I love scary movies and I love blood and guts and severed heads and tangled up intestines everywhere. I guess tangled-up intestines are kind of the same thing as guts, but, wow, do I love grisly gore. It seems like older horror movies often focused more on the psychology of how horrifying a situation or act was and newer horror movies put more attention into convincingly showing every stab and every spurting artery on camera. For example, especially when you factor in what audiences of the time were used to, Last House on the Left was really shocking in 1972. It’s slogan was “To avoid fainting, keep repeating it’s only a movie, only a movie, only a movie.” Most of the most horrible events in the movie, you hear the suffering, but you can’t really see what is going on. By contrast, the 2009 version seems to be shot somehow higher quality, partly just due to the technology of modern cinematography. To my modern eyes, the color palette is more pleasing in the 2009 Last House on the Left. More of the gruesome parts are visible, although they could still go more extreme with that, for my taste. But the new one somehow loses some of the aura of menace, while at the same time vastly improving special effects and general overall look. Partly I suppose Aaron Paul just didn’t seem very scary to begin with and he already seemed like a tragic hero to anyone who had seen him play Jesse in Breaking Bad. You can research more about both the 1972 film version and the more recent 2009 remake at Wikipedia and you can read a bit about Last House on the Left distribution channels for horror at Blue Blood.
Horror special effects definitely have come a long way since the seventies. Now though, the special effects are, not to sound ironic, to die for. Trust me, if the quality of movies were still the same as they were a few decades ago, you can bet that I wouldn’t drop what I was doing over at http://www.partybingo.com just to watch some crappy special effects, and acting that we will just label as sub-par. Thank god though, that isn’t the case! To prove my point, just go watch one of the many (I think there are eight) movies in the Saw series, or if you are really up for some cringing, then watch Hostel.
So, in conclusion, I’ll watch the seventies movies for the acting and the newer ones for the special effects, but the special effects really have to be pretty impressive. I’m thinking about going to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D. I figure, even if the acting is all Disney Channel, the special effects on that have to be worth a theater ticket.
Social Bookmarking: Scream as loud as you can! Maybe someone will hear.
The scattered survivors continue their slow march toward Terminus on this week’s Walking Dead.
Again we find strength in focus, with this episode centered on two of the six or seven groups currently wandering the wilderness. We start with a flashback to the moment Bob Stuckey joined the group. He’d been traveling alone, finding reasonably safe places to sort of sleep. When Glen and Daryl find him, he answers the Three Questions and reveals that his previous two groups had all died.
In present time, Maggie, Sasha and Bob are surrounded by a mob of walkers on a very foggy morning. Nothing amps up the scare factor on a zombie horde like super dense fog. There’s ongoing debate about whether they should keep traveling and looking for Glen or find a safe place to hole up. Maggie overhears their conversation and leaves on her own, not wanting the others to risk their lives on her quest. Bob makes Sasha go with him to find Maggie.
Maggie is operating under the assumption that Glen would also go toward Terminus to find her. This makes a fair amount of sense. If you were blundering around just barely surviving, I guess you’d head toward any possibility of a community if only to see what’s going on. But on the other hand, every attempt to form a community we’ve seen on Walking Dead so far has resulted in drama, chaos, and tragedy. Maybe people are better off on their own.
To make sure Glen knows where she’s going, Maggie leaves him messages. She’s about to carve the message with her knife, but then she has a better idea. She kills a walker and uses its blood for her message.
Meanwhile Bob and Sasha reach a town where Sasha spots a nice brick building that might make a good place to live. Bob refuses to let Maggie go alone and continues after her, but not before kissing Sasha. Romance! Sasha’s loft seems pretty nice, though it needs some work. Then she looks out the window and sees an ice cream truck, which is always creepy. But then what the hell among the corpses lying on the ground is Maggie, just chilling, having a little nap. More walkers attack to Sasha runs down to help Maggie, they fight back to back, face their fears or something and decide to stay together forever.
Beth and Daryl’s story was much more interesting. First, Daryl is teaching Beth to track and shoot a crossbow. She stumbled into a bear trap and hurts her ankle. They find a cemetery and a big house which turns out to be a funeral home. Someone’s been living there, keeping the place nice, gathering food, and dressing up corpses.
There’s been a undercurrent of romance between Daryl and Beth for the last few weeks. Beth’s youth makes it seem a little uncomfortable, and I’d argue it makes Daryl uncomfortable too. He’s clearly resisted the idea, even last week when they were playing “I’ve Never” and Beth was drunk. But their time together, and Beth’s ability to pierce Daryl’s emotional defenses, makes it seem natural. They share some more moments this week, with Daryl napping in a coffin while Beth plays the piano.
Realizing the gathered food belongs to someone else, they have a few meals and decide to leave a nice note. Daryl suggests maybe they should just live there for awhile and try and make friends with whoever shows up. Maybe there are good people in the world after all (Daryl’s one of them). Beth gets excited when a dog shows up, but it runs away. When it shows up again later, things go poorly for everyone. When Daryl went to open the door without peeking out you knew it would be bad. A ton of zombies are here for the dinner party (and they probably killed the poor dog). There’s a great, tense chase through the funeral home, Daryl fighting his way out of the mortuary while Beth gets outside. But once he gets out, Daryl finds her satchel and a Lincoln Towncar with a cross on the back window hauling ass down the street.
Based on Beth refusing to leave Daryl in the house, and her bag being left behind, we can surmise she was taken against her will. Daryl tries to track the car, but it’s well known that Lincolns are stealthy cars that leave few tracks. Daryl gives in to despair, but then he’s accosted by a group of dudes. I think these are the same guys that home invaded Rick the other week. They’re impressed by Daryl’s crossbow and leather vest, so they let him join them instead of just killing him and taking his stuff.
This is surely going to lead to some tense moments down the line, as Daryl deals with pretending he’s with these jerks so they don’t kill him. They’ll inevitably run into Daryl’s old friends, leading to hilarious misunderstandings.
We're closing in on the April premiere of WGN America's "Salem," and a new promo video for the show has popped in that ominously states, "The Devil is never going to let a Promised Land be built here without a battle."
In “Salem” witches are real, but they are not who or what they seem. The show, which centers on an epic romance wrapped around this explosive revelation, delivers a bold new vision of Salem – and an even bolder new vision of witches.
“Salem,” premiering on Sunday, April 20th, enters the world of the most notorious witch trials in history, a period steeped in fear, suspicion, and hysteria. On an expansive set in Shreveport, Louisiana, built to reflect volatile 17th century Massachusetts, “Salem” explores what really fueled the town's infamous witch trials and dares to uncover the dark, supernatural truth behind them.
Created, executive produced, and written by award-winning writer/producer Brannon Braga (“24,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager and Enterprise”) and Adam Simon (The Haunting in Connecticut), “Salem” stars Janet Montgomery (“Human Target,” “Made in Jersey”) as the ruthless but vulnerable Mary Sibley, Salem’s most powerful enchantress; Shane West (“Nikita,” “ER”) as handsome, hardened war veteran John Alden – and Mary’s onetime love interest; Seth Gabel (“Fringe”) as local aristocrat Cotton Mather, who fans the flames of Salem’s witch hunt; Ashley Madekwe (“Revenge”) as Mary’s mysterious, carnal accomplice; Xander Berkeley (“Nikita,” “Being Human”) as chief politician Magistrate Hale; Tamzin Merchant (Jane Eyre) as the forthright Anne Hale, an artist with a perilous attraction to Alden; Elise Eberle (The Astronaut Farmer) as the mysteriously afflicted Mercy Lewis; and Iddo Goldberg (“Mob City”) as outcast Isaac Walton.
The brief synopsis of next week's Episode 4.14 of "The Walking Dead," titled "The Grove," seems to offer some hope for the group, but will it pan out? Here's a sneak peek along with a nostalgic look "inside" tonight's Episode 4.13, "Alone."
Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, "The Walking Dead" stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Emily Kinney, Danai Gurira, Chad Coleman, and Sonequa Martin-Green.
The series is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Tom Luse, and Greg Nicotero.
"The Walking Dead" Episode 4.13 - "Alone" (aired 3/9/14) As one group finds what may be an ideal shelter, another group comes to realize that the best protection comes from those around them. Written by Curtis Gwinn and directed by Ernest Dickerson.
"The Walking Dead" Episode 4.14 - "The Grove" (airs 3/16/14) After finding an idyllic place to establish a new shelter, the group starts to question whether it is possible to go back to the way things were. Written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Michael Satrazemis.
More than likely, TNT's Kyra Sedgwick-produced "Proof" is more drama than supernatural in nature, but the medical-themed pilot has landed its lead actress so we'll keep passing on the news until we get confirmation one way or the other.
Per Deadline, Jennifer Beals ("The L Word," The Bride, Flashdance) will head up the cast as Dr. Kathryn Russo, a skeptical, hard-science, brilliant female surgeon with a caustic edge who has been struggling with the devastating loss of her teenage son and a growing estrangement from her surviving daughter.
Dr. Russo is persuaded to investigate cases of reincarnation, out-of-body experiences, hauntings — all of it looking for verifiable proof to answer one of life’s greatest questions: Is death truly the end, or is there something else beyond?
"Proof" is written by Rob Bragin and directed by Alex Graves. Sedgwick exec produces with Jill Littman, Tom Jacobson, Bragin, and Graves.
In honor of the film's premiere at SXSW, an international trailer has come our way for the new film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside), entitled Among the Living. Yeah, we'll take this one now please, thanks.
Chloe Coulloud, Lannick Gautry, Francis Renaud, and Beatrice Dalle star in the flick, which has been described as a hybrid of Stand By Me and Stephen King's IT.
Synopsis Youngsters Victor, Dan, and Tom skip school to wander around an abandoned movie set. They stumble upon an horrific vision: a woman in chains is dragged through the field by a man wearing a clown mask. The masked man catches a glimpse of the boys, who scramble to run away. But, before they can escape, they see something which has been hidden for years, something they were not meant to see.
Terrified of having been seen by the masked man, the boys try to alert the police. Unfortunately, their past record of unruly behavior discredits them, and the police do not follow up on their tipoff. That night someone breaks into their homes, seeking to eliminate them... One after another... They are going to meet Klarence...
The first trailer for the genre heavyweight-laden new flick Apocalypse Kiss is here to get you all tongue-tied in the best possible way. Check it out along with a brand new still. Look for more on this one soon!
From the Press Release The highly anticipated new film from Christian Grillo (Deer Crossing), Apocalypse Kiss, will be available to rent, buy or stream online from April 8, 2014.
The film, featuring a who's who of the horror and science-fiction world including Tom Atkins (My Bloody Valentine 3D, Halloween III), Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) and D.C Douglas (CHUD), meshes a unique and stylish film noir template - parallel to Robert Rodriguez's Sin City and the upcoming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - with explosive, thrilling action.
Wet your lips with an Apocalypse Kiss!
Synopsis Adrian, a serial killer with O.C.D., fights for his place in the media while two nomadic lesbians are getting the credit for his murders. Meanwhile, the world as they know it is about to come to an end.
Jai Courtney scored the role of Kyle Reese in Paramount and Skydance's Terminator: Genesis, and recently he sat down with IGN to talk a little about the role and the upcoming film. Read on for details.
"I've always had a bit of skepticism about something being rebooted. I remember when [A Good Day to] Die Hard came around a few years ago, I was like, 'Really? They're gonna make another one?' and then I found myself in it and totally invested in it," said Courtney.
"I think it's healthy to have that [skepticism] because you want it to be something [special], you want to keep that eye for quality sharp."
"But when I read this, I was pretty into it and the story's cool," Courtney continued. "It's attached a great cast as well. I think Emilia Clarke's wonderful and she's got a lot of support and stuff behind her. And Jason Clarke as well I'm a big admirer of so, yeah, it's gonna be really cool, man. I'm looking forward to doing that, and running around with Arnie won't be too bad."
Terminator: Genesis begins filming soon in Louisiana under the direction of Alan Taylor (Thor 2) for a July 1, 2015, release.
Iconic author Anne Rice selected tonight, March 9th, to exclusively reveal on her son, Christopher's, "The Dinner Party Show" live internet variety series the title and theme of her next novel, and we have all the details for you right here.
As Rice told the "People of the Page," as her Facebook page followers are called, prior to tonight's #AnneRiceReveal: "I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve been sitting on this announcement for months now, and my publisher has finally given me permission to go public. It’s a dramatic change of course, that’s for sure, and I hope it will excite you as much as it excites me."
So, what is it? As Rice announced during the show, it's a sequel to the first five installments in The Vampire Chronicles - everything through Memnoch the Devil. The title is Prince Lestat, and it's a "big Vampire Chronicle about Lestat and the other vampires... and what they are doing right now."
"Just about everyone is back," and apparently the others want Lestat as the group's leader. We also get lots more about the Talamasca in the new book.
She had to "wrestle Lestat to the ground" and ask him to let her know what to write. Suddenly he came through and began to talk to her. She finally had his voice again with her. She calls it number one in a new series about the vampires and has already signed the contract for number two.
Look for it on October 28th from Knopf! The cover art and pre-ordering info will be available in about a week.
Scribner is releasing Stephen King's new novel Revival on November 11th, and the author's official site has revealed its cover art. It's not gonna make you shout "Hallelujah!," but can I get an "Amen"?
Synopsis: From master storyteller Stephen King comes a spectacularly dark and riveting novel about addiction, religion, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.
Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of 13, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.
The CW has renamed its "Supernatural" spinoff as "Supernatural: Bloodlines" and found the perfect actress to fill the last remaining vacancy on the show's regulars roster in Melissa Roxburgh, who previously appeared in the "Supernatural" Season 7 episode "Time After Time."
Per The Wrap, Roxburgh will play Violet, a member of Chicago's powerful werewolf pack. She hides her true nature because of her forbidden love for family rival David (Nathaniel Bozulic), a shapeshifter. But when cornered, Violet's inner wolf breaks out.
Fans of The CW's "Arrow" should also recognize Roxburgh from her recurring guest role of Blake; she additionally starred in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film franchise.
"Bloodlines" follows the various mafia-esque monster families that, unknowingly to humans, “run” the underbelly of Chicago. They are being tracked by a newly-minted Hunter (Lucien Laviscount), who wants to stop them and rid Chicago of anything or anyone supernatural.
The "Bloodlines" backdoor pilot airs as Episode 9.20 of "Supernatural" on April 29th.
We're closing in on the April premiere of WGN America's "Salem," and a new promo video for the show has popped in that ominously states, "The Devil is never going to let a Promised Land be built here without a battle."
The brief synopsis of next week's Episode 4.14 of "The Walking Dead," titled "The Grove," seems to offer some hope for the group, but will it pan out? Here's a sneak peek along with a nostalgic look "inside" tonight's Episode 4.13, "Alone."
More than likely, TNT's Kyra Sedgwick-produced "Proof" is more drama than supernatural in nature, but the medical-themed pilot has landed its lead actress so we'll keep passing on the news until we get confirmation one way or the other.
In honor of the film's premiere at SXSW, an international trailer has come our way for the new film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside), entitled Among the Living. Yeah, we'll take this one now please, thanks.
The first trailer for the genre heavyweight-laden new flick Apocalypse Kiss is here to get you all tongue-tied in the best possible way. Check it out along with a brand new still. Look for more on this one soon!
Jai Courtney scored the role of Kyle Reese in Paramount and Skydance's Terminator: Genesis, and recently he sat down with IGN to talk a little about the role and the upcoming film. Read on for details.
Iconic author Anne Rice selected tonight, March 9th, to exclusively reveal on her son, Christopher's, "The Dinner Party Show" live internet variety series the title and theme of her next novel, and we have all the details for you right here.
Scribner is releasing Stephen King's new novel Revival on November 11th, and the author's official site has revealed its cover art. It's not gonna make you shout "Hallelujah!," but can I get an "Amen"?
The CW has renamed its "Supernatural" spinoff as "Supernatural: Bloodlines" and found the perfect actress to fill the last remaining vacancy on the show's regulars roster in Melissa Roxburgh, who previously appeared in the "Supernatural" Season 7 episode "Time After Time."