New Horror Out On DVD This Week, Including Trailer Park of Terror!

Surprisingly, there's not a ton of new horror films coming out this week, although with "Poultrygeist" and "Zombie Strippers" coming out next week, I anticipate NEXT week to be pretty big. Either way, that's a week away... let's concentrate on this week. "The Strangers" is the biggest film of the week, but for our purposes, I'm going to declare "Trailer Park of Terror" as the pick of the week. So, here's a bit of info on what's coming out... and if you're planning on buying them, why not help us out a bit by clicking on the titles and buying them off Amazon, through us? Also, feel free to go over to our Youtube page and check out all the trailers.

Like I said, for us, the big release of the week is "Trailer Park of Terror", which was based on the Imperium Comics title and is written by Timothy Dolan and directed by Steven Goldmann. It had a wicked run at the horror festivals and has lots of good buzz around it... the story revolves around Norma, a "damned redneck reaper with a killer body who dispenses vengeance and death aided by her cursed companions, a bloodthirsty brook of Undead trailer trash". Really, I'm not sure what else I can add to that. Like, after reading that, I think you get a pretty good idea of what you're in store for. Having said that, you should know that the FX and gore are unreal and there's a lot of it to go around.

So, although a step down from "Trailer Park of Terror" in our minds, "The Strangers" would definitely be the biggest Hollywood horror release of the week. Written and directed by Bryan Bertino, is stars Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman. By Hollywood standards, it had the fairly modest budget of $9Million and since it grossed close to $21Million in its opening weekend, it would be considered a box office success. "The Strangers" continues on that whole home invasion theme that we've been seeing lately in films like "Them" and "Funny Games", although "The Strangers" probably gets the award for creepiest invaders. Apparently the film is inspired by an event from the director's childhood, where a stranger came to his home asking for someone who wasn't there... but he didn't mention if that stranger wore a bag on his head and beat the fuck out his Mom and Dad. Anyhow, as you can guess, since it was a box office success, Rogue Pictures has confirmed that there is a sequel in the works.

Tokyo Shock, the guys who distribute Japanese horror/shock films to North America are coming out with the 2-Pack, "Taxi Tonight & Diecovery". "Diecovery" is about a couple that goes on their honeymoon in a remote part of Thailand, where they encounter a restless spirit that's been unable to seek revenge from being brutally murdered 25 years before. "Taxi Tonight" is a Thai horror-comedy about a penniless, would-be taxi-driver, who purchases a used vehicle to hire out patrons... however, the cab is possessed by a host of evil spirits.

Also, low budget horror producer David S. Sterling appears to be releasing a couple of his films in 3D, namely "Blood Sisters 3d", "Camp Blood 3D" and "Apartment 51-Devil Bat 3d". Now, to be honest, I KNOW that "Blood Sisters" and "Camp Blood" are produced by David Sterling (they're a couple of low-budget classics), but I can't find ANY information on "Apartment 51 - Devil Bat". I'm just assuming it's from him... or associated with him, as there's no way that two different people are releasing 3D versions of camp films on the same week. However, I've been wrong before. If someone can (or wants to) correct me, please do.

I also want to mention the "Paul Naschy Collection", for those readers that may actually study horror or be interested in the origins of horror. Naschy is probably best known for playing the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky, having played him in 12 films. He also played a hunchback, Dracula and a mummy. He's basically the Spanish version of Lon Chaney. This collection contains "Exorcism", "Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll", "Human Beasts", "Horror Rises from the Tomb" and "Vengeance of the Zombies".

New Horror Out On DVD This Week - 4 words: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

October is always a good month for horror... there was a pile of good films out last week and this week is no different. In fact, this week could be better than last week, if only for one title - Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. It's another jam-packed week, so this post is long. As usual, if you want to help us out, please click on the title and buy the DVD off Amazon. Also, you can go to our Youtube page and check out all the trailers.

If you only see one new horror film from this week, please let it be "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer". It's co-written and directed by Jon Knautz, with screenplay and story credits to John Ainslie and just story credits to Patrick White and Trevor Matthews, who also stars and produces. Personally, I think it's unreal... definitely one of the best of the year. It screened at something like 14 film festivals and walked away with Best Motion Picture at the Midnight X-Treme Program at Sitges and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Calgary Underground Film Festival. It's the first feature film from a group of guys who got together to make short films and, well... they really hit it out of the park with this one. I don't know what to tell you, other than they landed Robert Englund, the monster effects are perfect, it's funny as shit and there's lots of blood. Without saying too much, it's a wicked throwback to when horror movies were a lot of fun. To quote Jovanka Vuckovic from Rue Morgue, "If Jack Brooks was made in the 80's, it would be a cult classic by now." Do yourself a favor and check this one out.

I was pleasantly surprised with the original "Feast", which was the horror film that was the result of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's 'Project Greenlight'... I did think it was a little too reminiscent of the original "From Dusk Till Dawn", but who cares? It was successful enough and stood up to horror fans well enough to spawn two sequels, this one is called "Feast II: Sloppy Seconds" and "Feast 3: The Happy Finish" is currently in production. This one's written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and directed by John Gulager, which is the exact same team that brought you the first one. So, a bunch of indie filmmakers win 'Project Greenlight', then make a successful film and NOW, they're making two sequels? Awesome. Good work, guys. I haven't seen it yet, but I'll definitely be watching it soon.

I'm not really sure I want to even talk about M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening", but I will. What can I say about Shyamalan that hasn't already been said? He peaked with "Sixth Sense" and has never been able to get back there... I thought that his first R-rated film, this one, was another let down. If you can continue to call them 'let downs'... it's just what I expect from him. The only thing that really sucks is that it would be considered a box-office success, in that it had a budget of $60Million and grossed over $160Million Worldwide. Guess what that means? There's another Shyamalan let down coming your way soon.

"The Devil's Chair" comes out of the UK and it's from writer, producer, director and editor Adam Mason. This is one of those films that could only come out of the UK, as no US financier would put money towards it... and I mean that because I'm disappointed that I don't see more films like this. "The Devil's Chair" is an extremely gory, f'ed up film about a guy who gets a bunch of drugs and takes his girlfriend out to get messed up and have some sex. However, when they explore an abandoned asylum, their drugged-out bliss turns into agony and despair. Here's an actual quote about the film... it's "a tale of a simple man fucked over by demons that are not just in his mind". Check out the trailer, you'll want to see it. Trust me.

The original "Joy Ride", starring Paul Walker and Steve Zahn, directed by John Dahl, was another film that ended up being a pleasant surprise for me. I definitely wasn't expecting something as good as what I got. Now, because it was pretty good, we get "Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead", which has no real big names attached and is directed by Louis Morneau, who also made "The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting" and "Carnosaur 2". The big let down about "Joy Ride 2" is that Ted Levine, who did the voice for 'Rusty Nail', does not return to reprise his role... and I thought he kind of made the first one.

"20 Years After" is an indie horror from Jim Torres, who has only one other film to his credit with "SadoMannequin"... which I now have to see, just because of the title. "20 Years After" won him 3 awards, two from the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival (the Clyde "Sappo" Black Sweet Home Alabama Award and the Gold Lion) and the Robert Rodriquez Award from the Hollywood MiniDV Festival. It's an ambitious, post-apocalyptic story that takes place "twenty years after the bombs fell and the plagues ran their course" where "the few that remain live in fear and without hope". Even though it's a "by the book low-budget horror", he managed to wrangle up a few actors of note, including Azura Skye, who was in "28 Days" and "One Missed Call", as well as Nathan Baesel from "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon".

"Wicked Lake" was directed by Zach Passero and was written by Chris Sivertson, while the screenplay was written by Adam Rockoff. It's got some great cameos in it, including: Tim "The Dollman" Thomerson and Troma Alum - Will Keenan. It's about four women who go on a road trip, but two clans of deranged men follow them... however, even though the girls appear to be easy prey, come midnight... all hell breaks loose and the tables are turned.

"Return of the Curse" is an indie horror from Dog Byte Video, written and directed by Chris Penney. Now, I'm not sure if it's called "Return of the Curse" or "Diary of a Female Assasin", which they refer to a lot on their website. Either way, it's as indie as it gets and it was filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The film is about an evil curse that's been passed down from generation to generation, making those infected lose their sanity which leads to their horrific demise. It looks interesting and I'm going to try to find out more about the film and Dog Byte... so, stay tuned.

I haven't seen "Beneath The Surface", but it looks interesting for a few reasons. First off, the plot sounds very intriguing - "By uncovering a world thought only to exist in his imagination, Ethan brings the love of his life back from the dead in order to clear her name and expose the truth behind her apparent suicide. However, he did not expect the chaos that would come back with her as well". Beyond that, it's written, directed, produced and edited by Blake Reigle, who's been involved in some very interesting projects, including being an assistant on both the new "Friday the 13th" and the new "The Last House on the Left". He's also producing a film called "His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th". So, he's obviously a fan and knows his stuff... I'll look forward to finding out more about this project.

"Prey for the Beast" is from Brett Kelly, who's been involved in some pretty interesting projects. He's acted in a ton of movies, including "Goregoyles 2" and "The Bonesetter", he's also written a bunch of films, including "Good Dog, Dead Dog" (which he also directed) and "My Dead Girlfriend". This film, however, he directed, but did not write. It's written by Jeff O'Brien, whose collaborated with Kelly before. "Prey for the Beast" is about a group of dudes who meet up with a group of sexy hikers and them become prey for a predatory animal that's on the hunt.

Honestly, Lloyd Kaufman's reach knows no bounds. Even though he's based in New York, he managed to get his voice into the Australian made "Dead Country". What I do like about Lloyd is that he offers his talents to films that are 'Troma-like'. So, when you see Lloyd in the credits, you know what you're in store for. And this looks to be just what you would expect. It's written by Anthony Davis, Clifford Hoeft and Kaye Redhead and it's directed by Andrew Merkelbach. It's about a space ship that explodes above a small rural town, showering the population with a deadly alien virus that spreads a zombie plague upon the town folk.

"The Devil's Mercy" is directed by Melanie Orr, who also directed "Grindstone Road" and "Harm's Way". It was written by James A McLean and stars Stephen Rea, whose made a rash of horror films lately, such as "Stuck", "The Reaping" and "Metamorphosis", which is currently being filmed. "The Devil's Mercy" is about a family that moves to Connecticut and their kid becomes increasingly anxious around the new downstairs neighbours. They dismiss it as an overactive imagination, but it turns out that their may be something a little more sinister going on down there...

I can't find out much about "Super Hell", which is directed by Johny Walker and stars b-movie legend, Conrad Brooks... who was in the original "Plan 9 from Outers Space", as well as other Ed Wood films, like "Glen or Glenda". He's had a long career of being in b-horror and has recently shown up in a whole S-load of micro-cinema horror films. He'll also appear in the remake of "Plan 9", which is in pre-production right now... talk about closing the circle. "Super Hell" is about the dead coming back to life, while Satan walks the earth and good people have become murderous filth... playing out their perverse and sinful desires. We follow along with Conrad Brooks as his depravity steers him towards the most insane vampire to ever stalk the screen.

Exclusive Interview with Neil Kellen

I guess it's the march towards Halloween and there's just tons of horror coming out each week... I started to go through them all, trying to get a 'new horror releases of the week' post done for this morning, but it's just not going to happen. So, once again, that left me with nothing ready to go for this morning. However, I actually do have something cool to post.

Some of the best parts of doing the site is meeting new filmmakers, discussing the whole indie scene and finding out what's going on out there. Further to that, we love helping people out. In fact, I hope to have some news soon, as Dead Harvey will be branching out soon and doing some new things in that regard, but that's not for this post. This post is about up and coming filmmaker, Neil Kellen.

I was chatting with Neil back and forth, as he's in pre-production on his project, "Abaddon". I thought it could be pretty cool to talk to him about that process, as we usually talk to filmmakers after they've completed their project, not when they haven't even shot a frame yet. Anyhow, it's a great read and if you're a filmmaker that's about to head into the same stages that Neil's heading into, this is a must read for you...

Tell us a bit about yourself. What are your influences, where did you get started and what brought you into the world of indie filmmaking?

I'm a 42 year old filmmaker who lives in the last place on Earth you would think a filmmaker should ever live, Henderson, Kentucky. I have spent the majority of my adult life with some kind of motion picture camera in my hands, or on my shoulder, so it was a natural progression for me to move from documentary style shooting to narrative moviemaking.

Although being a kid seeing the original 1977 STAR WARS in theaters didn't hurt my desire to make films either.

Film School: Yes or No?

I think film school serves as a valuable networking opportunity and can be a benefit for those that have no real idea of the technical side of movie making, but have a strong desire to learn just the same. With that being said, my studies were in television and video production and not “film.”

Tell us about any previous films or projects that you’ve completed.

I am a news photographer by day, so I shoot and edit a minute thirty short story that is seen by around 200,000 people daily. Last Fall, I challenged myself to create a short horror film with a minimal budget and to be shot within a non-consecutive, 24 hour time frame.

FOREVER, a story inspired by “The Monkey's Paw”, was created in 18 total hours with a final running time of just under 10 minutes and a final cost of $28.00 USD

You’re in pre-production right now, tell us a bit the decision to go out and make an indie film. What was the catalyst?

I love movies. I love the process of making movies. From the initial idea to the final edit, I'm addicted. I get a high from the work, As exhausting as it is to some , It's adrenaline to me. I can stay up for days working on a concept.

The project is called “Abaddon”, where did you get the idea from and is this something that you were always intending to go out and make yourself?

I have never understood how someone could come up with an idea only to pass it off to someone else After completing FOREVER, I made notes about mistakes made during that filming and immediately started brainstorming the next idea. I upgraded my video equipment and started tapping out various scenes in CELTX. I brought in a writing partner and knew, at that point, that ABADDON was a GO for me.

I'm a a huge fan of superhero graphic novels and films, and a horror buff. I'm also a very spiritual person. ABADDON is a combination of all these elements.

The classic struggle of Good versus Evil has never been better personified then by the modern imagery of Angels and Demons . I wanted to tap into these legends and build a new story with elements that are already familiar to a 21st Century audience. Leaning much on the Neo-Gothic look that I think is currently the sexiest fashion around, I plan on turning the indie horror genre on its ear by introducing superhero elements to it.

If you're a comic fan, or a fan of action horror, you'll love this movie.

We’ve found that the biggest hurdle for indie filmmakers is financing. What’s your approx. budget and how do you plan on securing it?

The working budget for the version of the script we are tweaking now is just under $162,000.USD

The truth is, there are few individuals that are willing to invest in a risk as high as that of an independent film. Most movies that are made outside of Hollywood don't make a cent. We all know that. Self financing a film yourself could lead to bankruptcy. So what do you do?

I've done a lot of research on this subject and found there are still ways to secure financing for your project. Tapping into overseas markets and approaching genre cable networks to co-produce are some to consider.

I've given ABADDON a year to reach it's budget goals, but regardless if it meets the dollar amount I'm looking to raise, I WILL create this story.

What are you going to shoot on and why?

ABADDON will be shot on HD.

The cost saving is just too large for the independent filmmaker to ignore anymore. So many of us already own our own cameras, editing software, and lighting kits that a large chunk of our budgets can be covered by using our own equipment.

There will always be film elitist in the world decrying the use of any electronic medium as a storytelling tool, but I'm a believer that if the story is good, no matter what medium used, people will want to watch that story you are telling them..

Talk about some of the hurdles that you’ve encountered up until this point.

When you work on a project, time is always an issue. I'm a photojournalist by day and a father of six and a husband by night, so budgeting time and keeping ideas flowing can sometimes be an exhausting experience.

Money is the next most frustrating hurdle. I'm self financing ABADDON throughout the preproduction process. Preproduction is not just polishing screenplays, scouting locations, and sketching out some storyboards. It also means paying for temporary costumes for the promotional photography, buying products so the makeup guy, Joe Stanley, can start developing the demon transformation effects, and working to keep various websites up and running to build a preliminary buzz about the film.

At this point, are you thinking about film festivals, distribution or anything like that? Or are you just simply trying to get the film done?

At this point, getting the film finished is all I'm focused on. I do intend on entering ABADDON into the festval circuit, but it is too early to tell which venues I will pursue. I think every filmmaker dreams of seeing his film on a large screen, but historically, films similar to ABADDION find themselves limited to DVD release. To be honest. I would be pleased with that.

Where can people find out more about yourself and/or the project?

The first of three planned websites is digitalspectrumfilms.com

I will be updating the site often with news on ABADDON and offer up space as forum for other filmmakers projects. I love seeing what the independent horror community offers to it's fans and want to give them yet another venue for their work.

Just because you mentioned it in your email to me, I’m going to bring it up. You’re childhood friends with Gregg Hale, producer of “The Blair Witch Project”, “Altered” and “Seventh Moon”. Tell us about that relationship and if he’s planning on getting involved in this project or is going to help you in one form or another.

Gregg and I grew up with super 8 cameras and big dreams. I think between the two of us, we churned out 50 or so short film scripts from imaginative ideas like “Battle of the Bottles” where two opposing brands of cola fight out a WWII style, marketing battle to our epic “EARTH: Nuclear Holocaust” telling of a group of children from a Moon base who come back to Earth to explore the planet after a nuclear war.

We were only eleven years old then. Those were BIG stories.

Gregg is now in New York and busy with a new job and an even newer baby, but we do stay in contact. He is aware of the ABADDON project, but we haven't discussed the movie beyond the initial idea.

Gregg is a businessman. He has been very supportive of the indie film scene and is willing to invest in projects that he believes might be successful. ABADDON is not at a point in the filmmaking process where I would ask him for a commitment of any kind, but I'm sure he will be open to listening to any pitch I would like to make when the time is right..

He's cool like that.

Lastly, talk about the indie horror scene. What do you think about where it’s at now and where do you see it going?

Hollywood has proven time and time again it does not know how to make a good horror film and they are, finally, starting to give up. The opportunity for you to make a huge splash in the horror genre market has never been better. The fan base is hungry for something new, different, and really really scary.

If you have an idea, or the talent to think of one, grab a camera and some friends who can act and start shooting. Post it on Myspace or Youtube. Don't let the lack of professional tools slow you down.

I'm waiting to watch too.

September 2nd, 2008 - New Horror Out On DVD This Week

A decent week for horror releases... so, let's get right to it, but not before I remind you that you can click on the titles to buy them off Amazon and/or go to our youtube page to check out some of the trailers.

Right off the bat, I have to say that I love the fact that films like "Bachelor Party in Bungalow of The Damned" are making a bit of a come-back. As you can imagine, this is true micro-cinema horror at it's best. Produced, written, directed, edited AND score composed by Brian Thomson, it's about a group of guys who go off to the Hamptons for a bachelor party, but after the trio of strippers show up, all hell breaks loose. It's not released by Troma, but there's a lot of Troma ties, as a few of the actors have done a lot of Troma stuff... and even Lloyd Kaufman makes an appearance in the film. Then again, it was filmed in Long Island and I think Lloyd shows up in almost every indie horror that's filmed in the New York area. Long and short, expect horror, blood, guts, comedy... and boobs.

"Skeleton Key 2", also called "Skeleton Key 2: 667 Neighbor of the Beast" is not the sequel to the 2005 film "The Skeleton Key", which starred Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard and John Hurt. It is, in fact, the sequel to the 2006 direct to dvd film, "Skeleton Key", which starred Conrad Brooks, Jay Barber and Shirley Bloom. The two "Skeleton Key" films are from writer, director, editor, producer, etc. John Johnson, who's now working on a film called "Plan 9"... and his films are as indie as they get, not to mention they look pretty good. The plot revolves around the town of Nilbog, which has been overrun by zombies, vampires and their lord, Dr. Nochas. If you dare to check these films out, be prepard for blood, boobs and musical numbers. More specifically, songs about soiling yourself and being left for dead.

"Deceptors" is also from the afore mentioned John Johnson and it takes place in the same fictional town of Nilbog. First off, I believe "Deceptors" was originally called "Shadowhunters" and came out in 2004 as part of the "Tomb of Terrors" DVD collection. So, it looks like Johnson just got the rights back and is rereleasing it, which is cool. The plot revolves around a team of conmen running a scam in Nilbog, by creating fictitious monsters and demanding money to get rid of them... until they actually awoke some real demons. I think you can consider this the prequel to "Skeleton Key" and "Skeleton Key 2", although it's really just sort of the first in the series.

"The Gleam" comes from Sridhar Ranganath, or Sri Rang, for short and it's an award winning film, having won him best director at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in 2006. Released by Timesignature Entertainment, it's a 65 minute feature that's about an homeless actor given shelter by a mad scientist, who has successfully been bringing dead animals back to life and wants to give it a go on a human. They've got a pretty kick ass trailer, that's more like a music video, featuring an original hip-hop song from the film... we'll have it featured on our Youtube page, where you can also check out all the other trailers for all these films.

"Cannibal", from Marian Dora, actually came out a ways back in 2005, but it's worth mentioning because it was quite a shocking film when it came out. It's a German film, filmed in Germany and, believe it or not, it actually is based on true events. You may actually remember the story, too. Armin Meiwes, a German man, killed and ate a voluntary victim that he found through the internet - he posted an ad that said "looking for a well-built 18 - 30 year old to be slaughtered and then consumed". Well, it happened and it's a really f'ed up story. As you can imagine, the film gets pretty sick, as it delves into the sexuality behind the whole deal, as well. Basically, there's not a lot of talking in it and the last 30 mins or so get pretty twisted.

"The Morgue" is probably the biggest budget horror film release of the week and comes from director Halder Gomes and is being released by Lionsgate. It's got Bill Cobbs in it, who's one of those guys that, once you see him, you know exactly who he is. He's been in everything. The rest of the cast is quite experienced, as well. The film is about six strangers, brought together by a weird series of unusual events, who "latch on to each other at a desolate mortuary in hopes of making it through the night."

"Watch Me" is a J-Horror style film, made by Australians and filmed in China and Australia. It's the directorial debut from Melanie Ansley and the reviews are a little mixed, but the plot sounds interesting... even though it does borrow quite heavily from a lot of recent J-Horror films. Basically, people are getting brutally murdered after they read the 'watch me' attachment that's on an spammed email. That's all very cliched and everything, but there's also a creepy red-headed woman in a yellow dress, some guy named "freak boy" and victims get their eyes sewn shut.

August 26th, 2008 - New Horror out on DVD this week

Okay, this really is a great week for indie horror... but before I get to the main releases, there's a few cool releases that I'm not going to elaborate on, but I do want to mention, including: the directors cut release of "Brotherhood of the Wolf" (an awesome film), the rereleases of "Phantasm 4: Oblivion" (has to be mentioned), the release of the J-Horror, "The Black House" (there's an American version in production right now), two classic cannibal films, "Cannibal Terror" and "Cannibal Holocaust" and, finally, the "Best of Tromadance, Vol. 5", which really deserves more than just that, but... I'm going to give ALL of Tromadance its due in an upcoming post. So, as usual, PLEASE click on the titles if you'd like to buy the films from Amazon and/or go to our Youtube page if you want to see the trailers!

Out of the UK, comes "Vampire Diary", which was directed by Mark James and Phil O'Shea, written by Phil O'Shea. It won 4 awards at the Milan International Film Festival and they were all the big ones; Best Film, Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Actress. If THAT doesn't impress you, maybe the idea behind it will. "Whilst making a documentary, filmmaker Holly meets the highly enigmatic and beautiful Vicki who claims she is a real-life vampire. By turns fascinated by and attracted to her, Holly thinks that Vicki could be her soul mate and soon the two embark on a passionate affair. However Vicki's lust for blood is growing and when Holly discovers that Vicki is pregnant with a 'vampire' baby, she is drawn into a spiral of death, deceit and betrayal from which she will never emerge." That's right... lesbian vampires and, by the way, the lead actress is the Princess from Hellboy II. Reviews are awesome, too.

"Home Sick" comes from director Adam Wingard, who also co-wrote, shot and edited the film, and it was his first feature film. He made two horror shorts before this and one short and another feature after. This film has an unreal cast, with Bill Moseley as the smiling maniac called 'Mr. Suitcase', as well as scream queen Tiffany Shepis and Tom Towles from "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer". 'Mr. Suitcase' carries a suitcase full of razorblades and he unleashes a super human killer on a group of kids, so they are forced to take up arms with an insane Chili enthusiast if they want to survive. Fangoria calls it a "gorfest that does what so many recent low-budget shockers claim to do" and Fantasia called it "a well-shot, unsettling gorefest" with "excessive bloody effects". Dead Harvey says, sold! Where do I get my copy?

"Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night" is from Travis Irvine and, yes, it's about killer racoons. It's Irvine's first film and it's as low-budget indie horror as it gets. First off, I can't get enough of the title... using 'night' twice is just awesome. Secondly, believe it or not, I found a review of the film on nytimes.com, here's the link, and they love it, saying "the laughs flow like rabies-infected blood in the gruesome horror comedy about a group of college campers besieged by a pack of killer raccoons." I can't wait to check this out...

Well, now it's time to get a little violent and messed up. "Skinned Alive", formerly called "Eat Your Heart Out", is from James Tucker, written by Joshua Nelson and it's being released by Lionsgate. It's about a desperately lonely man who finally meets the love of his life, but unfortunately for him, she's a prostitute who is, literally, feeding on the men of New York. "Sex will never be the same..." Disturbing violent and sexual content, language and nudity follow.

"Gimme Skelter" looks like another kick ass indie horror, this one from Scott Phillips. It's got an unreal cast, including Trent Haaga (Troma veteran), Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface) and a bunch of other low-budget indie horror regulars. It's about a dangerous, bloodthirsty 'family' traveling in a van, who decide to outdo a previous notorious 'family' by slaughtering every person in a remote small town. Now, here's the capper... on their myspace page, they say they had "several less-than-appealing offers for distribution" and they've "decided to take matters into (their) own hands and distribute the movie (themselves)". So, here is yet another chance to support indie horror! Pick up a copy!

"Puppy" is an Australian horror from writer/director Kieran Galvin and this is one along the lines of "Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door" crossed with "Black Snake Moan" or "Misery". It's about a sultry swindler, Liz, who attempts to commit suicide, but is rescued by a lonely tow truck driver... who takes her to his remote farmhouse, convinced that she's the wife who abandoned him years earlier.

I don't know why I'm writing about this and not Tromadance, but I have to comment on Uwe Boll's latest film, "Postal", which comes out today. It was made in 2007, was based on the 2003 computer game series of the same name and had its premiere in Montreal on July 22, 2007 during Fantasia Fest. The film is as offensive as it gets... and I don't mean with gore, I mean it's just offensive. The opening scene has two guys hijacking a plane to the Bahamas, only to be overpowered by the passengers, who, in the struggle for control, end up driving the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. It had a budget of $18Million and after it's theatrical run, managed to gross a grand total of $142,761 worldwide. I, uh... think that says it all. Wow, Uwe... wow.

Awesome week... lots to watch!

August 19th, 2008 - New Horror out on DVD this week

It's a decent week in horror releases... there happens to be a classic rerelease (see poster to the right) AND a couple of good TV shows coming out with their first seasons on DVD. However, I wish I could gloss over the first release this week, but I won't... because not mentioning it doesn't give me a chance to say it sucks. As usual, head over to our Youtube page to see all the trailers and, please, click on the titles to buy them off Amazon!

Okay, I don't really want to spend too much time talking about this weeks 'big' horror release, "Prom Night", because it, pretty much, stands for everything I hate about studio horror, but... here's a few tidbits. It's PG-13 and it was not screened in advance, both of which usually mean the movies sucks. However, budgeted at $20Million, it grossed over $50Million internationally, so it would probably be considered a financial success, therefore you can expect more of them. It was directed by Nelson McCormick, who's done a lot of TV... which makes sense because there's a lot of TV actors in it. Looks like he's the guy behind the new "The Stepfather", too. Just do yourself a favor and pick up the 1980 original.

Okay, so it's the series that just keeps pumping out films. I decided to do a bit of research on this so-called "Maneater Series", as the long awaited, "Maneater Series Collection - Vol. 2", is finally out this week. It contains 3 films; "Croc", "Eye of the Beast" and "Grizzly Rage". I started to think this whole mess started with the 2007 Gary Busey classic called, you know it, "Maneater"... but it didn't. "Maneater" is actually the third film in the series. (That would be in Vol. 1, for those keeping score) The FIRST film in the Maneater Series was "Blood Monkey"... I think. Anyhow, they're all the Sci-Fi Original Films about creatures that eat men.

For all those fans of Spanish horror, here's an interesting release. It's "6 Films to Keep You Awake", the Spanish made-for-TV horror hexalogy. It's being released by Lionsgate and the 6 films are: "Blame", "Spectre", "A Real Friend", "A Christmas Tale", "The Baby's Room" and "To Let". It's a three disc collection and the trailer looks awesome... the price is definitely right for 6 movies. I can't find the trailer on Youtube, but click here to check it out.

"Things You Don't Tell" is an indie horror from director Alex Melli and I believe this is his first feature film... he also edited it and shot it. It was written by Bibi Ong-VanZandt and Gloria Uhler, Bibi Ong-VanZandt seems to have worked with Melli on a short a few year back... and I really just wanted another excuse to write Bibi Ong-VanZandt because the name is awesome. Bibi Ong-VanZandt. It looks like Bibi is married to John VanZandt, who produced the film. ANYHOW, Melli worked as an art director, producing advertising, before getting into directing. He made five short films before making "Things You Don't Tell", which is "a psychological thriller about three people caught in a web of deceit and lies. Everything is contained on the surface until a chance meeting triggers a series of tragic events that rips their worlds apart. As the truth unravels, their very survival is at stake."

Now on to some micro-cinema horror! "Evil Awakening", directed by Geno McGahee and Jeremy Weiskotten, is from X Posse Productions and is being released by Tempe Video. It's about a vicious serial killer who once terrorized the small town of Ludlow. The axe-wielding murder was brought to justice, but according to legend, he would one day return for vengeance... and that day had come. The trailer looks great and, from what I can tell, this is their first feature.

As you know, I rarely mention rereleases, unless it's of note.... and "The Wizard of Gore" is definitely of note. It's from 1970, directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. Lewis is pretty much known for creating the splatter film, as we know it, and "Wizard of Gore" is frequently quoted as an influence for every modern splatter filmmaker, from bigger budget splat fests, all the way down to the smallest of micro films. In any case, it's a must see for any filmmaker...

I have to mention the best show on TV, "Dexter", when "Dexter - The Complete Second Season" comes out. Best show on TV. Period.

I don't care if you think it sucks, please support "Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season". I'm a sucker for anything Terminator and I thought the series was pretty f'ing awesome... I can't wait for season 2.