The Devil's Rejects 2005 - REVIEW

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Horrorhound Convention in Cincinnati, OH.  Like many conventions this year the 10 yr anniversary of House of 1000 Corpses is making their rounds.  Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Jennifer Jostyn just to name a few.  This inspired me after the day was over to go home and watching The Devil's Rejects.  I chose the sequel because I am not really a huge fan of the original and there are not many movies you can say that about.

The Firefly house is quiet and everyone is sleeping until a herd of police surround the property ready to take force and bring down the family.  Rufus (Tyler Mane) is already downstairs in his armor ready for battle.  Otis (Bill Moseley), Baby (Sherri Moon Zombie), and Mother Firefly (Leslie Easterbrook) join him downstairs were the gunfire ensues.  Otis and Baby get away while Mother Firefly attends to a dead Rufus, she is taken by the police squad led by Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe).  Baby and Otis quickly get a car and contact the real leader of their group, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig).  They agree to meet up at a hotel and get a game plan together so they can make their getaway.  On the other side Sheriff Wydell is preparing for revenge for the death of his brother in the hands of the sick Firefly family.  To him this is personal and he will not stop until they are all dead.

In my opinion this is Rob Zombie's best film to date.  In this film Rob really was able to harness what he was trying to do with House of 1000 Corpses.  House's story was all over the place were here it is much less clustered and gets the point across quickly.  One of the big reasons for the success was bringing back the main crew of Bill, Sid, and Sherri.  They really do make a good team.  Karen Black did not return as Mother Firefly but Leslie Easterbrook did a fine job of taking on the role.  While no one really compares to the likes of Karen, Leslie looks very similar and can act just a crazy as Karen can.

Like most Zombie films this included many cameo's and smaller roles by well known actors and actresses such as Ginger Lynn, Geoffry Lewis and Danny Trejo.  Zombie has his regulars he likes to use in his films and it usually works.  The best performance in this film however was from Moseley.  Not since Chop Top for me has his character been more disturbed.  Sid give his good performance as usual and Sherri, well she is Sherri and acts as good as she can I guess.  I really do not dislike her but as someone told me recently "she does not emote her emotions!"  After hearing that I now pay closer attention to her face rather than the rest of her body and that person is right.

Rob Zombie, if you notice, likes to pay homage to the 70's exploitation films.  While never outright saying this movie was set in the 70's or present day, the soundtrack tends to give a different impression.  I really like the classic rock as the soundtrack.  Specially "Freebird" at the end of the film.  It's just fantastic placement for a dramatic ending.  To me, I'll say it again, this is Rob Zombie at this best.  He may not be able to top this  2005 gem.  Stay twisted everyone!

Dead of Night 2012 - REVIEW

I swear if I do not get an original short movie or feature film come across my desk soon I am going fuckin scream.  Seriously, I know there are movies out there that have similarities but how hard is it to come up with some thing on your own that you did not totally copy from another film.  I am not going to mention which movie this one mirrors till my I give my thoughts about this one.  I am sure once you read the synopsis it will be evident and easy to figure out.

There is a serial killer (Preston Taub) on the loose that is obsessed with identity.  Not just his victims identities but destroying them like they never existed.  It is up to the FBI profiler Cyrus Vendelin (Steven Vujic) to put a stop to this madman.  In order to do this Cyrus must think like the killer to try and get in his head and stop him before his bodycount rises.

This short film of 30 mins is a monumental mess.  The story is very unstable and jumps all over the place.  If you did not figure it out from the description this short very much resembles the feature film starring Angelina Jolie entitled Taking Lives.  This is totally not original and isn't even a good take on the idea of Taking Lives. I guess my biggest gripe about this movie is that in my opinion it's not even what I consider horror.  It is more of a crime drama and a horrible one at that.  Just because part of the story is about a serial killer does not mean you can instantly classify this as horror.

Now that we have gotten my gripes about the story out of the way lets move on to the acting.  There is no way anyone in this film has ever acted before.  Every single person in this film gives an absolutely terrible performance.  To be in a movie you do not have to be a professional actor (it helps) but you have to have some kind of talent.  If you are looking for a well acted short then look somewhere else!

Finally, we come to the look of the movie and the effects.  Well I wish I could say something positive here but again it's pretty bad.  The film looks horrible and the effects don't look good at all.  If really is important in independent horror to make sure at least the sound and the effects look good.  The way it looks now really sucks.  The only thing I will give props for is that they are making the special edition of the DVD available in Black and White.  That is pretty cool, sometimes B&W can add a little something to it.  Especially when the color version looks so bad.  This is available on Amazon Instant at the moment but I would say save you money for something else.  Stay twisted everyone!

Sinister Visions Coming out Soon - PRESS RELEASE

HORROR FANS!

Horror anthology SINISTER VISIONS is making its way out on the world as we speak – cinematic showings are planned during the summer in the UK, Italy and Spain and a DVD release for the North American market is planned for early autumn. The cover art has just been revealed.

About SINISTER VISIONS:

Are you ready for a terror attack combining both succubi, women possessed by demons, serial killers in electric chairs, aggressive zombies, avengeful crazy women, men with very deep emotional scars and ofcourse a fair amount of amputation and gore? SINISTER VISIONS consists of five grueling horror stories to make your bones freeze.


SUCCUBUS is about a beautiful young blonde, Emma, studying to become an archeologist. On an excavation trip to Syria she finds something in the sand that is about to change her life completely. She hurries home hoping to be able to escape it, but she is about to get wiser.

MY UNDEAD GIRLFRIEND is a twisted story with a lot of morbid, dark humor, telling the story of the day Keith woke up next to his girlfriend who had out of the blue turned into a flesh eating undead and tonight he is about to meet her parents for the first time! This day is going to be a bit out of the ordinary!

MOTHER KNOWS BEST is the story about Carl, a somewhat shy man preparing for a date with his childhood sweetheart, Rebecca. Carl’s mother has quite a few objections about the date and she is not too shy to express them, though.

In A WOMAN SCORNED we meet Gail tied to a bed by Holly. Gail have had the nerve to start a relationship with Richard, who unfortunately is Holly’s former husband – and Gail does not approve at all!

Finally, GENITAL GENOCIDE presents us to serial killer Charles Albert Harris who, sitting on death row waiting for the switch to be turned on, takes us through his crimes while the audience of the court room listens. Harris wants a last reaction out of the audience that consists of many relatives of his audience – and a reaction he gets.

SINISTER VISIONS is a collaboration between filmmakers from USA, UK, Sweden and Denmark and features works from skilled writers such as Garry Charles, Stefan Bommelin, Henric Brandt, Rasmus Tirzitis, Cody Cather, Doug Gehl and Lars Egholm Fischmann while the directing has been in the capable hands of Henric Brandt, Doug Gehl and Kim Sønderholm.

Starring: Kim Sønderholm, David C. Hayes, Michael Harrelson, Debbie Overbey, Rob Douglas, Rick Dyer, Daren Palacio, Bart Overbey, Brian Weir, Liana Hubbard, Tori Montgomery, Pamela Ricardo, Peg Thon, Kat Herlo, Miriam Yeager, Nadia Bond, Lars Bjarke, Ralf Beck, Pontus Olgrim, Camilla Löjdström, Andreas Rylander, Stefan Jonasson, Babs Brinklund, Mehrnaz Bagheri Beiknejad, Mette Løvendahl, Toke Lars Bjarke, Nadine and many, many others.

Updates for the film "Lord of Tears" - PRESS RELEASE

Lord of Tears has reached their first Kickstarter goal.  Now the new goal is to raise $15,000.00 through kickstarter, and they are currently taking pre orders for the movie.  Pre orders are available through Kickstarter at the link below.

The new trailer has caught the eye of Jim Parrack of True Blood and acclaimed scream queen Barbara Crampton who has tweeted it on Twitter.  On top of all of this Lord of Tears has been accepted as an official selection for the San Diego Comic Fest.

Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lawriebrewster/lord-of-tears

The Viral Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENT_i_L3bGc

Comic Festival Announcement:  http://www.sdcomicfest.org/lawrie-brewster/

Deep Secrets, Shallow Graves With New Horror Picture "Animosity"

NEW YORK, NY – 11th MARCH 2013 – Director/Writer Brendan Steere (THE VELOCIPASTOR) and Executive Producer Roy Frumkes(STREET TRASH, DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD) present the horror-thriller feature film ANIMOSITY.

Watch the trailer here.

A newlywed couple moves into a house in the middle of the woods. Soon, they discover the forest surrounding the house is host to sinister supernatural powers that cause them to turn against each other.

ANIMOSITY was produced by Brandon Taylor (THE REMEMBRANCE) and Michael Allen. It is the first feature film lensed by cinematographer Jesse Gouldsbury. The film is edited by Steve Burgess and scored by composer Geoff Gesch. Tracy Willet (SNOW), Marcin Paluch (THE RETRIBUTION), Tom Martin (DOCTOR BELLO), Alyssa Kempenski (SADIE THE WEBSERIES)and Stephan Goldbach (SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY) star.

Shot in the northeastern region in Pennsylvania, principle photography took place in August of 2012 and pickups ended in January of 2013.

Director Brendan Steere on Animosity: "I love movies with gobs of gore and blood, but this is just not that movie. I was thinking a lot about Ti West's films while making it. Argento's earlier giallo work. Alien and Rosemary's Baby – movies that creep and build. There's a palpable mystery and build that really I'm very happy with. I think we've really made something special, and I really hope the horror community responds to it."

ANIMOSITY is having its east coast screening at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, New York City between May 4th and 7th of 2013.

Stills, behind the scene photos and the poster are attached to this e-mail.

Follow ANIMOSITY on Facebook, Twitter and IMDB.

Kiss the Abyss 2010 - REVIEW

There really is nothing I like more than having a day off during the week when all the kids are gone and the animals are on their best behavior. It's days like that I get to veg out in front of the TV and catch up on the stacks of films that need to be reviewed. I've found myself slacking quite a bit lately but alas, real life must come first.

Mark (Scott Wilson) and Lesley (Nikki Moore) are newlyweds who are madly in love with each other but struggling to make ends meet. She's an aspiring artist and he's a mechanic but they're happy with where they are in life. When a home invasion takes an ugly turn and Lesley ends up dead, Mark joins forces with her estranged father Harold (James Mathers) to bring her back. They take a trip out into the desert to meet up with Gus (Douglas Bennett), a colorful man with a knack for raising the dead. Things go fairly well and it's back to life as they know it except that Lesley now has a thirst for blood and she will do just about anything to get it.

This film had three major elements working against it from the get go... it's a small budgeted indie horror film, it was helmed by a first time director Ken Winkler and the script is the first "produced" script by Winkler and his writing partner Eric Rucker. If you take into account the cast of mostly unknowns, it's hard to imagine this one going anywhere or even being that great. At least that's how it usually goes, hell I've seen films with name actors that tank in the first fifteen minutes. This one, however, surprised me. The story, while not all that original, still holds up as a solid foundation for a good film. Winkler and Rucker use some pretty clever writing techniques, especially in the beginning, telling most of the base of the story through flashbacks sequences. Once the past catches up with the present, all bets are off and the film's pace picks up rather quickly.

Here's the down side... the ADR is painfully distracting and the film suffers because it. It also doesn't do the actors any favors either. Nothing recorded in post seems to have the same "in the heat of the moment" feel to it as it does when it's captured while filming. You have these fantastic facial expressions yet the energy in the voice that makes it believable isn't quite there. Aside from that, the acting was pretty good. The chemistry between Wilson and Moore was convincing and they interacted well with each other. But the show stopper performance has to go to Bennett. His kaleidoscopic portrayal of Gus was enjoyable to watch. He easily comes off as the guy you'd want to have a beer with.... if he didn't have that whole morbid ability to raise the dead thing.

Ultimately, this is a great watch. The makeup effects are really well done. Specifically Lesley's transformation and the paint job and prosthetics on the Angel. Both were outstanding and helped make up for some of the other issues I had with the film. The picture quality is good as well as the lighting, especially the basement scenes. The blue tones scream despair and sorrow and you pretty much know that nothing good is going to come from that room. At least that's how I felt... that really heavy feeling. Kiss the Abyss does have something special and I see a great future for Winkler and Rucker in the horror business. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.

Death By VHS 2013 - REVIEW

Who here still has a VCR?  I actually do not, and as a matter of fact I gave all of my VHS tapes to my Mother.  Not that she is really going to watch them but it won't be clutter in my house anymore.  After watching the new trend in horror of posessed films, and or video tapes I am kind of glad I don't have mine anymore.  As for all this horror with vhs, STEP INTO THE NOW AND GET A DVD PLAYER!

A young couple Tommy (Brennen Benson) and Jamie (Kelsee Benson) rent a what turns out to be a cursed Video Cassette Recorder.  This film is 5 terrifying vignettes that will leave you speechless.  Play the video if you dare!

This movie was formally called Scream Machine and at the last minute the title was changed to Death By Video.  There was really not one thing about this movie that is worth bragging about.  The effects are terrible, totally looks fake.  I realize that not all indie movies are able to spend the money for good effects but they need to be a little bit more believable than this.  Another thing that really bothers me is how unoriginal the story is.  Just because you make your movie just a little bit different does not make you any less of a tool.  The fact that this movie ever got a distrubutor is beyond me.  I am now convinced I can take my camcorder and film a farting contest in an enclosed woodshed and would have more fun watching that than Death By VHS.

So you are going to notice my summary was rather short.  The reason for that is this movie is a total regergitation of movies that have already come out namely V/H/S.  I really do not think that this deserves a long synopsis.  Don't get me wrong I love anthology style horror movies, but I like good movies not complete shit!  Last year we had the movie V/H/S and quite frankly it was not very good, now it just gets worse.  The only movie that has been able to pull off anything close to this, although not an anthology film, is Sinister.  The whole found video footage and all, but at least that had a real killer and was a well written, scary movie.  I am a big fan of indie horror but be a little more original.  It's one thing to pay homage to the films of yesteryear, but I think we need to wait a little while to pay homage to the films of last year!  Stay twisted everyone

New Website "Style over Substance" Announces It's First Release

The New website www.style-over-substance.com has it's first release.  A kickass poster of Night of The Living Dead.  The poster is by comic book artist J-Wright, who recently got his first comic book funded on Kickstarter.  There are 2 versions of the poster that will be available: The color version and also a black and white version.

The poster is printed on 10 mil Satin Poster Paper which is a composite archival material and holds up well against humidity.  The ink is Solvent Inkjet that stands well up against scratches and has great UV resistance.  The Poster is going to be $25.00 not including shipping and can be purchased on the Style Over Substance website or www.igorslab.com.

AEF Signs Bill Oberst Jr. Actor joins Danny Trejo, Sid Haig on Roster

Los Angeles, CA – Actor Bill Oberst Jr. has been signed by Amsel, Eisenstadt & Frazier Talent Agency for theatrical and commercial representation. Oberst (Take This Lollipop, Abraham Lincoln Vs.Zombies) joins Danny Trejo (Grindhouse, Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn,) Sid Haig (The Devil's Rejects, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 2) and Jake Busey (Starship Troopers, Identity, Enemy Of The State) on the roster of AEF partner Gloria Hinojosa.

The agency's roster also boasts Dee Wallace (E.T., Cujo, The Howling) and Verne Troyer (Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me, Goldmember.) The actor says he is grateful and honored to be joining AEF and especially excited about being on the same talent roster as Trejo. “To me Danny Trejo is the perfect combination; a total badass on the screen and a total gentleman off of it” says Oberst. “I admire him and I'm a huge fan, so to be sharing the same talent agent with Mr. Trejo is a very big deal for me.”

Oberst, whose performance in Jason Zada's Emmy Award-winning Take This Lollipop has been seen by over 100 million Facebook users worldwide, is also represented by manager Matt Chassin, whose roster includes genre stars Lynn Lowry (The Crazies, Cat People,) Camden Toy (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and terror team Jimmyo Burril and April Monique Burril (The Chainsaw Sally Show.) Oberst's performance as a Civil War-era bounty hunter in Chris Eska's The Retrieval makes it's world
premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin this month. The actor's next expected wide release is Jourdan McClure's Children Of Sorrow, in which Oberst plays cult leader Simon Leach. The role won Oberst a Best Actor Award at Hollywood's Shockfest Film Festival, where Children Of Sorrow also took the festival's top film award. More on Oberst's current and upcoming projects may be found on IMDb at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/

Links: Children Of Sorrow Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW_FRa5HhNE
Bill Oberst Jr. IMDb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/

Watch the First Four Minutes of Tonight's Being Human

Being Human – Airs Tonight at 9/8c
Your Body is a Condemned Wonderland – First Four Minutes

SUMMARY: Josh proposes to Nora and gets scratched again. Liam kidnaps Aidan, and it's up to Josh and Nora to rescue him. Sally's body seemingly starts to decompose.

Sinister 2012 - REVIEW

Sinister is one of the few horror movies that I remember out in theaters for a prolonged period of time and actually had good reviews.  Seriously every single person I had talked to about this movie never had anything at all bad to say about it.  I  did not know what to expect though.  I went into this not knowing hardly at all what the story was about but I really could not wait to see this.  This is definitely one movie that you really have the best experience seeing this in a movie theater.

Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is looking to write his next big feature novel about a family who was killed in the town he has just moved his family too.  Not only is it the same town but he has moved his family into the same house it happened in and not one of his family members knows.  He finds a box of reels in the attic and the first one he watches is the video of what happened to the family in the backyard of the house.  Four of them hung in a tree and to top it all off the little girl named Stephanie is missing.  The other reels are murders that are all similar.  A family is murdered and the youngest kid goes missing never to be found.  All of these murders are not in the same area they range from the east coast to the west coast.  The more Ellison watches the films the more strange things start happening in the house.  He is now drinking more than he ever has and this case is definitely getting to him.  Will he be able to keep going after this story long enough to keep his sanity and his family out of harms way?

This movie did remind me a little bit of The Strangers.  Not the story so much as just the moments of intensity and making me jump.  It's been a long time since I have watched a movie and was actually scared.  I have never been one to even jump at anything, but this one had me on my toes almost the whole time.  Which brings me to my first praise of this movie and that is the sound effects.  Fucking awesome!  Seriously if you watch this and you don't jump or twitch at least once then I would say you should check and make sure you still have a heart beat.

The story was really well written.  One of the things that really ticked me off and kept me intrigued was the fact that I had really no idea what was going on.  Once the story starts to come together though be prepared to strap in for a non stop mind fuck.  I have really never been a fan of Ethan Hawke, but I really did not mind him in this role.  He did a standout job as a borderline unlikable character, but the character of his wife, played by Juliet Rylance is even more awful.  Not only do I hate her character, but I'm really not crazy about the actress either. Even though I don't care for the two leads the  story makes up for it.  If you pick it up to watch at home I highly recommend surround sound and a Blu Ray copy.  Stay twisted everyone!

I Didn't Come Here to Die 2010 - REVIEW

Volunteer work can be a very rewarding task. You focus, work hard and it will usually pay off in the end whether it's that warm fuzzy feeling you get for doing something good or the high you get because you've finally completed the lame ass community service requirement (No, I'm not speaking from experience). Hell, I'd volunteer for work out in the woods just to get away!!

For six volunteers (Emmy Robbin, Indiana Adams, Kurt Cole, Madi Goff, Travis Scott Newman and Niko Red Star) on a humanitarian project in the woods, the warm fuzzies are the least of their worries. After one horrific accident after another, making it out of there alive becomes their only priority.

At first glance, one might think I Didn't Come Here to Die was your typical slasher flick where there is a group of people out in the woods being stalked by a serial killer but it's so NOT that. It's more of a glimpse into the psyche of the human brain and what happens to people when they're thrust into the most extreme situations.

Director Bradley Scott Sullivan knew exactly what he was looking for when he cast IDCHTD. Yes, it is the stereotypical horror movie cast but I have a feeling that was intentional on the part of Sullivan. BUT, that doesn't matter... what matters is, did they pull it off? The answer is a resounding YES! I would imagine it's hard to put your faith in the relatively "unknown" actor but in this case it paid off. The commitment level from this group is definitely admirable. Especially for a feature film shot in only 7 days. Each one of them took their role and elevated it above most of what you see from today's indie horror films. Of course no film is perfect but I really couldn't point out any particular performance that stood out as bad or lackluster. I enjoyed watching all of them equally.

The special makeup effects were done superbly (is that even a word?). Especially the chainsaw scene. There is enough gore to please fans of the genre without going overboard. If I have any complaints, it would have to be the night scenes. I don't know if they shot it day for night then ran it through a filter or used a special lens to give it that "night time" look but it was a bit distracting at times. However it doesn't take away from the film itself in any way. Ultimately IDCHTD isn't a perfect film but it is fun, full of wit and charm and a few twists and turns that while predictable, only enhance the end result. If you're a fan of indie films, I'd definitely recommend it.

Vamp U Now Available on VOD and Digital

If you remember, a while back I reviewed this little gem of a film and now the time has come for you to enjoy it for yourself! Vamp U is officially available on VOD and digital download and scheduled for a DVD release on March 12! AND, If you are attending the SXSW Film Festival, you can join them for a special one-night only screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane March 14 at 10:00 p.m. Click on TUGG for more info. Check out the trailer below to see what you'll miss if you skip this one!!



Synopsis
Wayne Gretzky (Adam Johnson) is a vampire with fangs that won’t grow. His “impotence” began when he inadvertently killed Mary, the love of his life, 300 years ago. To take his mind off the pain, he teaches college history – who better than a guy who’s been around for centuries? Attempting to regain his full vampire powers, he enlists help from his friend and colleague, Dr. Levine (Gary Cole). But nothing works…that is until a new semester brings freshman Chris Keller (Julie Gonzalo) – a dead ringer for his beloved Mary. They begin to have an affair, which quickly goes south when he accidentally turns Chris into a vampire. Now, as she leaves a bloody trail of destruction across campus – converting a sorority house full of co-eds including the irresistible Samantha (Alexis Knapp) to her vampire legion – Wayne is faced with the task of stopping her before they kill the entire student body!

Cast
Adam Johnson (Orc Wars, Frozen and upcoming Dragon Warriors)
Gary Cole (Pineapple Express, Talladega Nights, Entourage, Office Space and Dodgeball)
Julie Gonzalo (Dodgeball, A Cinderella Story, Must Love Dogs, Eli Stone and currently starring on Dallas)
Alexis Knapp (Pitch Perfect, Project X, Percy Jackson & the Olympians and Couples Retreat)


Available NOW on VOD and Digital and on DVD March 12, 2013!
Check out VAMP U on Facebook!

New Trailer Released and Pre-Order Opens for Lord of Tears

Lord of Tears is a British Chiller in the classic tradition of films such as The Wickerman, The Innocents and The Haunting. Our story concerns a man trapped in a crumbling mansion, stalked by an Owl Headed monster in the misty highlands of Scotland, on a mission to piece together a childhood broken apart by repressed memories and dark secrets. It takes inspiration from celtic mythology, theology and modern legends such as those of Slender Man.

The film is complete and they have started taking pre-orders via their Kickstarter page to help finance an exhibition tour. In just a little over a week, they've reached more than 60% of their goal. You can also go there to check out the new trailer they just released.

Lord of Tears stars David Schofield (American Werewolf in London, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator). It was written by Sarah Daly (AKA music artist Metaphorest) and the film was directed by Lawrie Brewster. But this isn't their first rodeo! They collaborated together on films that starred the likes of Joseph Gordon Levitt and Channing Tatum and were featured at Sundance and SXSW. Talk about a powerhouse!!

Their film has also received quite a bit of praise from Jim Parrack of True blood and Signe Olynyk (writer of Below Zero, winner of the Bram Stoker Award) and Elisabeth Fies (director of The Commune).

The Kickstarter link below includes the trailer and a video in which Lawrie describes more about the film.
Kickstarter
Direct Trailer Link
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Official Website www.lordoftears.com