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Dangerous Games: 'Room 25' Game Review

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The chair creaks as you settle onto it. The candlelight flickers. All around you the ravenous faces of your so-called friends twist in delight as you slowly open the box laid out on the table. Welcome to Dangerous Games! Each week, we'll feature a horror/thriller/monster tabletop game you should be playing. Don't be scared… roll the dice… what's the worst that could happen?

Room 25 - Matagot (2013)

You know the cameras are on. Even if you can't see them, even if you can't hear the whir and stir of their lenses as they focus and shift, you know the cameras are watching you. And why shouldn't they be? You're a contestant (no matter how unwilling) on one of the most popular game shows in the history of television. You're on Room 25. You can hear the rooms around you sliding in and out of place. You know the guards are waiting to kill you. You're sure, somewhere out in the Mega-Cities, the ravenous populous cheers for your bloody death.

You've entered 'Room 25,' the board game about shifting rooms, deadly traps, treacherous friends, and careful planning. You play one of several different "candidates" or contestants in the bloodiest show ever put on. You must make your way through the shifting rooms, push others out of your way (or into safety, or danger), and find the exit to this terrible place. Either working in teams, in cooperation with each other, or with traitors in your midst, this game begs the question, "Can you get out alive?"

Gameplay Mechanics

The game board is comprised of flipped over tiles. Each player starts in the center tile and will attempt to move around the board, finding the one and only exit room. The rooms could have obstacles in them, they could be safe rooms, or they could have death traps waiting in them. The only way to find out is the venture forth, and time is always ticking in the form of progressing rounds.

Each player takes the role of one of six different characters. With archetypes like "Bimbo" and "Nerd" you can tell the sense of "humor" these game creators have. But no character has special abilities (they're all identical save for flavor), and each player has two actions they can spend. Players can: peek into a room tile next to them, enter a room tile, push another person into a room, or shift all the rooms by one. The main goal, of finding the exit, takes lots of teamwork and trust. In the end, either everyone wins by finding the exit, or the traitors win by killing the heroes, or everyone loses by bloody, bloody death, depending on the type of game you're playing.

Replay Value

This game offers many different ways to play. You could all play together, working to get out of the complex. Or you could play with most players working on the same team, and a few players acting as secret guards trying to kill the players. The latter is way more fun, and will be the only way you keep coming back to this game.

Overall Impressions

The makers of this game openly admit to being extremely influenced by the movie Cube. And it's no wonder - this game is essentially a love letter to the flick about shifting rooms, death traps, and an unknowable end goal. It's a fun game, with lots of flavor, but can we grow up and stop putting character types like "bimbo" into games? It's a fun game, but still… With that fair warning out in front, I recommend this game if you and your friends like to lie to each other or for the gaming group that loves games like "Mafia" or "Werewolf."


Landslide Sends Massive Boulder Straight Through Farmhouse in Italy

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Italy boulder

Mother Nature can be an absolute beauty, but she can also be a destructive force like no other. Unfortunately, she showed her ugly side last week in northern Italy, as a naturally occurring landslide plummeted not one but two massive boulders down a mountain, which absolutely decimated a 300-year-old farmhouse.

Italy boulder

As reported by Sploid, the devastating landslide occured in Ronci Termeno, in South Tyrol, and one of the giant boulders turned the barn portion of the farmhouse into rubble, and then went on to leave a lengthy path of torn up land in its wake. Luckily, the second boulder - measuring a whopping 5,650 cubic feet - came to a stop within mere inches of the same building, which surely would've demolished the rest of the structure had it continued rolling down the cliff.

Italy boulder

Though the landslide caused millions of dollars in damage, the good news here is that nobody was injured. A Facebook page has been set up to collect donations for the Trebo family, who lived in the farmhouse.

Check out video footage of the aftermath, which shows the full brunt of Mother Nature's unpredictable power.

The 13 Scariest Monsters of 'Doctor Who'

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Doctor Who has survived more than five decades and with good reason. The British series combines adventure, drama, and science fiction into something adults and children alike can enjoy. Although it is generally considered to be a family-friendly show, it is very often dark and terrifying (which is why people like me are so addicted to it). The Doctor has tackled horror staples like vampires, werewolves, zombies, and demons but also hundreds of original foes from all over the galaxy.  
 
The following is my list of Doctor Who's most terrifying monsters. I narrowed it down to the ones that personally scared me, not simply my favorites (hello, Daleks). I also aim to focus on the ones who made a major impact in the episode or appeared multiple times. If I were to name every eerie monster on Who, we'd be here all day! Hell, the most recent season alone was riddled with creepy creatures (The Whispermen; Mr. Sweet; Time Zombies; The Cooked Man; Grandfather and The Vigil)! So, without further ado, here are the 13 scariest monsters of Doctor Who!
 
Peg_Dolls
 
13. Peg Dolls (Night Terrors)
 
Dolls are no strangers to horror. I think most people have at least a tiny fear of dolls. Now imagine giant wooden dolls with huge heads that chant nursery rhymes. Beware playtime with these guys - with a single touch they can turn you into one of them, forever trapped inside a soulless wooden body wanting only to "play." Happy nightmares!
 
Toby_Zed
 
12. Toby Zed (The Impossible Planet)
 
Tobias Zed was an archeologist specializing in ancient languages when he became possessed by a mysterious beast (more on that later). Now with red eyes and ancient symbols all over his body, Toby looks like the lovechild of Satan and Daniel Tosh. This whole storyline reminded me a lot of Event Horizon, and Toby is totally Sam Neill.
 
Master
 
11. The Master (The Deadly Assassin)
 
Like the Doctor's version of Moriarty, the Master is his dark equal and ultimate nemesis. He has appeared in many episodes in numerous forms but this particular visage is his most terrifying. With a decaying face and black hood, he looks like something right out of a horror flick. Admittedly, the mask is a little funny since the big teeth and bulging eyeballs make him look a bit like the Doctor (Tom Baker)!
 
Autons
 
10. Autons (Spearhead from Space)
 
When Doctor Who returned to the airwaves in 2005 after its hiatus, these were the very first monsters the 9th Doctor faced. However, the Autons were far scarier back in the day. They have appeared in many forms - from mannequins to centurions - but basically they are inanimate objects controlled by a single alien consciousness. They have guns inside their hands and their blank faces are seriously creepy. It's been 43 years since Spearhead from Space aired and films like The Purge are still relying on Auton-like faces for scares. 
 
Flood
 
9. The Flood (The Waters of Mars)
 
The Flood (not to be confused with the same-named species from the Halo universe) is a Martian virus that infects a team of researchers. The crew turns into ravenous, zombie-like creatures with black mouths, cracked skin, and pale eyes. But the creepiest part about this FX make-up is how they become constantly wet and dripping once infected. It's... disgusting. This whole episode is scary and dark, and it includes two of the series' most disturbing scenes ever. 
 
Beast
 
8. The Beast (The Satan Pit)
 
This is the aforementioned beast that possessed Toby Zed. It is assumed to be Satan himself, although this two-part episode toys with the idea that Satan is merely an idea. This devil is portrayed in the classic sense - red and horned - but it is so raw and animalistic! And huge! Forget the pitchfork and mustache, this is how the Prince of Darkness should look! And despite being CGI, this creature looks gorgeous! To date, this is still the scariest physical incarnation of the devil I've ever seen. 
 
Eight_Legs
 
7. Eight Legs (Planet of the Spiders)
 
Do spiders give you the heebie-jeebies? How about 3-foot-long spiders that latch onto your back, turn invisible, and control your mind with telepathy? The Eight Legs are smart arachnids who look down upon us lowly "two legs" as little more than food. If these guys creep you out, be sure to also check out the destiny-altering Time Beetles (Turn Left) for more giant bugs that can totally wreck your day. 
 
Silence
 
6. The Silence (The Impossible Astronaut; Day of the Moon)
 
Who fans may have mixed feelings about current showrunner/madman Steven Moffat, but one thing is for sure - the man delivers on scary monsters. The Silence is the first of a few Moffat creations on this list. These creatures were born out of American UFO culture of the 50s and 60s, so they're like a combination of Men in Black and the big-headed grey aliens. These sharply-dressed foes have a special trick: once you stop looking at them, you immediately forget them. So you are betrayed by your own instinct to turn and run. You are forced to literally face your fear. This a common theme with Moffat (but more on that later). 
 
Cybermen
 
5. Classic Cybermen (The Tenth Planet)
 
The new-age Cybermen have appeared numerous times since the series came back but they have not been scary and are often completely uninteresting. Once upon a time, however, their robotic voices would send a shiver down your spine! They were once human but "upgraded" to the point of being cold, emotionless cyborgs intent on upgrading everyone else, too. The very first Cyberman costume, despite looking like it had an A/C window unit strapped to its ribcage, was unnerving as hell thanks to hollow eyes and creepy lips. By Tomb of the Cybermen, their voices reached maximum creepy (and totally invented auto-tune 40 years early). "You belong to us! You shall be like us!"
 
Jamie
 
4. Jamie (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
 
Here is another Moffat creation that preys upon pre-existing fears and psychological terror. Firstly, it's a little boy in WW2 attire wearing a gas mask. It's creepy. Secondly, this little boy happens to be dead. Thirdly, he follows people around asking, "Are you my Mummy?" If he touches you, you'll grow a gasmask out of your damn face and end up just like him. Add some sci-fi magic that I can't tell you about (spoilers!) and you got one of the series' best episodes and most iconic villains. 
 
Vashta
 
3.  Vashta Nerada (Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
 
The Vashta Nerada is a mouthful, but one monster you won't soon forget! These microscopic man-eaters are easily mistaken for shadows, so stay out of the dark! And if you notice you have a second shadow, it's already too late! They will strip the meat from your bones and leave only a skeleton in a spacesuit. Moffat, who of course created these little nasties, ups the creep factor when the Vashta Nerada puppeteer dead scientists around, repeating their last words before dying. "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
 
Weeping_Angel
 
2. The Weeping Angels (Blink)
 
Moffat invention #4 has quickly become one of Who's best-known baddies, second only to the Daleks. As I mentioned above, Moffat likes the idea of making you face your fears literally. The weeping angels are statues that come to life, but they are rendered still so long as you are looking at them. If you so much as blink, they got you. But my favorite thing about the angels is how they dispatch you. With a touch, they throw you back in time and steal your potential energy. Simple things like closing your eyes, turning your head, or a light bulb burning out become terrifying when it comes to the weeping angels. 
 
Midnight
 
1.  The Midnight Entity (Midnight)
 
This menace appeared in only one episode. Hardly anyone talks about it today. It has no action figure or any other merchandise. It has no name and no physical form. What makes it so damn terrifying is that the ever-omniscient, ever-traveling Doctor has no idea what it is or how to stop it. In a rare occurrence, he is terrified and that terrifies the viewer! The 10th Doctor is vacationing onboard a space bus crossing the beautiful but barren planet Midnight when a passenger becomes possessed. She slowly turns the other passengers against each other through fear and paranoia in this episode that plays out like The Thing meets The Mist. For true horror fans, this is the episode to see. 
 
dr. who monsters
 
BONUS: The Watcher (Logopolis)
This one is a bonus because it's not really a monster per say but it was damn creepy! It is a ghostly entity that appears in Logopolis, surrounding the regeneration of the 4th Doctor. Dressed in all white with a plaster-of-Paris-like face, The Watcher is a silent figure that haunts the Doctor in his final hours. To say more would be a major spoiler, but old-school fans of Who remember this guy all too well. "...the moment has been prepared for."
 

 

10 Must-Own Horror Toys

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Over the past couple months here on FEARNET, we’ve taken a look at the top 10 must-own toys from most of the big horror franchises, including Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre,Friday the 13th, Child’s Play, Evil Dead and, most recently, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Though that still leaves a couple franchises left to cover, we take a break from franchise horror today, to talk about toys based on either standalone films, or smaller franchises that haven’t even been given ten toys over the years.

So here are 10 more horror toys that no fan’s collection should be without!

Movie Maniacs Jaws

We’ve talked about McFarlane’s Movie Maniacs here in this feature several times, which was the line that gave us the very first figures of many of our favorite horror icons. It was in 2001 that they released Series 4 of the Movie Maniacs line, which included a deluxe boxed set in tribute to Jaws. A recreation of Quint’s gory demise from the film, the highly detailed boxed set included the Orca, the killer shark and even the first and only action figure of Quint himself. Quint was mostly an accessory for Bruce’s mouth, and so he didn’t receive nearly as much detail as the rest of the set, but still pretty awesome to actually have a toy of such a badass character. These have become incredibly rare and valuable, oftentimes selling for around $150.

McFarlane The Fly

Another iconic horror movie that McFarlane immortalized in plastic was David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly, which flew its way into 2000’s third series of the Movie Maniacs line. Complete with its very own base, with fly drool all over it, the icky 6” figure depicted Seth Brundle in his full ‘Brundlefly’ form, and was even outfitted with genuine insect hairs – well, genuinely faux insect hairs. McFarlane’s Brundefly can be purchased for around $20, which is a small price to pay for what is a truly awesome toy.

SOTA The Thing

Though McFarlane gave us figures of The Thing’s ‘Norris Creature’ and ‘Blair Monster,’ it was another toy company that released the one and only toy of flamethrower-wielding hero R.J. MacReady. It was SOTA Toys that put out this incredible box set in 2006, depicting a standoff between MacReady and the infected thing-dogs that mutate early on in the film. The set was included in the third and final series of their Now Playing line, and you’ll nowadays have to spend somewhere in the ballpark of $100 to get your hands on one.

SOTA American Werewolf in London

Speaking of awesome horror movies from the 80s that are loaded with incredible practical effects, SOTA Toys also released this particularly unique American Werewolf in London figure, in the first series of their Now Playing line. Yep, before turning the werewolf or Jack into a toy, SOTA instead gave that honor to one of the Nazi demons from the film’s memorable nightmare sequence. The figure came packaged with an alternate head, thereby making it two Nazi demons in one, and two variants were exclusively released to different retailers, which had different alternate heads. These have been recently selling for no more than $15, over on eBay. SOTA had planned on releasing a box set of Jack and the Kessler wolf, though it never saw release due to the Now Playing line coming to an end after Series 3.

SOTA Killer Klowns

Now Playing Series 2 included the world’s first Killer Klowns from Outer Space action figure, a toy of one of the titular Klowns that came with a popcorn gun and one of the infamous cotton candy cocoons. A variant was made exclusively available at Tower Records, which saw the Klown decked out in a blue outfit, and both of the figures can presently be purchased on eBay for anywhere between $50 and $100 apiece. If those prices are a little too high for your liking, Amok Time recently released two Killer Klowns figures of their own, which you can bring home for a whole lot less.

Amok Time Tarman

Speaking of Amok Time, they also released the first-ever officially licensed Return of the Living Dead figure a few years back, depicting the film’s most iconic zombie; Tarman. The figure is part of their Monstarz line, which also includes Bub and Dr. Tongue from Day of the Dead. Tarman comes packaged with a display base, which includes the Trioxin canister he emerged from and his favorite thing in the world; a fresh brain. Still in production, this figure can be purchased through Amok Time’s website for $24.99. More Return of the Living Dead toys, please!

Leslie Vernon toy

If you’re asking me, Leslie Vernon is one of the more iconic horror villains of the last several years, a guy that deserves to come up in conversations about guys like Freddy, Jason and Michael. The star of the highly underrated 2006 masterpiece Behind The Mask, Leslie Vernon is one of the more charismatic horror villains of all time, a guy that takes us behind the scenes to show us what life is really like for a horror icon.  Neil DeConte’s company DeConte Figures and Collectibles acquired the Behind the Mask license a few years back, and gave us our first Leslie Vernon action figure in 2012. You can grab one of the 7” figures over on the DeConte website for $25.

Wolf Creek bobblehead

While we’re on the subject of recent horror villains that left an impact, now’s a good a time as any to talk about Wolf Creek, the 2005 Australian flick that spawns a sequel later this year. In 2012, Australian toy company Ikon Collectables released this 7” bobblehead of the film’s badass killer Mick Taylor, who is brandishing a rifle and holding the severed head of one of his many victims. The bobblehead is available exclusively through Pop Cultcha, currently selling for $26.38. That's not a bobblehead... THIS, is a bobblehead!

Tall Man Phantasm

No listing of cool horror toys could ever be complete without mentioning NECA, who added Phantasm’s Tall Man to the second series of their Cult Classics line, back in 2005. Tall Man came complete with his trademark silver sphere, a display base and even one of the midget minions from the film, and this figure is to date the only Phantasm toy we’ve ever seen. You can add one of these to your collection for around $20. And if you’re not yet convinced about how awesome it is, be sure to check out an epic Christmas morning reaction from a super cool little horror fan, who received one this past holiday season!

Exorcist NECA

Two years after paying tribute to The Exorcist’s frightening crab walk scene in Cult Classics Series 7, NECA released this deluxe box set in 2010, which took Exorcist toys to a whole new level. Another highly memorable sequence from the film came to life with this set, which played the eerie theme music from the film. As if that wasn’t cool enough, Regan’s head spins slowly around as the music plays, giving some action to what is otherwise a totally awesome display piece. $50 is all you’ll need to part with to bring one of these bad boys into your home. And if you’re asking me, It’s always an excellent day to add cool toys to your collection, so get on that!

If anyone’s interested in a Part 2 of this post, comment below and let us know which toys you’d like to see featured in it!

World's Largest Bat Has a Six-Foot Wingspan

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Megabats

Since this week saw the home video release of Dario Argento's take on history's most iconic vampire tale, titled Dracula 3D, it seems only fitting that we shine the spotlight on bats here on FEARNET today. But not just any bats.... the world's largest bats!

They're called Megabats, and so large are they that they're oftentimes referred to as flying foxes. The largest recorded species of Megabat, giant golden-crowned flying foxes, are native to forests in the Philippines, and their wings span impressive lengths of up to six feet. At their largest, these creatures of the night tip the scales at nearly three pounds, primarily gobbling down fruits and sucking the sweet nectar out of flowers.

Megabats

Unlike most bats, Megabats do not see through echolocation, but rather through their keen sense of smell. The belief is that these bats are so large that the echolocation mechanism inherent in bats just simply doesn't work, as it's too energetically expensive for them to handle.

The world's smallest bats? Those would be Kitti's hog-nosed bats, which measure a mere inch in length and weigh no more than .09 ounces!

Check out video of Australia's black flying foxes below, courtesy of National Geographic!

Exclusive Interview: Director Adam Wingard Wants You to Check In With 'The Guest'

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Guest_4
 
Adam Wingard has quickly risen to the forefront of young horror directors with hits like V/H/S, You’re Next, and V/H/S/2. Working in close collaboration with writer Simon Barrett, the two have delivered more visceral, entertaining films with each outing. Their latest, The Guest, was granted the coveted Friday night premiere slot at the Library Theatre in Park City for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. A few days later, Wingard sat down with FEARNET to discuss how this movie came about, the films that formed his love for cinema, and his creative process with Barrett. The Guest stars Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey as a soldier who returns to the family home of a fallen comrade. He becomes close with the family, encouraging the kids to break their patterns and even helping dad with his career. To tell you more than that would spoil the fun... but let’s just say he’s not your average veteran. 
 
FEARNET: This is your third year in the midnight program of the fest [after V/H/S and V/H/S/2 in 2012 & 2013]. How does this year feel different?
 
Wingard_1WINGARD: Technically, it’s the first time that I’ve ever had a full movie here. With the V/H/S films, Simon and I were producers, so we put ‘em together in certain ways but, ultimately, our shorts add up to about half a movie, really. There just wasn’t as much at stake with the V/H/S series. I felt going into it that I knew the audience; I knew the ideal deal, which wasn’t a very hard one to get. The budget was small. And we ended up coming out really well. The expectations were on par. But this is a different kind of movie altogether. Our last film, You’re Next, was more of an obvious genre crowd-pleaser. So, going into Toronto in 2011, I had a really good idea of what people were going to make of it, even just from early test screenings. With that film, we had a lot more time to do test screenings. It’s just a different type of project and more easily translates to audiences, and has more of a reference point. With The Guest, it was more of us saying how do we take a genre and spin it? What kind of movie do we actually want to make? Usually our question was “What kind of movie can we get made? We need to get money. What can we get made?” Now we were in a position where what could we get made was very easy, but what should get made was the question being asked.
 
The balance between finance and creative switched.
 
It switched. Because the creative wasn’t based on the financial anymore. That’s still obviously a thing, but we can now get projects made on various levels.
 
But do you feel more pressure now with that kind of freedom and after the success of You’re Next?
 
Absolutely. This is also the first time I feel like people are coming to one of my movies with expectations. After A Horrible Way to Die... that was very small and not seen. It was kind of our first movie that pushed us out there, but the expectation there was “This shows some promise.” But with You’re Next, people really got into it. I didn’t want to disappoint fans. I didn’t want to do the same thing either. Toward the end of You’re Next, you see a little more of Simon’s and my personality. But I think this film really embodies our sense of nostalgia and personality more than anything we’ve done.
 
Guest_2
 
So, you sit down and you have more financial freedom which gives you the ability to do whatever you want. How does that result in The Guest?
 
After You’re Next, the question came up, and we didn’t want to get boxed in by just doing home-invasion/slasher movies, but, at the same time, it’s not like we wanted to thumb our nose up at horror. We wanted to show people we could do variety.
 
This is more of a thriller. 
 
Exactly. And our initial concept, because Simon and I first bonded over Hong Kong action films like The Killer, was that we wanted to do an action movie. We actually went down the road with this script idea that was a non-stop chase scene. We were going to do it in South Korea with our producers from You’re Next. We had been location scouting. The movie opened with a 30-page car chase. It was way ambitious. But it was too cut-and-dry. It didn’t have the right personality. We never got the script in the right place. So, Simon and I ended up in this weird, depressed period. It’s almost why V/H/S/2 happened. We realized that film wasn’t going to work, and so we had downtime and we squeezed V/H/S/2 into it. One day, I was at our producer’s offices and I had a stack of Blu-rays with me, and I decided randomly to revisit The Terminator and Halloween.
 
Then you had a dream that was this movie.
 
[Laughs] Exactly. I realized that these two movies embodied exactly the kind of film that I wanted to make. I called Simon up and talked about combining the worlds together. It’s like a cyborg that’s hunting after this girl, but in the structure of a John Carpenter movie. There’s even a Doctor Loomis character. The cyborg is like Michael Myers. Simon thought about it and, within 20 seconds, pretty much pitched me the final version of The Guest. He had this script idea that was about a soldier who came home and infiltrated this family, but had written it as a drama and didn’t know where to take it. So we turned him into a weird super-soldier and combined these elements.
 
Guest_3
 
Then what happens? Do you guys work together, or does he just come to you when he’s done writing?
 
Our relationship – Simon and our two producers, Keith Calder and Jess Wu – all four of us are like a creative entity. We all do our separate parts. We all come together and, in the end, we make all of the hard decisions, but the main thing you need to have is objectivity. That’s the most important thing for filmmakers. I feel like a lot of filmmakers don’t have it and end up making selfish, stupid decisions. Our process is, once we decide the type of movie we want to make, Simon goes off and writes on his own and he doesn’t show me anything until he has a draft that he’s really happy with. He thinks is probably within 75% of the final version. I read the script and I can objectively look at it as a viewer because I’m experiencing it as it comes. Simon doesn’t usually tell me what’s going to happen. He’ll give me some ideas of set-pieces and I might throw him some ideas as we’re going but, on the flip side, after we shoot, I edit my own film and go off for a similar amount of time until I have a version of the film that’s within 10-15 minutes of the final cut. I usually have my music composed. I have temp stuff. It’s a very solid first pass. So I show Simon, Keith, and Jess, and they can watch the film as a movie. It’s really helpful. Everybody is able to experience the movie for the first time in some way. If you watch in pieces, you’ll be thinking about those little pieces. No matter what, you’ll have a tarnished idea of what it is and you’ll be making your notes based on that stuff.
 
Let’s talk about the Carpenter influences because they’re heavy and thick, right down to the score. You’ve been a Carpenter fan forever. What did he do that inspires you?
 
I remember growing up, the first time ever talking about my favorite movies when I was a little kid and the first movies I remember saying were my favorite were Big Trouble in Little China, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, and Ghostbusters. I’ve always been a fan of John Carpenter. The funny thing is that I never think any John Carpenter movie is perfect, but there’s always a consistent magic to his films. Going into this, I knew I wanted a Carpenter feeling, but I didn’t want to do a parody. In general, I didn’t want this movie to have that Grindhouse aesthetic. I really enjoyed Grindhouse, and I’ve liked some of the movies that imitate that style, but I didn’t want to do a parody. I didn’t shoot it like one of those films. And the score is key to that stuff. The score, when I approached Steve Moore about doing it, the reason I approached him, was that he’s a guy who only uses vintage synthesizers. Our first conversation about this film was based on the Terminator and Halloween III soundtracks. That’s actually my favorite of the Halloween scores… maybe one of my favorite of the Halloween movies too. 
 
Always a divisive one.
 
I hated Halloween III as a kid, but I watched again last year and I kind of fell in love with it. It holds up better when you’re not thinking “Where’s Michael Myers?” and that’s all you’re thinking when you’re a kid seeing it for the first time. Now you watch it and it’s this geeked-out, sci-fi, insane-o-fest.
 
Guest_1
 
Casting Dan Stevens in your lead was as essential as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator. If he doesn’t work, the whole thing falls apart. How did you find him?
 
I had a real distinct idea of where I wanted to take the character and the main thing was that he had to have a calm, cool, almost-cyborg style to him, but I didn’t want to go into Stoker territory, where you’re like “This guy doesn’t seem like a human being at all.” I’m not a fan of that movie. He had to be disarmingly charming and likable from the get-go. He has to be the kind of guy who can infiltrate a family and be unassuming. I met with a lot of actors but Dan was one of the first. We had a short Skype conversation, but he already embodied all of the elements personality-wise. I had seen him on Downton Abbey, and even though he’s a million times different in that, he makes an impression on you. He has that calm, cool aesthetic, and likeability. He had all of the elements that I needed and he had been going through some rigorous workout stuff. We ended up putting him through training for about a month, learned how to use guns, and worked with our fight choreographer.
 
What’s next?
 
We have two projects lined up, but we can’t talk about them because they’re not announced. But they’ll be awesome.

Tecmo Koei Digs Up Special Edition of ‘Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z’

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, Tecmo Koei’s zombie-infested spinoff of its Ninja Gaiden franchise, is getting a limited quantity of Special Editions when it’s released in March.

According to Joystiq, the Special Edition will feature a full-color comic book from Dark Horse (which we reported on recently), some Yaiba-themed costumes for Tecmo Koei’s fighting game Dead or Alive Ultimate, and the game’s soundtrack.

Tecmo Koei also released a new trailer for the game showcasing the various additional costumes available to the cyborg ninja Yaiba Kamikaze, including a neon-haired schoolgirl and the Megaman-inspired Mighty No. 9.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will be released March 18, 2014 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.

 

 

Self-Defense Course Protects You From Paranormal Attacks

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psychic self-defense

Not that we haven't always been, but our culture has become particularly obsessed with all things paranormal in recent years, as evidenced by the huge box office numbers for films like The Conjuring and the high ratings of ghost hunting shows such as Ghost Adventures. But can our fascination with paranormal activity and the spirit world have a negative impact on our life? And is ghost hunting more than just harmless fun and games? According to psychic Deb Bowen (above), we need to be careful out there, and she's here to help.

As we spotted over on Roadtrippers, Bowen hosts regular group sessions that she refers to as psychic self-defense courses, teaching people how to protect themselves from attacks by malevolent paranormal entities. A former social worker, Bowen believes that provoking spirits through the use of Ouija boards and amateur ghost hunting investigations can result in those spirits latching onto your very soul, and if you don't know how to protect yourself, they can consume and destroy your life. "Don't say nasty things to the ghosts," she warns. "They have feelings too."

Crystals, herbs, visualization techniques and prayer are just a few of the ways you can ward off negative paranormal energies, according to Bowen. She'll be conducting her unique self-defense courses at North Carolina's Poplar Grove Plantation beginning this March, so if you find yourself in the area, be sure to stop by and learn some lessons that could potentially save your soul from eternal damnation!

On a related note, if you're in the mood for a chilling story that shows Bowen's fears are not unfounded, we've got just the thing for ya. An Indiana family was recently terrorized by 200 demonic entities, and it's a story that's definitely worth a read... if you dare.


TV Autopsy: 'Dracula' - What We Want in Season 2

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I am still amazed at how Dracula turned itself around in only 10 episodes. When I saw the first two, the best thing I could think to say about them was, “Well, they look beautiful.” The premise was far more contrived than the story of Dracula should have been. A brief recap: Dracula was unearthed by Van Helsing because both men had their families murdered by the Order of the Dragon, centuries apart. Van Helsing feels that Dracula is the only one who can help him get the revenge he desperately seeks. So far, so good. To simply murder the Order is apparently too simple, too good for them. Dracula wants to see them live in ruins. Okay, I can accept that. But living in ruins means that Dracula needs to wipe out their vast fortunes. That makes sense… but doing so requires Dracula to come up with a convoluted plan that involves him posing as an American, creating a revolutionary new power technology that would render the Order’s enormous oil holdings worthless, and waiting for the market to decide that oil is useless, letting the stocks tank, and leaving the members of the Order penniless and powerless. That does not make for exciting television.

It wasn’t until episode five that the business dealings were largely pushed aside in favor of torture, murder, political scandal, and sexual intrigue. From that point on, the show just kept getting better. By the season finale, I was completely engrossed in the story and I am eagerly awaiting word on a second season.

So what can we expect from a second season? I guess the first question is, can we expect a second season? Dracula was a pricey series and the ratings weren’t stellar (though they did rise at the end of the season). But let’s suppose it does get picked up. Where will it go?

Mina and Grayson surely won’t hide their relationship anymore. I would like to see Mina move into Carfax, despite (or maybe because of) the scandal it will surely cause. I want to see Jonathan stay on with Grayson, if for no reason other than spite. Not sure where he stands now with the Order - he seemed genuinely surprised that they would blow up the resonator, but only moderately concerned with the loss of life it would cause. I suspect that he is going to embrace the dark side. And I think that Lucy is going to step up her seduction of Mina.

Do Horror Trailers Show Us Way Too Much?

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horror trailer

Though an altogether underwhelming film, there was one image in Devil's Due that will stick with me as the years pass by and the movie fades from my memory; the image of the demon seed forcefully pushing up through our ill-fated mother's belly, eager to prematurely escape her womb and wreak havoc on the world.  An awesome image, for sure, though one that I must admit had little to no impact on me, as I watched the movie.

Why not, you ask?  Because I had already seen that moment play out 50 times prior to the night I found myself in the theater.  The scene was in every trailer and TV spot for the film, and so not only did I fully expect its arrival, but I quite frankly yawned and rolled my eyes when it finally came - been there, seen that.

What we're here to talk about today is horror movie trailers, and the way that they all too often spoil the excitement of watching the movies they're promoting, in their pursuits to make sure that we want to see the movies being promoted.  From a business standpoint, it makes total sense; show the best scenes from the movie, so that nobody will be able to resist buying a ticket.  But does this strategy have a negative impact on the viewing experience?  And is showcasing a film's best moments really the best way to generate excitement for that movie?

According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, an organization that represents over 30,000 movie screens around the world, the answer to that last question is a resounding no.  As reported by Newsarama, NATO has just released new in-theater marketing guidelines for theaters across North America, intended to encourage studios to effectively promote their films, while at the same time preventing them from turning their trailers into spoiler-filled summaries.

The new guidelines, which are voluntary, recommend maximum trailer lengths of two-minutes, with a maximum time of five months between the theatrical exhibition of a trailer and the release of the film.  The new guidelines take effect on October 1st of this year, and NATO hopes that distributors will abide by them, if only to stay in good standing with the theaters that are a part of the organization.

While the guidelines don't specifically state anything about spoiling key scenes from movies, the point here is that trailers that overstay their welcome and show way too much are clearly a problem.  Though perhaps this is true nowadays more than ever, spoiler-heavy trailers are neverthless nothing new in Hollywood...



This here is the original 1980 trailer for Friday the 13th, which literally counts down every single kill scene in the film.  Though it's an awesome trailer, at least looking back on it nowadays, it essentially plays out like a concise rundown of everything that happens in the movie, to the point that you would know how and when most of the characters die, before ever buying a ticket to see it.  Effective marketing?  The box office numbers point to yes.  But this trailer is essentially the equivalent of live tweeting about major character deaths on The Walking Dead - and we all know how much that pisses people off!



A trailer spoiling kill scenes is one thing.  A trailer that gives away major storylines and even plot twists is an entirely different one.  Above is the original 1976 trailer for Carrie, which spells out the entire story of the film; Carrie's a telekinetic girl with a crazy mom who gets invited to the prom by a handsome popular dude, wherein she's voted queen of the prom, gets pig's blood dumped on her, kills everyone in the school and then goes home to kill her mom.  No need to read the book or see the movie, because this long-winded trailer lays it all out for ya.  What fun is that?
 



As far as more recent trailers go, this one for Paranormal Activity comes to mind.  A large majority of the fun of the film is not quite knowing what you're getting into, which this trailer did a hell of a job in trying to ruin.  The trailer takes the angle of putting us into the theater as the first audience to see the movie watches it play out, and proceeds to essentially show us an abridged version of what they saw.  Based on this trailer, we not only know that Katie gets possessed but we even see her kill her boyfriend towards the end of it, which really hurts the overall scare factor of watching those spooky moments play out for the first time, within the confines of the movie.  Hard to be scared when you know exactly what to expect.

Cutting together trailers is no doubt an art form, and while it's easy for editors to pull exciting clips and toss them together, the best trailers - in my opinion - say a whole lot without showing much at all.  There's a fine line between hinting at things and outright spoiling them, and a couple trailers come to mind as being some of the most effective we've seen over the years - effective both at making you want to see the movies, while at the same time retaining their mysteries and secrets.



One of my all-time favorite horror trailers is this one for The Exorcist, which was actually banned for being too scary - because, ya know, a scary trailer for a scary movie is a bad thing.  This is a perfect example of a trailer telling you everything you need to know and nothing that you shouldn't know going into the movie, and it serves to effectively evoke the whole vibe of the film, allowing your mind and imagination to fill in the gaps.  It would quite frankly be impossible for any horror fan to see this trailer in the 70s and not want to immediately rush out and see the movie, which goes to show that trailers can be incredibly effective without really showing you anything at all.



Another fantastic trailer was this original one for Alien, which again refrains from spoiling anything about the movie.  Though the trailer would've perhaps been more exciting had they shown the titular monster and iconic moments like the chest burster and face hugger scenes, it's the restraint that makes this one so chilling and effective.  We know that it's about some evil creature terrorizing people on a spaceship, but that's all we know - and that's all we should know, going into a movie like Alien.



Quite frankly, I've always been more of a fan of teaser trailers than full trailers, and if it were up to me, teasers would be all that was shown online and in theaters, in the weeks leading up to the release of any given film.  Teaser trailers oftentimes show very little footage from the movies themselves, and sometimes they don't show anything at all - as is the case with the brilliant one above, for Jason Takes Manhattan.  Rather than pulling clips from the film, they instead decided to shoot brand new footage specifically for the teaser, which is way more effective in making you want to see the movie than any existing clips could've ever been.  Of course, this particular trailer is single-handedly more awesome than the entire movie itself, but that's neither here nor there!

The bottom line is that there are other ways to entice audiences into seeing movies, rather than showing them a highlight reel of the most exciting moments from it.  Unfortunately, the latter has become the norm for movie trailers, and if you're asking me, it most definitely has hurt the moviegoing experience.  All we should know going into any given movie is the general plot, and a sense of what we can expect from it, and overlong trailers do nothing but feed us way more than we need to be fed.  Too much of a good thing isn't necessarily a good thing, as they say.

But that's just my opinion on the matter.  I would love for this post to turn into a discussion about movie trailers, so feel free to leave a comment and let your voice be heard.  Would you rather see a great trailer that shows everything or a more mysterious one that retains the film's secrets?  And what are some of your favorite and least favorite trailers?  Sound off below!

Belzebass: 'Welcome to Hell'– EP Review

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Belzebass
Photo: Alvino
 
Italy's hardcore hellektro-house duo Mr. K and Splattaboy first emerged from the extreme metal scene – a transition they share with several horror-styling dance music artists, including FEARNET fave Drop Goblin– before eventually finding their current calling as purveyors of Satanic club grooves, with a heavy emphasis on horror atmospheres and monster bass lines. Adopting the diabolical handle Belzebass, the team rose to prominence partly thanks to a lineup of well-received remixes, including tracks from their Freakz Me Out label-mates Cyberpunkers (whose horror EP Shock we reviewed back in November). The devilish duo returns next week with a new unholy offering: the heavier, more polished three-track EP Welcome to Hell, which is equal parts haunting, violent and strangely exhilarating.
 
Welcome_to_Hell
 
Majestic synth and organ chords herald the opening of “Black in Back” (that's not a typo, and this is not an AC/DC cover), which wastes no time before pushing the limits of buzzy, skull-slamming distorted bass bursts on either side of a surprisingly mellow Goblin-like interlude, closing on a tense, '80s horror-style synth arpeggio:
 
 
Slasher music motifs continue in the industrial noise and breathing effects of the darkly atmospheric title track, which definitely boasts the strongest and most memorable rhythm on the EP, with devastating mega-bass buzzing violently across the stereo field at the midpoint, calling to mind the monster wasp depicted on the cover art. The set is rounded out by the urgent high-tempo “Methematic,” which finds the band partnered up with Spanish heavy house/noise unit Dubsidia for a three-act progression that opens on a springy minimalist beat and more gothic organ touches before scattering into a bass burst of creepy, robotic croaks.
 
Belzebass_live
Photo: Hip Kingdom
 
While it's not as overtly scary as the band's previous releases Under Torture or Rise of Brutality,Welcome to Hell is still a step up in production quality, while showcasing the same lean, no-frills style that puts them in good company with their dark dance music peers; the title track is a particularly strong effort that should be welcome in any hellektro, terror EBM or similar horror-themed club rotations. You can find out for yourself when the record drops next Tuesday, February 4th via Freakz Me Out Records... and be sure to stay tuned for a bloody horror-themed music video for the title track, coming soon!

Stull, Kansas - The Gateway to Hell

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The unincorporated town of Stull is a tiny community in Kansas, about 13 miles east of Topeka. Settled in 1856 by people of German descent, the town was built by God-fearing faithful and consists of nothing more than a church, a couple cemeteries, and some homes.

With so much religion, it seems odd that many people believe Stull is one of the seven doorways to Hell.

The legends revolve around the Evangelical church, built in the Stull Cemetery in 1867. It is said that the church was built atop (or beside) a secret passage that led to Hell itself. Descending those steps meant you would never return, and it would feel as if you were being dragged down. It is also said that Satan would visit the cemetery every Halloween and/or the spring equinox to visit his wife, a witch, who was buried there. Other versions of the tale also include that Satan’s son - a werewolf, of course - is buried there. Rumors persist of Satanic and other occult ceremonies being held in the remains of the church, though it could just be rowdy teenagers getting drunk and looking for a cheap thrill. The cemetery is a common site for trespassing and vandalism, which has led to vigilant locals staking out the place and scaring off would-be troublemakers. At least a dozen headstones are missing, and a dozen more vandalized at any given time. The church was razed in 2002, and its demolition only added to the mystery of the area. There had been no public notice that the church would be taken down, and one of the three landowners hadn’t been informed. (Later on, another landowner said he had a friend come and raze the building after damage in a recent storm had left it dangerously unstable.)

Apparently Stull is so evil that in a 1995 trip to Colorado, the Pope insisted that his private plane change its flight pattern so they did not fly overhead. Another story claims that gothic rockers The Cure refused to play a concert in Kansas because of Stull. Of all the rumors and legends, this one seems the least plausible. There are tales of mysterious gusts of winds that move cars to the opposite side of the road, and that the church (when still standing) had no roof - but the interior never saw a drop of rain. An old, tall tree (that has since been removed) was believed to have been gallows for witches.

Allegedly the deep, dark history of Stull goes back to 1850, when a stable hand stabbed the mayor to death in a barn that later became the location of the cemetery church, and that church held a crucifix that would invert when certain people entered. Of course, no one settled Stull until 1856 and the town has never had a mayor. Two actual tragedies have been documented in the early 1900s - a lot for a community that only ever had a few dozen people living there at any given time. In one, a boy was burned to death by his father in an accident; in another, a man went missing and was later found hanging from a tree.

In actuality, the history of Stull stems from something much more mundane. In the 1950s, as a social experiment, a professor at the University of Kansas made up the tale of the gateway to hell. He repeated this legend to his students every year, but it never really picked up much traction until the student newspaper picked up the story in the 1970s - then it was infamous.

If you are looking for another gateway to hell, check out these historic Turkish ruins, or this ancient fire in Turkmenistan. Want more urban legends about tiny towns? Pay a visit to Helltown, Ohio

The Latest Celebrity Health Fad: The Werewolf Diet

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It's the same old story: at the beginning of every new year, the newest and/or most popular diet fads make the rounds again, grabbing headlines when various celebs sing the praises of whatever nutritional trend they've discovered this time. Vegan, gluten-free and paleo plans are still incredibly popular, of course, but a new diet has recently surfaced that might be a bit more interesting to people of the lycanthropic persuasion.
 
Werewolf_Diet3
 
I'm talking about the Lunar Diet, which has been getting heavy media coverage lately thanks to endorsements by Madonna and Demi Moore. Articles in TIME and Shape have spotted the trend, which mainly involves a schedule of fasting and cleansing based on the phases of the moon. 
 
According to the site Moon Connection, this schedule is based around the effect the moon has on the human body, particularly when it comes to water content. There are short-term and “extended” versions of the plan, and while neither one specifically mentions hunting and devouring live prey during the full moon, the more rigorous schedule of the extended plan does remind me a bit of the “nutritional advice” documented in the book The Werewolf's Guide to Life by Ritch Duncan and Bob Powers.
 
I won't get into the pros and cons of this plan (some nutritionists are already calling it potentially harmful), but I can't help but picture the perfect fusion of a Lunar Diet calendar and Stephen King's novella Cycle of the Werewolf. Seriously, imagine the illustrations!

Bagged and Boarded Comic Reviews: Deadpool, The Other Dead, more

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New comic book Wednesday has come and gone. The dust at your local comic shop has settled. An eerie silence descends as you finish reading your last superhero book of the week. Now it's time for something a little more sinister. Welcome to Bagged and Boarded: comic reviews of the sick, spooky, twisted and terrifying!

The Other Dead No. 5

Okay, here's the plot to The Other Dead. Just stay with me on this one. I don't want to lose you right off the bat. All animals in the world have turned to zombies. Now, it's up to a rag-tag team of survivors, including President Obama, to get themselves out of danger. Yes, President Obama, in this issue, hacks at a zombie wolf with an axe. The group is stranded in a small cabin, and have to rush to choppers that come to evacuate them.

Bag it or board it up? This is a comic that knows how ridiculous it is. I think. It's all done very straight-faced. The heroes don't really crack jokes, and the character of Obama is a patient natural leader in this wild chaos. I think I really like this comic, and this issue in particular is full of fun action and tense moments. Check it out, it's weird… but I think it may be awesome.

City: The Mind in the Machine No. 1

Here's a little dark sci-fi for the technology obsessed. Taking place in San Francisco in the near future, City is the story of a man who's helped create a system that taps into the thousands of cameras that litter the town. The goal of the program, called Golden Shield, is to find a crime as it happens and automatically send police to the scene. But without intuition, it can't tell where crimes are. After a terrorist attack leaves one of the main designers of this system blind, he's hardwired with a new set of camera eyes and can tap into all the cameras in the city.

Bag it or board it up? This is the kind of gritty, near-truth sci-fi that I really believe horror fans will like. I think we're only just dipping out toes into the story, but if you follow along I bet you'll be rewarded. This story, and artwork, are done with care and consideration. Check this out if you like movies like A Scanner Darkly and The Matrix.

Dead Boy Detectives No. 2

"From the pages of 'The Sandman'" the cover of this comic proudly states. And it's true, this comic book spin-off does bare many similarities to the dreamy Sandman comics. But this comic is all about teens, in the here and now. A new girl admitted to a strange school is followed by two ghosts who hope to help her fit in. She doesn't know they're there, and coincidently tries to figure out how the two boys died.

Bag it or board it up? This is a weird one, and it's very fun to read if you're in it for the long haul. I think the artwork is great, and it's full of small details that leave you scouring the page. The pace seems a bit strange. At times the comic is moving at a full clip, while other times it seems to slog through, but I'm going to keep reading this one. At least for a while. The only problem is that if you're not really familiar with The Sandman you'll be pretty damn lost. So take heed!

Night of the Living Deadpool No. 2

The "Merc with the Mouth" is at it again in this undead series. Marvel comics brings the zombie apocalypse home to you, the reader, with Night of the Living Deadpool. In this issue, Deadpool has teamed up with some young kids, an army guy, and an old lady in an El Camino to escape the zombie apocalypse  and survive another night. As the weeks go by, we see the group trying to find themselves a new home in many different classic zombie locales.

Bag it or board it up? This is one of the funniest zombie comics I've read in a long time. I was never a huge Deadpool fan, but he's great in this series. He's the narrator, the voice of reason, and he exists in a vacuum. He's the only superhero still alive. In that sense, he becomes the perfect outsider. Not afraid to die, able to vanquish any trouble his way, he merely perceives the trouble around him and comments on it - which is what he does in his normal comics, but I like it better here. This is my pick of the week, by far.

TV Recap: 'The Vampire Diaries' Episode 512 - 'The Devil Inside'

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The Vampire Diaries Episode 512
“The Devil Inside”
Written By: Brett Matthews & Sonny Postiglione
Directed By: Kellie Cyrus
Original Airdate: 30 January 2014

In This Episode…

Life returns to “normal” in Mystic Falls, following Katherine’s death. Mia needs Katherine’s corpse so that she can do a spell and make Elena “gone forever,” giving Katherine complete control of the body. Damon has buried her body and won’t tell Stefan where. Tyler is crashing with Matt (or maybe he moved back in - the house may be in both names now) but either way he is a total drunk and determined to get Caroline back. Matt wants to throw him a welcome home party. Jeremy and Bonnie have gone to visit her mom. Caroline is back at school, stress cleaning the dorm when Aaron comes in with a message for Elena: he is in control of his trust, and has completely cut off the Augustines. Of course, the legacy of the Augustines is still haunting Aaron: when he returns to his dorm, Enzo is waiting for him.

Nadia chains up Katherine while she goes looking for her body. The chains are in case Elena pops up while she is gone - which she does, and freaks out because she doesn’t know where she is. Using her vampire strength she frees herself from her chains, but Nadia comes in, recognizes that Elena is awake, and gives her a command that brings Katherine back out. Nadia couldn’t find her body, So Katherine decides to crash the party tonight and snoop around. Nadia thinks this is a bad idea - she isn’t pretending to be Elena Gilbert; she actually is Elena Gilbert. so she goes to Matt, rips off his vervain bracelet (which he wears instead of consumes in case anyone needs some blood) and reveals what happened - but compels it all out of his head while he fills her in on Elena trivia.

Enzo is waiting for Damon at the Salvatore mansion, with a huge body bag. Inside is Aaron - still alive. He did some research into Damon’s revenge plot and thought that he would want to finish it off. Damon is trying to mend his ways and get back with Elena, so when Aaron wakes up, Damon snaps Enzo’s neck. “I didn’t see that one coming,” remarks Aaron. Damon rips off his vervain watch and compels Aaron to leave town immediately. Then he is off to the party.

Katherine needs an invite into the party. I guess the house only recently went into Matt’s name because all the vampires need an invite, which he is happy to provide. Inside, she goes straight to Stefan and starts drilling him about how he is doing following Katherine’s death. She is hurt that he isn’t more upset, but she quickly gets back on track when he becomes suspicious. She wants to know where Katherine’s body is buried, “so I can leave some flowers and pay my respects.” Even Stefan doesn’t know where Damon buried her; all he knows is that he put her “where she is supposed to be.” The tomb under the old church, where Damon first thought she was buried for a hundred years. She informs Nadia, who takes care of retrieving the body while “Elena” says her goodbyes.

Before she leaves, Caroline corners her and asks her a hypothetical about what she would say if she kissed a really bad person - and ended up having sex with them. When she finally admits it was Klaus, even Katherine is surprised by this. But she assures Caroline she is the least-horrible person she knows - then she notices Tyler coming down the stairs and asks Caroline how Klaus was compared to Tyler. Tyler overhears this, then Caroline realizes he overheard this, and the two glare at each other. Katherine uses this opportunity to slink away, grinning madly.

Katherine returns to the cave where Mia is all set up for the spell. She needs some blood from Katherine, then stabs the corpse and digs her hand in. She chants, while Katherine and Nadia make small talk - which annoys and distracts Mia. Elena comes out and she tries to continue the small talk. She takes Mia by surprise and knocks her out, then impales Nadia on a candelabra before she can say the magic words. Elena runs.

Outside, she tries to call Damon but discovers Katherine has locked her phone. So she runs. Nadia insists that Mia continue the ceremony. As Elena runs, Katherine’s memories start flooding into her head - the ritual is working. Elena makes it to the party and sees Damon (who couldn’t find Matt to invite him in). She falls into his arms, but Mia completes the ceremony, and in the comforting hug, Elena becomes Katherine. For good. Damon makes an impassioned speech for them getting back together - that he knows he screwed up, wussed out, and gave himself too much credit for thinking he would change her and her not enough for thinking she couldn’t change him. It’s a damned good speech - but Katherine is having none of that. “I’m glad that I make you a better person, but that is too much pressure. I can’t be the only thing you live for.” Damon is absolutely crushed when Katherine/Elena says goodbye.

Katherine returns to Nadia. Mia is just demanding payment, which Katherine gives: ripping her heart out. Nadia wants to set off on their epic mother/daughter road trip, but Katherine wants to stay in Mystic Falls. For the first time in 500 years, she is in the clear. Katherine is dead, people would rather kill themselves than let anything happen to Elena. Katherine wants it all: she wants her daughter, she wants immortality, and she wants Stefan - her one true love. Nadia agrees to stay with her in Mystic Falls.

Caroline tracks down Tyler, hiding out in one of the many rooms in his massive mansion. He is really drunk and doesn’t want to talk to Caroline. She presses, and he is furious. “Klaus killed thousands of people, he killed Elena’s aunt - he killed my mom!” he screams. When Caroline moves towards him he turns wolfy and Caroline is scared. Stefan jumps between the two and pins Tyler to the wall until he calms down. Later, Caroline hides out at the Salvatore house, and Stefan comes in to cheer her up.

Aaron is on his way out of town, just as Damon compelled him to do. He stops when he sees a man laying in the road, and gets out to help. The man sits up - it is Enzo. Damon appears behind Aaron and informs him that he is here because of Elena. “She thinks I am a monster. She’s right.” Then he brutally feasts on Aaron’s blood.

Dig It or Bury It?

I admit - I really did not think Katherine would gain full control of Elena. I figured that the ritual would fail, and it would be Katherine and Elena battling for control of the body while the Salvatores try to figure out a way to exorcise Katherine. Ooh, and then they could have had an exorcism episode! I assume that Elena is still in there, somewhere. Nadia said that Katherine would have control of the body, but not that Elena would be going anywhere. So I assume at some point, people will figure out what happened and try to reverse the spell. My biggest concern for this storyline would be that Katherine gets a feel for everyone loving her and eventually changes. That is a highly unlikely scenario because it hasn’t happened thus far and the writers of TVD rarely take the show into sappy, cliched territory.

Devilishly Charming

Against all odds, Stefan has convinced Caroline to help him reunite Damon and Elena (clearly this was early on in the episode). When Damon hears this, he is shocked: “You once told me that calling me Satan was an insult to Satan.”

Prophecies?

There is one word on everyone’s lips: Enzo. And Stefan wants him dead.


FEARNET Movie Review: 'Torture Chamber'

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Torture ChamberAbout ten years ago I came across a dark, strange indie film with the rather simple title of Horror. Although not much to speak of in a narrative sense, Horror was indicative of a filmmaker who was interested in more than traditional shocks and obvious scares. On a purely visual scale, Horror was pretty interesting stuff, and it seems like writer / director Dante Tomaselli is following a similar format with his rough, odd, and sometimes impressively disconcerting Torture Chamber.

 
Slightly reminiscent of Don Coscarelli's classic Phantasm in the way it favors off-kilter visuals and "nightmare logic" instead of a more traditional narrative, Torture Chamber is about a blind mother and her two sons: one is a good-hearted priest; the other is the second coming of Satan. (Makes you wonder if these brothers had the same dad.) Eventually the brothers meet head-to-head with the fate of all humanity (not to mention satanity) in the balance, but much of Torture Chamber is a barely-connected collection of dark and gloomy moments in which people scream in empty hallways, explore creepy corners, and get tossed into torture devices by a pack of wildly maniacal children. Yeah, Torture Chamber is also sort of a "killer kids" movie.
 
Those who are looking for a tight-fisted and fast-paced piece of "action" horror may find themselves bored before Torture Chamber hits the midway point. (Vincent Pastore's goofy performance as an exposition-spouting psychiatrist certainly doesn't help the film's frequently bleak tone, to name just one of the nagging issues.) But those who relish bizarre indie horror films that want to evoke uneasy and evocative scares instead of simply rehashing the same old stuff (in other words: open-minded horror geeks) may see what I saw in Horror back in 2003: Dante Tomaselli knows how to frame a creepy shot, and how to make an audience wait for the other shoe to drop. While it's tough to recommend Torture Chamber to the average viewer, it's still a messy, scrappy, sometimes silly horror film that occasionally taps into something old-school scary. 
 
Mr. Tomaselli seems to be considerably more skilled as a director than as a writer, but either way I'd be curious to see what horrors he could cook up with a few veteran collaborators and a half-decent budget.

Two Different Customers Find Razor Blades in Supermarket Butter

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Butter Razor Blade

We've all heard the horror stories about children finding razor blades in their Halloween candy - cautionary tales that have made us all think twice about chowing down on the goodies before carefully inspecting them. But surely the food we buy from the supermarket is safe, aside from the occasional spider in a bag of grapes... right? Well, maybe not.

As reported by NBC Philadelphia, two different customers who frequent the same New Jersey supermarket chain found razor blades inside of two separate packages of pure Irish butter. The store has turned over all remaining packages of the butter to the FDA, and police are currently investigating the incidents, as they're most likely the result of intentional food tampering.

The store's managers inspected other packages of butter on their shelves, and have assured customers that it's all safe to take home and consume.

If you're in the mood for more deadly butter, check out these butter sculptures of horror icons like Jason and Ghostface!

TV Recap: 'Teen Wolf' Episode 317 - 'Silverfinger'

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teen wolfTeen Wolf Episode 317
“Silverfinger”
Written By: Moira McMahon Leeper
Directed By: Jennifer Lynch
Original Airdate: 3 February 2014

In This Episode…

Argent has an idea of who the demon ninjas might be. When he was 18, Gerard took him on a trip to Japan. He ended up facing off with Yakuza, who were then set upon by the ninja demons. One of the few survivors was a Yakuza they called Silverfinger because of a silver prosthetic he had (and because Goldfinger was already taken). Argent shot one of the ninja demons in the face, shattering his mask. It didn’t kill it, but it dispersed it long enough for him to get away. He knows that Silverfinger is in the States, but he lives in paranoid seclusion and has not been able to get a meeting with him. Luckily Silverfinger is an avid collector of antique weapons, and Argent has a 1600s French pistol to sell.

Silverfinger won’t make the deal himself, which Argent was afraid of, so they go to plan B: send Isaac in as the seller to keep Silverfinger’s men distracted while Allison and Argent sneak in. Isaac is terrified, so Allison gives him a pep talk - well, really a pep kiss and an ass grab. But it does the trick and Isaac strolls in like he owns the place and makes the deal. The goon - also a werewolf - doesn’t take kindly to Isaac’s need to count all the money, and makes threats. Isaac reveals himself to be a werewolf as well. Rather than kill him, the goon takes Isaac to see Silverfinger. Argent is already in there - he killed another random goon then approached Silverfinger, swearing he just wanted to talk. Allison pulls up the rear and uses a chain to snap the gun out of Silverfinger’s hand.

As Argent describes the incident in Japan, and shows him the broken mask, Silverfinger remembers who Argent is. He owes Argent more than his life - he owes him his honor. Had Argent not fired that gun and scared off the demon ninjas, he would have run away. A major dishonor, cowardice would have required him to kill himself. So he is happy to help. The ninja demons are called oni, and they are like a force of nature. They cannot be destroyed; you can only hope to endure it. The marks they make on their “victims” means that they are still themselves. The oni are looking for a specific kitsune (or trickster spirit), called a nogitsune. These are dark kitsune, one who draws power from strife, chaos, and pain. Silverfinger insists that, no matter who the nogistune is - even if it is Argent’s own daughter - he must kill it.

Kira has already figured out that she is a kitsune, according to a children’s book of mythology. She just doesn’t know which. There are a dozen different kinds of kitsune - could she be the nogitsune? Either way, she shares her new-found identity with Scott, who has already told her that he and all of his friends are werewolves. He even wolfs out for her. Kira is intrigued; not scared. With night coming, Scott takes Kira to his house where he promises they will be safe. Scott doesn’t want to tell her that he thinks the oni are after her (this is before he knows what an oni is - all that info he gets halfway through the night, when Allison calls to tell him what they learned from Silverfinger) but Kira is smart - she knows.

Stiles is in bad shape and heads to the hospital. Melissa is worried about him and takes him to a room. He describes his symptoms: sleepwalking (something he used to do as a kid), panic attacks, blackouts, lack of focus, hallucinations, irritability, and eight hours of sleep - over the last three days. She knows what it is: sleep deprivation. She gives him a sedative and tucks him in to the hospital bed. He holds her hand for a moment, then murmurs “Thanks mom” before falling asleep. Melissa almost smiles, but hearing Stiles mention “mom” makes her worry. She highlights his symptoms in his file, then heads to the records room, where she pulls out his mom’s file. She had all the same symptoms, and mental illness is often genetic. It is very possible that Stiles has inherited Claudia’s bi-polar disorder.

Scott and Kira are waiting for Melissa to come home so she can “set the alarm” (something that Deaton set up - we later find out it is a jar of ash that, when broken across a doorway, creates a barrier that won’t allow a supernatural to cross it). They hear her come in but discover it is just Scott’s dad. He found a photo of the kids on his computer and confronts Scott about it. Scott is more pissed that his dad still has a key to the house and refuses to say anything about the photo. Melissa comes home as the sun goes down, and it isn’t long before the oni appears. It stabs Agent McCall through the shoulder. Melissa drags him out of the way while Scott sets about fighting the oni. Derek rolls through a door and joins the fight (he had been following Scott) followed by the twins (who had also been following Scott, hoping that if they act as bodyguards he will let them into his pack). The twins force the demons out the front door and Melissa throws the vial of powder at the threshold. The oni are contained - for now.

See, oni don’t take kindly to having their invitation revoked, and start slamming the barrier, looking for a weakness, a chink in the armor. It makes the whole house shake. Melissa is worried about Scott’s dad. She can only staunch the bleeding so much and she doesn’t think he will make it to sunrise. Agent McCall tells Melissa he needs to talk to Scott: “You know why I really came back, don’t you?” Melissa does, but I sure don’t! It’s killing me!

Anyway, Allison has called Scott with all the info they obtained on the oni. If you are not the nogitsune, you will be safe. Scott asks his pack to simply trust him. They do, and as the oni break through the barrier, they all stand down. Holding hands, Kira and Scott step forward, and let the two oni stare into their souls (or whatever). After a few moments, they let both drop to the ground. They are branded (at least, Scott is) and the oni disappear. Everyone is safe.

Melissa rushes Scott’s dad to the hospital, and Scott goes to check in on Stiles. Stiles has just woken up, and seems refreshed. He climbs out of bed and walks down the peculiarly empty hallway. In an abandoned operating room, three oni surround him. He faces off against one of them before calmly reaching into the oni’s “chest” and pulls out a firefly. The other two are absorbed into Stiles in a flash of green light. But when Scott finally finds him, Stiles is his old self.

Dig It or Bury It?

Lots of random thought-fragments after this episode:

It is killing me not to know what the deal is between Scott and his dad. Hurry up and get there!

Does this mean Stiles’ mom killed herself because she was possessed, or was it truly mental illness in her case? I guess this means that Allison is now the only kid on the show who is not supernatural. Though she is supernaturally bad-ass. Does that count?

I miss Lydia.

Prophecies?

Stiles is missing and certainly in trouble.

Arizona Pastor Performs Exorcisms Via Skype Video Chats

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Skype exorcisms

Back in January of last year, our own Alyse Wax had a fascinating interview here on FEARNET with Arizona pastor Bob Larson, who around that time had served as a consultant on The Devil Inside. In the interview, Larson stated that he had conducted over 15,000 exorcisms in his 30+ years on the job, going on to say that demonic possession is a whole lot more common than you might think.

A full time exorcist, who rids the world of demonic spirits six to seven days a week, Larson is now using the internet to expand his reach, in his never-ending quest to use the power of Christ to compel demons to leave their human hosts. Though it's not exactly the power of Christ he's now using, but the power of Skype.

Yes, Larson is now conducting exorcisms via Skype video chats, charging $295 for 60-minute sessions. A total scam, or an exorcist who's smartly using modern technology to help out more people than he ever could before? We'll let you decide.

Check out a video report from ABC News, which shows Larson in action, both on Skype and off. And leave a comment below and let us know what you make of all this madness! Exorcise more of your demons with this family that claims thet were haunted by 200 demonic entities.

Russian Daredevils Stroll Atop a Terrifying Tower in this Heart-Stopping Clip

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We've gotta hand it to the folks at Break.com for posting some of the scariest prank videos on the web, and while this particular stunt doesn't qualify as a practical joke, it's absolutely terrifying for anyone with even the slightest fear of heights. It was also shot in Russia – a pretty reliable source for insanely heart-stopping camera footage (the recent clip of a Russian science teacher “slashing” a student's arm is a gruesomely clever favorite).
 
Tower_1
 
This video focuses on a small group of people (four, including the camera operator) taking a leisurely stroll in a rather unusual spot: what appears to be the top of a towering factory smokestack. That scenario alone is chilling enough, but the real sell comes when the camera peers over the tower's narrow brick opening and points down... and down... to show a drop of several hundred feet. 
 
No net, no harnesses, no climbing gear. The poster doesn't mention how the people even got up there in the first place. Still, regardless of being less than an inch from horrible death at all times, these climbers seem pretty upbeat about the whole thing. Still feeling brave? Check out footage of the world's tallest waterslide.
 

 

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