Mondo Macabro

Dark Spots in Tinsel Town part 2

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:16:23 GMT

zombie zoo 57, originally uploaded by Boju.

There are so many great weird and spooky locations in Hollywood. I couldn't fit them all in one post. For the haunted tourist, more dark destinations. And remember, to trip through the horror's of Hollywood is complete without a stop at Dapper Cadaver, 5519 Hollywood Blvd

1. The Abandoned Zoo - A very post apocalyptic part of LA where you get the crawl through the caves and onto the rusted cages of the old zoo. "Zombie Zoo" (above) was shot there. The old zoo is in Griffith Park, and shares a parking lot with the Merry Go Round, keep hiking west, not far from the parking lot.

2. Cipher - an art gallery that sells molding old statuary, metal bolted to skulls, and other items for the gothic home and garden.
165 1/2 S. Fairfax Ave.

3. The "Halloween" House
1530 & 1537 Orange Grove Ave., L.A., 1000 Mission St in Pasadena
Halloween’s Haddonfield, Ill., was actually a neighborhood in hip west LA. Jamie Lee Curtis' friends were killed in 1537 Orange Grove Ave.—a house renovated almost beyond recognition. Much of the exteriors were shot in Pasadena.

4. House on Haunted Hill
2655 Glendower Ave.,L.A.
This Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece (also home to Bladerunner) was built in 1923. Very unusual Architecture have been made only creepier through years of neglect.

5. The Batcave (Bronson cave)
The top of Bronson Avenue
So many features and TV shows have used the caves, you've probably seen them a hundred times in a hundred locations, including Star Trek planets, the old west of Bonanza, King Kong's Skull Island, Mars, Robin Hood's Sherwood forest and more. Actually a man made tunnel less than 100 feet long. Info on how to get there here
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Locations/BronsonCaves.shtml

See entries 6 - 10 after the cut

Damn ....

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:03:18 GMT

If you're a fan of 'torture porn' and nasty stuff, then make sure you check out Frontier(s) .... I love my gore, and this gives you plenty .. ;)

I bought the DVD from amazon, it's French with subtitles, but don't let that put you off!

Theaters showing Argento's MOTHER OF TEARS

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:24:26 GMT

Sunshine Theater, New York, Landmark : Begins June 6
Nuart Theater, Los Angeles, Landmark : Begins June 6
University Theater, Irvine, Regal : Begins June 6
Ritz Theater, Philadelphia, Landmark : Begins June 6
Kendall Square Theater, Cambridge, MA, Landmark : Begins June 6
E Street Theater, Washington DC, Landmark : Begins June 6
Lumiere Theater, San Francisco, Landmark : Begins June 20
Shattuck Theater, Berkeley, Landmark : Begins June 20
Lagoon Theater, Minneapolis, Landmark : Begins June 20
Starz Theater, Denver, Landmark : Begins June 27
Ken Theater, San Diego, Landmark : Begins June 27
Dobie Theater, Austin, Landmark : Begins June 27
Varsity Theater, Seattle, Landmark : Begins July 4
Music Box Theater, Chicago, Brian Androtti : Begins July 4
Tivoli Theater, St. Louis, Landmark : Begins July 11
Midtown Theater, Atlanta, Landmark : Begins July 11

April 19th: J. Cannibal's Feast of Flesh 666!

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:12:17 GMT

Real-life undertaker and long time zombie fanatic J. Cannibal—dubbed the King of Horror Burlesque—presents a gruesome banquet of midnight mayhem!

Free gory goodie bags will be handed out to all, and J. Cannibal will be awarding a number of prizes for the best zombie costumes from New England Comics, Stingray Tattoo and Horror Business. Brooklyn clothing label SEIBEI, will also be on hand selling and giving away customized Intramural Zombie Hunting League t-shirts. If all this ghoulish glory has whet your appetite for freaky films, Boston-area residents can also trek down to their local branch of Hollywood Express and browse J. Cannibal’s very own “picks” section, where they can check out some of his favorite horror movies of all time.

Coolidge Corner Theatre
290 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446
***purchase tickets now at www.coolidge.org***
www.jcannibal.com / www.blackocean.org

RSVP at the MYSPACE EVENT PAGE HERE!
RSVP at the GOING.COM EVENT PAGE HERE!

------------------------------------
A thick slab of praise for J. Cannibal and his Feast of Flesh:

“J. Cannibal, the ‘King of Horror Burlesque.’” —Boston's Weekly Dig

“J. Cannibal's Feast of Flesh, led by real-life undertaker and zombie lover J. Cannibal, is a celebration of all things terrifying.” —The Improper Bostonian

“Think Rocky Horror Picture Show with less androgyny and more anthropophagy.” —The Onion

“[J.Cannibal] is the sort of guy people brag about knowing. After all, he sounds like an exotic, epic character: poet, undertaker, horror-burlesque king, small-press publisher, show promoter, fake-blood engineer.” —The Boston Phoenix

Icon Help

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:43:47 GMT

This is about The Mist

Does anyone have an animated icon or a series of still screen shots of the scene where the old lady whacks the Zealot with a Head Shot, Canned Pea style?

I like Canned Peas now....

Cinema Apocalypse #92

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:22:39 GMT

Cinema Apocalypse: Episode #92

"Take one part killer crocodile, a dash of sightless Templar Knights on
horseback, the Frankenstein's monster's heart, a heaping tablespoon of Robert
Mitchum's no talent bastard offspring, and a dab of Poe's feline muse. Mix well
and viola Episode #92." - JSW

Now airing on Minneapolis Comcast Cable, Ch 17, 11pm Saturdays
___________________________________

Cinema Apocalypse
is produced by
Scott Williamson (Host/Curator)
Todd Wardrope (Video Production)
Dan Dockery (Web Hosting)

Cinema Apocalypse airs weekly on local television in Minneapolis, MN, with an estimated reach of 70,000 homes. We sponsor film screenings in Minneapolis, as well as multimedia rock show extravaganzas with local bands such as The Norsemen. Cinema Apocalypse hosts Horrorshow, a weekend-long sensory attack, at the CONvergence science fiction convention.

Cinema Apocalypse is sponsored by
TW Video Services
On YouTube

For more information:
Website
MySpace

Full Cinema Apocalypse episodes on iTunes

©2008 Cinema Apocalypse

Remember Vampira

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:38:08 GMT

Cinema Apocalypse 90 (x-post)

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:40:27 GMT

Cinema Apocalypse 90

Episode 90 is now online and broadcasting on Minneapolis cable. Don't miss episode 90 as a burn victim with bad skin grafts meets transvestite hillbilly serial killers in a dark field of reanimated scarecrows while Kurt Thomas fights unstoppable Thai assassins.
________________________________________
Episode 90 Features:

Clips and Commentary from J.Scott Williamson on:

Gymkata
Scarecrows
Blood Rose
Blood Shed
Dog Bite Dog

Minneapolis Cable:
11pm, Channel 17, Saturday Evenings
Cinema Apocalypse Segments on YouTube
Cinema Apocalypse Episode 89 on iTunes

(Free subscription may be required to download)
_______________________________________
Cinema Apocalypse
is produced by
Scott Williamson (Host/Curator)
Todd Wardrope (Video/Tech)
Dan Dockery (Web Hosting)

Cinema Apocalypse is sponsored
by TW Video Services
http://www.youtube.com/twvs

For more information:www.cinemapocalypse.com

www.myspace.com/cinemaapocalypse

©2008 Cinema Apocalypse

VAMPIRA memorial fund info (PLEASE REPOST) help NEEDED!

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:15:27 GMT

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: The Official Vampira - Maila Nurmi Page
Date: Jan 21, 2008 8:14 PM

As many of you know my dearest friend Maila Nurmi (Vampira) passed away. We are hoping her final resting place will be at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

She did not have much at the time of her passing and we want to give her a resting place befitting her and all she gave to the world.

PLEASE help. Even if it is just a dollar every one counts. She was a trailblazer and a magnificent woman and deserves the dignity to lie beside the other stars of her era in the place she loved most...Hollywood.

Thank you all.....this means so much to me and your support and kindness has been so touching.

Love,
Gabrielle

Cinema Apocalypse #89

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:45:02 GMT

Cinema Apocalypse

Episode 89 is now online and broadcasting on Minneapolis cable. There are so many ways to watch "the best cult cinema program since Mystery Science Theater 3000" it's almost unbelievable!
Roll 'em!

Episode 89 Features:
Clips and Commentary from J.Scott Williamson on:

Aswang
13 Ghosts
Wrong Turn 2
Amazonia
Revenge of the Ninja

Minneapolis Cable: 11pm, Channel 17, Saturday Evenings

Cinema Apocalypse on YouTube
Cinema Apocalypse on iTunes

Cinema Apocalypse
is produced by
Scott Williamson (Host/Curator)
Todd Wardrope (Video/Tech)
Dan Dockery (Web Hosting)

Sponsored by TW Video Services
MySpace

Hypnoz - call of cthulhu

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:21:40 GMT

Hypnoz - call of cthulhu
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF H.P.LOVECRAFT

Online study of paranormal experiences

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:15:47 GMT

This is a genuine research study, not intended as spam - apologies if it's inappropriate to the group!

If you are interested in spiritual, religious, or paranormal experiences, please consider taking part in a study being carried out online by researchers at the Experimental Psychology department at the Experimental Psychology department of the University of Bristol, UK.

If you have had one or more paranormal/supernatural, religious, or spiritual experience(s) (no matter how small) in your life, and you are over 16, you are eligible to take part. You don't have to be spiritual or religious, just to have had any experience that current science doesn't satisfactorily explain!

The study involves filling in short questionnaires at your leisure online, and takes about 30 minutes in total. The study is *completely anonymous*. Not even your email address is required! If you take part, please complete a consent form and *all three* questionnaire forms (so four forms in total, see links below for more info) and answer all the questions. Each form takes about ten minutes; you don't have to fill them all out at once.

If you are interested in taking part in this study, which is fully endorsed by the University of Bristol's Ethics in Human Research Committee, please click one of the following links:

Go straight to the instructions and questionnaires at
More information at the study's Livejournal community, belief_study

The consent form will shut down automatically after completion, so you may want to make a note of the addresses of the three questionnaire forms. They are:
Form 1: http://www.personalitystudy.net/public_html/first_questionnaire.htm
Form 2: http://www.personalitystudy.net/public_html/second_questionnaire.htm
Form 3: http://www.personalitystudy.net/public_html/final_questionnaire.htm

Thank you for your attention!

Horror films and weird and bizarre laws...

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:03:13 GMT

I thought I'd post to this community, because my book contains an in-depth chapter on how Universal's Dracula actually created this weird revolution in the way the law treats trademarks. That leads directly to the monster's in the movie Van Helsing (which may or may not be a good thing... Oh, hell, I'll say it... It's a bad thing! Van Helsing sucked like a sump pump on overdrive!) Anyway, the book has a lot of good stuff for horror film fans. Didn't think this would be too spammy if I mentioned it on the site, because I thought you guys would like it.

The book's called Sundays with Vlad ( www.vladlives.com ).

Or just come by my blog at http://paulbibeau.livejournal.com and say hello.

Cinema Apocalypse #88

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:15:17 GMT

We're back to monthly programs!

The complete Episode 88 can be downloaded ("Subscribe") from iTunes and clips can be viewed at YouTube

Clips and Commentary from J. Scott Williamson on:
Anthropophagus
Alucarda
2001 Maniacs
The Amazing Transplant
Hello, Dracula

More info about local broadcasts on MTN to follow on our Myspace

Feast of Flesh V!

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:43:51 GMT

Black Ocean Presents
J. CANNIBAL’S FEAST OF FLESH
featuring the legendary classic EVIL DEAD
plus special guests BLACK CAT BURLESQUE
with live music by BAD ASH
Saturday, September 29th / Midnight / $10
Coolidge Corner Theatre ~ 290 Harvard St ~ Brookline, MA 02446
www.blackocean.org ~ www.coolidge.org

Real-life undertaker and long time zombie fanatic J. Cannibal—dubbed the King of Horror Burlesque—presents a gruesome banquet of midnight mayhem!

This frightful night of fun kicks off with the horror-punk glory of Bad Ash. Comprised of trouble-making Boston punks who love to party (and who’s namesake comes from the third installment of the Evil Dead trilogy), Bad Ash’s performance is sure to wake the dead, make them dance, then blow their heads off! Following their set will be a bevy of grotesque burlesque courtesy of the infamous horror troupe, Black Cat Burlesque. Dedicated to putting the BUMP back into the night, Black Cat Burlesque has been raising pulses, the dead and a whole lot of hell since 2003. As the bad seeds of Boston Burlesque, this scream team mines the depths of their twisted psyches—blending striptease thrills and spookshow chills to push the boundaries of the art form and explore the dark, cobwebbed corners of neo-cabaret!

For the night’s feature, Mr. Cannibal has hand-picked one of the most famous and influential splatter-fests of all time: the original EVIL DEAD! This film was so controversial for its graphic violence and gore that almost all U.S. distributors initially turned it down, until a European company picked it up. Today, it is widely accepted by critics and audiences alike as a classic of the horror genre and has a worldwide cult following—not to mention a recent musical adaptation for the stage that recently made it all the way to New York’s off-Broadway theatre circuit.

Free gory goodie bags will be handed out to all, and J. Cannibal will be awarding a number of prizes for the best zombie costumes from New England Comics, Stingray Tattoo, Horror Business, plus several passes to see the highly-anticipated movie, Resident Evil: Extinction. Brooklyn clothing label SEIBEI, will also be on hand selling and giving away customized Intramural Zombie Hunting League t-shirts. If all this ghoulish glory has whet your appetite for freaky films, Boston-area residents can also trek down to their local branch of Hollywood Express and browse J. Cannibal’s very own “picks” section, where they can check out some of his favorite horror movies of all time.

Brought to you by the creative minds of Black Ocean, this will be a show of insanity from beyond the grave that you don’t want to miss!
</center>
A thick slab of praise for J. Cannibal and his Feast of Flesh:

“J. Cannibal, the ‘King of Horror Burlesque.’” —Boston's Weekly Dig

“J. Cannibal's Feast of Flesh, led by real-life undertaker and zombie lover J. Cannibal, is a celebration of all things terrifying.” —The Improper Bostonian

“Think Rocky Horror Picture Show with less androgyny and more anthropophagy.” —The Onion

“[J.Cannibal] is the sort of guy people brag about knowing. After all, he sounds like an exotic, epic character: poet, undertaker, horror-burlesque king, small-press publisher, show promoter, fake-blood engineer.” —The Boston Phoenix

Where are you, sslounge ......

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:09:21 GMT

I'm really missing the weekly updates you do ..... even more so, now I'm working in a DVD shop!

"The Damned" (1963)

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:07:04 GMT

The other night I watched the obscure British 'nuclear anxiety thriller' The Damned (it's apparently unavailable on DVD or VHS, but Auntie was kind enough to broadcast it on BBC1 as part of their Summer Of British Film horror week.) The other day I posted my thoughts on the film on my own LJ to overwhelming public indifference, so I thought I'd tout them here as well in the hope of a bit of film chat (and also because this film deserves to be talked about as much as possible.) I've also cross-posted to the wonderful cult_movie, so apologies to anyone who is seeing this for the second or even third time! I just feel the need to spread the word as far as possible with this forgotten gem.

Reckoned by many to be Joseph Losey's finest work, it's an atypical Hammer horror about a gang of bikers and two lovebirds who end up inadvertently breaking into a top secret military base on the Dorset coast, and discover the sinister experiments taking place when they meet a strange bunch of beautifully behaved, parentless children. It's one of the best ever films to deal with the nuclear threat, and though the nature of the project is hardly realistic, the results are most upsetting. I couldn't bear the final scene at all and had to put my hands over my ears, and I'm not exactly sentimental in the area concerned! The location camerawork is a splendour of sun-drenched cliffs, sapphire bays and secluded inlets where the sea water laps secretly against the implacable granite face of the cliffs, and fans of the era will enjoy the antics of the biker gang and their thuggish boss Oliver Reed. My favourite sound, the soft whispering of the sea, pervades almost every scene, lulling you into a false sense of peace just waiting to be shattered.

The film's evocation of an imminent nuclear apocalypse is exceptionally well-rendered, on a scale that is personal, philosophical and global. Losey even draws a fascinating parallel between humanity and art, by having one of the supporting characters, Freya, be a professional artist who makes unsettling sculptures out of metal. These objects are far better-made than most bits of art concocted for movies, and when Reed's character is seized with enough fear to smash one to pieces, the viewer understands him. Warped, blackened and deformed like victims of Hiroshima, these statues are not intended to be parodies of humanity or animal life, but rather to represent a 'new kind of man', as one of the scientists says, weird but flourishing. The artist herself is one of the most intriguing characters to ever feature in a horror film. Warm, sensitive but independent and slightly aloof, she stands apart from the brutality of the biker gang and the inhumanity of the military base, and acts as the voice of reason, attempting to debate with both factions the folly of their ways. She remains an enigma to the end, but never bows to the forces of convention, and it is very hard to think of her as a victim.

This isn't a flawless film - some of the acting is quite wooden and the dialogue a little stilted by today's standards, while the action is a bit imbalanced: things take a bit too long to get off the ground, with too little time spent on the army base and too much devoted to the biker gang's misbehaviour. But it's a horrifying film, without a hint of mawkishness, and a flavour all its own.

Anyway if you want a professional's verdict, there's a Senses Of Cinema piece on it here. The piece contains a few spoilers, but it's a great study of how the film both transcends and draws from the sci-fi and horror genres, and tells you a bit about the original novel, H L Lawrence's Children Of The Light, which I'm +very+ keen to read now!

DVD Releases of Note for July 31, 2007

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:56:18 GMT

"The idea of this biography being narrated by a man named (Peter) Graves I find immensely amusing"

BIOGRAPHY: BORIS KARLOFF - THE GENTLE MONSTER A&E Home Video Retail Price: $24.95

"The idea that Lukas "The kid from Witness and Lady in White" Haas is now playing the dad role in films like this ghost story is making me feel old".

THE CRADLE: Genius Retail Price: $19.95

"The strangely inevitable idea of ZOMBIE CLOWNS!"

DEAD CLOWNS: Lionsgate Retail Price: $26.98

"Move over Tokyo! You too Copenhagen! It's Rome's turn to suffer the wrath of a giant monster!"

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH: 50th Anniversary Edition (2-disc special edition): Sony Pictures Retail Price: $24.96

Personal Picks: Ok, we're back to the summer doldrums again. If you have a fondness for giant monsters, then certainly you'll like the Ray Harryhausen animated "Ymir" that is featured in 20 Million Miles to Earth. Otherwise, Wright & Pegg's follow up to Shaun of the Dead Hot Fuzz is also being released today, and while more of an action movie send-up than horror, it does feature a black robed murderer stalking around committing some extremely gruesome murders. It's also more entertaining than I suspect most of the movies here. So that turns out to be my real personal pick for the week.

DVD Releases of Note for July 25, 2007 (special two days later version).

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 03:30:42 GMT

Sorry gang, this would have been on yesterday, except for well...you know.

"Voodoo Priestesses! Inflatable Dolls!"

BLOWN (special edition): SRS Cinema Retail Price: $29.95

"The best monster movie since Jaws. For once I'm being sincere!"

THE HOST (2-disc special edition): Magnolia Retail Price: $29.98

"All resemblances to a certain Jack Finney novel and the three adaptations that have sprung from it is strictly coincidental! Absolutely! Why would a low-budget film studio lie!"

INVASION OF THE POD PEOPLE (special edition): Asylum Retail Price: $24.95

"From the director of Daughters of Darkness!"

MALPERTUIS (2-disc special edition): Barrel Retail Price: $29.95

"Wolfman's Got Nards!"

THE MONSTER SQUAD (2-disc special edition): Lionsgate Retail Price: $19.98

"From the director of Run, Lola, Run an adaptation of a huge bestselling novel in the eighties the inspiration for Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice"

PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER (special edition): Paramount Retail Price: $29.99

"Two words: Boris Karloff."

SUSPENSE: THE LOST EPISODES Infinity Entertainment Retail Price:

"Come to a land where trees grow straight out of the ground with no roots showing! Where Eastern Europe is run by German Burgomeisters who speak with impeccable English Accents! Where a shuffling mummy can catch up with people no matter how fast they run! Welcome to the land of Universal Horror!"

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON: Universal Retail Price: $19.98

DRACULA'S DAUGHTER/SON OF DRACULA: Universal Retail Price: $14.98

THE MUMMY'S HAND/THE MUMMY'S TOMB: Universal Retail Price: $14.98

Personal Picks: Ok, let's get the Universal ones out of the way, this is like the fourth release of some of the movies in the past 9 years, so at if you still haven't gotten around to purchasing any of them before, here's yet another chance. I honestly wouldn't recommend them all unless you REALLY like every single film from this era, and if you do, you probably own all of these. Those wishing to have la cream of the crop, I suggest the following: The Creature from the Black Lagoon . To be absolutely honest, both of the Dracula sequels are better than the actual original, but both don't really compare to the best of that particular era. However, the less said about the interminable Mummy sequels, the better.

Now, as for the rest of the non-Universal films released this week? Well, it seems Perfume, while not quite reaching the heights of Patrick Suskind's original novel, is still an honorable attempt that is plenty entertaining, and The Monster Squad is plenty fun for those who grew up on 80s kid films, but the two most interesting films released this week are The Host, which you haven't seen yet I highly recommend. One of the most charismatically ugly monsters you'll ever see, combined with one of the most cynical views of authority outside of a George Romero film.

The other recommendation (as much as I really would like to see it) is Malpertuis, about a man who must never leave a house so as to inherit a fortune, but in the house with them are Greek gods reborn in human flesh, and Orson Welles as part of the cast. It sounds so genuinely unusual that it definitely deserves a look.

DVD Releases for July 17, 2007

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:41:45 GMT

"What if A & E's Biography decided to do an episode on the director of Tetsuo: Iron Man and Tokyo Fist?"

BASIC TSUKAMOTO (special edition): Pathfinder Retail Price: $24.98

"You'll never look at Spuds Mackenzie the same way again..."

BAXTER: Lionsgate Retail Price: $19.98

"Token J-horror release of the week!"

GHOST TRAIN (special edition): ADV Films Retail Price: $19.98

"It's not like Death Ship....or Ghost Ship either...honest."

HAUNTED BOAT: Lionsgate Retail Price: $26.98

"It's like Shakespeare in Love...but with more cholera and cat mutilations"

MASTERS OF HORROR: THE BLACK CAT (special edition): Anchor Bay Retail Price: $14.98

"Voodoo Fetish Doll terrorizes lawyers! Wait a minute, they're asking us to be worried about what happens to lawyers?!"

THE PROMISE KEEPER: York Retail Price: $24.99

"Guy gets tired of the corporate grind and runs off to small town and gets menaced by a malevolent ghost from beyond the grave...still beats workin' for the man, though."

WITH YOU (special edition): Passion River Retail Price: $19.98

Personal Picks: After a rather sparse couple of weeks, we're back to a nice big list of releases for this week, though of the above, there's only two real stand-outs for me personally. Even if you're not a hardcore Stuart Gordon fan like myself, Gordon's The Black Cat was one of the stronger episodes of the second season of Masters of Horror, with Jeffrey Combs giving his all as Poe himself, on the brink of madness as he faces both writer's block, and the impending death of his bride through cholera. as the premise and the title suggests, he will at least eventually overcome writer's block by writing one of his most well-known stories, but any animal lover who's never read the short story...well considered yourself warned, there's some extreme violence that assorted cats are the targets of within both the Poe story and in the Masters of Horror episode.

The other film of choice this week is Baxter, (a film I ironically saw on a double-bill with the 1934 Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi film entitled The Black Cat). Due to it's videocassette packaging showing the bull terrier with cartoon-style thought balloons, I was expecting something more like a black comedy. Instead, this film about a ruthless bull terrier and his eventually falling into the hands of a young boy who idolizes Hitler, is edgy, bleak and quite unsettling. How intense is it? The tape I rented was stopped halfway through, as Baxter the dog is crawling towards a human baby that he regards as a threat to his home-life, thinking of how to get rid of "it". It appears whoever rented it last felt it was too much and decided to end the viewing experience right there.

I'm not going to say what happens to end that scene...but I will say if you appreciate dark unique films, I think you might want to check it out...

DVD Release of Interest for July 10th, 2007

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:28:19 GMT

Three Films By Hiroshi Teshigahara (Pitfall / Woman In The Dunes / The Face Of Another) Criterion Retail Price: $79.95

There's only one film released this week that deserves more than an apathetic glance like most direct-to-video horror instills in me these days, and that's the above collection from a Japanese New Wave director whose films are closer to horror than what one first assume. There's a good review of Face of Another over here, that you can decide for yourself.

People concerned about he relative paucity of DVD releases should not worry. This is the calm before the storm. In the weeks to come there will be a veritable flood of re-releases (and releases of some long forgotten gems) that will ensure your bank balance hovers dangerously close to zero.

In the mean time, for those of you willing to indulge me, I'd like to ask how do you feel about the state of horror films these days. It seems for American films at least, horror has been relegated to either unoriginal remakes of films that didn't need to be remade in the first place (though that seems to be dying down somewhat) or the current ones that have been dubbed "torture porn" such as Hostel, Saw, Turistas, the upcoming Captivity, etc. Have either the remakes or torture porn yielded any films you'd say are genuinely good films, or are you counting the days till something else comes along that will create an new trend in horror films? Or are you just focusing your interests on getting films from the previous century and couldn't care less about modern horror.

DVD Releases of Interest for July 3rd, 2007

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:27:55 GMT

"Are Sid Haig and Michael Berryman the new Karloff & Lugosi? Naaaah."

DEAD MAN'S HAND: CASINO OF THE DAMNED: Wizard Ent. Retail Price: $19.98

"You really do not want to get on this film's bad side!"

SODOM THE KILLER (special edition): Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters Retail Price: $19.95

"It's a more authentic recreation of the grindhouse experience, but you have to provide your own sleeping hoboes in the seat rows in front of you!"

WELCOME TO THE GRINDHOUSE: EVIL EYE and BLACK CANDLES: Deimos/BCI Eclipse Retail Price: $12.98

Personal Picks: None. Not that these movies aren't worth a look-see, but none really stand out. Take a break and enjoy the summer. You know there'll be better stuff released in the weeks to come...

DVD Releases of Interest for June 26, 2007

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:33:07 GMT

"A really big symbol of feminist empowerment...ok, maybe not."

ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (special edition): Warner Retail Price: $14.98

"postmodern slasher film #236: This time it's a reality show parody!"

BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON (special edition): Anchor Bay Retail Price: $26.98

"has there ever been a ventriloquist's dummy that wasn't horribly evil?"

DEAD SILENCE (unrated special edition): Universal Retail Price: $29.98

"Mary Shelley would spin in her grave, once she learnt what a kaiju was!"

FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (2-disc special edition): Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters Retail Price: $19.95

"Actually considered one of the best giant monster films ever made!

THE GIANT BEHEMOTH (special edition): Warner Retail Price: $14.98

"It's like Blair Witch, but without any faux documentary stuff!"

HAUNTED FOREST: Lionsgate Retail Price: $26.98

"For once it's not the livestock scared of a lonely farmer, but a lonely farmer scared of the livestock!"

ISOLATION: First Look Retail Price: $24.98

"It's a soul-searing portrait of man who loses his job due to corporate apathy. Also: He moves into haunted house in rural Wisconsin!"

LOCKOUT: Lightyear Retail Price: $19.98

"For the record: This set features three Joels and one Mike!"

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Volume 11 (RING OF TERROR, THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN, TORMENTED, HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND; 4-disc set): Rhino Retail Price: $59.95

"The mother of Jason Voorhees in a haunted house movie that's only 30 minutes long!"

PENNY DREADFUL (short; special edition): Cinema Image Retail Price: $9.95

"Zsa Zsa Gabor! Need I say more!"

QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (special edition): Warner Retail Price: $14.98

"Not quite Evil Dead 4, but not quite Holy Virgin vs. The Evil Dead either!"

SHAOLIN VS. EVIL DEAD: ULTIMATE POWER (special edition): Tai Seng Retail Price: $19.95

"Joan Crawford becomes best pals with a Cave Monster I repeat: Joan Crawford becomes best pals with a Cave Monster!"

TROG: Warner Retail Price: $14.98

"homeless kids in a hollow earth...not to mention a serial killer wanting to go heaven, a human bomb and the mob!"

URCHIN: Vanguard Retail Price: $19.95

"It's horror anthology time!"

VISIONS OF HORROR (special edition): Hart Sharp Retail Price: $19.98

"Best title since Naked You Die!"

WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (special edition): Dark Sky Retail Price: $19.98

Personal Picks: Out of the many trashy trashy movies (and I meant that in a good way) released this week, there are a few nuggets that promise more than grade-Z thrills. The Giant Behemoth switched from the usual California surroundings to instead have a radioactive monster rampage through England, which lends the proceedings a more moody bleak feel; With a stronger than usual cast for that time and it appears to be quite possibly one of the best 50s monsters movies ever made. Speaking of England, Isolation sounds like a more interesting than usual modern horror film from there.

(on a related but non-horror note, the French experimental sci-fi short film La Jetee gets a Criterion release. So now is your chance to own a copy of the film that was very loosely adapted into Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys.)

Otherwise, Urchin sounds like exactly the kind of bizarre out of left field independent movies that make digging through Amazon worth it, as it seems like a genuinely original vision at work, while Who Can Kill A Child? is exactly the kind of bleak minor classic that could only have been made in 1970s Europe. If I had to choose any of the above four...then Who Can Kill A Child? is my choice.

Though I must admit, I do hear the siren call of:

Joan Crawford makes best pals with a cave monster!

Special double feature: DVD Releases of Interest for June 12 and 19, 2007

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 03:11:20 GMT

Previously, on DVD Releases of Interest....

"Kabuki Actor falls in love...in other news: The Queen of Demons is on the loose!"

ASHURA (special edition): Animeigo Retail Price: $24.98

"John Candy squirms around crying the mud while wearing only skivvies...In other news: A homicidal clown is on the loose!"

THE CLOWN MURDERS: Image Retail Price: $9.99

"A man travels through a forest because he hears a woman's voice calling to him due to a personal connection...in other news: A giant human-hog monster is on the loose!"

ID: Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters Retail Price: $19.95

"The human race turns on itself as sexually aroused men turn homicidal towards women...in other news: Elliot Gould is still alive and starring in this episode!"

MASTERS OF HORROR: THE SCREWFLY SOLUTION (special edition): Anchor Bay Retail Price: $14.98

"The Japanese government discovers a new substance that allows people to see ghosts...in other news: KILLER GHOST BOY!"

SILK: Tartan Retail Price: $22.95

...and now the thrilling conclusion of DVD Releases of interest!

THE ABANDONED (special edition): Lionsgate Retail Price: $28.98

"80s horror/fairytale anthology that features stories like 'Little Red Jogging Suit'...that should tell you all you need to know"

DEADTIME STORIES: Image Retail Price: $9.99

"Yet another stab at adapting Henry James classic 'Turn of the Screw', this time in modern drag with Leelee Sobieski along for the ride!"

IN A DARK PLACE: First Look Retail Price: $26.99

"...and in a strange coincidence, here's the 1971 prequel to 'Turn of the Screw', with Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beacham along for the ride!"

THE NIGHTCOMERS: Lionsgate Retail Price: $19.98

"annoying punk kids get caught in a train terminal with one absurdly overstuffed backstory of train wrecks, serial killers, and yes, mental asylum experiments gone horribly wrong!"

PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DAMNED: York Retail Price: $24.99

"H.P. Lovecraft's classic tale of communing with the dead as adapted by hackmaster extraordinaire Ulli Lommell, who turns it into a Saw rip-off. Good job Ulli!...good job!"

THE TOMB: Lionsgate Retail Price: $26.98

Personal Picks: Sorry for last week gang, real life caught up with me. Fortunately I have time to do both last week and this week, so first, let me just say the personal pick of last week has to be Joe Dante's Screwfly Solution. Dante seems to have entered a renaissance period while working on the series. Following up his Iraq War zombie with perhaps a more timeless look at misogyny and madness through the lens of a classic science fiction short story, and ends up being one of the highwater marks of the second season.

Of the others, Clown Murders is only of interest to those interested in what Canadian horror was like pre-Cronenberg. While there are a couple of other nuggets of genuine interest for that era out there like Rituals, this is not one of them. As for the Japanese horrors? I bow to there people's expertise in these matters though all three sound interesting in various ways.

This week? The Abandoned is a collaboration of, among others, Nacho Cerda and Richard Stanley, two of modern horror's more interesting creators. While the end result appears to be mixed, it definite seems potent enough to require at least a look-see for one to decide for themselves.

Sadly the rest of this week's choices aren't all that hot. Nightcomers is considered a pointless and embarassing movie for all involved, where the most horrifying thing might be Marlon Brando's attempts at an Irish accent, while In A Dark Place doesn't promise much else than seeing Henry James story get adapted yet again. The less said about the others, the better.

None of these pique your interest? Then may I point point to Criterion's release of IF... starring Malcolm McDowell. It might not be horror, but it's definitely a surreal gem that I'm sure will be of interest for some of you.

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:17:39 GMT

"Tom Savini! Michael Berryman! Caroline Munro! Need I say more?"

THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT: York Retail Price: $24.99

"In space no one can hear...aaaaah, you know the drill."

ALIEN (rerelease): Fox Retail Price: $14.98

"Not even Little Red Riding Hood can stop him!"

BIG BAD WOLF (special edition): Screen Media Retail Price: $24.98

"As remakes go...at least it isn't of a movie released in the past 30 years..."

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (2005; special edition): Image Retail Price: $19.99

"Ulli Lommel had nothing to do with this film!"

CHICAGO MASSACRE: RICHARD SPECK (special edition): Lionsgate Retail Price: $26.98

"Nothing says evil incarnate like a three headed rubber dragon!"

GHIDORAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (special edition): Classic Media/Genius Ent. Retail Price: $19.95

"Nothing says evil incarnate like a three headed rubber dragon teaming a robotic version of Godzilla!"

INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER (a.k.a. MONSTER ZERO; special edition): Classic Media/Genius Ent. Retail Price: $19.95

"Token J-Horror release for the week, sounduing a little bit of a retread of Tetsuo!"

MEATBALL MACHINE (special edition): TLA Retail Price: $19.99

"Giant Aquarium Fish menace Ernest Borgnine and Ben Gazarra! in a film that could only have been made in 1970s Canada!"

THE NEPTUNE FACTOR: Fox Retail Price: $19.98

"Last but not least, Herve Villechaize, Dark Shadows' Jonathan Frid and Sister Hyde herself Martine Beswick in a film by Oliver Freakin' Stone!"

SEIZURE Telavista Retail Price: $24.95

Personal Picks: We're definitely on the trashier side of the horror spectrum this week with Alien being the highest profile film on the list. If you like the film and still haven't picked up a copy here you go. I was never a big fan of it, but if you are, knock yourself out.

Otherwise, unless you're a hardcore Godzilla collector, I suggest renting before buying any of the above...