Happy New Year!

Top 9 Unreleased (in U.S.) Films in '09

From Fearnet, here's their list of the top 9 films in '09 that were never released in the U.S.  Includes trailers and links.  Click here for some films which I hope at least make it onto DVD.

Horror 4 Sale!

$3 per magazine, and that includes postage!

Click here for more details as to what each magazine includes, and to order.

Merry Christmas!

Hope Santa brings you everything you want!

Horrorfest 4 Update!

After Dark Horrorfest now has film #7!

THE REEDS is the newest film acquired by AFD for Horrorfest 4.  Click on the link below right for more info.

Most Inappropriate Holiday Posters

Thanks to Moviefone, here's a few holiday posters I found quite amusing.  Dustin Glick is the brains behind these masterpieces.  You can view more posters here.

Gory Christmas Presents, Take 2

Teddy Scares

Once soft and cuddly,
Now dead and bloody.

A Little Holiday Commercial

This one's from Direct TV.  It's in Spanish, but you can get the gist of it.

Happy Holidays from the Evil and Undead!



(Thanks to Pickled Cupid!)

Movie Review - NATURE'S GRAVE

Presumably taking place in either Australia or New Zealand (I didn't catch the locale), a couple go on a weekend camping spree with friends, although they never manage to catch up to said friends. 

Said couple are on the brink of divorcing, but you do get glimpses of the fact that they still care for each other.  But something has happened in the not-so-distant-past which has brought them to this point, and this weekend off alone in the middle of nowhere is supposed to help begin with healing things between them.

This movie is lushly filmed in an area of Africa that is both remote and gorgeous.  Unfortunately, that's all this film has going for it.  The acting is good, but it can't save the script.

The couple are continuously bickering at each other to the point where you want to yell at them to shut up.  The scares are far and few, and the only good one in my opinon is the 'advancing dugong'.  However, it's not enough.

The synopsis of the story claims that this is about nature "getting back" at man for his ill treatment of the world around him. I'm certainly glad to find that out because that little bit doesn't make itself at all clear during the film. In fact, if you never read the synopsis, you just get the impression that these two people have a really bad run of luck when it comes to camping.

My recommendation?

Book Review - IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ZOMBIES

A few years back I came across a "book" (it was really a greeting card) of Peanuts Halloween Carols, sung to the tune of traditional Christmas carols. As an elementary school teacher, I loved pulling out the overhead transparencies I'd made of them, and shining the words up on the screen for my upper grades to sing. What was neater was to play instrumentals of those carols, and sing them.

Now comes It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies. For the horror fanatic in me, it was ideal. Although very tongue in cheek and a bit gross in spots, nevertheless the songs in this book are hilarious and would make ideal karaoke at parties. Just plug in the music!

One small gripe, however. As an ex-music teacher (with a BM and MM, and 25+ years teaching music before I went into the Kindergarten classroom), I'm very picky about "piggyback songs" - ie. songs with new words being sung to already familiar tunes. IBtLaLLZ has problems with the words of some songs not quite fitting the tunes assigned to it. But if this sort of thing doesn't bother you, my recommendation is to

Would You Like Yours BLOODY RARE?

I found this terrific site. BLOODY RARE has books, posters, and Free movies you can watch online. Check it out here, and don't forget to bookmark it!

10 Foreign Classic Horror Movies

Liquid Generation has put out a list of the Top Ten Foreign Classic Horror Movie. Check it out here, and see if you agree.

For the record, I think they're pretty much on the money, except I lean more toward #2 as #1.

Have Your Portrait Painted...as a ZOMBIE

Give your family something to REALLY remember you by!

Send Zombie Illustrator ROB SACCHETTO your snapshot, and he will turn you into a zombie!

Check this guy out, and all he has to offer here.

Gory Christmas Presents

Doctors say you need a good support for your arm and wrist when you're on your computer. Try these!

More info here.

The ultimate pencil sharpener.

More info here.

Nothing like a 2 GB USB flash drive that looks like a bloody finger to put you in the Christmas mood!

More info here.

The perfect gift to knock down with your remote-controlled police car. Or your remote-controlled dinosaur.

More info here.

Movie Review - LAID TO REST

This movie starts off slow. It also feels clumsy and amaterish, and the beginning scenes don't really do much to let you know that this film is going to take you for one hell of a roller coaster ride of terror.

LAID TO REST does have its laughable moments (intentional and unintentional), but it also has scenes of such outright terror that you might find yourself gasping at the sheer viciousness of the killer, aptly named "Chrome Skull" due to the chrome mask he glues to his face.

There are a couple of scenes which are supposed to "explain" the serial killer's actions, but really it's inconsequential. Just know that this guy likes to videotape every sick torture he inflicts on his victims. (Although it soon becomes obvious he prefers females, he's not above hacking up a male or two if they get in his way.)

In several cases, the kills are unexpected, including the method. This guy has some really wicked-looking knives, and the deaths he inflicts are not nice, neat, or clean. They're brutal -- hacking and sawing, like a butcher working with a dull blade.

A short spoiler-less synopsis: A woman wakes up, not knowing where she is or even who she is. But there is a maniac in a shiney metal mask who is intent on getting his hands on her. She manages to escape and flags down a passing motorist, who tries to help by taking her to his place for the night. The man and his wife are immediately targeted by the maniac, as well as everyone else who tries to lend aid.

I truly believe that the brutality alone in this film will give it a place in horror history.

My recommendation?

(With the lights on!)

Horror 4 Sale!

$3 each, which includes postage!
Click here to order. And to see what's included in each issue.
VISA and MasterCard accepted on a secured site.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now You Can Get EENIE MEENIE at 45% Off!

But HURRY! This is a limited time offer!


Now you can get my best selling horror short here at Fictionwise!

Something lives in the big black plastic garbage bag. Something that isn't human. Something that depends on the goodwill of others to provide it with food. Fortunately, it's not particular if its meal is dead, long dead...or alive.

PANIC ATTACK!

WATCH THIS VIDEO! It's less than 5 minutes long, but it's phenomenal.

According to Horror Movies dot CA, Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez posted this little clip on YouTube on Nov. 3rd. Now he's become a hot commodity in Hollywood, and is getting calls from everyone. Why? Not only will you be blown away by this mini-movie, but he did it all with only $300!

Movie Review - IT'S ALIVE

Many, many moons ago, I remember watching the original IT'S ALIVE. It was scary as hell, but the ending with the father capped it for me.

Larry Cohen, the originator of the first movie, is also involved with this remake (and I use the term loosely, because other than the title and plot, there's very little of the original left in the script.)


The original movie's subtitle is "Something is wrong with the Davis baby. (which leads to the title "It's Alive", giving the audience reason to pause and wonder if the baby being alive is wrong, or...? This one's subtitle is "A baby's thoughts aren't always innocent." I don't know about you, but I always think of innocence in movies as being related to sexual innuendos. Or with being not guilty of a crime. Of course, I could be wrong. But I for one didn't think of this baby's actions being premeditated. To me, everything it did, it did to survive. For me, abject hunger is an overwhelming driving need, and that's what led the baby to do what it did. There was nothing related to "innocence".

The first movie was based in a Big City (aka New York or Los Angeles). The remake is based in New Mexico, out in the Middle of Nowhere, where the baby can wreak as much havoc as needed without pesky neighbors and the police interfering. The scenery is phenomenal, but I think the change is wrong. There's also a handicapped boy, whose role in this movie I have yet to figure out. Ditto for the scenes regarding the boy's new girlfriend.

If you go back and watch the original, the effects will seem cheesy to you, but were state-of-the-art for their time. In the remake, the baby is CGI, and the attacks are first rate. But in the long run, the remake is not worth the film exposed to make it.

My recommendation? I say rent BOTH films, and do a side-by-side comparison. If for no other reason, it's a fairly pleasant way to spend a rainy/cold/snowy afternoon or evening.

A Quiz

Programming Language Inventor?

Or Serial Killer?

BY LOOKING AT A PICTURE OF A PERSON, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF HE IS A COMPUTER GEEK OR A SERIAL KILLER. GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELING AND CLICK ON YOUR CHOICE. THERE ARE 10 PHOTOS. YOUR SCORE WILL BE GIVEN AT THE END.

Click the link below: http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz/

Good luck!

A Prime Example...

...of how NOT to make a movie trailer.
This is the link to the trailer for THE DISTURBED over on Cinema Vault. The movie has an excellent premise, but if you're like me, once you've seen it, you feel like you've seen the whole movie. Or at least the good parts.

(Thanks to Michael at Horror Movies dot ca)

News from After Dark Films!

After Dark Films is proud to announce the newest title for Horrorfest 4.


For more information, check out my website here.