HELLBOY: BLOOD & IRON

I haven’t read all of the Hellboy books, but have gotten through several and I have also seen the film, which I liked very much. That said, I’m not sure if this is a continuity tale or not. There is a flash back and tie in to the past presented here that could conceivably make it fit the timelines for all you Hellboy regulars out there. The animation is decent, but it is weird seeing Hellboy and Abe rendered in the same style as Buzz Lightyear.

The story takes place on Long Island in a Haunted Mansion that has just been bought by a wealthy publicity hound that wants to turn the place into a Haunted Attraction. He also happens to be best friends with the government official who funds the BRPD.  So in a highly unlikely event, they send Hellboy, Abe, Liz and also the Professor to clear “the ghosts.” Turns out to be a whole lot more, as the ghosts are the tormented spirit of a Vampire that dated back to the Professor’s first ever case, pre-Hellboy. She has also brought along one of the Gods of Darkness, Hecate, who wants to suck Hellboy back into the pit.  Because this is animated, Guillermo Del Toro (writer/direct of the film), Mike Mignola (creater of Hellboy) and Tad Stones (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command) can do things they probably couldn’t I nthe movie, but because it was for television and kids indirectly, they had to pull some of the really over the top concepts, especially when you are talk demons and vampires. The direction they took was very strong and at no point did you feel gypped on the outcome. Fans of the comic books should definitely enjoy this.

Bonus features: To start, there is a comic book inside the packaging called “The Yearning”. It is the same animation style as the show, so it is a nice tie in. There is an excellent audio commentary. There are two behind the scenes featurettes, an interesting spin on the story that reverses the Memento style quality of “Blood and Iron” and runs it sequentially and lastly there is the animated debut of Hellboy called “Iron Shoes”. The disc is packed full of goodies.

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Posted by Myk at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ALONE WITH HER.

Story: ALONE WITH HER is a story seen completely from the point of view of Doug, a disturbed, lonely voyeur who fixates on the beautiful and equally lonely Amy. He follows her around, sets up cameras in her apartment and watches her every move. Once obsessed, he decides he can no longer just watch and attempts to integrate himself into Amy’s life. Only after rejection starts does Doug’s obsession become more and more dangerous.

The Film Itself: Now here’s an interesting unique idea for a movie. First off, this isn’t exactly a “horror” film, but because of the scary nature of its story and the fact that this kind of thing does in fact happen all the time, I personally find it terrifying. Everyone should watch this. Especially women. As a warning to the type of people that are out there. Doug (played by Colin Hanks) is a nice, clean cut fellow whose social interactions with people aren’t exactly… normal. He decides to obsess over the lovely Amy, a humble girl living on her own and reeling from a previous failed relationship. The coolest thing about this movie is that technically it’s not a movie. All the footage we’re seeing is all of Doug’s actual video surveillance. We see from start to finish what he sees. And in turn this movie does what you don’t expect. It make’s YOU the voyeur. Oddly enough, you start to feel creepy about yourself for paying so much attention to Amy, but at the same time, because of her vulnerability, it’s just so easy to fall in love with her. (Hell, I know I did.) It also makes it all the more terrifying as the movie progresses and we start seeing what Doug is truly capable of. I don’t want to give too much away, but rest assured that despite the small cast (consisting primarily of Hanks, Talancon and Jordana Spiro), it’s still engrossing from start to finish. (I guess in the same way people find “reality” television so engrossing, although I don’t know because I don’t watch “reality” tv!) Writer/Director Eric Nicholas has crafted a wonderful film here, in the vein (in spirit) of PSYCHO. And I can only hope he continues to delve into the horror genre, because I’d love to see what else he’s capable of as a filmmaker.

Special Features: Do NOT let the cover image dissuade you from checking this DVD out. Yes, the cover image tries to sell it as some kind of  “When A Stranger Calls”-type thriller, but this is much, much classier and original then any remake could ever be. In fact, let me embed the original cover below as it sums up better the vibe I got from watching the film. There is a commentary track with Writer/Director Eric Nicholas, as well as an alternate ending, which although I liked, I almost preferred the movies true ending. There’s also a short featurette of “stalker” facts which is quite frankly the scariest thing on the disc. Check this out. –Robg.

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Posted by Rob G at 09:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 

 

I was upset that I did not get to see this film in the theaters. I have liked most of Mel Gibson’s films over the years and this seemed so grandiose, that it fell into the “must see on a big screen” category. That was, until I saw it at home. The film is beautiful for sure. It is indeed a “big” film. The scenery is magnificent, the sets are unbelievable, but once I got to the costming, it started to get shaky for me. The common person will not watch this film, and if they do, I find it hard to believe that they would like it. I am an avid film watched and I had a hard time with this film for numerous reasons. We’ll start with the subtitle factor. I watch lots of foreign films and subtitles are commonplace for me. I do not advocate for dubbing a film, but I think it would instantly garner a wider audience with an English soundtrack. The native tongue was not so intricate that a monumentus amount would be lost in the translation. Next let’s move on to costuming. I am not an expert on Mayan cultures, and I hope Medl and company did a lot of research on this, but I have a hard time swallowing that every person in the Mayan nation was pierced, tattooed and branded. I do like to think I know a little about these subjects, and even if I am off base with this observation, I doubt it exists to the extent you find in this movie. Little kids with Labret piercings seems a little much, from what I do know, most of those types of practices are coming of age type scenarios and wouldn’t happen until at least a child’s tenth year. The film is too long. Without giving away a lot of plot, there is way too much running through the woods and way too much repetitive scenes. If someone gets beheaded, once on screen will probably suffice for the average viewer, doing it seven times is over kill and could be removed to cut time. The film easily could have lost the 18 minutes to drop it under two hours. Speaking of beheadings, that is the biggest problem facing this film. Being an avid watcher of splatter films, I know a thing or two about blood and guts. Holy shit Mel! If you are trying to compete with Ichi The Killer or Kill Bill, congrats, if you are trying to get my mom to watch this film, strike three, your out. There is so much blood and guts in this film ,it should have had six months worth of covers on Fangoria. As I mentioned, showing one beheading gets the point across, showing seven heads rolling down a temple is just overload, not to mention following it up with two hearts ripped out of chests. The film is not for the squeamish, and really shows its short comings as to why it wasn’t a box office power house. The story is decent enough. The tribe from the city comes and ransacks the tribe from the woods. It is the classic tale of the have vs the have nots. The story focuses around Jaguar Paw, his capture by the city Mayans, his almost ritual sacrifice and his daring escape to try and save his family. The movie is not stop action, but it is so continual that it actually gets dull. He is chased for more than half an hour through the woods by the Mayans that captured him in the first place.There are different opinions on how brutal the Mayans were to their own, but if you believe Gibson, the world is probably better off that the civilization became extinct. Even the feel good part of the film, the love story and the faith in family is lost here in a spray of blood and child birth. It is all so unappealing in general. Now the film isn’t all bad, it is actually visiually stunning and well put together, but you have to have a strong stomach and a long attention span. The average film viewer won’t make it the whole way, if they even make it past the Bor killing in the first five minutes of the film where on of the characters eats its balls. Special Features: Crap. That is what you get. There is a supposed deleted scene, that is so miniscule and lame, you feel cheated rather than enlightened with something special. If you listen to the commentary, you would think it was God’s gift to celluloid and thee was no good reason to leave it out. I say there was no good reason to film it. There is a making of as well, but everyone is so stuffed shirted and pompous, it was hard to watch. Mad Max, he isn’t anymore.

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Posted by Myk at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (Tartan Video, 8322 Beverly Blvd, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90048). This is one of the most bizarre films you will ever see. The film is done in black and white and much of it is handheld which gives it a very unsettling look at times. The film is like David Lynch’s “Erasurehead” meets Jeff Goldblum’s “The Fly”, gone cyberpunk. An everyday average Joe becomes afflicted with a condition that is slowly turning him into a cyborg. Different parts of him are becoming attached to pieces of metal and machines. Understandably, he is beginning to lose his mind. He takes it out on his girlfriend, who has a fairly short part in the film. He also meets up with a cyberpunk, who unlike himself, is intentionally transforming into a cyborg. The two do battle, but who will win? There are moments you will be lost, much like a Lynch film, but also like Lynch, the shots are so astonishingly cool, you just don’t care. This is my all time favorite Japanese film that is not animated, and it is about time it got a proper release in the States that also includes a preview of the director’s (Tsukamato) newest film. (DVD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Landis returns to Season Two of Masters Of Horror and he’s bringing Norm from Cheers with him! (Actually George Wendt, along with Dawson’s Creek’s Meredith Monroe and Scream 3’s Matt Keeslar) I really enjoyed DEER WOMAN from Season One, so I was hoping that Landis would be able to deliver a similar themed episode here with FAMILY. While it’s slightly different from his MOH debut, it’s definitely twisted and humorous in that trademark John Landis kinda way.

FAMILY is about Harold Thompson (George Wendt), an odd-ball from town that has an even odder… err… family life. In fact, all his family members are actual skeletons. And not just any skeletons but the skeletons of people he’s sought out and murdered. Yep, he’s got issues. And he’s also got the hots for his new neighbor next door played by Meredith Monroe. (Who doesn’t?!) Slowly but surely, he’s plotting to replace his nagging wife with the new beauty on the block.

All around, the acting is fun in this episode, in particular with George Wendt. It’s just fun to see him play such a sicko character in the vein of Norman Bates. (And everyone knows how I feel about PSYCHO.) There are a few surprising moments/scares through-out the episode. There’s a particular moment where Harold is scoping a local high school to look for a new young girl to add to the family when he’s slammed by a driver pulling out of her drive-way and ripped out of his morbid fantasy. (In which his victims ASK him to kidnap them.)

Ahhh, Harold’s imagination. It’s also quite humorous when suddenly people say very unexpected things to Harold, such as Meredith Monroe’s pleas to sexually please him. (God bless you, Landis!) Despite enjoying elements of the episode while watching it, I wasn’t sure if I really liked it. But then there’s a knock-out of an ending that I didn’t see coming which totally MADE the episode. It’s one of those things where after seeing it, you want to watch it again immediately after to see if you can pick up on the ending. It wasn’t until after I watched it that I realized this episode was written by Brent Hanley, who scripted Bill Paxton’s FRAILITY. (One of my personal favorites.) Overall, with a solid cast, solid script (unlike other episodes of this season) and solid FX, this episode is definitely one of the highlights of Masters Of Horror Season Two.

Special Features: Yet again, the features on this disc are a bit different then we’ve seen for previous Masters Of Horror releases. “Skin and Bones” is a nice making-of featurette featuring interviews with director John Landis and most of the cast. “Terror Tracks” is a featurette focusing directly on the music and score of FAMILY. It’s the first time I’ve seen a featurette devoted to the score for one of these episodes and it was neat, so I hope it’s not the last time we see something like this. The disc also features a commentary track with writer Brent Hanley which I haven’t watched yet, but am intrigued to. –Robg.

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Posted by Rob G at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, we’re onto Season Two of the Masters Of Horror series, which means we’ve got some new blood in the mix. For this particular episode titled RIGHT TO DIE, Wrong Turn director Rob Schmidt joins the MOH family.

Now, I really, really liked Wrong Turn. Seriously. At the time it came out it was just the kind of horror movie I was in the mood to see. So, naturally, I was excited to see what Rob’s return to the horror genre would be like, especially under the Masters Of Horror umbrella. Well, there’s plenty of good ideas lurking thru-out the 58 minutes of RIGHT TO DIE, but sadly it just fails on so many levels. And after watching all the bonus making-of featurettes, I can’t quite figure out why. Let’s examine…

The plot is actually really unique and kind of interesting. RIGHT TO DIE is a ghost story, but it’s not the traditional kind. In it, Cliff Addison and his wife Abby are involved in a terrible car accident, which leaves Abby severely burned, and on life support. (It evokes memories of Gary Sherman’s car crash victim from DEAD & BURIED.) The details of her marriage to Cliff, the accident, and what everyone involved has to gain from her death is not all it seems. So, whenever she flatlines, her spirit is free to roam and seek out vengeance to those responsible to profit off of her situation. Kinda neat, right? A ghost story where the ghost isn’t quite dead yet. Let’s delve into the problems with the movie, and trust me, it’s all plot related. (Because quite frankly, the direction, the acting, the FX are all top notch.)

First off, we’re never quite sure who we’re supposed to feel sympathy for. There is no “good” character in this film. Sure, not every single film NEEDS that, but there’s a reason this comes into play later. We find out early on that Cliff had an affair with his dental assistant (played by Robin Sydney and for the love of Crom, when you see her, you’ll understand why), so his marriage and relationship to Abby isn’t all that rosy. What bothers me is the way Abby discovers this. She watches what looks like a professionally shot Skin-a-max video of Cliff and Trish doing the deed on his cell phone. His cell phone! I’ll buy pictures, cute text messages, but a full on video? Ok, maybe I’m behind on the times, but I know my phone ain’t capable of recording movie quality shorts yet. (What do I know though? Maybe a dentist can afford such a phone?)

Secondly, there’s a HUGE cheat in the flick. Toward the end of the episode, we see the opening events played out again, but they’re completely different. I absolutely hate when a show/movie/whatever shows you one thing, takes it back, and shows you something different in order to make the ending make sense. You know who backs me up on this? Annie Wilkes from Stephen King’s MISERY. ("HE DIDN’T GET OUT OF THE COCK-A-DOODIE CAR!!!")

Putting those few (of many) plot holes aside, is the episode worth watching? Surely! (Ladies forgive me…) The character of Cliff (played by Martin Donovan) is one lucky SOB. There’s a scene where he makes out with his beautiful wife Abby in the hot tub. Not for nothing, but Abby (Julia Anderson) has the greatest boobs on the planet. Sure she turns into a horribly scarred creature before the naughty deed is complete, but as far as I’m concerned… it wouldn’t have bothered me. Then wait until you get a load of Trish, Cliff’s mistress. This episode delivers on 2 pairs of perfect boobs. The FX are also among the best of the series, so kudos to KNB on this one. There’s one scene in particular that involves one of the characters being skinned alive which literally made me cringe. (Speaking of… Cliff skins someone to try to donate the skin to his ailing wife before they pull the plug, and does he expect to just show up at the hospital with skin in a cooler and have the hospital staff be OK with it?!) Don’t get me started on the ending which makes no sense. Overall, I’d say rent this one if you’re curious based on the descriptions I’ve given above.

Special Features: The features on all the Season Two discs are different from Season One, but they’re still pretty well put together. There’s a making-of featurette which shows all the parties involved being very excited to work on this episode. Again, I don’t understand how they would let certain implausible plot points go, but perhaps they didn’t care. I get the feeling that this show was put together so fast, that perhaps they did’t focus as much as they should on having a truly solid script. Anyways, there’s also a great FX featurette called “Flay-O-Trish” which shows how all the gags were pulled off. That’s definitely worth watching. Rob Schmidt offers a commentary, but I haven’t listened to it yet. (In all honesty) Perhaps some of my burning questions will be answered? Only time will tell! –Robg.

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Posted by Rob G at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 "I don't have the facilities here to duplicate the human womb. Tonight-I will impregnate you."-Proteus 4

 
"Demon Seed", based on the Dean Koontz novel, concerns Dr. Harris and Mrs. Harris. Dr. Harris is a brillant computer scientist, Mrs. Harris is soon to be ex-wife. Dr. Harris (Fritz Weaver) has been spent his time developing Proteus, a super-intelligent computer system. Proteus develops self-awareness, and it begins to question it's orders. It's single emotion allowed by the doctor is "reason", and it's not going to be used for mindless labor anymore. It begins to demand the ability to study man, and private access to one of it's own user terminals. Most of all, it wants to know when it will be allowed outside of it's "box". Dr. Harris thinks the machine has developed sense of humor, but soon he won't be laughing.

Mrs. Harris is aware of her husbands work, and finds the Proteus project "dehumanizing". She doesn't yet know the meaning of the word, as soon Proteus has found the only available terminal it can access is in Dr. and Mrs. Harris' highly secure, heavily computerized house. When it gains access to this Proteus becomes very horny for Mrs. Harris and traps her within her own home. He won't open the door, he's shuttered the windows, and he won't let her call out. Proteus's plan to leave his box is disturbing and sick, and he will use anything he can in the house to rape and impregnate her.

"I can't touch you Susan, I can't touch you as a man could, but I can show you things that I alone have seen. I can't touch...but I can see."--Proteus 4.

 
"Demon Seed" is a great example of post-"2001"/pre-"Star Wars" sci-fi where the future is very a familiar, but cold, gradually turning sterile place. The film obviously owes a lot of "2001", the Proteus system is really just a horny version of "HAL", but voiced by Robert Vaugh.  Proteus, however, is much more sinister, very frightening and menacing. The scene where Julie Harris is raped by the robotics in her house is probably one of the most unsettling scenes in any sci-fi or horror film. You don't see much, a robotic hand, computer monitors, scissors and surgical equipment getting closer. It's scary. Julie Christie is also fantastic as the trapped Mrs. Harris, trapped in this game of wits with an attacker she cannot see, but who can inflict incredible acts of cruelty on her (like when he heats up the house to the point where she cannot walk on the floor). You also have to consider how remarkably effective this film is since it's essentially dialogue between two characters for much of the film, one of whom is a computer that you mostly only hear the "voice' of. I'm really surprised that more horror fan's aren't familar with this sick, depraved little movie from the 70's.

The special effects in this one are very good, if probably a little dated and typical of hte era. The physical manifestation of Proteus 4, this multi-sided, polygonal, faceless monster is very unique and interesting.

"Demon Seed" was directed by the late, and insane, Donald Cammel, and also features Gerrit Graham. It's available, on a decent, but very bare-bones DVD from Warner Brothers.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pelts: Masters Of Horror (Anchor Bay, 1699 Stutz Dr, Troy, MI 48084).

Once again, Dario Argento has laid out a tail of twisted, sexually charged deviance that is second to none, except perhaps some of the stories that are found in Clive Barker’s “Books Of Blood”.

The story starts with the introduction of Argento alumnus John Saxon as a fur trapper that has fallen out of favor with local furrier Jake Feldman (Meatloaf). Jameson (Saxon) has found a field full of the most beautiful Raccoons that he or any other fur lover has ever seen, but it is abundantly clear that the creatures are sentient. They are also located in a set of ancient ruins that are fenced in on a local property. You know no good can come of killing these animals, which Jameson and his son proceed to do. The Pelts seem to have a negative effect on anyone who comes in contact with them and also holds the ability to grant the owner his/her deepest hearts desire, but at a cost.

Feldman’s deepest desire is local Lesbian Stripper and model hopeful Mira (played by the stunning Melissa Gonzalez) who he entices finally by asking her to model the coat made from these stunning animal funs. Needless to say, the encounter between the two deteriorates into one of the most over the top and original blood baths you will see anywhere. All I am going to say is skin vest, see the film and you will know what I mean.

Special features: Since Starz took over Anchor Baym these once stellar disks have deteriorated a bit. There is an audio commentary with the write which is ok. A behind the scenes effects short and a short about mastering the sound with Claudio Simonetti, but the disc lacks the nearly three hours of goodies that the first season disks benefited from. Oh well. (DVD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pick Me Up: Masters Of Horror (Anchor Bay, 1699 Stutz Dr, Troy, MI 48084).

This is the reason I hate Hick towns! In an extremely abbreviated description, this film is about a bunch of yahoos in and around a mountain town that kill hitchhikers or non-locals. They just differ in their methods of killing. Michael Moriarty plays the guy that likes to pick up hitchhikers in his tractor trailer and then kill them. Warren Kole is “Walker” or the guy who hitchhikes and kills the driver or any hikers he might encounter. The film also stars Fairuza Balk, (who is still hot in that skanky sort of way), a woman that is stranded in the mountains after the bus she was on broke down. The film also stars Laurene London, was written by David Schow (The Crow) and was directed by Larry Cohen of It’s Alive and Q fame.

Visually, Cohen does some really cool low budget film tricks, especially a hotel room show in which he swings the camera straight over three rooms to see coincidental action between characters. The story is high action, but it isn’t long enough to develop a real love for any of the characters to establish emotional interest. I like Moriarty best myself, but he does psychotic so well.

Special features include an audio commentary with Larry Cohen, who does throw around some nice history bits to tie this with his older films. Behind the Scenes features, Fantasy Film Festival segment with Mick Garris and on the set interviews with the three stars make this one of the last DVD’s in the series with the original allotment of cool extras. (DVD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Imprint: Masters of Horror (Anchor Bay, 1699 Stutz Dr, Troy, MI 48084).

This film has a little for everyone. There is a hideously deformed character, a Dwarf, a ghost story, sexy women, a strange American in feudal Asia, blood, guts and torture, plus it is all orchestrated by Japan’s Takashi Miike.

Billy Drago plays Christopher, an American who falls in love with a Japanese prostitute, but leaves her to the life after a night of passion. Years after the encounter he has returned to locate his love and take her back to civilization. When he gets to the island where the prostitutes live, he finds out she is dead and is befriended by the one hooker no man wants, because it looks like her face has melted. She spins a tale of Christopher’s loves demise, but is it the truth? The tale is full of ghosts, fantasy, so truth, torture to the death and the theft of a ring, that lead to that death.

This is the only episode of MOH no to air on Showtime. They deemed it too graphic, too politically incorrect, and too intense fro the average viewer. You should take the time to see this though. See, the thing is, that compared to Miike’s work like Audition and Ichi, this isn’t all that graphic. There are a few minutes that are uncomfortable, and a few minutes that are definitely degrading towards Western women (the real reason this was never shown), but as a whole, it wasn’t that over the top.

Bonus features on this are plenty. A behind the scenes look at the make-up of the film. An interview with Miike, behind the scenes interviews, a bio, a still gallery and an audio commentary with writers Chris D and Wyatt Doyle. Now, neither of these guys had anything to do with the production of the film, but it ascends to one of the most in depth, well versed discussions on this film and Miike’s work you will see anywhere. You even get to hear them tear apart Showtime for not allowing this on the air. Extremely well created piece on cinema history. (DVD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Manitou (Anchor Bay, 1699 Stutz Dr, Troy, MI 48084).

Over the years, I have seen this film a couple of times. It was originally released in 1978, but this dvd presents the film in a new remastered wide screen print that is excellent. The film stars Tony Curtis as a fake fortune teller and Stella Stevens as his ex-girlfriend and competition fortune teller. The problem arises when Ameila (Stevens) finds a lump in her neck that isn’t normal. The doctors X ray the growing lump, only to find a baby in it. This introduces John Singing Rock (Michael Ansara) as a local Indian shaman that knows that the lump is actual; a modern incarnation of an ancient medicine man trying to be reborn as an immortal in the modern day. The effects on the film are painfully ‘70’s locked and anyone with a shred of technical knowledge will get a chuckle out of what they attempt to do with the hospitals “computers”. That aside, this is a fun film. It is the perfect example of a Saturday afternoon local TV station film. The kind you might see on he off week from the Godzilla marathons we all grew up with. Not much in the extras department, but the fact that they found a print this good kind of makes up for that. (DVD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blitzkid "Let Flowers Die" (Antidote Records).

This is an old album I had laying around. I receive a lot of cd’s for review and unfortunately, I can’t get to them all. The thing is, that this album fits Icons better than it does Under The Volcano, so I feel better doing it for here than the mag. It also happens that the album was just re-released through the bands website, so it gives them the same kick as well. Blitzkid plays horror rock. It is similar to the post Danzig Misfit albums like “American Psycho” and the far superior “Famous Monsters”. The album sort of clocks in between “Famous Monsters” and the Necromantix, plus it has some of the metallic kick of Danzig’s early solo albums. Most of the vocals are cleanly sung, but at times they have some real grissle to them. The band has successfully transferred that old horror sound to a more modern version in the way that AFI attempts but sorely misses in their overtly melodramatic way. The music brings to mind a sound that I could imagine a Zakk Wylde type guitarist being added to the band. The sound is crunchy and rock n roll, but does not venture into the pure metal or Death Metal realm. Of the bands that I have encountered that are post Misfits, Blitzkid really hits the mark. What AFI and Marilyn Manson has missed because of too much theatrics and what the Murderdolls weren’t around enough to perfect, Blitzkid delivers on. This is what the Deathrock scene can deliver given the chance. (CD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

V/A "Saw II Soundtrack" (Image Entertainment, 20525 Nordhoff St. Suite 200, Chatsworth, CA 91311).

Musically, this cd is the perfect accompaniment to the MTV age we have all stepped into, including the fast paced video style of film making, a style that is strongly used in Saw II. When assembling the groups for this, they did a good job of avoiding picking bands that all sounded alike and the bands weren’t all necessarily huge bands either, something that plagues many soundtracks. The standout track on this, that shows free thinking is the song by the Revolting Cocks. Not exactly a household name, even if the members went on to bands that were. It seems that the direction they were going for was a dark to Industrial one and I think that there are many more deserving bands than they used. I think the inclusion of Sevendust was a mistake, as they were never that good. Blood Simple was a bit surprising as a name to make this list as well, but they may have been going for fresh blood at the time. Marilyn Manson was a logical choice, especially with the inclusion of an exclusive mix for the film. On the surface, Queens Of The Stone Age is an odd choice, but being remixed by UNKLE turns the track right down the path towards the dark side. I won’t say that this is my favorite soundtrack ever, but it was bold and well thought out. I would debate a few of the choices as questionable, with maybe some pressure from a music company or two, but with the odd inclusions of some of the bands, they did put real thought into this. Films “soundtracks” have become such a marketing tool of late, that when one like this comes and has little true commercial value it shows itself to be a real “soundtrack” and not a “music inspired by” cd. I may not be a fan of the bands on here, some anyway, but I am a fan of the process that put this one together. (CD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Superman Returns "Music From The Motion Picture" (Rhino, 3400 W, Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91505).

There is little to be said about this cd, except they didn’t screw it up. Starting with a re-imagination of the John William’s movie theme going right through the film, the music is uplifting as the film was. The best part of soundtrack score cd’s like this one is the fact that you can hear the complete tracks, which are often abbreviated for the film. Damon Intrabartolo conducted a 97 piece orchestra to bring John Ottman’s score to life and with past works for Fantastic Four and X-Men, this might be Ottman’s best works. When you are dealing with the best character, you can sculpt the best work, and without Superman, there would be no FF or X-men. The album isn’t as hefty as the works of Williams from 1978, but the Superman Returns is a little more whimsical and light hearted as well, all of which is reflected in the music. If you are a film buff or an avid collector of scores, or like to hear how music truly impacts a film, this is as good an example as you will find. Scores are today’s equivalent of Classical music. (CD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

V/A "Sound Of Superman" (Rhino, 3400 W, Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91505).

This compilation is the epitome of cashing in. It was released to correspond with the release of Superman Returns, but has nothing to do with the film and little to do with the character for that matter. This is a collection of 14 tracks that is targeted at the emo/ pop-punk scene with the intent of raising the bands profiles through A) the film and B) covers of well known and respected older bands. The gimmick here is that all the songs are somehow related to Superman, for example, The Receiving End Of Sirens do the song “Superman”. Now, on the cover, seems reasonable, but when you dig in a find that the songs was originally done by the Stereophonics, you realize that most of the disk is nothing more than a marketing ploy. Larger bands like American Hi-Fi did originals, seven of the tracks fit that bill. The others are covers of sonhs by the likes of The Kinks, R.E.M., The Flaming Lips, Donovan and Foo Fighters to name a few. The album becomes monotonous due to the fact that so many of these bands sound alike. Bands like Nightmare Of You, The Academy Is…, Motion City Soundtrack and underground darlings, Paramore. There really isn’t too much exciting here and this could have been a much better album if they included the original tracks on here instead of covers by bands that weren’t alive when the originals were recorded. This is a decent idea that took a definitive wrong turn in favor of a little extra promotion and dollar gain. The only compelling track on this is the song by Sara Routh, Brandon’s sister. (CD)-Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis “The Proposition” (Mute, 2006)

The soundtrack for the new film, which is co-written by Nick Cave, is as eclectic as anything the musician has ever written. Melancholy keyboards and minimalist violins play a tremendous part through out the composition. Cave dark tone vocal delivery is as moody as anything I have heard him do, but he tends to shy away on most of these pieces as they stand as traditional score material as opposed to the usual modern use of popular songs bought in by record labels. Not having seen the film yet, I can only deduce from the music that this is one true tear jerker. Cave dark tone vocal delivery is as moody as anything I have heard him do, but he tends to shy away on most of these pieces as they stand as traditional score material as opposed to the usual modern use of popular songs bought in by record labels. Not having seen the film yet, I can only deduce from the music that this is one true tearjerker. You own mood could easily be sucked into the stylistic atmosphere that is presented time and again amongst the sixteen tracks. Also included in the writing and production of these pieces is Warren Ellis, not to be confused with the comic book writer, of the Touch N Go band Dirty Three. The packaging does leave a little to be desired, as the digi-pack only features three images, no vocals, and even the liner notes leave a little to be desired. This is a pretty heavy piece of work, and I am sure there is more explanation behind this, movie aside. The back image is pretty tough though. Nick Cave fans will be instantly endeared by his work, as they usually are, and fans of the film I am sure will find a kindred feel to the music, while film score fans will find something a little more original and experimental than either the traditional score or traditional rock oriented soundtrack. Cave is an icon and it is because of projects like this. (CD) - Myk

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Posted by Rob G at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Static Age" - The Misfits (Caroline Records, 1997)

Strange things sometimes happen in the sordid world of music and its subgenres. Oddities like 2Pac and Biggie releasing album after album posthumously, or that Black Sabbath has over twenty-five records to their credit (bet you didn't know that), or even the phenomenon known as Ashlee Simpson. Yes, music is riddled with oddities and strange occurrences. And The Misfits, godfathers of horror rock, are not remiss of their own peculiarities. In this instance, Static Age - The Misfits's debut album, recorded in 1978, had its first release nearly twenty years later - almost fifteen years after the original group disbanded.

The myth behind the elusive Static Age LP is that the band had recorded it in a high-end studio after selling the name "Black Records" (under which The Misfits released their equally elusive first release, Cough/Cool), not for money but for studio time. With an authentic production team, professional equipment, and actual sound mixing the band has never sounded better. The guitars are crisp, the vocals are rich, and the sound has an over-all smooth feel to it. And then there are the songs - Static Age is classic Misfits. However, the problem was that record labels weren't quite ready for classic Misfits. By the time the band was ready to press up wax on their own, under the Plan 9 label, they felt the Static Age material wasn't representative of where they were by the end of 1978. They released a few tracks as part of the Bullet 7", and moved on with the full album shelved.

Most monster kids who walk around in Misfits shirts and have their copies of Walk Among Us memorized by-heart often omit the golden age of the band. And while I love "Astro Zombies", and nearly pissed myself hearing Danzig and Doyle rip through it at their New York date, the Static Age material remains the best of The Misfits. While the style of the band developed and evolved with each release, Static Age is the most classically punk rock, 1950's style meets The Ramones. The record plays like a greatest hits album, with the band at its best when adopting an Elvis-like rock and roll vibe with "Some Kinda Hate", "Angelfuck", and "Hybrid Moments". The record also presents the first appearance of live staples like "Last Caress", "Bullet", "Attitude", "We are 138", and the original 'WE DON'T GIVE A FUCK' version of "Teenagers from Mars". This release also presents the original versions of "She", "Spinal Remains", and a fucking-gem called "In the Doorway" - which is heard for the first time ever, on this disc, since its recording back in 1978.

If you've never heard The Misfits, this is where to start. Simply put, one of the greatest punk records of all time and what serves as the genesis of the horror rock genre. (Available at www.amazon.com). - Adam Raines

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Posted by Rob G at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Prom Queen Massacre" - V/A (Horror High Records, 2006)

One of the more subtle casualties of the internet-age has become the compilation album. MySpace, and band websites with MP3s, have typically made the genre of comp obsolete. Comp CDs in their inception were an affordable way to check out a few dozen bands and then go off to buy full-lengths of the bands that stood out; rarely, if ever, was the comp record enjoyable, in and of itself, from beginning to end.

Horror High bucks the trend with their first compilation, Prom Queen Massacre. In the label's fourth release, PQM features twenty of the tightest and most infamous Horror Rock bands in music today. The record offers a soundtrack for Halloween from start to finish, with Wednesday 13 filling in the gaps by providing narration. Standout tracks here are Trashlight Vision ("NOLA"), Calabrese ("Children of the Night"), and Nim Vind ("Killer Creature Double Feature") - styles vary from traditional Misfits-esque Horror Rock to some tracks sounding a bit harder. Horror High wraps it up with a slick looking package, and a full color booklet. Is it worth your $9.99? You betcha. (Available at www.MerchMonster.com). - Adam Raines

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Posted by Rob G at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Deep Dark" - Mister Monster (Hell Hundred Records, 2005)

In the bands first (of two) post-Bastard releases, J-Sin takes Mister Monster's sound to the next level with Deep Dark. The title track itself is worth the price of admission - "Deep Dark" is complex, catchy, and original (and has quickly become one of my favorite punk songs). Mister Monster takes their Over Your Dead Body sound to the next level, and proves again how they are forging their own path in Horror Rock and not just re-processing The Misfits. "The Torn Prince" and "Glow" are worthy b-sides (I prefer the latter of the two), and the EP finishes off with an awesome cover of "Science Fiction Double Feature". And if that weren't enough, included is a computer-playable "Deep Dark" video. (Available at www.middlepillar.com) - Adam Raines

Posted by Rob G at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"The Mad" restores my faith that entertaining crap cinema can still be made. This is one of those movies you watch when you've got a bunch of friends over and plenty of beer. Horror comedy is tough, and the last few years we've seen a slew of horror-comedies, zombie movies, and horror-comedy-zombie movies. "The Mad" doesn't break any new zombie comedy ground, but it doesn't have to be anything but goofy, gory, and funny, and it is. Billy Zane stars as a doctor on vacation with his girlfriend, daughter, and her boyfriend. They make a rest stop at a local hotel/steakhouse. Unfortunately, the meat's gone bad. Real bad. Anyone eating the hamburger special quickly mutates from meat eater to flesh eater. They have to watch out for the leftover raw meat too--because it's got a pretty bad attitude as well. I know, it sounds dumb, but it's a really fun movie. Some of the dialogue is absolutely priceless, such as a great little debate on whether they're dealing with zombies, or sick people, to which sane replies, "I think you're all misusing the term 'zombie'". Zane rules in this movie. He plays it so dry and he's very funny. I don't think I ever seen Zane do comedy, he's usually a jerk or some love interest, but he's great at it. I would love to see him do another. I love how the filmmakers made the most of their low-budget. Look, it's obvious they didn't have much to work with when in the beginning we're supposed to be at carnival that looks like it's made up of 10 bales of hay and 5 extras. They work with what they got though. They've got a fairly witty script and at 83 minutes the film moves by at fast pace. Reminds me of the best 80's late-night cable horror movies that I used to be so fond of.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 03:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am not the biggest SYL fan. I like the occasional song, but as a whole, I don't get all the hype surrounding 'Heavy Devy' and company. I do have to say that the DVD does give a lot of insight into what the band is really about and why people like them. First off, they have way more of a sense of humor than I gave then credit for. When a guy has hair like Devin Townsend and can refer to it as a 'skull-let' you have to give him a little credit. He should cut that shit off, but if not, at least he can laugh at himself, not to mention he looks like Mark Green from ER with long hair which is funny unto itself. The show rocks out for 14 songs and shows many of the hijinks the band has become known for live. They are an enjoyable bunch on stage whether you like them or not. The DVD features some really good backstage footage and interviews with the band, with the main focus of bashing on their keyboard player as the band whipping boy. In the case of checking out SYL for the first time, if you had the chance to rent this, (maybe on Netflix or something similar) this is a much better introduction than just listening to any of the albums. If you are a fan of the band, the multi-camera angle shoot and the sound quality alone make this an excellent purchase. If you hate the band, even the stage show they put on isn't enough reason for you to pick this up. If you are like me, and a casual listener, you probably will enjoy watching it, but you may not feel compelled to own it. (Century Media, 2323 W. El Segundo Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250) - Myk.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This one isn't real hard. You have a full Leatherface show recorded in March of 2004. They played for just under an hour and kicked out tons of great songs in the typical pop-punk meets Motorhead style that Leatherface has become synonymous with. They even manage to do a cover of 'You Are My Sunshine' for one of the encores. What you do see though, is the maturization of Punkervision and their ability to create these live recordings. Compare this to early works like the 'As Friends Rust' dvd, and it isn't even the same league. This is eons better, both visually and sound wise, with a 5.1 Surround soundtrack. Also included on this disc is a bonus live performance from June 2001 with another seven tracks and also an interview with main man Frankie Stubbs about the history of the band and the decision to reform. This is an excellent output for an up and coming company and an even better representation of a punk band seldom seen on the U.S. soil. (Music Video Distributors, P.O.B. 280, Oaks, PA 19456) - Myk.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a two DVD set covering the entire 2002 Hellfest Hardcore, Metal, and Punk festival. The second DVD is all short comical interviews with many of the bands that are shown performing. The first disc features one track from 27 bands that performed that weekend including headliners Hatebreed. Other bands include Bleeding Through, Lamb of God, Eighteen Visions, Bane, From Autumn To Ashes, Terror and the debut of Freya (ex-Earth Crisis). Several of these performances have audio commentaries, which are humorous because the bands are obviously uncomfortable saying things like "that's me jumping," etc. The DVD layout and the sound quality are excellent; this is one of the best live Hardcore DVDs you'll find. It's like having a Who's Who of Hardcore on your video jukebox to rock out to for more than two hours straight. (High Roller Studios, 32 Mill St, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060) - Myk.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is amazing how Poland keeps kicking out amazing bands. Not only that, but one of Poland's best labels just keeps kicking out home videos by these bands. Metal Mind releases Hate 'The Litanies Of Satan' recorded in Krakow in February 2004. The disk clocks in at about 75 minutes and includes 16 tracks, an interview with vocalist Adam The First Sinner, a discography, a bio on each band member, a photo gallery and a CD-Rom section. Among the great tracks selected for this live show, the band kicks out an excellent version of Slayer's Postmortem and the crowd goes bananas. The five camera pro shoot is unbelievable. It might as well have been shot by MTV these guys are so adept at capturing the live aspects of the musicians. Close up's of the guitar picking, the fret boards and even Adam's face during his growling. There is little left unseen in this show. To the point that at times I wish they would just show a back of the club shot so the whole stage could be seen. While I do not feel that Hate are in the same league as Vader, The Yattering or Behemoth, they are an up and coming band that is immensely powerful and has insanely brutal songs. They put on an amazing show that will be well appreciated by any fan of Polish metal, black metal and death metal. I really think fans of Dissection will really be into Hate as they have that same blackened-death style sound. (Metal Mind/Music Video Distributors, P.O.B. 280, Oaks, PA 19456) - Myk.

Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Story/ The Film Itself: I love Zombie films. I also appreciate the effort that goes into an independent film release and the pure joy that must come when a pretty major studio picks up your film, but this film is the pits. The film is an "Urban Horror" film. Basically, the film takes place in the inner city and centers around a warehouse and the main character Josephine. She spends the whole movie running from the undead, until she finds out they have captured her husband. Despite the realization that he is probably dead, she continues looking for him which leads her back to her place of employment, where all her co-workers are now after her flesh. The dialogue of this film is atrocious. The scenery is limited to say the least, including trying to use the same places for multiple locations. The picture looks to be made on video, but of that I am not positive. The effects are limited at best, and poor for most of what you get. The acting seems like they just randomly picked people up off the street and is far from convincing. It took all of ten minutes to lose all expectations for the film and on that, it delivered. You can skip this one. (Lion's Gate, 2700 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404) (DVD) - Myk.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Story: After a stow-away boat drifts into New York City harbor, complete with a zombie, reporter Peter West joins the boat owner's daughter to figure out the whereabouts of her father, last seen in the Carribean. What they discover is an island where the dead rise & walk upon the land of the living.

The Film Itself: Here it is! Zombi 2 or as it's known in America, Zombie. George Romero's Dawn Of The Dead was released as Zombi by Dario Argento overseas, so technically this is meant to be an unauthorized sequel. It also marks one of Lucio Fulci's best and most recgonized films. The zombie effects are top notch and there's some unbelievable gore, such as the legendary wood splinter in the eye kill. Oh, did we mention the fight between a zombie and a shark? Well, that's here too. Although, I personally prefer the Romero zombie films, this is hailed by most horror fans as one of the best living dead movies ever and it is indeed a classic. As a zombie fan you should see it at least once. The ending alone is worth it & is probably one of my favorite endings to a movie EVER! The dubbing which is trademark in most Italian horror films is the only thing that tends to bothers me, but it doesn't take away for the overall enjoyment of this (or any other badly dubbed) Italian horror movie.

Special Features: This disc was once available thru Anchor Bay, and also came out this past month thru Blue Underground, but this is the Shriek Show version, and let me tell you... it's the only edition you'd ever need. I can't imagine another Zombie DVD being packed with more special features then this one. There's some extensive documentary footage talking to just about everyone involved in the film from writers to producers to zombie actors. There's commentary present here with actor Ian McCullogh, an extensive photo gallery & trailers for just about every Zombie related film Shriek Show has to offer. (I plan on investing in a few!) Some other sites have complained about the variation in color and lighting from this and the Blue Underground version... but ya know what? Who cares!? The film itself looks great to me the whole way thru. After owning every crappy video version of these zombie flicks on VHS, any restoration on DVD is a step up and acceptable. Hands down, this is just one of the best Special Edition's a zombie fan can ask for. - robg.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Story: Heather is the newest student to the all-girls school of Falburn Academy, having been dropped off by her parents for being a bit of a troublesome teenager. She quickly realizes that the school is not all it seems to be. There are rumors of witches that once inhabited the school. And Heather keeps hearing voices, while students begin disappearing into the woods. What exactly is going on at Falburn Academy and what is Heather’s connection to it all?

The Film Itself: I love director Lucky McKee’s first film ‘MAY’, so naturally, I’m been dying to check out his follow-up ‘The Woods’ for some time now. I’m not sure what the delay was? But thankfully it’s here on DVD, and proves that Lucky McKee definitely earned his label as a Master Of Horror. (He directed the episode ‘Sick Girl’ for Season One). Stylistically, it’s nothing like ‘MAY’ or ‘Sick Girl’. It’s a period piece set in the 60’s and truly it is its own thing, but it’s quite obvious from the get-go that you’re watching a Lucky McKee film. I can’t explain it, this film is just beautiful. I love the look of it, the feel of it and the music and score. The beautiful Agnes Bruckner plays Heather and she carries the whole film on her shoulders with ease. I love her constant back and forth fighting banter with Samantha (Rachel Nichols), who nick-names her “fire crotch” because of her red hair. The stuff in the first half hour with adjusting to a new school is interesting in itself, but then Heather starts hearing creepy voices from the woods (that’s Angela Bettis’s voice, by the way) and the woods themselves start taking a life of their own as the school’s back stories start to come into play. You know who’s great in this movie? Believe it or not? Bruce Campbell. Seriously! Between this and his acting in Bubba Ho-Tep (Which he was great in.) I think he’s become an even better serious actor and I wish I could see him do more of this stuff. (At least without him saying it “sucks” at convention appearances.) He has a difficult yet loving relationship with Heather that becomes more obvious towards the end of the film. Why’d it take so long for this to make it on DVD? I assume studio tampering with the final cut? And the film’s not perfect. The ending half in particular gets a bit confusing, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that I loved watching every frame of ‘The Woods’. And am eager to see more from Lucky McKee.

Special Features: Sadly, this movie just can’t get a break. No features whatsoever on this release. I’m sure a commentary explaining the film’s post-production problems would’ve been interesting, but alas, not on this DVD. If they ever did give this flick its due and give it a fancy special edition, I’d definitely be first in line to pick it up. –Robg.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Story: Three friends are traveling across the great outback, and end up taking a 4-hour hike to the Wolf Creek National Park. When they return, their car is dead and help comes in the form of a bushman named Mick. But as they are soon about to discover, Mick’s intentions with them are far from humble, and all the more sinister! Based on the real life “back-packer” killer.

The Film Itself: The advertising for this film is fairly impressive. I mean, right on the box are quotes from filmmaking giants Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. “One of the great horror film heavies of the last 25 years” and “as real as horror gets”. These are pretty bold statements! Now, are they true? To an extent. Don’t get the wrong idea. I really DID enjoy this film, but it’s far from an instant horror classic. Let’s address the problems first. The movie feels really long and it’s very slow paced. I usually love slow paced movies that build in suspense. But I think you can skip the first 40 minutes and not miss anything too important. But after that, the second half of the movie is great. Once we learn of Mick’s true intentions, things get pretty horrific. Things I liked about the flick? The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. It wasn’t until I watched the making of featurette that I learned this movie was shot in HD digital and it looks amazing! Also, John Jarret is fantastic as Mick. He comes off so likable when we first meet him that it’s hard to believe how sinister he truly can get. There’s a bit of gore in this “uncut” addition, but not a lot. (Hey, there ARE only 4 characters.) There were moments in the second half that were pretty brutal and even the ending is a bit upsetting. (But also satisfying.) I think the second half is what pretty much makes this movie.

Special Features: This is a pretty good special edition disc. There’s a commentary track with director Greg McLean, producer Matt Hearn, and actors Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi. It’s fairly entertaining as they share plenty of stories about the making of the production. (Such as Nathan Phillips bringing the acoustic guitar to the set and improvising the songs that ended up in the film.) There’s also a really in-depth extensive making of featurette which covers practically the entire production. I enjoy hearing director Greg McLean’s talk about his passion for this project and the horror genre in general. He seems to know his horror and I really look forward to what he does in the future. –robg.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Story/ The Film Itself: A woman named Linda (music video vixen Tawney Kitaen) is possessed by an evil spirit through the use of a ouija board believing the spirit to be that of a ten year old boy. At first the spirit is helpful such as helping Linda find a lost ring, but this is only a trick to lure her into using the board more and more. Eventually her behavior starts changing and people around her begin to suffer mysterious deaths. It's up to Linda's boyfriend Jim and her ex-boyfriend Brandon to save her before it's too late. Witchboard is a highly underrated horror film. Unlike many horror films of the eighties, Witchboard focuses on suspense and not gore. It creates high tension and is at times atmospheric. The characters are also not the standard fodder for the body count. All the characters in the movie have a purpose. They are likeable, although not so much at first. Alongside Tawney Kitaen, the film also stars Todd Allen, Stephen Nichols, Kathleen Wilhoite as a zany psychic and Rose Marie (of The Dick Van Dyke Show) as the landlord. The movie is directed by Kevin S. Tenney who later directed Night Of The Demons. Followed by the excellent Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway (not available on dvd) and the not so good Witchboard: Possession (available on dvd from Artisan.)

Special Features: Commentary by Writer/Director Kevin S. Tenney, Executive Producer Walter Josten and Producer Jeff Geoffray/ The Making Of Witchboard/ Theatrical Trailer/ TV Spots. - neil a.

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Posted by Mike-ons of Fright at 09:44 PM | Permalink |