1 GR8T Horror List: Horror Done Southern Style

I'm still mourning this season's end of True Blood. I so enjoyed the idea behind the series. I mean, come on, what could be better than southern vampires?! It got me back in touch with my hillbilly roots. But alas, True Blood will not be returning until this summer, which is too damn long to wait, and I'm still jonesing for some good down home horror. But what to watch?

Sure, there's plenty of slasher films out there with the stereotypical psycho rednecks and inbred hillbillies, but I wanted something a little different. There's more to the South than shotgun and ax toting psychopaths. Right?

With that in mind, I started a list of some of my favorite southern style horror flicks. Some are old, some are somewhat new, but all will have that unique backwoods/southern flair. And before you ask, no, Deliverance isn't on the list. I'm sorry, but the line "squeal like a pig," just doesn't git 'r done any more.


1.Pumpkinhead (1988)



This little gem tells the story of Ed Harley (Lance Henrikson), a widowed dad running an old fashioned country store that caters mainly to poor hillfolk. When a group of city kids with dirt bikes stop by the store on the way to their cabin in the woods, Ed's son little Billy goes outside to watch the boys kick up some dirt on their bikes and gets hit and killed in the process.
Devastated, Ed seeks the aid of an old witch, who conjures up Pumpkinhead, a vengeance demon, to avenge Billy's death. Later regretting his decision, Ed tries to thwart the demon and save the city kids, but slowly comes to realize that he is tied to the demon in more ways than one.



This is one movie that I've never grown tired of. From the creepy backwoods shanties to the dirty, cover-all wearing kids chanting the Pumpkinhead rhyme, its hillbilly horror at its best. Honestly though, I can't say who looked more scary, the demon or the witch what conjured him!


2.Slither (2006)



This sweet sci-fi flick pays homage to the classic B movie sci-fi monsters of yesteryear.
When a meteorite from outerspace crashes in the woods outside of a small town, it unleashes an alien horror on the unsuspecting citizens. Slimy, red alien slugs soon threaten to overtake the town as they slither their way into the bodies of their human hosts, transforming them into hideous malformed creatures.



This movie is a perfect blend of black humor and sci-fi horror, with scenes that will have you jumping in your seat one minute and rolling with laughter the next. And just wait 'til you see the mutated "tick" lady in the barn!


3.The Gift (2000)



Ok, this might be categorized more as a thriller/mystery than a horror flick, but it's got ghosts, so close enough!
Cate Blanchett plays Annie Wilson, a widowed mother of three struggling to get by in a small backwater town by using her "gift" as a clairvoyant to help make ends meet, giving psychic readings out of her home. Harassed by a client's angry redneck boyfriend, worried about her unstable mechanic friend Buddy, and haunted by visions of a murdered debutante's ghost, Annie seems to constantly find herself in the midst of unwanted drama. Then when the local sheriff comes calling to ask Annie for help in solving the debutante's murder, she discovers that her visions could end up costing her more than her time and patience. They could end up costing her her life.



Seeing Cate Blanchett play a southern plain jane mom of three was different, but watching Keanu Reeves get his redneck on was just weird. But to my surprise, he actually did a decent job of it. I'd say Hilary Swank, who played his abused wife, had the bruises to testify to that. And Katie Holmes playing as the murdered debutante and two - no- three timing fiance of the sensitive school principal (Greg Kinnear) did a great job, but then acting like a hussy in one scene then a water-logged ghost the next takes talent. I just don't know if Tom would have approved of her wicked little ways.


4.Cabin Fever (2002)



A group of horny coeds head out to the woods for some rural relaxation and end up getting more than they bargained for. Something's in the water and it's catching... and slowly eating them alive.



This was an okay flick with some decent gore and good suspenseful action. It's a flesh-eating disease done down home style. And the redneck body dump by the waterin' hole was classic,but still predictable. You just knew there was gonna be a sequel. Soooo Hollywood.


5.The Reaping (2007)



Hilary's back again, this time playing disillusioned Christian missionary turned Atheist scientist/miracle debunker Katherine Winter. When Katherine is called in to debunk the claim that the biblical 10 plagues of Egypt have come to a backwater Louisiana town called Haven, her hard core atheist attitude gets rattled. While there she discovers that a little girl is at the center of the mystery, not to mention she's also a suspect in her brother's murder.



While Katherine struggles to uncover the truth that has been hidden by the seemingly harmless townfolk, she soon finds herself and the strange little girl in a fight for their lives, and possibly even their souls.
I admit, I've always been a sucker for religious horror flicks and this film really hit the spot, especially since we've got good ol' southern religious fanatics around to up the suspense ante.


6.An American Haunting (2005)



This is the retelling of an old Tennessee ghost story from the 1800's that actually made it into the history books.
John Bell is a well-to-do Tennessee farmer with a large family who suddenly finds his peaceful existence threatened by an unseen malevolent spirit. The spirit takes a special liking to his favorite daughter Betsy, torturing the teenage girl unmercifully to exact revenge against John Bell for some unknown wrong. Soon the entire Bell family is held in the grip of terror, never knowing how or when the evil spirit will strike next.



Now, the film is based partly on actual recorded events that supposedly took place in and around the Bell family home in Red River, TN. between the years 1818-1820. Some claimed it was an evil spirit conjured up by Kate Batts, a neighbor who believed John Bell had wronged her and gotten away with it. Others believe it was Kate herself haunting the family... I dunno, maybe she was an astral traveling witch?
The whole incest angle added into the ending of the film however is pure conjecture with no proof to support it, so don't go running off telling all your friends that the south has been irrefutably proven to be the incest capital of the world. We're still trying to convince people that we actually wear shoes!


7.The Skeleton Key (2005)



There's more conjurin' going on in this film, but this time it's done hoodoo style. Kate Hudson plays Caroline Harris, a hospice worker who takes a job as a caretaker for an invalid named Ben at his creepy New Orleans plantation. Already finding it hard to adjust to the isolation and Ben's frigid wife Violet, Caroline soon begins experiencing strange phenomena around the huge old house that only add to her already frayed nerves.



After discovering a mysterious locked door in the attic, Caroline makes it her personal mission to discover what secrets are locked within. After pilfering the skeleton key and unlocking the door, she finds a macabre and strange collection of objects, the most intriguing being an old phonograph recording and a picture of two black house servants that once worked at the plantation. Before Caroline even realizes it, she is neck deep in the mystery that surrounds that dark little attic room and the darker secrets it holds.
Actually, I thought the film was a little over-the-top with the stereotypical images and characters, but all in all it was an interesting thriller with the added bonus of dark magic and mayhem.


8.Dead Birds (2004)



It's Lovecraft meets the American Civil War in this demonic horror tale.
A group of Confederate soldiers turned thieves rob a bank holding a large sum of Confederate gold, but everything goes awry when the robbery turns quickly into a bloodbath. Now on the run for Mexico, the group takes refuge in a deserted Alabama plantation overnight to escape a raging storm, but while there, they get anything but a good night's sleep! This plantation has a secret, a deep dark secret that involves the previous family, strange magical rites, and monstrous beings that haunt the very walls in which the fugitive gang is now hiding.
The story itself was interesting, mainly due to the fact that it is set during the Civil War. I dunno, I guess I just expect Lovecraftian style stories to all take place around the early 1900's with men dressed in waistcoats and smoking jackets. Weird, but true. Anyway, the concept was unique in that one respect, but overall the film itself could have been done better. Still, it was a decent flick and kept me amused. The little demon kiddies are sooo cute!




Well, that's it for my backwoods round up of favorite horror flicks. If I think of any more, I'll be sure to give ya a holler. Hope y'all have a good'n!

Cheers ~

Do You Remember... The CAR

Before King's sweet Christine, there was the CAR! Released in theaters in 1977, I didn't get a chance to witness the terror of mechanized evil until around 1979 or so when it aired on NBC. I was about seven and had until that point never seen a horror movie, so I guess you could say The Car got my horror flick cherry... and I LOVED IT!
It was the first time I remember being scared and actually liking it. What a creepy thrill it was to watch the Car from hell run down hapless bicyclists, drive through a house to make a kill and chase terrified women and kids with demonic glee. It was freakin' awesome!



The storyline goes like this: A small desert town in California becomes the killing ground of a mysterious black car that runs down, runs over and runs through its victims, leaving a trail of mangled bodies in its wake. Enter lawman Wade Parent played by James Brolin. Even as Wade is trying to track down the killer car, it's stalking his family and friends and making road kill out of the town's good citizens. Imagine his horror when he learns that... there's no driving the car! "Is it a phantom, a demon, or the devil himself?" (I can still remember the announcer saying that.)



What is lurking behind that amber tinted windshield?! It's hell on wheels, baby!

Finally Wade and his posse lure the Car into a canyon with Wade as the bait, and the ensuing battle culminates in an explosive showdown of man vs. (demonically possessed) machine.

I have to say that old Lincoln Mark III with Satan as its wheel man still holds a special (and darkly evil) place in my heart. Even after seeing that "other" killer car movie, The Car will always be The killer car, at least in my book.

So, if ya get a chance, and think you'd like to experience a favorite childhood memory of HoRRor-FieD's mad mistress, moi, then check out The Car. It's a helluva ride.

Cheers ~

NEW Friday the 13th Official Trailer

If the frustrating minute long teaser trailer for the Friday the 13th remake got your motor running, then get ready to rev it up a few more RPMs. The official trailer is finally out! February is just too damn long to wait, people!

FRIDAY the 13th




Synopsis: Returning to the story that started it all, this retelling of the original Friday the 13th heads back to summer camp where a mysterious killer is systematically slaughtering the teenage camp counselors.

Genres: Suspense/Horror and Remake

Release Date: February 13th, 2009

Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution

Studios: New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures

Filming Locations: Austin, Texas USA

News: Dark Shadows Returns

In 1966 ABC aired a soap called Dark Shadows, a gothic horror tale that centered around a main character, vampire Barnabas Collins. Even today the soap still has a fan base, though the show itself went off the air in 1971.



Years later, NBC tried to bring back the show with a prime time spin. It was duly titled Dark Shadows The Revival. Sadly, the night time soap didn't fare too well and was canceled after only 12 episodes, though fans - approximately 50, 000 of them - fought valiantly to keep it on the air. Barnabas was laid to rest once more.



Now, some forty years later, good ol' Barnabas is back again, at least that's the official rumor. This time however we get to see the enigmatic vamp on the big screen. And none other than Johnny Depp will be playing the character.

BUT...

At the present moment, all talks about production have been put on hold because dear John has run off to play pirate again.... Captain Jack Sparrow that is. Yep, we got a fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series coming out. So Barnabas hasn't crawled out of his coffin just yet, at least not until Depp works his way through his other film projects first.



Depp claims that it has been a dream of his to play Barnabas Collins since he was just a kid. Let's hope his childhood dreams will eventually become a reality so that the rest of us can once again enjoy Dark Shadows and its menagerie of monsters and creatures of the night.

Oh, and just to throw you another little bone to pick at, Tim Burton's name has also been attached to the film. Who better to direct a remake of such gothic proportions?

Cheers ~

Movie Preview: Trick r' Treat

Here's a little something for horror fans to look forward to...



Director: Michael Dougherty
Writer (WGA): Michael Dougherty (written by)
Release Date: DTBA 2009
Genre: Comedy; Drama; Horror; Thriller

Synopsis: Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband.

Sadly it won't be released at theaters until next year, if at all. It was first slated to hit theaters in 2007, then got bumped from the schedule. Then it was decided that this year would be the year, until it was again shuffled around until it fell off the radar. This just goes to show you that, yes, Hollywood is being run by a pack of mentally and socially handicapped rejects with no sense of what an audience likes anymore. I for one am sick and F'n' tired of watching movies with nothing more to offer than new and creative ways to hack up a body. I'm ready for some good old fashioned ghost stories and horror tales myself, the stuff that used to actually scare me instead of gross me out. And... shock, gasp... they actually have people who can act in this one!
Mark H Harris from about.com's Horror and Suspense blog gave the movie a raving review, which only makes me want to see this even more. You can check out the review here...
http://horror.about.com/od/theatricalhorrorreviews/fr/trickrtreatrev.htm

Seriously, could you imagine what kind of fun this would be to go see on Halloween?! And to think those idiot dumb asses in Tinsel Town didn't have the common sense to pull their heads out of their overpaid butts long enough to release this in time for Halloween. Morons :-p

News: ANGEL FIGHT!!! Milton's 'Paradise Lost' Heading for the Big Screen

"Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heaven."
-Paradise Lost

Spoken like a true sadist. Or director Scott Derrickson [director, The Exorcism of Emily Rose]. Derrickson, who is set to see the big screen release of his latest project 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' on December 12, has confirmed that 'Paradise Lost' is now in the development stage of production.




Paradise Lost is the 17th century poem written by John Milton about Lucifer's falling out with God, the resulting battle for Heaven, and his eventual forced exit, as well as his interaction with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which ended with their expulsion from garden.

Can you say, "The Devil made me do it?" Eh, it didn't work for Adam and Eve either.




In an interview with SciFi Wire, Derrickson spoke about the challenges of bringing the epic poem to life:

... It's a challenge from a budgetary standpoint, because you've got to create heaven, hell and the Garden of Eden is still part of the story. But the gift of the story, from a budgetary standpoint, is those three locations are really the locations of the movie, and so it's not like The Lord of the Rings, where you've got that kind of scale but you're changing locations all the time. ...

I think that the creation of heaven is the thing that's the most challenging, but it's also the thing where I think we're making the most headway and developing ideas that are really, really fantastic. I mean, there are some visual ideas that are coming to the table that I haven't ... seen before. ... For me, the big touchstone directive for doing this is physicality. ... There's a lot of CGI in Day the Earth Stood Still, because I thought the material--like the spheres, these sort of things--were suited to what CGI does well, you know, in that you can get a realism from it that's better than using real materials. ...

--- Source: Sci Fi Wire - http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=62650

While tackling the daunting task of bringing Heaven and Hell to life on the movie screen, Derrickson admitted that he's not beyond asking for a little sage advice. He reported that he will be tapping the shoulder of visual mastermind director Guillermo del Toro for ideas, claiming that he is "going to have dinner with him [del Toro] later this month to talk..."

Wouldn't you like to be a fly swarming around that table!

Luckily for Derrickson, budget won't be a big issue when making the film. Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures are collaborating in the production of the film and "they really seem to be behind the vision of this movie." Derrickson said. So apparently the studios are willing to fork over the big bucks to make this new project a mega-success.




I myself will be curious to see who takes down the role of the fallen angel Lucifer. Derrickson, of course, was hush-hush about the actors being considered for the part, claiming, "I'm doing one more polish with the writer [Stuart Hazeldine] on the script, and then we're going to send it out, so I wouldn't want the actors who I have in mind to hear about it."

Oh, Scott, you old tease!

Because making Heaven a reality is a complicated process, no release date, tentative or otherwise, has been set. Since talk about the film has been circulating for as far back as 2006, we can only hope that the heavenly battle will ensue within the next few years. 'Til then I'll keep my eyes peeled for updates and any random news about angels plummeting from the sky.

Cheers ~

Movie Trailer: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince

For all the Potter fans and Hogwarts wannabes, thought I'd share the new movie trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, slated to open in theaters 07.17.09. So dust off your wands and get your ceremonial robes dry cleaned.



Cheers ~

Review: Just Watched... Let the Right One In

It's a rare event when a person can use such words as 'poignant' and 'touching' to describe a vampire flick, but after watching 'Let the Right One In', I have to say, these words hit closest to home.

'Let the Right One In' is a Swedish vampire film directed by Tomas Alfredson. The story centers around a 12 year old boy named Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), a lonely kid living with his divorced mom in a dreary Stockholm apartment.


Kare Hedebrant

Oskar is a quiet loner, ignored by everyone except the school bullies, who go out of their way to give him their full attention. When Oskar isn't at school getting picked on, he spends his time collecting news clips about gruesome murders and dreaming of the day he himself can exact revenge.


Lina Leandersson

Enter Eli (Lina Leandersson). Eli is also 12, "more or less," and is also a loner in her own right. Like most vampires, Eli has a "Renfield," a human servant who helps feed the need and guard her safety. The pair move into the apartment next door to Oskar. Trapped indoors throughout the daylight hours, Eli escapes to the outside play area of the apartment complex after dark, and that is where she and Oskar first encounter each other. After a few awkward meetings, the two 'tweens strike up an unlikely friendship that grows into something more as the two come to truly understand one another.

As the story played out, I found myself sympathizing with young Eli the vampire. Though the film never elaborates how or when she is turned into a vampire, the script is written well enough that we still get the sadness of Eli's story without having to actually hear it spelled out for us. The same can be said about poor Oskar as well. It is this unspoken sadness and forced isolation that brings the two together and makes you sympathize and eventually root for them. I have to admit though, I was kinda worried there for Oskar a time or two. I mean, you can just tempt a hungry vamp so many times!

This was by no means a big budget film, but what it lacked in finances Alfredson made up for it with ingenuity and a keen sense for storytelling through imagery. Though he never went overboard with the blood and carnage (at least not by American standards), he still managed to make the attack scenes tense and frightening.



At this moment, if I had to pick a favorite for a good foreign horror film, Let the Right One In would be it. You get a surprisingly touching yet interesting story, great writing, great acting, and a damn fine job of directing by Alfredson. That being said, it should come as no surprise that the film has already been tagged for an American makeover. Since the original film was adapted from the novel Let the Right One In - a.k.a.- Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, I'm curious to see how Hollywood will put their own little spin on this twice told tale of young vampire love.

I give 'Let the Right One In' a solid thumbs up. This is one foreign film you won't be disappointed with.


Cheers ~

Let the Right One In

Rating: R (for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language).

Running time: 1:54.

Starring: Kare Hedebrant (Oskar); Lina Leandersson (Eli); Per Ragnar (Hakan); Henrik Dahl (Erik); Karin Bergquist (Yvonne); Peter Carlberg (Lacke).

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson; written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, based on his novel; photographed by Hoyte van Hoytema; edited by Dino Jonsater and Alfredson; music by Johan Soderqvist; production designed by Eva Noren; produced by John Nordling and Carl Molinder. A Magnet release. In Swedish with English subtitles.

Lovecraftian Fans Rejoice: del Toro Directing 'At the Mountains of Madness'

HP Lovecraft - 'At the Mountains of Madness'

For those HP Lovecraft fans who have bemoaned for years the lack of good Lovecraftian representation in horror cinema, cry no more. In an interview with Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II) for Sci Fi Wire, the director spoke briefly about making 'At the Mountains of Madness', a classic Lovecraft tale.


del Toro - 'Pan's Labyrinth'

Sci Fi wrote:
With regard to At the Mountains of Madness, I'd love to see you tackle H.P. Lovecraft in a way that hasn't been done.

del Toro:
Me too. Me too. ... Part of the arrangement with Universal--in being essentially there for now until 2017--part of the arrangement was they would finance research and development for Mountains of Madness. And we are doing it. There are many technical tools in creating the monsters that don't exist, and we need to develop them. The creatures, Lovecraft's creatures, the tools that exist for CG and the materials that exist for makeup effects, you need to push them to get there, and we're going to push them.

source: Sci Fi Wire - http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=3&id=62063

I for one am thrilled to learn that del Toro is so committed to the Lovecraft project and can't wait to see what this cinematic visionary does with the story.


HP Lovecraft

Lovecraft is undoubtedly a true master of mythic horror, his work far ahead of its time. Artists and film makers have struggled for years to capture the "face" of Lovecraft's creations, the literary descriptions so fantastic and beyond comprehension, it has become near impossible to depict them in a true, and dare I say, favorable light. I'm very curious to see what del Toro has planned for Lovecraft's Old Ones, and am very impressed with his dedication to this particular project, insisting that Universal finance the research needed to bring Lovecraft's vision to life.

Don't get too excited, though, because The Hobbit and its sequel, which del Toro is currently working on with director Peter Jackson (LOTR trilogy), aren't scheduled to hit theaters until 2011 and 2012, respectively, it'll probably be a while, at least five years some speculate, until we see anything else from del Toro.
But cut the guy some slack. del Toro has a full dance card, the Hobbit, its sequel and At the Mountains of Madness aside. He also plans to tackle the remakes of Frankenstein as well as Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, plus the next installation of Hellboy III. Our favorite fantasy/horror director is a busy, busy boy! I am beyond anxious to see all these finished products in theaters in the next few years.

Cheers ~

Moone

King is at it again, branching out and testing new mediums, this time collaborating with Marvel Comics and Simon & Schuster to create a one-of-a-kind web serial for his new short story 'N'. The short story is set to be released in his new collection of short stories entitled Just After Sunset on 11.11.08. One edition of the collection will contain a companion DVD that will include the horror comic video 'N'.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Stephen King's 'N'

Underworld 3 Movie Trailer

Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans



Synopsis: A prequel-sequel to the Underworld series, the story behind the Lycans' rebellion against their masters, the vampires, which leads to the present on-going war between the species.

Cast: Rhona Mitra, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Grevioux, Craig Parker, Tania Nolan, Jared Turner

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos

Studio: Screen Gems

Release Date: January 23, 2009

The Haunting in Connecticut: Movie Trailer and Original Discovery Channel Documentary

The Haunting in Connecticut



Synopsis: Based on a true story that became a Discovery Channel documentary and now a feature film, The Haunting in Connecticut follows a family's tribulations as they move to a new home in order to help their ailing son, only to discover that it's haunted.

Cast: Virginia Madsen, Amanda Crew, Elias Koteas, Martin Donovan, Kyle Gallner, D.W. Brown, Ty Wood

Director: Peter Cornwell

Studio: Lionsgate

Release Date: TBD 2009

Source: about.com Horror and Suspense - http://horror.about.com/od/2009horrortrailers/a/trlr_hauntingct.htm

I actually remembered seeing the 2 hour long documentary on Discovery Channel, with interviews with the actual family, the Parkers. From the trailer, I'm guessing that the film took some liberties changing the story to make it more suspenseful and scary, but honestly the doc was scary enough without the adlib of the film writers. And if I'm not mistaken, I think that this documentary, along with A Haunting in Georgia helped launch their popular 1 hour long series A Haunting.



For those who haven't seen the documentary, I've added my playlist of the original documentary here so everyone could get a better, more factual telling of the story. It's YouTube video, so the doc is broken down into 9 segments, but if you can get over that little aggravation, then I think you will all enjoy it.

Review: Just Read... Tunnels by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams

What can I say about Tunnels except that it is an awesome dark adventure novel. Written for younger readers, it still satisfies the adult adventure lover as well. With an exciting plot, vividly wild locations and interesting, detailed characters, the book is a page turner that's hard to put down. It's the modern day version of Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth with the added touch of horror that gives the book a definitive edge when compared to most adventure novels being published today.

First self-published by the authors under the title The Highfield Mole in 2005, the book caught the attention of the publishers at Chicken House Ltd. who quickly signed the authors, then revised and re-released the book under the title Tunnels in 2007. It became a worldwide hit, and now is in the process of becoming a major motion picture.

The story centers around young teen Will Burrows. Will comes from a somewhat dysfunctional London family. His mum is a television addict who spends all her time in front of the TV. His younger sister is a strict taskmaster who basically runs the household. His father is an eccentric museum curator and ex collegiate archaeologist who bemoans his boring existence and the lost opportunities in his life. And Will, Will is a sad outcast and loner, ostracized for his unusual appearance and odd ways.
The only good thing in Will's life is his love of archaeology, a passion he inherited from his father. Father and son share this one common bond - a passion for digging, and it's this digging that leads them to a discovery that neither are prepared for.
When Dr. Burrows suddenly goes missing, rumors fly that he has deserted his family. Will refuses to believe this, so with the help of his only friend Chester, Will sets out to track down clues to his dad's disappearance. Stalked by mysterious tall, pale strangers who watch their every step, Will and Chester soon find themselves in more danger than they bargained for. And when he finds a hidden tunnel in his own basement, a tunnel secretly dug by his father, the danger becomes more real than ever, for this tunnel leads deep into the bowels of the earth where another world exists. There he discovers a world that is mysterious, timeless and vast beyond imagination, and its inhabitants are like the beings of dreams... and nightmares.

The story is a fast-paced and exciting adventure, if a bit scary and sinister at times, and is all in all a wonderful read. After reading Tunnels I'm hooked and can't wait to read the sequel Deeper. If it's anything like the first novel, it should be one helluva a great story.

My rating: 4 skulls on the creep meter. I'd easily give it 5 overall, but the story really is more adventure than horror, thus I shaved a point off.


Tunnels is available @ Amazon.com now, both new and used copies:

http://www.amazon.com/Tunnels-Book-1-Roderick-Gordon/dp/0439871778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222395679&sr=1-1

Deeper will be released in hardcover on Amazon February 3, 2009, but can be pre-ordered:

http://www.amazon.com/Deeper-Roderick-Gordon/dp/0439871786/ref=pd_sim_b_5


Tunnels Websites:
http://www.tunnelsthebook.com/
http://www.tunnelsdeeper.com/
http://www.topsoiler.com/

Cheers ~

News: Sci Fi Drive-In Brings Back Oldies but Goodies

I just love it when I find something good to share. And this is definitely worth sharing. SCIFI.COM has added a very cool feature to their site, which I just happened to find while trolling for a new Ghost Hunter's episode. It's called SCIFI Drive-In and it features some of the coolest old school sci-fi and horror/suspense video I've seen in a while.

http://www.scifi.com/drivein/

The "Drive-In" is split up into 5 categories: Shows; Movies; Serials; Shorts; Trailers.

Shows include classics like Rod Serling's Night Gallery, Buck Rogers and the original Battlestar Gallactica. Night Gallery always rocked and IMO beat Twilight Zone hands down for wickedly scary plots.


Movies category has some awesome goodies to offer as well, featuring silver screen classics like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (copyright 1916), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and the mother of all sci-fi films- Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902- French). There are several more classic B&W sci-fi/horror/suspense films as well... too many to list.









Serials features some golden age movie serials that classic sci-fi buffs will adore: The Lost City, Radar Men From the Moon, and Undersea Kingdom.

Shorts- I think this was one of my favorite stops. It has some interesting and often funny documentaries from yesteryear's generation. My favorite had to be "Leave It To Roll-Oh" but the Chevy ads are pretty funny as well... makes you want to shop, sing and dance all at the same time.

Trailers- I just wish these old movie trailers were the full length films! But they are fantastic nonetheless, showing off the talents of such movie legends as Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Abbot and Costello, and even showcases Francis Ford Coppola's directorial debut- Dimentia 13, as well as Roger Corman- horror/suspense director extraordinaire.









And as always the current shows that SciFi is offering are online: Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Scare Tactics, Eureka, Destination Truth and Battlestar Gallactica at SciFi Rewind: http://www.scifi.com/rewind/

Ah, yeah, there's a little something here for everyone. So, grab the popcorn and sodas, turn down the lights and enjoy!

Cheers ~

Review: Just Read... The Ruins by Scott Smith

I admit I haven't seen the movie yet... and now I'm not sure that I want to! Not because the book sucked- just the opposite- but once you've read the book, the movie would have to be pretty damn good to equal Scott Smith's awesome story-telling.
Smith writes in a clean, no-nonsense style that puts you in the moment and makes it real without over-romanticizing the characters and situations. It's not a bunch of flowery prose or long-winded dialog, yet he's able to hit on the subtleties of the story- the characters, their emotions, their mentality- and does it in a plain spoken manner.
The story itself starts out simple enough. Two young couples on the verge of the rest of their lives decide to take a vacation to Mexico and while there befriend a nice but reserved German and a trio of fun loving Greeks. All is sun and fun until the German confides that his brother has gone sniffing after a pretty archaeologist to some remote dig in the jungle, and feeling responsible for his sibling, tells his new friends he must go and get him. The couples volunteer to go along as well as one of the Greeks, and with nothing but a hastily scribbled note and roughly sketched map to explain their whereabouts, the group sets off on their adventure.
Soon the group finds themselves deep in the heart of the jungle, hiking along a dirt road that eventually leads them to a poor village. Again and again they are warned to turn back, but not understanding the danger, push ahead only to later find themselves virtually trapped at the strangely abandoned ruins, with little food or water to sustain them and no means of escape.
Smith weaves this story of suspense like a true master, keeping the reader on edge while tapping into their basest fears. It's a great read, taut and suspenseful up to the very last page.

Rating ~ 10 skulls on the creep meter.

Cheers~

Just Watched... Dracula's Guest

Oh, how can I sum up this movie in a few simple words... hella-bad; hella-lame; hella-waste-of-time...

The film is loosely based (and I use the word "loosely" in its loosest sense) on an excised piece of the original Dracula manuscript. Not as popular as the well known novel from which it came, this uber-short story is only a few pages long, really just an extended blurb. The entire short story is actually comprised into one scene in the film, the rest of the scenes pure ad-lib. Though originally meant to be included in the novel, Bram Stoker's publisher eventually cut it due to its length in addition to the length of the rest of the story. It was later published as a short story two years after Stoker's death in 1914. For those who have never read it and are curious, the excerpt can be found here... http://www.literature.org/authors/stoker-bram/draculas-guest/

Now back to the movie.

The main character is Bram Stoker himself, portrayed by Wes Ramsey, a curly-headed lad with so-so looks and amateurish acting skills... and he's one of the better players in this flick. Dracula is played by Andrew Bryniarski- you know, the guy who played Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw remakes. He also did a couple of football flicks- Friday Night Lights and Any Given Sunday. Those roles suited him. Bryniariski is a former body builder, a hulk of a man, not really how you would envision Dracula, so I was immediately put off by the character. It got even worse when the scenes came up with him wearing his fangs. Bless the man, he could hardly utter his lines around them (in a terribly bad accent, I might add), and in close-up shots, he appears to be trying to keep from biting his lip. I can only imagine how many re-takes had to be done because of the drool leaking from his mouth.

The plot veers wildly from the short story, stealing snatches of the storyline from Dracula. The characters of the movie begin to take on the characteristics from the Dracula novel, Stoker becoming the clone of Jonathan Harker, Elizabeth (Kelsey McCann), Stoker's love interest, mirrors Mina, and Elizabeth's father, Admiral Murray, has a Van-Helsing-ish air about him.

Watching this movie play out was like watching a fifth grade class put on a play. The actors were stiff and stilted, not believable in their roles at all. The set designs and special effects were laughable. In one scene I noticed that a couple of candle sconces hanging on the wall were actually electric, the "flames" were the flame shaped bulbs like your mom has in the dining room chandelier fixture. In another scene you'll see Elizabeth lying on a twin mattress covered up with a comforter that looks like it came from JCPenney's. But that's nit-picking, right? Well, pay close attention to the castle scenes. I thought the walls looked odd for some reason. Why? Because it was filmed in a friggin' mausoleum! At least old Drac had a place to stuff the bodies after he sucked 'em dry.
And that's another oddity in this film. Seeing as how it's Dracula, you would expect him to actually bite a few people, show a little blood-letting in there somewhere. So help me, they only showed the vampire actually biting someone once and the scene immediately cuts away- no close-ups of fangs in neck, no blood, nothing! Boo on you, Mr. Director.

But I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh on the director Michael Feifer. Not only did he write and direct the film, he also produced it and played a bit part as a carriage driver. He was a busy man! Heck, even one of the casting directors- Caia Coley- had to pull double duty, playing the role as Elizabeth's mother Mrs. Murray.

All I can say about this film is that it must have been a labor of love for Feifer, for surely it wasn't meant to make him any money. The plot is lame, leap-frogging from one scene to another with no fluidity or sense of continuation in the story, leaving you with the sense that something has been left out- like important explanatory scenes.
The direction is less than mediocre, a lot of shots poorly done- some badly lit, some just not making much sense. I mean, why do a close-up of Dracula's mouth so that it reminds you of your dog coming up and licking the lens on your camcorder?
As for the cast and crew, the majority of them must have been hired from the freshman class at the local film school. For the only actual known actor in this film, Bryniariski, I can only guess he either owed Feifer a huge favor or needed some quick cash to pay his light bill.

My rating ~ -2 on the creep meter. This film gives B movies a bad name...

Cheers~