| What is your horror IQ? | 11.16.2008 |
Did IQ's drop sharply while I was away? Ripley said it in Aliens, but I could not get this line out of my head while watching a movie the other night. What movie? I haven't written a review for it on the movie section (yet.) Sukiyaki Western Django. I was looking forward to this. Takashi Miike with an English language release film. Audition and Ichi are two of the most stunning asian films I have seen. Five seconds into this film I realized that I was in for a long 2 hours. The start of this film is on a set that looks like a crappy high school play set. Excuse me Mr Miike, but don't give me high school musical crap and expect me to enjoy it as a legitimate movie.
This isn't my first objection to being insulted by horror movies. Although I have been in disagreement with some about recent movies. Grindhouse comes instantly to mind. Those B movies we fondly recall growing up with are fond memories because it was a different time. A different world. There was less horror that had been explored as well as there has been today. You cannot recreate that environment. Any attempt to do so simply results in a movie that comes across as self serving. Neither of the Grindhouse films were any good. And making them "scratchy" looking and "missing a reel" only confirms this. If you need a gimmick to garner interest then you missed the mark.
Another recent mis-step in our beloved industry was Hostel. 45 minutes of tits and ass followed by 45 minutes of splatter and gore does not make a movie. First I felt like I was watching a porn and then you change channels on me to Faces of Death. What the hell...There were so many inane things in this film. Bad decisions. Poor plotlines. Ridiculous character choices. It was an unwatchable film that I feel only became a success because of the news that people were becoming "sick" just watching this film. Wanna see a movie that is stomach churning but also has a story? Watch Ichi.
Kill Bill also comes to mind. Here's a gimmick for ya. Let's take a movie that should be 90 minutes, make it a 3 hour epic with ridiculous asides and different filmmaking styles then release it in 2 parts. Kill Bill could have been a good movie if it had been made into one freakin film. Lord of the Rings had to be 3 films. The story commanded it. And then some. No gimmick there in three films or even in the extended releases. The story dictated the form. Tarantino has gone from making great and innovative films to using gimmicks and trickery to entice viewers to his movies. There was another Tarantino film I thought I was buying only to discover that it was a 70's Grindhouse type of film that he had repacked with his name overwhelming everything. I didn't look close enough and was tricked into thinking I was buying a Tarantino film. This blog didn't start out with the intention of ripping on Tarantino, but I think he needs to sit down, take a deep breath and recall what it was about Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction that worked so well. Insulting your viewers was not what did it.
We need more films like Wolf Creek, Malevolence,Sixth Sense, High Tension, Saw, Silence of the Lambs, Cube and Midnight Movie. We need less movies like House of Wax remake, Saw 5, Happening, Strangers, Lost Boys: Tribe, Texas Chainsaw Beginning, Amityville Horror remake, Fog remake. This isn't rocket science people. It is filmmaking. Horror filmmaking. Give me a decent story with decent acting and a few scares and I am happy as a pearl in a clam. Give me crap with Paris Hilton or nothing but remakes and I am just gonna get cranky.
Bloody MonkeyZ
This isn't my first objection to being insulted by horror movies. Although I have been in disagreement with some about recent movies. Grindhouse comes instantly to mind. Those B movies we fondly recall growing up with are fond memories because it was a different time. A different world. There was less horror that had been explored as well as there has been today. You cannot recreate that environment. Any attempt to do so simply results in a movie that comes across as self serving. Neither of the Grindhouse films were any good. And making them "scratchy" looking and "missing a reel" only confirms this. If you need a gimmick to garner interest then you missed the mark.
Another recent mis-step in our beloved industry was Hostel. 45 minutes of tits and ass followed by 45 minutes of splatter and gore does not make a movie. First I felt like I was watching a porn and then you change channels on me to Faces of Death. What the hell...There were so many inane things in this film. Bad decisions. Poor plotlines. Ridiculous character choices. It was an unwatchable film that I feel only became a success because of the news that people were becoming "sick" just watching this film. Wanna see a movie that is stomach churning but also has a story? Watch Ichi.
Kill Bill also comes to mind. Here's a gimmick for ya. Let's take a movie that should be 90 minutes, make it a 3 hour epic with ridiculous asides and different filmmaking styles then release it in 2 parts. Kill Bill could have been a good movie if it had been made into one freakin film. Lord of the Rings had to be 3 films. The story commanded it. And then some. No gimmick there in three films or even in the extended releases. The story dictated the form. Tarantino has gone from making great and innovative films to using gimmicks and trickery to entice viewers to his movies. There was another Tarantino film I thought I was buying only to discover that it was a 70's Grindhouse type of film that he had repacked with his name overwhelming everything. I didn't look close enough and was tricked into thinking I was buying a Tarantino film. This blog didn't start out with the intention of ripping on Tarantino, but I think he needs to sit down, take a deep breath and recall what it was about Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction that worked so well. Insulting your viewers was not what did it.
We need more films like Wolf Creek, Malevolence,Sixth Sense, High Tension, Saw, Silence of the Lambs, Cube and Midnight Movie. We need less movies like House of Wax remake, Saw 5, Happening, Strangers, Lost Boys: Tribe, Texas Chainsaw Beginning, Amityville Horror remake, Fog remake. This isn't rocket science people. It is filmmaking. Horror filmmaking. Give me a decent story with decent acting and a few scares and I am happy as a pearl in a clam. Give me crap with Paris Hilton or nothing but remakes and I am just gonna get cranky.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Rhode Island International Film Festival Horrorfest (October 24-26) | 11.05.2008 |
Last weekend I had the great pleasure of being invited by George Marshall, Executive Director/CEO of The Rhode Island International Film Festival to attend their 9th Annual Horrorfest taking place in five theaters throughout Providence over three days. I attended those at the Columbus Theater, a grand old movie house, gilded with the patina of having seen at least 80 years of films and now a perfect venue for any art film festival, and that’s how I would describe the RIFF event; artsy, independent and often fierce the choices of films shown. Given the short time I had to attend any screenings, I did manage to find a few gems and get a feel for Mr. Marshall’s commitment to helping make worthy small, independent, foreign and often, low budget horror films accessible to the general public to which they might not have been exposed otherwise. And what a refreshing experience it was. Tired of the last fifteen years of big budget Metroplex runs of bloated remakes, gratuitous and graphically violent films masquerading as horror to appease the tastes of the uninitiated teenager? Then go to next year’s 10th Annual Horrorfest. The RIFF takes a brave stance in supporting small films without the promotional clout of studio backing but that nonetheless pack a wallop of creativity, both visual and intellectual. The antithesis of the “junk food” offered at the local mega theaters, the films chosen for this years Horrorfest presented a meaty banquet of wide and varied courses, some spicy, some sweet but all ( at least of those I personally viewed) leaving me full of thought, imagination and questions and ready for my brandy and cigar.
For me the appetizer was a little Japanese film (with subtitles) called HAIR EXTENSIONS. When I sat down I half expected a knock off of “The Grudge” from a few years back, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Hair Extensions is a neatly packaged and highly stylized film with a simple plot A scientific madman uses a woman’s dead body as sort of a “hair farm,” growing long black wads of hair out of her every orifice. He then harvests the hair to sell to local beauty shops with . . . far reaching results. Even better than the horror plot is the second plot involving a pair of sisters, one good and the other not so good, and the abused child the bad sister abandons to the good one. The special effects will dazzle your eyes and make your skin crawl at the same time while the abused child subplot will break your heart to the point where you just can’t wait for the child beating “bad” sister to get her . . . hair done. Don’t miss this one. I loved it. Next, I saw a short subject filming of H. P. Lovecraft’s Pickman’s Model with the feel of a student film experiment. The acting was like bad TV and the photography like a Polaroid Point and Shoot, BUT, it had something indefinable that made it come together and creep me out. It could have been the mannered theater like acting of the lead playing Pickman, or the murky, grainy, almost sepia toned coloring of the film but it undeniably delivered its goose bumps. For this, I’d have to give credit to the director, Gary Fierro, and lead actor who, even with all the flaws of this filming, will both with any luck will become polished into artists of merit in their future efforts. I would call this one an aperitif, short and sweet but with a nice kick. Good job guys, next time I hope you get a bigger budget to flex with.
Following the very short Pickman’s Model, I had the good fortune to have the time to see the film that followed; a modern silent filming of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulu, a famous and thus familiar tale of lost civilization, cult worshippers and dark obsession. Kitschy and sometimes corny, this “Call of Cthulu” seemed like an exercise in form over substance, very artistically shot with a nice 1920’s period feel giving the impression one gets of a piece of parchment held over a candle but with a downside of leaving the viewer coming away still waiting for a slamming pay-off. In the end the creators and director Andrew Leman proved they could make an eye catching, almost hypnotizing looking film but one that leaves the viewer at the end asking “Where the hell is the MONSTER?”
My next and final foray into the RIFF’s vault of horror was for the Saturday night premier of SEA OF DUST, but you’ll have to look at my full review posted earlier for that one. All in all, I can only praise Mr. Marshall for his dedication not only to artistic expression in general but to his clear love and appreciation for the art of horror film making and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for next year, Surf & Turf? I’m there!
There is a forum entry if you want to go talk about this post or any other film festivals.
Horrorspondant
For me the appetizer was a little Japanese film (with subtitles) called HAIR EXTENSIONS. When I sat down I half expected a knock off of “The Grudge” from a few years back, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Hair Extensions is a neatly packaged and highly stylized film with a simple plot A scientific madman uses a woman’s dead body as sort of a “hair farm,” growing long black wads of hair out of her every orifice. He then harvests the hair to sell to local beauty shops with . . . far reaching results. Even better than the horror plot is the second plot involving a pair of sisters, one good and the other not so good, and the abused child the bad sister abandons to the good one. The special effects will dazzle your eyes and make your skin crawl at the same time while the abused child subplot will break your heart to the point where you just can’t wait for the child beating “bad” sister to get her . . . hair done. Don’t miss this one. I loved it. Next, I saw a short subject filming of H. P. Lovecraft’s Pickman’s Model with the feel of a student film experiment. The acting was like bad TV and the photography like a Polaroid Point and Shoot, BUT, it had something indefinable that made it come together and creep me out. It could have been the mannered theater like acting of the lead playing Pickman, or the murky, grainy, almost sepia toned coloring of the film but it undeniably delivered its goose bumps. For this, I’d have to give credit to the director, Gary Fierro, and lead actor who, even with all the flaws of this filming, will both with any luck will become polished into artists of merit in their future efforts. I would call this one an aperitif, short and sweet but with a nice kick. Good job guys, next time I hope you get a bigger budget to flex with.
Following the very short Pickman’s Model, I had the good fortune to have the time to see the film that followed; a modern silent filming of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulu, a famous and thus familiar tale of lost civilization, cult worshippers and dark obsession. Kitschy and sometimes corny, this “Call of Cthulu” seemed like an exercise in form over substance, very artistically shot with a nice 1920’s period feel giving the impression one gets of a piece of parchment held over a candle but with a downside of leaving the viewer coming away still waiting for a slamming pay-off. In the end the creators and director Andrew Leman proved they could make an eye catching, almost hypnotizing looking film but one that leaves the viewer at the end asking “Where the hell is the MONSTER?”
My next and final foray into the RIFF’s vault of horror was for the Saturday night premier of SEA OF DUST, but you’ll have to look at my full review posted earlier for that one. All in all, I can only praise Mr. Marshall for his dedication not only to artistic expression in general but to his clear love and appreciation for the art of horror film making and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for next year, Surf & Turf? I’m there!
There is a forum entry if you want to go talk about this post or any other film festivals.
Horrorspondant
| I see love in your future... | 11.04.2008 |
Several months ago I was at an event where a psychic was in attendance. I had never gone to a psychic before. My mom had, and her experience was interesting. The psychic wanted to know nothing about her. They sat with a tape recorder running and the psychic talked for 30 minutes. There was a lot of detail in that 30 minutes, given that she knew nothing of my mom.
So here I am about to go get a reading. $25 for 30 minutes, but I figured it would be worth it. She took me back to her "reading area" at the event. Seemed like it took 5 minutes just to get to the room. We sat down across from each other and she just stared at me. Then she asked me what I wanted to know.
I stumbled a bit at this. I told her I hadn't prepared questions. What do I want to know? I thought you were going to tell me stuff. She sat patiently and explained to me that she needed me to ask something. Under pressure, I reverted to the basics. How about love.
She was introspective for a minute and then asked me about my love life. Is there someone I am interested in? So I talked a bit about that. And she gave me some vague responses and told me that I was too generous. The situation is tenuous and I need to decide how long I am willing to stay in the uncertainty.
Then we moved on to business. I explained my situation to her and the venture that is looming. She offered some vague commentary on that. Indicating that I needed to find my calling. I have a creative nature and that needs to be fully explored.
Intermingled with all this were comments about "her peeps" which she meant her spiritual advisors. She indicated that they were basically standing there looking over her shoulder during our conversation. She also mentioned now and then about how I was a good person.
And that was it.
A wholly unsatisfying experience. Honestly, I spent more time talking than she did. And I left feeling more like I had been in a therapist session than a psychic one. I am not down on the whole idea of a psychic, but the one I saw I would not go to again if she paid me for my time.
Head over to the forum and tell me about your experience.
Bloody MonkeyZ
So here I am about to go get a reading. $25 for 30 minutes, but I figured it would be worth it. She took me back to her "reading area" at the event. Seemed like it took 5 minutes just to get to the room. We sat down across from each other and she just stared at me. Then she asked me what I wanted to know.
I stumbled a bit at this. I told her I hadn't prepared questions. What do I want to know? I thought you were going to tell me stuff. She sat patiently and explained to me that she needed me to ask something. Under pressure, I reverted to the basics. How about love.
She was introspective for a minute and then asked me about my love life. Is there someone I am interested in? So I talked a bit about that. And she gave me some vague responses and told me that I was too generous. The situation is tenuous and I need to decide how long I am willing to stay in the uncertainty.
Then we moved on to business. I explained my situation to her and the venture that is looming. She offered some vague commentary on that. Indicating that I needed to find my calling. I have a creative nature and that needs to be fully explored.
Intermingled with all this were comments about "her peeps" which she meant her spiritual advisors. She indicated that they were basically standing there looking over her shoulder during our conversation. She also mentioned now and then about how I was a good person.
And that was it.
A wholly unsatisfying experience. Honestly, I spent more time talking than she did. And I left feeling more like I had been in a therapist session than a psychic one. I am not down on the whole idea of a psychic, but the one I saw I would not go to again if she paid me for my time.
Head over to the forum and tell me about your experience.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| The revolution will not be televised... | 10.28.2008 |
it will be downloaded. Or so Amazon hopes. In case you have not heard, they have introduced the next evolutionary step in the literary world. A handheld electronic book reader.
When I first heard the news I was shocked. This idea is so groundbreaking and incredible I don't see how no one ever thought of it before. Oh wait, they did. Seems like it was in the mid 90's when ebooks were touted as the end of printed books as we know them. Only problem was that the people that read books tend to love them. Most readers I know have bookcases in their homes overflowing with paperbacks and hardbacks. And the one thing that an ebook can never emulate is a shelf full of books.
The difference this time? Oprah. The woman who can mention a book and turn it into an instant bestseller has endorsed the Kindle. What does this mean for books? who knows. I know that I won't buy a Kindle. I love my bookshelves. And my pockets are already overflowing what with an ipod, wallet, cellphone, DS and a Clie. The next big thing will be cargo pants for the extra pocket space.
Check out the Kindle for yourself
Bloody MonkeyZ
When I first heard the news I was shocked. This idea is so groundbreaking and incredible I don't see how no one ever thought of it before. Oh wait, they did. Seems like it was in the mid 90's when ebooks were touted as the end of printed books as we know them. Only problem was that the people that read books tend to love them. Most readers I know have bookcases in their homes overflowing with paperbacks and hardbacks. And the one thing that an ebook can never emulate is a shelf full of books.
The difference this time? Oprah. The woman who can mention a book and turn it into an instant bestseller has endorsed the Kindle. What does this mean for books? who knows. I know that I won't buy a Kindle. I love my bookshelves. And my pockets are already overflowing what with an ipod, wallet, cellphone, DS and a Clie. The next big thing will be cargo pants for the extra pocket space.
Check out the Kindle for yourself
Bloody MonkeyZ
| 10 women and a snake | 10.23.2008 |
When has a franchise gone too far? Overstayed it's welcome in the spotlight? Overall I would say that moment is not one that can be seen until years later. Looking back, we can see when Freddy's claws grew dull. When Pinhead's nails began to rust. When we all wished Jason would go jump in a lake. But at the time, we were all going to the cinema and paying our money to check out the body count.
Saw was one of the more original franchises to kick off in recent years. A killer who doesn't kill, yet has a body count. A horror movie with (gasp) a story. And a horror franchise that has a mission. Every Halloween they intend on releasing a new movie. I believe I read somewhere recently that they are contracted through Saw 8. Mind you Scream was at one time contracted through #7 as well, but stalled at 3.
So how has Saw gone too far? Personally I think they went overboard with blood and gore. I am not a gorehound. I love me a scary movie, but blood doesn't scare me (Hostel sucked because it was all about the gore.) Saw crossed a line and began focusing on the gore and blood rather than the intriguing stories that launched the franchise. Each movie I feel could be improved with a little MPAA gore cutting, not that I am a supporter of MPAA interference. I just think that they needed someone to reign them in a bit.
I love the fact that the franchise killed off the main killer, actually killed him. And kept the story progressing and true to itself. But I came not to praise Jigsaw, but to bury him.
VH1 has a new reality series called Scream Queens. 10 aspiring actresses are vying for a role in Saw VI. Let's be honest though, what sort of role will it be? Not gonna be a lead in any way. Probably some low key cameo that rivals the average cameo a director gives to himself for fun.
But really, a reality show? Give me a break. Shawnee Smith is one of the three judges. Makes sense. She pretty much became a scream queen from her role in Saw 1-3. But James Gunn is doing rather well as a filmmaker. He doesn't really need the shameless level of promotion that this offers. And then we have John Homa. An acting coach. Makes sense for him to do a show like this because of the promotional aspect.
The show was more entertaining than I expected it to be, and James Gunn looked like he had a blast directing 10 women in the bathtub. But hell, who wouldn't! The show is fun and I will continue watching it, but I don't really think that it will lead to a starring role in Saw VI.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| The stuff of nightmares | 10.16.2008 |
I have always had a fascination with dreams and nightmares more precisely. 20 Years ago a comic brought the world of dreams into the forefront. Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Right now there is a semi new Sandman comic coming out. It is an adaptation of Dream Hunters into comic form. Not 100% new, but still something to look forward to.
Beyond that though, the realm of dreams and nightmares has been of interest to me. Often the idea of nightmares would be related to dinner. Something you ate had caused an imbalance in your system and the result of that was apparent in your psyche via nightmares. I don't really believe in that. There was a time when I ate all sorts of weird stuff trying to induce nightmares. Nothing worked. Eating late. Going to bed immediately after a meal. Heavy meals of meat and potatoes. Light meals. Junk food. Ice cream. I tried everything except healthy foods (they scare me...) I never had any better or worse dreams based on food. Likewise, staying up for extended periods just caused me to recall less of my dreams because exhaustion would shut my body down.
This article made me pause and think though. It links creativity to nightmares. For those who don't know me personally, I have a strange mixture of talents. I am an incredibly creative and artistic person. Most of the time. But the other portion of the time I am incredibly logical and methodical. I have spent time in college learning programming and electronic engineering and calculus. I have spent time in college learning airbrush, creative writing and figure drawing (not just for the nude models either!) I wonder if the correlation between nightmares and creativity has any relevance. Often in my life I have had my focus drawn towards one aspect or the other (creative or logical) but never before did I track the frequency of my nightmares. I am going to spend some time tracking it now. Although it may be hard to since this website has gotten me rather intensely back into the technical and logical aspects of my personality. Guess I will test the lack of nightmare portion of the theory first!
Bloody MonkeyZ
| SPOT "Day of the Clown" (Parts 1 and 2) The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 2 | 10.14.2008 |
What's this? A kid's show getting a SPOT? You had better believe it.
While Doctor Who and Torchwood are well known here in the US, The Sarah Jane Adventures (which as the title suggests, follows the adventures of the Doctor's former companion Sarah Jane Smith - who traveled with the Third and Fourth Doctors - in her life now here on Earth) has flown under the radar. Which is a shame since this is probably one of, if not the best children's show I have ever seen.
In this particular episode, local children are being abducted and Sarah Jane and her kids suspect it has something to do with a clown that has been appearing around town. There's one small problem. Sarah Jane is deathly afraid of clowns. As she should be. Seriously. This clown was one creepy sonofabitch. I didn't think they'd go for something so scary on a kid's show. What is with my shows and making my fear of clowns worse than it already is?
Here's a fan-made trailer for both parts (which really isn't too different from the trailers for each part except it's longer).
Flunky
~ Flunky
| Random thoughts from a half asleep mind | 10.09.2008 |
Probably the worst remake news I ever heard was about the Evil Dead. Let's face it, the Evil Dead 2 was almost completely a remake of the first one. Although they confused it a bit by picking up where the fiest one left off. Evil Dead 3 was more of a spoof of the idea. So now we get conflicting rumours about an Evil Dead 4 and an Evil Dead remake. Let's be honest, they are probably the same thing. When a series is looking at the 4th installment and that installment comprises the second remake of the original... I guess I just don't see the point. I enjoyed it but if I really want to see Evil Dead again, I can pop in the DVD. I don't need some new remake version in order to see what I have already seen.
God, it seems like I keep touching on remakes here. They are a hot topic though and everytime I turn around there is more news about more remakes. This will be the last remake post in Little Blog Of Horrors for the month of October though. Too much other stuff going on. And I missed 2 days this week as it is. Barely got Tuesday in. Computer troubles were ridiculous. Took me an hour Tuesday of literally hitting the post button, waiting for it to time out and fail then pasting the info again and hitting post again.
And the real world horrors that are going on are getting overwhelming. I thank God that 2 years ago my job laid me off and I cashed in my 401k in order to have living money at the time. Hey, I am already broke. All the rich people are coming down to my level. Welcome to the cesspool. We all float down here...
Tomorrow will be a super sized LBOH post. All my energy shall be guided that direction in an effort to make up for my missed blogs earlier this week.
Bloody MonkeyZ
God, it seems like I keep touching on remakes here. They are a hot topic though and everytime I turn around there is more news about more remakes. This will be the last remake post in Little Blog Of Horrors for the month of October though. Too much other stuff going on. And I missed 2 days this week as it is. Barely got Tuesday in. Computer troubles were ridiculous. Took me an hour Tuesday of literally hitting the post button, waiting for it to time out and fail then pasting the info again and hitting post again.
And the real world horrors that are going on are getting overwhelming. I thank God that 2 years ago my job laid me off and I cashed in my 401k in order to have living money at the time. Hey, I am already broke. All the rich people are coming down to my level. Welcome to the cesspool. We all float down here...
Tomorrow will be a super sized LBOH post. All my energy shall be guided that direction in an effort to make up for my missed blogs earlier this week.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Come one come all... | 10.07.2008 |
October is the month when everyone embraces horror. Well, everyone except those who feel we need to be saved from out demented interest in such horrific things.
But I have been noticing something lately. Horrific imagery is becoming much more prevalent in our society. I have some friends who are not into horror, but they have a knick knack shelf in their home that is loaded with Skeletons and skulls. Day of the Dead items celebrating the Mexican festival. But watch a horror movie? No way.
October seems to be the time when everyone feels it is ok to cross that line even though they don't agree with it the rest of the year. Haunted houses pop up everywhere and make a killing. Everyone wants to be scared. I live in St Louis and Six Flags out here even turns itself over to the darkside. Roaming ghosts and zombies and various atrocities as well as tunring attractions like Thunder River into a Friday the 13th montage complete with Jason on an island.
At least during October we get to shake free from the restraints that society wants imposed throughout the rest of the year. We can enjoy the moment. Go to a Wal-Mart sized Halloween superstore. Rub elbows with the upstanding members of society who look down upon us the other 334 days of the year. Well at least publicly they do. But King and Koontz and Rice still sell millions and millions of books.
Bloody MonkeyZ
But I have been noticing something lately. Horrific imagery is becoming much more prevalent in our society. I have some friends who are not into horror, but they have a knick knack shelf in their home that is loaded with Skeletons and skulls. Day of the Dead items celebrating the Mexican festival. But watch a horror movie? No way.
October seems to be the time when everyone feels it is ok to cross that line even though they don't agree with it the rest of the year. Haunted houses pop up everywhere and make a killing. Everyone wants to be scared. I live in St Louis and Six Flags out here even turns itself over to the darkside. Roaming ghosts and zombies and various atrocities as well as tunring attractions like Thunder River into a Friday the 13th montage complete with Jason on an island.
At least during October we get to shake free from the restraints that society wants imposed throughout the rest of the year. We can enjoy the moment. Go to a Wal-Mart sized Halloween superstore. Rub elbows with the upstanding members of society who look down upon us the other 334 days of the year. Well at least publicly they do. But King and Koontz and Rice still sell millions and millions of books.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Diablo 3 | 10.03.2008 |
Probably one of the most anticipated games in recent years. Diablo has been a series of games where you play an adventurer who is roaming a countryside killing various enemies of the world. Starts out easy with zombies and porcupine type creatures and then moves up rapidly to more difficult ones.There were so many layers of intricacy to the first two games that it offered 1000's of hours of gameplay. Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction had a total of 7 characters to play. Each character has different ways you can build them as you gain levels through playing. Include the multiplayer aspect to it and you add not just more hours of gameplay, but interaction with your friends. Diablo 2 can be bought as a "Battle Chest" for around $30. For a game released 7 years ago, it's continued availability on the market is testament enough that the game was phenomenal.
The addition of Diablo 3 has me already preparing myself for a return to many long hours spent in the company of friends within a cramped room eating Doritos and drinking Cherry Coke. My kids are already planning out when we will be having the first LAN party to play it.
http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/ Go check out the website for more information about the game. And then go to our forum and talk about your views on the game.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Imaginations of Men (and Women) | 10.02.2008 |
When I was a kid I got turned on to the radio drama The Shadow (and no, that doesn't mean I was a kid back in the 40's when it was originally aired. I was just a weird kid into stuff that most kids my age never had a clue about.) For those who don't know, the Shadow was a super hero of sorts. He fought crime and evildoers, but in more of a vigilante way. He had some pseudo supernatural powers that allowed him to become effectively invisible.
But I digress. The gist of this posting is not about The Shadow, but rather about the theater of the imagination. The Shadow was simply my introduction to audio theater. You may have noticed from some of the reviews that I have done that I am keen on this. I did reviews of Dark Shadows audios from Big Finish Big Finish does have a great sample policy where you can download the first part of almost any story they have done for only 99 cents. The full download is usually $12.99 or you can order cds from them for about $20.
There is a website that I found that has a bunch of free audios from the past. They range all over the place. You need to join, but it is just a matter of signing up. No pay or credit card info. The Monster Club Go forth and check it out.
Another interesting group is called AfterHell They do original full cast audio dramas. Award winning full cast audio dramas. They have some audios that you can listen to for free, but also sell cds of their work for a reasonable cost of $12.99 I recently received a package of goodies from AfterHell and will begin contesting the items in the next few days.
If you haven't checked out any audio dramas, you should go forth and listen. Just as books offer a different experience than movies, audios offer a different experience than either of those. I haven't started a topic for it yet, but head to our forum and start one up to chat about these things.
Bloody MonkeyZ
But I digress. The gist of this posting is not about The Shadow, but rather about the theater of the imagination. The Shadow was simply my introduction to audio theater. You may have noticed from some of the reviews that I have done that I am keen on this. I did reviews of Dark Shadows audios from Big Finish Big Finish does have a great sample policy where you can download the first part of almost any story they have done for only 99 cents. The full download is usually $12.99 or you can order cds from them for about $20.
There is a website that I found that has a bunch of free audios from the past. They range all over the place. You need to join, but it is just a matter of signing up. No pay or credit card info. The Monster Club Go forth and check it out.
Another interesting group is called AfterHell They do original full cast audio dramas. Award winning full cast audio dramas. They have some audios that you can listen to for free, but also sell cds of their work for a reasonable cost of $12.99 I recently received a package of goodies from AfterHell and will begin contesting the items in the next few days.
If you haven't checked out any audio dramas, you should go forth and listen. Just as books offer a different experience than movies, audios offer a different experience than either of those. I haven't started a topic for it yet, but head to our forum and start one up to chat about these things.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Zombies zombies everywhere and not a brain to eat | 9.30.2008 |
What could be more fun than a good zombie movie? How about a board game that is like a zombie movie.
About7 years ago I went to Horrorfind 2 (a convention in lovely Maryland.) At that con I was amazed at the number of dealer tables. I had never been to a fan event that had so many. One of the many vendors there was Twilight Creations. They were peddling their first Zombies game. I bought the game and went home with it. Introduced it to my kids and they loved it.
The basics of the game are simple. There are tiles that you mix up and turn upside down. Each tile is a 3x3 grid. At the start of each turn you draw a tile and place it wherever it "fits" that you want. You also place zombies on it. Eventually the town center is placed which has a helipad on it. The basic goal is to be first to reach the helipad and escape. Sounds easy, but you have to fight your way through zombies to do so. And you have to survive. Then there came expansions and we had new tools, areas and even dogs! So much potential in this game and so much fun.
The company website where you can find out more cool info:
http://www.twilightcreationsinc.com/zombies/
Come to the forum and chat about the game if you have played it or have an interest in it.
http://horror-web.proboards56.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=deaditor&thread=54
Bloody MonkeyZ| Zip it! | 9.29.2008 |
Troy Holbrook is a special effects make-up artist. Last year he released the first collector's set of Bodybag Trading Cards.
The cards themselves contain a brief "story" on the back and then an image featuring his handiwork on the front. They are quite well doine. Nice quality cards. Come back here and check the front page, I got a few sets to give away. October will be the return of the Horror-Web contests and giveaways. More stuff than you could fit in your back pocket (well, the cards would fit, but some of the other stuff will not fit.)
I sat across from Troy for 3 days during the Chicago Horror Film Festival and witnessed the morbid atrocities he so casually inflicted upon the willing fans. He did some lovely work.
The link did not work for me when I tried it, but I put it here anyway hoping that for some reason it is merely down rather than no longer valid.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Artists are so vein | 9.25.2008 |
I saw this in the current issue of Rue Morgue. Vincent Castiglia is in artist who takes his passion for his works to an extreme that some may not be able to stomach. This artist paints using his own blood. The concept alone is unusual enough. But when checking out his website you can see that the man has talent. His imagery is fascinating and he has the talent to execute it.
I wonder if his decision to use his own blood has created any limitations to how much art he produces. The Red Cross suggests that you can only donate a pint of blood like every 8 weeks. I didn't see anything indicating how much blood he needs for each piece he produces.
Check out his website for more images and look for the article in the new Rue Morgue (issue 82)
Bloody MonkeyZ
| CHIMP: "Killa Bunnies" by Moloko | 9.24.2008 |
This song has a funny story to it. I met a girl one night and we talked for awhile. She told me she listened to Trip Hop and Jungle music. I had no idea what that was. But I wanted to get to know her better, so I went to a used cd store the next day. All their music was just alphabetical. No categories at all. I walked back and forth glancing at the spines of 1000's and 1000's of cds. I stopped and pulled one out by an artist I had never heard of. Moloko. Had some interesting artwork on the cover and little sticker on it proclaiming it was "A trip hop masterpiece." Hot damn. That was like fate guiding my hand. I look at the track listing and see a song called Killa Bunnies. If nothing else, that song sounds interesting enough to warrant buying it.The album had me hooked from the first track, but there was nothing on it that compared to track 14.
"Sniveling little bunny, bouncing up and down.
Scummy little creatures. Run them out of town.
In their tiny tunnels. Scuffling underground.
Toxic little bunny. He can always be found.
Danger evil rodent. Multiplying everyday.
Bunnies taking over. Get on your knees and pray.
Dirty filthy creatures. Teeth as sharp as knives.
The long eared ones are coming. Run. Run Run. For your lives.
Killa bunny is a comin. Killa bunny's on his way.
Killa bunny is a comin. Are ya hearin what I say. "
This song is 2 minutes 20 seconds of twisted evil bunny madness. And my kids loved it as much as I did from the first moment they heard the song. I have followed the group since that debut album and while they produce some wonderful music they have never gone anywhere near the type of music like this one song.
Lyrics copyright Moloko (more or less, I wrote them listening to the song so odds are I got a word or at least the punctuation wrong.)
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Trailer Trash | 9.23.2008 |
I hate movie trailers. I really do. The studios have totally lost sight of what a trailer should be. A trailer is supposed to be a teaser to entice you to see the movie.
Modern trailers though are not teasers at all. They usually show every exciting, intense, funny, scary, important, etc... moment that takes place in the movie. There are internet funny fan films online such as 30 Days of Night with bunnies in 30 seconds. They have done this for a number of popular films and mostly what they wind up doing is making a trailer for the movie.
When is the last time you saw a trailer and then watched the movie. Was there anything left out? When trailers first started being made they had a specific purpose and intent. It was to offer the viewer an enticement to head to the theater to see the film. They were careful to only offer enough information so that you needed to go.
One of my favorite was for Psycho. In the trailer they focused on Janet Leigh and her story about her life and going to the hotel. They didn't really get into the concept of the movie at all, and the fact that the star of the trailer gets killed so early in the movie...it was genius on Hitchcock's part. But then again, what did he do that wasn't?
One of the worst I can ever recall was for Nightbreed. One trailer focused on the psychiatrist. We saw him with his leather zipper mask and him in a few of his more menacing moments. The problem with this trailer though is that it mislead the viewer. It looked like a slasher movie and Nightbreed was far from a slasher movie. Totally different from the way the Psycho trailer was done.
Today, I refuse to watch trailers. In theaters I have often closed my eyes to avoid a trailer for something I know I am interested in. There needs to be a change in the way trailers are made. I want to be able to watch a trailer and still enjoy the movie when I go see it.
Bloody MonkeyZ
Modern trailers though are not teasers at all. They usually show every exciting, intense, funny, scary, important, etc... moment that takes place in the movie. There are internet funny fan films online such as 30 Days of Night with bunnies in 30 seconds. They have done this for a number of popular films and mostly what they wind up doing is making a trailer for the movie.
When is the last time you saw a trailer and then watched the movie. Was there anything left out? When trailers first started being made they had a specific purpose and intent. It was to offer the viewer an enticement to head to the theater to see the film. They were careful to only offer enough information so that you needed to go.
One of my favorite was for Psycho. In the trailer they focused on Janet Leigh and her story about her life and going to the hotel. They didn't really get into the concept of the movie at all, and the fact that the star of the trailer gets killed so early in the movie...it was genius on Hitchcock's part. But then again, what did he do that wasn't?
One of the worst I can ever recall was for Nightbreed. One trailer focused on the psychiatrist. We saw him with his leather zipper mask and him in a few of his more menacing moments. The problem with this trailer though is that it mislead the viewer. It looked like a slasher movie and Nightbreed was far from a slasher movie. Totally different from the way the Psycho trailer was done.
Today, I refuse to watch trailers. In theaters I have often closed my eyes to avoid a trailer for something I know I am interested in. There needs to be a change in the way trailers are made. I want to be able to watch a trailer and still enjoy the movie when I go see it.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Defining Horror | 9.22.2008 |
I was talking with a friend today and she professed confusion about why Tremors was labeled as horror. "The movie has funny parts in it. And they are just big worms. What is so scary about that?" She then laid forth the claim that movies like Elm Street and Halloween were not horror. Neither of them were scary to her. Movies like Exorcist and Exorcism of Emily Rose and Amityville Horror (original) were horror movies in her eyes.
This seems to me a short sighted approach to what makes a horror movie. If you don't think a comedy is funny, it is still a comedy film. Just a bad one. If you don't find a horror movie scary that doesn't remove it from the genre. But all this really comes around to the bigger question of how do you define horror.
There doesn't seem to be an easy definition. Supernatural themes pretty much always fall into the horror genre. As do the gore filled, blood soaked splatterfest films that seem to be rather popular of late. It is true that there are many horror movies that are not scary, but I believe they had the intention of being scary. Silence of the Lambs was not really billed as a horror movie, but it succeeded wildly as a horror film. And launched Hannibal Lector into the record books as the most heinous and scariest villain in modern times.
I think that in some ways the simplest way to define horror is to say that if the potential for death is imminent, then the story is horror on some level. Death being the one element that tends to stay consistant within every horror film. The threat of death is one of the most horrific results possible. Some films like the Exorcist do not directly include death, but metaphysically they do. The girl from the Exorcist was in a sense facing death. The possession had removed her being from her body. To that extent she was dying because the girl that her family knew was no longer "there."
Come respond and tell us your views on this. From the responses in the forum I will choose a random winner for a Horror-Web prize. The contest winner will be drawn on October 1st so respond by midnight September 30th.
Horror-Web Forum
Bloody MonkeyZ
This seems to me a short sighted approach to what makes a horror movie. If you don't think a comedy is funny, it is still a comedy film. Just a bad one. If you don't find a horror movie scary that doesn't remove it from the genre. But all this really comes around to the bigger question of how do you define horror.
There doesn't seem to be an easy definition. Supernatural themes pretty much always fall into the horror genre. As do the gore filled, blood soaked splatterfest films that seem to be rather popular of late. It is true that there are many horror movies that are not scary, but I believe they had the intention of being scary. Silence of the Lambs was not really billed as a horror movie, but it succeeded wildly as a horror film. And launched Hannibal Lector into the record books as the most heinous and scariest villain in modern times.
I think that in some ways the simplest way to define horror is to say that if the potential for death is imminent, then the story is horror on some level. Death being the one element that tends to stay consistant within every horror film. The threat of death is one of the most horrific results possible. Some films like the Exorcist do not directly include death, but metaphysically they do. The girl from the Exorcist was in a sense facing death. The possession had removed her being from her body. To that extent she was dying because the girl that her family knew was no longer "there."
Come respond and tell us your views on this. From the responses in the forum I will choose a random winner for a Horror-Web prize. The contest winner will be drawn on October 1st so respond by midnight September 30th.
Horror-Web Forum
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Night Gallery | 9.19.2008 |
Anthology tv series seem to be a hard sell. And even harder to maintain. Twilight Zone lasted for 5 years with over 150 episodes, but eventually it gave way. The Night Gallery came along with an intriguing spin on it. Rod Serling hosted the show from within an art gallery. He would stand near a painting as he explained the story and (if memory serves) the painting itself would seemingly come to life as the camera zoomed in on it and the show started. The second season of Night Gallery is coming to DVD soon. November 18th, matter of fact. There is a slight problem because two episodes are at least partially missing and will not be included in the collection. But we have the majority of the episodes coming. And that is good news.
Over the years there have been a number of attempts at anthology series. Seems like every 3 or 4 years someone starts a new Twilight Zone series which falters after a season or two. Outer Limits has had a number of incarnations as well. Tales From the Darkside. Hitchhiker. Friday the 13th. Tales from the Crypt. Masters of Horror was the most recent and fairly successful of these. It chose a different appeal by going after well known directors and getting them to do a story. With mixed success, it left after 2 seasons. It kinda sorta morphed into Fear Itself, but even that is up in the air. 8 episodes were aired and 5 remain to be aired. Who knows what will happen with the show.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Audio Serials | 9.18.2008 |
I have recently been getting into the two ideas of serialized novels and audio stories. Yesterday I discovered an intriguing new idea. It was somewhere amongst the twitter followings I added last night. No idea whose twitter page it was now though.
An audio series of novels is being written in the UK by Neil Dixon. The overall series is called Table Rappers. The stories are being made available free on iTunes as a podcast. I went and downloaded the first 5 parts (28 of them are online so far.) Each episode is in the neighborhood of 30 minutes long. The first novel is titled Persistent Spirit
"It is the dawn of the 20th Century. A diabolical crime forces one man to relive a grief of the past and trust a forgotten friendship. This pathological cynic of all things paranormal is catapulted into a collision course with an undeniable supernatural force."
Check out the link for more information:
http://tablerappers.com/home
Bloody MonkeyZ
An audio series of novels is being written in the UK by Neil Dixon. The overall series is called Table Rappers. The stories are being made available free on iTunes as a podcast. I went and downloaded the first 5 parts (28 of them are online so far.) Each episode is in the neighborhood of 30 minutes long. The first novel is titled Persistent Spirit
"It is the dawn of the 20th Century. A diabolical crime forces one man to relive a grief of the past and trust a forgotten friendship. This pathological cynic of all things paranormal is catapulted into a collision course with an undeniable supernatural force."
Check out the link for more information:
http://tablerappers.com/home
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Saw V | 9.16.2008 |
I have to admit that I loved the original Saw film. I distinctly recall introducing the trailer to my coworkers. I got to see a sneak preview for it, but oddly enough the preview was like 6 weeks before release. No one had even heard of it and I couldn't find any ads for it since it was still so far away. Finally it came out and they realized I wasn't crazy (well, not with regard to that issue anyway!)
The next year they somehow made a sequel to it. And it was good. I loved how they took the idea to a new level for the second film (although I can still make a case for the original film having Danny Glover as the villain. The theory obviously falls apart with the second film, but as a stand alone he can be the villain.)
Saw III? How can they possibly do it again? And in fairness, they didn't really do that good of a job with the third one. I felt that the gore took the spotlight in lieu of story. Look, watch our clever trap as it gruesomely kills this person.
And then came the fourth film. Even though the main characters were killed off. Somehow a new story was crafted and this time it seemed like there was thought put into it. The plot made sense on a certain level.
And then along came 2008 and we get Saw V. With Jigsaw dead in the third one, it seemed unlikely they could manage a fourth. Now I find myself wondering how they will manage a fifth because they can't POSSIBLY tie Jigsaw into this one. Can they? I don't see how, but I already know that they will certainly do something that will twist the storyline round and round like barb wire on a railroad spike. Twisting until the wire grows taut and then snaps. Whipping out and catching us all unaware. Six weeks from now we will be leaving the theater (hopefully) in shock that they managed to pull it off. Content that the Hollywood machine produced a film worthy of paying $7 to see in the theater.
And then the wait begins. Because 2009 will have a Halloween time release of another Saw film just as certainly as it will bring an end to the George Bush presidency. Not that I am drawing any correlations between Bush and Jigsaw. That would be too scary, and I need to get some sleep. Those nightmares don't need to be invading my dreams tonight.
Bloody MonkeyZ
The next year they somehow made a sequel to it. And it was good. I loved how they took the idea to a new level for the second film (although I can still make a case for the original film having Danny Glover as the villain. The theory obviously falls apart with the second film, but as a stand alone he can be the villain.)
Saw III? How can they possibly do it again? And in fairness, they didn't really do that good of a job with the third one. I felt that the gore took the spotlight in lieu of story. Look, watch our clever trap as it gruesomely kills this person.
And then came the fourth film. Even though the main characters were killed off. Somehow a new story was crafted and this time it seemed like there was thought put into it. The plot made sense on a certain level.
And then along came 2008 and we get Saw V. With Jigsaw dead in the third one, it seemed unlikely they could manage a fourth. Now I find myself wondering how they will manage a fifth because they can't POSSIBLY tie Jigsaw into this one. Can they? I don't see how, but I already know that they will certainly do something that will twist the storyline round and round like barb wire on a railroad spike. Twisting until the wire grows taut and then snaps. Whipping out and catching us all unaware. Six weeks from now we will be leaving the theater (hopefully) in shock that they managed to pull it off. Content that the Hollywood machine produced a film worthy of paying $7 to see in the theater.
And then the wait begins. Because 2009 will have a Halloween time release of another Saw film just as certainly as it will bring an end to the George Bush presidency. Not that I am drawing any correlations between Bush and Jigsaw. That would be too scary, and I need to get some sleep. Those nightmares don't need to be invading my dreams tonight.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Monster Makeover | 9.15.2008 |
Last year Hollywood had a makeover of Vampires in 30 Days of Night (based on the Steve Niles comic book.) Mind you, Anne Rice had done a makeover of them years before that with Interview With A Vampire. And Near Dark. And Lost Boys.
Frankenstein gets a makeover once in awhile as well. But he never quite struck the same chord of popularity as vampires did. A current makeover of Frankenstein occurs in the Leisure paperback Jigsaw Man by Gord Rollo.
Zombies got a retooling in the Dawn of the Dead remake. No longer were they the shambling, lumbering creatures. They were fast. And Brian Keene turned them a different direction by making them smart in his Rising novel series (also a Leisure mass market. And I just posted a review of his Rising collection ) 28 Days Later gave us a non zombie retooling.
So my blog here is really a question about the future of horror. What creatures do you think need to be revised? Who needs to be given a new shot at the big time? Or who needs to be rolled back to a previous version that was better than the more recent revamping? Come talk to us about it on the forum
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Demons abound | 9.12.2008 |
I live in the St Louis area. We have a local newspaper here called the RiverFront Times. About a month ago they had a really awesome spooky cover image. It looked like a skinned demon. I couldn't help put pick up the issue. I often get the RFT, but when there is something like that I can't pass it up.
The article that the cover was advertising is about a local man who is apparently America's foremost demonologist. Right here in my backyard. William Bradshaw. He specifies that many people are confused about demons and think that ghosts are the same thing. He differentiates between them stating that ghosts are the spirits of people who died. Whereas demons are spirits who were never human.
The article was fascinating, and I am hoping to try and get an interview with him for our website. Ghosts and demons are a subject that has always intrigued me. Going on that ghost hunt back in August was incredible, getting an opportunity to talk one on one with a demonologist would be a whole new level of wow. I will keep you all updated on this as things progress.
Bloody MonkeyZ
The article that the cover was advertising is about a local man who is apparently America's foremost demonologist. Right here in my backyard. William Bradshaw. He specifies that many people are confused about demons and think that ghosts are the same thing. He differentiates between them stating that ghosts are the spirits of people who died. Whereas demons are spirits who were never human.
The article was fascinating, and I am hoping to try and get an interview with him for our website. Ghosts and demons are a subject that has always intrigued me. Going on that ghost hunt back in August was incredible, getting an opportunity to talk one on one with a demonologist would be a whole new level of wow. I will keep you all updated on this as things progress.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Insanity | 9.11.2008 |
I am sitting here watching 12 Monkeys and can't help but be reminded of One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. The asylum scene strikes a chord with me. And that chord is resonating in strange ways. From there I jumped to the movie Session 9. And then to a book series published by DarkTales titled The Asylum.
Dark Tales put out many fine books and was a launching point for some authors who have been growing nicely. JF Gonzalez and Weston Ochse come to mind readily. There are many more, but my brain is tired and can't think of them all. They did manage to get a novel by JM Stracynzki the creator of Babylon 5.
But that isn't where I am going with this. I am lamenting the passing of DarkTales. I discovered them just in time for them to go out of business. It seems like the small press industry has a bit of a high turnover rate. Sometimes it is simply the best of intentions not being fully realized. And sometimes it was a bit worse than that. 2008 is seeing the passing of a different aspect of the small press. Shocklines.com is closing it's doors. They are well known for offering a tremendous variety of small press publishers works.
As fans of horror we need to make a stand against the entropy at work. Often new publishers and sites rise up in the void created, but we would all be better off if there were not these random voids to fill. Cemetery Dance has been around for a long time and are quite well established. As is Nightshade and Earthling and Delerium. I can't list them all, these are just the first few that come to mind. We need to support them in their insanity. They are crazy enough to try and make a go of publishing. Almost as crazy as the authors who happily sign a deal to have 300 copies of their book published. I don't fault (entirely) the publishers who limit the quantities, rather I think the readers are not fulfilling their obligations to authors and publishers. We need to create more of a demand for these books.
Bloody MonkeyZ
Dark Tales put out many fine books and was a launching point for some authors who have been growing nicely. JF Gonzalez and Weston Ochse come to mind readily. There are many more, but my brain is tired and can't think of them all. They did manage to get a novel by JM Stracynzki the creator of Babylon 5.
But that isn't where I am going with this. I am lamenting the passing of DarkTales. I discovered them just in time for them to go out of business. It seems like the small press industry has a bit of a high turnover rate. Sometimes it is simply the best of intentions not being fully realized. And sometimes it was a bit worse than that. 2008 is seeing the passing of a different aspect of the small press. Shocklines.com is closing it's doors. They are well known for offering a tremendous variety of small press publishers works.
As fans of horror we need to make a stand against the entropy at work. Often new publishers and sites rise up in the void created, but we would all be better off if there were not these random voids to fill. Cemetery Dance has been around for a long time and are quite well established. As is Nightshade and Earthling and Delerium. I can't list them all, these are just the first few that come to mind. We need to support them in their insanity. They are crazy enough to try and make a go of publishing. Almost as crazy as the authors who happily sign a deal to have 300 copies of their book published. I don't fault (entirely) the publishers who limit the quantities, rather I think the readers are not fulfilling their obligations to authors and publishers. We need to create more of a demand for these books.
Bloody MonkeyZ
| SPOT "Blink" Doctor Who season 3 (2007) | 9.09.2008 |
For the debut Spotlight Production Of Terror I have chosen an episode from Doctor Who. Blink. This is from the third season of the new series starring David Tennant as the Doctor. If you recall, the SPOT feature will be about a show or series that is not horror related but offered us a horror episode that expanded the characters beyond the comfort zones they usually deal with.
This show starts out with a woman breaking into a dilapidated old house and taking some photographs. She catches a glimpse of writing beneath the wallpaper. Pulling it back she discovers a note written to her. Returning the next day with a friend things begin to get, well complicated. Seems the friend she is with disappears just as someone arrives at the door. Someone claiming to be the grandson of the friend she is with.
At this point in the show everything is very complex and intriguing. Because there are these peculiar angelic statues around. These statues are not what they seem. They are living breathing creatures who seek to kill. But they do so in a rather circuitous fashion. For a science fiction show, this was extremely creepy. The bits with the Doctor actually come off more lighthearted and as comedic relief.
For those who aren't familiar with Doctor Who, the Daleks are commonly known as the baddest villains in the universe. The weeping angels were spookier. Creepier. They give me goose bumps. Daleks are a bit more fun as bad guys. You know what to expect. For me scary is the unexpected.
This is a trailer for the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHz8hulp2RM&feature=related
This show starts out with a woman breaking into a dilapidated old house and taking some photographs. She catches a glimpse of writing beneath the wallpaper. Pulling it back she discovers a note written to her. Returning the next day with a friend things begin to get, well complicated. Seems the friend she is with disappears just as someone arrives at the door. Someone claiming to be the grandson of the friend she is with.
At this point in the show everything is very complex and intriguing. Because there are these peculiar angelic statues around. These statues are not what they seem. They are living breathing creatures who seek to kill. But they do so in a rather circuitous fashion. For a science fiction show, this was extremely creepy. The bits with the Doctor actually come off more lighthearted and as comedic relief.
For those who aren't familiar with Doctor Who, the Daleks are commonly known as the baddest villains in the universe. The weeping angels were spookier. Creepier. They give me goose bumps. Daleks are a bit more fun as bad guys. You know what to expect. For me scary is the unexpected.
This is a trailer for the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHz8hulp2RM&feature=related
Bloody MonkeyZ
| Seasons Greetings | 9.08.2008 |
What, I can't say that in September? When did that phrase become instantly about Christmas? I refer to the new television season. There are many shows that are coming that have me all giddy as a school girl. Ok, maybe not quite that excited, but I am hyped. Some of the highlights I am keeping an eye out for:
Fringe - This feels a lot like the X-Files for the 2000's. The story follows a female FBI agent who has to work with a scientist who was in a mental institute. They go about dealing with a variety of unexplained phenomena. (on Fox Tuesday at 8/7 central)
TrueBlood - Vampires have become common knowledge (like they aren't already?) in this HBO series that primarily deals with a barmaid mind reader. (on HBO Sunday at 9/8 central)
Lost - After the writers strike screwed up the season last year, they are coming back to further confuse the hell out of us with smoke monsters and Baba Yaga-ish roving cabins full of ghosts while the countryside offers up random surprises from long lost relatives to those thought dead and sometimes even those entirely in the imaginations. Mind you, I can never get out of my head that BatManuel is in this show. Sorry Nestor but you will always be "On a roof, of course" to me. No date yet on when this show will resume airing yet. Stay tuned
Dexter - A serial killer who works for the Miami Police Department. His job? Working with blood spray patterns. He is a forensic expert and also uses his inside connections to track and murder serial killers. Hey, if you have such a compunction to go randomly kill people, why not make it something that betters society. That is the lesson his "dad" drilled into him when he first discovered that he had serial killer tendencies. (on HBO Sunday at 9/8 central) (Hey wait a minute, are they really going to pit these two shows against each other on their own network? Probably not, expect one of them to change time.)
Supernatural - Two brothers roam the country seeking out paranormal situations and dealing with them in an attempt to figure out what happened to their mother long ago when she was mysteriously killed by a demon. (on CW Thursday at 9/8 central)
These are just some of the genre shows that I am looking forward to this season. The plan is for Horror-Web to do episodic reviews for these shows every week. So look for them in our television section soon.
Bloody MonkeyZ
Fringe - This feels a lot like the X-Files for the 2000's. The story follows a female FBI agent who has to work with a scientist who was in a mental institute. They go about dealing with a variety of unexplained phenomena. (on Fox Tuesday at 8/7 central)
TrueBlood - Vampires have become common knowledge (like they aren't already?) in this HBO series that primarily deals with a barmaid mind reader. (on HBO Sunday at 9/8 central)
Lost - After the writers strike screwed up the season last year, they are coming back to further confuse the hell out of us with smoke monsters and Baba Yaga-ish roving cabins full of ghosts while the countryside offers up random surprises from long lost relatives to those thought dead and sometimes even those entirely in the imaginations. Mind you, I can never get out of my head that BatManuel is in this show. Sorry Nestor but you will always be "On a roof, of course" to me. No date yet on when this show will resume airing yet. Stay tuned
Dexter - A serial killer who works for the Miami Police Department. His job? Working with blood spray patterns. He is a forensic expert and also uses his inside connections to track and murder serial killers. Hey, if you have such a compunction to go randomly kill people, why not make it something that betters society. That is the lesson his "dad" drilled into him when he first discovered that he had serial killer tendencies. (on HBO Sunday at 9/8 central) (Hey wait a minute, are they really going to pit these two shows against each other on their own network? Probably not, expect one of them to change time.)
Supernatural - Two brothers roam the country seeking out paranormal situations and dealing with them in an attempt to figure out what happened to their mother long ago when she was mysteriously killed by a demon. (on CW Thursday at 9/8 central)
These are just some of the genre shows that I am looking forward to this season. The plan is for Horror-Web to do episodic reviews for these shows every week. So look for them in our television section soon.
Bloody MonkeyZ
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