Diary of the Dead Update

First Night, Dawn, Day, then Land, George A. Romero, father of the modern zombie movies now brings us his 5th installment titled Diary of the Dead. Since it was shoot last year in October 2006 I've been waiting to see it. Made it's premier at the Toronto Film Festival in September this year.

Everyone seems to really dig it, from Variety to Fangoria to USA Today. The only bad review I read slammed it for it's documentary style "Blair Witch" look as an excuse for poor film making. I'll have to see for myself to form an opinion but having seen every Romero film countless times, I'm ready for what's next.

The movie takes place starting over the genre, only right since it is his baby. We follow 4 college film students making a horror movie in the woods when the zombie apocalypse breaks out. Is shot in first person documentary style, hence the comparisons to "Blair". I have seen some movies done this way that have failed, or have been highly effective in involving the audience, taking them along and putting them in the action.

I recently read Diary was shown again at Screamfest 2007 in Los Angeles. It was bought by The Weinstein Company for around 2.5 million with a guaranteed theatrical release. Oh yeah baby, now I'm stoked because it is getting treated right. I'll keep posting but keep an eye out for a release date and go see this movie. The Weinstien's were also behind Grindhouse, my favorite 2 movies I've seen in years We have to support their releases with ticket numbers so they keep it up, releasing horror films that are different, creative and on the cutting edge.

Official Site: http://myspace.com/diaryofthedead

Source Article about purchase: http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=news&id=11766

Bruce Campbell News

I don't know about you, but I've been waiting over a year now to see My Name is Bruce. A horror comedy written by Mark Verheiden and directed/starring/produced by Bruce Campbell. A small town in Oregon is invaded by a monster, so the town's folk try to find someone to fight it. They see Bruce kick monster ass in the movies so they snatch him up. But much to their dismay, the actor drinks alot and knows nothing about fighting real monsters.

So I deliver this news with mixed emotions. Bruce's website states that the movie was going straight to dvd this fall after showing at 2 west coast film festivals last summer. I was quite excited. But according to this recent article on Fangoria, looks like we have to be a little more patient. Well welcome to Hollywood baby, cause the coolest stuff always gets thrown under the bus.

I have to say at least it's getting a release, but pushed off until mid-2008. Mark Verheiden's Blog reports that it will be packed with extras and being distributed by Image Entertainment. Still nothing on Image Entertainment's website concerning the actual street date so for now... we wait. When I know something I'll post it here.

In other news I heard a interview with Bruce on Fangoria radio. You can listen here. He states the sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep (excellent movie) called Bubba Nosferatu he will not be part of. He says he walked away from the project claiming creative differences with writer/director Coscarelli. I can only say, what is Coscarelli thinking. I honestly believe the only reason people saw the first one is because Bruce was in it. I have no interest in the sequel Nosferatu starring Billy Zane or someone else. Oh well, can't have it all.

Fido :: Review

Let me start this review by saying, this movie was fantastic. If I had 5 thumbs I'd stick them all up. IT IS AN INSTANT CULT CLASSIC! Very original creative approach to a dying zombie film market. The storytelling was brilliant, the visuals were excellent, and the concept was just cool as hell.

From writer/director Andrew Currie comes Fido an insanely original dark horror comedy. It takes place after the said Zombie Apocalypse has already occurred. Small communities modeled after Leave it to Beaver idealistic 1960's American life are fenced in from what they call the "Wild Zone". Inside these fences an organization named ZomCon is responsible for keeping the people quarantined and the zombies inside the fence domesticated and behaved. That's right, I said inside the fence. A scientist developed a collar that zombies wear to curb their unsatisfied taste for human flesh. So what do we do with them now? We put them to work. Things like gardening, paper delivery, and other menial tasks the masses never want to do.

They are treated like household pets, some have names, some not naming them in fear they will get to close and not be able to kill it if need be. All alive breathing humans that die inside the fence are immediately disposed of by ZomCon removing the head. The radiation in the air instantly brings people back to life hungry for brains. So as you could imagine, old people are a problem. HAHA!

That most impressive part of this film, the amount of detail and care in creating the world in which these characters lived inside the fence. The story stays mainly focused on a small boy named Timmy Robinson played by K'Sun Ray (I swear, I didn't make up that name) and his family. The acting is impressive especially from K'Sun (maybe he's a distant cousin of K'Fed). The movie also stars Carrie Anne Moss, Bill Connolly, and Henry Czerny. It takes a turn for the worst when their zombie lovingly named Fido, gets his collar damaged and eats the next door neighbor. An outbreak occurs which ZomCon quickly puts out but they can't contain it forever.

This is not a movie for the kids, they call it a Lassie movie for adults. There are some good head shots and flesh munching, something I don't think the little ones would understand.

All in all my opinion on this film is we need more like them. Reminded me a bit of the sequel to C.h.u.d. from the late 80's called Bud the C.h.u.d., which has still not been released on dvd here in the US. (write your congressman to get that one out, was a classic and deserves a release) We need more film makers like Currie that believe so much in their work they get the actors, crew and everyone involved to believe in it, then execute it beautifully. Like Mr. Connolly says in the film "Has your father ever tried to eat you?"

http://www.fidothefilm.com/

Chucky Remake in 08'

Chucky may soon be returning in a remake of the original 1988 Child's Play film. Producer David Kirschner is saying that it is in the works coming out sometime next year to culminate the 20 year anniversary. Supposedly they will re shoot the original script with some added scenes and scares. Claiming that they can do so much more now then they could back then with the addition of CG. Don Mancini, who wrote the first film and sequels, is on board according to Kirschner.

I like the idea, and I especially like that Hollywood is bringing some of the fun back to horror. Keep the comedy kicking Don, we need more of it in the horror genre. The Child's Play movies were fun movies. Even if the masses are into Hostel & Saw sequels, I'll be there for this one.

In the vein of franchise horror, Freddy, Jason, Myers, Chucky, they did it best. And working from the original script, not only saves time, but it gives the audience exactly what it wants, a true remake. So they can't complain that movie didn't stay true to itself.

This was done successfully when Tom Savini remade Romero's Night of the Living Dead with the original script in 1990. I honestly liked it better than Romero's B&W version. It came with the same story, dialogue, characters, just retold it with better effects quality and acting. What I would like to see though is Chucky still being a live action doll figure. Mix in some CG, but real effects are always better, especially in horror.

I'll keep updating if anything else happens about this.

Source

The Tripper :: DVD Review

From the mind of David Arquette comes the 2006 film The Tripper. A highly entertaining political slasher film with an axe wielding Ronald Regan.

It stars Paul Reubens (yes, Pee-Wee), Jason Mews (Jay without Silent Bob), Thomas Jane (The Punisher), and Arquette himself making a cameo as well as many others. It's full of off beat characters and pretty good acting for what the plot required. The story sets up with a group of free loving hippies headed out to the woods to make love, do drugs and hug trees. Paul Reubens is their leader, guiding their peace festival. But there is another among them in the darkness, and he is... a republican. They begin to die one at a time, then in larger groups. There are clues left at the crime scene of the non-clothed albino redhead hippie's body. A black jelly bean (Regan's favorite some say) and this takes the Sheriff (Thomas Jane) to shut down the free spirited party goers event to try and save some lives. Easier said than done when a axe toting masked Regan and hundreds of acid tripping teens are loose in the woods.

What really made this movie memorable after it had ended is how Arquette handled the material. The way a slasher film was used as an allegory to talk about how our government has used and killed the seemingly clueless American population. Paul Reubens representing corporate America and all it's crooked back door dealings. The Sheriff was the common sense voice trying to save people from utter destruction. The masses never listen because they are to busy having sex with each other and getting high. Then a masked Regan representing the darkside of the government. Killing our own citizens, with the axe as a metaphor. The title is a reference to Regan's nickname, The Gipper.

The problem is I think most won't get this movie, it's above the norm for a slasher film. But I say great job Arquette, I really liked this movie. The gore and bloody special effects were of high quality, the movie had a budget and was not an indie film. The directing was nicely done, but I most liked the script. As quoted by Jason Mewes' character in the film "I love the president, he has balls the size of Texas. He knows how to tell the rest of the world fuck off and does what he wants".

Great film, highly recommended.

Evil Dead 3 Disc Ultimate Edition

It's coming, just in time for Christmas, The Evil Dead: 3 Disc Ultimate Edition from none other than Anchor Bay Entertainment. With a release date of December 18th, 2007 it will make the perfect gift for your favorite horror head. Now I realize that this movie probably already sits on a shelf in your collection right next to Army of Darkness, but the studios know how to rope us in. I personally have bought 3 versions of the original Evil Dead dvd. My favorite being the book of the dead version, the packaging alone is worth the price.

That being said I'm already in line for this one, there are plenty of added special features to make me cough up the suggested retail of $34.97. Anchor Bay is awesome for the fact they are the only studio releasing our favorites in this way. The new dvd packaging is a replica of the original theatrical poster from the late 70's, with worn edges and bent corners included.

If it's anything like the Dawn of the Dead Ultimate Edition released a few years back it's well worth the extra buy. I haven't seen anyone taking pre-orders but if I do I'll post a link here..

Here are some specs from Anchor Bay below of what each disc will contain.

_DISC __ONE__ (WIDESCREEN VERSION) SPECIAL FEATURES_ _
* /One by One We Will Take You/: The Untold Saga of /The Evil Dead
– /NEW!
* Audio Commentary by Director Sam Raimi and Producer Robert Tapert
_

_DISC TWO (__FULL__-FRAME VERSION) SPECIAL FEATURES_

* /The Evil Dead/: Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor -- NEW!
* Audio Commentary by Actor Bruce Campbell

_DISC THREE SPECIAL FEATURES_

* /Life After Death: The Ladies of The Evil Dead – /At home, on the
road and behind-the-scenes with Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker and
Theresa Tilly – NEW!
* The Ladies of /The Evil Dead /Meet Bruce Campbell – Ellen, Betsy
& Theresa join Bruce for an informal yakfest – NEW!
* Unconventional – Cast and crew reunite to discuss horror
conventions and beyond – NEW!
* At the Drive-In – A no-holds-barred Q&A with a drive-in audience
of hardcore fans – NEW!
* Reunion Panel – The once-in-a-lifetime panel at Chicago’s
Flashback Weekend Horror Convention – NEW!
* Discovering /The Evil Dead – /A look at the British home video
release of /The Evil Dead/ and it’s place in the “Video Nasties”
debate
* Make-Up Test
* Trailer
* TV Spots
* Still Gallery
* Poster & Memorabilia Gallery

Planet Terror :: Review

The second release of the two part Grindhouse masterpiece is Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. This is a movie George Romero or John Carpenter would be proud of. Hats off to Rodriguez for throwing down as hard as he did. From machine gun legs to exploding heads, he didn't hold anything back. There are truly awesome moments.

It is set in present time but presented in the Grindhouse late 70's style of grainy video, bad cuts, sound, and score. That was one of my favorite things, how that kept up through the whole movie. Even though the effects were top notch compared to what they could have done in the late 70's, Rodriquez managed to capture that film making quality of that time perfectly.

The military sets out to purchase a biochemical weapon from an underground scientist. Things go wrong and Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) is thrown into the middle of a brilliant splatter fest. Zombies, infected flesh eating freaks, Uncle Ted, whatever you want to call the monsters I don't think matters. They were done with enough difference from other films of this same type that it felt fresh and new. It had a great script and followed the story and characters very well. The audience wasn't left looking for answers from bad plot points.

There was also references to the very end of From Dusk til' Dawn when Clooney mentions El' Ray. I don't know if it meant anything but I found it to be a nice surprise I wasn't expecting.

I can't say enough cool things about this film except you have to see it, it's brilliant in every form. Rodriquez and Tarantino are masters of their craft, and I love watching the end results.

http://www.grindhousemovie.net/

Wrong Turn 2 :: Review

Let me start by saying i was not expecting alot. The first one wasn't bad, but most of us rented it because Eliza Dushku was on the cover. Sadly the studio didn't cough up enough dough to bring her breasts, ahemmm...... I mean her acting talents into this second entry. But it's okay, because there are breasts a plenty in this fun gorefest.

Henry Rollins hosts an apocalyptic reality game show where the cast has to meet a set of challenges in the West Virginia hillside. However things take a turn for the worst when they have been chosen to be on the menu by the inbred hillbilly cannibal family.

We see some of the most disturbing kills yet to be attempted in horror and are given an up close look inside the inbreds daily life. There are some highly memorable scenes that can only be appreciated once you witness. The typical run, kill formula was used, but it was a really entertaining ride.

This was director Joe Lynch's first movie and I'm looking forward to his next project.

8 More FIlms to Die For

It's back. Horrorfest 2007 is running from November 9-18. Looks like a whole week of splattery goodness. Wasn't able to see them all in the theater last year but have since seen them on dvd. With movies like Gravedancers, Unrest, Dark Ride & Wicked Little Things, this year's films have some big shoes to fill.

So far the movies playing this year are::


The Deaths of Ian Stone

Nightmare Man

Frontiers

Borderland

Mulberry Street

Tooth & Nail

Lake Dead

With that I only count 7 films, so looks like 1 more should be added. Will update soon, looks like their site is still under construction.

28 Weeks Later :: Review

Now this is how you make a sequel! With the recent release of
28 Weeks Later I was at the blockbuster shortly after it opened to secure my copy. Yes I missed it in the theater. I would imagine a big screen and a bucket of popcorn would have made this movie stand out even more.

We open the story picking up, you guessed it, 28 weeks later than the first film. The original 28 days was one of the freshest approaches to a zombie film in a long time. It came out the same year as the Dawn of the Dead remake (another good movie) and the new and improved running zombie was born.

If you have been in a box the last few years and missed the original, it is well worth going to see before this. You don't have to, because 28 Weeks holds it's own with story, character and action.

In this sequel the infected as they are called, have died off from starvation in Britain. The US military has secured the area and occupied a green zone in which they begin to re-stock fresh meat. By that I mean, normal people have been cleared to live and work in this area once again. However most of London is still littered with bodies and debris from the original onslaught so the normal people are kept behind gates and fences, not allowed to go into the city.

Oh it gets better, the film goes on and on with amazingly crafted action and gore. It really is a fun ride. The CGI didn't even bother me. I am not a fan of green screens and fake monsters, I like good old fashioned make up. This film had a nice mix of the two mediums that played together perfectly. The score played a big part in the movie for me, giving the events a surreal almost existential quality. And the nicely crafted shots of the aftermath in London were beautifully taken.

Here is the US Fox Atomic film site
http://www.foxatomic.com/28wks/

Here is the UK site
http://www.28weekslaterdvd.co.uk/
The UK site is much cooler

Just Another Day at the Office

I recently watched Severance, a british horror-comedy from Writer/Director Christopher Smith. Severance stands on it's own as a highly original film. I am a huge fan of horror-comedy in general and this film delivers over and over again. If I could compare this movie to anything I'd say an episode of the Office written by the guy they keep in the basement at Fangoria.

Severance recently came out on DVD, so rent it, buy it, watch it through your neighbor's window but be sure not to miss this movie.

http://www.severancefilm.com/

I Am Legend Site Launch

http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com/
I don't know about you but one look at the trailer, I can't wait to see this movie.

Based on Richard Matheson's novel, a man-made virus wipes out the population of New York City leaving Robert Neville (Will Smith) the last human survivor in the city and possibly the world. Neville lives alone for three years, attempting to contact and find other possible survivors. He is watched by the Infected, mutant victims of the plague. Neville works to find a way to create a cure using his own immune blood, but he finds himself outnumbered by the Infected and running out of time

It is being released to the theaters on December 14, 2007.

Michael Bay to give life back to Jason Voorhees

Reuters Article
Looks like Hollywood is at it again. Another remake of one of the most classic horror characters in modern cinema. I'm all for remakes, reinventing or retelling of old stories, but the problem is most of the retellings suck.

What we loved so much about Jason was not necessarily that he was scary, but that he was larger than life. The stories were campy, acting horrible, and they didn't try to hard to make Jason scary. Keep it simple, let Jason chop up high school fornicators as he so enjoys. You can shoot him, stab him, burn him, karate chop to his neck, none of this matters, he keeps chopping. He is an opposing force that can't be stopped no matter how hard you try.

Have fun with gore, cameras, acting, but don't take the story to seriously, not a lot of back story in the script, some would be cool but go through it quick, or work into the plot. Most of us revel in the chance to see Jason come back to the big screen, and look forward to more installments. I really liked Freddy VS. Jason and I didn't think I would. It surprised me and kept a dry, dark humor that I enjoy. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift wrote that screenplay and are writing the new installment. So I feel comfortable in trusting this new one will be enjoyable.

I still don't know why all hate Michael Bay. I call it the Wal-Mart syndrome, the wanna be cool kids hate anything that appeals and has some flash to it. Bay is the Corvette of Hollywood, not all like corvettes, but turn their heads when it rides by.

I have faith in Bay and Platinum Dunes after watching Hitcher. A pretty good remake. The remake was crazy with a lot of action mixed in. But I really enjoyed the approach, highly entertaining. The Hitcher is a BAD MUTHA> WATCH YOUR MOUTH> I'm just talking bout' Hitcher.

We need that kind of love put back into Jason Voorhees. Needless to say these are just thoughts, the film is ultimately in your hands. There is a lot of potential to do something really cool, and if I had to pick, would be this team to do it. Platinum Dunes producers say the film should be out near late 2008, you'll get my $10 bucks.

Some more links
http://www.fridaythe13thfilms.com/films/newfriday.html
http://www.lifewithjason.com/

Reaper: Saving the Day?

http://www.cwtv.com/shows/reaper
Reaper is by far the best new original show on television the fall. Now granted the idea isn't original, there has been plenty dealing with bounty hunters from hell working for the devil. But the approach is fresh and exciting.

Sam the lead character is an early twenties slacker lost in life, little did he know his parents sold his soul to the devil when he was a baby. The devil claims his soul when he turns 21, and instead of taking Sam to hell he makes him work on earth capturing lost souls that have escaped.

The devil is played by Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks, he is perfect. The devil is witty, sharp, funny, sympathetic and most of all sly and cunning. He is the devil now.

The thing that has set this show off is that it's hysterically funny. There is a lot of comedy wrapped in, the plot is already silly, and so the writers, cast and producers decided to have fun with it. Think Ghostbusters meets Clerks, the best way i can describe it. Kevin Smith directed the first episode because he liked the script so much. The show was created and is written mostly by two women, which is really unprecedented in network television.

2 episodes have already aired but tune in next week Tuesday Night at 9PM on the CW. Tivo it, have your VCR timer set to record, let your little brother draw you a picture of what it was like, just behold the Reaper. It's awesome to see a refreshing comedy/horror/action not take itself to seriously and we in turn have a great time watching it.

According to the web it got 3.5 million viewers last week, a huge hit with the male audience ages 17-40. The highest rated show on CW brings in 5 million viewers, so this is wonderful news. Tell your friends about Reapers and let's make this show last into a second season...