Jeepers Creepers 3

Several sites have mentioned that Jeepers Creepers 3 is moving forward.  It's been ten years since part 2, so I hope they get it in production soon.  It will be interesting to see what direction they go in. 

Urban Legend

This is the first time I've ever seen the killer from Urban Legend at a convention.  Well done!

Spooky Empire

https://www.facebook.com/SpookyEmpire

http://www.spookyempire.com/

Hell No

We've all had these thoughts while watching a horror movie. 

The Countdown has begun

Eight days until Spooky Empire.  

Horror Montage

Just a little something to set the mood for Halloween.  

Illegal Downloads

"It's all about your entitlement".   

The Walking Dead

Only one week, until the season premiere! 

Halloween in theaters

This Halloween horror fans are in for a treat.  Halloween 4: The Return of of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers are returning to theaters in a double feature. 


Check out this website for info on which states and theaters are showing them. 

http://www.screenvision.com/cinema-events/halloween/

I also see some theaters in Florida are showing the original Halloween and making it a triple feature.  I think it's time to round up the "Spooky" gang and head to the theaters. 

Treehouse of Horror

Guillermo Del Toro directed the intro the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIV.

It's a real treat for horror fans.  

Halloween Horror Challenge (My List)

My list of 31 horror movies for the Halloween Horror Challenge.

Stephen King Movies

1.      IT

2.      Thinner

3.      The Shining (1997 version)

4.      Christine

5.      The Mist (B&W version)

6.      Rose Red

7.      Silver Bullet

Sequels

8.      Wrong Turn 2

9.      Fright Night 2 (2013)

10.  Blade 2

11.  Evil Dead 2

12.  Phantasm 2

13.  Friday the 13th Part 9: Jason Goes to Hell

14.  Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

Slashers

15.  Joy Ride

16.  SAW

17.  Urban Legend

18.  Hatchet

19.  My Bloody Valentine (2009)

20.  Club Dread

21.  Psycho

The Undead

22.  Zombie

23.  Dawn of the Dead (2004)

24.  Night of the Living Dead (1990)

25.  Dead and Buried

John Carpenter

26.  The Fog

27.  The Thing

28.  Prince of Darkness

29.  In the Mouth of Madness

30.  Body Bags

31.  Halloween

Halloween Horror Challenge

It's almost October, time to break out the scary movies. 

This year I'm going to watch a horror movie every day from October 1-31.  I've got some marathons planned with friends and since Halloween 4/5 are playing at the Tampa Theater Halloween night, this will be a blast. 

I think everyone should give this a try.  Post your list of movies and keep us updated on your progress. 

We can do it!!

#halloweenhorrorchallenge

The Hills Run Red

 A group of young horror fans go searching for a film that mysteriously vanished years ago but instead find that the demented killer from the movie is real, and he's thrilled to meet fans who will die gruesomely for his art.


I probably wouldn't have watched this until I heard director Dave Parker on Adam Green and Joe Lynch's Movie Crypt podcast. His stories about the making of the movie intrigued me, so I picked up a copy at FYE and gave it a shot.

The pre-credits scene alone is one of the most gruesome things I've seen in years. 

The film takes a few unexpected twists and gives the characters much more development than the average slasher film. 

My only real complaint is with the ending.  The movie had reached a good stopping point, but pushed on.  It felt like the ending used was just for shock value. 

If any movie deserved a theatrical release it was this one.  The writing, acting and production values are way above most direct to video movies. 

Curse of Chucky

 After her mother's mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to recent bloodshed and chaos.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie.  The original Child's Play was a good movie and had actual scares in it.  The sequels got worse each time.  The last two were more comedy than horror and Seed of Chucky wasn't even that funny. 

In Curse of Chucky, writer/director Don Mancini returns to the horror tone of the first one.  The movie works much better than I thought it would.  Mancini raises the tension level by keeping the characters in one location for most of the movie.  Further ratcheting up the tension is that most of the action takes place in a single night.  

No thanks Chucky. 

 Brad Dourif returns to voice Chucky and play Charles Lee Ray in flashbacks.  His daughter Fiona plays Nica, who must deal with being confined to a wheelchair as well as Chucky. 

While the movie takes a straight horror approach it's not without humor.  The humor here mostly works and doesn't feel forced. 

There were a few plot twists I didn't see coming and I won't spoil them here, but they were great moments.

Overall it's good horror movie and lots of fun. 
 

Sleepy Hollow

Two episodes in and I'm really enjoying this. 

Created by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Phillip Iscove & Len Wiseman it has some great writers behind it.  Len Wiseman even directed the pilot. 

The cast has great chemistry and it's a lot of fun watching Ichabod adjust to 21st century life. 

I'm hoping that this lasts the full season at least.  There aren't that many good genre shows on anymore and I'm always happy to see another. 

V/H/S/2

The Plot: Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his house and find collection of VHS tapes. Viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be dark motives behind the student's disappearance.(via IMDB)

My Thoughts: This movie would have worked much better without the found footage angle.  They could have just done a normal anthology and it would have been amazing.   The found footage angle is stretched beyond belief in this. 
In each of the tapes we see people strapping on HD cameras, using I-Phones, hidden button cams and all sorts of high tech equipment.  Then at some point they all transferred the footage to VHS?  Why would anyone do that?  Burning a DVD would be easier and make more sense.  Also several of the stories feature multi camera views that have been conveniently edited together into a coherent flow.  In one story they actually strap a camera to a dog and we're forced to watch everything from a dogs eye point of view.  I don't like puppy ears blocking the camera. 

The stories on the tapes are all quite good, and if they had been shot using a normal narrative this movie would be a horror classic.  As it is now, this is just another found footage entry that will be forgotten soon. 

11 Ways to support Holliston

Here are eleven ways you can leave your mark on-line and help support HOLLISTON into future seasons and beyond:
1. Tell our friends at FEARnet how much you want more seasons on their Facebook page.
2. Rate the show, rate each episode, and leave a user review on the show’s IMDB page.
3. Leave a review about the show on Amazon.com.
4. Leave a review about the show on GetGlue.com.
5. Invite your friends to “like” this Facebook page and show their support.
6. Write a letter to FEARnet letting them know how you feel about the show at: FEARnet - ATTN: Programming, 1601 Cloverfield BLVD. South Tower, Suite 200. Santa Monica, CA 90404
7. Leave a review about the show and rate it on iTunes.
8. Wear your HOLLISTON or HOLLISTON NATION shirt everywhere you go. (Shirts can be purchased at www.ariescope.com)
9. Pray to the television Gods.
10. Keep tweeting your love for the show to @FEARnet with the hashtag ‪#‎Holliston‬ in your tweet.
11. Use #fearnet and #holliston on Tumblr. 

Truth in Journalism

From Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2/Knights of Badassdom) comes the Venom short that fans have been waiting for.  

Just think what he could do with a real budget. 

Spooky Empire 2013

This years show already has a great line-up and this isn't even the final list. 

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

If you've ever wondered about the actual mechanics of how a slasher works, this is the movie for you.

Behind the Mask is set in a world where Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and all the others are real.  As he's about to launch his career as a slasher, Leslie Vernon allows a film crew to document the process.
Not since the original Scream has a movie deconstructed the horror movie tropes so well.  Leslie doesn't just tell you the rules, he explains how and why the rules work.

Explaining why they don't just pull people out of the closet. 

The movie is filled with cameos and nods to all the horror classics.  There are so many I had to watch it twice to catch them all. 

This guy seems vaguely familiar..

This is great movie that I'm shocked never got a sequel.  If you're a horror fan who likes to see the genre poked fun at, check this out. 

The Conjuring

One look at that doll and I'm out. 

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who try to cleanse a haunted farmhouse.

This is a movie that succeeds based on simplicity.  It's the classic haunted house story, and nothing more.  They don't try to put any kind of new spin on the ghosts or make them sympathetic.  They're evil spirits and they need to be exorcised. 

The movie starts with an opening scene scarier than some entire movies, and it doesn't let up from there.

My only complaint about the movie is one scene where the dialogue seemed forced.  Other than that it's a great film.

Nightbreed-The Cabal Cut

After touring the convention circuit for over a year Nightbreed-The Cabal Cut will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD next year. 

This version will add back in over an hour of footage and restore Doug Bradley's voice to Dirk Lylesberg. 

I can't wait to see the version that Barker intended.  It's being released by Scream Factory so the special features will no doubt be amazing. 

Please support this film and don't download it illegally.  There has been a lot of hard work involved in getting this released and it deserves respect. 

The Walking Dead

The trailer for season four debuted at SDCC last night.  This looks to be the best season yet.

Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

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Before Joss Whedon and Drew Goodard deconstructed every horror trope with The Cabin in the Woods, there was Tucker and Dale vs Evil. 

The story is a brilliant twist on the classic "Evil Hillbilly" horror trope.  This time the hillbillies are the victims. 

All Tucker and Dale ever wanted is a vacation home, a fishing cabin of their own.

He's not talking about a Beck concert, but I can see where you'd be confused.   

After an embarrassing and ominous encounter with the local sheriff, they stop to buy supplies. 

Any woman should be proud to have a man with a scythe. 

Things don't go so well here either, at least for Dale.   Once they arrive at the cabin, they settle in, then head out for some night fishing. 

I wouldn't throw her back. 

While out fishing they run afoul of some college kids who happen to be at the lake.  Through a series of misunderstandings, the college kids become convinced that Tucker and Dale are in fact evil hillbillies.  Evil hillbillies that they have to kill to save their friend and themselves.  

Probably best not to answer that. 

 It's a shame that this movie didn't get a wider release.  The script is top notch and does a great job of making Tucker and Dale sympathetic.  Yes, they're hillbillies, but they're decent hillbillies.  

Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine have a natural chemistry together and you easily believe them as lifelong friends.  

Tucker and Dale vs Evil is one of the best horror comedies ever made.  It's also a far better parody than Scary Movie or any of it's sequels.  While it plays everything for laughs, it could be a straight horror movie with just a small push.  You get the feeling that writer/director Eli Craig loves horror and enjoys playing around with the classic tropes. 

Perhaps the greatest line ever. Although probably more than half.  

Do yourself a favor, add this movie to your next marathon of "cabin in the woods" movies.  You won't be sorry. 

Curse of Chucky

From the press release:   He’s back! From the filmmakers that brought you Chucky comes the terrifying return of the pint-sized doll possessed by the spirit of a notorious serial killer. When a mysterious package arrives at the house of Nica (Fiona Dourif, True Blood), she doesn’t give it much thought. However, after her mother’s mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to the ensuing bloodshed and chaos. The return of America’s favorite toy, voiced again by Brad Dourif, is unrated and full of more blood-splattered thrills and chills.


Oh, Hell yes.  I loved the original Child's Play. 

It looks like they are going back to a more serious tone, and that will interesting to watch.

Curse of Chucky will be on VOD September 24th and DVD/Blu-Ray October 8th.  On that same day Universal will also release Chucky: The Complete Collection.  This set will feature all the Chucky movies in one set. 

Crystal lake Memories

Good news for horror fans!  The people who produced the Never Sleep Again documentary about the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series are adapting Peter M. Bracke’s Crystal Lake Memories.  The documentary is going to be the most comprehensive look at the Friday the 13th series ever. 

I have the print and digital versions of Bracke's book, and they are amazing.  If there was anything you ever wanted to know about the "Friday the 13th" series, it's in there. 

The running time is supposed to be close to seven hours.  I hope they cover the late 80's TV series as well.  I know it had nothing to do with the movies, but it would be nice to see it get some coverage. 

The DVD/Blu-Ray will be released August 27th. 

R.I.P. Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson passed away Sunday at the age of 87.  While he wrote in almost every genre, he will be remembered for his horror and science fiction work most of all.  Like Stephen King he was an author who had as much success in print as he did with his film and television works.  

Here are my favorite works of his from television and movies.

I didn't order a gremlin!

Years before he commanded the Enterprise William Shatner had an encounter with a new life form in the Nightmare at 20,000 Feet episode of The Twilight Zone. 

I'd feel safer with a stake too. 

Twenty years before Mulder and Scully opened The X-Files Karl Kolchak was hunting paranormal creatures in The Night Stalker. 

Almost every movie in the 70's involved truckers.  

 Steven Spielberg's first film and the movie that made me paranoid about semis to this day. 

Charlton Heston vs vampires, nuff said. 

 The second film based on Matheson's I am Legend and in my opinion the best. Charlton Heston can kill some mutants. 

Never stay in a place called "Hell House". 

One of the best haunted house movies ever made.  This was one of the rare "good" movies shown on creature features. 

It's also worth mentioning that some of the best "Treehouse of Horror" segments of The Simpsons were based on his works. 

Hatchet III

Victor hasn't gotten any better looking.

The Plot:
Marybeth faces off against Victor Crowley for what could be the final time.

My Thoughts:
One of the things I love about these movies is their continuity.  Each sequel has started just seconds after the last.  Watching them back to back they feel like one movie.  Other slasher sequels have suffered from being made by different writers/directors.  Even though Adam Green didn't direct this one, he still wrote it and oversaw the production.  Keeping this kind of creative control is something rare and allowed the movies to rise above the normal slasher film.

Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley 

Like the previous Hatchet films this one features several cameos by genre favorites. While I won't spoil them, I think everyone will be pleased.  I had guessed one, but there was one I never expected.  There are so many other Easter eggs it's hard to catch them all in the first viewing. 

Danielle Harris still manages to be hot even covered in blood. 

Another great thing about the "Hatchet" films is that they know what slasher fans want, and they deliver.  This one manages to deliver an amazing body count.  The kills are all much more elaborate and bloody, the blood comes by the 50 gallon barrel.  Again, I won't spoil any of them, but they don't disappoint.

Not something you want to see coming at  you.

All of the cast deliver great performances, Kane even manages to make us feel sympathy for Crowley.  It's a testament to Kane that he can convey such emotion through the layers of make-up.

Adam Green has hinted that this will be his last "Hatchet" film.  If so, the series ends on a satisfying, if surprisingly emotional note.  I have a feeling we will see Crowley again.  After all Jason Voorhees had a "Final Chapter" and a "Final Friday" and still managed to come back.  Although I hope Crowley and Jason don't tangle in space. 

Holliston

If you’ve always wanted a sitcom that would appeal to you as horror fan, this is it.  It doesn’t make fun of us, it shows that we’re real people who care about more than body counts.  It’s also pretty damn funny. 

Never go drinking with the Candyman.

Personally I'd pick an imaginary friend who wore pants with a back in them, but that's just me. 

Prince of Darkness

I've got a message for you, and you're not going to like it.

 

Actually, most horror fans will like this message.  Scream Factory (ScreamFactoryDVD.com) has announced a collectors edition of "Prince of Darkness" releasing on 09/24/13.  

Other than the amazing cover art by Justin Osbourn, they haven't released any details.  They always do a quality job on their product, so I wouldn't expect any less on this one.  

I'm hoping for a commentary track by John Carpenter personally.  This is one of my favorite films, and I would love to hear his insights on it.