The film doesn’t skimp on the depravity, featuring rape, necrophilia, mother-son incest and more, but before you draw the conclusion that this is some despicable sleaze-fest, it really isn’t. Boger, perhaps limited by the censors, picks his battles, and when he does, he always chooses sexual frankness over outright titillation. Many things are discussed or implied without being directly shown. There’s not much nudity in here for an “erotic” film from the 1970′s, and Boger chooses to construct the entire film as little episodes of trouble for Justine, building up to its nihilistic, tough-as-nails conclusion.

Forgoing an exploitation vibe, Boger captures something close to what Hammer was doing at the time, and the cinematography, acting, and locales are all reminiscent of Hammer’s output during the 70′s. Koo Stark’s intelligent eyes and capable acting also elevate the film from soft-core into something more substantial. Is it horror? Aside from a grim dream sequence, there’s no apparent attempt to scare anyone, though the content of the entire film is troubling. I have a feeling that the ending will evoke a “love it or hate it” response, but to me, that’s when the film went from being a minor curiosity into an undiscovered gem. It’s a gut-punch of the most hateful variety.

Thankfully, Kino Lorber also thinks it’s a gem, restoring the film as part of their Redemption line. The restored picture is unusually good for a film with no real cult audience (hopefully, that will change with this release), and the disc features interviews with Boger as well as screenwriter Ian Cullen.

This we know, but even the most avid horror fanatics grow weary of the overeager and ultimately unscientific methods by which those graced with television presence attempt to prove the existence of said monsters. So, how could anyone possibly make this done to death idea any good? Simple. Turn everything backwards.

Hoax Hunters, written by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley with art by JM Ringuet, made its Issue #0 debut months ago, but thanks to the Kickstarter project named “ReincarNATE”, Hoax Hunters will now be its own series. Moreci and Seeley will be returning as writers, but Axel Medellin will be taking over the art.

So what is this new comic about? Imagine if undiscovered species such as monsters did in fact exist. In this world where there are more believers than skeptics, how would the media react? In our world, we have reality and documentary shows trying to boost network ratings by attempting to prove the existence of such creatures. So if these such “cryptids” really did exist, then the natural reaction of these shows would be to disprove their existence!

Hoax Hunters aims to be one such show. The crew attempts to debunk the existence of cryptids for an audience of believers. However, their real goal is far more clandestine. When these monsters make their presence known, it is up to the Hoax Hunters to hide the truth from the public.

I find myself very excited for this comic. Despite being the biggest skeptic you will ever find in the horror fan community, I have always had a fascination with monsters, cryptozoology, and the paranormal. I like to spend my time watching paranormal investigation shows, yelling at the unscientific conjecture and fundamentally flawed logic on my flat screen, all the while hoping that one of these bumbling fools will stumble into the biological find of the century.

Now, we get to see a cast of interesting and diverse characters hunt down real monsters and attempt to convince a mass public that they are not real. This sounds about as difficult as some of these real-life “experts” on TV convincing me that the chupacabra is roaming in my backyard, but it should be much more entertaining for all of us.

The first issue of the brand new story arc, Die Off Another Day, will be crawling its way into comic shops on July 4th.

Source: Image Comics via Bloody Disgusting

Dark, disturbing, claustrophobic, and suffocating, like a dead, decomposing albatross draped upon the shoulders of the subconscious.

Neil Marshall’s The Descent was more than just another film about creatures that go bump in the dark. The primal, brutal, disgusting nature of the creatures forced the civilized protagonists to bury their modern sensibilities in order to survive. The film was less about the descent into an uncharted cave filled with flesh-devouring monsters, and more about the descent into madness. And then Marshall goes on to ask us the question to which we do not want to know the answer. Is it ever possible to go back?

And now we are hearing that Neil Marshall may be attached to direct The Last Voyage of the Demeter. If the Demeter sounds familiar to you, that’s because it is the name of the doomed vessel that transported Dracula himself from Transylvania to Britain in Bram Stoker’s signature story. The ship comes to shore with all hands slain, save for one man driven far beyond the brink of insanity.

What happened aboard the Demeter? Now, we may find out.

I use the word “may” because the production seems to be sailing in troubled waters. The story was written more than ten years ago by Bragi Schut. Schut more recently wrote Season of the Witch, which was received by critics about as well as a non-virgin sacrifice to a vengeful god. The project has also gone through several different potential directors.

Will Marshall be the hand of fate that guides this film through the storm, that its crew may be properly slaughtered? If you thought a labyrinthine cavern was claustrophobic, imagine being trapped on an old ship with a blood-thirsty creature of the night…

Let’s hope Neil Marshall will remind this modern world how a real vampire performs.

Source: THR

Fatale Trade Coming Next Month from Image Comics

Guns, cults, murder, monsters, and one dangerous dame.

Horror meets noir in Fatale, the new comic series from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. With issue #5 released this week, the first story arc comes to a conclusion, and Image Comics is planning to release the first trade collection in June.

The story follows a beautiful and mysterious woman named Josephine as she is in turn followed by an unknown and brutally violent evil. Along the way, many men are drawn to her, and one by one they begin to meet their own grisly, psychologically tormenting fates.

Look for the trade, Death Chases Me, on June 27, along with issue #6 and a brand new story arc. If you haven’t picked up this bloodstone gem of a horror comic, now would be a good time to do so. The Ancient Ones do not look kindly on those who neglect such things.

Source: Image Comics

Stephen King’s Epic Short Story, The Reach, Will See the Big Screen

We have seen many film adaptations from the Master of Horror, but we have yet to see the one that the man himself describes as the one he would “most like to be remembered for after his death.”

Stephen King’s short story, The Reach, from his book Skeleton Crew will make its first market appearance at the Marche du Filme in Cannes. The film adaptation is to be financed by Park Entertainment and produced by Grayson Ross and Jodi Hansell of DownEast Village Productions.

The story follows a 95-year-old woman as she makes the journey from Goat Island to Maine. After the water separating the island from the mainland, referred to as the Reach, freezes over for the first time in 50 years, her epic trek begins.

If there is one thing that King can do better than horror, it is creating some of the most memorable, intriguing, and real characters in all of fiction. Will the film be able to capture the same powerful traits present in the story? If King truly feels this passionate about the work he wants to be remembered for, the Ancient Ones remain optimistic.

Source: THR

New Pics Show Elijah Wood is a Maniac

As a rule, the Ancient Ones are not pleased with remakes, reboots, or sequels. However, they have decided to give Maniac the benefit of the doubt.

Two key individuals involved this film give a faint glimmer of hope amongst the spatters of blood on the money-lined walls of Hollywood shame. First is the pen of Alexandre Aja, who seems to be slowly, but surely, finding his muse. I found The Hills Have Eyes to be slightly boring (after you’ve killed a mutant with an axe to the head for the sixth time, the axe isn’t the only thing that’s dull) and trying too hard to shock. However, Piranha 3D was a fun, self-aware, delightful gore-fest of a flick. Maybe Maniac will be Aja’s crowning achievement.

Second is the presence of Elijah Wood. There seems to be a lot of negative talk about Frodo being a serial killer, but have we all forgotten Sin City so soon? Wood’s performance as the silent, cannibalistic serial killer Kevin, with that incredibly creepy smile, was nothing short of disturbing. If you can look at that smile and still see a hobbit, then you just may be more mentally disturbed than the owner of that smile.

Did I mention that he also works in a shop selling antique mannequins? The Ancient Ones are pleased…for now. Check out these pics and see for yourself.

Source: Playlist

After starting in Washington D.C. nine years ago Horror Movie Night has expanded to include chapters in Austin, Dallas and Chicago. Horror’s Not Dead’s own Brian Kelley is the originator and programmer of this illustrious weekly Wednesday night tradition which features a “classic” horror film. Each week I will be reviewing/commenting on the past week’s selection so do your best to find the film, most of which have not made it past VHS, and follow along. Better yet, start your own chapter!

Two years ago, long before I started toiling away on these weekly columns, we watched a film called The Unnamable for Horror Movie Night. I tried to remember what it was about a couple weeks ago and, for the life of me, could not recall but the foggiest of possible plots. I knew it was a Lovecraft adaptation and involved college kids and shenanigans at an old, cursed house in the woods. But really, what late 80s horror film didn’t involve that combination? So I crept down into my extensive horror vault and retrieved a copy to re-watch. Immediately it all came flooding back to me. It was a great time to give this another viewing since it was time that HMN braved the sequel from 1993 with the lengthy title The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter. This definitely improves upon some of its predecessor’s weaknesses, has fun, but still lacks something to propel it to greatness.

Picking up directly after the events of the first film, the cops and school officials from Lovecraft mainstay Miskatonic University are investigating the murders of a few students at this old home in the middle-of-nowhere. Turns out this house belonged to an former professor named Joshua Winthrop who went missing and legend tells of a crazy being inhabiting the body of his daughter ultimately leading to the demise of the whole clan. Anthropology and folklore student Randolph Carter (Mark Kinsey Stephenson) takes one of his mentors, Professor Warren (John Rhys-Davies), and his good friend who saw the beast responsible, Howard Damon (Charles Klausmeyer), back to the house for another look. In some underground tunnels on the property they find a trapped “unnamable” creature held captive and manage to run it out leaving behind the confused, and naked (!), body of Winthrop’s daughter Alyda (Maria Ford). Now the whole crew heads back to school to try and sort out the whole mess. As Carter and Alyda get closer together it becomes evident that the creature is still out there and coming after them – and more importantly her.

My real problem with the first film is how much of nothing happens. The movie starts strong, gives a glimpse into a world with a possible cool creature, and leaves plenty of room for story. Actually, too much room for story. The whole middle point of the movie is a bunch of people in the dark in this house running from something that we only get to see in the odd, very brief glance. When the creature is unveiled near the end of the last act, it’s a glorious thing. Multiple horns, wings, scaled flesh, goat legs, sharp unruly fangs – just a lovely sight for a horror fan. I understand keeping certain things hidden, and the value of the payoff having waited 75 or 80 minutes, but it sucks when it’s such a cool looking character that you wish could have received more screentime.

Fear not. In this sequel the creature is all over the place! You cannot turn around without have it standing there snarling or quick images of its face popping up in dream sequences. Another improvement here is that the sequel gave more for the show stealer from the previous flick, Randolph Carter, to do. This actor has not done much in his career but you wouldn’t guess it from this roll. Carter is fun and comfortable. Kind of a wimpier, nerdier version of Indiana Jones if you ask me, but maybe I’m just making that correlation because of the Rhys-Davies connection. I love everything about Stephenson and the character he plays. So much in fact that I would kill to see more adventures of Randolph Carter.

Speaking of cast, you cannot really go wrong when you have the previously mentioned Rhys-Davies sharing a screen with the one and only David Warner in the role of the school’s chancellor. But that’s nothing! Our creature is played by the lovely, and quite “nude”, Julie Strain. I put that in quotes because she’s heavily under make-up but you can still see her boobs – even if they are kind of scaled and and unnatural color. Hey, I’m not picky.

On the nudity front there is a bit of sadness to report. While Maria Ford is naked for a large portion of her role, at all times her long hair is strategically placed over the nipples so you don’t really get the best view. There is a time or two where it’s out of the way, but it’s just a damn shame she’s so covered up. Especially seeing as she went on to have a rather prolific career in the softcore world. Sigh. A moment of silence for the boobs that might have been.

…

This movie is not without its share of ridiculous, in fact it’s kind of based on ridiculous. From the get go Carter notices that the runes mixed in the ancient Necronomicon texts about the creature actually include “rune equations”. Who knew that was a thing? When in the tunnels he and Professor Warren deduce from said equations that they can trick the being out of the young girl’s body by injecting her with insulin and then feeding her some sugar, which Warren just happens to have in his pocket, so she doesn’t die. I wonder if Lovecraft had diabetic unnamable creatures in mind when writing stories many years ago? This is nothing compared to the showdown wherein a wooden chair is used as a major weapon. It’s the best use of a chair I’ve seen in quite some time.

All of this means precisely dick, however, when compared to the wonder that is Officer Debbie (Siobhan McCafferty). This lovely blonde cop starts out quiet and shy, but soon is roaring like a lion. For the first half, if not two-thirds, of the film she rarely speaks and is quite reserved, but suddenly after a brother-in-arms dies by the creature’s hand something changes and she snaps. As she loudly bitches and moans about the creatures, she racks her shotgun and searches angrily only to be answered by scolding condemnation from her Sheriff. Unfortunately for the world this is McCafferty’s only film credit, alongside a few TV appearances. We need more of Debbie!

For whatever reason while The Unnamable is unavailable on DVD, and has never been released on the format, this sequel can be easily picked up online for around $15. I recommend this to not only fans of Lovecraft, but horror fans in general. It has a decent body count and plenty of fun to keep your attention for 100 minutes. And a Corey Feldman doppelganger!

Until next week – I’ll be developing a sitcom based around the exploits of Randolph Carter at Miskatonic University. I envision him traveling out of Arkham often to Dunwich where he keeps Yog-Sothoth chained up as a pet and plenty of Officer Debbie busting college parties.

Body Count: 10
First Death: 47:03
Best Death: Punched through the chest.
Use of “Real Bad Feeling About This” in the Dialog Alert: 47:36
Officer Debbie’s Best Line: “Oh great, it’s a bitch!”

Coming soon to Horror Movie Night (Chronicles are posted one week after screening):
-5/9/12: Judgement Day (1988) aka The Third Hand
-5/16/12: Of Unknown Origin (1983)
-5/23/12: Deadline (1984)
-5/30/12: Memorial Valley Massacre (1988)

Sergio Diaz

There’s a hole deep in the darkest parts of South L.A. where dreams never met and talent never realized go to die. Black deaths. It’s like something out of Lovecraft. Remember the dumpster in Mulholland Drive? Yeah. Of course, no one dares look into this hole. Not for too long. That would be tatamount to diving into the bowels of Hell itself. And who’d do that, I mean really? By reaching into this dark realm, we can bring to light these visions of a past not created and explore what could have been had the stars aligned differently. Let’s call it a What If or a Who Should Have or a…Shadow Cast. That’s what the demons call it.

Anywho, our first character to be recast is Freddy Krueger, and I know what you’re saying. Why are we casting Freddy Krueger when A Nightmare on Elm Street was remade just two years ago? The simple answer is Hollywood doesn’t really care that this story was brought back for modern audiences only a short while back. There is sure to be another Nightmare on Elm Street film made, and chances are it’ll happen some time before the end of this decade.

Hell, only two actors have ever played the dream-invading killer with razor-sharp blades on his fingers. That’s not counting the times Freddy appeared as a child or the time Kane Hodder played the character’s arm at the end of Jason Goes to Hell. Someone has some lofty shoes to fill after Robert Englund and Jackie Earle Haley. Maybe not so much Haley, but definitely Englund. Some would even be satisfied with seeing Englund back under the makeup, fedora, and red-and-green striped sweater.

However, the chances of Englund returning to the role for another reboot are slim, probably none at all. Studios want someone new, someone fresh, a noteworthy name to slap on the poster, or, at the very least, an up-and-coming actor just waiting for that primo role to launch him away.

So who do you think should play Freddy Krueger? If and when the Elm Street saga continues, someone has to fill the role, and the debates on who it should be will commence long before the actually casting has been announced. We may as well get a headstart on the whole shindig now.

Our choice: Ben Foster

We first started taking notice of Foster in Hostage, playing the mysterious and dangerous member of a trio of hostage takers. Roles in 3:10 to Yuma and 30 Days of Night only added to that creep factor, as the young actor continued to grow in his field with villainous and creepy turns alike. But there’s a thoughtfulness to Foster’s performances, a level of control that most slasher villains don’t need behind their masks. Freddy Krueger is a role that requires a certain level of presence in the facial features, the way we see him observing his would-be prey before taking their souls. Add to that the naturally wiry physique Foster brings to the table, and there’s very little question in the look he would bring to Krueger. What’s more, the guy is a helluvan actor with performances in The Messenger and Rampart to back that up. If given the right freedom to do with Freddy what he needs to do to give him that perfect balance of playfulness and menace, that glove could fit Ben Foster just as well as it did Robert Englund, to say nothing of what he could do in the wake of Jackie Earle Haley’s performance. At this point we’d just like to hear what he could do with the voice.

Who would you cast?

I have a theory that horror and comedy share a lot of similarities. My wife stares at me strangely as I laugh when someone is impaled by a kitchen implement, run over by a piece of farming machinery, or blown up in a meaty explosion. These are elements that make watching horror films fun. Dead Alive possesses many of these “quality” moments. With a proper blend of horror, action and comedy Dead Alive is a tasty jambalaya of a horror film.

Dead Alive (formerly known as Braindead) tells the story of a search for the infamous Sumatran rat-monkey. The rat monkey, a legendary creature, thought to be the result of the breeding between tree monkeys and plague rats, inhabits Skull Island, where our adventure begins. The rat-monkey is eventually located and captured, at which time it proceeds to attack the leader of the expedition. After being attacked, the expedition leader receives a rather interesting treatment for the wound (you’ll have to see it to believe it). The rat-monkey is then taken to a zoo located in 1950s Wellington New Zealand.

We soon meet Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme)  an ubergeek in love with shopkeeper’s daughter Paquita Maria Sanchez (Diana Penalver). During a trip to the zoo, Lionel’s overbearing, conniving and spying mother is bitten by the rat-monkey. The mother is taken home where she proceeds to transform into a mindless killing machine. This is where the fun begins. Over the remainder of the film we are treated to something that meshes gross out zombie infection, camp comedy (in the style of the Evil Dead), the blood and gore of a Herschell Gordon Lewis film, with just a hint of action film thrown in for flavor. This is the kind of movie genre film lovers wait for. With lines like “I kick ass for the lord” coming out of the mouth a Catholic priest (channeling Bruce Lee), you know what you are getting yourself info.

The Hype

Dude it’s Peter Jackson! When I say it’s Peter Jackson I mean it’s Peter Jackson before becoming “MEGA UBER FILMMAKER – PETER JACKSON”. This is horror filmmaker – Peter Jackson. Dead Alive was made nearly 10 years prior to Jackson’s low budget trilogy of people walking around the countryside. Any time a director makes it to the big time, one cannot help but revisit films from his or her back catalog. Peter Jackson’s success with Lord of the Rings increased awareness of his prior films. Which eventually lead me to Dead Alive.

How I Missed It

Prior to Lord of the Rings who the hell had heard of Peter Jackson? Jackson had had some successes before LOTR with films like like Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners. Sometimes it takes a mega hit to really raise awareness.

Better Late or Never

This movie is 100% in the Better Late category. This is a film that any true horror fans must see. Go rent or better yet buy this one now.

Check out this cool behind the scenes image from Dead Alive over on Ain’t it Cool:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/54992

Dark Shadows

Barnabas Collins is presented on the written page (by screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith) as an insatiable cad, desired by nearly every woman he meets, and unable to control his own lustful urges. It feels appropriate of his soap opera character roots, where passionate sexual trysts are a near-daily activity. What Grahame-Smith may not have counted on is that Burton doesn’t have any interest (or possibly doesn’t even understand) sex at all. Through Depp and Burton’s interpretation, Barnabas is another cartoon character brought to life, influenced simultaneously by German expressionism and the Groovy Ghoulies. Many key scenes, in which Green’s Angelique is able to manipulate Barnabas’s carnal nature into situations that he immediately regrets, end up not making a lick of sense when deflated into an embarrassed rush of special effects and rimshot-ready dialogue.

It’s a real problem. Angelique murders Baranabas’s family, kills the only woman he loves, and curses him with vampirism, and yet he still entertains her advances. In the script, it’s because he can’t get enough of her goods; on the screen, it’s because he’s a damned idiot with no clear motivation other than to “act funny.” Depp is Goth Austin Powers, surrounded by an all-star cast who are ultimately as inconsequential as the set dressing. Burton has been slowly shifting into using actors as props instead of characters (note Helena Bonham-Carter’s bright orange hairdo or Chloe Grace Moretz’s oversexed teen as 1970′s cultural window dressing), and Dark Shadows is almost nothing but production design in the hands of this director.

None of that is to say that the script is any good either. The whole movie is basically a talky, repetitive recap of the events we see in the film’s opening — that the Collins family was once rich and proud, that Angelique wants Barnabas for herself, and that Barnabas can’t hold on to true love. New characters may be introduced as being important, but then they’re forced to sit on the sidelines (or written out entirely, without consequence) so that we can endure another explanation of Angelique’s relationship with Barnabas. In the trappings of a television soap opera, this kind of recapping (three quarts of exposition for every teaspoon of plot momentum) is a necessary evil of the medium; in a film, it’s deadly. Dark Shadows, no matter the intent in the name of fan service, is so slavish to its roots that it’s more concerned with making sure all of the major characters from the show are introduced and ends with no time left to tell, y’know, an actual story.

Burton wraps up the whole thing with a big effects ending that recalls both Jan De Bont’s remake of The Haunting and Joe Johnston’s remake of The Wolf Man, which is probably about the worst place you’d want your gothic horror melodrama to go. The only thing that seems to really matter to the director is, “Did Johnny have a good time?” If that was indeed his only goal, then yes, it looks like Johnny Depp is having a pretty good time. He gets to wear funny make-up and say lines that are more fun to deliver than they are to hear (“You may strategically place your wonderful lips upon my posterior and kiss it repeatedly!”).  I’m not sure that anyone else will have a good time.