URGENT: UGLY AMERICANS VOLUME 1 DVD GIVEAWAY!

Ugly Americans	Weds 10:30pm / 9:30c
The Demon Chick
www.comedycentral.com
New Episodes Oct 6, 10:30pm/9:30c Department of Integration Field Guide Follow the Show on Twitter

Yes, that's right. I've scored a copy of Ugly Americans Volume 1 for giveaway on the blog. Here's the lowdown on how to enter and legal mumbo jumbo.

If you entered into the last contest (The Werewolf's Guide to Life), you'll know how this works. Simply send an email to rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu with "Ugly Americans Giveaway" as the subject, with your name and address in the body. One lucky winner will be randomly selected at the end of the contest. OPEN TO THE US ONLY. Sorry guys =(


PLEASE NOTE: If you win, your name and address will be forwarded to Comedy Central so they can send your copy. If you are uncomfortable with this, please DO NOT enter.


Contest deadline is THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 at midnight. The winner will be chosen the next day, and contacted with a joyful email reading YOU'VE WON!

Please do not attempt to enter via comment post on this blog. These entries will not be included within the drawing. One entry per mailing address.

You've got two weeks to enter. Go for it!

About the Ugly Americans package:

"Calling All Ghouls, Freaks and Monsters – Win a copy of Ugly Americans: Volume 1!

Tune in to Comedy Central for new Episodes of Ugly Americans starting October 6th!

Take New York City, add every horrifying beast, science-fiction freak, and fantasy faerie, shake thoroughly, and you've got Ugly Americans. This animated horror-comedy series follows one Mark Lilly, social worker at the Department of Integration, as he helps new citizens both human and "other" adapt to hectic life in the Big Apple.  There are easier tasks than weaning vampires off blood, socializing land-whales and housebreaking werewolves, but Mark is up to the challenge.  Between his stressful job, a zombie roommate and a demon girlfriend, Mark’s lucky if he can sneak in a few minutes of sleep. But who can sleep when there's a drop-dead gorgeous Mermaid sitting at the bar? 

    “Ugly Americans: Volume One” DVD will be released by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment on Tuesday, October 5. Every release includes an official publication from the Department of Integration, plus a horrifying selection of special features:

• Gruesome Original Webisode!

• A Terrifying Animatic Sneak Peak!

• Bloodcurdling Audio Commentary with David Stern, Devin Clark and Dan Powell!

• Ghastly Art Galleries!"

Interview with Guillermo Del Toro for his new novel The Fall posted

Del Toro discusses the history of the vampire and what types of vampires influenced his trilogy. The Fall is the sequel in Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's vampire trilogy; the first, which released last year, was titled The Strain. From the press release:

"New York is in chaos.  Fires burn uncontested on deserted streets and avenues.  Looters have their way with abandoned shops.  Desperately overextended and underinformed emergency response teams are all that remain of the city’s shattered infrastructure.  Masses of panicked citizens clog the highways and train stations, frantic for any means of escape.  And what they don’t know is that they are fleeing a fate much worse than death."

The Fall is on sale now from all book providers.

Black Metal Blasphemy #3: The SKELETONWITCH Edition

Skeletonwitch are less black metal than they are blackened thrash, leaving them somewhere in between Black Metal Blasphemy and Death Metal Debauchery. For categorization's sake, I've decided to group them into black metal.

The band began in 2003 in Ohio, releasing their first full-length At One with the Shadows in 2004. As stated earlier, the band plays blackened thrash, with vocals ranging from deeper growls to more higher-pitched thrashy yells. The songs are fast and furious, generally focusing on the occult and death. Their more recent album covers and shirt designs have been done by the fantastic artist John Baizley, a member of the band Baroness, except for Breathing the Fire, which was done by Andrei Bouzikov.

At One with the Shadows (Shredded Records, 2004)

Demo (Insane Promotions, 2005)

Worship the Witch (Self-released, 2006)

Worship the Witch [Re-release] (Prosthetic Records, 2010)

Beyond the Permafrost (Prosthetic Records, 2007)

Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic Records, 2009)

The Evil Ad #16

With Halloween just around the bend, the supermarkets are busy putting up displays of your favorite processed foods that have been Halloween-ified with decorated boxes or even new marshmallow shapes. With that said, where the heck is my Halloween Crunch? The Cap'n Crunch holiday cereal has not hit any of my store shelves, which I have been fervently searching in an effort to get my fix of the milk-dying ghosts. This Evil Ad is both an ode and plea for Halloween Crunch to make its way to my grocery store soon.

Movie Review - Lake Placid 3

Lake Placid 3

The audio review:




  

With Lake Placid 3 branded with the "SyFy Original Movie" title, along with being a sequel to two other Lake Placid films, it should come as no surprise that the film is exactly what you'd expect from a creature feature about giant crocodiles. Even the original Lake Placid, which had a run in theaters, did little to advance the idea of crazy giant crocs running loose, and so the appearance of another movie in the series remains shocking to me. How much more can you do with crocodiles? It seems Lake Placid 3 ran into this same roadblock during production.

Colin Ferguson, the ever-handsome Eureka star, plays the lead part of Nathan Bickerman, a zoologist working in the forests of Lake Placid to protect against poachers. It's apparent that Nathan's recently deceased aunt had been feeding wildlife in the lake, although only Nathan's son sees the extent of the damage that this has wrought. Unfortunately, instead of reporting the crocodiles infesting Lake Placid to his father, the son begins feeding them with stolen meat until they become overgrown. Of course, big crocs have big appetites (some might say human-sized), and the reptiles eventually move inland to feed off of any living thing that moves. As one of the characters points out, crocodiles don't just kill for food, so Nathan and his family, along with a few nubile college kids stuck in the forest, have to fight to keep all parts of their bodies intact.

Perhaps the premise sounds a bit familiar. In essence, I could substitute the word "crocodile" in that summary and insert any other giant animal and the idea would still be the same. By now you've probably recognized whether or not you enjoy watching inane characters get ripped to pieces by the ravenous jaws of improbable animals; obviously, my review of Lake Placid 3 won't sway your opinion. But what the hell, I'll try.

Ferguson's acting is always enjoyable, and it's no different here. He shines as the best character, sort of an every-man who isn't taken seriously by most of the country folk around. Lake Placid 3 paints most of the town's inhabitants as redneck hunters who can't wait to take down their next illegal kill; likewise, the college kids are horny, ample-bosomed, and ready to show off their ass-ets. The film relies on this stereotypical characterization to drive the plot; unfortunately, with such a stale plot, one would expect a less cliched cast, but Lake Placid 3 delivers none of the sort.

The crocs are all CGI and can in no way be mistaken for the real thing. Blocking is especially heinous; flying knife attacks at crocs sometimes miss their mark; other times, the crocs will smack the characters out of the way, but contact is questionable to the eye. At one point, Nathan has his arm bitten by a croc, and the appendage becomes very noticeably computer-generated.

Slash to the Point: Your best bet with Lake Placid 3 is either to watch the unrated version releasing on DVD instead of the SyFy TV version, OR to skip through all of the filler, watch the red-band trailer, which serves to highlight all of the blood and boobs and summarizing the whole film in a concise two-minute package. The film is fun, and it's not incredibly terrible; however, it's also not too good, nor is it something new for the series. Lake Placid 3 might have bitten off more than it could chew - a sequel that, for all intents and purposes, is more of the same idea that probably should have been left eaten instead of regurgitated.

Lake Placid 3 on Rotten Tomatoes

Horror Horizon - September 28

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

Dark Night of the Scarecrow

"When young Marylee Williams (Tonya Crowe) is found viciously mauled, all hell breaks loose in her small rural town. Officious postmaster Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) leads a gang of bigots in pursuit of the suspect: her mentally challenged friend Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake). Finding him hiding inside a scarecrow, they exact brutal mob "justice"...only to discover a tragic mistake! Now a strange apparition stalks the land seeking each of them out, as the legend of the Scarecrow begins."

Paranormal State: The Complete Fourth Season

"In Season Four, the PRS travels to New Jersey, where a couple believes spirits in their home are influencing their behavior; North Carolina, where the team attempts to stop the force allegedly causing violent outbursts in a 3-year-old girl, and northern Pennsylvania, where guests are fleeing a famous hotel due to frightening reports of paranormal activity."

Suck

"The Winners are a down and out band who find their road to stardom by riding rock-n-roll’s highway to hell. It all begins when their bass player, Jennifer (Jessica Paré), disappears with a mysterious vampire and reemerges with a sexual charisma that drives the audiences wild. Now, The Winners are topping the charts and blazing a bloody trail across North America with legendary vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsing (Malcolm McDowell) hunting them along the way. Who knew fame and immortality could “suck” like this?"

Frozen

"A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off the night lights, they realize with growing panic that they’ve been left behind, dangling high off the ground with no way down."

Madman: 30 Year Anniversary Edition

"At a summer camp for youths, cockey pre-teen calls out the name of mass serial killer "Madman Marz". Suddenly, counselors are being maimed and slaughtered in various ways by the backwoodsman who has returned when his name was called."

House of the Wolf Man

"'House of the Wolf Man' tells the story of Dr. Bela Reinhardt (Chaney) and the five guests he has invited to his castle to see which one will inherit his estate. He has arranged for a competition of sorts, and the victor shall be determined through a process of elimination. But it quickly becomes apparent to the five unwitting visitors that danger lurks in every corner, and that the House of the Wolf man holds a secret that could drive anyone to insanity! Starring Ron Chaney, grandson of Lon Chaney."

The Private Eyes

"An old dark house...a double murder...a beautiful heiress...a ghoulish staff...a message from the grave...and to sort it all out, two of the most comically inept bunglers ever to give private detection a bad name! Don Knotts and Tim Conway star as Inspector Winship and Doctor Tart in this comedy delight spiced with goosebumps. When Winship and Tart are engaged to investigate the deaths of Lord and Lady Morley, they find nothing unusual about the fact that their authorization comes directly from the late Lordship himself. The Private Eyes is the perfect vehicle for these two masters of comic timing, who manage to wreak havoc on nearly everything that's sacred to classic mystery melodrama. It's a merry chase as they fumble their way to a most unlikely solution!"

Pig Hunt

"When John takes his friends to his deceased uncle's remote ranch to hunt wild pigs, it seems like a typical guys weekend. But as John and his crew trek deeper into the forest, they begin tracking the awful truth about his uncle's demise and the legend of The Ripper - a murderous three-thousand-pound black boar!"

Fragile

"As the new night nurse at a soon to be abandoned children's hospital readies the last group of orphans to leave, it becomes increasingly clear that these are not normal children. Something living in the hospital, something the children call the mechanical girl; has a terrifying hold over them and will stop at nothing to keep them in the hospital with her forever."

There's Nothing Out There!

"Three hot-to-trot couples and one goofy loner travel to an isolated country house for a weekend of debauchery, but soon they realize that they are not alone in the woods. One of them has seen this scenario before in dozens of horror movies, and he knows what it will take to defend themselves from an alien creature determined to eat the boys and mate with all the girls! The original self-referential horror comedy, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE is a highly-influential cult classic that is being celebrated with this 20th anniversary special edition DVD."

Hunger

"Five strangers awaken to find themselves trapped in an underground dungeon. They soon realize they are the subjects of one man's sadistic experiment to test the depths of a human being's will to survive. As the days go by with no means of escape, their hunger increases as their humanity fades away."

Swamp Thing: The Legend Continues

"Basing the series on the legendary DC Comics character, the USA Network commissioned a total of 72 episodes of this cult favorite that aired between 1990 93. Starring Dick Durock (reprising his title role from the popular Swamp Thing feature films), Mark Lindsay Chapman and Carrell Myers, Swamp Thing: The Series follows the tortured creature on his quest to regain the humanity that was taken from him as he purges the swamp of evildoers along the way."

Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film

"Horror and sci-fi veteran Lance Henriksen (Alien, Near Dark) takes you through a fascinating look at the history of the American horror film, examining the earliest monster movies of the silent era up to the scariest modern-day masterpieces. Highlights include interviews with genre masters Roger Corman, John Carpenter and George A. Romero, plus clips from classic films like The Exorcist, Night of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hostel, Rosemary's Baby and many more!"

Dark House

"A troubled young woman, Claire (Meghan Ory) returns to the house where she witnessed a horrible massacre fourteen years ago with a small group of friends. The house has since been turned into a haunted house attraction led by impresario Walston Ray (Jeff Combs). As the day rolls on, the group slowly begins to realize there may be other forces at work in the house, as the attractions begin to come to life with seemingly murderous intent."

The Tomb

"Successful writer and scholar, Jonathan Merrick, falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful, Ligeia. She's fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people's souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world. They settle down in an old manor by the Black Sea where Ligeia's everlasting presence slowly drives Jonathan to madness."

The Chainsaw Sally Show: Season One

"From the Godfather of Gore HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS comes the groundbreaking series THE CHAINSAW SALLY SHOW. Join Sally and her twisted brother Ruby as they act as judge, jury, and executioner in their hometown of Porterville, Maryland. Armed with power tools and a razor sharp wit, Chainsaw Sally is sure to emerge as one of this generation's standout horror icons!"

Grimm Love

"Graduate student Katie Armstrong researches cannibal killer Oliver Hagen for her thesis, she becomes obsessed with her subject and ultimately plunges into a lifestyle similar to Hagen's and the thousands of people like him. Based on a true story."

Also known as Rohtenburg.

Dark Woods

"A young married couple moves to a secluded area to cope with the wife's terminal illness. As the wife's condition gets worse, the husband's growing detachment from her forces him into a tumultuous relationship with a local teenage girl whom he rescues from a sexual assault."

Road Kill

"Four young friends on a camping adventure are run off the road by an erratically driven road train - a massive three-trailer truck. With their own vehicle wrecked and the road train stopped, the friends march off to vent their anger at the driver. But the truck is empty. Suddenly, the silence is broken by the sound of gunshots. To escape, the friends commandeer the road train. What they discover inside the vehicle s trailers proves more terrifying than anything out there on that lonely road. The next town is only three hours away, but will they reach it?"

The Haunting

"Francesca is a young pediatrician who has been traumatized by the loss of a child through crib death. When the family moves to a new home in the country, supposedly to help her recover from the experience, she begins seeing completely inexplicable things. The house in which they now live seems to hide terrible secrets. Both the cellar and the attic are locked and barred to the family - and it is from both of these places that Francesca receives nocturnal visits that are slowly driving her mad."

From Dawn Till Dracula: The True History of the Vampire (No IMDB)

"'From Dawn Till Dracula' tells the story of the emergence of vampirism from its religious beginnings to its personification under various names, none of them as renowned as that of Dracula. In the course of investigating this power from beyond the grave, we look at an event that captured the headlines in the 1990s, where vampire hunters invaded London's most famous graveyard in an endeavor to lay the undead to rest."

Help

"Help is a supernatural horror that draws upon the story of a malevolent spirit that refuses to leave the human world. Protagonist Vic (Bobby Deol) is a successful horror film director in Bollywood and is married to Pia (Mugdha Godse). Pia and Vic are having marital problems and in the midst of their troubled marriage, they have to rush Mauritus to visit Pia's ailing father. Little do they know that there's something ancient and dark that remains still, hidden and silent in the old house where Pia grew up. As the darkness spreads, things start to get worse and the spirit tries to annihilate everything. Now Vic and Pia must race against time to find out the secret which will save their lives."

Bigfoot is Real: From Sasquatch to the Abominable Snowman (No IMDB)

"Amazing Accounts of Bigfoot from around the World.

Are these eyewitnesses seeing an apparition or is this creature real? Listen to the riveting testimony of those who have encountered the beast first hand and decide for yourself."

Wake the Witch

"Inspired by the masters of Japanese horror, Wake the Witch is a psychological horror/suspense feature... One hundred years ago, an angry mob, intent on justice for their murdered children, hang the woman they believe is the murderer. They brand her a witch, wrap her body in chains and bury it deep in the woods... When Deb and her friends play a childhood game on the witch's wooded grave, they open the door to death. As her friends and family begin to change into something less than human, Deb struggles to stop the witch's curse. But her search for the truth will reveal an evil beyond her imagination."

Real Ghosts UK: Ghosts Aren't Real? Think Again (No IMDB)

"Ghosts Arent Real? Think Again Ghostly Spirits have been haunting locations all over England for centuries. Hear the chilling tales from people who have experienced amazing and terrifying encounters with the spirit realm, Visit some of the creepiest places on earth, where Real Ghosts manifest themselves routinely."

The Haunting Lover

"Based on a 1940s true story, a large medicinal manufacturing plant in Guangzhou, "Kwong Cheong Tong", is hiring. With his luck, Leung Kwong (Vanness Wu) is hired simply due to his resemblance to their missing Third Master of 10 years. While at work, Leung encounters strange incidents one right after another. In one case, Leung was attacked and was saved by the mysterious Fu Rong (Li Xiao Lu) who claims that Leung is actually Third Master who she has been waiting for. To get to the bottom of the mystery of the missing Third Master, Leung goes to Singapore with his girlfriend, Hsiao Chen, to find the truth. Their trip only brings them back to the original source, "Kwong Cheong Tong". The longer it takes to Leung to solve the mystery, the deeper he falls into the persona as Third Master."

From Yahoo!

Halloween Hijinx: Ghoulish Pigs & Stylish Bags & Cookies & Beer...

Now that we've broken into the end of September, Halloween-related items have been flooding the marketplace, leaving it hard to catch up on the blog. Yet with an open eye, I've caught some of the fantastic goodies hitting store shelves right now.

First up are these Halloween-decorated piggy banks from Target. My girlfriend loves pigs, and when scoping out Target's website, she couldn't help but notice these cute and cheap Halloween hogs.

The pigs will run you $9.99 (without tax). There are a lot more, so if these don't match you Halloween costume, I'm sure there are more at the Target store that will.

Along with their other Halloween items, Bath & Body Works has unveiled these Halloween reusable totes for your shopping excursions during the month of October.

The latter bag is out of stock, but the former will cost you $5.50.

Magic Hat has delivered yet again this year with their annual Night of the Living Dead beer variety pack. The pack includes the flavors Green Apple Wit, Hex, No. 9, and hI.P.A, with three bottles apiece. Of course, I picked the pack up but have yet to try it.

The pack will cost you; depending on the store, it could run from around $14 to $17.

The Saranac Pumpkin Ale beers just released with their jack-o-lantern packaging as well. Not only do they have a nice crisp, seasonal taste, but they look great too!

The Halloween Oreo packs are officially out again this year; nothing's changed about them, but they're a holiday staple that I know I can't live without.

The Pillsbury pre-cut Halloween cookies are also making their rounds at the supermarket; we just finished off a whole box of the ghost cookies last night on our ghostly plate.

There are lots more Halloween items out there, but that's all I've got for right now. When I see more stuff, I'll post about it, so keep checking back for more great holiday treats.

Graphic Thursday: "Return Me to My Grave!"

From Ghostly Haunts #36 comes "Return Me to My Grave," a story that I think stands out just because of the title. But more than that, the comic focuses on a doctor grieving over his wife's death; he finds a way to bring her back to life, but in the end he finds that the dead would rather remain dead than join the living as the undead. Enjoy!