Theatrical Releases Nov 12:
- Skyline (Universal Pictures) Nov 19:
- Heartless (IFC Films)
DVD Releases Nov 2:
- Not of This World (Roger Corman Cult Classics)
- Terror Within/Dead Space (Roger Corman Cult Classics) Nov 9:
- Antichrist (Criterion Collection)**
- Damned By Dawn**
- Tremors* Nov 16:
- Don't Look Back
- The Possession of David O'Reily
- The Twilight Zone: Season Two*
Over the years, Troma has grown to be one of my (Chuck) favorite film production and distribution companies. Their brand of over the top film has become immensely successful to its cult audience. Troma is the United States' oldest independent film company. The company was founded by aspiring movie maker Lloyd Kaufman. Today, Kaufman and Troma have a multitude of fans world wide, and have become a household name among horror fans.
Troma's first big success, and one of the main reasons they have so many fans, came in 1984 with the Toxic Avenger. The film is about a 90 lbs nerd who has an accident and falls into a vat of toxic waste, transforming him into New Jersey's first monster hero of superhuman size and strength, the Toxic Avenger. Toxie spends his time ridding his hometown of Tromaville from evil. Along his super hero journey he meets and falls in love with a blind blond bimbo named Sara. Toxie spends the rest of his time picking off the criminals in Tromaville one by one. The corrupt mayor, Mayor Belgoody, and his crooked police force are behind a lot of the wrongdoing going on in Toxie's home town. Because Toxie is cleaning up Tromaville, the mayor puts a bounty out on the monster hero. All in all, Toxie wins and Tromaville rejoices as the mayor shows his guts.
The legacy of the Toxic Avenger is one that goes unparalleled compared to other cult movies. After the initial movie, there were three sequels: The Toxic Avenger Part II, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie, and Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part IV. Right now Troma is in the process of producing the Toxic Avenger Part V: The Toxic Twins as well as a big budget remake. Apart from these sequels, the Toxic Avenger spawned a Saturday morning children's cartoon series, the Toxic Crusaders. There is also an off broadway musical dedicated to Troma's 1984 hit.
There are over 100 licenses for Toxie merchandise in the US and abroad, including a line of Playmates action figures, two marvel comic book series, Topp's trading cards, Nintendo and Sega video games, Thermos lunch boxes and thermoses, Colorforms play sets, International Games board games, a CD-Rom, model kits, Halloween masks, and much more.
In 1984 when a little known independent film company called Troma began working on a unique superhero film called The Toxic Avenger, they had no idea that this film, as well as the monster hero, would put them on the map. Now, the names Troma and Toxie are known the world around, and the legacy continues. Not too shabby for a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength.
This is the first blog post that we've actually done together for some time, as we are both attending college in different states. Mike came to PBU for a visit, and we decided that the perfect way to spend our evening would be to head out to the local theater for a viewing of Wes Craven's new flick My Soul to Take. As fans of Wes Craven, we thought it would be sacrilegious to miss out on this. While watching, we couldn't help but wonder...where is Freddy?
Quick Spoiler Free Summary: The movie started out with a flashback of a man with schizophrenia realizing that he is a serial killer terrorizing the residents of Riverton. On the anniversary of the death of the Riverton Ripper, seven kids born on that very same date sixteen years prior attempt to allude the vengeful killer. As the teens begin to be picked off one by one, those involved start to question whether or not they know who the killer actually is. Did the Riverton Ripper actually die? If so, has his ghost returned to seek revenge? Or is there an unexpected possibility that nobody expected could be possible?
Review:
Plot- 3.5/5
The movie's plot was nothing spectacular, however it wasn't just a goon in a mask. Although it had the aspects of a typical slasher movie, it wasn't as straightforward as a man with a knife who kills teenagers one by one in increasingly gruesome fashions. There was a little thinking that had to be done, which made it a little different than your Friday the 13th's and your Halloween's. The movie's plot was more akin to a murder mystery than your average slasher flick; with the several possible suspects being provided from the start.
Acting- 3/5
The highlight of the acting was the main character Bug, who had to act with several different personalities. None of the acting seemed like it was over done or lacking in any area. It was all believable, which made it easy to connect with the characters. The movie lost points when the Ripper was allowed to talk. He seemed to channel Freddy Krueger at times with attempts at wit, but fell flat when his lines were delivered in a goofy manner.
Gore- 2.5-5
The film wasn't as gory as you would expect a slasher movie today. With today's bloodsoaked cinema we're not used to seeing a minimalist approach to gore, especially in a genre where these elements are the main event. There seemed to be points where there was unnecessary CGI, as the effects could have been easily shown using natural means. It seems like filmmakers are becoming more reliant on computers where blood packs and pumps would look more realistic. Its a small gripe, but it is still one that bothers us.
Fear- 2.5/5
One of the elements of the movie that can cause fear is the uncertainty of the identity of the killer. The film is set up so that every one of the possible suspects has a viable motive for being the Ripper. The obligatory "jump out" scares make their appearance, but they aren't enough to spark any real terror. The idea of a deranged person going around killing you and your friends does give one a primal sense fear, but at the end of the day, its a road well traveled.
In Conclusion- 3/5
At the end of the movie, we didn't feel as though our money was wasted. The movie was nothing spectacular, but we definitely didn't leave the theater angry. The last two movies that we saw in the theater were big disappointments and this was a bit of a relief to be watch an actual horror movie. While not a milestone slasher film, it did nothing wrong that messed with the formula. If that's all that matters to you, then give it a shot. If you're looking for more creativity and gore, then wait for Hatchet II to come out on DVD.
We have a new feature here at Mike and Chuck's Blog of the Dead. As I (Chuck) was sitting in a 3 hour Sociology class last night, I came up with the idea of doing a "Horrorscope." This Horrorscope will be a post put up on the first of each month with a preview of what horror related things can be expected throughout that particular month. Since It is still pretty close to the beginning of October, I figured why not start this now.
Theatrical Releases: Oct 1: - Case 39 (Paramount Vantage)
- Chain Letter (New Films International)
- Hatchet II (Dark Sky Films) Oct 8:
- I Spit On Your Grave (Anchor Bay Films)
- My Soul To Take (Rogue Pictures) Oct 22: - Paranormal Activity 2 (Paramount Pictures) Oct 29: - Night of the Demons (Seven Arts Pictures)
- SAW 3D (Lionsgate)
DVD Releases: Oct 5: - 30 Days of Night: Dark Days - A Nightmare on Elm Street - The Exorcist (Extended Director's Cut) - The Human Centipede (First Sequence) - The Slumber Party Massacre Collection Oct 12:
- Lost Boys: The Thirst - Manson, My Name is Evil Oct 19:
- Mirrors 2 (Unrated) Oct 26:
- House (The Criterion Collection) - Lake Placid 3 - Maniac (30th Anniversary Edition)
Miscellaneous: Oct 29-31:
- Chiller Theatre Convention Oct 30: - NJ Zombie Walk in Asbury Park, NJ Oct 31: - Halloween - The Walking Dead premiere (TV)
When Adam Green's Hatchet was first released in 2007, it breathed new life into the slasher genre. A bloodsoaked, gut busting horror franchise was born. Adam Green is back at it with the long awaited sequel, Hatchet II.
As a fan of the first film, and of slasher films in general, I was very excited for this movie. I talked a couple buddies into going to the midnight release across the PA/NJ border to probably the nicest movie theater I've ever been in. I remember on the way there, worrying about securing a ticket and finding a good seat. Needless to say, there were only 4 other people in the theater that night. We grabbed our popcorn, soda, and Reese's Pieces, and sat back in our very comfortable seats. My eyes lit up as the opening scene began...
Hatchet II picks up exactly one frame after the first movie ended, with Victor Crowley holding our damsel in distress Marybeth (this time played by the amazing Danielle Harris) in his evil clutches. The first thing you notice is that Victor looks a little different, which makes it better. I really liked how this movie gave a lot more back story, and explained a lot of stuff from the first movie. One of the things I really liked about Hatchet II was the character expansion of Reverend Zombie, played by the Candyman himself, Tony Todd.
This movie was filled with positives for me. Numerous references to other slasher movies had me cracking up, and I nearly crapped my pants when I saw Lloyd Kaufman make a cameo appearance. As soon as I saw Uncle Lloyd's face, I clapped and yelled out, "THATS LLOYD KAUFMAN!"The story was great, and I thought the movie had a good pace. Danielle Harris was exceptional as always, doing a much better job at portraying Marybeth than the previous actress. The best part for me, obviously, were all the kills. Some of the most imaginative and entertaining kills I've seen in cinema, with plenty of the red stuff flying about. Seeing a man being choked by his own intestine until his head pops off gives me that warm, tingly feeling.
If you were a fan of the first Hatchet, be sure to not miss this movie. You won't be disappointed. And if you are just a slasher fan in general, the same goes for you. This gore-soaked slash fest is one that will be loved for generations of horror fans to come. Now the countdown begins for Hatchet III...
Last March I attended Monster Mania Con in Cherry Hill, NJ. Monster Mania is a horror weekend horror movie convention that I've been going to for about five years. While browsing through the various tables filled with all types of horror merch, I heard a voice say "Hey you, do you like zombies?" Anyone who knows me is aware that I am obsessed with zombies, so I hurried over. That was the voice of Patrick Devaney, creator, director, writer, and star of the only zombie show currently on television, Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead. After learning about the show, I purchased the first 4 half hour episodes of the first season. That afternoon while eating lunch, I watched the first episode and a half. I was so impressed, that I went back and purchased episodes 5 and 6. After keeping up with the show and numerous meetings at various other horror cons, I decided it would be an awesome thing to interview Pat for the blog. Due to being a poor college student in PA with no vehicle, the interview must have been done by print. Here ya go.
BotD: For those who don't know, what is Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead?
PD: "Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead" is a TV series based on a simple premise: if Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' happened for real, in the heart of NYC, what would it be like? What would really happen? How would people really act like?
The main story follows the lives of Billy Cassidy and his friends (Paul Bates, John Salazar, Rebecca Kaufman, Carrie Walker, and a gun dealer named "Smoothie") as they try to deal with the situation. Their solution: get guns, and go out killing these things before they have a chance to take over.
The subplots include a militia group that is capitalizing on the crisis, the city and state officials who are trying to cover the entire thing up, and the disappearence of Billy's girlfriend, Judy.
The show also holds the distinction of being the first (and until recently ONLY) continuously-broadcast Zombie-based series in the world.
BotD: How did the show come into existence?
PD: Many of us on the show are life-long friends, and have always been interested in horror films. As a child, I couldn't get into the theater to see Dawn of the Dead in 1978 due to it's X-rating. I had to wait until the re-release in 1982 to see it (and even then I had to sneak in!). That beautiful, technicolor nightmare changed everything for me.
I have been interested in making films for a very long time. We regularly went to horror conventions as a group of Vampire Hunters, and I started writing some short story ideas, but it always went back to Romero's work. I finally decided one day to give it a shot, sent out a group eMail to everyone I thought would be interested, and got a huge response. We started filming 6 months later and have never looked back.
BotD: What is your favorite aspect of making the show? (editing, writing, acting, etc)
PD: Years ago, I'd have answered Editing. I believe everything in a film boils down to the editor. And while it is still one of my favorite parts, many other things are special to me.
I love when we wrap for a day's shooting, and everyone is exhausted, but they're happy, and laughing. I love when someone who doesn't think they can act does a scene that brings applause the moment I call 'cut'. And I love that moment when I realize an episode is done, that it exists on it's own, and doesn't need me anymore.
BotD: Do you have any specific training or education when it comes to film making? If so, explain.
PD: None whatsoever, in the traditional sense. Unless is you count almost 42 years of watching horror, drama, and sci-fi films. As an infant, my mother sat me in front of the TV and explained who everyone was on Dark Shadows during it's original run. I still blame her for this! :)
But nothing can really get done properly without trained people. I had worked as a commercial editor before computers were used for cutting, and I have studio experience in assembling media from when I was a musician. But I mainly rely on those in my crew who have gone to film school, who've worked in media and on film sets, for their technical guidance. I also rely on those outside of the film industry to advise me on police procedure, medical terms, and computer programming. When you get everyone together, if it's right, you work as one large, well-trained animal. I can't think of a better way to describe it!
BotD: What would be your favorite weapon to use during a zombie apocalypse? why?
PD: A 9mm Uzi. I used a real one when we were training for the show, and in many scenes that is the real thing I'm carrying. I was instantly impressed by the feel of the weapon, and how (with next to no training) I scored 8 out of 10 hits with it against the farthest targets on the range. With a clip of 30 commonly found rounds, a selective rate of fire, and a track record of reliability, I'd opt for that every time.
BotD: How do you feel about track star zombies?
PD: I get asked this a lot, and for us, it's a hybrid situation. I personally dislike 'fast' zombies, as that tells me they're rabid, not dead. Rabid people are scary, but the Living Dead SCARE me. I think that's an important difference.
On ZH, we have a hybrid, like I mentioned. Linnet Brooks (who plays 'Rebecca') has her Ph.D., and agreed to do the show ONLY if it was 'medically accurate'. And for her, fast zombies would be perfectly normal UNTIL rigor mortis set in. So, we took her advice: our Zombies are as fast and as strong (albeit dead and confused) as they ever were in real life for a good 2-3 hours. Plus, our Zombies re-animate instantly. Which gives you no time to prepare. They're bleeding out one second, and on you the next. Not good.
But for MY personal vote? Let's keep the Zombies true to form, nice and slow and unrelenting.
BotD: What is your favorite piece of zombie cinema?
PD: Romero's "Dawn of the Dead". It's never been topped in over three decades. Zombie perfection. I'm not sure why any of us even try.
BotD: What is your favorite non-zombie horror flick?
PD: This is a tough one, but I have to go with "The Shining". To this day, if that's on, I'll stop what I'm doing to watch it..... and be freaked out almost instantly. King + Nicholson + Kubrick = Brilliance.
BotD: What would be your favorite zombie kill?
PD: In Episode 1, Teri Gudorp ("Teri") grabs actress Monica Beck by the face and snaps her neck. People still yelp when they see (and hear!) that. In Episode 6, Chris Murphy ("Bates") kills actress/model Kim Santiago with a functioning power drill. I'd say those two!
BotD: When you are not working on ZH, what do you with your time?
PD: I try to spend time with my beautiful (and VERY understanding) wife Jeanna. I also do carpentry (I built much of our furniture), write stories, and do accounting for any number of companies. In years past, I've built homes for Habitat For Humanity. I also manage my own production company and plan all our future projects (some zombie-related, some not!)
BotD: What is the future of ZH?
PD: We just finished filming our first season on the evening of 9/11. Production of the second season picks up in mid-2011. A third season has already been written, but elements of it might be incorporated into the second, depending on how the overall storyline evolves.
But so far, everyone who's worked on the first is interested in staying on for the second (to be filmed between 2011 and 2014). So right now, I'm talking a bit of a vacation from the Zombie world, my first in 5 years, to re-charge and figure out where all these characters are going to go next!
Special thanks to Patrick for giving up his time to do this. The guys from ZH are a great bunch, and I always look forward to seeing them at various horror conventions. Check out this little teaser trailer for the show, then Billy Cassidy's (played by Patrick) opening scene below.
So today, a couple friends (Nate and Alex) and I (Chuck) went on an impromptu trip to the movie theater to see Robert Rodriguez' newest flick, Machete. What an excellent decision it was. I had heard a whole bunch about this movie due to its insane coverage on Bloody-Disgusting. Although its not really a horror movie, I enjoyed it tremendously. The movie had a who's who of actors, including Danny Trejo, Steven Segal, Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba. Cheech Marin and Lindsay Lohan also had very funny cameos in the film.
The film started out as a faux trailer for the famous 2007 dual release, Grindhouse. Enough people showed interest in the trailer, that a decision was made to turn Machete into a full length feature film. The story is easily followed, and fun to get in to. There was an intense mixture of humor and brutality, which made it all the better. The action is pretty much nonstop, with some pretty barbaric killings. The only thing I wasn't insane about is the use of CGI effects. Although CGI was used, it wasn't overused to look ridiculous.
Overall, this has to be one of the best movies I've seen in theaters in a good while. The guys and I had an awesome time laughing at the jokes while cringing at the deaths. If you're looking for a bloody good action flick, Machete is for you.
