Horror Horizon - January 4

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

Machete

"Set up, double-crossed and left for dead, Machete (Danny Trejo) is an ass-kicking ex-Federale who lays waste to anything that gets in his path. As he takes on hitmen, vigilantes and a ruthless drug cartel, bullets fly, blades clash and the body count rises. Any way you slice it, vengeance has a new name--Machete."

Coraline [Two-disc Blu-Ray/3D/DVD/Digital]

"An adventurous girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets."

Case 39

"Academy Award® winner Renee Zellweger stars in this terrifying, supernatural thriller about a social worker who has been assigned the unusual and disturbing case of Lillith Sullivan…a girl with a strange and mysterious past. When Emily (Renee Zellweger) opens her home in an attempt to help Lillith, it turns into a deadly nightmare she may not survive. Co–starring Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Case 39 is a heart-stopping chiller with startling surprises that lead to a shocking and sinister ending."

The Last Exorcism

"When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers from their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon his arrival at the already blood-drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the core as he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late."

Bitter Feast

"A celebrity chef turns the tables on his harshest critic. Peter Grey (James Le Gros), an overly zealous television chef kidnaps J.T. Franks (Joshua Leonard), an influential and notoriously snarky food blogger after a particularly nasty review deals the final blow to Grey s already plummeting career. Sequestered deep in the woods of the Hudson Valley, Grey keeps Franks chained up in a basement, presenting him with a series of deceptively simple food challenges - from preparing a perfect egg over easy, to grilling a steak precisely medium rare - punishing him sadistically for anything less than total perfection. A tense thrill-ride served up with wicked wit and culinary flare, BITTER FEAST is an exploration of the creative impulse gone tragically and ferociously awry." 

WolvesBayne

"Russell Bane (Jeremy London, ''Party of Five'') finds himself in the middle of a paranormal war between vampires, werewolves and human hunters after being viciously attacked by a werewolf. Overwhelmed by his own werewolf transformation, he seeks the help of the beautiful and mysterious Alex. Together they must stop the war before the exiled vampire goddess Lilith (Yancy Butler, ''Kick-Ass'') regains her strength and destroys all mankind."

Fright Flick

"A second rate film crew is shooting the third in a trilogy of tasteless (yet cheesy) horror flicks called FRIGHT FLICK. The schmuck-of-a-director can't keep his hands off the lead actress, the producer never gets his due credit, the supporting actress knows that SHE should be the lead, and the crew has secrets of their own. Competition in the movie business is tough enough - but anyone on this set would kill to stay on top."

Let Me Die Quietly

"A haunted, broken-down psychic is being tortured with violent visions of murder. His unsettling "gift" is to see the last moments of a victim's time on earth. Now, as his visions become more intense, he knows that he is either going to die or get involved with a situation that might give him a little more time. His last obsession becomes to stop the death of at least one victim in his premonitions."

Sci-Fi High: The Movie Musical

"Not just another HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL! Sci-Fi High is a Sci-Fi Movie Musical set in the 1950's. The film tells the tale of Billy Dever, an enthusiastic dreamer who is looking beyond his mundane high school existence to the wonders of science and life beyond our planet. But perhaps he'll face his greatest challenge yet, when he is caught in the eye of school beauty and dance committee member, Cara-Ann. Billy is lead closer to the truth behind the strange things occurring at school. This leads to a thrilling climax, in which the students must fend for their lives against an alien invasion of the school."

The Shadows

"Marooned on a mysterious lighthouse island during a storm, five friends are forced to reveal their secrets and face their darkest fears."

Open for submissions

For a while there I was quite backed up on review items, and even though I'm still not through with some of them, I've managed to catch up on quite a bit of stuff. So that means that I'm looking for submissions for review - it can be anything from books to movies to comics.

And I'm not only open to reviews, either. I'll gladly accept press releases if you have them to send for news. You can let me know on here through a comment, or through an email at rb9589 AT mcla DOT edu.

I'll try to get back into the swing of things soon, after New Years Day. Thanks for being patient, and I should have more reviews for you soon! Take care, and happy holidays.

Television Review - The Walking Dead Episode 6: "TS-19"

The Walking Dead

The season finale of the first season of The Walking Dead, "TS-19," attempts to answer some of the prevailing questions of the show so far, including how humans turn into the dead and how Rick (Andrew Lincoln) was able to survive while stuck in a coma. First up, though, is a party sequence after Rick and the rest of the survivors are allowed to enter the abandoned CDC center.

That's right - even though the survivors have been surrounded by zombies for the past weeks, they've still got some good spirits left in them. Wine is consumed liberally by the crowd at dinner, hosted by the only remaining CDC scientist in the building, Dr. Edwin Jenner (Noah Emmerich). The scenario is both unbelievable and yet compelling. To play devil's advocate, the sequence seems a little far-fetched because of the situation unfolding outside the CDC. As a group of people accustomed to surviving in hazardous conditions (ie. zombie horde attacks), one would assume that Rick or Shane (Jon Bernthal) would have the presence of mind to wonder whether getting drunk the group drunk on wine is such a good idea when they may have to react quickly. However, there's enough evidence of safety within the compound to suggest that the CDC is tightly locked down, and the celebration allows the viewer to witness a calmer, less aggressive side to the characters. Instead of shifty, paranoid eyes and breakdowns, the audience gets to experience who the characters were before the outbreak, and it's a great moment of development to a group of people who have lacked exposition.

The major event in this episode is the description of how the living become the walking dead. Jenner experimented on his own wife, who was bitten in an attack, and the group is shown how the bitten eventually die with the disease, which affects them sort of like meningitis does. Then, the infected experience brain stem activity which allows them to rise and resume habitual functions, like feeding and motor skills. It's interesting to see this particular description of what a zombie is, because though it answers the question of just what causes the dead to walk again, it doesn't describe why, and even the explanation on how is vague.

So much of "TS-19" is spent partying and discussing, but emotions run rampant at the end of the episode, as the CDC's computer system fails after the generators run out of gas. The compound is set to self-destruct, and Jenner is only too happy to stay within the confines of the blast, accepting death as an inevitability. However, he also assumes that Rick's group is in the same mindset - and of course, they're not. Most escape from the CDC unharmed, but one survivor stays behind with Jenner, another casualty accepting the cards fate has dealt to the world. Its effect is powerful, and forces the viewer to question what choice they'd make in the same situation.

However, "TS-19" feels less like a season finale than it should. There's no cliffhanger (except for the fate of the survivors in the zombie-infested world, which has been a recurring theme anyway), and the episode ends somewhat like all of the others. Also, we still haven't recovered poor Merle (Michael Rooker), who's been unaccounted for since the second episode. In a way, we're no closer to answers or safety than when we started the series - perhaps a way to play it safe in case the show tanked hard and didn't get renewed for a second season.

Slash to the Point: "TS-19" isn't a bad episode; in fact, it's nice to see a new character involved in the mix, and we also get to experience a more three-dimensional showing of the survivors with their ability to relax for a few minutes. However, the episode doesn't do much to advance the plot of the series, and instead continues on in the same meandering vein; it's difficult to tell where the series is headed, as it seems as though the group is just trying to keep on keeping on. But The Walking Dead has definitely made its mark in a short season run, and it'll be interesting to see where the series heads next with an all-new group of writers at the helm.

Horror Horizon - December 28

Notable DVD releases for the coming Tuesday. Selections subject to Blu-Ray release as well. If you missed out on anything for Christmas, now's your chance to snatch it!

Resident Evil: Afterlife

"The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series. In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap."

The Haunting of Amelia

"Ten years after a tragic train accident killed his girlfriend, Josh finds himself haunted by disturbing visions from somewhere between the world of the living and the dead-haunting memories that keep him from moving on. His buddy, Rusty back in town for their high school reunion, tries to wake Josh from his painful past, but a mysterious young waitress offers a seductive alternative."

Cyborg Conquest

"After completing a string of high-profile robberies, a group of beautiful but deadly biker girls led by the fearless Lady (Stacey Dash, ''Clueless'') collide with a bar full of mysterious robots disguised as humans. The androids capture half of the biker gang to aid in their quest for world domination. As the girls fight for their freedom, they uncover a scheme more sinister than anyone could have imagined."

Midnite Mausoleum Presents Zombie Atrocity - The Italian Zombie Movie Part 2 (No IMDB)

"The girls from Midnite Mausoleum (Marlena Midnite and Robyn Graves) host a weekly horror host show (not unlike “Elvira – Mistress of the Dark”) that plays on 40+ stations in 20+ states. The plot for this particular episode is: At the end of their TV season, the girls decide to take a week off and go camping, where they unintentionally meet up with their friends Grimms (a Grim Reaper-inspired regular character from their show) and Sascratch (the half-human, half-Sasquatch mascot of The Italian Zombie Movies – played by IZM Director Thomas Berdinski). Since they’re all together, they decide to do the TV show from the campsite, hosting the IZM 1&2 while enjoying summer camp-like battles-of-the-sexes including volleyball, a sack race, tug-o-war, horseshoes, etc. It’s all just campy, laid-back fun and features two of the most gorgeous horror hostesses anywhere."

Zombie Tutorial 101 (No IMDB)

"Explore a world filled with brain-eating zombies, mole-people and the functionally-retarded with your host Luke (Luke Whitaker) and his trusted cameraman, Johnny (Jason Locker). Get tips on finding a safe place to sleep, trading for food and more importantly - how NOT to get infected! *Extras include comedy sketches including "Sassy Space Hooker Hotdog Vendor with Time Travel Capabilities" and more!...Parental discretion is advised.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply."

Not much this week.

A Christmas treat from the makers of THE TAINT

As a holiday gift to fans and friends, the makers behind the horror comedy flick The Taint have decided to spread the Christmas cheer with a free stream of their film.

You can catch the flick on Megaupload here. It'll only be up today, so make sure you get to see it before the holiday fades away!

Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal: the Horror Movies of Christmas, part 2

On this festive Christmas Eve day, I'd like to take this opportunity to post a few more Christmas horror films that I missed in my last post.

The Gingerdead Man

 

The Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust

 

Two Front Teeth

 

One Hell of a Christmas

The Blackout

Deadly Little Christmas

The Christmas Season Massacre

Feeders 2: Slay Bells

Santa Claws

To All a Good Night

New news is good news part 8

House of Mysterious Secrets selling exclusive "Rules of Halloween" shirt

The design, which features Samhain and other characters from the film Trick 'r Treat, is available on the House of Mysterious Secrets website, although there are only 6 remaining. Pick it up now before Sam punishes you for not following the Halloween rules!

Fans select Roswell-themed film for next SyFy Original

A recent voting contest held to determine the theme of the next SyFy Original Movie has finally ended, and the results are in: the people have chosen an alien flick centered around the Roswell mythology. IGN.com's B-Movie Mogul has been running the poll, and a new one has now been created for the fans to determine how the movie will play out. To vote, visit IGN's B-Movie Mogul site here.

The generics of the film are as follows:

"Another spaceship crash lands in Roswell, New Mexico, and a dangerous alien creature escapes. Authorities soon realize there is something under the earth in Roswell that has been attracting spacecraft since 1947, and maybe even before. Now they have to uncover that secret while they hunt and kill the creature."

Black Metal Blasphemy #6: The BONE AWL Edition

It's only fitting to include a post on Bone Awl after last week's edition of Black Metal Blasphemy featured Ash Pool, as the two bands share a similar raw and devastating sound. Helmed by mysterious members He Who Gnashes Teeth and He Who Crushes Teeth, Bone Awl has released a slew of EPs but only one full-length, Meaningless Leaning Mess in 2007. Currently, they have two new releases for 2010, limited edition tapes that may be hard to track down.

Magnetism of War (2002, Klaxon Productions)

Night of Indifference (2003, Klaxon Productions)

Bog Bodies (2003, Black Abyss Productions)

Up to Something (2004, Klaxon Productions)

By Ropes Through Dirt (2005, Worship Him/Klaxon Productions)

Vinland - Finland (2005, Grievantee Productions)

Not For Our Feet (2005, Nuclear War Now! Productions)

The Rita/Bone Awl Split (2006, Klaxon Records)

Furdidurke/Bone Awl Split (2006, Self-released)

So I Must Take From the Earth (2006, Hospital Productions)

At the Ellipse's Arc (2006, Northern Sky Productions)

Meaningless Leaning Mess (2007, Nuclear War Now! Productions)

Undying Glare (2007, Nuclear War Now! Productions)

Almost Dead Man (2007, Klaxon Productions)

All Has Red (2007, Klaxon Productions/Stigmata)

Night's Middle (2009, Nuclear War Now! Productions/Klaxon Productions)

Sunless Xyggos (2010, Klaxon Productions)

Bowing Heads (2010, Self-released/Iron Tyrant)