DVD Review: MARK OF THE DEVIL

 
MARK OF THE DEVIL
Written & Directed by Michael Armstrong &  Adrian Hoven
Distributed by Cheezy Flicks Entertainment

I love old horror films, especially ones from the 70's and 80's.  They just don't make
them like that anymore.    MARK OF THE DEVIL is from 1970 and is truly a horror classic.  I had often hear of this film, but had never had the opportunity to check it out until now.  Here is the basic plot of the film from the Cheezy Flicks website:

Banned in many countries!  - Udo Kier is a witch hunter apprentice to Herbert Lom. Udo believes strongly in his mentor and in the ways of the church but loses faith when he catches Lom strangle a man to death for calling him impotent. Kier begins to see for himself that the witch trials are nothing but a scam of the church to seduce women, rob people of their land, money, and other personal belongings. in the end, the towns people revolt, Herbert Llom escapes and poor Udo is tortured to death by the towns people with the his own devices from the dungeon.  - Rated 'V' for violence - this film contains very strong graphic torture!

I was actually surprised at how well the torture scenes held up.  I assumed they would all be super cheesy and look just awful, considering the age of this film, but that was not the case.   The gore looks good and some of the  torture scenes are downright cringe-worthy, especially a scene of two women being burned alive at the stake, due to being accused of being witches.  

 The acting in this movie is pretty good from all actors.  The film reminds me of the old Hammer films, and some of the beautiful, busty actresses could easily be Hammer actresses. 
 
  At 96 minutes, the movie moves along well and has very few dull parts.  Overall, I would highly recommend this film.   This is a welcome addition to my DVD library, and is a film I will be watching again in the near future. 

  Cheezy Flicks has this DVD at the ridiculous price of only $3.99 at the time of this writing.  The DVD comes with a vomit bag, a recreation of the vomit bags handed out in theaters back when the movie was originally released.

Check out the Cheezy Flicks website for crazy cheap deals on this DVD and other great classic films!


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

 

Itallian Horror favorite STAGEFRIGHT coming to Blu-ray!

 I have always heard about this film, but this is one I have never seen before.  STAGEFRIGHT  is a 1987 Italian horror film from director Michele Soavi.  Here is the basic plot of the film from imdb.com:

A troupe of struggling stage actors is rehearsing for a small-town production of a play. Everything seems to be as it should until one of the cast members turns up dead. In a panic, the others try to get out, only to find they are now locked in the theater with the killer! Which one of them committed the murder, and who will get out alive?

Blue Underground will be releasing STAGEFRIGHT onto Blu-ray, but I have not found a release date yet.   Watch the trailer and let me know what you think. I think this looks really good, and I will be checking this one out for sure! 
 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Check out the trailer for the upcoming film, THE BABADOOK

    Holy cow this movie look creepy as hell!!   It's called THE BABADOOK from director Jennifer Kent.  Here is the the basic plot from the film's imdb page:

A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.  I think this movie looks super creepy. I will be checking this one out for sure.  I haven't found a release date for this one yet, but it should be coming out sometime this year.  


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

This week's Horror related DVD/Blu-ray releases: Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

Here are this week's horror related DVDs and Blu-rays that come out tomorrow, 1/28
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)
  
*  ANTISOCIAL
*  ARGENTO'S DRACULA [DVD & 3DBlu-ray]
*  BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN/THE NEANDERTHAL MAN  [DVD/Blu-ray combo]
*  THE CAT  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  DARK TOUCH
*  DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1920) [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  FLAVIA THE HERETIC  [Blu-ray]
*  FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN  [Blu-ray]
*  HOUSE OF BODIES
*  I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK
*  TORTURE CHAMBER
*  VESSEL

Check out the trailer for the Danish Zombie film, ESCAPING THE DEAD

 
 
  I recently got a press release for a new Zombie film called, ESCAPING THE DEAD.  I checked out the trailer and I have to say, I am pretty impressed with what I see.   Now I can tell this is a very low budget film, but sometimes, those can have more heart to them than the big budget films.  I think this could be that type of film.   One thing that struck me with the film was the gore, and from the looks of it the filmmakers use 100% practical effects.  That is huge bonus points right off the bat!
  Here is some more detailed info about the film, from the official press release:  

"Escaping the Dead" is inspired by a series of articles about the deathdrug "Krokodil" that was published about the same period of time when Ronald Poppo had his face eaten by a naked man hooked on bathsalt in Miami. It is the perfect zombie plot: a deathdrug that turns people into zombies.

The film has its starting point in a typical day for the lead character, David. David is the local marihuana pusher, but he is the kind of dealer that smokes more than he sells. In the meantime the country has been hit by a new deathdrug and when David and his partner in crime Ahmir is offered some exceptionally cheap cocaine they see it as an opportunity to earn big money at the big techno concert the following Friday, but the cocaine turns out to have a terrible side effect that creates a giant zombie outbreak that spreads across the entire Copenhagen. In the film we follow David and his bloody fight out of the city.

 

Directed by Martin Sonntag and Bastian Brinch Pedersen, the film stars Bastian Brinch Pedersen (who is also the co-director and producer of the film) as David, Rama Øzel as Ahmir, along with Daniel Hutera, Ali Öezkan, Iben Ma Bønnelycke, Nicolai Huan Nguyen, Camilla Ludvigsen and Kim Sønderholm ("Blood Fare", "The Winedancers", "Sinister Visions") playing Lars the policeman.

 

 It looks like the film just came out in Denmark, so it will probably be a while before we see it here in the states.  But I have a feeling this will get picked up from a U.S. distributor very soon!  Check out the trailer and let me know what you think!

 

 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

 

 

Check out Horrorhomework.com's list of the 14 Most Wanted Horror Films of 2014!

 











   I saw this post on Facebook the other day, originally posted by a website called
HorrorHomework.com.  The post was a link to an article they did called "Horror Homework's 14 Most Wanted Films of 2014".  I checked out the article and there are some great movies in store for us in 2014.  I have heard of most of these, but some I had never heard of.  Horror Homework does a great job of giving you some info about each film and then a trailer for that film (if available).

  Some of the movies listed I am most looking forward to are CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, THE GREEN INFERNO  (which sounds like a super hero movie, but is actually a cannibal film by Eli Roth), NURSE 3D, and THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 3.  Check out the full article and let me know which films you are most looking forward to this year!


CLICK HERE to read the full article and see the full list of films

Check out the trailer for the 1993 Australian horror film, BODY MELT

 I love finding obscure horror films that I have never heard of before.  I figure I know about most all horror movies, or have at least heard of them, but that is just not possible. With as many horror movies that have been made over the years, it is impossible to keep up with them all.  Here is one that I have never heard of before.  It's a 1993 Australian film called BODY MELT.   
 I found this while browsing the Horror Junkies Facebook page today.  Check out there page if you haven't before....it's got ton of great horror stuff on it.  Anyway, they said this film was influenced by the movies Bad Taste and Brain Dead.  If that is the case, then this is a movie I need to see for sure! 
 I checked out the trailer and it looks awesome!   Pretty cheesy, but still awesome!   Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.  If you have actually seen this movie, I would love to hear what you thought of it.  Leave a comment and let us know!


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for BODY MELT  **Warning** Not Safe For Work

DVD Review: SANGUIVOROUS

  
SANGUIVOROUS
Directed by Naoki Yoshimoto
Distributed by MVD Entertainment Group

  I am a huge fan of Japanese horror films, and I do enjoy a good vampire flick from time to time, so I was very intrigued when I heard about the film SANGUIVOROUS.  It looked very interesting from the trailer, but as a full movie, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.  
 Here is the basic plot of the film from the MVD website:

It incorporates a physical acting style that draws heavily from butoh, a form of Japanese dance. A young woman suffering strange hallucinations and physical ailments discovers that she is the descendant of an ancient line of European vampires, and she and her boyfriend are soon captured by older vampires and drawn into the darkness.

  This is one of the strangest films I have seen in a long time.  I really am having a hard time thinking of how to review this one, because it was just so weird.   I can't say I liked it, but I didn't hate it either.  There are good parts and bad parts to this film, but most of it is just....too strange to even classify.  The film is basically a silent film, done in a very art house style.  There is some dialog, but most the time the viewer is just hit with crazy visuals and sounds.   The film is mostly black and white, with some parts looking old, like Nosferatu old, and some parts looking much more modern. The mixture of looks and style throughout the film is very strange to say the least.

  I think this would have made a great short film, I think trying to stretch it out to a full length feature run time was too much.  A lot of the scenes started to feel repetitive to me.

  I'm not sure if I can really recommend this one or not.  You might need to watch this and see for yourself and see what you think.  Is this film so well made it is a brilliant, or is it so poorly made it is awful?  I really don't know!  Maybe I just didn't get it.   If you have seen this film, please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the movie.  I am very interested to hear some other opinions on this one.

  SANGUIVOROUS is available now on DVD from MVD Entertainment.


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

This week's Horror related DVD/Blu-ray releases: Tuesday, January 21st, 2014

Here are this week's horror related DVDs and Blu-rays that come out tomorrow, 1/14
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

*  BAD MILO [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  BLACK WATER VAMPIRE
*  CAT PEOPLE  (1982) [Blu-ray]
*  DEAD WEIGHT
*  DIE MONSTER, DIE  [Blu-ray]
*  DO YOU LIKE MY BASEMENT
*  GINGERDEAD MAN VS. EVIL BONG
*  KNIGHT OF THE DEAD
*  NEVER SLEEP AGAIN:  THE ELM STREET LEGACY  [Blu-ray]
*  PHANTOM OF THE GRINDHOUSE
*  PSYCHOPHONY:  AN EXPERIMENT IN EVIL
*  A SERIAL KILLER'S REVENGE
*  SPLASH AREA:  NIGHT OF THE FREAKS
*  THANATOMORPHOSE
*  TRAPPED
*  ZOMBIE PIRATES

It's another Sunday without THE WALKING DEAD....

  I always look forward to Sunday nights when THE WALKING DEAD is on...it seems like forever since the mid season finale when we saw some major changes for the group.  Mainly Herschel is gone and the prison has been destroyed.  

 Well, to tide you over until THE WALKING DEAD returns on February 9th, watch this short teaser trailer that AMC posted to show you some highlights of things to come.  It looks like this show is just going to get better and better.  

CLICK HERE to watch the teaser trailer

DVD Review: TOAD ROAD

TOAD ROAD
Written & Directed by Jason Banker
Distributed by Artsploitation Films

 This might be the hardest review I have ever had to write.  A review is easy to write if I love the movie, I can spend as much time as I want gushing over how good it was.  A review is easy to write if I hate a movie, I can say why I hate it, keep it short and move on.  The hardest kinds of reviews to write are about movies like this one.  I don't know if I liked it or hated it.  Ok, I definitely didn't hate it, but then I think about some parts an I loved it.  Very strange to say the least, and very strange is a great way to describe TOAD ROAD.  Here is a little bit about the film from the film's official press release from Artsploitation Films:

  A different kind of American independent horror film, the hypnotic Toad Road, presented by Elijah Wood and his SpectreVision production company, unfolds like a hallucinatory cross between the sexual candor of Larry Clark and Harmony Korine, and the backwoods creep-out of The Blair Witch Project.
  Young James kills time with his small town druggie friends, engaging in excessive chemical intake, until he meets sweet new arrival Sara. But just as James wants to abandon the narcotics life, Sara wants him to take her further into mind-altering experimentation...and she also wants him to introduce her to the sinister local legend of Toad Road, a spot deep in the forest that is apparently home to the Seven Gates of Hell.
  Writer-director Jason Banker's film is a unique fusion of documentary-like realism, and otherworldly, haunting rural terror. Unlike any other film you'll see this year, Toad Road is a mesmerizing trip.

  It's interesting that the press release mentioned Larry Clark, because the first thing that I thought of after watching this film was that it felt like an updated, newer version of Clark's 1995 film, KIDS.  The plot was lacking and it basically just showed the life of young kids on a daily basis.

  The film is not really a horror movie at all. While it is marketed as such, it is much more of just a weird drama, although it does have some horror elements to it.    Mainly the film is a group of kids getting drunk and high and doing all sorts of foolish things.   A lot of the film resembles the JACKSASS TV show, with people punching each other for fun, and doing all sorts of pranks and such.

  The last part of the film does get a little more into the horror aspect,  and I remember loving the ending.  It has a nice twist  and centers around the characters of James and Sarah go off to find the legendary "Toad Road", a section of the woods near them that people say can alter time.  Kinda confusing and pretty deep for a movie like this, this plot line felt a little out of place compared to the rest of the film, but this last part of the film also provided them most enjoyable part of the film in my opinion. 

  One thing this movie had going for it was the acting.  In fact, I don't even think these kids were acting, and I would not be surprised if I heard they were actually doing the drugs as shown in the film.  If these kids were acting, then they all deserve praise for such a fine job.  This film looked very realistic in all aspects.

  If you liked KIDS, you should love this modern version.  It is different and weird, so anyone looking for a true horror film could be disappointed.  I recommend you check this one out though and make up your own mind.  I have a feeling everyone will get something different out of this film.   If you have seen TOAD ROAD, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of the film.

TOAD ROAD is available now on DVD and contains the following Special Features:

*  Audio Commentary with Jason Banker, James Davidson, Jamie Siebold, Scott Rader, & Jorge Torres-Torres,
*  Deleted Scenes
*  Trailers
*  Behind the Scenes Featurette
*  James Davidson & Sara Anne Jones Audition Video
*  DUI Story
*  Shotgun A Beer Clip
*  8-page Collectible Booklet
*  Reversible Cover

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

Did you know FROM DUSK TILL DAWN is becoming a TV series?

  I'm sure most horror fans are aware of this already, but a TV series is coming out called  FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, based on the 1996 film of the same name.  FROM DUSK TILL DAWN is one of my favorite horror flicks of all time, so I am super excited about the new TV spin off!   

  The show focuses on a Texas Ranger who is in pursuit of the infamous Gecko Brothers.   The new series if being directed by Robert Rodriguez , who directed the original film.  I might be skeptical about a TV series based on this film if someone else was doing it, but knowing Robert Rodriguez is directly involved insures me that this is going to be a great show!!  Hopefully this show will be popular and catch on, and then hopefully we might start seeing some great cameos from the original film's stars!  That would be really cool!

  FROM DUSK TILL DAWN the series premieres March 11 on the El Ray Network.  Check the network website to see if you get that channel in your area.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the official Facebook Page

Blu-ray Review: YOU'RE NEXT

YOU'RE NEXT
Directed by:  Adam Wingard
Distributed by Lionsgate

  I remember seeing the trailers for YOU'RE NEXT when this film came out in the theaters, but I never got a chance to see this one.  I heard good things about this film when it came out, but I'm really surprised I didn't hear more.  This is one of the most enjoyable horror films I have seen in years!  Here is the basic plot from the Lionsgate website:

  Aubrey and Paul Davison decide to celebrate their wedding anniversary by inviting their four children and their significant others to a family reunion at their remote and slightly rundown weekend estate. But the family reunion goes awry when their home comes under siege by a mask-wearing team of crossbow-bearing assailants. The family has no idea who’s attacking them, why they’re under attack, or if the attackers are inside or outside the cavernous, creaking house. All they know for certain is that nobody is safe.

   As I mentioned, this is one of the better horror movies I have seen in years.  This film is chock full of good scares, great gore, and even some dark humor.  The film is very well done, with great acting by most all actors involved.  The style of the movie is very cool, with a great use of music to intensify some scenes, and then eerily contrast with some others.  The 1977 song, "Looking For The Magic" by the Dwight Twilley Band is a very light, upbeat song, but is used in scenes that are very disturbing.  The horror onscreen contrasting with the bubbly pop song really makes an impression.  I liken this to the way the old Stealers Wheel song, "Stuck In The Middle With You", was used in the torture scene in the film RESERVOIR DOGS.   This is probably the best use of music in a movie I can remember in some time.

  Home invasion flicks are some of the scariest to me, as these are things that could, and do, happen all over the world, every day.   It's a very scary thought and this movie does a great job of roping you in and making you feel as uneasy as the poor victims in this film.   The movie reminded me a lot of THE STRANGERS, except I thought this was far better.  If you enjoyed that movie, I think you will most definitely enjoy YOU'RE NEXT!

  YOU'RE NEXT was just released on home video this past Tuesday, the 14th.  It is available on DVD or a DVD/Blu-ray/UltraViolet combo pack, and included the following special features:

*  "No Ordinary Home Invasion:  The Making Of YOU'RE NEXT" Featurette
*  Audio Commentary With Director Adam Wingard And Writer Simon Barrett
*  Audio Commentary With Director Adam Wingard,Writer Simon Barrett, and Actors Sharni Vinson And Barbara Crampton
*  Theatrical Trailers


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD/UV combo pack

This week's Horror related DVD/Blu-ray releases: Tuesday, January 14th, 2014

Here are this week's horror related DVDs and Blu-rays that come out tomorrow, 1/14
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)


*  AN EVENING WITH ED WOOD JR.
*  ARMY OF THE DAMNED
*  CARRIE  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  THE COMEBACK
*  DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE
*  FRESH MEAT
*  THE HOSPITAL
*  HOUSE OF WHIPCORD
*  SILENCE
*  VAMPIRE RIDERZ  a.k.a. SPEED DEMONS
*  VOODOO POSSESSION
*  YOU'RE NEXT  [DVD & DVD/Blu-ray combo pack]

If you are afraid of clowns, do not watch this trailer!!

  I just saw this article posted on screencrush.com.  It is about a new horror film coming out called CLOWN.   Apparently, Eli Roth made a trailer a few years ago for a fake movie called CLOWN.   Eli Roth is now turning this into a real movie, with him producing and the film being directed by first time film director, Jon Watts.

 The movie is about a man that puts on a possessed clown costume that makes him physically transform into a child killing clown!  Pretty crazy!  This trailer looks pretty messed up!  


CLICK HERE to watch Eli Roth's original fake trailer
CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for the REAL movie

Check out the trailer for the upcoming film, DEVIL'S DUE

 I have been hearing about his new film, DEVIL'S DUE, for a while now.  Tonight, I finally got around to checking out the trailer, and I have to say that this looks like it could be one hell of a scary movie.  Hopefully it will be done well and will live up to the trailer.   Here is the basic plot of the film from it's imdb.com page:

 After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

DEVIL'S DUE is due out in theaters January 17th.  Click below to watch the trailer and leave a comment to let me know if you are looking forward to this one or not.


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

Board Game Review: MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD Survival Edition

 MONOPOLY:  THE WALKING DEAD Survival Edition

 I'm sure most everyone is familiar with the classic board game, MONOPOLY.  Most everyone knows how to play and has played some form of this game at some point in their lives.   The classic board game was fun, but I really like all the themed versions of the game that have come out over the years.  I, myself, was the proud owner of THE SIMPSONS Monopoly game.  That has been a lot of fun visiting all the familiar spots around Springfield.  Well, I thought I would never need another Monopoly game, but then this came out.  It is THE WALKING DEAD themed Monopoly!!  I shall never need to play THE SIMPSONS Monopoly again!

  This game is based more on the comic books than the TV show, but obviously most of the characters and locations are the same.  So, if you are a fan of the TV show but have never read the comics, you will still love this version of the game.  The rules are exactly the same as the original Monopoly, except all the property spaces are properties and locations from The Walking Dead comic/TV show.  For instance, you could land on "Downtown Atlanta", "Rick's Neighborhood", "Prison Courtyard", "Greene Family Farmhouse", or many different "Woodbury" locations, just to name a few.  The main properties in this game  (replacing "Boardwalk" and "Parkplace")  are "The Hilltop Colony" and "Alexandria Safe-Zone".  Readers of the comics will most certainly be familiar with these two locations! 

  Another change to this version of the game, are that Homes and Hotels are now replaced with Walls and Guard Towers!  Also replaced are the pieces each player uses to move.  Instead of the classic Top hat, Iron, dog, shoe, etc., you now can be Rick's hat, the RV, Michonne's katana sword, or a bucket of body parts, just to name a few!

This is a very fun game, fun for the whole family in fact.  There is nothing graphic or disturbing about the game, so while the box says the game is for ages 13 to adult, even younger kids can have fun surviving the zombie apocalypse!  Here is a picture of me and my twin 7 year old boys (and my wife, who took the photo), having an awesome family game night playing the new THE WALKING DEAD Monopoly game!

 













  If you have some extra Christmas money to spend, I highly recommend picking this game up.  This will provide years of fun for the entire family.

  You can find THE WALKING DEAD MONOPOLY game at your nearest comic book store.
To find out where the nearest comic book store is to you, check out this site:

www.comicshoplocator.com

This week's Horror related DVD/Blu-ray releases: Tuesday, January 7th, 2014

 
Here are this week's horror related DVDs and Blu-rays that come out tomorrow, 1/7
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

*  3 WICKED WITCHES
*  THE AMITYVILLE ASYLUM
*  THE BATES HAUNTING
*  BLOODLINE
*  DEAD OF THE NITE
*  EVIL COME, EVIL GO
*  THE HAPPY HOUSE
*  PAPER MASK
*  THE POWER
*  WE ARE WHAT WE ARE  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  WICKER MAN  (1973)  [Blu-ray]
*  THE WOODSMAN

Please take this quick survery to help me better the 4H Blog!

 



  I made a quick online survey to help better my blog.  Please do me a favor and take this quick survey.  It will really help with the content of my blog so I can make it the best Horror Blog on the internet!  It is only 7 multiple choice questions, so shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to complete.  Thank you!!

CLICK HERE to take the 4H Blog survey

Horror In Real Life: Father kills son with an axe because he thinks he is a demon!

 While New Year's Eve is usually a cause for celebration, the family of a 13 year old Phoenix boy is in shock and terror over what took place Dec 31st. 
 
 Police were called to the home of Gary Sherrill after his ex-wife called the police because Sherrill had not returned their son after a visitation.   When police arrived at Sherrill's home, what they found was something right out of a gory horror film.   The boy had been killed by multiple axe wounds all over the body.   Sherrill's reason for doing this was that he thought the boy was a demon and was going to eat him.

  I don't know if this guy was on some crazy drugs, or just mentally unstable, but either way what happened a couple of nights ago in Phoenix, AZ is a horrible tragedy.  I can't imagine what the poor boy's Mother is going through right now.   It's hard to imagine that what we see in horror films could and does actually happen around us every day.  Something to think about for sure.


CLICK HERE to read the full article on MSN News