HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I hope you all had a great Halloween night!!  I had a great time walking around with the kiddos trick-or-treating! I am worn out (and under the weather..again!! Ugh), so I am headed to bed.  I will get back to regular postings in the next day or so.

Until then..I want to share with you a pic of my friend Caleb who went as Beetlejuice this Halloween!! Caleb always has the best costumes and this year was no different!  His attention to detail is ridiculous!  That is real moss on his face and clothes!  Nice work Caleb!

If any of you have some great costumes you would like to share, send them to me at ZombieHayes@hotmail.com and I will post them on a future post for all the world to see!

Thanks, and Happy Halloween!!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately......I've been too busy to even carve a pumpkin this year, so show me yours!!

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, this is a very busy time of year for me!  I love the week leading up to Halloween, and all the festivities, but it has been keeping me very busy.  In fact, I haven't even found time to carve a pumpkin this year! I think this will be the first Halloween I haven't carved a pumpkin since I can remember!
Here is one of my favorites that I carved a couple of years ago, Freddy Krueger!

I would love to see some of your creations!  Email pics of some of your cool Jack-O-Lanterns to:
ZombieHayes@hotmail.com and I will show off some of your cool creations right here on the 4H Blog!

Are you watching AMERICAN HORROR STORY? If not, you should be.....

 
I gotta make this post quick....AMERICAN HORROR STORY starts in about 20 minutes!!  If you are not watching this TV show, you are really missing out.   The show is about a family of three that move into a house that has a very storied past.  Basically the house is haunted and the family is finding this out first hand.  
This a remarkable show, one of my favorites on TV right now.  The acting and cinematography are great, and it looks to have a much higher production value than most TV shows these days.  The show is really weird and I described it to someone today as this generation's TWIN PEAKS, except with more of a horror element to it.   
Did I mention there is some crazy demon/ghost thing that lives in the basement of the house?  I am hoping that element is explored more in future episodes.  Tonight is episode 3 and I can't wait!
It's not too late to join in the fun!  The show is on FX at 10/9 Central.


CLICK HERE to visit the show's official website
CLICK HERE to watch a short teaser trailer of the show

This week's horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Here are the horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 10/25/11:
(click on a title to see a trailer for that film)


*  ATROCIOUS
*  ATTACK THE BLOCK  [DVD & Blu-ray] 
*  CUT
*  DEMON DIVAS AND THE LANES OF DAMNATION
*  FACES IN THE CROWD  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  THE GREEN MONSTER
*  HIDDEN
*  HIDE
*  HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  ISLAND OF LOST SOULS [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  MOTHMAN
*  RARE EXPORTS:  A CHRISTMAS TALE  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  RENFIELD THE UNDEAD
*  A SERBIAN FILM   [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  WRONG TURN 4:  BLOODY BEGINNINGS [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  ZOMBIE (aka. ZOMBI 2)  [DVD & Blu-ray]

DVD Review: EYES IN THE DARK (2010)

 

  
---------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker---------
 

Eyes in the Dark

Written and Directed by: Bjorn Anderson

Production Company: Emerald City Pictures

WOW...it’s been a while since I have run across a movie that blows its DVD cover away. What I mean is that many movies have awesome DVD covers but end up sucking, which is a huge letdown. But there are a few movies out there that are awesome, even though their DVD covers are lacking. EYES IN THE DARK is one of those films with a lackluster DVD case, but it’s a movie you must watch!!

(Note from Zombie Hayes......it looks like the DVD cover art has been updated/improved since we received this screener DVD...check out the film's official website to see the new improved DVD cover art!)

In case you are not familiar with EYES IN THE DARK, here is the synopsis courtesy of the DVD case:

A group of college co-eds take a trip to a mountain lodge looking for relaxation, beer, and maybe a dip in the hot tub. But when they stumble on clues about an ancient legend, they quickly find themselves fighting for their lives. Will they be able to escape this unspeakable evil? And are they the only ones who have ever crossed its path? Shot in hand-held POV style in a remote area of the Washington State Cascade foothills, EYES IN THE DARK shows there’s no terror worse than our own fear of the unknown.

Based on its cover, I didn’t know what to expect before I watched this film. The graphics sorta portray the movie as an alien-feature, but the synopsis is so vague as to not give anything away. But I am very glad I didn’t judge this movie on its cover. EYES IN THE DARK is a terror-filled excursion into darkness!

I can’t say anything specific about the plot because I don’t want to give anything away. But needless to say, it’s really good. It’s well thought-out and smart, although I can’t say it’s anything outlandishly original.

What makes this film so good, though, is the way the terror is built up. There’s one scene in particular that made my skin crawl. A group of park rangers is listening to another group of rangers converse over walkie-talkies. When the rangers on the other end of the line encounter the evil, all hell breaks loose...and it’s some of the most chilling background massacre sounds I’ve ever heard!!

The special effects and gore in EYES IN THE DARK are extremely well done as well. The titular eyes are perfect and scary as all hell!! I got chills the first time I saw them. Granted, they’re probably not very high-tech. But as a medium for frights, they’re perfect. And the gore is great as well, although we don’t get to see as much as I would have liked.

All in all, EYES IN THE DARK is what I would classify as a “Must See Immediately” film. Check this one out for sure, as soon as you can. But be ready to lose some sleep afterwards...

 

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

Movie review: THE THING (2011)

  
  
I got a chance to check out  THE THING prequel the other night, and I am so glad that I did.  You all need to check this one out asap, especially if you are a fan of John Carpenter's 1982 film.
Here is the basic plot of THE THING prequel from imdb.com:
  
At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson. While Dr. Halvorson keeps to his research, Kate partners with Sam Carter, a helicopter pilot, to pursue the alien life form.
  
The movie is a prequel to Carpenter's film of the same name, and sets up his version perfectly.  The film does an excellent job of re-creating the sets and overall feel of Carpenter's film.   The acting in this film is great, the music is good, and of course, the gore is good.  The main difference with this film is that almost all of the effects are CGI, rather than practical effects.   Overall the effects look pretty good but there were one or two shots that looked very fake and were a little distracting to me, but overall they were good.  Some were very gruesome in fact, including a monster made of two people that were kinda "morphed" together....very disturbing!! 

Go out and support horror in the theater!  Check this one out, I think you will really enjoy it!


CLICK HERE to watch the regular trailer
CLICK HERE to watch the Red Band trailer

DVD Review: AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE and NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE double feature

  
I recently had the chance to check out a great set of documentaries from Lorber Films.  This was a 2 disc set consisting of the films AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE and NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.  Here are they synopsis' for each film from imdb.com:

AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE:
This documentary explores the hidden history of the American Exploitation Film. The movie digs deep into this often overlooked category of U.S. cinema and unearths the shameless and occasionally shocking origins of this popular entertainment

NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE:
An exploration of the appeal of horror films, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre.

Well, that is a pretty straightforward synopsis, but that is really all you need to know.   These films are simple, but very detailed at the same time.  I love documentaries about film, especially horror films, and I have seen quite a few.  These two films are easily the best horror documentaries I have ever seen.  AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE deals with more of the exploitation films than the pure horror films, and contains interviews with some of the top names in the business including John Landis, Joe Dante, Fred Olen Ray, and Herschell Gordon Lewis.   NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE,  AND BLUE focus' more on the true horror film including all the mainstream, well known films, to some you might not of ever heard of.  I learned about a film called ONE DARK NIGHT that I have never even heard of before.  A scene from that film looked so good that I immediately went and bought a copy off of ebay.  I'm sure there might be some references to films you might not know about either.

One thing that really sets these films apart from other horror docs is the production value.  These movies look excellent with animated menus and stats when put up on screen.  Also, unlike some other horror docs that just talk about a film and maybe show you a screen shot of that film, both of these films actually show you footage and scenes from the films they are discussing.  This is a huge thing that has really bugged me in the past with some horror docs.  Talking about the films is good, but to actually see the scene they are discussing is a huge help.    

These film are so much fun, I especially liked NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE because it was like seeing a "greatest hits" ,so to speak, of all my favorite horror films.    These are must have films in my opinion and while they are available separately, you can get them together in a double feature set that is a great value for these 2 excellent films.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE
CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE
CLICK HERE to purchase the double feature DVD

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!! Enter to win a copy of the horror anthology SCARLET FRY'S JUNKFOOD HORRORFEST!!

That's right!  It's time for another DVD giveaway from the 4H blog!!  Up for grabs this time is a copy of SCARLET FRY'S JUNKFOOD HORRORFEST!!   Actually, we have 2 copies up for grabs!  We are going to give one to a guy and one to a girl, just for fun!   Not only will 2 readers of my blog get a free DVD, the DVD will be autographed by non other than horror host Scarlet Fry himself!
I am a big fan of this film  (see my review here) and I think you will be to.  For those that don't know about JUNKFOOD HORRORFEST, here is the basic premise from the Chemical Burn Entertainment website:

Scarlet Fry takes you on the thrill of your life with: Blood Thirsty Cannibals, Satanic Zombies, Demented Nurses, Junkie Serial Killers, Freaky Perverts and More! This Blood Drenched Deluxe Horrorfest isn’t for the weak at heart. A drug dealer has made his last deal after he decides to hand a junkie serial killer (Calico Cooper) some bad junk. This junk is, in fact, a video tape entitled "Junkfood Horrorfest." This horror anthology, hosted by Scarlet Fry, features six twisted tales that kick off when the junkie and her new found friend decide to watch the tape. Little does her friend know how much trouble he’s in for. Get ready for a blood drenched, deluxe horrorfest that isn’t for the weak at heart. Twisted tales that will turn your stomach and send you crying for Mommy! This special edition is value packed with two bonus programs, "Scarlet Fry's Horrorama," Scarlet Fry's presentation of the cult classic "Carnival of Souls," and more !

   
This is a great DVD, and you actually get 3 movies on one disc!  Pretty cool!  Read below for rules and instructions on entering the contest.

TO ENTER THE CONTEST, PLEASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS   
1. If you are not already, become a FOLLOWER of this blog! (Click the JOIN THIS SITE  button under the "Followers" section of the blog on the right hand side).

2. Leave a comment on this post with your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS so I can contact you for your shipping info if you are the winner (if valid email address is not given, I will post the winners name on the site and winner will have one week to contact me with their shipping info. If prize is not claimed within one week, prize will be forfeited).

3. Only one comment per person. Multiple comments will result in removal of all your comments therefore removing all your chances of winning! 

4. Contest is scheduled to end on Friday, Nov. 4th, 2011. Comments must be left by the end of the day on 11/4 in order to count towards the contest.
 
5. Contest winner will be chosen by random.org and must agree to let me post their name in a separate post stating who won the prize.
 
6. Due to shipping costs, contest is open to U.S. Residents only. Thank you for your understanding.
 
GOOD LUCK!!!
 

Also, CLICK HERE to check out the indigogo page for the new film, SCREAM MACHINE, the newest film from the filmmaker's of JUNKFOOD HORRORFEST!!

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

Here are the horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 10/18/11:
(Click a title to see a trailer for that film)


*  BEWARE
*  DARKNESS FALLS  [Blu-ray]
*  GEORGE:  A ZOMBIE INTERVENTION
*  GRAVE ENCOUNTERS
*  HELLRAISER:  REVELATIONS [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  THE HOWLING REBORN [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  IN A GLASS CAGE [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  KILLER EYE:  HALLOWEEN HAUNT
*  KURONEKO [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD
*  RED STATE  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  SATAN HATES YOU
*  SCARLET FRY'S JUNKFOOD HORRORFEST  (Triple Feature)

HORROR IN THE NEWS: New evidence in the John Wayne Gacy case

 John Wayne Gacy was arrested in 1978, but now more than 30 years later, investigators are doing some new research on the case.  33 bodies were taken from Gacy's Chicago home...8 of which were never identified.   Now investigators have dug up the remains of those 8 bodies and have sent them to a lab for DNA tests, in hopes of identifying all 8 bodies. 

Another thing they are looking into is the possibility that Gacy killed many more men that no one knew about.  While looking through old evidence, investigators found plane tickets to 10 different states during the time he was murdering young men in Chicago.  So now, they are wondering if he was killing people on the road, just like he was at his home on Chicago.  For this reason, he is now linked to 27 missing person cases from all over the country.  What we thought about John Wayne Gacy could have just been a fragment of what that man actually did.   This is a very interesting story...click below to watch the short video about it.


 
CLICK HERE to watch the video from MSNBC

Book Review: VAMPYRNOMICON by Scott M. Baker

-------------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------------------

 

Note from Zombie Hayes: My contributing writer, M. Scott Baker, is an author himself, so I pass on most any horror novel I get to him for review. I thought it was great when I approached him back in June about reviewing a book by an author named...Scott M. Baker! HA!   That book was THE VAMPIRE HUNTERS.  This review is for author Scott M. Baker's second book in his Vampire Hunters trilogy, VAMPYRNOMICON.  So, just to clear up any confusion, the author of this book did not write his own review, and my contributing writer is not the author of this book. Confusing enough for ya? HA! On to the review....

   

VAMPYRNOMICON

by Scott M. Baker

I love to find those rare genre series that keep me wanting more, even long after the final sentence has been read. I am, of course, referring to book series in this aspect...not movies. Author Scott M. Baker gave me one of these series with the first book in his Vampire Hunters trilogy, titled with the same name. This review is for the second book in the series, titled VAMPYRNOMICON (to read my review of the first book, click here).
Here is the plot synopsis for VAMPYRNOMICON, courtesy of the book cover:

Hunters and vampires seek The Vampyrnomicon, a book that could destroy the vampires...or mankind! Within the vaults of the Smithsonian Institute lies the key to find The Vampyrnomicon, the Book of the Undead that contains the history and secrets of the vampires. According to legend, whoever possesses the book can establish a vampire nation on earth - or destroy the undead once and for all. With an opportunity to end the war against the undead so close, Drake Matthews is determined to find the book. But the vampires also want the book. When Master Chiang Shih and her coven of the most powerful and dangerous vampires arrive in Washington to claim the book as their own, the hunters find themselves facing their most deadly enemy yet. With the stakes so high, so is the ferocity of the struggle...

First, the good.

Baker once again weaves an interesting tale of vampires in modern day America. And, just as before, his bloodsuckers are just as ruthless as last time, unrelenting in their pursuit of blood and total human domination. This time however, the stakes are even greater (no pun intended).

Baker's prose is easy to read, which makes the action tighter and faster paced. I especially enjoy the battle descriptions and find myself grinning from time to time as I marvel at their uniqueness. Likewise the characters, both old and new, are well imagined and come to life easily in the reader's mind. The vamps, while not exceedingly full of depth, pose striking figures with their brutality and lack of compassion.

All in all, Baker has created a believable and likable world, in which darkness borders on overtaking all that is good.

But now for the bad.

For all of Bakers good ideas, there are a few that are extremely recycled and some that I think are owned pretty well by other series. For example, the concept of the Daywalker, not to mention the term itself, appears in the book. My immediate thought was "Hey...that's from BLADE.". Granted, it's not a copyrighted term or concept...but it's pretty obvious that the other series made it predominant in the minds of genre fans.

The other striking negative for me were the amazing number of grammatical errors. I was astounded with how many there were...there are even more in this book than the first. Many of them were silly editing errors, like the use of 'site' instead of 'sight'. Also, there are several places that have an extra 'the' in sentences and even completely omitted words that make sentences lose their meanings.

Still, with that aside, VAMPYRNOMICON is a fun read and the story is definitely interesting. This book has a bit of a cliffhanger ending, so I'm itching to get my hands on the third and final book of the trilogy. Definitely give this one a look if you want some fast-paced vampire fun!

MSB

 
CLICK HERE to purchase the book on Amazon.com

Blu-ray Review: A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE (2010)

 
A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE
Directed by:  Adam Wingard
Distributed by:  Anchor Bay Entertainment

I am a huge fan on true crime....I love any book or movie about serial killers, especially those based on real killers, whether it be a true documentary about the killer, or a fictional film just loosely based on a real killer.     A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE was not based on a real killer, but it certainly could have been...it feels real anyway.   The filmmakers have done a wonderful job crafting a very suspenseful and eerie serial killer film.  
Here is the basic plot from the Anchor Bay website:

Forget everything you’ve ever seen in a serial killer movie and get ready for the chiller that stunned festival audiences around the world: Notorious murderer Garrick Turrell (AJ Bowen of HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and HATCHET II) has escaped from police custody and resumed his killing spree. His former girlfriend Sarah (Amy Seimetz of ALEXANDER THE LAST) is a recovering alcoholic trying to put her life back together in a new town with a new man (Joe Swanberg of NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS). Her past continues to haunt her. And now her ex-boyfriend is leaving a trail of slaughter in his hunt to find her. From Adam Wingard, the director of the award-winning film POP SKULL and screenwriter Simon Barrett (DEAD BIRDS) comes the movie experience that is emotionally raw, disturbingly graphic and brutally real. Prepare yourself for A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE.                    

 The acting in this film is remarkable.  Every role is played in a very believable way by a cast of mainly unknown  (or at least non-recognizable) actors.    Amy Seimetz plays the main character of Sarah, and does a remarkable job.  Her pain is very believable, especially in the end sequence.
I can't say too much about this film, because there is a huge twist at the end that I defiantly don't want to give away.  I want it to effect you the same way it did me!

 From a technical aspect, the film is shot very well, it is a super crisp picture, especially on the Blu-ray I assume.   I did have a small problem with the style it was shot in, though. There were times were the film would go out of focus or the camera would shake pretty bad.  Now I realize all this was done on purpose, but it was almost like the filmmakers were trying too hard to make their film very stylized and almost "artsy".  That is a small complaint though, overall the film looks really good.

 One thing I would warn is not to go into this expecting a slasher type film.  There are only a few scenes of "blood and gore", but those few scenes are done remarkably well.  This a much more of a intellectual horror film than a just a all out gore fest.   This could actually be scene as a very dark drama with horror aspects than a true horror film.  The film can be a bit slow at times, but all that time is used really developing the characters and letting you get to know them....or at least make you think you know them!  Again, this is where the great twist ending comes into play, but I obviously won't say anything more about that!

Check this one out for sure.  Special features include the following:

*  Audio Commentary with Director/Editor Adam Wingard and Writer/Producer Simon Barrett
*  Behind the Scenes of A HORRIBLE WAY TOT DIE


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

It's getting close to Halloween, which means Halloween themed products are popping up all over the place......first up, breakfast cereals!

   

 

What better way to start out your morning than having a big 'ol bowl of a Halloween themed breakfast cereal!! We all know the main ones, like Franken-Berry, Count Chocula, and Boo Berry, but I have seen some other spooky boxes haunting the shelves lately...


It looks like our 'ol pal the Cap'n has gotten in the Halloween spirit with his Halloween Crunch, which features orange ghosts that magically turn your milk green!   Gross!

It looks like Kellogg's has also gotten in the Halloween spirit with "Haunted" versions of their popular Apple Jacks, Cocoa Rice Krispies, and Froot Loops cereals.  These cereals all feature spooky shaped marshmallows such as bones, eyeballs, ghosts, and bats!

What a fun time to be a kid!  Or, if you are like me, a kid at heart!  Now excuse me while I finish my green milk!

For you eBook readers, check out FORSAKEN by Andrew Van Wey

 Author Andrew Van Wey contacted me recently about his new eBook, FORSAKEN.   If you are a fan of horror fiction, I suggest you check this one out for sure.   Check out this synopsis for the book from the book's official website:

The painting loomed, large and foreboding. At a little over six feet tall and five feet wide, it wasn’t the strangest he’d ever seen, but close. A girl with a wounded, sack-like face; a boy with pinhole eyes and a cruel sneer; and a distant shadow peering out from behind a dying tree, all stared back at him.

 

Yet it wasn’t only the subjects that challenged him, but the note that came with the anonymous painting.

 

"Here in Art, Denial."

 

For professor Daniel Rineheart, these four words herald a riddle that sets off a surreal nightmare. Where objects from his past manifest in canvas and oil. Where painted clocks tick-tock away in the dark hours before dawn and a missing dog whimpers from between the walls. Where the painted subjects themselves leave the canvas to stalk the halls of his once quiet house.

 

And where all answers lead back to a blind artist and an impossible creation, one that threatens to destroy his family and devour his sanity.

 

FORSAKEN is a dark novel, a throwback to the haunted tales that slowly boil and get beneath the skin, sticking with the reader after the pages are finished and the story is over. It's a dark tale that blends the line between the psychological and the supernatural and challenges the reader to descend into a maddening world where past and present blend together, where the blind see far beyond the living veil, and where evil comes alive in oil and art.

 

As if that doesn't sound cool enough, the author went on to tell me that his target audience for this book  "are the type of people who like character driven horror that's not afraid to get messy, the kind of readers who think vampires should have a pair of fangs and, well, balls, and that they definitely don't twinkle in the twilight. The kind of readers who, like me, read a bit too much King and Barker and saw a few too many scary movies at far too early of an age and are still trying to recapture that early fear." 

 

Well, I think that pretty much describes all of us true horror fans!  This is one to check out for sure!

 

FORSAKEN is Available Now for only $2.99 Until Nov. 1st on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Apple iBooks.

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of FORSAKEN and to read a special sneak preview of the first 25% of the book!

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Here are the horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 10/11/11:
(click the title to see a trailer for that film)

*  THE BAD SEED  [Blu-ray]
*  BLOOD CURSE
*  THE CHILD'S EYE
*  DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW  [Blu-ray]
*  DEATH BELL:  BLOODY CAMP
*  DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND
*  EDGAR ALLAN POE'S REQUIEM FOR THE DAMNED
*  FARM
*  GREY SKIES
*  THE HORROR WITHIN  [Blu-ray]
*  THE INNER ROOM
*  KENNEYVILLE
*  MANIAC COP  [Blu-ray]
*  NIGHT OF THE DEMON
*  NO REASON
*  PHOBIC  [Blu-ray]
*  ROOT OF EVIL
*  SWAMP SHARK
*  THE SYLVIAN EXPERIMENTS
*  VLOG
*  ZOMBIE DIARIES 2  [DVD & Blu-ray]

Spotlight: Horror comic artist ANTHONY RUGGIERO

Today's spotlight is on horror comic artist/illustrator, Anthony Ruggiero.
I had my first introduction to Mr. Ruggiero's work when I did a review of some comics from Virus Comix, one of which was called BLOKE'S TOMB OF HORROR  (see that original review HERE).  One of my favorite things about that comic was the artwork on one particular story which was done by Anthony Ruggiero. I have like horror comics as long as I can remember and my favorite part, of course, is the artwork.  Ever since the days of the old EC comics like THE VAULT OF HORROR and TALES FROM THE CRYPT (bought by me as a kid when they re-printed the comics and sold them in stores back in the 80's) I have loved horror comic art. 


I wasn't sure what it was about Mr. Ruggiero's work that really stuck with me, but there was definitely something about it.....it was different than the rest of the artists and illustrators I was used to.  It was raw and gory and nothing was held back.  The more I looked at it the more I realized just how detailed it all was.  It looked like simple comic drawings at first glance, until you look further and see all the amazing details in his work.   Take a look at the cover to Mr. Ruggiero's ONE NATION UNDEAD for a perfect example of the detail that goes into his artwork....I mean, just look at those rotting guts!! You can almost smell the stench of decaying flesh just by looking at that pic!!

The ONE NATION UNDEAD cover and many other of  Mr. Ruggiero's cover art can be found in one comic book called, NOBLE ROT:  THE EXTREME ART OF ANTHONY RUGGIERO from Mad Cow Comics.   I suggest buying this as a great example and way of getting a sample of all of his work.  Then you can look for some of the other comics he has worked on including HILLARD DIARIES from Slaughterhouse Comics and an extremely cool comic adaptation of the 1983 film, THE DEADLY SPAWN.

If you are a fan of horror comics, do yourself a favor and check out the work of Anthony Ruggiero!



CLICK HERE to visit Comixpress.com to purchase NOBLE ROT #1
CLICK HERE to visit the Facebook page of Slaughterhouse Comics
CLICK HERE to visit the Facebook page of Mad Cow Comics

Horror Icon DAVID HESS has passed away...

 

Legendary horror actor David Hess died today of a heart attack, he was 69 years old.  Hess is most fondly remembered for his role of Krug from Wes Craven's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, but he appeared in many other horror films including HOUSE OF THE EDGE OF THE PARK, SWAMP THING, ZODIAC KILLER, and most recently, the 2009 film SMASH CUT.

While reading the article about Mr. Hess in the International Business Times, I learned a lot of things about him I never knew, mainly that he was a very successful music composer and even wrote some hit songs for Elvis Presley and Pat Boone back in the 50's and 60's.

I am sad that I will never get to meet Mr. Hess.  He was one of the actors on my "wish list" of people I want to meet on the horror convention circuit.   He will be missed for sure.

CLICK HERE to read the full article about David Hess on the International Business Times website

Congratulations to the winners of the latest 4H giveaway!!

Congratulations to Lissa Lycan and Mister Bones!   They are the winners of our latest 4H DVD Giveaway!!  Lissa and Mister Bones have each one a copy of the great film SHELLTER on DVD!!

Check your inboxes for a message from me and reply to me with your address and I will get your DVD in the mail asap!!

Thanks to everyone that entered, and if you did not win, you can still pick up copy of your own from the film's official website.  CLICK HERE to visit the website, watch the trailer, and buy your copy today!!

Also, stay tuned for another exciting DVD giveaway coming soon!!

DVD Review: THE DEAD (2010)

 
THE DEAD
Written and Directed by:  The Ford Brothers
(Howard J. Ford, Jonathan Ford)

I recently had the privilege of watching the film, THE DEAD.   I could easily make this my shortest review ever.  I could just make this a 4 word review and be done.  It would look like this:



THE PERFECT ZOMBIE FILM



There, that's it.  That is all that needs to be said. But, the film deserves a little more "air time" than that, so I will go into a little more detail, although I dont' really think it is needed.   THE DEAD is a UK production shot primarily in Africa and features some of the greatest looking zombies I have ever seen.  Howard and Jonathan Ford have matched their zombie skills with those of Romero and Fulci, and they might have even surpassed them.  I know that is a bold statement, but I don't need to defend it.  The film will do that for me.    Before I go any further, there is the basic plot of THE DEAD from the film's official website:

An American mercenary, the sole survivor of a plane crash, has to run the gauntlet across Africa, battling with the living dead. Joining forces with a local military man, desperately searching for his son amongst the chaos, they fight together to survive, in the first Zombie Road-Movie set against the stunning backdrop of Africa.

This is a beautiful film in many ways.  The music is superb and the cinematography is outstanding.  The acting is excellent as well and the story is simple and super easy to follow.   I love the fact that we mainly just have 2 main characters throughout the film.   The rest are the undead.   Some zombie films get to involved with a deep plot and multiple characters and sometimes the zombies become a backdrop for the more human drama element that is on the surface.  Not this film.  This film is about the zombies.  Now, don't get me wrong, there is some human drama in the film (including a tear jerking scene with a newly bit mother giving up her baby as more zombies are approaching) but the majority of the film is comprised of our two main survivors traveling across the country fighting off zombies.   This leads to some of the greatest zombie kills I have seen on film in a  long time.

As I stated before, the zombies in this film look amazing.  The zombie plague has happened quite quickly so these are all mostly newly turned zombies, none of the up from the grave half rotted types from some zombie films.  In fact, these zombies reminded me more of the voodoo zombies from early films like WHITE ZOMBIE and others from that decade.    There are some zombies with missing limbs and such, and I guarantee they used actual African citizens that were missing limbs....although, with as good as some of the other make up and effects were in this film, who knows! 

I really don't remember the last time I enjoyed watching a zombie flick this much.   I have watched all of the last few Romero "of the dead" films, and even he can't match now what he did back in the 60's, 70's, and 80's with his classic zombie films like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAY and DAWN OF THE  DEAD.   The Ford Brothers have easily matched, if not surpassed these great films with their film simply titled, THE DEAD.  

THE DEAD is in a  limited theatrical release now, but keep your eye out for this film when it lands on DVD soon.....this is a must have, must see, for any fan of horror, and if you are a zombie fan in particular, get ready to be blown away.   I just can't say enough good things about this film.  This is now one of my new favorite zombie films of all time.  Check it out for sure!


CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website
CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

I apologize for the lack of posts the last couple of days......

I have been ill the last few days.  I had decided I either had a sinus infection or I had contracted the zombie virus...but I am feeling better and have had no cravings for human brains, so I am going with the sinus infection.   Anyway, I am much better now and will resume posting later tonight.

Thanks!

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Here are the horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 10/4/11:
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

*  AMER [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  CAESER & OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE
*  THE CALLER
*  DEAD ALIVE  [Blu-ray]
*  DRACULA:  THE VAMPIRE AND THE VOIVODE
*  ELVIRA'S HAUNTED HILLS
*  FRIDAY THE 13th: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (Parts I - VIII + Collectible Jason mask)
*  FUGUE
*  A HAUNTING IN SALEM
*  PHASE 7
*  THE PRESENCE
*  SCREAM 4  [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT [DVD & Blu-ray]
*  THE WALKING DEAD: COMPLETE 1st SEASON (Special Edition)  [DVD & Blu-ray]

Check out the crazy new clip from the upcoming film, EVIDENCE

A few weeks ago I posted some info and a short clip from a new movie coming out called, EVIDENCE (see original post HERE).  Well, writer Ryan McCoy recently let me know that a new clip from the film has been posted online, and man is it a good one!   This is a very short clip, but shows you the intensity that this film should bring. 

The plot of the film is pretty vague from it's imdb page:

Ryan is making a documentary on his friend, Brett, about camping for the first time. However, once they begin camping, they discover that there is a mysterious figure that is hunting them.

I am super excited about this film...I love the "found footage" type films, and when done right, they can bring a sense of realism to a film that a normally shot film can not match.  When I watched the first short clip, I thought we were dealing with more of a "Bigfoot" or some other animal/creature type film, but this newest clip looks like the creature or creatures are more alien like.  I am not sure, but either way I can't wait to see this film!!   Check out the new clip by clicking below!

 

CLICK HERE to watch the latest clip from EVIDENCE

I just realized that I haven't yet posted the trailer for the new film, THE THING! So...here it is!

   
If you haven't checked out the trailer for the new film, THE THING, you really should.  This film serves as  prelude to the 1982 John Carpenter film of the same name.  I loved John Carpenter's film and I am hoping this one can match the intensity and horror of his 1982 classic.   Here is the basic plot of THE THING prequel from imdb.com:

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson. While Dr. Halvorson keeps to his research, Kate partners with Sam Carter, a helicopter pilot, to pursue the alien life form.

THE THING opens October 14 in theaters nationwide.


CLICK HERE to watch the regular trailer
CLICK HERE to watch the Red Band trailer

CD Review: CARNIVAL ARCANE by MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE

Some of you might recognize the band Midnight Syndicate from the 4H review of their film, THE DEAD MATTER a while back  (see review here).  Well, Midnight Syndicate is back with a brand new CD entitled, CARNIVAL ARCANE. For those of you not familiar with Midnight Syndicate, here is a little bit about them from their official website:

For the past fourteen years, dark music pioneers Midnight Syndicate have been creating Halloween music and gothic, horror, fantasy soundtracks for the imagination. Formed by composer/director Edward Douglas in 1995, their music has become a staple of the Halloween, gothic music, haunted attraction, and role-playing game industries. With a catalog of CDs that blend dark, orchestral horror and fantasy movie score-style music with sound effects, the band consisting of Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka has had its soundtracks to imaginary films featured in everything from Hugh Hefner's infamous Halloween parties, Barbara Walters specials and Monday Night Football to X-Box games, tracks by the Academy-Award winning rap act, Three Six Mafia, as well as concerts by dark music pioneers The Misfitsand King Diamond. The music has also been featured on countless television shows and documentaries relating to horror films and the supernatural.

Midnight Syndicate's latest CD, CARNIVAL ARCANE, is the band's fourteenth studio album.   The theme for this album is a dark carnival theme and the band does a wonderful job of capturing the sounds of the carnival, well, all the spooky sounds of the carnival at least!  

I like that in the description it says they create "fantasy soundtracks".  That is a perfect description of this CD.   Listening to CARNIVAL ARCANE is like listening to the soundtrack of a cool horror film.   As I listened to the CD on my way to and from work today, I couldn't help but imagine in my head a scene that would fit the sound of the song that was playing. 

The CD is mainly just instrumental music, basically like a score to a horror film.  A lot of the songs I can picture being the opening song of a film as the credits are displayed, or the end song as the credits scroll.   The song Welcome To The Carnival would be a perfect opening song for a film.  One of my favorite songs, the perfectly titled Dr. Atmore's Elixirs of Good Humor and Fortification, is a catchy fun tune with a beautiful background melody. Lights Out made me picture a woman being chased through the woods by a masked killer, and Kiddieland is just totally creepy!  Never have kids laughing and singing sounded so scary!   This is just a few of the great tracks on this CD, there are 26 tracks total, so you are definitely getting your money's worth with this one!

While some are just cool, spooky sounding songs, some are very beautiful songs that could easily be used as  title music for a big budget, blockbuster film.  Yet even in the songs with a nice classical sound,  the band still manages to sneak some creepy things into it...whether it be a creepy whisper or voice, or just a creepy chord or sound. 

I highly recommend you go check out Midnight Syndicate's homepage and pick up a copy of CARNIVAL ARCANE and some of their other CDs.  I think all horror fans will enjoy this music for sure!


CLICK HERE to visit Midnight Syndicate's official website
CLICK HERE to purchase Carnival Arcane and other CDs and Merchandise
CLICK HERE to visit Midnight Syndicate's official Facebook Page

DVD Giveaway deadline extended!!! Hurry and enter to win!!

Due to an extremely low turnout (6 entries!) for my latest DVD giveaway I have taken the liberty to extend the contest.  I mean really, only 6 people want a free DVD?  There have got to be more people out there that want a FREE copy of the awesome flick, SHELLTER!  So, I am giving you one last chance to get your name in the drawing for this awesome film.   The contest will run one more week, from today, so get your entries in by the end of the day on next Wednesday, October 5th.   Entering is easy, just follow the rules posted on the original contest post and leave a comment on the original post.    There is nothing to it!  2 lucky readers will each win an awesome DVD!!!    Good luck!!


CLICK HERE to visit the original contest post and enter to win!!

This week's Horror related DVD releases: Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Here are this week's horror related DVD's coming out Tuesday, 9/27:
(Click on a title to see a trailer for that film)

* BASKET CASE [Blu-ray]
* THE BLOOD TRILOGY [Blu-ray]
* CHUD
* DEAD CERT [DVD & Blu-ray]
* THE ECHO GAME
* THE FOURTH KIND
* MIMIC [Blu-ray]
* MOTHER'S DAY [DVD & Blu-ray]
* PHOTOGRAPHER: INSIDE THE MIND OF A PSYCHO
* SNUFF FILM: DEATH ON CAMERA
* TERROR TRAP
* TORSO [DVD & Blu-ray]

 

Check out the ultra creepy trailer for the film, BLOOD WIDOW

  
 
I love masked killer movies.  Everyone knows about Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers,  and Leatherface, but there have been a lot of new masked killers pop up over the years.  Some include the killers from MIDNIGHT MOVIE, Chromeskull from the LAID TO REST films, and the more recent Marcus Miller, otherwise known as, THE ORPHAN KILLER.  Well, a new one has just popped up, and it might be the most eerie of them all.  Arcani Pictures has recently produced a masked killer movie called, BLOOD WIDOW.  The killer in this film wears one of the creepiest masks I have seen to date.  I can best describe it as some kind of porcelain doll face, and it is creepy as hell!  
Here is the basic synopsis of the film from the films official website:

Laurie and Hugh are a successful young couple who have just closed on a weekend home away from the city. Unbeknownst to them, the neighboring property contains the crumbling remains of a boarding school that was shuttered in the wake of an unspeakable massacre. The one responsible for that massacre resides in the ruins of the school, hiding from the world and wanting only to be left alone. When Laurie and Hugh’s friends explore the property, they have no idea that they disturbed an emotionally-broken killing machine: The Blood Widow.

Now, if that doesn't sound cool enough, check out this blurb about the film also found on the film's
official website:

Arcani Pictures LLC are proud to announce information on a terrifying new independent horror film entitled Blood Widow. Principal photography took place in and around off-the-beaten-path locations in central Florida on the Red One camera. The film takes its cues from classic slasher movies from the 70s and early 80s such as Friday the 13th, Halloween, Black Christmas, and My Bloody Valentine. A consciously old-school approach was applied, featuring all practical special effects with no CGI. Arcani Pictures set out to give horror fans what they want.

WOW!  It "takes it's cues from classic slasher movies from the 70s and early 80's", and, NO CGI!  That right there is reason enough to be excited about this film.

Check out the  trailer and see what you think.  I will let you know once I hear a release date for the film!


CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Arcani Pictures

DVD Review: SPIKE (2008)

-------------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------------------
 

SPIKE
Written and Directed by:  Robert Beaucage
Distributed by:  Maverick Entertainment

SPIKE is one of those movies that slips through the cracks of classification. I thought it to be horror initially but found out very quickly that it is not. It’s not technically a thriller, either. As the credits rolled, I actually had to sit for a minute and think about how it would be classified. In the end, I decided to label it as a suspenseful romantic-tragedy.

 

Here is the plot synopsis for SPIKE, courtesy of Maverick Entertainment:

 

After skidding off the road in the dead of night, four friends find themselves lost in the forest and tangled in a twisted love story. As they are each picked off one by one by a bizarre beast it becomes clear that none of them will make it out of this forest alive; unless the one the monster so desires is left behind. Will they stick together and find their way out of the grips of this love sick monster or will they turn on each other and perish in this dark fairytale?

 

What initially drew me to SPIKE is the creature art on the cover of the DVD case. All you see is a humanoid figure covered in black spikes. I was like “Wow, I LOVE creature-features and monster flicks almost as much as I love zombies! This movie is gonna rock!” Interestingly, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

 

But even though the film didn’t knock my proverbial socks off in a horror-related way, it’s actually not bad...as long as you’re not expecting to be scared. SPIKE is a thoughtful, well-acted reprisal of the Beauty and the Beast legend, but with a modern and weird twist to it.

Set in a single night in the forest, SPIKE tells the story of an obsessive teenager who bears a unique deformity: his entire body is covered with dangerous quills. He is obsessed with a girl he befriended as a child and eventually fell in love with. When a chance accident on the road leaves said girl stranded in the woods, the teen oddity hopes he can show her his love and maybe kindle that same spark inside of her. Unfortunately for him, the girl’s boyfriend is with her and events do not unfold as he had planned.

 

Most everything with SPIKE is well done. The acting is excellent with Edward Gusts giving an outstanding performance as the deformed teen. The special effects are truly note-worthy as well. I’m not sure how the production team made the quills that covered the creature’s body, but they are very believable and don’t waver when he moves (much like you would expect cheap spikes to do). Also, the cinematography is great as well.

 

My sole complaint about the film is that the lighting could have been much better. Many of the scenes are so dark that it’s hard to make details out, specifically in relation to what’s going on. I found myself backtracking every now and then to make sure I hadn’t missed something. But, otherwise, most everything else is great.

 

I would recommend this film to anyone looking to escape from the everyday chick-flick romance, or anyone that is looking for the lighter side of obsession. While not normally my genre, I still found myself entertained. Check this one out if you need a break from horror.

 

 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website

 

 

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Maverick Entertainment