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.