We are all pretty used to scary white-out contact lenses, or lenses that turn your eyes yellow or red or something demonic. It's always effective, but it has been done to death. What hasn't been done to death are these jagged teeth contacts. Guaranteed to intimidate and definitely not for those who are disturbed by eyeball torture. Bonus: you can get them with a prescription.
BBC America’s supernatural Saturday is getting a much-needed jolt of life with Orphan Black. Created by Ginger Snaps’ director John Fawcett, Orphan Black looks to be a new take on a doppelganger theme. It stars Tatiana Maslany who can also be seen in Eastern Promises, Diary of the Dead, and The Messengers.
Here’s the synopsis, trailer below:
Sarah hopes that cleaning out a dead woman's bank account will solve all her problems. Instead, her problems multiply - and so does she. Experience a whole new side of BBC AMERICA with the channel's next original scripted series, "Orphan Black," the exciting and ambitious new addition to the Supernatural Saturday programming block. "Orphan Black" features rising star Tatiana Maslany "(Cas & Dylan," "Picture Day") in the lead role of Sarah, an outsider and orphan whose life changes dramatically after witnessing the suicide of a woman who looks just like her. Sarah assumes her identity, her boyfriend and her bank account. But instead of solving her problems, the street-smart chameleon is thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. She makes the dizzying discovery that she and the dead woman are clones... but are they the only ones? Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy and must race to find answers about who she is and how many others there are just like her.
Orphan Black premieres Saturday, March 30, at 9 EST.
Like most of you out there, anytime a new entry in a horror franchise is about to hit theaters, I can’t help but revisit all the previous entries in that franchise to prep me properly for the theatrical going experience. And seeing billboards plastered all over town with Leatherface’s visage has put me in a post-Christmas Texas Chainsaw Massacre kind of mood! So what better way to ring in the New Year than with Leatherface and family? We’ll have to go back to the very beginning with Tobe Hooper’s infamous 1973 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
I can’t remember exactly how I discovered the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but I do know that when I was around 12 years old, I was already helping myself to a steady diet of horror titles courtesy of the mom & pop owned video store on the corner from where I lived. And as I burned through renting franchise title after franchise title, I do recall that Chainsaw was one of the first VHS tapes I actually bought to own. In fact, this was around the same time that the movie was referenced in 2 of my favorite comedies at the time – Summer School and Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home. After getting a glimpse of the ending scene from obsessed horror fanatics Chainsaw & Dave in Summer School, that’s when I knew this movie was a keeper.
And it’s interesting. I’d say that I revisit the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre probably once a year since I was 12, and what gets me on every viewing is just how much it still to this day holds up as a well crafted, genuinely creepy yet darkly hilarious visceral experience. Back when the remake was on the cusp of coming out in 2004, I had a group of girl friends that had wanted to see the original before that new one. One of them left the room shaken and upset after Leatherface makes his first appearance approximately 35 minutes into the feature and that’s when I thought ‘wow, it still works’.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre opens with one of the most unsettling sequences in horror history. The “ting” and flash of that old camera, the quick glimpses of what appear to be cadavers and then finally, the audience is locked eye to eye with a close up of a horrifying corpse face, strangely and morbidly posed on a tombstone as we hear reports of grave robbing in the area. We’re then introduced to our group of teenage kids as they take a drive through Texas. Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns), her boyfriend Jerry (Allen Danziger), their friends Kirk (William Vail) and Pam (Terry Mcminn), and Sally’s invalid brother Franklin (Paul Partain). They end up picking up a Hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) whom they at first refer to as “Dracula” and then realize they’re not far off! The oddball Hitchhiker works at the slaughterhouse and boasts about how his brother makes head-cheese “real good”. He then attacks Franklin with his straight blade razor and marks the van with his blood, strangely foreshadowing their inevitable fate.
Later on and up the road, they (unbeknownst to them) stumble upon the property of the Sawyer family and one by one, they come face to face with the Hitchhiker’s mentally challenged brother Bubba aka Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen). The obvious first thing that sets Leatherface apart from the other “movie maniacs” is his appearance. Inspired by the old stories that Hooper had read about the infamous Ed Gein case, the filmmaker chose to put his villain under a mask made from his victims own faces, an idea and image that is as bizarrely upsetting as it is intriguing. And while his first few appearances are quick, shocking and abrupt, as we spend more time with Leatherface, we slowly start to see his childlike mentality unfold. In other words, he doesn’t know any better. Drayton Sawyer (played by the late, great Jim Siedow) and Grandpa (John Dugan) round out the rest of the cannibalistic family and when Sally is the only one of the core group left, she’s forced to endure a terrifying dinner with her captors which spirals out of control for the film’s final reel.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is in the top 5 horror movies of all time, plain and simple. Its influence can be seen countless times over the 3 plus decades since its release. The group of innocent teens driving across country and inadvertently running into the hornet’s nest. (See – Wrong Turn) The large imposing, hulk-like killer (See – Jason in the Friday The 13th sequels) who sports a mask made of human flesh. (See – Hannibal Lector’s daring escape in The Silence Of The Lambs) The strange dark sense of humor that while missed by most audiences on Chainsaw’s initial release is far more evident in Hooper’s own 1986 sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2. The documentary-esque feel to the filmmaking only adds to the movie's harsh look and it forces the viewer to feel as if they're watching something real. Then there's the stark and simple non-score sound design by Wayne Bell and Hooper himself which compliment the films' horrors perfectly. Anyway you slice it, there’s so much that establishes this movie as the classic that it rightfully is heralded as. And it’s surprising that it took so long for the franchise to really take off considering the notoriety of the first film. But alas, we’ll tackle that tomorrow when we revisit The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2!
Don’t forget to check out our Post Mortem episode with Chainsaw writer/director Tobe Hooper!
Regardless of what department they work in, everyone at FEARnet loves scary movies. So we asked the entire company to help us pick the best fright flicks of the year. In no particular order...
SINISTER
"I went in blind not knowing much more than a plot line and Ethan Hawke was the lead. What happened next was me being scared in a theater for the first time in years. So much so, that I actually gripped up the armrests every time a new 8mm film was played. Needless to say, that last one is a doozy."
-Sarah Shannon, Programming
"Absolutely the best theatrical horror film I’ve seen in many, many years. Creepy, scary, suspenseful, a good story and a very solid, understated performance from Ethan Hawke."
-Rick Kent, Standards & Practices
"Atmospheric, frightening and surprisingly shocking."
- Luke LaBeau, Social Media, Marketing & PR
"The word scary doesn't even begin to describe the impact this film has. It's the perfect blend of scares, story, performance, visuals and music/sound effects. I really wish more people made movies like this. The Super 8 footgage alone is worth the price of admission"
- Lawrence Raffel, Editor-in-Chief
"I do this for a living, and still I screamed twice and wanted to look away (but couldn't). The fact that it's not the most original story only served to showcase how smartly directed it was."
- Peter Block, FEARnet President
"Easily the scariest film of the year, Sinister was able to deliver a creepy new villain and mythology, a strong performance from Ethan Hawke, and the best use of Super 8 footage in years."
- Kyle Van Vonderen, Video Production
LOVELY MOLLY
"Probably the best found footage film of the year. Good execution of creepiness."
- Erick S., Acquisitions
"Yes, Lovely Molly is a true slow-burn horror flick, but it's never a basic or boring one. The first hour does deliver a lot of quiet character moments, but Sanchez keeps offering several hints of the horrors to come -- and since Act III is packing some seriously satisfying moments, you'll probably end up grateful for those few extra moments of character development."
- Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
"It's not just that The Cabin in the Woods is a love letter to horror cinema; it's that The Cabin in the Woods is a love letter that says a lot more than just "horror flicks are cool." It somehow adds a fresh new layer to a genre that has no problem spinning its wheels just to grab an easy buck."
- Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
"Lots of people dismiss this one for the hype and it barely made a dent in the box office, but I predict that people will be talking about Cabin in the Woods for quite some time."
- Lawrence Raffel, Editor-in-Chief
"I was worried that between the years Cabin in the Woods spent waiting to be released, and the obsessive secrecy of the project, there was no way it could live up to the hype. I'm so glad I was wrong."
- Alyse Wax, Associate Editor
"I was one of the hundreds of people waiting patiently the past few years for this film to get released (thank you Lionsgate!) Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard truly flipped the horror archetype on its head. Bonus: the entire world is in on it. Second bonus: Richard Jenkins and Bradley Cooper."
- Sarah Shannon, Programming
"I got to see this about two years before it came out, without the benefit of any pre-awareness or marketing, which only heightened the surprise and the fun. Made for, and by, people who love the genre."
- Peter Block, FEARnet President
"Fun twist on an old premise with strong, original writing from Whedon and Goddard. Sure to be a cult classic."
- Erick S., Acquisitions
"All the references to classic horror films alone makes this a true genre fan's dream movie."
- Kyle Van Vonderen, Video Production
CHAINED
"This one was barely a blip on the radar, which is a shame. Rather than focusing on the 'torture porn' aspects of a cabbie who abducts and kills women, the story is what happens when the cabbie keeps and 'raises' the 8-year-old son of one of his victims. It's a fascinating story of nature vs. nurture and the psychological effects on the victims who don't die."
- Alyse Wax, Associate Editor
"When director Jennifer Lynch sticks to the morality play -- does long exposure to evil make you evil? -- Chained works, and although he could probably play an effective lunatic in his sleep, Vincent D’Onofrio does a fine job of articulating his character’s own logic, sick and twisted as it may be."
- Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
EXCISION
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think that John Waters directed a horror flick." - Lawrence Raffel, Editor-in-Chief
"It's the take-no-prisoners enthusiasm with which director Richard Bates leaps into his suburban nightmare that makes it so interesting, and it's AnnaLynne McCord's consistently unhinged performance that makes Excision so much offbeat, creepy, challenging fun." - Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
"Bizarre and unrelenting, Excision exceeded my expectations in the realm of the grotesque." - Luke LaBeau, Social Media, Marketing & PR
THE DAY
"Post-apocalyptic movies are ever present now a days but this one was more interesting and powerful than the rest. Shameless plug: if you missed it, you can see it on FEARnet in 2013!"
- Sarah Shannon, Programming
"Excellent, suspenseful post-apocalyptic thriller. Very effective and enjoyable."
- Rick Kent, Standards & Practices
"The Day has a great look, a really likable cast and cements the post-apocalyptic world quickly, efficiently and without big effects."
- Peter Block, FEARnet President
PARANORMAN
"Chris Butler and Simon Fell managed to make zombies appropriate for little kids, without watering it down. Sure to be one of the first films parents show to indoctrinate their kids into the genre."
- Alyse Wax, Associate Editor
"Darkly beautiful and charmingly misshapen. Laika Entertainment seems intent on delving into the section of the youthful brain that finds forgotten creatures and wounded monsters so damn interesting. ParaNorman is their best film so far."
- Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
"ParaNorman had one of the best opening horror scenes of the year, and was jam packed with references only a true horror fan will recognize. Let's hope it introduces a whole new batch of fans to our favorite genre."
- Kyle Van Vonderen, Video Production
SLEEP TIGHT
"This film is truly disturbing in an everyday situation type of way. Definitely left me checking under my bed the night I went to see it."
- Sarah Shannon, Programming
"Go in knowing absolutely nothing. Seriously creepy. I checked under the bed when I got home from seeing it and I never do that."
- Lawrence Raffel, Editor-in-Chief
THE LOVED ONES
"Finally, this got a release. Not since the "Home" episode of X-Files has a song so elevated a story, and it has so many 'it's just wrong' moments, that it belongs among the best this year." -
Peter Block, FEARnet President
"A slick, quick, and surprisingly intense little anti-love story, The Loved Ones is easily one of the coolest Aussie offerings of the past several years."
- Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
"It really packs a punch with some clever twists you aren't expecting and some of the most disturbing gore and torture scenes you'll see all year."
- Kyle Van Vonderen, Video Production
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
"Bolstered by an ominous Marco Beltrami score and almost single-mindedly obsessed on remaining an old-style ghost chiller amidst a horror landscape that doesn't seem all that interested in such movies,The Woman in Black is an admirable horror movie indeed."
- Scott Weinberg, Film Critic
"Worthy of the Hammer name and with a look and feel that breathes gothic best of any film since The Others."
- Peter Block, FEARnet President
"I liked it because it was eerie, not over-the-top scary or gory. I like movies with a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming."
- Karla O'Leary, the wimpiest FEARnetter
Bad news for fans of the one-off special. NBC has officially given Bryan Fuller’s Mockingbird Lane the axe. The creator/executive producer made the announcement via Twitter. “I tweet with a heavy heart,” he said. “NBC not moving forward with #MockingbirdLane. From producers and cast, thank you all for enthusiasm and support.”
Deadline reports that after the Halloween special multiple scripts had been written in the hope it would be picked up as a series and the “reworked to focus on Grandpa and cousin Marilyn (Charity Wakefield).”
But alas, this isn’t the case. However, the special has all the makings of a cult favorite and I can see it being revisited ten years or so down the line. Here at FEARnet we are big fans of the special, and even the most skeptical of us came around to the 60s family of dysfunctional monsters.
via Deadline
Sequels are often maligned and rarely live up to the original film on which they are based. Many sequels are thrown together, poorly written, low budget attempts to capitalize on the success of the original. However, that’s not always the case. In rare cases, sequels have even gone on to be better than their predecessor. Below, you can take a look at some of the horror films that we would like to have seen a sequel made for.
Happy Birthday to Me
J. Lee Thompson's giallo inspired slasher film has a fantastic and over the top twist ending, some of the most creative death scenes in slasher history, and a final sequence that left a lot up to the viewers interpretation. It was fun to see Melissa Sue Anderson break out of her Little house on the Prairie‘good girl’ image and tackle a more mature role. It would have been great to see Anderson reprise her role as Ginny for a second film. There probably wasn’t enough content for a franchise, but a second film could have been great fun.
Without a doubt, Trick ‘R Treat is one of the best horror anthology films of all time. It featured creative vignettes that intertwined seamlessly and wound up with a shocking conclusion. Creepshow, another popular anthology film had the benefit of two sequels, one that was quite good. It would have been nice to see Trick ‘R Treat follow suit and spin off a couple of sequels. Apart from select entries in the original Halloween franchise, there aren’t a lot of quality Halloween themed horror films. Trick ‘R Treat was a welcome addition. The rights to Trick ‘R Treat, like with The Hills Run Red, belong to Warner Premier, so any follow up is unlikely unless another studio picks up the rights from the defunct studio.
In Soviet Russia movies make fun of you!
Yep, that’s right. The Russians have their own version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. It’s hard to tell if this is legit, but desperately want to believe it exists.
In Project Popcorn, Crow and Tom Servo are replaced with a dog and penguin in Russian military uniforms. It appears that Hitler has something to do with them watching movies, I assume he is the stand-in for MST3K’s evil scientist.
Watch the ridiculous Project Popcorn trailer below and if anyone out there understands the Russian please send translations!
Back in October, we reported some updates to the next chapter of the Paranormal Activity franchise.
Now our friends over at Bloody Disgusting have posted a post-credit clip of the still unnamed spin-off. Here’s what we know about the set-up:
“The new project will reunite producers Jason Blum and Oren Peli with Christopher Landon, the writer of the second and third installments in the Paranormal franchise."
"Landon will write and direct the project, described by sources as a 'cousin' to the Paranormal movies but not a sequel, reboot or spinoff. The real kicker is that the movie will be Latino-themed. It will star a Latino cast and will tackle Catholic-based paranormal mythology. It will not, however, be in Spanish.”
In this clip we are put behind the camera as we watch found footage of someone entering a bodega. It’s unclear what they are looking for, but it’s very clear the owner of the establishment isn’t happy they are snooping around.
Here’s the translation via Bloody Disgusting:
It’s there. Where you can get your Santerías. Let’s go. What is all this? This is pure witchcraft. Ugh [lit. listen to me], I’m leaving.
“This is only the beginning.
“Run, run! Let’s leave!”
Watch the clip below.
Ever since I got my first taste of musical sorcery from Sardinia's dark cosmic rockers Recs of the Flesh, by way of a sweet remix of Prong's "3rd Option (Hold On Tight)," this band has been my jam. Shortly after I reviewed their first and second albums (check out the article here), the band went on an extended hiatus, which was quite a downer.. but thankfully that break has ended: founder/frontman Massimo Usai reformed the quartet and is preparing to unleash a brand new Recs album titled Fear, Lies and Collapsing Comets. To tide us over until release time (and believe me, you'll be hearing all about it before the record drops), he offered FEARnet the world premiere of the album's first music video, “You Kill.”
“After a decade of silence… the buzz is back!”
It’s surprising that it took as long as it did, but The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 didn’t arrive in theaters until a good 12 years after the original. At the helm once again was director Tobe Hooper, but this time screenwriting duties went to L.M. Kit Carson whose prior credits included Breathless and Paris, Texas. And because of the fast paced nature of the shoot which went into production almost immediately after being green-lit, Carson was on-set rewriting the entire time, in particular when at the last minute, a million dollars from the budget was cut forcing the filmmakers to implement changes while shooting and to make due with whatever they had.
You wouldn’t be able to tell any production problems with the finished product which at this point only gets better with age. The official sequel to Texas Chainsaw Massacre resumes about 12 years after the events of the first film and this time migrates the story to Dallas. We’re introduced to local DJ Stretch (the lovely Caroline Williams) and her recording engineer L.G. (Lou Perryman) whom at the top of the movie keep getting crank calls from a pair of douchey, drunken yuppie college kids; driving around town and shooting up mailboxes for fun. On one of their late night follow-up calls, Stretch hears (and records) them having an altercation on the road. It seems the boys pissed off the wrong truck because they’re riding side by side with a maniac with a chainsaw. That’s right, our old friend Leatherface.
Meanwhile, good ol’ Drayton Sawyer (aka the Cook, played by returning actor Jim Siedow) has just won yet another chili contest attributing his secret recipe to being “all in the meat!” In place of the Hitchhiker who perished at the end of the first film (and appears here as a stuffed corpse) is Chop-Top (a killer debut by genre fave Bill Moseley), the Hitchhiker’s twin brother who was fighting in Vietnam a decade prior. He’s got a metal plate in his head from the war that he frequently picks at with a cloths hanger (ewww) while he spouts out some of the films’ most memorable and quotable dialogue.
Lefty (Dennis Hopper) has been hot on the trail of the Sawyers for years but has never been able to capture or confront them. He’s the uncle of Sally & Franklin from the first movie and ever since Franklin (an invalid!) died a horrible death to the saw, Lefty has vowed vengeance. He convinces Stretch to replay the tape of the college boys getting murdered in order to drive out the Sawyer clan so he can follow them back to their hide-out and exact his revenge.
The most radically different aspect of the sequel over its predecessor is the over-the-top bat-shit crazy comedic tone. Now, when I first saw this movie prior to my teens, it terrified me. It scared me shitless. The sheer violence in Chop-Top’s hammering of poor L.G. That super close-up shot of Grandpa’s slobbering face and of course the gore! Gore galore compliments of FX legend Tom Savini whom at this point had already done mind-blowing work in films like Maniac, The Prowler and Friday The 13th Part’s 1 and 4. But I recall having sleepovers with my childhood best friend David, and he insisted on us watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 over and over and over again. From these non-stop marathon viewing sessions, I started to “get” Tobe Hooper’s wild and dark sense of humor. So much so, that when I went back to revisit the first movie after this, I saw the humor there too. (Just look at a scene like “Look what your brother did to the door!”) It dawned on me that Hooper absolutely loves this dysfunctional family and wants us to love them too, despite the fact that they’re murderous cannibals. Hell, why else would he give Leatherface a love interest in Part 2? Yes, you read that right. While Gunnar Hansen originated the role of Leatherface, here he’s played by Bill Johnson who does an amazing job at building upon but not replicating what Hansen started. If in the first movie, Leatherface was still at a young childlike state, then you’d figure a decade later would be his rebellious teenager phase. He’s a lot more frantic than he was previously, he has that weird love/hate relationship with his brother Chop Top whom half the time messes with him relentlessly and the other half encourages him. (“Did ya get her? Did ya get her good?”) And like most teenagers, he’s consumed with these strange “feelings” anytime he’s around the sexy Stretch.
Then there’s Dennis Hopper. Holy crap! Who would’ve thought to pit Dennis Hopper, one of the most unique voices/actors/filmmakers of the 70’s against one of the most iconic and insane clans in horror movie history? Thankfully, Hooper and company thought it and did it! Between his crazy dialogue (all delivered completely straight) and his multiple chainsaws acting as his weapons, Hopper owns this movie as a total bad-ass. Interesting to the original script is the excised B plot that Stretch was actually Lefty’s illegitimate daughter. Lots of little through-lines were cut out both with the budget cuts prior to production and during the editing process in post-production; all of which are fairly well documented on the special edition DVD or Blu-Ray of Chainsaw 2. But also of note is that the film was released unrated, much to the disapproval of the MPAA whom got their revenge when the follow-up Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 appealed several times trying to get an R rating.
This would be the last time that Jim Siedow would appear as the father of the deranged Sawyer clan. The actor passed away in 2003 due to complications from emphysema. Also tragic was the murder of Lou Perryman back in 2009 who played L.G. in this film and also served as Tobe Hooper’s camera assistant on the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Dennis Hopper sadly passed away in 2012 from prostate cancer. But despite key cast members no longer being with us, their performances and contributions to the sequel to one of the most famous horror movies of all time is immeasurable and fans the world over will always celebrate them, their characters and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
Join us Monday as we continue revisiting the Texas Chainsaw movies with Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.
Looking forward to Warm Bodies? The new zom-com from writer/director Jonathan Levine (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) doesn't hit theaters until February 1st, but you can watch the first four minutes of the film right now:
Official synopsis: After a zombie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor) and rescues her from a zombie attack. Julie sees that R is different from the other zombies, and as the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival, R becomes increasingly more human—setting off an exciting, romantic, and often comical chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world.
Christmas-time 1973 delivered a major present for horror fans wrapped in a big pukey bow. The Exorcist premiered December 26, and changed the face of movie making while dividing critics, enraging some moviegoers, and causing a great debate within the MPAA ratings system. Director William Friedkin’s film pushed taboos, created an unparalleled buzz, proved horror movies could be mainstream, and rode the hype the way to the bank.
Christmas has, historically, seen a number of horror releases (perhaps this has something to do with family gatherings.) In 1946 The Beast with Five Fingers was released while 1961 saw a personal favorite of mine, the Innocents, released in France. It’s the film adaptation of the Henry James story, The Turn of the Screw. It’s classic gothic governess horror. Christmas 1997 saw An American Werewolf in Paris released. Not nearly as enjoyable as its predecessor, it’s a big, fat, CGI mess.
Title: The Exorcist
Released: December 26, 1973
Tagline: Something beyond comprehension is happening to a little girl on this street, in this house. A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is The Exorcist.
Title:The Innocents
Released: December 25, 1961
Tagline: A Haunting Tale of Terror!
If you aren't a connoisseur of horror figure collectibles, then you probably know someone who is. These collectors generally have a figure room in their home, and often it's been custom-made, which houses several shrines to various obsessions. FEARnet spoke to one such obsessive, Mr. Frights, about his formidable NECA collection. He's been gathering figures for over sixteen years and his pull includes some of our most beloved slashers. I especially like the Evil Dead collection. Check out the pics.
The Collector: Mr. Frights (a.k.a. Justin Lewis)
Location: Columbus, Ohio
What: NECA Horror Figures
Years Collecting: 16+
How Many: Around 60 NECA figures including a whole lot of their Head Knockers.
How the Obsession Started: Watching horror movies of course! I loved them so much, the characters and scenes, and when I found that toy makers were creating figures and prop replicas to go along with these beloved movies... well, that was the can of worms opening for me. Heh.
Most Prized Find: There's always something I can place in this catagory until I get it. The most recent is The Crow boxed set with Top Dollar. I've wanted that thing forever and the NECA store on eBay posted it for a great price I couldn't ignore and they do an awesome job with shipping rates, so now it sits on my shelf with my other Crow figures.
Rarest Piece in Collection: I'm not sure if it's the rarest piece, but it sure was the most difficult to find and add to my collection. The Jason head knocker from the Jason vs. Freddy head knocker set, I had to search international sellers to find just one.
Craziest Thing You've Done for the Collection: Turned my bedroom into a sort of vault for my entire collection. My wife and I still sleep in there, but it's full of shelves, cases, and the wall space keeps disappearing with each piece I don't take out of the box. Outside of my wife and daughter, I've actually only had one friend in there to see it all and only one time.
The Horror Holy Grail: I have a short list because there was a time when I didn't have the funds available to get some of these amazing pieces, but I'm seriously lacking an Alien Queen. I know it's not that hard to find, but I'm just not comfortable paying what people are asking for it.
What Else Do You Collect: I actually have over 500 pieces of horror items, toys, posters, trading cards (including Cereal Killer series 1 & 2 trading cards by Wax-Eye), prop replicas, movies, promotional items (i.e. My Bloody Valentine 3D pickax key chain), and more.
The Cryptkeeper is getting all shiny in anticipation for New Year's Eve. Count down to 2013 with him and FEARnet's Tales From the Crypt New Year's Eve marathon. Take a look at how the Cryptkeeper prepares with this exclusive behind-the-scenes photo gallery.
Photos by Jim Kunz
Teeth: Vampire Tales, Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling:
While Teeth is a Vampire/Monsters-with-sharp-teeth YA anthology, the stories are also written to appeal to adults. There's a lot of diversity in the pages of Teeth, stories that are complete in themselves but could also be expanded to larger works.
I enjoyed it a great deal, and if you haven't read it already, it's definitely worth checking out. You can check out more of Ms. Datlow's projects at www.ellendatlow.com.
Machine, by Jennifer Pelland:
This is a beautifully designed and written book that takes complex issues of the day and wraps them seamlessly in a dark, futuristic story about a woman that needs to replace her human body with a machine replica.
She encounters numerous problems and spirals out of control from this one action. An interesting read sure to spark conversation. Check it out at www.jenniferpelland.com/machine.html.
The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins:
I was a bit wary of these books at first, but after picking up The Hunger Games for a book club, I was hooked. The first book in the series is my favorite, but each one is a good read.
Given the popularity of the trilogy, not much needs to be said that hasn't been said already. And who isn't looking forward to the next movie adaptation, Catching Fire?
Earthworm Gods II: Deluge, by Brian Keene:
I actually started reading this a while ago as it was posted for free online at Brian Keene's website (www.briankeene.com), and finished it either last year or early this year when the last installment was posted. It's no longer available online, but the hardcover was released this year.
It's a fun read – the world covered in water, white mold that turns people into liquid (soft), and creatures out of the worst of nightmares. If you missed it online, you can check it out in hardcover now from Thunderstorm Books or in paperback and eBook sometime in 2013.
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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 Cinema (Critical Studies) and a minor in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Southern California, and is a Film Independent: Project Involve Fellow.
If there’s one body part that screams hors d'oeuvre, it’s the eyeball. The bite-sized windows to the soul are perfect for popping, just ask the Corinthian. But who has time to stalk people, pluck out their eyes, and then marinate them for a day or two? This marinated mozzarella version of the eyeball hors d'oeuvre is a much less sadistic and much more delicious way to go. Thanks to dabbled.org for this recipe perfect for your New Years Eve party - get it below.
Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs
Ingredients:
• Big firm olives (black & green). Try the olive bar at your local grocery, or you can go for the canned stuff. The olives need to be firm, not squishy. Jarred black olives work perfected fine for the pupil.
• A large diameter drinking straw (I find McDonalds straws to be the perfect size) .
• Marinated mini mozzarella balls. I get mine at Trader Joe’s.
• Optional: jarred red pepper slices.
Technique:
Use the olives to make your nice rounded iris and pupil. For the most rounded, slice of the end of a green olive, then use your straw to punch a hole in the center.
Slide of a piece of black olive, and use the straw to punch out a plug of black. Then place the black piece in the hole of your green olive. If it does not stay level with the green, you can use a little cream cheese stuffed in the open end of the olive to hold the black in place. You can also do slices off the side of the green olive, but be aware they will be slightly oblong.
Note: You can make red pupils by using jarred roasted red pepper, peeled, instead of the black olives.
Once you have enough irises for all your mozzarella balls, you simply arrange the balls on a platter, and top with your olive slices. Depending on the shape of your balls, you may need to slice off a little of the top to get a flat surface on which to sit your olive eye.
Drizzle the whole thing with the marinade from the package, and optionally stab each eyeball with a toothpick for added ‘ewww’ factor and ease of serving!
The original 1980 Maniac directed by William Lustig was deemed a video nasty in the UK and considered "unredeemable" by many critics, including Gene Siskel. The new version, directed by Franck Khalfoun and starring Elijah Woodis disturbing in a very different way. Rather than getting gritty and gory like the original, the new version - while still violent - is disturbing because it gets you into the mind of the titular maniac. The plot is very simple: a man scalps women (mostly hookers) to work out some severe mommy issues. That's it.
Take a peek at the first six minutes of the film. Maniac has made the festival rounds, but not official release date has been set.
I may have been a little too tough on the 2007 indie vampire flick The Hamiltons. Reviewing it for another website, I said this: "Feeling more like an angsty indie drama than any sort of horrific piece of cinema, the movie is jam-packed with all the things that make 'homemade' movies so irritating: Clumsy screenwriting, wooden acting, and a sense of self-importance run rampant throughout The Hamiltons. Not even the few moments of grim humor and bloodletting can salvage the flick's leaden pacing and overbaked narrative."
