'DANIEL' (short film)

RATED- Unrated

RUN TIME- 3 Mins

WRITER(S)- Peter Dukes

STARRING- Dominic Pace, Varda Appleton, Peter Le Bas, J.P. Giuliotti, and Jake Ryan Scott

DIRECTOR- Peter Dukes

Synopsis taken from IMDb

Daniel is the story of a young child in a closet from a dangerous intruder, but is all what it seems?

Filmmaker Peter Dukes has unleashed his 15th picture into the world, and this one is his shortest to date. In only three short minutes, it leads you one way, and then steers another. Very well done for such a short time frame, but it's obvious Dukes knows what he's doing. Over time, he's mastered the way of making short films.

10 Scariest Movie Clowns

I've done the best Werewolves and Vampire Hunters before, and I think it's time that I tackle the topic of the scariest clowns in cinema history. Coulrophobia is what they call it when someone is scared of clowns. I think it's crazy that being afraid of funnymen has its very own term, to be honest. And, I find it to be a bit ridiculous. We're all afraid of something, but is there really a need to label everything? Either way, regardless of if you're generally terrified of men in painted faces, or if you're just frightened by clowns all together, the ones on this list are sure to make your skin crawl, even if you aren't intimidated by painted up comedians, or suffer from Coulrophobia.

Throwback Thursday Review: 'HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH' (1982)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 98 Mins
WRITER(S)- Tommy Lee Wallace
STARRING- Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin and Dan O'Herlihy
DIRECTOR(S)- Tommy Lee Wallace



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A large Halloween mask-making company has plans to kill millions of American children with something sinister hidden in Halloween masks. 




I'll be the first to admit that I was one of the many people who thrashed this film upon seeing it the first time. After John Carpenter's 1978 smash hit Halloween landed, we were given a less than worthy sequel just three years later. And although Halloween II was fair, it left a lot more to be desired about Michael Myers. Then, just one year after it's release, we're given Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which has absolutely nothing to do with Michael Myers or the first two films. So, yeah, a lot of people were severely let down, like myself. But, the fact that there was no Myers in it completely blinded almost everyone to how good the third film is as a stand-alone feature.

'WITCHING AND BITCHING' is the best witch film since 'Hocus Pocus'

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated

RUN TIME- 112 Mins

WRITER(S)- Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Álex de la Iglesia 

STARRING- Hugo Silva, Mario Casas, and Pepón Nieto

DIRECTOR(S)-  Álex de la Iglesia

Synopsis taken from IMDb
A gang of escaping jewelry thieves get trapped by a coven of witches.




Like Vampires, I know a lot about witches and the mythology behind them. And, one thing that gets under my skin is how a lot of the time, witches are portrayed as beautiful women. That shouldn't be the case. I've heard stories of people being accused of witchcraft because of how ugly they are, and because of the way they dressed. Therefore, to me the stereotypical witch should look like older women, and not be very attractive, physically. That's one thing that Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem got right.

Horror Toy Tuesday: Leatherface and Misfits mego-style action figures

Late last week, Neca let loose some info regarding new products coming out this Halloween. In the tradition of their 8" mego-style action figures, they've announced that they're putting out a highly detailed Leatherface in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And, he comes with his little hammer, and trusty chainsaw. There's not a lot of pictures surfacing yet, but he's already priced at only $27.99, and he's available to pre-order now at Entertainment Earth. It's been a while since we've gotten a Gunnar Hansen-style Leatherface figure, and it's coming out at the perfect time. I'll be ordering mine shortly.

'KILLER LEGENDS' (Screener Review)

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 86 Mins
WRITER(S)- Joshua Zeman
STARRING- Rachel Mills and Joshua Zeman
DIRECTOR(S)- Joshua Zeman



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Delving into our collective nightmares, this horror-documentary investigates the origins of our most terrifying urban legends and true stories that may have inspired them.




This was a screener that I was really looking forward to. If there's something I love, it's a good horror-based documentary. I love learning, and there's nothing better to learn about then anything horror. In this case, Killer Legends, takes you all over the place, from Texas to Missouri, to Chicago investigating and finding the truth behind some of the cruelest urban legends. I've seen a lot of narratives before, but never one that dug to find the ugly truth that inspired some of the most chilling stories ever told. So this was a treat, and it's incredibly well made.

DARK VISION (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated

RUN TIME- 86 Mins

WRITER(S)- Darren Flaxstone and Bernie Hodges

STARRING- Bernie Hodges, Suzie Latham, and Judith Haley

DIRECTOR(S)- Darren Flaxstone

Synopsis taken from IMDb

There is more in the darkness than you know...Mind-full host Spencer Knights puts his crew in peril whilst trying to win his own series as part of the paranormal competition Dark Vision. Find out what manifestations lay in wait for his team inside Baylock's Folly- a place where a dark history and possibly a darker present. Who is it's mysterious caretaker Clem and what are the twisted motivations of the producers at the "Dark Vision Hub"? Step into the darkness and find the answers in this new wave Gothic horror from Stray Spark productions. 




Five teams start off in a contest, competing against one another. Who ever wins the ratings war, gets their own series. Seems pretty simple right? Well, it is. That is until some real paranormal activity starts to occur. As the films go on, we're updated on how many teams are left. But, one of my biggest flaws with this feature is that we don't actually see any of the other teams.

Throwback Thursday Review: WAXWORK (1988)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 95 Mins

WRITER(S)- Anthony Hickox

STARRING- Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, and Jennifer Bassey

DIRECTOR(S)- Anthony Hickox 

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A wax museum owner uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world. 

Unlike most of the other films reviewed for Throwback Thursday, Waxwork isn't one that I grew up with. I was about one year old when it was made, and somehow it passed by me growing up. I remember seeing it at a young age and actually not liking it. But, since then my opinions have matured, and I have better taste now. I wish I could have enjoyed this one in its prime at the right time, but it still looks good from my couch on my 54" plasma screen.

THE ADDICTED (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

"25 years after a patient in a drug rehab clinic commits suicide, 4 friends decide to to spend a night in the abandoned clinic to try and film some of the reported paranormal goings-on. Shortly there after, an up and coming TV journalist is persuaded to spend the night in the clinic with 3 of her friends and try and film some of the spooky activity that is rumored to be going on. In the course of one night, Nicole, her boyfriend and their 2 friends discover the sickening truth about the history of the clinic and have to face a very real possibility that they may never leave."  

The first thing that popped into my head when viewing this, was the lack of inspiration. I swear, almost every horror film nowadays takes place in an old rundown asylum of some sort. But, this low-budget feature starts with four brutal deaths that get you in the mood to continue watching, and see what happens. Then, the main cast breaks into the clinic to stay the night, and set up equipment like cameras all around, in hopes of recording something paranormal. All sounds good at first, but nothing of true significance happens for a while. So, we're left in the grasp of the main cast. All of whom aren't very good actors and actresses.

Horror Toy Tuesday: Herman and Lily Munster Maquettes

For the second time, products by Tweeterhead are being featured for my annual Horror Toy Tuesday. Last time, I showed off their amazing Elvira Maquette, and this week, I'm showcasing their brilliant Herman and Lily Munster Maquettes. These things are nothing less than masterpieces! Honestly, from a hardcore collector like myself, I'm telling you, there's no better products out there than these. Granted, they are a bit on the pricey side, and there's a lot of little 7 inch figures out there that you can get, but nothing tops these. If you ever wanted to show your love for the classic show, The Munsters, this is the best way to do so.

INVASION OF THE SCREAM QUEENS (Screener Review)

Get an inside look at what it takes to be a scream queen and hear the behind-the-scenes stories including The Hills Have Eyes, I Spit on Your Grave, Slumber Party Massacre, and many more. Invasion of the Scream Queens takes you back to a time when the term "Scream Queen" was brand new and promised the hottest actresses in the most outrageous low budget horror movies. 

With this documentary, comes good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news. The footage featured in Invasion of the Scream Queens was shot in the early 90's, and now it's being released onto a 20th Anniversary Special Edition, this coming Tuesday, the 17th of June. What irks me about this, is that none of the footage is transferred to a higher grade of picture! Wild Eye Releasing found this old documentary, threw it on a DVD, and added in an interview with Donald Farmer (Demon Queen, Savage Vengeance) along with some deleted/extended scenes as bonus features and called it a day. The picture quality is literally that of a VHS.

BLOOD SOAKED (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 72 Mins
WRITER(S)- Peter Grendle 
STARRING- Lauren Myers, Kevin Wester, Davin Ruggles
DIRECTOR(S)- Peter Grendle



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A lesbian college couple becomes stranded in the middle of nowhere with a pack of orphaned Nazi zombie breeders hellbent on their demise.




If I said it once, I said it a thousand times. Whenever I dislike a movie, I tend to try and see the positive, and elaborate on what I did like about it. That way my reviews aren't rants. However, every once in a while a movie comes along that I just see nothing in. And unfortunately, Blood Soaked falls into that category.

ADJUST YOUR TRACKING (Screener Review)

Some see VHS as worthless plastic, but Adjust Your Tracking shows a vibrant world of collectors and movie fans who are keeping the format, and the movies, alive. Over 100 collectors, filmmakers, producers, and video store owners express how VHS has changed their lives. Travel back to the days of video rental stores with those who still buy, sell, rent and trade the format that will not die- VHS. 

I've always had a thing for VHS tapes. It's the nostalgic feeling you get matched only by the excitement that comes along with it. I still own a good pile of VHS tapes, but after watching this documentary, I'm pretty sure my collection will be expanding. Just recently, within the last two or three months, I actually finished a special project I was working on, where I made shelving for my VHS' out of old used VHS tapes that I bought at the local Farmer's Market. So now, all I need to work on is filling the shelving unit out with more tapes. Although they aren't very rare, I'm always on the lookout for Night of the Demons and Trick or Treat. Neither of which I've found yet, but that's the thrill of the hunt for ya.

Throwback Thursday Review: 'DEMONIC TOYS' (1992)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 86 Mins

WRITER(S)- Charles Band and David S. Goyer

STARRING- Tracy Scoggins, Bentley Mitchum and Daniel Cerny

DIRECTOR- Peter Manoogian

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A police woman, her quarry and an innocent delivery boy become trapped in a haunted toy warehouse. 

I've actually only seen this film twice. I've always wanted to see the Demonic Toys films, but never got around to it. Then, about three weeks ago, I found a killer Full Moon combo pack at my local Walmart for just five bucks! The set includes three Killjoy movies, three Gingerdead Man's and three Demonic Toys features. And, seeing as I've already seen all the Killjoy and Gingerdead Man's, I jumped right into watching the Demonic Toys flicks. I instantly became a fan, and that's what inspired this review.

Throwback Thursday Review: THE EXORCIST (1973)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 122 Mins
WRITER(S)- William Peter Blatty
STARRING- Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, and Linda Blair
DIRECTOR(S)- William Friedkin



Synopsis taken from IMDb
When a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks of two priests to to save her daughter.




The Exorcist is one of the few movies that I refuse to mess around with. I limit my watching it because it still scares the hell out of me. No movie has ever had the effect on me that this one has, nor as long lasting. Maybe it's because I grew up in a religious household, maybe it's because Regan MacNeil (Lina Blair) is just downright scary looking. Maybe it's both. Either way, I reserve watching this every year until sometime in October, right around Halloween.

SADIE THE SADIST (Book Review)

Like many people, Sadie feels undervalued and frustrated. Employed by a supermarket, she plots to murder coworkers--or lore them into the employee bathroom for a quickie. Sick of being treated like a robot, she taps into a powerful (and deranged) alter-ego and transforms into Sadie the Sadist.   

Author Zané Sachs tackles the topic of a middle-aged woman named Sadie, who could be your next door neighbor, and who is tired of her common and boring life. She shucks corn at her place of employment; the supermarket, until her hands are in agony. And she gets demoted to being a bagger and collecting carts, after injury and having a fellow employee who she can't stand promoted to the management job Sadie wanted. While Sadie is completely lovable and funny as hell, it's apparent she's deranged, and has various amounts of mental issues. She's a pathological liar, and murderer, and a cannibal. My favorite parts in this fiction novel are the recipes. 

Horror Toy Tuesday: Misfits Fiend POP! Vinyl figure

The horror-punk band, The Misfits, were founded in 1977, and are mostly known for their outfits, crazy hair, and ghastly makeup. And despite their disbanding, the popularity of their gimmicks and music keeps growing and growing. It seems everywhere I go, I see someone wearing a shirt with the Misfits logo; the crimson ghost skull face. The band are mostly known for their songs "Dig Up Her Bones", "Last Caress", and "Die, Die My Darling", and were never scared to push the envelope in terms of disturbing-yet funny lyrics. Over the years, The Misfits have become somewhat of a pop culture craze. And like all good things, the popularity comes after the point of their success. They're more popular now then they've ever been.

EDGE OF TOMORROW resets the end game

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- PG-13

RUN TIME- 113 Mins

WRITER(S)- Christopher, McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth

STARRING- Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton

DIRECTOR(S)- Doug Liman 

Synopsis taken from IMDb

An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien race. His kills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to defeating the enemy.  

Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible) is an unlikely hero in this sci-fi action thriller. Honestly, I tend to avoid watching Cruise's films for the most part, but this and the Mission:Impossible movies are exceptions. Even though I'm not a fan of Cruise, I can't deny he's in some good features. Edge of Tomorrow picks up informing us of a war that's been waging for five years now against an alien race called Mimics. And we see the human's fighting gear, which like the world, is upgraded and very futuristic, unlike anything you'll see soldiers wearing right now. The gear looks like a combination of the uniforms worn by the Marines in Aliens (1986), with some Elysium (2013), and Iron Man (2008) mixed in.

INTERVIEW: Director Kirsten Walsh and actress Karen Overstreet

Last month, I had the pleasure of screening a short film low-budget achievement called "Hopscotch". If you missed my review, don't fret. Here it is: "Hopscotch" review

After the impression the short film left on me, I decided that I'd ask the director, Kirsten Walsh, and actress Karen Overstreet some questions about the film making process and "Hopscotch", their new film. Kirsten is an active military member, and has already done 10 films in her movie making career. Karen is an actress who compels your focus when she's in a scene. After seeing her performance, I knew it was a good idea to include her in this interview. So I got to play around in their heads a bit, which is cool because they're both incredibly nice people. And, they gave some pretty good answers, which is always a plus. 

Director Kirsten Walsh taking a well needed break

Throwback Thursday Review: THE HOWLING (1981)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 91 Mins
WRITER(S)- Gary Brandner, John Sayles, and Terence H. Winkless
STARRING- Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, and Dennis Dugan
DIRECTOR- Joe Dante



Synopsis taken from IMDb
After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem. 




Although based on the 1977 fiction novel of the same title by the late Gary Brandner (May 31, 1930-September 22, 2013), "The Howling" film is almost nothing like the book. It's very loosely-based, to put it modestly.  And after the success of the 1981 motion picture directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins), it spawned six sequels and a reboot in 2011. With each sequel decreasing in merit more than the previous installment before it, it wasn't until the fourth movie "Howling IV: The Original Nightmare" (1988) that Gary Brander's novel got a real adaptation that didn't digress his work. Just a shame the movie sucked.

MALEFICENT doesn't put you to sleep

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- PG

RUN TIME- 97

WRITER(S)- Linda Woolverton 

STARRING- Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sharlto Copley

DIRECTOR(S)- Robert Stromberg

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A vindictive fairy is driven to curse an infant princess only to realize the child may be the only one who can restore peace

I generally tend to stay away from live action films by Disney. Such films as "Enchanted" (2007), and the other happy-go-lucky  princess stories do nothing for me. If I'm going to watch a flick of this content and material, I think it goes over easier as an animated cartoon. Real people in these stories make the cheesiness of it all really hard to swallow. But when I first caught wind of a film based on Maleficent from the 1959 animated motion picture "Sleeping Beauty", my eagerness shifted up and down. Upon hearing the news, I was worried as to how it would turn out. 

Horror Toy Tuesday: Elvira Mistress of the Dark statue by Tweeterhead

Sideshow Collectibles is proud to present the Elvira- Mistress of the Dark Statue from Tweeterhead. Standing at 14.5 inches tall, the Elvira Statue features Swarovski Elements crystals in her ring and dagger and will include a Certificate of Authenticity. 

There once was a time when it was impossible to get the rights or permission to do a realistic action figure or statue of Elvira. Only cartoon-looking statues and old figures that hold no merit. But as the years ticked away, the wall slowly broke down, and now action figures and statues are made in the realistic fashion. It's a good time for collectors. 

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DRACULA (Book Review)

"A journey in text and pictures to Transylvania and beyond"

Author Steven P. Unger, has officially (in my opinion) made the greatest travel book to Transylvania ever. The book is so rich in details and pictures. I really like how there's little excerpts from Bram Stoker's groundbreaking novel, Dracula, and then a text walk through with pictures. Helping to paint the image for you in your mind with such details and photos to back them up, you see where Bram Stoker based his novel, and the specific places he used as inspiration, and how they compare in person to what's written on the pages of Dracula. In most cases it's always identical, but there are some that you can tell Stoker elaborated a bit on. 

BLOOD WIDOW (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT

"After buying a nice house in the country, Laurie and Hugh, a successful young couple, throw a party for their friends. During the wild night a few friends decide to explore the abandoned and decaying boarding school next door, only to wake an emotionally broken killer: The Blood Widow"

I'm at the point now (like most movie-freaks) where I can tell within 10-15 minutes into viewing a feature, rather it'll be any good or not. And I knew that I was going to be sitting through this one through the duration. Even though some of the acting from the supporting cast is really bad, it wasn't enough to stray me away from the story.