We're here for FEAR!

     Catch Me Kill Me, an Independent Horror Production company out of Arizona recommended I check out some of their short films on youtube under CatchMeKillMeFilms recently & I did just that. I'm always one to check out what up and coming individuals are looking to add to the Horror world & from what I've seen so far of CMKM things are looking bright! Check out these three shorts I watched & then be sure to see what more they have to offer!

     La Llorona

     The weeping woman, her sorrow so deep her soul continues searching for what she cannot reach. After watching this short, you'll hesitate to check out the noises coming from the other side of the house!

     Jennifer Kelley as La Llorona does a wonderful job impacting this character upon  you. Her wails of agony are piercing and deep and you know you wont be forgetting them anytime soon!


     The Keeper

     Davey just can't help it that he sees monsters everywhere he looks. True, most of his family thinks of him as the boy who has cried wolf, but will they be too late when Davey seeks out to prove the truth?

Gabe Sellman as young Davey does a wonderful job of filling you with those childhood paranoia's you use to have about the neighbor down the block or the babysitter across the street. He may very well become the next Mulder!


     Shackled

     There is nothing more terrifying than finding yourself in the merciless hands of a captor. It is even more horrific when it's your captive that puts you there.

     Big kuddos to Jesse Van Camp & Carley Pacholski for a strong film performance. The lighting & camera work is brilliant in this short & both actors deliver a clear presence you will find yourself coming back too!


     All in all CMKM has made a great start in the Independent Horror community & I am fully looking forward to more work from them. With the talents of Ian Messenger, Beth Clabourne, Jesse Van Camp, Chris Johnson, Jennifer Kelley, Bill Messenger & Brian Hurdlow on board I see nothing but bloody works in the future for this crew! Be sure to check them out at cmkm.webs.com & visit their youtube channel to watch their work & leave comments behind!


So,

until next time,

sit back, relax & don't forget to scream!

 

     "The house is alive, we're all going to die."

     Evelyn Price just wants to throw the perfect party for herself & her amusement park creator husband Stephen & the abandoned insane asylum she just saw on the tv is exactly what she's looking for. Not only does it have a killer past, but the games she intends to play with her husband and her guests will be down right deadly. Especially if the former tenants of the asylum have any say in it.

     What is there to say about House on Haunted Hill. Well, here are the words I would use to describe it; cheesy, trippy, gory, twisted & fun. To put it best, this is what Vincent Price would have done if he had the chance to remake House on Haunted Hill himself. This triple H smack down of a film tosses you into a lovely psychotic experience, not only with the haunted asylum storyline its self but the fucked up relationships between the guests & hosts. Famke Janssen & Geoffrey Rush as Mr. & Mrs. Price are the perfect demented couple who love to hate each other & get off on the games they play. Both deliver their characters so well you can't help but wish to see more of them again...and again...and again.
     Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Peter Gallagher, Bridgette Wilson & Chris Kattan as the guests for the night create great chemistry amongst one another & each individually carry their characters well. They come off slightly feeling predictable but the refreshing approach to these characters is that they are not. Their reasons for being invited, though simple, are just an added bonus to a plot that has more to do with humanity at its most mentally unhinged than it does with any real significance to paying up for past deeds.
     If you are looking carefully, you'll notice two other cast members who are just a geeky plus to this star studded cast. Singer/song writer Lisa Loeb comes in early to the film as a local reporter & James Marsters, minus the fangs, follows behind her as her camera man. The thrills they get to experience in the beginning of this film help set off the tones of this delightfully unstable journey.

If you have not seen this House on Haunted Hill remake, I highly recommend you do so; though do keep in mind this film was released in 1999 & the cgi effects date themselves well. Besides that, this is a wonderful film to start 2012 off with & if you are looking carefully you will be able to spot out the little homage to the original The Haunting the film pays out.


So,

until next time,

sit back, relax & don't forget to scream!

     So it's exactly ten days till Christmas and you are still unsure what that horror loving family member of yours wants. I know. We're not easy to please and finding good deals on great material is sometimes impossible. Sometimes. Last week I received not one but two more wonderful care packages from Don at tshirtbordello.com that has loaded me up with awesome items for the holiday season. You're going to love these!

     With the heart breaking news that the ever present Jaws ride at Universal Studios in Florida would be removed to make way for something new, this shirt reminds everyone that the terror a great white brought to our screens will not be forgotten. This shirt could easily have been seen hanging in Quint's little shop or in a tourist store on Amity Island and brings with it more than nostalgia.

     Captain Quints along with a ragtag crew and water shy Sheriff brought peace to an otherwise terrorized island by a massive man eating shark that deliberately swam along the shores of Amity for victims to devour. Though the boat was destroyed and the shark got more than a few nips in, Captain Quint and crew prevailed in the end. I'm thinking if he had known what he was going to encounter he would have been wearing this shirt to taunt the angry beast. I know I sure would have.



     And if Quint had hindsight, he also would have brought along something to keep his keys on. Just in case he happened to drop them, or worse, the shark got a good bite in. This simple small but squishy floating key chain would make sure that even if Quint himself would not survive, his keys would; floating off along the waves to later be discovered say by tourists boating and drinking. I'm sure they would have picked them up and exclaimed aloud 'Shit man, I should get one of these to put my keys on!' or at the very least tossed them into their boat to ponder about later when they are sober.



     Now if sharks aren't your thing or if you're just not terrified of the big deep then how about zombies and beer? Who doesn't love them? Separately or together, zombies and beer are as much a staple of the Horror genera as blood and virgins are.

     Coffin Nail Pale Ale , doesn't that just sound like an awesome drink? It obviously makes a kick ass t-shirt. What with the zombie drinking happily and the brilliant gold and red coffin style design....yeah I'm no doubt a big fan of this shirt. Hell, if they made a root beer by the same name I'd be buying it in bulk.

     There is nothing, as an artist, that I love more than clever creative designs and this shirt is definitely high up on my list. Clearly other Horror fans would agree that this would be a perfect gift for any season, Christmas included. Who doesn't want a little zombie love in their stocking?






     And if zombies are likely to be crawling around your Christmas tree looking for something to eat, so too would be the next two shirts. Filled with the need to feast, these monsters don't come with sharp teeth or scary sagging rotting flesh. They just have an appetite for human flesh.

     Drayton Sawyer knows what good meat is and he also knows how to make a mean chili. If there is one thing his family loves more than eating, it's hunting down road tripping teenagers. An unforgettable character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Sawyer and Sheriff Hoyt (from a previous post) are a must treat for any Horror fan. I love the slightly comic styling of this shirt, almost reminds me of the cartoon work from the first Creepshow and that is always a plus in my book. Like Sawyer himself says 'The secret's in the meat' and so too is it in this design.







     And no feast would be complete without the master Chef himself, Hannibal , from Silence of the Lambs to serve the main course. Don told me that this happens to be one of his favorite shirts and I have to agree. I will be wearing this shirt on Christmas eve at my parents house, I can promise you that. The beautiful portrait work and two toned color design is just impossible to resist, just like Hannibal himself. Smart and sharp, this shirt is a must have as far as I'm concerned in every Horror fans closet. He even says it himself, 'You are what you eat' and this shirt is Horror and must be apart of your collection as it sure is a part of mine.






     So if you are still looking to finish up your holiday shopping and you need to find that perfect little treat for either yourself or someone else, be sure to check these shirts and key chain out at tshirtbordello.com . I know I'm happy to have these resting under my Charlie Brown tree and I have no doubt you and your loved ones will feel the same way.


So until next time,

sit back, relax

and don't forget to scream!
 

     So I spent my Black Friday cleaning house, paying bills and in general doing chores. A pretty mundane day considering my Friday is finishing up at work. Well, to say my day got flipped around when the mail man showed up is an understatement. No, I didn't shag him nor did I get an unexpected stripper delivery. What I got instead was a surprise package from Don at tshirtbordello.com   with two awesome and generous gifts! Need say I tore into that package like an addict on Christmas.

     Like always Don never disappoints & my first pleasant treat was a t-shirt dedicated to the man with more than a gun in hand and badge clipped to his chest. Sheriff Hoyt is man of simple words. Quotable words to be exact.
      "People may not remember what we say here tonight, but by God they'll remember what we did." -Sound familiar? I hope so! This awesome shirt is the perfect political endorsement for the man that shared the screen with a leather faced fiend.
     The design is wonderfully done with great detail and perfect gold and white coloring screened on a brown shirt. If either The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake in 03' or The Beginning prequel released in 06' are your favorite movies then you've gotta pick the t-shirt up here -> Sherrif Hoyt TCM . It's perfect for any horror movie collector.



     Of course I had to put this shirt down to look at the second one Don had sent me. I have to say, it easily made me laugh in evil delight. What? I'm easily amused.


    
     Anyway, with the rise of zombies in pop culture and in horror movies, it was expected that at some point those with the right kind of names would make their debut in the zombie world. I don't know if this was exactly what Christopher Walken had in mind, but I think it's pretty brilliant. I mean, I know he hasn't exactly landed a zombie role but after this I'm certainly looking forward to when he does so.
    
     His already extensive horror film credits only lends to my desire to see him shamble his way across my screen some day. The imprint is pretty detailed, almost similar to a comic styling I'm rather fond of. The washed out blue-grey skin tones and contrasting blood spatter stand out nicely screened on a black t-shirt. The name pun is just perfect and no doubt when I wear this shirt I'll often find myself laughing aloud spontaneously due to it. Not that I don't randomly laugh out loud to begin with but this enjoyable shirt will increase the odds of that happening. If you want to join me in the fun in sharing the Walken Dead (heh) with the rest of the general public then find it here -> Walken Dead T .


    


     Need say if I dare call this (cause I'm going to do so anyways) a care package I'm sure you will all agree with me that it is. What better way to start off Black Friday than with two awesome t-shirts from tshirtbordello.com? And if you are still out shopping wondering what to get your horror fan then you don't have to leave the house. Instead, hop online and check out the countless awesome gifts Don has there. I already own at least three other Ts from there and a floating key chain (you may have seen in a previous post) that always make my day when I slip them on.

     Oh. And ff you are wondering if the above images are from the actual t-shirts then look below. I did in fact photograph them resting comfortably on a partial mannequin I found in my basement when I moved in.

                      

      No, I didn't ask the previous renters what they were doing with it. Considering there was also a waist up medical doll there too (which I gave away) and one of the renters went missing months after they left & we moved in....I figured I'm good not knowing.


     But if you are curious what it looks like...well you tell me what someone is doing with just the chest piece to a mannequin? Besides hanging t-shirts on it like I do and photographing them.


So,


Until my next post,

sit back, relax

and don't forget to scream!

      "You saw it too....didn't you?"


     All Denise and Roy want to do is get their life back on track. With their daughter struggling to make up from a past mistake and the economy bringing them to their knees, they choose to move from city life in Chicago to the farmlands of North Dakota. But when unforeseen struggles start tearing this already fragile family apart, it is up to their daughter Jessie to try and set things straight and save her family before the farm they now possess brings its haunting past down upon them. Even the crows know you can't bury your secrets in unmarked graves.

     The Messengers is a wonderful blend of classic American ghost story telling and innovative Japanese special effects; something the Pang (Danny & Oxide) undoubtedly brought with them in their directing of this film. You know from the start that there is something seriously fucking wrong with the house Roy (Dylan McDermott), Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and Ben (twins Evan and Theodore Turner) move into. Now for some that may be disappointing, but it is typical in ghostly fashion and it is the mystery of why that drives the movie. John Corbett's appearance as Burwell creates a pivotal point in this movie and you can never be sure who or what he is until it's too late. The acting by all is natural and easily executed, so much so you get the feeling that if Kristen Stewart was given more profound roles than a film that shall not be named, she could grow into a gifted actress that isn't always broody and pale.
     With the Pang brothers directing, you get a rare beautiful execution of daylight in all of the horrific experience inside & outside of the house. There isn't a moment, even at night, where there isn't light in the sequence of scenes in this film and I love that. It proves that a great story and brilliant special effects can take the elements of horror we are so use to seeing in the dark and bring them out in the daylight and make them just as terrifying if not more so than they were before. I haven't seen the sequel to this film but if it is anything like this, it may be worth a look.

     All in all The Messengers is a great little underrated film I've yet to get bored of watching over and over again. If you have not seen The Messengers and you are looking for a classically mixed ghost story then do so, you wont be disappointed. In fact, if you are a fan of any of the leading actors and actresses named, I highly recommend checking this film out as it gave them all new refreshing roles to expand their acting chops.



So until next time,

Sit back, relax


and don't forget to scream!

      "You saw it too....didn't you?"


     All Denise and Roy want to do is get their life back on track. With their daughter struggling to make up from a past mistake and the economy bringing them to their knees, they choose to move from city life in Chicago to the farmlands of North Dakota. But when unforeseen struggles start tearing this already fragile family apart, it is up to their daughter Jessie to try and set things straight and save her family before the farm they now possess brings its haunting past down upon them. Even the crows know you can't bury your secrets in unmarked graves.

     The Messengers is a wonderful blend of classic American ghost story telling and innovative Japanese special effects; something the Pang (Danny & Oxide) undoubtedly brought with them in their directing of this film. You know from the start that there is something seriously fucking wrong with the house Roy (Dylan McDermott), Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), Jessica (Kristen Stewart) and Ben (twins Evan and Theodore Turner) move into. Now for some that may be disappointing, but it is typical in ghostly fashion and it is the mystery of why that drives the movie. John Corbett's appearance as Burwell creates a pivotal point in this movie and you can never be sure who or what he is until it's too late. The acting by all is natural and easily executed, so much so you get the feeling that if Kristen Stewart was given more profound roles than a film that shall not be named, she could grow into a gifted actress that isn't always broody and pale.
     With the Pang brothers directing, you get a rare beautiful execution of daylight in all of the horrific experience inside & outside of the house. There isn't a moment, even at night, where there isn't light in the sequence of scenes in this film and I love that. It proves that a great story and brilliant special effects can take the elements of horror we are so use to seeing in the dark and bring them out in the daylight and make them just as terrifying if not more so than they were before. I haven't seen the sequel to this film but if it is anything like this, it may be worth a look.

     All in all The Messengers is a great little underrated film I've yet to get bored of watching over and over again. If you have not seen The Messengers and you are looking for a classically mixed ghost story then do so, you wont be disappointed. In fact, if you are a fan of any of the leading actors and actresses named, I highly recommend checking this film out as it gave them all new refreshing roles to expand their acting chops.



So until next time,

Sit back, relax


and don't forget to scream!

"What was that?!"

     Natasha is a reporter looking to make or break her career & when the Australian government suddenly pulls a project on turning abandoned underground rail tunnels into a backup water reservoir, she thinks she's hit the story to do just that. But careless planning & lack of support drive her & her colleagues further into darkness than she ever had intended.

     This is the film to start off or finish up your Halloween celebration! Not only is the writing by Enzo Tedeschi & Julian Harvey just down right frightening but Carlo Ledesma's directing takes you to a new never before seen heights of deep rooted terror. The Tunnel tackles not up front in your face graphic monstrous horror but instead pounds away upon your minute but very tangible fears. You will forget you are watching a movie. You will forget that you are safe on your couch or in your bed instead of running panicked through dark abandoned tunnels. You will forget to breath but you will most definitely remember to scream.
     Bel Delia is flawless as Natasha, you love to be disgusted with her she's so realistic & believable. So too are Andy Rodoreda as Peter, Steve Davis as Steve & Luke Arnold as Tangles. And to Goran D. Kleut whom you will see at some point...you are fucking disturbing and brilliant as the rest of your fellow cast! Not only is this a masterful film that I've watched repeatedly & own on dvd but it is one you can watch online & actually own frames to. Any horror fan out there who hasn't seen this film must do so. This is an evolution of the horror genera I have not seen progress so effortlessly (though really I know how hard they all worked to make this film happen) in a long time & it is one well worth supporting!

So check it out here!
The Tunnel Movie


And until my next post,

Sit back, relax

 & don't forget to scream!

     Wow. I made it past five movie reviews and a few horror movie encounters before being geared up for my third Fright Box rant. If I had an anger management coach I'm sure they'd be proud. This rant, as you can see, is titled with words I noticed lately being repetitively used in those past five reviews. Like "Outlandish Scenarios", "Over Done" or "Over Acting" and "Rushed Unnecessary Special Effects". Words, quite honestly, I had to use to describe the last horror movie I saw. That film happened to be Insidious.

     Now that being said, I love James Wan; Dead Silence is (in my opinion) one of the top greatest horror movies ever made in the last ten years, along with the first Saw being one of the top grind-house or gore-films of its decade. He is creative, intelligent & down right fucking creepy in his work. I like that. I like that a lot.

     But I'm not sure what or who went wrong where Insidious is concerned. At first I was really enjoying it, there were definitely some "rushed" elements in the writing & plot but I did my best to ignore them. I even liked the over all idea even though it was like watching someone redo Poltergeist (one of the greatest family horror films ever); that too I could ignore. What really got me though was the special effects & the lead up to the ending. There was so much going on visually that were left so unexplored, it became an instance where less would have been so much more. That killed the movie for me. It's like watching a wobbly but still surprisingly stable house of cards finally collapse because you went one too many tiers up.

     I cannot stand when this happens, when a potentially good film is killed by "rushed unnecessary special effects" & "over the top production". Thankfully there was no "over acting" or even an "outlandish scenario" in Insidious but it none the less failed for me. There are great elements in horror we forget to leave be because we are afraid the audience just wont be as scared or thrilled with them "as is".

     Get over it.

     IF your script is well written & your actors can deliver their characters well then your special effects (which should always come 3rd in the exact order I have it listed above) will fill in the last remaining elements to complete your tale. They shouldn't run the gamut for you, they are not the lead actors & they most certainly shouldn't carry your script. Special effects are the glue that brings the film to a whole. Because it is a film & visual stimulation (conscious & unconscious) is the key to keeping your audience.

     But you just can't over do things! It drives me fucking nuts (and really pisses me off) to see films depend upon & survive simply on their special effects. That's like watching a great illusionist beat out a great magician simply because his tricks are more flashy. There is no craft, no time & full understanding of what he is doing, just really stimulating effects that are bright & entertaining with no substance.

     These films I call "Flash Bombs" anymore 'cause that's what they feel like. BOOM, PRETTY LIGHTS, SMOKE, NADA! That's what you get. An instant intense experience that leaves you wondering "what the fuck was that?!" and shaking your head.

     With the rise in Indie Films and the low budgets, we are seeing some great movies come out as of late. They're picking up what fans (and my self) are putting down. We'll support a great script first, wonderful acting second & creative integral special effects third. We have patience for people who are learning the industry & for the little glitches that tests a film-makers knowledge & experience.

     What we (and right now I mean the many versions of me) cannot support & tolerate though are the films that are just "over done".  You're killing the industry & our patience with it. It's like the countless remakes (which is a whole other rant) flooding theaters & pushing the few good movies that exists out of the opportunity to be seen by the general public. Even that five dollars I spent in rentals that turned out to be shit films, could go a long way in helping a great film come about.

     So, the lesson here?

     STOP WITH THE FLASH BOMBS!!!

     And go back to the basics. Maybe go talk to some of the greats who helped make the horror industry what it is today. Listen to them tell you how they drove from state to state just to get their film seen. How they had to shoot periodically as the money came in to support the film.  How their special effects consisted of stuff they rummaged for at garage sales, creative ideas crafted out on paper first & physically second & how they limited computer work to what they could afford.

     Take the time to go back, to truly make a good solid film & be proud of the structure within your writing & your actors. Don't hang the hopes of your films success on the special effects because if all you want to do is throw flash bombs then leave the film industry behind & go make fireworks. You'll be just as thrilled & the waste of money you spent making shit films will go to those who have the ability, knowledge & drive to make great films.


So,

until my next post,

sit back, relax & create some great true horror movies for us to scream at!

  "Give my regards to mars."

  Critters 3

  Just when you thought it was safe to drive your kids across country in a rusted bucket of a truck....well, no, there really isn't any safe way to do that. Especially if your 'rest stop' looks like a redneck mosh pit meet up or the parking lot of a flea market. Either way Cliff is doing just that with his two kids Annie & Johnny to the inner shoddy streets of L.A. & an apartment building that even Oscar the grouch wouldn't sit his can in front of. But their friends live their & so do they..kind of. However, while visiting that little rest stop I mentioned previously, daddy dearest who can't even care enough about his kids to keep them safe, picks up a few hitch-hikers; ones we've seen before & they're hungry! That's right boys & girls, the Crites are back & so too are their neatly colored eggs!

  This film is a great follow up to the previous two. Keeping the story alive by moving it out of small town Midwest to the inner city, we follow a new series of characters including lonely heroic boy Josh played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Other great actors in this film include Aimee Brooks (who plays young Annie), Bill Zuckert & Frances Bay (Mr. & Mrs. Menges), the ever present Don Opper as Charlie continuing his quest to destroy the Crites & Diana Bellamy as Rosalie to name a few.  Funny, clever & well told in an escalating series of events that eventually leave our characters atop a burning building, Critters 3 is a wonderful transferring point to bring this series full circle as it does in its final chapter.


  Critters 4

  "Alright you gum-balls."

  Just as Charlie was about to blast the last two Crite eggs away into gooey oblivion, he gets a long distance phone call from space informing him these menacing hungry world destroying little bastards are endangered as the eggs before him are the only ones left in the entire galaxy & they must be saved. Reluctant to let them go (really he just got stuck in the incubation chamber of the vessel sent to retrieve the eggs) Charlie follows them into space & wakes up 53yrs later worlds away from Earth. He isn't even sure why he's out of the incubation pod until he finds the Crites have also been set free upon a space station & have been getting busy breeding & eating! He knows he has no choice now, the Crites must come to an end, for good!

  Now how many horror fans have seen this happen? The tale end of a wonderful horror series finds its self in space. Can we name three films off the top of our heads that have done this at least? Well while those were all rather shit & lazy attempts at keeping some horror movie series going, this isn't one of them. Not only did Critters come from space, but in bringing them back to an environment they know, we have craftily brought this series full circle. With the talents of Don Opper full-filling the role of Charlie & Terrance Mann as Ug/Counselor Tetra one last time & accompanied by the wonderful acting chops of Angela Bassett, Brad Dourif & Anders Hove, Critters 4 shows us exactly how an excellent horror series (or any series for that matter) should end. It isn't over done, no outlandish scenarios, no over acting or rushed through unnecessary special effects. This film proves that great writing first can bring any story to life with the right cast & crew to make it so.

  If you haven't seen these lats two installments in the Critters series, do so. No excuses just do so. Now! And if you find yourself disappointed then you're obviously not watching these films with genuine interest & appreciating. Buck up, pick up the popcorn & enjoy!

 
So,

Until my next post, sit back, relax & scream!