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.