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FEARnet Movie Review: 'Evil Dead' (2013)

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evil deadOne does not call their film "Evil Dead" without expecting some serious scrutiny from the old-school horror fans. It doesn't matter if names like Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert are on board for your remake, and it makes no difference that you went for a "hard-R" rating and delivered a pretty kick-ass trailer. That's all just conversation fodder. If you're going to remake one of the finest indie horror films of the 1980s, you better be prepared to roll your sleeves up, do some heavy lifting, and get your hands dirty. 

Fortunately for all involved, the creators of the new Evil Dead are more than willing to earn their own stripes with the horror fans, and the result is a fast-paced, gut-punch, splatter-fest of a remake that will almost certainly please the old fans, probably entice a bunch of new ones, and thoroughly disgust anyone who happens to think that Evil Dead is some sort of low-key supernatural thriller. In other words, Evil Dead (2013) is one of the goriest wide-release movies I've ever seen. Take that as either a warning or a selling point, but rare is the cinematic bloodbath that is this outrageously... well, bloody. So how's the rest of the flick?

Shocking, disturbing, creepy, and actually pretty clever, all things considered. As for the poster that promises "the most terrifying film you will ever experience," that's some high-quality marketing, but no: the new Evil Dead isn't even the most terrifying film I've seen in the past year. It IS however, stocked with more than enough gloom, doom, and carnage to keep a seasoned horror freak happy enough. If a few of the actors are sort of wooden and if some of the dialogue is a bit ripe, those are small stakes for a movie so irredeemably committed to big shocks, pitch-black humor, and enough audacious violence to fill three decent horror flicks.

Plot? Oh, yes. Five youthful adults visit an isolated cabin so that one of them can run through detox in isolation and with four loved ones around for physical / emotional support. One of the group discovers an ancient book and he (very stupidly) reads an incantation aloud, which summons a demon who promptly does all sorts of terrible things to poor young Mia and her pals. Cabin. Demon. People. Simple stuff. By the time the group of five has been whittled down to two, you'll either be dazzled by the grisly intensity on display, or you'll have given up and bailed on the flick entirely. Speaking only as one semi-old horror fan who adores The Evil Dead but also hopes for the best on each new horror remake, I was more than a little impressed with this one.

What works in the remake is a staunch commitment to practical special effects (because CGI gore stinks and we all know it), a fantastic lead performance by Jane Levy, a nifty score that's ominous on its own and also borrows from the original's themes, some frankly fantastic cinematography, and a tone that starts out downbeat and just keeps getting darker. It's cool and creepy and unpredictable and precisely the sort of horror movie your mother would probably hate.

The humor of the piece lies mostly in the over-the-top nature of the graphic violence, but make no mistake: the new Evil Dead is admirably serious about getting under your skin. To this end it employs simple jump scares, elaborate attack sequences, some crazily creative carnage, and (best of all) a pace that dances around for about 25 minutes before getting down to the dirty stuff and never letting up. This is an intense, grotesque, and thoroughly enjoyable piece of horror cinema that pays due homage to its predecessor while also concocting some memorable insanity of its own. That's what horror fans generally want from remakes: respect for the old mixed with an enthusiasm for something new.

So while I certainly do not agree that Evil Dead is all that terrifying (and it adds a little bit of emotional roughage that doesn't help matters much), I will happily admit that it's one of the better horror film remakes of the past few years. It may actually be one of the best horror remakes of the modern era, but let's be fair: 80% of those movies are really, really awful. Simply put, Evil Dead is stark, dark, exciting, and thoroughly grim -- and that's more than good enough.  That a remake of the "original" cabin in the woods movie works so damn well even after Cabin in the Woods lampooned the concept so thoroughly, well, that's sort of impressive in a highly geeky way.

And hey, big respect for keeping the gore "practical." I know that sounds like a weird thing to praise, but when it comes to hardcore horror films, latex and fake blood will always win out over digital silliness.

READ FEARnet's PARTNER REVIEWS OF EVIL DEAD


FEARnet Movie Review: 'Cheap Thrills'

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cheap thrillsAre human beings wired to enjoy the suffering of other human beings? Does everything truly have a price? How far would you be willing to go to ensure your family's peace and prosperity? Does morality work on a sliding scale? 

These are the questions I pondered while trying to come up with an opening paragraph for my review of Cheap Thrills, a low-budget but high-energy thriller that's nasty fun on the surface, but rather a smart little morality play on the whole. Sort of like a wise-ass American rendition of a Michael Haneke film, Cheap Thrills offers us vicarious thrills by having characters get their own vicarious thrills at the expense of another character's well-being. In other words, two of the characters in this film are compelled to do some truly unpleasant things to each other, but we're allowed to enjoy their safely fictional miseries because the filmmakers have a dark and crafty story to tell, as well as a few interesting points to make.

The story is straight and to-the-point: family man Craig (Pat Healy) has just lost his job, and is about a month away from losing his house. While drowning his sorrows in a harmless beer, Craig reunites with an old pal named Vince (Ethan Embry) and also befriends a strange married couple who seem to love throwing their cash around. After several drinks and a few odd but uneventful "wagers," the foursome decides to head back to Colin (David Koechner) and Violet's (Sara Paxton) swanky house for some, well, some cheap thrills.

Right about here is where you'd probably mistake the movie for a bizarre sex movie, but to its credit Cheap Thrills has something a bit more cerebral in  mind. Turns out that Colin and Violet are very wealthy, very bored, and very interested in making two blue-collar nobodies struggle for a decent chunk of change. At first the games are pretty simple: "$300 to the one who finishes their drink first," is the challenge laid down to Craig and Vince, but things start to get decidedly more extreme as the night goes on. Suffice to say that Cheap Thrills has a few novel twists stuck up its sleeve, and a few of them are quite memorably unpleasant.

The four actors are, quite simply, aces across the board. Koechner is both affable and insidious, and the result is the comedian's finest acting performance of his career. The lovely Ms. Paxton is frequently silent, entirely in command, and often kinda creepy, and Mr. Embry wipes away a lot of his younger roles with a dark, honest, and intense turn as Vince. Last but never least is the excellent character actor Pat Healy, last seen in Compliance, and more or less fascinating here as a plain Joe who may be in way over his head. Or not.

So while the leads and the salaciously intriguing premise are more than enough to keep Cheap Thrills afloat, high praise to writer / first-time director Evan Katz for striking an astute balance between a simply engaging dark thriller and a trenchant piece of social commentary. It's not often you come across an indie film that's both joyously mean-spirited and also kind of moral at the same time, but Cheap Thrills breezes by on a twisted idea, a fantastic cast, and a bunch of ethical quandaries that are both eerily uncomfortable and slyly fascinating at the same time.

 

READ FEARnet's PARTNER REVIEWS OF CHEAP THRILLS

TV Recap: 'Cult' Episode 103 - 'Being Billy'

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cultCult Episode 103
“Being Billy”
Written By: Megan Martin
Directed By: James L. Conway
Original Airdate: 8 March 2013

In This Episode...

A trio of boys are watching a clip from “Cult” for the “millionth time.” Then, in mimicking the episode, they kidnap a coed, tie her up in a car, and leave her to be hit by a train. Only this is a prank; the train is just car headlights and a train sound effect CD. The kids laugh, even the girl, Jill. This is “Being Billy,” a game played on college campuses. After the prank, the kids join their friends in a party where they screen the prank. Jill loves being the center of attention. Unfortunately, when she leaves the party, she is hit by a car for real and dies instantly.

Jeff discovers a girl named Laura rifling through Nate’s apartment. She was Nate’s girlfriend, and used to live with him there. They were together almost a year, but hadn’t seen each other in a month. They ran the “Being Billy” game together, until they began to fight over it. They were both obsessed with “Cult,” but when Nate started seeing a “deeper meaning” in the show, he backed away; he didn’t like the casual way in which she approached the game, like it was making light of the show. Laura did not set up this round of “Being Billy,” which meant that Nate had to have done it - he was the only other person who had access to the list of players.

EJ had hacked into Nate’s email so that whenever there was any activity on the account, Jeff got a message. He gets one going to Laura, telling her to meet him - alone - in some basement classroom. When Jeff and Skye go there, neither Laura or Nate show up, but Jeff finds evidence that suggests Jill’s hit-and-run was staged. They also find a hard drive. They take it to Laura’s apartment. She isn’t home, but Carrie, her roommate and “Being Billy” player lets them in. While they wait for Laura, they check out what is on the hard drive. There is a single video file on there, one that combines the scene from “Cult” where Kelly pulls Douglas from the wall, followed by the prank pulled on Jill - including the less-hilarious hit-and-run accident, followed by what appears to be a place holder. In both the Jill piece and the placeholder, a series of numbers appear on the screen. At first they look like dates, but Skye soon realizes that the numbers are time code, relating to an episode of “Cult” and the approximate time of the scene that is being pranked. The placeholder code matches up with a scene set in a greenhouse. Jeff and Skye race to the campus horticultural center. Inside, they find Carrie in the process of burying Laura alive. Laura is rescued - this wasn’t part of the game. Carrie was teaching her a lesson for being so cavalier about “Cult.” Carrie was also the last person to see Nate, about a week ago. He claimed to have “made contact.” It is not clear if he made contact with the hidden messages in the show, or with the True Believers. Either way, she was killing people and recording it as a sort of “audition tape” for the True Believers. Carrie escapes, only to meet up with a van. The door opens, and an arm with the “Cult” logo tattooed on it helps her in. This has to be the True Believer van.

Meanwhile, Kirsty is deep into her seduction of Billy Grimm/Roger (Roger being the name of the fictional actor who is playing the doubly-fictional Billy). He invites her to set on a day that they are shooting on location, and the two have an especially naughty tryst on the taxidermy set (we’re talking shackles and daggers) and again in Roger’s trailer. As she leaves the studio, she places a mystery phone call: “It was perfect. It went exactly as it was supposed to.”

Also: Steven Rae sends down a note to production that he wants to add some graffiti to the walls in the show: the trifecta of swords that Jeff and Skye had found with several followers.

Skye does some hardcore audio manipulation to the show clip found on the hard drive and with the right tinkering, she can make it sound like it is saying “true believer” and “kill for us” within the soundtrack.

Dig It or Bury It?

This show has me so torn. On the one hand, it’s not particularly good. But on the other, there is enough mystery going on to keep me saying, “Well, just one more episode....” The biggest problem is that they keep piling mystery on top of conundrum and don’t give anything back. The way that Skye warped the soundtrack to get it to say “true believer” and “kill for us” almost lost me for good. Thank goodness Jeff had the sense to say that you could get audio hits to sound like anything if you manipulate them properly. If he hadn’t, I might have had to bash my head into the wall - and that helps no one. Of course, after that scene, you can hear the audio hits on the soundtrack, and I just know if you started fucking around with them, you could discover secret messages. 

Life Imitates Art

The episode opens with Billy in the car with Libby. He accuses her of betraying him. “As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end,” he says to her before he steps back. She is in the car and the train comes and smashes it heartily. (Side note: that phrase is what gave Skye the idea to blend the first few words and last few words of that episode to get “true believer.)

Later, Kelly reveals that Libby was getting ready to expose Billy and tell her where he was hiding Meadow. She never got the chance. We also learn that Kelly was the one who brought Libby into the fold - Kelly even conducted her initiation.

Prophecies?

Jeff finally gets his act together and calls in a guy whose profession is getting people lost to cults.

FEARnet Movie Review: 'V/H/S/2'

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v/h/s/2Anthologies are pretty easy to review, truth be told, so let's cut right to the point: if you liked last year's horror collection called V/H/S then there's virtually no chance that you'll dislike the sequel; it's quicker, slicker, and perhaps even sicker than the first entry, but it's also another shining example of how well horror cinema can work in bite-sized portions. The plan is simple: hire some writers and directors who've made a splash of some sort in the indie genre field, let them make their own mini-movie, and then slap each one into a simple-but-creepy "wraparound" framework and (hopefully) watch the sparks fly.

Fan of the first V/H/S flick will be pleased to note that while some of the filmmakers are back, most of the short horror tales come from a new batch of folks, which allows the sequel to actually feel like a Part 2, while also allowing V/H/S/2 to venture into some exotic new places. The key to a solid horror anthology is simple: make none of the segments suck, and make sure at least one of them is DAMN good. V/H/S/2 succeeds on both counts.

We open with a framing story that's connected directly to V/H/S: a couple are poring through the VHS tapes in a crazily creepy house in the hopes of finding a missing student, and of course we get to watch along as they dig through some of the creepiest "first-person" horrors you can imagine. The framework moments work considerably better here than they do in V/H/S, partially because they're a bit quicker but also because screenwriter-turned-director Simon Barrett wraps them up with a nice creepy jolt at the end.

Chapter one is about a guy who gets a robotic eyeball that allows him to see ghosts. It's a pretty conventional story until we meet the second character: a beautiful young woman who can hear ghosts. Director Adam Wingard (who also stars as the poor guy) dabbles in basic ghostly ideas before delving into some decidedly cleverer stuff.

Chapter two is so cool and clever I suspect that co-creators Eduardo Sanchez and Gregg Hale (The Blair Witch Project) could easily expand it to feature-length, but why bother? This short (about a man who mounts a camera on his helmet, goes biking, and gets attacked by zombies) is pretty much perfect the way it is. Gross, funny, and very clever about its reversal on zombie perspectives, this could be the best tale of the batch, except that...

Chapter three, which is co-directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid) and Timo Tjahjanto (Macabre), takes place in a creepy cult deep in the wilderness of Indonesia. A group of reporters are there to interview the cult leader, and let's just say that all hell breaks loose. A wonderful combination of various horror genres, this segment (which runs about 30 minutes all told) might be one of the best horror shorts I've ever witnessed. Structurally, thematically, and considering  things like tone, editing, and (of course) the requisite "found footage" presentation... wow. I'm not getting into specific details but this particular section of V/H/S/2 is what I like to call a miniature masterpiece. 

Which means that chapter four simply MUST be a let-down, right? In most cases, yes. Luckily we have Jason Eisener (Hobo With a Shotgun) on hand to present what I like to call "The Nightmare Version of E.T." This 14-minute piece tracks a slumber party from its raucous antics to a standoff with interstellar enemies with a remarkable sense of energy, humor, and (ultimately) some legitimate thrills and chills. Also all of the footage is shot from the perspective of a dog. Yep, a dog.

Kudos to whomever it was that threw the stories down in this specific order: "Clinical Trials" begins simple and gets weird; "A Ride in the Park" is wonderfully clever and even subtle; "Safe Haven" is a multi-faceted diamond of a horror story; "Alien Abduction Slumber Party" is a short shot of unique fun; and the wrap-around stuff is enjoyably creepy while also staying out of the way. As a whole V/H/S/2 has a very satisfying flow, and those who thought Part 1 was a bit too lengthy for its own good while be pleased to notice the sequel's more expeditious nature.

Best of all, V/H/S/2 represents the best sort of indie horror collaboration you could imagine: filmmakers from around the world who clearly adore horror cinema and do all they can to deliver the spooky stuff in short, sharp shocks. I say keep the V/H/S train rolling until we run out of young filmmakers who love horror movies. Which should be never. 


READ FEARnet's PARTNER REVIEWS OF V/H/S 2

Watch the First Six Minutes of 'Bates Motel'

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Bates MotelSomething is definitely not right with Mother.

A&E’s new series Bates Motel debuts a week from today and they’ve released the first six minutes of the premiere episode.  The show tells the “mommy and me” origin story of Norman Bates and his mother, before she wound up in her rocking chair tomb.

It opens with Norman stumbling upon a bloody scene in the Bates household. When he tells his mother, she seems not all that surprised. The action then cuts to a car ride up to the Seafairer Hotel that feels a bit like the opening scene to The Shining. Could mommy have been the original psycho killer? Whatever the secrets, there’s something strange happening with this family.

Watch it below and get all of FEARnet's Bates Motel coverage here.
 



 

 

Gift Guide: Custom LEGO Alien Queen

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The Alien Queen looks a whole lot less scary in LEGO form.  Scaled down and simplified, etsy seller TinyBricks did a great job recreating the Xenomorph in miniature. Custom-made, she stands about 2.5" H x 1" W x 1" D, the perfect size to take a place on your mantle and wait for the right moment to strike.

This isn’t the first amazing LEGO creation we’ve found this year, see movie-inspired sculptures, including the Hill House and Predator, recreated in LEGO form here.
 

Alien LEGO


$19.95 at Etsy.com

 

Clive Barker in Comics, Part Two: 'Eclipse' and the 'Books of Blood'

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Clive BarkerWhen Eclipse Comics ended the Tapping the Vein series after the fifth volume, it wasn’t because they’d run out of material to adapt – Vein only scratched the surface of the short stories Clive Barker had published under the Books of Blood title. Eclipse continued to adapt those stories in a series of standalone releases beginning in 1991 and going right up until the company’s closure in 1993.

Eclipse may have jettisoned the title, but their subsequent adaptations shared many similarities with those that had fallen under the Tapping the Vein masthead. Creators from Vein popped up in these releases, most notably writer Steve Niles (who scripted stories in all but one of these releases) and artist John Bolton. The Vein volumes each featured two stories, and two of these new releases did as well (Rawhead Rex was paired with Twilight at the Towers, while The Life of Death and New Murders in the Rue Morgue shared space in their own volume).

More important than these technical similarities, though, was the fact that Eclipse carried over their trend of finding the perfect marriage between artist and material. In each instance, the artist was able to bring vivid life to Barker’s wildly imaginative prose.

Take, for instance, Rawhead Rex. If you’ve seen the film, you’ve seen a visual interpretation of Barker’s creation that bears only a passing resemblance to the one he described in his short story. In the Eclipse adaptation, Les Edwards paints something straight out of a nightmare – a tall, gaunt creature with a head like a moon and a mouth like a tooth-filled wound, wide and red and raw. Edwards also hands in amazing work in Son of Celluloid, capturing classic visages like John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe, and then mutating them into the tumor-like creature that haunts the story. And John Bolton, of course, kills it with his realization of the Yattering, the demon terrorizing the Polo family in Barker’s twisted Christmastime tale The Yattering and Jack.

Niles handles scripting chores for six of the eight stories represented in this series, with Fred Burke handling the other two (Dread and The Life of Death). Both do a good job of choosing which passages and dialogue to bring to life in whole from Barker’s prose versus where to change and condense; the result is a group of scripts that read as though Barker handled the adaptations himself.

I would have been happy to see Eclipse carry this formula forward with everything Barker has written and will write. Fortunately, the loss of Eclipse didn’t mean the comics well was dry for Barker, as Marvel Comics had already picked up the ball and was busy bringing another of the author’s creations to life – a certain group of demons who feed on suffering and despair, with well-spoken words and pin-laden leader. We’ll talk about the surprising union of Marvel and the Cenobites when we return to the series in a few weeks.

Visit the Comics Warehouse for a list of Eclipse’s Clive Barker adaptations.

Blu Gilliand is a freelance writer of fiction and nonfiction. He covers horror fiction at his blog, October Country, and contributes interviews to the Horror World website. Follow him on Twitter at @BluGilliand.
 

FEARnet Movie Review: 'Holy Ghost People'

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holy ghost peopleIt was only a matter of time before the filmmaking team known as "The Butcher Brothers" would drop the slightly silly moniker and start crediting themselves as normal guys, and it only seems fitting that Mitch Altieri and Phil Flores would choose to do it with a film like Holy Ghost People. The duo has shown some skill and (better yet) improvement with each successive movie -- The Hamiltons, The Violent Kind, The Thompsons (and yes I left out April Fools Day to be kind) -- but their latest is easily their most complete, cohesive, and compelling thriller yet.

The simple gritty film works as both a dramatic piece and a thriller at the same time, and tonally it seems to borrow a little from the early indie films of David Gordon Green, which is meant as a compliment to all involved. At its best moments Holy Ghost People provides a relatively honest glimpse at a particularly strange sub-section of religion: the snake-charmers! 

The setting is an isolated compound called Sugar Mountain, and it's there that young Charlotte (Emma Greenwell) hopes to find some answers as to where her sister is. The troubled girl went missing a while back and although Charlotte only has a few hundred dollars to her name, she offers it to an aimless veteran to escort her deep into the Appalachian mountains. (And no, this is not the sort of genre film that leads to vampires or stalkers. The villains here are all too human.)

Turns out that Charlotte hasn't been completely honest with Wayne (Brendan McCarthy), but the young woman and her hired hand find their way to Sugar Mountain and quickly get a taste of some seriously old-time religion. The congregation is governed by the glibly conniving Brother Billy (Joe Egender), and what the preacher lacks in age he more than makes up for in devout fanaticism. Charlotte assumes a fake name and tries to convince the flock that she's a willing newcomer; Wayne poses as her doubtful but slightly open-minded father -- and while it won't take a genius to predict what happened to Charlotte's long-lost sister, Holy Ghost People manages to touch on some compelling points before committing to its familiar but satisfying finale.

The cast is the strongest asset of the piece, although Altieri (directing solo this time) seems intent on keeping his thriller rooted firmly in a gritty, rustic reality. As for the cast, relative newcomers Greenwell and McCarthy are quite excellent, particularly in their scenes together. Mr. Egender steals numerous scenes with a quietly ominous presence that lets the viewer know they're dealing with a "true believer." Kudos also to support players like Don Harvey and Cameron Richardson for some fine work in smaller but important roles. 

As important as the performances are in this sort of thriller, the screenplay (by Altieri and Flores) is smart enough to balance the kidnapping story with a frank and realistic perspective on the "Holy Ghost" snake-charming congregation. In a particularly clever scene Brother Bllly acknowledges how crazy his belief system must look from the outside, so while we know that these religious "kooks" are up to no good, the movie is mature enough to play this angle very straight. This is a considerably more mature piece than the filmmakers' previous efforts, and their evolution is evident throughout much of Holy Ghost People.


A&E Goes Into Production with 'Occult'

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lynn collins, josh lucasA&E is beefing up their scripted department - and they are beefing it up with scary stuff. Bates Motel is a mere week away from its premiere, and a new pilot has just gone into production, called, simply, Occult.

From Hollywood Reporter: "Occult revolves around Dolan, an FBI agent who has returned from administrative leave after going off the deep end while investigating his wife’s disappearance. Eager to be back on the job, he is paired with Blair, an agent with her own complicated backstory who specializes in the occult. Together, they will solve cases for the newly formed occult crimes task force." Josh Lucas (American Psycho, Session 9) will play Dolan, while Lynn Collins (True Blood, Blood Creek) will play Blair.

Sounds a little X-File-y does it? Well, it is written by X-Files alum James Wong. He will also produce alongside Platinum Dunes duo Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, and Michael Bay.

Cryptid Catalog: South Carolina's 'Lizard Man'

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Lizard_Man
Today's featured cryptid is a reptilian twist on rural monster lore: where the Sasquatch and Yeti legends (and their many regional offshoots) involve sightings of an ape-like humanoid lurking in the wilderness, suggesting a possible ancestor to modern primates or even a close relative of humans, the  “Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp” is also described as man-sized and walking upright, but with unique features resembling those of an alligator. First reported in the late '80s, the creature has been allegedly sighted numerous times, and has now become a figure of pop culture among many of the residents of Lee County, South Carolina.
Lizard_Man_article
Beginning with multiple sightings in the summer of 1988, the most consistent description of the Lizard Man is his incredible strength and aggressiveness; many accounts describe him attacking cars in the area around Scape Ore Swamp, sometimes inflicting severe damage to the vehicles with his teeth and claws. Various reports mention the creature having red eyes, three-toed feet, a spiny tail, even patches of hair, and while nearly all of these accounts have been debunked as hoaxes or misinterpretations of other animals (like coyotes, dogs or bears), a few of them have not yet been disproved – including a three-clawed footprint found near the first sighting. The print was cast in plaster by the local sheriff, and the South Carolina Marine Resources Department could not trace it to any known animal in the area, though they ultimately wrote it off as a fake.
 
Lizard_man_prints
 
More recently, the Lizard Man has become a popular figure in local culture, serving as the mascot of a Lee County 5K run and the South Carolina Education Lottery, and he's been the subject of TV shows like Animal Planet's Lost Tapes, The History Channel's Monster Quest and Syfy's Destination Truth. So while there's still not much proof to support his existence, this backwoods beastie has nevertheless developed quite a legacy.

Ahmet Zappa's 'Monster X' Project in Development

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Ahmet_Zappa
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ahmet Zappa – son of music legend Frank Zappa and the writer-producer of the quirky Disney fantasy The Odd Life of Timothy Green– has teamed up with the producers of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone to develop a script for the horror/superhero mashup Monster X. Zappa's story involves a team of ten classic screen monsters, including Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Jekyll & Hyde and many more, who team up to defend humanity as Avengers-style superheroes.
 
Producers Chris Bender, J.S. Spink and Jake Weiner (aka Benderspink Productions) optioned the script from Zappa's company Monsterfoot Productions, and at this stage they are now working on expanding Zappa's original script. Other projects in development from Monsterfoot include Monster Witness Relocation Program and The Monstrous Memoirs of Mighty McFearless... we're detecting a certain theme here, and we kinda like it.

Horror Music Video of the Week: Captain Midnite – 'Drown Me Out'

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Midnite_Drown

Seattle-based dance/pop artist Captain Midnite found a way to take a hooky track from his most recent EP All This Will Fade and turn it into a simple but moody little zombie movie in this week's selection. Directors Scott Hampson & Janssen Solberg are likely paying homage to the color and makeup schemes from George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and the mood gets an assist from the autumn atmosphere. Sadly, we don't know what becomes of the Captain by the end once the zombies catch up with him... we'll let you fill in the blanks there.
You can hear more tracks at Captain Midnite's Soundcloud page, including his recent collaborations with hip-hop artist Kyle Lucas.
 
Midnite_ATWF
 
 

Exclusive: Bruce Campbell Talks 'Evil Dead' Past and Present

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bruce campbellIf you’ve seen the Evil Dead remake, or read Scott Weinberg’s review, you know that it turned out great. Many skeptics, including myself, had their collective minds blown at SXSW during it’s world premiere in Austin, Tx. To the delight of many, we sat in that audience with the legendary Bruce Campbell. I got the chance to sit down with him and discuss the rebirth of this classic franchise, the kind of planning it took, when he felt the original movie was truly a success, and even learned why a Deadite just might want to get an Evil Dead tattoo.

When you started Evil Dead in the '80s, did you have any idea then that it would attain the kind of cult status it has now?

How could we? The answer is no. No, it just grew over a very long period. It took four years to make, took about six years to break even. So this was a very long road.

What were your initial ambitions for the original?

To just get it made. When I saw it in my local theater, where I watched movies as a kid, The Poseidon Adventure and all these other movies. When I saw a Saturday matinee, watching The Evil Dead in the theater where I grew up, that was the success right there. Everything else was gravy because I got it, a movie that I starred in was in my local theater. That’s all I needed to see. That was enough success for me right there.

Fede mentioned you were very involved throughout the entire process including casting. What sort of things were you looking for in actors auditioning and what were some of the ways the cast impressed you early on?

They just stood out, they were different, they were better, they were appropriate, they brought energy to it. Fede worked well with them. You know, you check and see how your director responds to an actor, so I’d look at him as much as I’d look at the actor. Like, is he bored by them? Is he intrigued by them? What does he say to them? Does he want to keep working with them after? Because you know, an actor comes in and reads your scenes, sometimes you just kick them out because you only get one shot at it and then you’re “Thanks, see ya”. Does Fede stop and go “Hey, let’s try this a different way. I like what you did, but try it this way now.” So, it was good to see him work with the actors too. Then we started pairing the actors that we liked and see how they worked together, so it was a long process. Fede made these people read. Some of the actors that we met were in a position where they could say “Fuck you I’m not auditioning, give me the role or don’t.” Fede refused to do that so he made things longer and more difficult but it got a better cast. I think this cast, they’re a good five people together, they work well together. And you want those things to age well, you don’t want a clunky grouping of your cast members.

So it sounds like the reigns were pretty loose on Fede.

To the best of our ability. Sam Raimi wanted to be sure that Rob [Tapert, producer] and I did not torment him and let him do his thing, and we did. We held the reigns on the money because that’s what you have to do as a producer. We’re not gonna let that go. That was the one thing that ever went like “No, here’s our budget. You ain’t going over.”

It seemed like a remake or a sequel was discussed for years. What finally happened to make the remake a go?

It didn’t take that long to decide whether to do it or not because there was no thought process until Fede came along. We talked about a sequel more than a remake. When Fede came along, it gave an opportunity to make a new Evil Dead movie that was not a sequel. It was going to be without Ash because Sam wanted the ability at some point in the future, do another one, which we still might. So he wanted it to be different and distinct so that’s why there’s no Ash, and that’s why I’m not in it as a cameo. Why take a crappy part? I want the part of Ash. You’re going to give me a part in an Evil Dead movie, give me the lead part.

Did any of the cast bring elements or characteristics that would remind us of Ash?

No, I told them all in an email, “Do not imitate any of the actors in the original movie. Make it your own.” We told Fede, “Don’t imitate Sam’s shots or Sam’s style.” He didn’t shoot it like Sam shot it, he shot it in his own unique style which is pretty cool. He did a good job. It’s like dogs, wives, children, and directors, you’ve gotta let them run.

The sequel was sort of unofficially announced to at least be in the works last night. Was the intention always to spawn a new franchise?

We’re tap dancing as fast as we can. This is all new to us. None of this was thought out. Which, hopefully will lead us to be spontaneous and not formulaic. So the next one, Fede is hoping to make it very different. That’s how you get people like Jane [Levy] interested. You know actors are volatile creatures, you’ve gotta keep them interested because they get bored easy. If we wanted her to do the same old shit over again she probably wouldn’t be that interested in doing it. Give her something new to do, she might be there.

With so many practical elements, including stunts, was there anything the cast didn’t feel safe doing?

Oh no no, we don’t fuck with safety. Those days are gone. On Evil Dead I was shooting live shotgun rounds, blowing out windows of the cabin with live ammo. Those days are long gone. As far as what the cast went through, I think it just wore on all of them. It wore them all out. I warned them though, I told them what was coming. 

I’ve never been to a Q&A with you, and at the premiere I see that your fans can get very lively...

And that was pretty subtle actually. Some of them get crazy.

What have been some of the weirdest interactions you've had with fans?

Just good ones, they’re mostly very boisterous. I love playing a game where I’ll turn my back and they can shout out the name of the movie that they want their money back for. Like what movie did I make that they thought sucked that they wanted their money back for? They’d shout the name out and I’d turn around and debate it whether I agreed with them or whether they’re full of shit. We have lots of fun interactions. I’ll do impromptu Evil Dead tattoo contests. Who’s got the best Evil Dead tattoo? Usually out of a crowd, four or five people will put their hands up, and I’ll bring them up so they can show and I’ll give them like $5 for the best tattoo.

You've directed a couple of different features and documentaries, are there any plans to continue that?

Well I’ve got my last season of Burn Notice coming up, season seven of that spy show. And then I’m a free bird in July. No strings on me. I’ll be looking for the next gig. I can’t wait, because I’ve had my life determined for the last six years. It’ll be nice to not have a pre-determined year ahead of you. I like that.

What's been your favorite cameo?

I’m not dead yet. I leave that for the pundits. I just like working with various people doing fun little bits. To me, they’re all good. As long as the check clears.

Exclusive: We Talk With 'The Following's Nanny Dearest, Valorie Curry

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valorie curryValorie Curry has proven herself to be one of the breakout stars of Fox’s The Following. While Kevin Bacon is the star-power, Valorie is the not-so-quietly commanding force behind many of the followers. She plays Emma, a young girl in love with serial killer Joe Carroll since she was a teenager, now acting as the nanny for Carroll’s young son. We spoke to Valorie about her role and where the season is headed - and whether or not she will return for season two.

Emma seems to have a special bond with Joe Carroll that no one else has - or she thinks no one else has. Will we see something threaten that relationship?

Oh yeah, definitely. I think you saw the first glimmer of their relationship in last week’s episode, when they are reunited. She’s been with him almost the longest, he’s known her since she was 15, 16 years old. She has loved him for that long, and now they are together for the first time in years. At the same time, they are in this house full of people equally devoted - well, almost equally devoted - who want to be close to him, so she is going to contend with a lot of competition for his attention.

Up until this point, Emma has been kind of the de facto leader of the following - at least as far as we’ve seen. Now that Carroll is back, how will that change your place in the group?

She’s going to be struggling to find her place in the group. It’s a huge group of people - she didn’t even realize how big the world was. There is definitely a hierarchy, and a pecking order establishing itself. She’s trying to find her place in that, and not everyone is as easily pushed around as the boys [Paul and Jacob] were. So it’s kind of a rough road ahead for Emma.

Have we seen the last of Paul and Jacob?

No. There will be resolution to their story. It was “crisis situation” when we saw them last, but you won’t be left hanging. I think we’ve invested too much in these characters not to have a resolution.

Aside from her mother, I can’t recall Emma actually killing anyone else in the show.

I love that you point that out because people are always pointing out how murderous she is, but you haven’t really seen her murder anyone else. She just throws around some flesh wounds. From what we’ve seen, no, she hasn’t killed anyone else, but I won’t say one way or another if she has killed someone we haven’t seen, or if she is capable of that. But it is interesting that she is considered one of the most lethal followers.

Right, and until Joe came back, you were almost like the Charlie Manson of the group, because you could get the others to do your dirty work.

Exactly! That’s one thing about Emma - we saw that in the last episode and we will see that again. If she is just left to brute strength, she’s not going to have a lot of power in this group. But that’s how she gets by: she gets people to do things for her, she manipulates people, she uses her wiles. She has lots of tools in her kit.

The Following is action-heavy. Do you do your own stunts?

Yeah, for the most part. It’s probably a good 90-95% me. When there are violent stunts going on, I’ll do most of the takes, then a stunt person will come in and get one or two for safety. But I always have a few tries at the stunts. The only one I absolutely could not do was in episode six, where I was supposed to peel out in the car with Joey. I guess I am a very tentative driver. The stunt coordinator Tim had to jump in and drive away. I was driving pathetically slow. So I can take a hit, but don’t ask me to drive the getaway car.

Working with kids can often be difficult. How has your experience been with Kyle Catlett, who plays Joey?

He is the perfect child actor to be playing the son of Joe Carroll, which sounds like an insult but it’s not because he is supposed to be such a bright, mature, singular child, and Kyle is that. He speaks multiple languages and he is always reading - like, adult books. He’s full of questions - and full of information if you get him going. He’s really unlike any kid I’ve ever met - not just on set, but in life. He’s just perfect for the part. It has been really interesting working with him and having him to play off.

It was kind of a big deal to get Kevin Bacon for this show, making it his first regular TV series. What is it like working with him?

Luckily for my character’s sake, I don’t work with Kevin all that often - I avoid working with Kevin in that sense - but when I do, he’s great. I can’t say how lucky I am to be working with him. He is such an incredible professional and he makes the job look so easy and effortless. At the same time, he screws around. In the scenes at the farmhouse, while we were doing our coverage, he would throw stuff at us from off-camera, and the language would get very blue. It was fun. But then once we turn [the camera] around to him, the intensity is just incredible. I’ve been really fortunate to work with such an amazing cast. James Purefoy as well, is a dream.

Up until this point, there have been a lot close calls and followers infiltrating law enforcement, stuff like that. Is it going to get a little less “convenient?”

The whole dynamic is about to change. Everything gets ramped up; the stakes are raised. Now that Joe is out [of prison] he is able to orchestrate his plan. The plan is going to get a lot more complicated; it is a much grander scheme than before. So I think you are going to enjoy the cat-and-mouse game get a lot more complicated, and seeing which side is chasing which.

Will we see you for season two?

I cannot answer that question. We are in production on the finale. It’s crazy, and its a Kevin Williamson show, so you can never get too comfortable having any character around - you never know who you are going to lose.

I know! The main character body count on The Vampire Diaries is insane.

It’s pretty ridiculous, but it keeps you on your toes, both as an audience member and an actor. I certainly hope I am around for season two!

FEARnet Movie Review: 'Kiss of the Damned'

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Kiss of the Damned PosterIf you're the sort of horror fan who is old (or thorough) enough to be familiar with the late-era Hammer Films movies as well as the salacious European genre films from Roger Vadim, Jean Rollin, and Roman Polanski, there's a very good chance you'll enjoy what writer/director Xan Cassavetes has to offer here. Forged from some fine cinematic DNA (her parents are John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands!) and director of the rather fascinating 2004 documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession, Ms. Cassavetes' first feature seems like it was cobbled together from A) fond memories of sexy horror movies, B) an obvious affection for old-school vampire tales, and C) a touch of disgust for how childishly neutered our cinematic vampires have become.

In other words, Kiss of the Damned is quiet but consistently interesting, more than clever enough to make horror fans happy, and overtly sexy in a way that only a good indie vampire movie can be. It has a pretty simple story and the film is not without a few narrative missteps, but Kiss of the Damned has quickly earned a place next to Nadja (1994), The Addiction (1995), and We Are the Night (2010) as indie / international horror films about female vampires that, get this, are actually challenging, insightful, and (best of all) entertaining.

Both a straightforward love story between a woman (vampire) and a man (newbie vampire) and a deviously entertaining battle between two bitchy sisters, Kiss of the Damned uses a pretty conventional framework but manages to delve into some decidedly mature (some might say carnal!) themes about love, lust, loyalty, betrayal, and of course the endless appeal of a nubile virgin with a drop of blood on her mouth. Like I said, it's about lady vampires and it's pretty sexy.

The spine of the story follows an up-and-coming screenwriter (Milo Ventimiglia) who strikes up a passionate affair with Djuna (Josephine de La Baume), only she's a vampire and, well, now he's a vampire too. Kiss of the Damned would probably work as just a twisted romantic drama, but fortunately the horror arrives in the form of Mimi (Roxanne Mesquida), Djuna's bloodthirsty hellcat of a little sister. Whereas the elder sister is classy and demure regarding her need for blood, the younger woman is completely unashamed to host a menage a trois and then toss her lovers onto the menu.

On the surface the movie becomes a mental mind-game between two vampiric sisters who have wildly different perspectives on life and death, and tucked not far beneath are Ms. Cassavetes' amusing observations about haves vs. have-nots; the value of love among ostensibly "dead" creatures; and (most enjoyably) the importance of listening to your big sister about a couple of things, dammit. This is a smart, stylish, and (again) very sexy horror movie that borrows some great touches from older horror movies and combines them with some refreshingly honest perspectives that men will enjoy and women will probably adore. Vampire women, anyway.
 

Read FEARnet's partner reviews for 'Kiss Of The Damned'


TV Recap: 'Face Off' Episode 409 - 'Mummy Mayhem'

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Face Off Episode 409
“Mummy Mayhem”
Original Airdate: 12 March 2013

In This Episode...

The contestants must create an Egyptian god mummy, rising from the tomb after thousands of years of decay. The creations should have a a Deadite twist, to tie in with the new Evil Dead. Bruce Campbell has a pre-recorded message for the contestants, and reminds them that the new Evil Dead has a serious tone, so keep it creepy.

The Creations

Kris chose Khnum, the god of life and creation. Neville thought he had a flat, dead palette - appropriately so. (See what they did there? Misdirect!) Glenn said it was “really rad.” He liked the nuances in the face sculpt and thought he emotes well. Ve loved the texture of the skin.

Anthony had Anubis, god of embalmers and death. Glenn took issue with the proportions. Anthony was going for a regal look, but needed a bigger headdress and shoulders to pull it off. Ve thought he ruined a good sculpt with a bad paint job. Neville had a hard time getting past the paint, but once he did, he thought the rib cage was a beautiful sculpt.

Wayne had Sobek, god of crocodiles. This one was my least favorite - the croc head looked cartoony, but this was one of the judges’ favorites. The feeling was that the croc head could have been better blended with the human body, but otherwise the judges all were unanimous in their love of the sculpt.

Eric F.’s was my favorite. He had Ra, the sun god, and his face was definitely most inspired by The Evil Dead. This was Ve’s favorite part; Glenn liked it but cautioned Eric that it only worked for this challenge because it was an Evil Dead challenge (duh!)

House had Toth, the moon god. Traditionally he had a tablet, but house made the body the tablet and carved it with hieroglyphics. It was a good concept, but ultimately failed. The body was bulky and lacked the emaciated look a mummy should have. Glenn felt the colors were too unified and he couldn’t see the detail, while Neville thought the gold paint was a mistake.

The Verdict?

Kris won. House went home.

Dig It or Bury It?

I liked the challenge, especially with the Deadite twist. The episode was kind of slow. With only five contestants, things are a little slower because there are less people to fill the time with, and the guys left are not the most interesting.

Prophecies?

To tie in with Syfy’s upcoming show Defiance, the contestants must create an alien to go along with the show.

'Psych' Chases Bigfoot in An Ode to Found-Footage Films

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Psych is not normally the kind of show we cover at FEARnet, but every season, they do a pitch-perfect horror spoof that I simply must share with you. Previously, they have spoofed The ShiningFriday the 13th, An American Werewolf in London, Hitchcock, vampires of all kinds, and Twin Peaks

If you've never seen an episode of Psych, it follows goofball Shawn, a fake psychic who solves real crimes for the Santa Barbara Police Department, with his lifelong best friend, Gus. (Gus has no psychic abilities, real or imagined.) In tonight's episode, they search for Bigfoot with a pair of college students in an ode to found footage horror. Enjoy a couple clips below. Want more? Psych airs tonight on USA Network at 10pm.

 

 

 

 

Attrition: 'Narcissist'– EP Review

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Attrition2

When we last checked in with Attrition – a groundbreaking UK band considered one of the pillars of early gothic music – I chatted with founder Martin Bowes and his wife & creative partner Kerri about Invocation, their first album-length horror score (composed for the indie film G.H.O.S.T.) and one of the best horror-themed albums of 2012. In that interview, which you can read in its entirety here, Martin hinted at some big 2013 projects from the group, including their long-awaited studio album The Unraveller of Angels. That record is coming later this spring, and we'll definitely be talking more about it soon... but in the meantime, Attrition has released preview and interim material in the form of their new digital EP Narcissist. If this is just an appetizer, then I'm going to be ravenous when it comes time for the main course.
 
Martin is describing The Unraveller of Angels as a new direction for the band, whose mid-'80s beginnings helped shape the so-called “darkwave” music genre before they began down more experimental pathways, including the amazing dark ambient release All Mine Enemys Whispers, which is similar in style and tone to Invocation. The new record will feature a lineup of guest artists including Mona Mur, Matt Howden, Ian Arkley, Jyri Glynn, Erica Unwoman and Tylean. Expect a pretty grand presentation for this one too, with two different CD editions and a limited run on vinyl LP – which is well worth it, considering it features promo art by Holger Karas, whose work on Invocation and Narcissist is disturbingly beautiful, and infused with a dangerous sexuality.
 
Attrition_Narcissist
 
If the album version of “Narcissist” is an example of the band's new approach, there's definitely going to be a new, more urgent energy in play; the dark keyboard washes, metallic textures and ritualistic vocals – both lyrical and atmospheric – that the band has used to great effect in the past are still firmly in place, but this time they're locked onto intense, high-energy electro beats, with a slamming synth bass line and some of the heaviest guitar licks I've heard from the band. It's definitely dance-worthy, and not just in that slow, hypnotic groove that has been applied to many Attrition remixes: this track moves at breakneck speed. The first remix by Angst Pop (featuring Technomancer) is fairly close to the original, but with more silky synth string pads; but the second version by Vi Rez, which you can hear below, discards much of the original structure in favor of a deep, dark horror ambiance – a chilling reminder that this band still has a firm grip on sonic scares – and closes with an edgy beat assault in the mode of vintage Skinny Puppy.
 
 
The exact release date for Unraveller has not yet been revealed, but it will likely coincide with the launch of the band's world tour in late April. The first round of tour dates finds the band criss-crossing Europe and eventually gigging across the west US coast (dates and venues are being updated regularly at the band's official site). Throughout March, you can listen to Narcissist in its entirety at Attrition's Bandcamp page, and the band has hinted at a music video to premiere soon. Stay tuned!

‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ Gets Zombified with ‘Blackest Night’ DLC

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There’s already plenty to get worked up over with Injustice: Gods Among Us, but an unexpected trailer from Germany has revealed some undead-themed DLC for the game that will make it a much more horrific title.

Based on the Blackest Night crossover event, in which a new corps of Black Lanterns rose from the dead to terrorize the DC Universe, the DLC has some appropriate features, including some Black Lantern costumes and the vague “Zombie-Modus,” which I assume means “Zombie Mode,” but my German is limited to beer labels and KMFDM song lyrics.  I’m not sure what it all means, but a slew of zombified DC characters beating the hell out of each other sounds like good mindless fun.  One can hope that this isn’t just exclusive DLC to Amazon over in Germany…

[Source: VG24/7]

 

Sick Poster for Eric England’s 'Contracted'

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Madison County director Eric England’s poster for his new film Contracted features a haunting image of star Najarra Townsend who plays a woman with a mysterious illness. According to plot details, she’s a “young girl that has a one night stand with a random stranger and contracts what she thinks is an STD... but is actually something much worse."

Simon Barrett who also wrote segments for V/H/S, The ABCs of Death and V/H/S/2 stars alongside Caroline Williams, Katie Stegeman, Charley Koontz, E-Kan Soong, Matt Mercer, Alice Macdonald, Jennifer Gonzalez, Ruben Pla, and Lionel D. Carson.

England said his movie may make you think twice about going home with that cute urban lumberjack from your neighborhood bar and told Bloody Disgusting it “will do for hooking up with random strangers what Jaws did for going to the beach." I can’t wait to see who plays Brody.
 

Contracted Poster

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via Bloody Disgusting

 

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