Call me a horror snob, but I was scoffing at this movie before I even saw it. I thought it looked it like almost every other mainstream horror movie that is coming out these days that does nothing but rely on cheap scares and stupid images with no meaning to make us think that it's cooler than it is. And well... okay, the movie does do that for the most part, you gotta admit, but I always try to overlook some of that stuff to see if a new movie manages to give us something new. The Possession, while being mostly formulaic and trite, did actually surprise or intrigue me at points and I'd like to give it some props.
The movie starts with an older lady getting the shit beaten out of her when she is thrown around her living room because she tried to destroy this wooden box on her shelf. Cut to our good old American family (well, almost) who purchases the box at a yard sale for young daughter Emily. Of course, Emily starts exhibiting strange behavior and becomes increasingly possessive of (and possessed by) this strange object. Turns out that it is a dybbuk box, something from Jewish folklore that is said to house the spirit of a restless demon who is able to possess the living. 
On to some of the movie's good parts. I found myself really enjoying the acting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the dad Clyde and the two girls who played his daughters, Emily and Hannah. Kyra Sedgewick as the mother Stephanie is the same old horror movie mother I've seen before with no real personality. Sorry, Kyra, but it's true. Anyway, the family is going through the obligatory (seems to be the word of the day) strife with the parents being divorced, which of course just makes the whole demonic possession thing even worse. I really thought that Clyde and his daughters had some nice family moments together, and most importantly, Clyde's love and connection to his children felt real. Morgan is becoming a particular favorite of mine, even though it took me about 20 minutes to realize that he was not Robert Downey, Jr. Seriously. Those two have to be related in some way, I'm sure of it.
Though a pretty good chunk of The Possession is all trite, uninspiring, forgettable crap, I'm going to give it at least a few plus points for introducing a new concept to the same old exorcism stories. There are good actors to help give us some nicely drawn characters, and portray a believable family unit. It wasn't as bad a movie as I was expecting; it was just mostly disappointing - especially coming from beloved producer Sam Raimi.
Movie Review: The Possession (2012). There are any Movie Review: The Possession (2012) in here.
Last Sunday Peter Jackson hosted an hour long event to that ended with a brief sneak peak at The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug that is coming out on December 13th. An edited version of the event is now up at official The Hobbit website but it still requires you have an ultraviolet code from one of the Blu-ray sets. Also keep in mind the code can only be used three times. The content is dated to last until 5/24/2013/. So if you have your ultra violet code, click here and if you don't you will have to just go with the summary.The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Sneak Peek Online. There are any The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Sneak Peek Online in here.
Below is an amusing critique of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that counts all the problems with the movie. Some of the points are filming errors, many are silly and some are spot on. The result is an amusing piece that is part of CinemaSins occasional series that makes fun of Hollywood hits.Everything Wrong with The Hobbit Video. There are any Everything Wrong with The Hobbit Video in here.
A huge, bloody THANK YOU to whoever nominated The Girl Who Loves Horror for a Lammy Award this year for Best Horror Blog! Seriously, who was it? I want to kiss you.
That's me - number 785, on the nomination list!
I hate to be in competition with some of my best blog buddies like Maynard and Fred, but there's really no way I'm making it past the first round of nominations anyway, SO... I'm just going to enjoy this nomination for now! Thank you again!
I read through the full list of all nominees in all categories and it is gargantuan, you guys. Makes you realize just how many of us (movie bloggers) are out there and what great work they are doing for really nothing in return. That's why it's cool to have awards like the Lammies to keep the bloggers going.
If you want to vote (vote for me) for this year's Lammies, (vote for me) here's where to find the official ballot (vote for me). Keep scrolling on that page for the link. (vote for me)
And now, I need some affirmation from my blog buddies. For the past few years, I have been absolutely dying to go to a horror convention. Hear me? DY-ing. I almost went to one they were holding in Las Vegas about two years ago but chickened out on making plans. Now I'm dead serious. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GORY, I WANT TO GO TO A HORROR CONVENTION.
And I think I've found the perfect one to break my convention cherry.
Texas Frightmare Weekend will be held in Dallas the weekend of May 3 - 5, 2013. It's fucking perfect, y'all. Tickets are only $65 to get in all three days (VIP passes are all sold out - boo to people who plan so far in advance), and my initial search for flight and hotel got me a package deal for only around $500. I have the money, but I can be a tightwad sometimes, and a weenie when it comes to doing things like this on my own.
But, dear goodness, look at the guest line-up:
See that shit? Michael Berryman, Tom Savini, Nick Castle, Virginia Madsen, Mary Lambert, Danny Trejo, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Denise Crosby, Dee Wallace, Heather Langenkamp... AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I will fucking WALK to Dallas for that line-up! Not to mention the film screenings, and whatever swag I can pick up at booths.
So I guess I'm asking you guys to convince me to go. Anybody been to conventions before? Totally worth the money and traveling? An opportunity not to be missed? Convince me, please, before I punk out again.
Lammy Nomination For Me! Also, A Question About Horror Conventions. There are any Lammy Nomination For Me! Also, A Question About Horror Conventions in here.
Sunday at 3pm EST (or 8AM New Zealand) time, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug live event was held with Director Peter Jackson and Jed Brophy (Nori). It was available to those that bought the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Over all it wasn't bad. It started with the pair showing off the post-production studios and discussing a little of the film making process in general. It then went to their main editing room where Peter showed how they take multiple takes with various camera angles and put it together for a scene. After that was a Q&A that was about 95% videos from current and past Middle-Earth actors. The main bit of "new" info really is a good look at Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Luke Evans (Bard), and Laketown. Overall if a fan of the film making process it was interesting but was light on spoilers. Below are the movie specific highlights via Bleeding Cool and TORn. Peter did promise more production videos and a edited version of the live event is supposed to be posted at some point but no time frame has been specified.Highlights Read more »
Desolation of Smaug Live Event Summary. There are any Desolation of Smaug Live Event Summary in here.
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| The zombie expert himself, Scott Kenemore |
Kenemore's wit is unmatched and his ability to constantly keep the action interesting, exciting, and hilarious is one of the many things that I love about Zombie, Illinois. The three main characters - Pastor Leopold Mack, Maria Ramirez, and Ben Bennington - are all completely lovable, well-drawn and amazing characters in different ways and I couldn't get enough of them. Chicago itself is a major character, too, and though the book would probably have more meaning to me if I actually knew anything about Chicago, Kenemore easily paints the picture of a corrupt, yet loyal and beautiful city that has its ups and downs. It's a story about the different neighborhoods in the city and how they either work together or against each other when the crap hits the fan, something that is very unique to me. I didn't even really speak to my neighbors until after I'd been in my apartment for about 3 months. And that was just to ask if I could borrow a snow shovel. Not so sure they'd take me in once the dead started coming back to life.
Maybe not.
This section of the novel is also noteworthy because it reinforces what I think Kenemore is really trying to say. When Mack is looking down into the pit of zombies in the coal tunnel, it is not the fact that they are reanimated corpses that truly horrifies him. It is the fact that they are the reanimated corpses of aborted fetuses and Girl Scouts with their throats cut. It is seeing the crimes and inhumanity of his city literally coming back to haunt him and showing him just how bad it really was. I definitely liked that there was a good message, or at least something deeper to this novel than just being something funny about zombies - another reason for me to love Kenemore and what he's doing even more.
There's zombies, there's corrupt politicians, there's pastors who wear pink ties, there's a budding romance between a reporter and a Latino girl in a band called Strawberry Brite Vagina Dentata. THIS. BOOK. RULES. It is probably the most fun you'll ever have reading about zombies, and once it's over you'll just want to flip straight back to that first page. Kenemore is one of the most promising new names in zombie/horror literature and I cannot wait to read more of his stuff. I've read he's already working on a new novel right now... with more zombies, right? Please tell me there are more zombies! Um, anyway, read Zombie, Illinois and I can pretty much guarantee that you'll enjoy every word of it, just like I did.
Did I also mention that Kenemore has Chicago's mayor being eaten alive on TV by an undead Al Capone? 'Cause he does. I want to marry this man.
Wait, before you go... I also reviewed two of Kenemore's other books - my thoughts on Zombie, Ohio can be found here and my review of Zombies vs. Nazis: A Lost History of the Walking Dead is right here. If I haven't convinced you to give this author a chance from this review, maybe one of those will do the trick.
Book Review: "Zombie, Illinois" by Scott Kenemore. There are any Book Review: "Zombie, Illinois" by Scott Kenemore in here.
Amazon
3D Blu-ray Combo Pack - $27.99
Blu-ray Combo Pack - $25.99
DVD - $14.99
Read more »
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Out Now on Blu-ray and DVD. There are any The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Out Now on Blu-ray and DVD in here.
Today The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is out on Blu-ray and DVD. As part of that Collider has released a video interview (below) with star Martin Freeman as he discussed the movie. The 10 minute interview is pretty entertaining, if only to try and figure out the very dry British humor that sometimes makes it difficult to tell when he is being literal or not.Highlights:
- Seen movie 6 times, five times in 48fps but not in IMAX
- Thought first day was "exciting". Has rehearsed the Riddles in the Dark (Bilbo meets Gollum) before filming it on that first day.
- Felt he was the guy for Bilbo (and most LOTR fans had agreed as name came up long before The Hobbit has even started pre-production) Read more »
Freeman Interview For The Hobbit Home Video Release. There are any Freeman Interview For The Hobbit Home Video Release in here.
Seeking Justice (2012)
So I don't know what is it with me and revenge movies, but apparently I will watch anything if it has to do with a family member seeking vengeance on someone who hurt a loved one. Maybe it's the emotional, dramatic side to that sort of story that I'm attracted to. Probably. So when I read the synopsis for Seeking Justice, I was all over it.
Nicolas Cage plays a guy who enlists the help of a secret vigilante organization to kill the man who beat and raped his wife. All they ask in return is a future favor that will help them on their mission, which of course doesn't turn out how Nic thought it would and ends up pitting him against the organization. So the problem with this movie was two-fold - 1) it stars Nicolas Cage, who I've never really liked anyway, and 2) it has no emotion. It should have its characters be so emotionally invested in what they are doing that it's heartbreaking, and instead the movie turns itself into a run-of-the-mill chase movie against the bald-headed bad guy.
This guy is Guy Pearce (who I LOVE) and he does the best he can with the role, but even he can't seem to get the emotional side right. Cage is the worst perpetrator of this. His reaction to his wife's brutal rape by a stranger is not what it should be for this kind of movie and does not match up to his hurried decision to kill the bastard. I just didn't feel it, and I needed to feel the brutality of the attack and the shattering of their lives to make Cage's decision seem plausible. None of that matters after a few minutes, though, because after the rapist is dead, the movie spirals downward into foot chases and car chases and Cage eluding the police while trying to bring down the organization. Ho-hum. You've seen it all before. It was boring then, and it's boring now. Nice try, Seeking Justice, but you really could have done a whole helluva lot better.
We'll see what Bob thinks of it in the next Project Terrible round in April :).
We'll see what Bob thinks of it in the next Project Terrible round in April :).
Columbus Circle (2012)
Columbus Circle was actually a pretty good little independent thriller I found on Netflix a little ways back. It is about an agoraphobic heiress who has spent 20 years alone in her apartment. When the lady in the apartment across the hall dies and a young couple moves in, she's forced to finally face her fears and interact with the outside world - which her new neighbors show her is just as twisted as she thought it was.
The cast for the film is an impressive one, at least for me: Selma Blair is Abigail, the heiress; Jason Lee and Amy Smart are the new couple Lillian and Charlie; Giovanni Ribisi is the detective investigating the neighbor's death; Kevin Pollack (who also co-wrote the film) is the concierge who helps Abigail; and Beau Bridges is Abigail's doctor and the only person she ever has real contact with. They all do a great job of weaving themselves through this tale that has as many twists as a Slinky, and they do it in a way that makes the story credible and believable, and really, quite clever.
Abigail is, unbeknownst to her, at the center of an elaborate scheme that I never even slightly predicted. However, once the first twist about her neighbors is revealed, everything else does fall in line how the audience would probably think it would. It doesn't hurt the film at all really, because it's still fun to see how the mystery is going to play out at the end, which turns out to be very satisfying. Some very good entertainment value here. This movie should have been played in theaters.
Red Lights (2012)
On the other hand, we have Red Lights: just the kind of the movie that gets all the theater buzz in the world and totally doesn't deserve it. But with a cast like Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, and super-ultra movie star Robert De Niro, did I really expect anything else? In Red Lights, Murphy and Weaver are two physicists who work on debunking psychic or supernatural phenomenon. Murphy becomes obsessed with proving that a famous psychic (De Niro) is really just a big fat phony.
Nope. Didn't like this one. Lots of pretty colors and showy theatrics, but that is exactly what was wrong with this movie. I really don't know what could have made it better, I just know that it wasn't my favorite and I pretty well forgot about it not too long after it was over - after I was done scoffing at the stupid ending. LAME.
Nope. Didn't like this one. Lots of pretty colors and showy theatrics, but that is exactly what was wrong with this movie. I really don't know what could have made it better, I just know that it wasn't my favorite and I pretty well forgot about it not too long after it was over - after I was done scoffing at the stupid ending. LAME.
Non-Horror Movie Roundup. There are any Non-Horror Movie Roundup in here.
On March 24, 2013 Peter Jackson will present a live first look at The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug as part of the promotion for the March 19th release of The Hobbit: An Expected Journey on DVD and Blu-ray. As prep for that, they are giving fans a chance to submit questions to the director for him to answer which you can do here. As for the release, it comes in three skus of 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack (BR 3D + BR + DVD + Digital Copy), Blu-ray Combo Pack (BR + DVD + Digital Copy) and DVD (DVD + Digital Copy).Ask Peter Jackson Site Now Live. There are any Ask Peter Jackson Site Now Live in here.
The lawsuits continue to fly around The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as Warner Bros has counter-sued the Tolkien Estate for lost licensing revenue from the sale of online games and casino slot machines bearing images and concepts from the two trilogies. In November the Tolkien Estate sued Warner Bros and Saul Zaentz Company for breach of contract for trying to licensing the movies for those purposes. The Tolkien Estate claims the licensing contract doesn't cover those areas, the other two believe it does.If I understand it right, basically Warner Bros is suing the Tolkiens for suing them and causing various licensing plans to be halted. To my knowledge you can't sue for being sued so chances are this lawsuit will get thrown out but not before lawyers get to add to their billable hours. The only thing I can think of is Warner Bros is laying the legal groundwork to help their cause when negotiating a settlement for the breach of contract lawsuit. If the previous lawsuits are any indication, this will be settled. While the Tolkien Estate loathes the movies because not a 100% faithful re-creation of the novels), they love the financial windfall. The previous lawsuits between the Estate and WB have all been settled once a dollar figure has been worked out and chances are that will be the case here. Keep in mind that lawsuits are not about right and wrong. Its really about the means to keep paying the lawyers and the will to fight (or really its a game of chicken on the will to fight since jury trials are very unpredictable so lawyers prefer to avoid them).
Warner Bros Counter Suing Tolkien Estate. There are any Warner Bros Counter Suing Tolkien Estate in here.
So, as I was sharing with another blogger not too long ago, every year in March my local library puts on this huge, 4 day long used book sale. Literally, THOUSANDS of books for usually no more than a dollar (hardbacks are two dollars). Of course I go every year and stock myself up on paperbacks that I can read at work and see what other goodies I can find.At this awesome book sale, a mere $22 got me 19 paperbacks and 2 hardbacks (I didn't realize until I got home that they miscounted - whoops).
Totally could've picked out more, but the bag was getting heavy and it was hot in there and there were people all around and I just wanted to go home.
I'm going through a Michael Connelly phase right now so I got some more stuff by him; also some Dean Koontz, a Brian Keene, and two Peter Straubs, which I'm really excited about because I've only ever read The Talisman. Would have loved to find Ghost Story, but no such luck.
Not gonna lie, though. My first intention when I get through the door is to scope out Stephen King hardbacks, preferably first editions of the older stuff. I've been somewhat lucky in the past with finding the ones I want, but as you can see from this year, either someone grabbed them up first or there just weren't as many SK hardbacks available. I even shared my frustration with a fellow shopper who wanted to see the copy of The Dead Zone that I put back (beat-up dust jacket and it was just a book club edition - nah). So the SK haul wasn't as good this year.
Not that I'm not happy with what I got. I got the hardback of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon; a nice first printing paperback of Dolores Claiborne; that awesome dog's mouth cover paperback for Cujo (it's more beat-up than I would usually like, but I couldn't resist); AND the complete set of The Green Mile serial novels (my only copy has them all in one). Plus, I picked up copies of Hearts in Atlantis and Cell because I only have those in hardback, and The Drawing of the Three because at some point I know I'm going to have to read The Dark Tower books.
One find that I thought was pretty cool was this first edition - I think - of The Silence of the Lambs:
It's a cool cover and in good condition so I was stoked about this. Kinda makes me want to read the whole series again.
Anyway, that's my haul. I might go back again tomorrow because they're going to keep putting out new stuff until the last day (on that day, you just fill a box with books and it's only $5). My little SK bookshelf has now, like all my other bookshelves, gotten too small for my crazy book shopping. If a fire ever started in the office of my apartment, I'd be fucked.
My Book Sale Haul! Yes, There is Stephen King!. There are any My Book Sale Haul! Yes, There is Stephen King! in here.
There have been different artist created versions of The Lord of the capital of Gondor, Minas Tirith. I believe this is the first highly detailed on that I have seen created entirely from sand and water. Yep its a sandcastle of Minas Tirith. I have no idea how artist Joseph Alvernaz created this 10" x 12" replica but worth clicking here to view more pictures. (via i09)
Sandcastle Minas Tirith. There are any Sandcastle Minas Tirith in here.
Since the decision was made to turn The Hobbit into a trilogy was made after initial principle photography has been completed, there is now more to film. According to Martin Freeman it seems the cast will assemble in New Zealand starting in May. No specifics provided on exactly what is being filmed but safe to assume that it will probably involve at least a few scenes for The Desolation of Smaug and lion share probably for There and Back Again. From Hollywood.com:"I am going back at the end of May for all of June and July. I suppose the thing is, this is not finished. We literally have to go and finish it. It's not a new adventure like on a television show. It's the same story. It's the same gig I started in January 2011. I think it'll be really fun because the crew is quite close and the cast are close and we like working on it. I'm anticipating it."Read more »
Freeman: Filming Restarts in May. There are any Freeman: Filming Restarts in May in here.
Call me the worst horror fan on the planet, but um, I always thought Tales from the Crypt was just the HBO series... I never knew for the longest time that there was an earlier British movie from the 70s of the same name. A girl needs to know these things, people. I know the series is not based on this movie particularly - they're both based on the EC Comics - but I still think I should have seen this earlier in my horror career, just for reference.
With five separate stories, I don't want to get all windy like I usually do in my reviews. So I'll try to keep it snappy - or as snappy as possible. Which means it probably won't be at all. Anyway, the movie starts with a group of people taking a tour of some old catacombs or crypts. Five get separated from the main group and end up in a room where they meet a man in a monk's robe (the original "Crypt Keeper"). The strangers are confused about why they are there and the Crypt Keeper tells each of them what happened to them - specifically, how they died and why they deserve to be there."...And All Through the House"
This first tale is of course very familiar to me because it is quite popular as an episode of the Tales from the Crypt television series, which I've seen a few times. Now it's time for the original starring Joan Collins as a woman who kills her husband on Christmas Eve - the same night that a killer dressed as Santa Claus has escaped from an asylum. This story is perfectly creepy and cheeky and should be told every year as the horror fan's "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." There's no real explanation for why Joan kills her husband other than money (or why she kills him on Christmas Eve while her daughter is upstairs - harsh, much?) but it makes for a good explanation for why she can't call the police when Evil Santa shows up. I absolutely love that reveal of the daughter ringing the bell through the curtains and saying, "Look, Mommy, it's Santa! I let him in!" The audience is scared of what is going to happen to Joan (and the daughter - seriously, he must have killed the daughter, too, right?) and at the same time thinking that this bitch is getting a good lesson in karma because of her actions. All around wonderful story and wonderfully executed - except for the bad red paint blood when Joan kills her husband. Always hate that."Reflection of Death"
The conclusion of this segment made it not so much my favorite, despite some of the smartly shot earlier scenes. Here, a man leaves his wife for a better model and as they are driving together one night, he has a terrible dream of them getting into a car accident, only to wake up and have the accident happen again for real just like in his dream. I liked the bulk of this one simply for the scenes of the man, Carl, wandering around after the dream accident. It's all shot from his perspective and starts to get very strange after people keep running away from him in terror after looking at him. Oooooh, he must look so very disgusting! I can't wait to see it! The reveal of this is nice because in his dream, Carl goes to see his mistress Susan after he's been messed up and she doesn't see him because she was blinded in the accident. Carl sees his reflection in a mirror and screams, which wakes him up from the dream. He doesn't really look like he should after being in a car accident, but more like he had been rotting in the ground for a while - which I guess would go along with what happened in his dream, but I was still a little disappointed. This segment has a lot less shock value and cheekiness than the rest of them. The whole dream-comes-true thing is not that clever but don't worry - the stories get a lot better from here on out!"Poetic Justice"
James lives in a nice, but snobby, neighborhood where a more eccentric older man, Grimsdyke, is ruining their beautiful facade. James tries to push Grimsdyke away - scaring away the neighbor children from going to hang out with him, taking away his beloved dogs, sending him horrible and mean Valentine cards - until Grimsdyke commits suicide. One year later, though, Grimsdyke can still get his revenge! From the somewhat dull first part of this story, you would never expect that the conclusion would be this awesome. Seeing Peter Cushing crawl out of the ground as a zombie was enough to make me very happy. Cushing's makeup is delightful, all dark eyes and sunken cheeks and gray, nasty skin. Total horror fan giggle scene right there (if that made any sense). Then to top everything off, Grimsdyke's revenge includes him leaving James's heart in a valentine card saying "You were mean and cruel right from the start; Now you really have no" and James's actual heart completes the poem. The reasoning for Grimsdyke coming back to life is flimsily explained by a book on the occult on his desk, but for all this awesomeness, I'm not going to complain. "Wish You Were Here"
A classic short story gets an even more horrific treatment in "Wish You Were Here," with very strange but still satisfying results. Inspired by "The Monkey's Paw," and in fact referencing it several times (as if the audience wasn't smart enough to figure out where the idea for the setup came from), this story follows Ralph and Enid, a couple in financial trouble who stupidly try to solve all their problems by using a Chinese figurine that says that it will grant them three wishes. The story is at first very similar to what happens in "The Monkey's Paw," but there is a horrible twist at the end that had me thinking bad thoughts for the rest of the day. Basically, Enid wishes for money but only gets it because Ralph dies. Then she wishes him back to life, and then she wishes him to live forever. Problem is, Ralph apparently is going to live forever as an embalmed corpse and in immense pain because Enid tried to save him by hacking him up with a sword. Quite possibly the worst fate of anybody I've ever seen in a horror movie. The effects work on Ralph's bloodless innards was quite gross, almost worse than if they had been all bloody because it looks so unnatural and disgusting. I really didn't think Ralph was that bad of a guy to deserve this, so that made his fate hurt me all the more. Should have happened to his wife, the greedy bitch. Anyway, liked this one a lot. Not as many iconic or memorable images (except for the bloodless innards) as some of the other stories but still a nice addition to what is already a pretty kick ass anthology movie. The best is yet to come, however(!)...And because I always like to slip a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer/Angel reference in wherever I can, I'd just like to point out that the guy who plays Charles in the beginning is Roy Dotrice. Dotrice was in a fifth season episode of Angel where he played Roger Wyndam-Price, Wesley's father. You get that little piece of trivia for free. You're welcome.
"Blind Alleys"
Oh my gosh, you guys. I loooooooooved Blind Alleys SO MUCH. Totally the best segment of Tales from the Crypt and the best one to serve as the ending to a very satisfying movie. First of all, I got major excited when I saw Patrick Mcgee, aka the guy I always refer to as the wheelchair guy from A Clockwork Orange. The bushy-eyebrowed, crazy hair man is back in one amazing short story about a cruel superintendent at a home for elderly blind men whose carelessness and neglect ends up costing him big time. Mcgee is the unofficial leader of the other blind men and when one man dies under Major Rogers' supervision, he gets them together to hatch a very deliciously elaborate plan for revenge. Don't ask me how they did it, but the blind guys built a maze for Rogers to traverse from one side of the room to the other - including through a hallway that gets narrower as you go and is lined with razor blades (hell yeah!) - where they eventually release Rogers' beloved dog on him, whom they have been starving for days. Too elaborate to be believable? I DON'T CARE. This short was fantastic, with the acting being really great from all involved - heck, even the dog - and the set up being one of the coolest things I've ever seen in horror flick or revenge tale. Just the anticipation of finding out what the hell those blind guys are doing building stuff (again, don't ask me how they accomplished it) gets the horror mojo flowing, and when Rogers is finally let out into his maze, you've never rooted for the protagonists more! I wanted to actually see this guy's own dog eat him, but sadly, that's mostly left up to the viewer's imagination. Still definitely my favorite! In fact, if I were rank the stories in Tales from the Crypt, it would probably go "Blind Alleys," "...And All Through the House," "Poetic Justice," "Wish You Were Here," and "Reflection of Death." What's the whole movie about? Bad people go to hell. Even if your own death was revenge for your bad deeds, the fiery pit of Satan's living room is still the only place you are headed, bub. The Crypt Keeper tells everyone at the end that he didn't really have anything else to tell them and that they're all going to hell - that's pretty mean, but apparently they all deserved it. Watching Tales from the Crypt has made me realize just how much I miss the HBO show and how little I remember of the episodes. As soon as my whole Anthology Quest is over (still have 3 more movies planned for review) I might just have to have to devote every spare minute to watching every single episode of that show. Sounds like it could be a really good time for me!
Anthology Quest: Tales from the Crypt (1972). There are any Anthology Quest: Tales from the Crypt (1972) in here.
It looks like Warner Bros is getting ready to start their promotional campaign for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Blu-ray and DVD release with a bunch of new videos. All current eight are below with the first half emphasizing the Peter Jackson teaser for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug that will occur on March 24th. That means you have a short window to get the video which comes out on March 19th. The release comes in three skus of 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack (BR 3D + BR + DVD + Digital Copy), Blu-ray Combo Pack (BR + DVD + Digital Copy) and DVD (DVD + Digital Copy). The details on store exclusives are here.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Home Video Spots. There are any The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Home Video Spots in here.
Though it has taken me an obscenely long time to get around to reading Shadows in the Mist after being sent a copy by author Brian Moreland himself, I'm so glad that I finally got my lazy butt in gear. Just like his novel Dead of Winter that I reviewed for The Zed Word (clicken ze link HERE to read those fantastic prose), Moreland's Shadows in the Mist was kind of the perfect book for me because it combined my secret passion for history - more specifically the history of Nazi Germany - with the supernatural, my favorite subgenre of horror. There's also some pseudo-zombie action, so seriously, how could I resist? Enough about me though, let's talk about the book. Shadows in the Mist is a frame story involving two members of the Chambers family - Sean and his grandfather Jack. During a particularly bloody battle in Germany's Hurtgen Forest in World War II, Lieutenant Chambers and his faithful band of soldiers, who dubbed themselves The Lucky Seven, came face to face with one of the Nazi's most evil and deadly creations that wiped out Jack's entire platoon. As Sean travels to Germany to finally give these men a proper burial, he reads his grandfather's diary, which recounts every detail of a most unbelievable and terrifying story.
Shadows in the Mist is an engaging and at times quite endearing romp that takes readers across the ocean and back in time to tell this very unique tale. Moreland did exceptional research on all things World War II for this novel, going so far as to travel to Germany to actually see the locations that he would be writing about, like the Hurtgen Forest. Moreland's descriptions of each location then became so vivid that I could easily picture the characters in them like I was watching a movie. From the dense, foggy, and hilly atmosphere of the Hurtgen, to an abandoned barn where the platoon holes up, to the final location in a Nazi-occupied church, Moreland expertly builds the story up and keeps the mystery and suspense alive all the way through. All the military mumbo-jumbo that usually goes over my head in books and movies is laid out here so that any reader can follow along and immerse themselves in a story that just gets better and better with each new chapter.
In the story, Jack Chambers and his men have been asked to join a secret mission with Special Unit X-2 commandos to take over a Nazi command post. When they reach the town of Richelskaul, the men encounter the Nazis' secret weapon for winning the war. Nazi soldiers in their gray SS uniforms wielding swords and wearing creepy gas masks (like on the cover up there) soon reveal themselves to be virtually unkillable by the Americans' weapons - round after round of machine gun fire only seems to piss them off. Zombies? Maybe. But these creations have also apparently slaughtered some of their own fellow Nazis, so the question for the rest of the novel is just what are these creatures, who created them, and how? It is quite a while before the answer is finally revealed, but is worth the wait, as it was something that I thought was very unique and unexpected. It jibes well with the Nazis known obsession with the occult and makes you think, "Oh, yeah. The Nazis would have totally done that." The only part of this whole Nazi plan that furrowed my brow a bit is that they had to rely on Jews to accomplish it. The kinship and loyalty of the Lucky Seven was one of the best elements of the novel. These guys are a true band of brothers who have been through many battles and missions with Lt. Chambers and have dedicated themselves to each other in order to stick by their motto that "everyone lives." The men all have different backgrounds that readers slowly learn about, and one of my favorite traits that Moreland included was that they each had some kind of good luck charm that they carried with them - a baseball, a deck of cards, a watch. The humanity of these men in turn gives the book the humanity it needs to be more than just an action or history or supernatural novel. Though the reader knows from the beginning of the novel that only Jack survives by the end, it still sucks to read about each character's demise. The differences between the Lucky Seven and the X-2 unit that they go on this mission with is made quite clear from the beginning so you know who the real bad guys and good guys are. Good dialogue to me is always an indication of a good writer, and while some of the characters do get a little wordy here and there, overall the dialogue in Shadows in the Mist felt real and believable, both for the time and because of all the military terminology.
Horror hounds expecting a read with lots of bloody battles and body parts need not look any further. As the sorta-zombie SS monsters can't seem to operate firearms, their use of swords (and in one satisfying instance, their bare hands) lets them kill our heroes in very gory ways - right from the moment where a soldier exits a building missing an arm and trying to hold in his intestines with the other. Battle descriptions are just as vivid and real as everything else Moreland writes about, some so much that I found myself making disgusted faces while reading. And that's not a criticism, that's a compliment! When I was reading Dead of Winter, I felt like I was reading a script to a great horror movie and the same can be said for Shadows in the Mist. With the right actors and the right budget, Shadows could be an awesome supernatural horror flick - that image of the Nazi with the gas mask on could be iconic!
Since I've now read two of his books and enjoyed them both immensely, Moreland has proven himself to be a very promising new voice in horror literature, and I'm sure that he has many more thrilling tales to tell us. Coming up later this year are two new books from Moreland - The Witching Hour will be available this August, with The Devil's Woods following in December. Check out his website http://www.brianmoreland.com/ to read more reviews, and if you plan on reading Shadows in the Mist, I would definitely recommend you check out the section on the research he did, if only for the pictures from Germany because they really enhanced the reading experience for me.
Book Review: "Shadows in the Mist" by Brian Moreland. There are any Book Review: "Shadows in the Mist" by Brian Moreland in here.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is hitting shelves in two weeks on March 19th for Blu-ray and DVD. The discs are coming in three basic forms of the 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack (BR 3D + BR + DVD + Digital Copy), Blu-ray Combo Pack (BR + DVD + Digital Copy) and DVD (DVD + Digital Copy). The only real differences seems to be the number of discs as all the packs have the same special features, mostly the 10 production videos that had been released online over the last year. Despite that there are a few exclusive extras depending on which retailer you choose to buy one of the Blu-ray Combo packs from. Below are the details, prices are really unknown since current listed prices are probably higher then what the sale week price will be.Best Buy
- "A Hobbit's Tale Part 1: The Journey Begins" - No details on what this is but assume a bit of a documentary on the filming of the first movie.
- Flip lenticular package cover of Bilbo and Gollum
Target
- Lego Bilbo mini-fig
- Behind the scenes Lego featurette - On the upcoming Lego video game, not the movie itself
Wal-Mart
- 64 page "The World of Hobbits" book
- 4 Vudu bonus featurettes
- The Journey Back to Middle-Earth
- Bilbo and The Riddle Game
- Gandalf and the White Council
- Thorin and the Song of the Lonely Mountain
WBShop.com
- Panoramic Poster Set: 8" x 40" poster of the cast walking up the mountain
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This weekend The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is now the 15th film to cross the $1 billion worldwide box office in ticket sales. The threshold was reached thanks to strong international sales of $700 million versus $300 million in the States. For the previous trilogy only The Return of the King was able to cross that point. The successful Christmas release was probably the main reason that Warner Bros felt comfortable with moving There and Back again to a Christmas schedule as the odds are high that the other two films in The Hobbit trilogy will pass a $1 billion also.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Crosses $1B Box Office. There are any The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Crosses $1B Box Office in here.
So first up in my version was "The Drop of Water" and really starts the movie out with a bang. A nurse is called to the home of an older woman who has just died in order to prepare her for burial. While dressing her, the nurse steals a ring from the dead woman's hand. The nurse goes home only to find out that woman's ghost has followed her there and intends to terrify her. The story is simple and the ghostly instances are also simple and subtle but it all works so well, coupled with the odd lighting and set decorations for both locations.But of course the most effective element in "Water" is the absolutely terrifying, nightmare-inducing, fucking freaky-ass looking dead woman. Look at that picture of her up there! WHAT IS THAT?! Where did it come from, and is it really dead because it's looking at me like it's going to eat me!? Whoever came up with the look of this chick is either insane or a genius because I don't think I'll be able to scrub this image out of my brain EVER. Oh, and then to make it worse later, they have the dead woman haunt the nurse in her apartment and freaking come slowly floating toward her. Jeebus, I'd choke myself to death, too, just to get away from that creature. Gah!
Oh, no, wait. One very entertaining part of "Wurdalak" has got to be Boris Karloff's line when he wants to hold his grandson Ivan but the mother seems a little hesitant so Karloff says, "Can't I fondle my own grandson?!" Oh. My. Goodness.
I have no doubt that it would have been so much better to see Black Sabbath as it was originally intended by Bava, in the right order and without all the ridiculous cuts to one segment. I love Karloff's introductions with his fabulous wit (little disappointed that there was no "goodbye" message or something at the end) and the first two stories are strongly written and acted with the perfect atmosphere; however, the last story almost brings the whole thing down. Totally worth a look, though, for anyone who hasn't seen it.
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