Mirrormask

Mirrormask

How could I forget Mirrormask?
I was very fortunate to check out a limited engagement of this film, which I have been waiting for so long... My favorite author, Neil Gaiman, and one of my favorite artists, Dave McKean, teamed up once again, this time, for a feature film. It's like watching a Dave McKean piece come to life. The visuals are stunning. The creatures are bizarre. The story seems kind of familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It's like a beautifully woven tapestry, however. I recall watching the Neverwhere mini series, and feeling gypped - it looked like the BBC hadn't updated their special effects capabilities; like it was a long lost episode of Doctor Who or something. Mirrormask is what I had imagined Neverwhere would look like.
This was really entertaining, especially if you're a geek for Gaiman and McKean, as I am. It's playing in limited release in certain cities, so if it's playing near you, definately go and check it out.

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Halloween is upon us...

So wouldn't you know it... I have a few movie suggestions for you bloodthirsty gorehounds!

Aftermath

I first saw this 30 minute film a few years back on a crappy video dub. It has finally made its way here on DVD, along with two other short films by director Nacho Cerda.
Quite possibly one of the most disturbing films about necrophilia, this film will dig deep under your skin. Not much disturbs me, dear readers, but this one made me feel more than a little dirty watching it. Highly recommended for those of you who are losing faith in the horror genre - though this film has been around for eleven years, it's been fairly hard to get until now.



High Tension

I had been hearing rave reviews about this film since it was first released, however, I heard many people speaking of cut versions, and being the purist I am, I decided to wait to see it until I could get a definitive uncut version to watch. Oh, and not to mention free - I work at a video store, and that equals free rental city, baby. I'm done taking $20 chances on films that may or may not rule. In the case of High Tension it would have been worth it. Despite a couple of unrealistic deaths (suspension of disbelief is definately necessary to fully enjoy this film) I thought it was excellent. From beginning to end, there is, just like the title implies, high tension. Thisfilm has tons of suspense, and an equal amount of gore, with a twist ending that I truthfully did not see coming. Considering that this is one of the first horror films to come out of France (at least, according to the writers/directors of this film) it's really quite impressive, and it comes highly recommended... Though I know lots of you probably saw this long before it got it's much overdue release in the US, just go rent it and watch it again - especially if you have not watched the original, uncut director's cut version.

Currently listening : Music Composed And Performed By Goblin: Their Rare Tracks & Outtakes Collection, 1975-1989 By Goblin Release date: 18 April, 1995

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Check out this event: Michelle's gallery show opening
Category: Art and Photography

Hosted By: Michelle
When: Saturday Oct 15, 2005
at 7:00 PM
Where: Rarebreed
1735a South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
US
Description:
Michelle's sorta debut gallery show...

Click Here To View Event

7:03 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

inactivity

Howdy folks. I haven't been watching many movies lately. So no reviews for you! I did watch the so-called "Uncut" <i>American Psycho</i> DVD, but it seemed the same to me. And the bonus features were complete and utter garbage. I couldn't believe the production quality of the featurette - TROMA does better special features than that. Sheesh. So hey, what have you guys been watching? I know not much good has come out lately. Ring Two is out on tuesday, but we all know that was a snoozefest. Hmmm. Time to dig into the vaults, I guess.
Drop by my page if you haven't already... And turn your speakers on. I put up Goblin's Suspiria theme. :D

Currently listening : These Guys Are from England and Who Gives a Shit By Negativland Release date: 02 October, 2001

7:30 PM - 4 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

art related, not horror related

for any of you that are interested in seeing art by common weirdos like me, please check out the blogs on my other myspace profile.

I'm friends with lots of artists, and I'm sad that I'm not getting many critiques (positive or negative)... So if you're interested (No horror stuff, so if that's all that interests you, you're not gonna find it there!)

Thanks...

11:29 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Don't Go In The House

I thought this movie was gonna be bad. You know, B-Movie bad. It was released in 1980 and it has one of those cautionary "Don't do this or that" titles.... Boy, was I wrong. This is some fucked up shit right here, my friends.
A guy who lives with his mother (Ed Gein, anyone) comes home to find her dead in her chair. She abused him since childhood, often holding his arms over the open flames of the stove. Evil voices tell him that since she's gone now, he can do whatever he wants. Apparently, what he wants is to turn a room of the house into an incinerator, kidnap bitchy women, and burn them alive. He does just that, all the while spiralling further into madness. There are some really twisted scenes in this movie. Perhaps it's a mysogynist retaliation on women's lib, but I think it's more of a warning to potentially abusive mothers. Be nice to your kids, or else they're going to leave your dead body in a room and torture and kill young women just like you tortured them!

10:54 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

arrrgh!

I have so much to do today and here I am posting pictures of leatherface on people's comments.... I love to make something nifty in photoshizzle and put it on all your comments to show my thanks for taking part in the insanity that is Fright Skool, but I can't go any further. I must retreat to going about my planned tasks for the day. I know you understand. :) I will get back to it at a later time when I can shamelessly comment on EVERY SINGLE PERSON's PAGE for ENDLESS HOURS!

I need more coffee.


I have a proposition for you all, by the way... Please send me your suggestions for what horror character or movie poster you'd like to have photoshop-enhanced and posted on your comments page. I'll compile a list of four or five suggestions and let you vote on them. The winning character will be the basis for my next mass-spamming of f-list comments!
This makes me just as bad as the advertisers I complain about, doesn't it.... Well, at least I'm not in it for the money! I just like to make pretties and spread them like a virus. >:)


Much love and rezpect and creepy shrieks in the night to you all!

10:38 AM - 5 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

anyone seen these?

Just rented these two. I plan on watching them sometime in the next few days... Just wondering if any of you have seen them, and what you thought.

Thanks to everyone who accepted my invitation to subscribe to the blog... Feel free to throw in your two cents anywhere you like. And don't forget about the Fright Skool group: http://groups.myspace.com/frightskool !

9:59 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

A Bell From Hell (aka LA CAMPANA DEL INFIERNO)

A young man is discharged from a mental institute, and goes forth to unleash strange practical jokes on people, specifically his aunt and three hottie cousins. All kinds of madness ensues.

This film was pretty intense. shocktacular, if you will. It'll make you wonder about the crazies in your family.

Pretty much a step above the rest in the genre, I thought... just because it's got a more realistic (but at the same time, surreal) sense about it than other films of that timeperiod - no supernatural baddies in this one. Reviews I read around the net described it as Art-horror. *shrug* I guess. When I think of "art-horror", I think of Suspiria. This was arty in a more cerebral way. Where Suspiria was pretty colored lights and a bangin soundtrack, A Bell From Hell had weird camera angles and even weirder situations - but not necessarily out of the ordinary, if you get my drift. If not, you'll get it if you watch it, so go. Watch it. You'll probably like it better than Boogeyman or whatever drecky J-Horror remake they're churning out these days. Cuz, you know, this is better than all that. I think so, anyway.

Currently listening : Faith No More - Who Cares A Lot? The Greatest Hits By Faith No More Release date: 08 December, 1998

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Devil's Rejects review (finally)

Sorry it's taken so long. I went to see it on May 12th, and here it is a week later. Truth be told, after watching it, I didn't want to write anything. It's not being released until mid July, and the preview I went to was more than likely uncut. So the version that you all who are waiting until it's national release to see it may well get a slightly different film than what I saw. It seemed pretty brutal for an R-rated film, but who am I to question the ways of the MPAA?
As I write this, I still am unsure as to what I want to reveal to you about this film. It is a sequel (to House Of 1000 Corpses, for those of you who didn't know)and so therefore it is highly anticipated by fans of that film. Some folks want to know all the details before they see it. I don't swing that way, myself - I like being surprised. The less I know beforehand, the less expectations I have, and the more I tend to enjoy the film.
At any rate, here goes. I'll do my best to leave out any spoilers.

This film picks up about two weeks after the last one left off. Although how Otis (played once again, brilliantly, by Bill Moseley) grew so much dark facial hair in two weeks is beyond me. I thought he was an albino? Anyway... The Firefly clan sleeps peacefully amongst the evidence of all the brutality they've unleased over the years, only to have an assload of cops show up for a shootout. Baby and Otis escape - but Mother Firefly stays behind and gets taken in by the sheriff. His brother was the sheriff who got blown away in HO1KC. So, you know, he's got revenge on the brain even more than he does justice. Everything spirals out of control with Baby. Otis, and Captain Spaulding on the run from the cops. Trouble never stopped them none, however - as they proceed to go about doing what they do best - gettin' fucked up and doing fucked up shit. The longer it takes for Sheriff Wydell to get to them, the more insane he becomes; and when he finally catches up to them, he's got a taste of their own medicine to administer.

I'm not gonna tell you anything else... the end is pretty dramatic (and probably would have benefitted from being a little less drawn out) and I don't wanna give anything away for ya.

What I will say is that this film is very different than HO1KC. Where that was following the same template as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, The Devil's Rejects has more of a Western feel.... criminals on the run from the cops. Except the criminals are the Firefly folks, and we all know, they's real crazy-like.
Baby does not once deliver her obnoxious cackling in this film, making her far more tolerable. Otis is just as dark and evil as ever, and in some scenes, even more so than before. We get to see some sides of Spaulding that we haven't seen before (and maybe we don't want to now, but it is pretty funny, at least.)
Zombie has improved as a director, and achieves what he set out to do with House and failed: this film really has a believable 70's feel. There's no Zombie music, no weird hyper-edit music video garbage - its the real deal. There's some areas that could use improvement, but jeeze - it's his second film. Not bad, all things considered. I have high hopes for his next feature, whatever and whenever that will be.

There's more, but really, that's enough. If you are a fan of HO1KC because of the characters, you will enjoy this movie as well.

Currently listening : The Devil's Rejects [DualDisc] By Original Soundtrack Release date: 28 June, 2005

5:30 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

You're gonna be jealous...
Current mood: excited

Because I'm going to see The Devil's Rejects on May 12th.

HELL YES.

Don't worry. I shall provide spoiler-ridden and spoiler-free reviews for you so that you can drool for two more months. Muhahahahah!!!!

Currently listening : DisPepsi By Negativland Release date: 29 July, 1997

10:44 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

oh boy!

now here's a remake i can totally agree with:

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

it's not like they could make it any worse...

12:24 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Guinea Pig : Devil Doctor Woman

Everybody likes the Guinea Pig movies, right? Well, if you're a fan of blood, guts, and fucked up humor, then yeah. You probably do.
I like the series, but my favorite has always been He Never Dies, which is paired on DVD here in the States with Mermaid In A Manhole, and that is my least favorite of the series.
Being that He Never Dies is my favorite, it should come as no surprise that the latest installment, Devil Doctor Woman, is right up there next to it in the list. Who'd have thought that, of a series widely banned around the globe for it's realistically gruesome special effects and off-color subject matter (with a reputaion of being actual "snuff films", even) that I would find the two intentionally humorous installments to be the best? Well, it's true. and Devil Doctor Woman is packed with outrageous situations and sick humor done only as the japanese can do it: weirdly.

This is a must-see film if you love the b-movie bad in japanese movies. This is the ultimate in gross-out humor.

Currently listening : Oskar Tennis Champion By Momus Release date: 11 March, 2003

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Short and Sweet New Reviews: Amityville, Shutter, Tale Of Two Sisters

The Amityville Horror (2005 remake)

I had hoped this remake would be not only good, but somewhat of an improvement on the original, much like they did for the TCM remake. I was right. This is an example of a decently scary and entertaining remake. If you loved the original, I think you'll like this one as well.



Shutter

Apparently horror isn't booming in Thailand as a genre, but this film makes you wonder if maybe it should be. Genuinely dark, creepy, and suspenseful, Shutter is one of the best Asian Horror films I've ever seen (and I've seen a LOT.)



A Tale Of Two Sisters

Beautifully shot, directed, and acted. It was creepy, tense, emotional, and confusing at points, but again, I must say that this is also one of the best Asian Horror films I've seen. It's got more drama in it than horror, but the horror is very disturbing and creepy.

And there you have it. Short and sweet.

love,
your favorite ADD-riddled movie reviewer,
helly evil.

Currently listening : Sailing the Seas of Cheese By Primus Release date: 14 May, 1991

3:21 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

The Devil's Rejects sneeky peeky

Follow the links for a rejectingly fun time...



Exclusive Trailer on Yahoo!!!

Banjo and Sullivan Official Site

Rob Zombie's Director's Blog

Charlie's Frontier Fun Town

Devils Rejects Message Board

Quicktime Teaser for The Devils Rejects

Currently listening : House of 1000 Corpses By Various Artists Release date: 01 April, 2003

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