Halloween Hijinx: Bath & Body Works Halloween Antibacterial Hand Gel

I don't know if anyone's been to the mall lately, but my recent excursion into the marketplace left me mostly disappointed in the lack of sales for men's clothing. But one thing caught me eye and bumped up my enthusiasm for the day - Halloween antibacterial hand gel from Bath & Body Works, which is a preview of what is to come for their Halloween line-up.

I overheard one of the cashiers mention something about "Halloween" and "glow-in-the-dark," and naturally my ears perked up in interest. It turns out that the mini-bottles of Halloween antibacterial hand gel were stashed at the cash register, a display I wouldn't have noticed had I not been eavesdropping. Well, I marched right up there and found these five great scents, along with their haunted holiday labels.

You'll find Zombie Squad Marshmallow, Candy Corn Caramel, Bat Bite Apple, Spider's Web Licorice, and Vampire Blood Plum on sale at your local Bath & Body Works, and for an affordable, consumer-friendly sale of 5 for $5! The Halloween sales are just getting started, so check back for more holiday buys!

Today is the last day to enter the contest...

...so please get your entries in! Send an email to rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu with the subject "Contest" for your chance to win my copy of The Werewolf's Guide to Life. Entries will not be included after midnight tonight. For those who have already entered, good luck!

Feedback

So I've been trying some new things here at The Moon, both in an attempt to stimulate myself as a creative blogger and to give readers something new to take a bite out of. Well, I've come up with a tentative schedule of events, and of course news and reviews will be mixed in as well. Here's what I've got so far.

Monday: The Evil Ad
Tuesday: Death Metal Debauchery
Wednesday: Nothing yet...?
Thursday: Graphic Thursday - comic posts until I run out of comics
Friday: Horror Horizon - DVD releases
Saturday and Sunday: Random news/reviews, since I don't get much time

Now I'm looking for some ideas/feedback on the blog. I know that I've been getting a few more hits because of the contest, but I'm really looking to see what others are looking for in a blog. I'm not really much of an essay-writer, nor am I a big fan of making lists because I know there's always something I haven't seen that I really need to in order to create a definitive list. But what else are people looking for? And what do you think of the new columns so far? Shoot some comments please! I'd love to talk with you.

Horror Horizon - August 3

Notable DVD releases for this Tuesday. Selections are subject to Blu-Ray release as well.

After.Life

"After a horrific car accident, Anna wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death. But Anna's grief-stricken boyfriend Paul still can't shake the nagging suspicion that Eliot isn't what he appears to be. As the funeral nears, Paul gets closer to unlocking the disturbing truth, but it could be too late; Anna may have already begun to cross over the other side."

Death Sport / Battle Truck (Roger Corman's Cult Classics)

"Battletruck: After the Oil Wars, gasoline has become a precious commodity. On his marauding search to commandeer all of the oil in existence to feed his massive, heavily armored battletruck, Colonel Straker (James Wainwright) ravages a peaceful commune. A mysterious man on a motorcycle (Michael Beck, The Warriors) comes to the aid of these peaceful people to help protect them and take down Straker, with the help of his runaway daughter. Also released under the alternate title Warlords Of The Twenty-First Century, BattleTruck costars Bruno Lawrence ( The Quiet Earth), Annie McEnroe ( Beetle Juice, Wall Street) and John Ratzenberger (Cheers, Toy Story). The films cinematographer, Chris Menges, went on to shoot The Killing Fields, The Mission and The Reader.

Deathsport: One thousand years into the future, following the Great Neutron Wars, the world is divided into desert wastes and isolated city-states. Lord Zirpola captures the notorious Desert Ranger Kaz (David Carradine) to fight to the death in his game, Deathsport. Now Kaz must face his past and fight to save himself and his city from the war that Lord Zirpola is about to wage. Costarring with Carradine is beautiful B-movie starlet Claudia Jennings (Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Gator Bait), Jesse Vint (Forbidden World, Macon County Line) and Richard Lynch (The Sword And The Sorcerer, Bad Dreams)."

Humanoids from the Deep (Roger Corman's Cult Classics)

"For The First Time On Home Video, The Complete Uncut Version Of The Cult Classic!

Something evil is happening in the sleepy fishing village of Noyo. Fishlike humanoid creatures, spawned by mutant DNA, begin rising from the ocean looking to mate with the local women. Scientist Susan Drake (Ann Turkel) along with local fisherman Jim Hill (Doug McClure, The Land That Time Forgot) seek to investigate the cause of this invasion of creatures from the ocean floor. But when the annual Salmon Festival begins, some unwanted guests are about to crash the festivities. Also starring Vic Morrow (Message From Space), Cindy Weintraub (The Prowler) and Denise Galik (Dont Answer The Phone).

The film features an early score from Academy Award winning composer James Horner (Avatar, Braveheart, Titanic), who started his career with Roger Corman, and special effects/creature designs by Oscar nominee Rob Bottin (Robocop, The Thing, Se7en, Total Recall).

Open House

"A couple on the verge of a nasty divorce attempt to sell their empty love nest and move on with their lives, separately. After a successful open house, they are horrified to discover, days later, that a potential buyer didn’t leave their home. While Alice is being held captive in the basement, the unannounced houseguest moves in upstairs. She senses her capture is being kept a rebellious secret. She knows her only way out, if she can only get out alive."

Piranha (Roger Corman's Cult Classics)

"While searching for missing teenagers, novice skip tracer Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies) and local town boozer Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman) stumble upon a top-secret Army laboratory conducting genetic research on piranha fish for the purpose of developing biological warfare. When the deadly eating machines are accidently released from the compound, they are soon headed downstream and consuming everything, and anything, in their path."

The Real Ghostbusters, Vol. 3

"1st Time on DVD! Over 12 hours of Ecto-plasmic Entertainment!

Spinning off from the box office mega-hit 'Ghostbusters,' the animated series, 'THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS' debuted in 1986 to an audience that ranged from kids to adults, receiving tremendous ratings and critical acclaim thanks to its intelligent scripts and top quality animation. The series followed New York's beloved paranormal investigator team as they faced ghosts, goblins, trolls, demons, monsters, and even the Boogieman. Television's longest running spooky cartoon and funny fan favorite finally escapes the ghost trap to haunt the DVD realm in re-mastered clarity!"

The Dead Pit

"A renegade doctor is shot dead and entombed with his fiendish experiments in the basement of an abandoned wing of a mental hospital. Twenty years later, a mysterious woman is admitted with amnesia, and her arrival is marked by an earthquake - which cracks the seal to the Dead Pit, freeing the evil doctor to continue his work."

Spike

"After skidding off the road in the dead of night, four friends find themselves lost in the forest and tangled in a twisted love story. As they are each picked off one by one by a bizarre beast it becomes clear that none of them will make it out of this forest alive; unless the one the monster so desires is left behind. Will they stick together and find their way out of the grips of this love sick monster or will they turn on each other and perish in this dark fairytale?"

Hoboken Hollow

"Kidnapping. Slavery. Torture. Murder... For decades the Broderick family built their brutal dominion with the sweat and blood of their captives. Lured with promises of work and shelter, drifters, hobos and migrants found themselves captive at a modern-day slave ranch instead. Inspired by true, horrific crime stories from Texas and beyond, Hoboken Hollow spins a dark tale of violence, terror and slaughter on the farm."

Secrets of the Clown

"After the brutal murder of his best friend Jim, Bobbie is haunted by visions of his mutilated body, sinister clowns and graphic nightmares of a murder in progress. As Bobbie begins to question his own sanity and the strange clues behind his friend's death, he summons a psychic to contact Jim. And when secrets are revealed, Bobbie learns the hard way that some are never meant to be discovered..."

Blood Simple

"Abby is cheating on her saloonkeeper husband, Marty. The object of her affections is Ray, one of Marty's bartenders. Marty hires Visser, an unscrupulous detective, to kill them. But Visser has other, more lucrative plans of his own. So begins a calculating round of double and triple crosses that build to a bloodcurdling, surprise-filled climax."

Graphic Thursday: "The Things In the Subway"

I recently inherited a stack of old comics from my grandmother's house, and I thought it might be a fun little idea to share some stories from old horror series. This one, titled "The Things in the Subway," comes from The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #43 from December 1973. Hopefully you can read the blurbs, but if not, enjoy the pictures!

If there are any problems with copyright, please email at rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu and I will take it down.

Forget Twilight - join Team Dario or Team Lucio!

Paura Productions has been making these great T-shirts that honor Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, two memorable filmmakers whose movies dominate the decades of the '70s and '80s, at least in the horrorsphere. Now, you can pick a side - do you love Dario Argento's giallo films more? Or are you more of a Fulci blood-and-guts zombie fan? Well, that's for you to decide, but at least you can declare your favorite director right on your chest with Paura Prod's new shirts.

Check out the website here and order yours today!


PS: Team Dario for me. What about you?

Two more days to enter to win

If you haven't done so already, enter to win my copy of The Werewolf's Guide to Life. Contest ends July 31 at midnight, so get your entries in. Simply send me an email at rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu with the subject "Contest." A winner will be picked at random.

Hurry hurry hurry!

Upcoming Carpenter flick THE WARD finds mental help online

John Carpenter's next psychological horror film, The Ward, has launched its new websites. You can find behind-the-scenes footage, clips from the film, stills, a Q & A session, news, and a link to follow the film on Twitter. Not only that, but you can also ask John Carpenter a question through their submission form. From IMDB, here's the plot synopsis:

"Kristen, a beautiful but troubled young woman, finds herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of a Psychiatric Hospital. She is completely disoriented, with no idea why she was brought to this place and no memory of her life before being admitted. All she knows is that she isn't safe. The other patients in the ward, four equally disturbed young women, offer no answers, and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem. The air is heavy with secrets, and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and frightening sounds. It appears they are not alone. One-by-one the other girls begin to disappear and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before she, too, becomes a victim. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined."

The film releases September 24th. Check out the aforementioned website here.

In my mailbox:

Atria Books has been sending me the love lately, and today is no different with the arrival of Richard Doetsch's The Thieves of Darkness. 


Intriguing title? Check. Mysterious cover? Check. I'm so totally in. The novel is part of a series by Doetsch, including The Thieves of Heaven and The Thieves of Faith. Check out the official website here. This is going on the pile of new books that I've yet to read and review, but I'm slowly getting to them!

Remember, I'm always up for review items. You can contact me via blog comment or leave an email at rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu.

Death Metal Debauchery #6: The VEHEMENCE Edition

Vehemence is a death metal band from the United States that began in 1995. There hasn't been a lot of press surrounding them as of late; they're unsigned, and haven't released anything new since their 2004 full-length Helping the World to See. Yet I believe Vehemence is still listed as an active band. Their lyrics are full of anti-religious messages, similar to Deicide, but they play a heavy sort of technical death metal with growled vocals. Check out this collage of their covers.

Vehemence (Self-released, 1998)

The Thoughts From Which I Hide (Self-released, 2000)

God Was Created (Metal Blade Records, 2002)

Helping the World to See (Metal Blade Records, 2004)

The Evil Ad #8

Here's a Pillsbury Halloween ad from the '90s that shows all the holiday treats you can make with Pillsbury. It's true - you can totally get into the holiday spirit with just a package of dough, some cookie cutters, and some frosting, so get working on it already! Halloween's just a couple months away!

Or, you could wait until Pillsbury releases their bake-and-eat pumpkin cookies, which are a little easier.

David Niall Wilson practically giving away new novel Darkness Falling

David Niall Wilson is releasing his newest novel, Darkness Falling, on Amazon for $0.99 on the Kindle. It's such a steal, especially for a Bram Stoker-award winning author. But wait, there's more.

The author is also offering a giveaway to a few lucky entrants. From the author's official blog post:

"On the fifteenth of August we’ll be holding a drawing.  There will be three prizes.  The first is a signed, limited edition novel – Vintage Soul – Book I of the DeChance Chronicles, also by David Niall Wilson.  This book retails for $60 – it is signed by Wilson and by cover artist Don Paresi – published by Bad Moon Books.  The second and third prizes are a $20 and a $10 gift certificate to Crossroad Press."

The prizes are awesome, and there's a few ways to get your name into the ballot box. I'll let the man speak for himself, as the rules are pretty complicated.

"You can get a single entry just by tweeting about this post, linking to it from your blog, or posting the link on your Facebook account. If you have all three, and do all three, and post here with links, you will get THREE entries.  If you purchase Darkness Falling from Amazon.com or from Crossroad Press and leave a review on either site, you get two more entries.  (If you visit the Amazon site and can think of another search tag to add…please do) If you leave a review in both places, you get four.  I think you see where this is going. You can also get a single entry by signing up for our newsletter using the link at the right of the page.

You can repeat the links once a week for a single extra entry.  We’ll keep track of all the entries in a spreadsheet and do the drawing on the fifteenth.  We’ll announce the winners here.

One last thing…if you post a review in your own blog and link that back here, you can get another two entries.   Contact us if you’d like an interview, or a guest-blog post from the author.  Uh, yeah, two entries each, thanks for asking."

It sounds like a great offer, and one I wouldn't dare pass up. Good luck to all entrants, and don't forget to pick up Darkness Falling from Amazon or Crossroad Press!

Less than six days to enter my book giveaway!

We're coming up on the end of the contest, and we've got a few people entered to win. It's so simple, the cast of the Friday the 13th remake could do it!

Simply send me an email at rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu with the subject "Contest," and you'll be entered to win my copy of The Werewolf's Guide to Life with an autograph from me. One entry per email. You must use a working, accessible email address.

The contest ends July 31, so get those entries submitted!

Movie Review - Friday the 13th (2009)

Friday the 13th

The audio review:



A black and white flashback to Crystal Lake shows camp counselor Alice beheading Pamela Voorhees. It's an interesting choice to open Friday the 13th, and it extols the message that the film won't be a direct remake of the original movie. Instead, director Marcus Nispel manages to circumvent the whole "it's-not-Jason-it's-his-mom" dilemma of the original in order to get right to the big bad boy himself, and in that regard, the opening sequence works wonders to slash viewers' expectations. You see, it's not necessarily the remakes themselves that fail, but what they're compared to, and the feelings of those watching about what it means to decimate a beloved classic. Nispel understands this, and the flashback is a means of allowing the film to move into different territory.

So Friday the 13th feels almost like a new exploration in the series, as though it's just part 12. We meet a bunch of horny kids first off, who are on a mission to find a bunch of weed that happens to grow right near Crystal Lake, and inevitably by Jason's (Derek Mears) makeshift cabin. These kids are destined for failure, as we soon find out, but we follow them for so long that they feel like the main characters. Instead, they're only in the film for sex, boobs, and killings, a distraction to set up the main plot arc of capturing a woman (Amanda Righetti) who Jason finds similar to his mother. I'm not a big fan of these false introductions, especially when it means following a group who for all intents and purposes are just pawns in the killing game. It extends the stereotype that slashers are films depicting killing for the sake of killing, and I'd like to think that that is not the case.

But then we meet our regular cast of characters, a few college frat kids having a party at Trent's (Travis Van Winkle) swag cabin by Crystal Lake. They are, in essence, the same as the kids we've just met who have met "untimely" demises, except they're even bigger douchebags. Trent's a rich kid with barely any morals, preying off his girlfriend's misjudgment of his character and taking advantage of any chick with "juicy" mammaries and Jenna (Danielle Panabaker), Trent's girlfriend, seems like the final girl with brains but instead falls flat - yet at least she's semi-normal. There's also Clay (Jared Padalecki), who looks like a bad boy but instead just wants to find his sister, and he's the character most average citizens will connect with because of his good looks, charm, and overall upstanding attitude. The rest of the cast is not noteworthy simply because they are stereotypical college kids who drink far too much, obsess over getting high, and can't wait to get off in any way possible. Willa Ford also has a small role, but her character is too stupid to even give mention to.

There's definitely high entertainment watching these wasted slums get slaughtered by Jason, but it's not because of any creative killings. Honestly, Friday the 13th sticks with the generic slicing and dicing - an ax in the head, an arrow in the eye - and so there's not much pleasure to derive from the violence depicted. Instead, it's watching these schmucks, who can't even put up a fight, meet their end. They're the people hard-working Americans love to hate, partying all day and night without any consequence. When they're slaughtered, it's hard to find any compassion for them. At least in the original Friday the 13th, the kids were counselors at Crystal Lake; they balanced work with partying and had stronger personalities because of it. In this update, the kids are stuck-up and have no stand-out traits besides their interest in drugs and alcohol.

Slash to the Point: Ultimately, Friday the 13th is a fun jaunt in the Jason universe, as it's more focused on giving us "the goods" rather than a seriously scary time. But the film is littered with very unlikable characters and generic ideas, and Jason seems less threatening - and less fleshed-out as an identity - than he should be as the famed killer. It's a treat to watch in a social setting, but it'll be overlooked as a memorable horror flick, and it doesn't come close to capturing the spirit of the original.

Friday the 13th on Rotten Tomatoes

Billy Loves Stu Meme for Horror Bloggers has me uncovering my darkest secrets

Pax Romano over at Billy Loves Stu has posted a hair-raising meme full of probing questions. I think I'm just courageous enough to answer them, so check it out below:


1: In Ten Words or Less, Describe Your Blog:

One man reviewing horror movies like it's his day job.

2: During What Cinematic Era Where you Born?

                                            A: The Classic Horror Era (late 30's to 40's)

                                            B: The Atomic Monster/Nuclear Angst Era (the late 40's through 50's)

                                            C: The Psycho Era ( Early 60's)

                                            D: The Rosemary's Baby Era (Mid to Late 60's)

                                            E: The Exorcism Era (Early to mid 70's)

                                            F: The Halloween Era (Late 70's to Early 80's)

                                            G: The Slasher Era (Mid to late 80's) (Emphasis on late)

                                            H: The Self Referential/Post Modern Era (1990 to 1999)

                                    

3: The Carrie Compatibility Question:

                                           (gay men and straight women - make your choice from section A)

                                           A: Billy Nolan or Tommy Ross, who would you take to the prom?

                                           (straight guys and lesbians - make your choice from section B)

                                           B: Sue Snell or Chris Hargensen, who would you take to the prom?

After some intense research, I've decided to pick the mean girl Chris Hargensen. It's all about the feathered hair.

4: You have been given an ungodly amount of money, and total control of a major motion picture studio - what would your dream Horror project be?

Honestly, I would choose to shoot one of my own short stories - "The Hanging Tree." Selfishness, perhaps, but it's my money and I'll do what I want!

5: What horror film "franchise" that others have embraced, left you cold?

I'm not sure if Leprechaun can be considered a franchise that has been embraced, but it's the only one I haven't really followed. Once Leprechaun went to space (and the 'hood), I was done.

6:  Is Michael Bay the Antichrist?

No, I don't think so. His films are obviously no Oscar-winners, but they are very entertaining. I commend Bay's determination to provide fun films for people to watch that can act as stress relief.

7: Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Frankenstein Monster - which one of these classic villains scares you, and why?

Dracula, definitely. I've never been a fan of the Wolf Man, and the Frankenstein Monster is more misunderstood than fearsome, but Dracula - that guy's got some issues. And he is an ancestor of Twilight, so I think that speaks for itself.

8: Tell me about a scene from a NON HORROR Film that scares the crap out of you:

When the radiator starts making noises in the basement in the original Home Alone. If I were Kevin, I'd be freaking out too.

9: Baby Jane Hudson invites you over to her house for lunch.  What do you bring?

A parakeet. I've never had one before, and she's the only one who knows how to prepare it correctly.

10: So, between you and me, do you have any ulterior motives for blogging?  Come, on you can tell me, it will be our little secret, I won't tell a soul.

Well, the review items are really nice (hint hint). And I'm always hoping to break into horror journalism. But the real reason is because I love being a critic.

11: What would you have brought to Rosemary Woodhouse's baby shower?

A pitchfork - for farming, of course. And deviled eggs.

12: Godzilla vs The Cloverfield Monster, who wins?

Godzilla! Come on, he's like 25-0.

13: If you found out that Rob Zombie was reading your blog, what would you post in hopes that he read it?

Bring back your movie program on TMC. You had some choice cuts.

14: What is your favorite NON HORROR FILM, and why?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The plot and characterization is so strong that it pulls me in every time. And it's weirder than normal films, which I love.

15: If blogging technology did not exist, what would you be doing?

Scribbling reviews in dozens of notebooks that people would never read. So it's very much like what I do on my blog, except now I'm more environmentally friendly.

Horror Horizon - July 27

Notable DVD releases for the upcoming Tuesday. All releases are subject to Blu-Ray as well.


Clash of the Titans

"In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, Perseus and his warriors will only survive if Perseus accepts his power as a god, defies fate and creates his own destiny."

Review here.


The Prowler

"Avalon Bay, 1945: On the night of her graduation dance, young Rosemary and her date are brutally murdered by a prowler thought to be a jilted soldier home from the war. The killer was never found. Thirty years later, the dance is held again for the first time since that horrific evening - but something else may have also returned... Tonight, the teens of this sleepy town will meet their grisly ends at the hands - and pitchfork, blade and more - of THE PROWLER!"

Puppet Master: Axis of Evil

"During the height of World War II, young Danny Coogan dreams of joining the war effort. Following the murder of hotel guest Mr. Toulon by Nazi assassins, Danny finds the old man's crate of mysterious puppets and is suddenly thrust into a battle all his own. He discovers that Nazis Max and Klaus, along with beautiful Japanese saboteur Ozu, plan to attack a secret American manufacturing plant. After his family is attacked and his girlfriend Beth is kidnapped, it is up to Danny and the living deadly Puppets to stop this Axis of Evil."

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated

"Night of the Living Dead: REANIMATED features the work of various artists, animators, and filmmakers from around the globe. The mixed media featured include puppetry, CGI, hand-drawn animation, illustration, acrylics, claymation, and even 'animated' tattoos, just to name a few. This mass-collaboration approach is less about remaking Romero's film and more about viewing the classic through an experimental lens. Instead of trying to alter Image Ten's work, NOTLD:R seeks to showcase the responses that artists from around the world have had to this landmark film."

Death Kappa

"The kappa, in Japanese folklore, are water goblins that are closely associated with a certain town in the country. Unfortunately, the area is also home to a militant splinter group of researchers dedicated to developing amphibious super soldiers based on the kappa of legends. When their experiment's result in murder by some escapees, the appearance of an actual kappa, and the triggering of an atomic bomb, the consequences are of epic proportions."

Neighbor

"A mysterious new girl arrives in a posh suburban neighborhood and quickly sets out to terrorize the town. As she starts breaking into homes and torturing the occupants, they begin to realize that she isn’t just another girl next door."

Puppet Master [Blu-Ray]

"Neil Gallagher found the secret to Toulon's puppets who come to life and then killed himself. Alex and his psychic friends come to investigate and are stalked by Toulon's puppets who have a variety of strange traits including a drill for a head and the ability to spit up leeches."

Paranormal State: Season Two

"Story follows members of the famous Penn State Paranormal Research Society as they investigate strange and unusual phenomena across the country. Story also features their hectic lives as college students and faculty."

Don't Look Up

"While filming in Transylvania, a crew unearths celluloid images of a woman’s murder and unleashes the wrath of evil spirits. Based on the story by Hideo Nakata (the creator of "The Ring") and directed by Fruit Chan. Starring Henry Thomas, Kevin Corrigan, Lothaire Bluteau and Eli Roth."

Slow Torture Puke Chamber (No IMDB)

"Insane, sadistic director Lucifer Valentine completes his Vomit Gore Trilogy with Slow Torture Puke Chamber!, the final chapter in the continuing "adventures" of Angela, the teen runaway who's been subjected to some of the most graphic and horrifying tortures we've ever seen put to video in the first two installments. Again, Valentine uses horrifying tortures, excessive vomiting, excessive bloodletting and excessive nudity (often combined all together) to make some social critique and some spiritual observations... none of which will get through to you as you try to hide your eyes, resist the urge to vomit and, maybe, play with yourself a little. If you're a little bit squeamish, easily offended or anything like that, don't watch this movie - you will run from the room screaming and crying in no time."

The Dead Matter

"A guilt-ridden young woman desperate to contact her deceased brother discovers a powerful ancient relic that controls the dead. Her dark obsession drags her into the tangled world of two warring vampire lords (Andrew Divoff of LOST, WISHMASTER and Tom Savini of FRIDAY THE 13TH, DAWN OF THE DEAD) each with his own sinister plans for the artifact and a vampire hunter (Jason Carter of BABYLON 5) who will stop at nothing to destroy it."

The Uninvited (No IMDB)

"In the tradition of Rosemary's Baby, psychological horror film The Uninvited reveals a new wife who may become a mother whether she wants to or not. Lee (Marguerite Moreau of the new NBC hit Parenthood) has finally recovered from a rare illness akin to agoraphobia. Instead of fearing open spaces, Lee has been frightened by any too-great distance between herself and other objects. So the warm embrace of documentary filmmaker and husband Nick (Colin Hay of the Grammy-winning band Men At Work) has proven the perfect cure. But their fresh start in a quiet, isolated home is shattered by intense visions from Lee's past, an unhinged former assistant of Nick' s, Satanists and Lee's growing realization that the forces of evil she senses around her aren't so uninvited after all. Writer-director Bob Badway s film debut offers horror fans the chance to catch a bold new talent in the making. Consider yourself...invited."

Live Evil

"Vampires are having trouble surviving in a world whose life giving blood supply has become polluted by drugs and STDs. They have become a desperate species of mutated semi humans fighting amongst themselves for the remaining humans who have pure blood. On their trail is a cowboy hat wearing samurai sword wielding vampire killing priest (Tim Thomerson) with a personal agenda. Also crossing their path is a blood pusher Max (Ken Foree) who has the answer to what 'Live Evil' is truly about. It's a twisty, violent, bloody, dangerous and sometimes darkly absurd journey into a unique take on the world of bloodsuckers."

Catherine's Pain (No IMDB)

"In 2005, Bill Zebub hired three actresses for an experimental film titled "Rape is a Circle." The story begins with two girls who hitch a ride from a stranger, and that is the only thing that it has in common with other abduction, torture, and rape movies. It became a cult phenomenon. Five years later, director Bill Zebub re-edited the film under the new title "Catherine's Pain" using as much alternate footage as possible, rewarding fans with not just a new edit, but also with never-before-seen performances. And it's just as enjoyable to first-timers (they will get the reverse effect when they watch this first and then obtain RAPE IS A CIRCLE). Over two hours of footage were packed into this SPECIAL EDITION DVD, including the test-scene with different actresses, the deleted final scene with a different storyline, and out-takes and behind-the-scenes footage that were never available to anyone. It's the director's gift to the fans who made the movie a success, and it's an enticement to first-time watchers."

Lights Camera Dead

"So you want to make a movie. You tell yourself time and time again, "I can write, direct, produce, star in, and edit. All I need is 4 "B" actors, 20 gallons of red paint and a monkey to work the fog machine. But what if their lives get in the way: meaningless jobs, families and bitch girlfriends? What if the actors laugh take after take and waste valuable time discussing other movies? Could you edit something together? What if your writers' main concerns are creating characters and dialogue that have depth? People aren't going to be listening to what's being said. They want to see a pair of tits tied to a tree. How can you make them understand the importance of completing your film? And what if everyone walks out on you? How far are you willing to go to finish your movie?"

Bloodbath in the House of Knives

"Deceit, long kept secrets, and grisly murders surrounded in mystery - all this and more can be found in Bloodbath in the House of Knives. What starts as a harmless visit to a hypnosis demonstration turns into a roller coaster ride filled with dead bodies that start to pile up around poor Ivy. What can be the true meaning of all this? Who would be capable of such crimes? Could it have anything to do with Ivy's past relationship with sleazy pornographer and drug dealer Nick Lemenza and the secret he's been holding over her head? Maybe it has something to do with her sister Violet, and what really is their current relationship? What about the Hypnotist who started this whole mess? Does he have something to do with it? What does Ivy's lawyer Mr. Delgardo make of it all? Or will he soon end up in a body bag like so many others have? Join Ivy and her ever dwindling group of friends and family members as she realizes she is on a terrible journey that won't end! Or, will it finally end, but with her very own life?"

Creepy Culinary #1: Tortellini soup with Halloween-shaped biscuits/Graveyard Brownies

Yes, that's right folks. I'm already gearing up for Halloween with some holiday-themed foodstuffs sure to haunt the taste buds. Tonight, we prepared tortellini soup in a vegetable broth (with orange-colored tortellini and nutmeg that tastes just like fall) alongside ghost, pumpkin, and bat biscuits filled with basil and Parmesan cheese spread.

The prep is simple, and the biscuits are really easy to make. Filling them with the cheese is the hard part, as shapes are not easy to cut without losing their shape. The pumpkins came out the worst; that's why they're not pictured. But the biscuits went incredibly well with the soup - and are great for dunking!

The brownies are also incredibly hassle-free. Make up a batch of brownies, spread some chocolate frosting on, plug in a piece of chocolate bar for a headstone, and you're almost finished. The recipe called for coconut, but since my girlfriend and I don't like coconut, we substituted with shaved white chocolate which we colored green. It's a very rich dessert, but trust me when I say both recipes are a great way to prepare for Halloween - even when the holiday is two months away!