Kevin Lucia's Things Slip Through is a collection of short stories that reads more like a novel due to the importance of the wrap-around story and the way the tales interconnect. There's a bit of the tone of The Twilight Zone and Amazing Stories in this enjoyable (and too short!) read. And, of course, many readers will recognize the connections to tales and creatures of H. P. Lovecraft throughout the book. 

The descriptions in Things Slip Through are extremely vivid. With simple phrases, Lucia paints pictures of familiar and yet terrifying creatures. Having read other works by Mr. Lucia, I'd say this is one signature of his, and he uses his skills as a writer to draw in the reader without exposing the seams of the work.

In my introductory review, I stated that Sheriff Chris might regret wanting to know more about the mysterious town and its inhabitants. Sure enough... And the tales don't disappoint. In most of the stories, a run-down, sinister house plays a part, manipulating time and emotions to create outcomes of its own design. Still, Chris needs to know more about this house – and other things – if he's to “do his job.”

Other stories feature a spell book (though it's not specified in the stories, I would bet most readers can guess which one) that conjures creatures that can grant any and every wish. Then there's the road where residents mysteriously disappear – or find themselves. And some tales hint at other strange locations within the town, such as a hospital in which patients are “transferred” and never heard from again; or an old store containing strange and powerful artifacts (Ia! Ia! Ia!). Miskatonic University even makes a brief appearance, through a professor that can make people “disappear” with unique creations of his own. 

One of my favorite stories in the collection (and it's difficult to choose just one!) is “The Gate and the Way,” featuring reoccurring character Jesse Kretch. He's a man that has been trapped by his own mind due to events that haunt him from his childhood. But in a town like Clifton Heights, changing the past is not impossible. 

The wrap-around story, with Gavin and the Sheriff, pulls everything together nicely. All in all, a great collection, and I suspect we'll be seeing more from these interesting characters.

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Nancy O. Greene started writing at the age of nine. Her short story collection, Portraits in the Dark, received a brief mention in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007. Other works have appeared or will appear in ChiZine; Lovecraft eZine; Cemetery Dance; Tales of Blood and Roses; Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror; Shroud Publishing's The Terror at Miskatonic Falls; Dark Recesses; Flames Rising; Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!; and others. She has a BA in Cinematic Arts (Critical Studies) and a minor in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Southern California, and is a former Fellow of Film Independent's Project: Involve.

I remember the Blue Sunshine VHS sitting on my parent’s shelf right in between The Big Chill and M.A.S.H. Like most of my parents video selections, I regarded it as some boring adult crap about feelings and relationships. I asked my parents at some point what the film was about, being slightly intrigued by the trippy box cover. “Grown-up hippies”, my mom replied. That was the last thing I wanted to watch during my teens years. Thus, I returned to my gory slashers and forgot about Blue Sunshine until many years later. What my parents neglected to tell me is that BlueSunshine may be about hippies who are all grown-up, but it is also a disturbing little horror flick!  

Trip on this: In 1978, several people begin displaying extremely strange and homicidal behavior.  After exhibiting symptoms of hair loss and headaches, victims go into a homicidal rage.  All these cases are traced back to a particular brand of LSD each one of the victims took 10 years prior while students at Stanford. The hippies are going mad! 

Back in the late 60’s, after Hitchcock but before Carpenter, there was a genre of popular films focusing solely on LSD. LSD or as science-types call it, lysergic acid diethylamide, is a hallucinogenic drug that goes by the street name “acid”.  Once studied clinically, it soon found its way into popular culture and underground manufacturing.  It went on to be popularized in such films as Easy Rider and Riot on the Sunset Strip.  It was then used as an inspiration for the visual style of what were known as acid films like The Trip and The Acid Eaters.  But like most of the things we do for fun, years later paranoia set in as many users asked themselves, “What the hell was I putting into my body all those years ago?” It didn’t help that heavy acid users were prone to flashbacks. So just because you saw God once during a trip back in 1971 does not mean God might not make another appearance during Monday’s board meeting.  And as society began questioning their love of LSD, filmmakers explored the paranoia as well. 

True to its acid roots, Blue Sunshine is shot in a slightly surreal style while still clinging to the sensibilities of a horror/ thriller.  Both soundtrack and cinematography capture moments of piercing discomfort without disrupting the plot.  It is inspirational in that it can exist between two genres, helping turn drugsploitation into horror.

Blue Sunshine feeds into flashback paranoia as a bizarre sequel to the acid films of the 60’s.  Director Jeff Lieberman explores what could happen ten years after the trip movies ended, and he does a great job of feeding off the paranoia. This extremely brutal psychological thriller remains grounded in an achievable reality.  Even the final title cards at the end suggest the reality of this situation, the potential that this Blue Sunshine phenomenon may not be over.

For a long time, BlueSunshine was an overlooked gem most horror fans vaguely remembered. But a few years back Synapse films did a topnotch release of the film, including plenty of interviews and special features. So you have no excuse not to check out this historical glance into the drug craze of the 60s and the resulting drug fears of the late 70s and early 80s. This one has a quirky plot with a slightly awkward pacing, so it may not appeal to everyone. But genre fans looking for an adventure will find a peculiar journey that will stick with them. So open up and taste the Sunshine!

When going through the new eBook releases this week, I ran into the anthology Midnight Symphony: 10 Novellas of Horror & Suspense edited by Robert Swartwood. I read through the contents of this huge book and immediately hit the buy button. It is an absolute steal at $0.99 (or £0.77 in the UK)! 

This eBook is much  longer than most books or novels, and it is filled to the rim with horror goodness!   It is a collection of 10 novellas from some of the top indie names in the business. Kealan Patrick Burke, F. Paul Wilson, Tim Lebbon, Brian James Freeman... Oh heck, here, let me list the contents out for you real quick (with some quick comments by me):

"The Tent" by Kealan PatrickBurke (a creepy camping tale that is a must read for outdoorsmen…fun for the whole family…mmmwwwoooohaha!)

"The Painted Darkness" by Brian James Freeman (I've read this story at least three times over the last couple years… It is almost poetry.)

"Samson and Denial" by Robert Ford (I laughed a lot and loved this one)

"Do Unto Others" by J.F. Gonzalez (you will easily see why so many people are talking about his work)

"In Perpetuity" by Tim Lebbon (a must-read fan favorite)

"Waiting Out Winter" by Kelli Owen (an apocalyptic story that will make you look twice at flying insects)

"For Emmy" by Mary SanGiovanni (a great story that feels deeper than its supernatural surface…I'm sure a college literature course could have fun with it)

"The Diabolical Conspiracy" by Bryan Smith (a little different than Smith's usual fare, but worth it)

"The Man on the Bench" by Robert Swartwood (a stacking story of suspense and horror, very fun)

"Midnight Mass" by F. Paul Wilson (the original classic 1990 novella)

Plus an informative "About the Authors" section and copyright information.

Overall, this collection is a love song for the unsung hero known as the horror novella.  Novellas are not quite a novel, but much longer than a short story. Some novellas can run up to almost 150 pages. This huge eBook book has TEN of them. The stories are short enough for you to finish curled up under a blanket on the couch on a chilly fall or winter night by the fire. Satisfying enough to fill your desire to read for hours, but not waste an entire weekend doing nothing but read... unless you want to do that by reading a bunch of these back-to-back. 

Many of these novellas were originally available as expensive limited editions from some of the best small press publishers out there including: Cemetery Dance Publications, Subterranean Press, Thunderstorm Books, and others. Robert Swartwood had the awesome idea of collecting some of the best ones that many of us have enjoyed over the years, and he released them for dirt cheap in this collection. Seeing them all collected in this eBook for such a tiny price is incredible and un-pass-up-able. 

Sadly, this collection is only available for a "limited time."  I emailed a few people and I've been told this means possibly "December only" but another person thought that maybe January would be included too.  A limited eBook, yikes. At least it won't leave our e-readers when it is no longer available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ganxy.  Some of the novellas are available by themselves – for the same price as this whole collection or even more – and some are not available at all right now.  Making this an even better deal. 

Don't miss this amazing collection of top-shelf horror fiction. At 99 cents, you can't go wrong. 

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Midnight Symphony is available for:

Kindle (Amazon)

Nook (Barnes & Noble)

Or you can buy both mobi and epub formats direct from Robert Swartwood via Ganxy. 

Robert Brouhard is a freelance writer and Assistant Editor. His poetry has appeared in Death in Common: Poems from Unlikely Victims edited by Rich Ristow, and he has additional poetry and short stories scheduled to appear in other anthologies in the future.

2013 will go down in history as not being a very good year for the ghost hunting trade.  As if would-be Ghostbusters didn't already get enough flack, what with never actually documenting any real paranormal activity and all, a series of unfortunate events have plagued the ghost hunting community this year, beginning with an invesigation in an office building that ended with a big ole slap on the wrist.  Next, a group of young men burned down a historic building during their ghost hunting adventures, which may or may not have been an accident.  And now, news has come out about another investigation that didn't quite go down as planned.

As reported by the Miami Herald, a ghost hunter was conducting a tour of an allegedly haunted building in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving night, an investigation that lured in police rather than the intended spirits.  A patrolman saw flashlights inside of the closed building and assumed there was a robbery in progress, prompting him to enter the building and handcuff the ghost hunter and two tourists at gunpoint.

Police phoned the owner of the building, who told them that permission had been given for the tour.  Oops.

The Civil War-era building was where the first Union general in the Battle of Gettysburg spent his final moments, after being fatally wounded, and has been the sight of much paranormal activity over the years.

Grimm Episode 306
“Stories We Tell Our Young”
Written By: Michael Duggan
Directed By: Aaron Lipstadt
Original Airdate: 6 December 2013

In This Episode...

Marshall and Belinda take their sone, nine year old Daniel, to a church late one night for an exorcism. An old priest (Monsignor Paul) and a young priest (seminary student Matthew) take Daniel into a back room. as the monsignor begins the rites, Daniel’s sweet boyish face changes. It grows pale and veiny, his eyes glow, and his teeth grow sharp. Matthew tries to hold the boy down but is no match for his super strength. He ties the boy to ornate bars on the edges of the table he is on, but the demon is too strong. Daniel pulls the bar free and uses it to beat the priests.

When Nick and Hank arrive on the scene, the monsignor is dead and Matthew has been taken to the hospital. Daniel is missing and his parents are beside themselves. Nick finds Daniel hiding in a cabinet in the office. He unties him he is taken to the hospital. Nick and Hank are at a loss for what went on here, but who ever suspects a kid? Maybe the adults turned on each other. Either way, the kid, though he appears unharmed, needs to get checked out.

Marshall fills in some of the gaps. Daniel started to change about a year ago. He went from a sweet boy to one given to sudden, violent mood swings. Dozens of doctors and psychiatrists had been unable to help, so the only thing left to try was exorcism. Naturally, Nick’s first thought goes not to demon possession, but to wesen. (Because, seriously, in a world already overrun by fairytale creatures, who would believe demon possession was possible?) But Marshall assures Nick that Daniel is their biological son. As far as Nick knows, it takes at least one wesen parent to create a wesen child.

He consults with Monroe and Rosalee, who confirm. But then that begs the question: what is Daniel? After Nick describes Daniel’s transformation more like a battle within, Rosalee becomes alarmed. It sounds like a grausen. Every generation is scared with tales of a grausen. It was said to be the spirit of a wesen that would take over a non-wesen kid. As science became more sciencey, opinion changed to believe that it was caused by a genetic mutation. Grausen were violent and unpredictable. Grimms have no provence over them because, technically, they are not actually wesen. Monroe says that if a grausen were allowed to reach adulthood, they would turn into “notorious psychopaths,” taking over entire continents. (In other words, Monroe is not-so-subtly hinting that Hitler was a grausen.) In the 16th century, the wesen council and the Grimms reached a secret deal that any grausen be handled by the council. The council would make the grausen “disappear,” essentially spelling out a death sentence for the kid. Monroe is happy to let Nick deal with this, but Rosalee is terrified of crossing the council. So she tells them. The home office dispenses a... courier I guess, I don’t know what else to call him. He pays Monroe and Rosalee a visit in the middle of the night to find Daniel’s exact whereabouts. Rosalee tells him which hospital Daniel is at.

A nurse draws blood from Daniel. Despite being sedated, the demon part of him comes out and scares the nurse right out of the room. Nick figures that he seems to act out when is threatened. He instructs the doctors not to draw blood or do any tests; bring him food and observe only. The doctor doesn’t like not being able to treat him, but she also doesn’t like her staff being in danger. She will give it 24 hours and Nick puts a cop on the room.

Nick consults with Juliette and his books. He finds stories of the grausen, and all confirm the story that Rosalee told him. Juliette suggests that this sounds like a disease or a pathogen and they go talk to the parents. About a month before Daniel’s mood swings began, the family went on a trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel and Daniel got the flu. Naturally, they just believed it was the flu, but Juliette remembered a case study from vet school, in which race horses were flown to the Middle East. They made an emergency landing in Jordan, and the horses developed a similar sort of possessed, aggressive behavior. They were killed before any tests could be done, but the vets all thought they had contracted a rare parasite or protozoa. If they can kill the parasite, Daniel should return to normal.

Returning to the hospital, they find Daniel’s parents took him home a half-hour ago. The councilman was too late as well, but he follows Nick and Juliette to Daniel’s home. While the grownups are downstairs talking, and Juliette explains how they might be able to save Daniel, the councilman has sneaked into Daniel’s room. His demon/parasite side comes out, and the two battle. The grownups race upstairs in time to see the two beasts disappear out the window.

Nick gives chase and gets to the councilman first. Hank brings up the rear and holds him at gunpoint while Nick continues to search for Daniel. Juliette joins the search, as does Marshall, who suggests the boy is hiding in a fort they built together. Sure enough, they find the fort, with Daniel curled up on the ground. It is freezing out there and Daniel seems to be in danger of hypothermia. Juliette wants to let him stay out there a little longer in the hopes that the cold will kill whatever parasite is living within in. Moments later, a greenish goo leaks out of Daniel’s ears and nose, turning brown and crumbly when it hits the air. They rush Daniel back into the house to warm up. He will be fine.

Medical tests reveal that Daniel’s white blood cell count had returned to normal. It seems that he is cured. Nick goes to the councilman, now in an interrogation room, and gives him Daniel’s medical report to take back to headquarters to teach them that there are other ways of dealing with grausen. When brought the file, the elder councilman agrees to keep Daniel under observation, but nothing more - for now. He also wants Nick under surveillance. He is like no other Grimm they have ever dealt with.

Meanwhile, in Vienna...

Renard has headed there on “vacation” (only Hank and Nick know the truth). He is there for some kind of meeting between the royal families, but must keep the fact that he is there a strict secret. Sebastien has a “safe house” set up for them (a dank, smelly basement cell with an escape route to the sewer) but it proves to be less than safe when a couple armed men break in and start shooting. Sebastian and Renard best their opponents and escape.

Also, Adalind has been requested at the castle - by the new prince (who we don’t see).

Dig It or Bury It?

I really liked that this episode wasn’t as “procedural” as many others are. Plus, exorcism is always creepy. There was a lot of new lore introduced tonight, and I liked that Nick got to add his own page to the book. I think that this is the first episode Grimm in which there ended up being no supernatural implications whatsoever. 

But I am still frustrated with how long they are dragging out this royal family thing. The best I can figure is that the seven royal families hate each other purely because they want more power; and that Renard and his mother are reviled by the others because he is illegitimate. Still don’t understand what is going on with Adalind, her baby, the buyer, and what exactly is special about it. I had a lot of fun with the exorcist story, but stop teasing me with bits and pieces of the bigger picture!!

Grimm Lore

Monroe and Rosalee try to give Nick and Hank the wesen “birds and the bees” talk. They explain that if both parents are wesen, the kid will definitely be wesen. If one parent is wesen, the kid has a 50% chance of being wesen. If two different kinds of wesen breed (like Monroe and Rosalee), well, they don’t care as long as it is healthy.

Prophecies?

In the two-hour “mid-season finale” we investigate the urban myth of alligators in the sewers (of course, when the promo said there is something in the sewers, I shouted “Ninja Turtles!”) as well as the tale of Krampus.

Dracula Episode 106
“Of Monsters and Men”
Written By: Katie Lovejoy
Directed By: Nick Murphy
Original Airdate: 6 December 2013

In This Episode...

Grayson and Jayne go to the Savoy for dinner, but he doesn’t even sit when he sees Mina, Jonathan, and Lucy at a nearby table. Jayne is embarrassed at being left alone; Lucy and Jonathan are both annoyed that Grayson is flirting with their girl. On the way to the bathroom, Jayne stops Lucy and invites her to tea the next day. Grayson senses Jonathan’s none-too-subtle annoyance and takes his leave, requesting the sommelier “take care” of them. Jonathan and Mina leave the Savoy drunk and giggly, and end up having sex (for the first time) when they get home.

The next day, there is work for both of them: Mina with Van Helsing; Jonathan with Grayson. Grayson has discovered a nickel steel alloy that will solve all the casing issues with his light machine. The only metallurgy who can create it is the one Renfield discovered, quite by accident. It is owned by a Boston “blue blood” (whose name I didn’t catch) who is taken with all things dealing with “the wild west” - including poker. Grayson hustles his game that night, and walks away owning the metallurgy.

Mina is in Van Helsing’s laboratory, studying dead cells under the microscope. For whatever reason, she adds a drop of one of the doctor’s mystery samples (Grayson’s blood) and is amazed when she sees the cells seemingly come back to life. She repeats the test with the same result, then moves onto a dead rat. Nothing happens when it is injected with the serum, and she tosses him back with the other dead rats. Of course, this one’s little paw begins to twitch... Van Helsing nearly catches Mina trying to sneak back into his secret lab to put the sample away. Since she can’t put it away, she takes it with her. She also tells Van Helsing about the tests she conducted. Van Helsing insists she was mistaken; Mina insists she wasn’t. He invites her into his office and tries telling her it is some sort of microscopic parasite that cannot be seen with the microscope that makes it look like the dead cells were reanimating. Mina doesn’t buy this, but she does finally admit that she might be projecting. Her mother died of cancer when she was very young, so she has always wanted to cure death. She admits she is being silly which is good - Van Helsing was about to bash her head in with a huge silver mallet.

Lucy goes for tea at Jayne’s house. Jayne knows that Lucy has feelings for Mina. She is embarrassed and spills her tea on her dress. Jayne tells her there is no reason to be embarrassed; it is perfectly natural to have these feelings, etc. She says this while cleaning the tea off Lucy’s breast and staring deep into her eyes. Jayne had many female lovers before she first consummated with a man, and convinces her that Mina probably feels the same way, but suggests Lucy make the first move. Lucy is very excited.

Mina and Jonathan are enjoying a day on a carousel, when Davenport pulls him aside. Jonathan leaked details of Shaw’s bribery to the paper, and while he promised Grayson that no one would be able to link it to either of them, Davenport figured it out. He slips Jonathan a theater ticket - just one. So Jonathan goes, alone, and sees that Vera, the bookkeeper who slipped Jonathan Shaw’s financial records, is actually an actress, starring in the play. Jonathan is pretty pissed. While Jonathan is at the play, Lucy and Mina are making wedding plans, but Mina’s mind wanders to her time at Van Helsing’s lab. She thanks Lucy for listening to her prattle on, and Lucy takes this time to make her move. They are snuggled up on the sofa together, and Lucy tells Mina she loves her. Mina returns the sentiment, thinking she means a platonic love. Lucy leans in and kisses Mina’s cheek... then goes for the lips. Mina pulls away, horrified and crying. She accuses Lucy for using her, for only being her BFF so she could get into her knickers, and throws Lucy out.

Browning still hasn’t let go of the idea that Grayson is the vampire they seek, though I’m not sure if his insistence is a true belief, or if he wants it to be true so he can punish Jayne for sleeping with the “monster.” A little of both, I think. Anyway, he changes the  Imperial Coolant stockholders meeting from an evening affair to one set at noon. In a solarium. Grayson throws a fit when he receives the invite. If he goes, he burns; if he doesn’t, he will be replaced and lose leadership of the company. He goes to Van Helsing and tells him no more tests - they do the procedure on Grayson, tomorrow.

Tomorrow rolls around, and Grayson is strapped up on a huge metal wheel. He is electrocuted until his heart starts pumping, then an enormous machine with lots of needles impales him and forces serum through him very quickly, to make sure his blood pressure is strong enough for the serum to travel through his viscous blood. It works, at least temporarily, and he shows up at the stockholders meeting. He is late, leading Browning to suspect that he won, but then Grayson appears, takes a breath, and marches right into the sunny room. Browning and Davenport are shocked, and he promises to keep his remarks short. Sure enough, Renfield retrieves him shortly after the meeting begins, and Grayson leaves with flowery comments that bring applause. As he leaves, Davenport stops him to ask a silly question. Grayson gives a quick answer, keeping his face turned away - his right cheek is bright red and getting blistery. He makes it to his carriage with no one any the wiser, and scream in pain the whole way home.

Vera is the last person in the theater after her show. She hears someone, and insists she did “everything you asked.” We see that Grayson is with her, his face still charred from earlier. She promises not to tell anyone, and Grayson ensures that by drinking her dry. He heals instantly.

Dig It or Bury It?

Another “meh” episode. It was not as good as last week’s episode, but not terrible. The business stuff was toned down, but unfortunately, all the cool monstery stuff was downplayed. I feel like there should have been more urgency in Grayson’s first foray into daylight. I didn’t realize he was actually starting to burn until Davenport stopped him. And I was really hoping we were going to get an army of vampire rats.

I have not yet figured out what Jayne’s ulterior motive is with Lucy. Is it simply to destroy Mina in the hopes that Grayson will no longer be distracted by her? Lucy is wealthy; maybe she has social or business contacts that can be helpful.

Prophecies?

Dracula is on break until January, but it looks like we will return to more of the same: Browning doesn’t trust Grayson; Grayson trying to win over Mina, and conquer sunlight once and for all. (Maybe he should team up with Mr. Burns. He stole Springfield’s sunlight.)

Here in the FEARnet Holiday Gift Guide, we try and offer up a little something for everyone, by providing gift ideas that are perfect for the men, women and children in your lives.  If you've found yourself with a newborn baby on your hands this year, and you're hoping they grow up to be a horror fan just like yourself, then I think we've got just the thing for you today!

These 100% cotton baby onesies are available in various colors and sizes - from pink to black, 0-3 months to 18-24 months.  Several different designs are offered up, one adorned with cute and cuddly versions of the big four slasher icons while others are themed after specific movies such as The Evil Dead and An American Werewolf in London.

Our advice?  Keep your baby away from the movies themselves, for now at least, but start them young with these adorable outfits!

$12.99 each from Jonny Cotton UK

Did that Shining-inspired ugly Christmas sweater whet your appetite for more like it?  Then feast your eyes on this bad boy!

Always on the cutting edge of cool, our friends over at Fright Rags just teased the first look at their very own ugly sweater offering, which is set for release this Friday... the 13th!  Dubbed 'Crystal Lake Christmassacre,' the Friday the 13th-inspired design will be available on t-shirts, girls shirts and of course sweatshirts, the tees selling for $21.95 and the sweatshirts going for $37.95.

It may be ugly, but at least it's not as ugly as that ratty baby blue sweatshirt Jason's momma loved so much!

To ensure you don't miss out, keep your eyes locked on the Fright Rags website, paying particular attention this coming Friday!

Stop lamenting that your yard isn't as wickedly awesome as the interior of your house, and do something about it with this handmade skull chair. It's kind of like the chair a supervillain would sit in when he is on vacation. Because even evil needs to get away.

$299 at Wicked Wood

The role of women in horror films has always been a hot topic for debate. Some critics argue that horror films marginalize women and paint them as hypersexual beings with no depth. The opposing argument asserts that the existence of a "Final Girl" in most horror films is a testament to female empowerment, and that horror features celebrate women and their role in the cinematic universe. There is merit to both sides of the argument, but rather than debate the issue, we are spotlighting some standout female characters in genre film. These are characters that have stood out to us and proved to be as strong or stronger than their male counterparts. These are characters that challenged some of the stereotypes associated with women in film. We featured ten of our favorites in September, but due to popular demand, we are bringing you a second installment. You can check out part one here.

Laurie Strode from Halloween

The prototype by which all final girls to come after her have been compared; Laurie Strode is a woman to be reckoned with. She can juggle her responsibilities as a babysitter and save her town from the maniacal inclinations of her older brother. Part of what made the character so magical was the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis, who played the role with levelheadedness and courage beyond what anyone would expect from a high school student. Her performance has stood the test of time and years after the films release is still widely celebrated. 

Cherry Darling of Planet Terror

Anyone that can pull off a limb that doubles as a weapon is deserving of accolades. Cherry Darling rocks the machine gun leg and somehow even makes it look hot. Rose McGowan who is no stranger to genre filmmaking brilliantly portrays Cherry Darling. McGowan also brilliantly portrayed strong women in The Doom Generation and Scream.  

Jennifer from I Spit on Your Grave

Jennifer sliced and diced her victims in the most violent ways possible but she had a reason to strike out and take vigilante justice. She was put through the most horrific ordeal imaginable and lived to tell about it. Rather than letting her tormentors off the hook, she made each of them pay for their transgressions against her. Camille Keaton was the perfect choice to bring Jenifer to life; she played the part with equal amounts of vulnerability and resilience. 

Kristy Cotton from Hellraiser

Kristy is a brave and tenacious character that had the guts to stand up to the ultimate evil and save the day in the first two Hellraiser films. She reappeared in some of the later entries in the franchise, but nothing could top her performance in Hellraiser and Hellraiser II. Ashley Laurence was well cast as Kristie; she embodied the character in such a way that we couldn’t imagine anyone else having taken on the role. 

Eden Sinclair from Doomsday

Eden Sinclair steps up and kicks ass when shit gets real; Rhona Mitra skillfully plays her with a tough as nails sensibility. If the apocalypse were to strike, we would want her on our team. Sinclair deftly leads a team of Domestic Security officers that are sent to Scotland to try and contain a viral outbreak or find a cure. Part of what makes the character awesome is that Snake Plissken from John Carpenter’s Escape from New York and Escape from L.A was Neil Marshall’s inspiration for the character. The film was a box office failure, but Eden is reason enough to check out the movie. 

Rain from Resident Evil

Alice isn’t the only ass-kicking lady in the Resident Evil franchise. Rain is a badass woman with an axe to grind and daggers for eyes. She will cut you now and ask questions later. Michelle Rodriguez brings a very tough quality to the role, as she does with most of the roles she plays. As a member of the Umbrella Corp Special Commando Unit, Rain was sent to the hive to stop the antics of the Red Queen and contain the viral outbreak that is central to the plot of the franchise. In the event of a viral epidemic, she would be on our short list of people we would want in our corner. 

Mary Beth from Hatchet

The Mary Beth character was recast for the second and third films, with Danielle Harris taking over for Tamara Feldman in the second installment. No matter who is playing her, Mary Beth is a true badass – Harris is a personal favorite, however. Anyone that can stand up to Victor Crowley and lives to tell about it is deserving of a tremendous amount of respect and should be commended for their bad-assery. 

Sidney Prescott from Scream

Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is the Laurie Strode for the new generation of horror fans. She is tough and spirited in the same way as Laurie, but she brings her own flare to the part. She is a brave and independent woman that doesn’t need to be rescued by a man. After going four rounds with Ghostface, however, it’s surprising that she hasn’t experienced a total mental collapse. 

Ginny from Friday the 13^th Part 2

Ginny possesses an extraordinary ferocity that endeared her to the audience. She’s also inventive: she momentarily convinced Jason that she was his mother during their epic showdown. Amy Steele was outstanding as Ginny; she remains a an favorite for both Friday the 13^th Part Two and her turn in the slasher staple April Fool’s Day.  

Jannicke from Cold Prey

Jannicke was part of an extremely likable ensemble cast in the 2006 film Cold Prey and its 2008 sequel Cold Prey II. The Jannicke character was almost certainly modeled after Halloween’s Laurie Strode. The first Cold Prey film is like Halloween at an abandoned ski lodge and the second immediately follows the events of the first Cold Prey film and takes place in a hospital - much like the second Halloween film. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, who also appeared in Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters, was fantastic in both Cold Prey films; she was brave, cool under pressure, and loyal to her friends. 

As if their Friday the 13th-inspired ugly Christmas sweater wasn't enough of a treat this holiday season, check out the shirt Fright Rags just teased over on their Instagram account, which is also set for release this coming Friday!

Putting sinister spins on beloved holiday classics is nothing new for Fright Rags, as they previously released a Christmas Vacation shirt based on the scene where Clark Griswold puts on a hockey mask and wields a chainsaw.  This year, they've given a holiday horror makeover to the other movie everyone feels compelled to watch on a constant loop around this time of the year; A Christmas Story.  What if Ralphie had snapped when he was forced to put on the pink bunny suit, shooting out eyes other than his own with his brand new Red Ryder carbine action BB gun?  Well, the movie probably would've end up looking something like this!

The design will be available on t-shirts, girls tees and even hoodies, and you'll be able to grab yours this Friday over on Fright Rags.

You're next, Scut Farkus!

Joining companies like McFarlane, Gentle Giant and Funko, Hong Kong-based collectibles company Threezero recently announced that they've scooped up licensing rights to AMC's The Walking Dead, and they've just unveiled a host of images of their very first offering, which brings Michonne's iconic 'pets' into your collection.

The pets were of course two arm-less and jaw-less zombies that uber-badass Michonne walked around on chains, their rotting flesh helping to throw other walkers off her own scent.  In the comic series it was revealed that the pets were actually Michonne's boyfriend and his friend, though on the TV show it was only implied that she knew the two men.

Though the pets have been given the action figure treatment a couple times already, Threezero's offerings are without question the most impressive figures of the gruesome twosome that we've seen to date, measuring 12" tall and featuring 20 points of articulation, real metal chains and even soft simulated skin.  The figures can be purchased separately ($130 each) or together in a Threezero exclusive two-pack ($240), the latter of which includes a set of four severed arms.

They go up for pre-order on Threezero's website this Friday, at 9:00am Hong Kong time - be sure to "like" their Facebook page, where they'll be posting the pre-order link as soon as it goes up... no need to worry about the time conversion!

Up next from the company?  1/6 scale figures of Merle, Daryl, Rick, Michonne and "Well Zombie."  Stay tuned!

With co-directors Justin Jones and Chris W. Freeman’s horror-comedy feature Sorority Party Massacre dropping on DVD via Anchor Bay Entertainment on February 11, 2014, we caught up with the latter to garner word on what to expect of the release, as well as to shake him down on the status of the flick’s sequel Bachelorette Party Massacre, his other projects, and more.

“We are elated that Sorority Party Massacre is being released by Anchor Bay,” said Freeman of the film, which stars Tom Downey (Mirror Image), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), Ed O'Ross (Six Feet Under), Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil’s Rejects), Richard Moll (Cold Case), adult film legend Ron Jeremy and new ‘Scream Queens’ Marissa Skell, Eve Mauro and Yvette Yates.

As for the official synopsis, it goes something like this; ‘An isolated town full of sexy college girls has a dangerous secret: one girl has gone missing each year for the last 20 years.  A big-city cop, in danger of losing his badge, agrees to aid the town’s sheriff in investigating these unsolved disappearances. Quickly they realize that they are dealing with a psychotic killer whose brilliance has been twisted into a taste for terror, torture and sorority sister torment. But when this party gets started, who will graduate – and who will be held back?’

Containing audio commentary by producer, writer and director Freeman and producer and director Jones, deleted scenes, outtakes, the ‘Paige Fight’ scene and the ‘Barney Lumpkin Campaign Ad,’ Freeman said of the DVD release of Sorority Party Massacre, “We've received such positive feedback from Anchor Bay and the rest of the team that we will be filming a sequel, Bachelorette Party Massacre, in the summer of 2014, which will include a whole new group of gorgeous, talented ladies.”

To be co-directed by Jones and Freeman from Freeman's script, Sorority Party Massacre leads Ed O'Ross and Tom Downey will return in Bachelorette Party Massacre to reprise their roles as Sheriff Lumpkin and Detective Watts, respectively.  Playboy model Andrea Lowell and Sharktopus's Shandi Finnessey will join them, with Kevin Sorbo in talks to return for the sequel. (Incidentally, Freeman and Jones intend a trilogy.)

Not resting on his laurels, “Next up is our twisted, possession film, Diary of an Exorcist, slated to film in March of 2014,” offered Freeman.  “It follows a disavowed priest who agrees to help a family friend with a troubled teen, and who ends up facing a young woman harboring six demons that are tearing her and her family apart.  The ending is absolutely horrifying, and we are working with real priests.”

In between finishing Sorority Party Massacre and beginning pre-production on Diary of an Exorcist, Freeman’s companies Long Story Short Films and Up & Away Productions also wrapped Rivers' 9, an action heist movie starring Downey, O'Ross, Easterbrook, Jamie Kennedy (Scream), Elisabeth Rohm (American Hustle), and Carlee Baker (Lucky McKee’s The Woman).

For more on Sorority Party Massacre, check out their Facebook page and check out the NSFW trailer below.