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Time To Get Your 2011 Calendar!

Available now at Bad Zombie.  But hurry!  Supplies are limited!

Monday Movie Review - THE BUTCHER

I personally rank horror movies into one of 3 categories:

1- those that purely entertain
2- those that disturb
3- those that sicken me to the point where I won't even review them

THE BUTCHER falls into the second category.

This movie uses the cinema verite technique in a way that surprises.  Several people wake up in an abandoned factory (or school, or someplace - we're not given an explanation), and quickly discover they're going to be sacrificed for "art".  In other words, their captors are filming snuff films, and they're the lucky "stars".  (Note:  This is the original Korean version, not the US remake.)

The movie starts out slow, building up the suspense, as we the audience watch what is happening via the camera helmet being worn by one victim.   Said victim soon ends up in the back room, along with his wife, and that's when the film goes from scarey to downright disturbing.  We witness the couple being brutalized with such intensity and realism via the helmet cam, that I had to turn my eyes away.

I hesitate to recommend this movie unless you have a strong stomach, or can detach yourself from it.  Honestly.  Leave the lights on, or - better yet - watch it during the day.

That being said, go

Horror 4 Sale

Cost is $3 each, which includes postage!
To see a listing of their contents, and to order,

go here.

HUGGER DOLL by Jane Toombs (Guest Blogger)

HUGGER DOLL
A novel of Supernatural horror
by Jane Toombs
From Double Dragon Publishing
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-242-9

When a hugger doll enters Hally Varney’s life she doesn't at first understand the danger. But Police Sergeant Clint Hendrick soon realizes that he should have paid more attention to his old granny’s superstitions. He’s discovered the hard way that hugger dolls do exist and he’s got to figure out how to get rid of this one before it kills any more people. Before it kills him...

***
As a reader who loves E.A.Poe, A. Merritt and H.P. Lovecraft. I've always wanted to write a horror story.  Some of my paranormal is pretty dark, like my Moonrunner Trilogy, but it does have sort of " happy for now" endings, so it's not true horror even though what happens in the three books is horrific .  I finally read about hugger dolls in a book about back hills superstitions and knew I had the central figure of a horror story. Since I'd been writing Harlequin romances and historical romances for Kensington  before this it was quite a departure. ~ Jane

Monday Movie Review - AMUSEMENT

This is a perfect example where the trailer is better than the movie.  That being said, here's the nitty gritty:

Three girls taunt a young boy, who is showing one of the major tendencies of a possible serial killer (eg. torturing and killing little animals.)  They tattle on him.   Years later, as a grown man, he sets his sights on these now young women.  

There are no true scares, so-so camera work, and basically no logistical reason for the movie to exist.  The acting rates a 5 on a scale of 10, but otherwise this film is riddled with trite scenarios.  If you're looking for something to do a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" dialog to, this one's for you.

If you have a clown phobia, you might want to avoid this one.
Better yet, just go ahead and

Looking For a Unique Halloween Mask?

Then you're going to love getting this Cthulhu topper from Brutal Knitting.

Check out more of the weird and unsettling from Tracy Widdess.

Ten Horrifying Display Ad Placements

Check out the whole list here.
Warning:  Some ads/reports are disturbing.

Monday Movie Review - RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR

I love apocalyptic movies.  There's actually two genres of them.  Did you know that?  One version is when the "all hell breaks loose" occurs, and the other is the "aftermath".  The Book of Eli is an aftermath type of movie.  So is The Road.  Like the film The Day After Tomorrow, Right at Your Door is one of those "when all hell breaks loose" film, only on a small budget.

Most of the film takes place in a small house in the suburbs.  A toxic gas escapes, and people run to their homes to try and prevent the fumes from entering.  The hero of this film rushes home to his wife, only to discover she's not there.

Althought I'll admit the middle of the film was a tad slow, the ending is a major shocker.  There's not a lot of gore, but this is a horror movie that doesn't need it.  The horror is the nightmare these people are being subjected to, and a large part of the time I kept wondering how I would react in a similar situation.  It's realistic, it's gritty, and - worse - it's damn believable.

Which is why my recommendation is:

Zombie Cupcakes

This is one reason why I LOVE Halloween.  It's my favorite time of the year, hands down!

PubIt! - My Books at Barnes and Noble

After publishing my horror novella JOURNAL on Amazon for Kindle, I've been doing well with sales over there. Not gangbusters, but at least it's selling a few copies every month.

Now Barnes & Noble has PubIt! They're offering similar rates as Amazon (depending on the selling price). So now I'm over at B&N.

Wish me luck!

Monday Movie Review - THE CELLAR DOOR

A lonely, misguided man sees a girl.  He waits until she's alone, and kidnaps her.  He keeps her in his cellar, and cruelly taunts her, treats her like crap, and emotionally and mentally abuses her.  Yes, there is some physical abuse, but overall this movie didn't grab me.  The "spine-tingling" didn't happen, but I watched until the end of the film to see how it would play out. 

I don't know.  This film has a multitude of kudos going for it, but for some reason I just couldn't get into it.  The girl manages to outwit her abductor, and he gets his in the end.  Okay, so tell me we haven't seen this scenario countless times before. 

I will admit the acting was okay.  The gore value was so-so.  I really didn't have any problems with the movie other than the fact that it didn't scare me, and I really couldn't have cared less for the victim or the culprit.

My recommendation, therefore, is to:

Zombie Dice

Eat brains. Don't get shotgunned.

I found a new app for my iPhone!  And guess what - you can actually BUY the REAL dice game.  But the app is super cool.  You can set it up to play with other people who also have the app, or you can play one-on-one with the "computer" aptly named Dead Fred or Starvin' Marvin or Inert Bert.  The object of the game is to be the first to eat 13 brains and not get shotgunned as a dismembered hand throws the virtual dice.  Of course, the animated graphics are what make this game so much fun.  Oh, and the "voice" of the zombie watching over you is a hoot.