on vacation this week, so posts will be sporadic this week, and I may not be able to publish a new post every day like you are used to, but bear with me and all will be back to normal next week!
In the meantime, I tried to make up a few posts before I left, thinking I could just log on from the laptop once a day and publish a pre-made post for you, but I made them last Thursday and Friday night, 7/8 and 7/9 so when I go to publish a new one like I did tonight, it showed up under last Thursday's date.
So scroll down to 7/8 and 7/9 and you will see the newest posts. Sorry for the inconvenience, and all will be back to normal soon!! Thanks!
-Zombie Hayes

Check out the "Beyond Unrated" trailer for 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS!

Last month I posted the Red Band trailer for Tom Sullivan's newest film, 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS (click here to see that original post). Well, now you can watch an even better trailer, called the "Beyond Unrated Trailer" courtesy of the great site, UpcomingHorrorMovies.com! This trailer shows much more of the brutality we are in for with Mr. Sullivan's latest. I think we are all in for a treat!

CLICK HERE visit UHM and watch the new Beyond Unrated Trailer for 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS! After the page loads, scroll down the page to the 'Videos' section and click on:

"2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams Beyond Unrated Trailer "

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, July 13th

Here are the newest Horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 6/13/2010:

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

* AEGAI SOMNIA

* CRUSH

* THE DEAD ARE ALIVE
* FEEDING THE MASSES HORROR COLLECTION (CREATURE FROM THE HILLBILLY LAGOON, FEEDING THE MASSES, NECROVILLE, SPLATTER DISCO)

* THE HORROR VAULT VOL. 3

* KILLER CAR

* THE OUTBACK

* PARASOMNIA

* PRIMAL RAGE
* SCREAM GIRLS

* UNEARTHED

HAYES HUDSON'S HOUSE OF HORROR gets a mention in the newest issue of RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE!!!!!!

I think most all Horror fans will agree that Rue Morgue Magazine is one of, if not the best Horror movie magazine out there. I never miss an issue, and if you are not a regular reader of this magazine, you are really missing out!

If you have never bought an issue of Rue Morgue before, the newest issue is a perfect one to start with. I am super excited to say that the 4H blog has a mention in the "ROADKILL" section of the latest issue! "ROADKILL" is a section in each issue that spotlights a few special places on the web dedicated to Horror. It is a HUGE honor to be mentioned in the pages of my favorite Horror magazine!! Thanks Rue Morgue!!!

Issue #102 is on stands now!! If you are a new reader to the 4H blog and you found out about it through the mention in Rue Morgue, comment and let me know!

Thanks!

Must watch! A CADAVER CHRISTMAS trailer

As most regular readers of this blog know...I love zombies. Well...zombie movies anyway. I found this trailer while browsing Quietearth.com the other night. The film is called A CADAVER CHRISTMAS and it looks like a great zombie film! Here is the basic plot from the film's official website:

'Twas the night before Christmas...
And somewhere a janitor mops the halls of a university... A drunk sits at a lonely bar while his faithful bartender serves him mug after mug of pity beer... A police officer makes an arrest... A student security guard sits diligently at her desk... And a science professor conducts a dangerous experiment with unimaginable consequences.
United by terrifying and bizarre circumstances, the janitor, the drunk, the bartender, the cop, his perp, and the student security guard must fight to undo the professor's work. A dark force is at work in the cadaver lab this Christmas and this unconventional band of heroes are the only hope the world has against an army of living corpses that are quickly recruiting new members. The undead have been given the gift of life and it's up to the janitor to take it back.

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the film. Once on the site, click on "watch the new trailer", then sit back and enjoy what looks to be a new cult classic in the making!

Check out the trailer for THE BURNT HOUSE

Turn the lights down low and the speakers up high and watch the trailer for THE BURNT HOUSE. This movie looks very creepy. Here is the basic plot from imdb.com:

The Burnt House is the story of Megan and Joe, a couple who have recently experienced the death their infant son to SIDS. The tragedy has spawned a rift between the two and driven Megan into a secret affair. After Joe loses his mother to a heart attack the couple moves out to Joe's rural childhood home seeking a fresh start. Once in the isolated home strange things begin to occur and long kept secrets try and dig their way out of the past. What happened on November 3rd? Will it happen again?

This trailer starts out slow and kinda boring at first...but stick with it. Towards the end it really picks up and the trailer is full of creepy images and sounds.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for THE BURNT HOUSE

DVD Review: SALVAGE (2010)

New on DVD this week is SALVAGE, from Revolver Entertainment. The film is the debut feature film of director Lawrence Gough. Here is the basic plot from the film's official website:

Christmas Eve, and the residents of a quiet British cul-de-sac are suddenly plunged into a world of violence, terror and paranoia when a group of heavily armed military personnel storm their road ordering them at gunpoint to retreat inside their homes.
Unsure if this is the sign of a terrorist attack, or something much worse, one local mother finds it in herself to desperately fight to save her estranged daughter stranded across the street. However, with growing dread, the residents soon discover that the threat is more monstrous than any of them could possibly imagine, and survival is no longer a guarantee.

If there is one word I can use to describe this film, it is "intense". This film grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let go. The acting is solid, and the sets and effects look much bigger than I expect the budget actually was. As told in the plot above, the movie's main focus is on the mother and daughter. The daughter, Jodi, goes to stay with her mom for a few weeks, and we get the idea that they have never been too close for some reason. When she gets to her moms house, her and her mom, Beth, immediately have a huge fight, and Jodi goes across the street to a neighbor's house to get away. Soon after this, all hell breaks loose. Helicopters fly over and all the sudden this quiet neighborhood is overrun with what look to be S.W.A.T. or military personnel. Everyone is told to stay in their homes, but no one is told why. Those that try to stand up to the authorities quickly get knocked down..or worse. The characters are afraid, but it is strange because they don't know what they are supposed to be afraid of, and neither do we as the viewers. We do learn later on that an ocean liner container has washed up on shore, and the 3 locals who went to open the container (most likely with the thought of looting it), are found dead not too far from the container. What we don't find out was what was in the container.

So, we have a lot of stuff going on in this film. Beth fighting with her daughter and trying to get to her to make sure she is safe, Beth and the neighbors battling with the military personal, and finally, Beth battling with whatever it is that the military personnel are there to protect the citizens from. I will let you be the judge of exactly what that is, though.

I would highly recommend this film. Click below to check out the trailer and purchase the DVD!

CLICK HERE to visit the films official website and watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Revolver Entertainment

Please Help DEADLANDS 2 win an audience choice award!‏

A while back I did a review of the great Zombie film, DEADLANDS 2. Now, this great film is up for the audience choice award at the World Music and International Film Festival (WMIFF)! If you liked this film as much as I did, please go vote for this film now! It is super easy and will only take a few seconds of your time!

Here is all you have to do:

1. CLICK HERE to go to the WMIFF page

2. Scroll through list of films and locate Deadlands 2

3. Click "add" next to title name

4. Scroll to the bottom and click "VOTE"

DEADLANDS 2 is currently in 3rd place....lets show the WMIFF that Horror movies rule and get DEADLANDS 2 to the #1 spot!

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, July 6th

Here are the newest Horror related DVD's that came out today, 7/06/10:

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

* BITTEN

* THE BURNT HOUSE

* THE FAMILIAR

* FROM THE DEAD OF NIGHT

* GOD OF VAMPIRES

* MACHINE GIRL: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION TIN

* RECYCLED PARTS

* SALVAGE

Check out the trailer for SALVAGE, it looks like it might be the best of the bunch this week. Also, I wasn't holding out much hope for BITTEN, but after viewing the trailer, it actually looks like it could be a really good film for all your Vampire fans out there! Enjoy!

This could be the coolest comic book ever! SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK!!

I am just going to come out and say it. This is the best comic I have read in years! It is simple and to the point. And it is about a killer shark that lives in the woods. And a killer Grizzly bear that lives in the ocean. Do I really need to say any more? I was in love as soon as I saw the cover of this beautiful book staring out at my from my local comic shop shelves. The comic book is calld SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK! Here is a brief synopsis from the comic's official website:

THEY GOT MIXED UP! Do not go out at night: GRIZZLY SHARK lurks in these woods. There are many dangers of the deep, but none so deadly as SEA BEAR! Thrill to the adventures of these two exciting new characters. Told in two full-length stories written and illustrated by RYAN (INVINCIBLE) OTTLEY and JASON (THE ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN) HOWARD. Also featuring a special prose origin story written by ROBERT KIRKMAN!

As stated above, the two stories are totally separate from each other...which makes me wonder if we will see a future comic where the Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark go head to head in a crazy mixed up one on one battle! Ryan and Jason, if you are reading this, please make my dream come true and make this happen!!

The first story is SEA BEAR, written and drawn by Jason Howard. The Sea Bear is a force to be reckoned with and not something you would want to come face to face with in the water! The story is good, although it takes sorta a weird science fiction twist towards the end.

The second story is GRIZZLY SHARK written and drawn by Ryan Ottley. This is my favorite of the two stories as the killings are more graphic and gory. There is a great scene where the main characters climb a high cliff looking out over the tree canopy, and they see the shark fin sticking out through the top of the trees. Absurd, silly, and just plain fun.

I honestly haven't enjoyed a comic like this in a long time. I highly suggest you pick up a copy of SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK today!!!

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK

FANGORIA'S BEST HORROR FILMS (1994)

Browsing through the film section of my local used bookstore, I ran across this gem from 1994, FANGORIA'S BEST HORROR FILMS. The book is a 144 page hardbound book with a paper sleeve. I never knew this book even existed, so it was a nice surprise to find sitting on the shelf, just waiting for me!

The book is obviously outdated, so you will only get stories and reviews about some older films, but every film discussed in the book is a classic, and while most of the news is old news by now, I actually learned a few things that I hadn't ever heard or read about before concerning some of these films. One particular noteworthy part of this book is a section called Jason's Journal, which is an expert from Kane Hodder's personal diary he kept while filming FRIDAY THE 13th Part VIII, otherwise known as JASON TAKES MANHATTAN. As most of you know, Kane played the part of Jason Voorhees in parts VII, VIII, IX, and X of the FRIDAY THE 13th series of films. Reading about his personal experiences on the set and during the shooting of the film was very interesting to say the least.

Other sections of this book focus on the History Of Horror in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. Also, an entire chapter is devoted to the many film adaptations of author H.P. Lovecraft and another on author Stephen King.

Other films you will read about in this book include HELLRAISER, HALLOWEEN, the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series, the ALIEN films, and GREMLINS, just to name a few.

Any of you Horror fans out there have this book? This book is extremely rare to find new, but you can easily get a used copy. In fact, Amazon.com shows to have 21 used copies at the time of this posting, with a couple showing for sale for only $.01 cent plus $3.99 shipping! $4 bucks for this great Hardcover book is a steal. I highly recommend you pick up a copy today!! This is a great collectible for fans of Horror books and films.

CLICK HERE to browse the used copies for sale on Amazon.com

DVD Review: BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY (2008)

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me proudly introduce the newest addition into the cult classic films that we will be talking about for years to come... BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY! The film was directed by Barak Epstein and Blair Rowan and it was written by Rowan and Chris Gardner. Here is the basic plot from imdb.com:

After a gastrointestinal mishap with their map, three twenty-somethings on a road-trip accidentally wander into Fate, Texas, only to find the town populated by bloodthirsty, dimwitted vampires. A brutal run-in with two carnivorous convenience store clerks leads the three to take refuge with the town's only surviving humans and prepare for battle with an army of the undead.

I can tell you now that this is a must buy! The film is the perfect Horror/Comedy film. That genre is hard to get right, as some films focus too much on the comedy and skimp on the Horror, or they focus too much on the Horror to where the little comedy that is in the film feels out of place. BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY gets it just right. A perfect combination of gross out gore gags and laugh out loud hilarious comedy.

The acting in this film is great, much better than I expected based on the low budget look of the film. Every actor in this film does a great job, but I have to point out the comedic styling of Nate Rubin. He has great timing and was extremely fun to watch as the character of Sam. All of the supporting actors in the film were amazing as well, especially Tony Medlin who plays the stereotypical "crazy guy that warns the kids that they are doomed" role. Tony's role is a hilarious one and one that had me literally laughing out load. In fact, I found myself laughing out loud many times during this film.

The special make up effects and gore is remarkable as well. Expect to see tons of the red stuff, as the vampires are stabbed with anything our heroes can get their hands on and sharpen into stakes.

This is one you will definitely want to add to your DVD collection!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY
CLICK HERE to visit the official website for BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY
CLICK HERE to buy BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY on DVD

Check out the trailer for the crazy film WOUND

Holy cow! This movie looks messed up! And yes, that is a good thing. Check out this trailer for a film called WOUND, which was written and directed by David Blyth. Here is the plot synopsis from imdb.com:

WOUND is a supernatural horror film that explores the dark worlds of mental illness, incest, revenge and death. We follow Tanya (Ta Kaea Beri) as she searches for the mother she has never met - Susan (Kate O'Rourke) who gave her up for dead after being abused by her own father. Tanya returns from the dead to confront and possess Susan with all her deepest fears and desires, sending Susan into a state of madness and gore filled retribution.

If this movie is half as good as this trailer makes it look, then I think we are in for a real treat! There are tons of creepy images throughout this trailer. Check it out now!!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of WOUND