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Showing posts from April, 2012

Dark Fields (2009)

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OK, I have stayed away from the horror genre way too much this week as I covered the NFL Draft for www.steelers101.com . Yes, I love football and the NFL, but 10 hours of coverage may have been way too much. Do not get me wrong, the Steelers had an amazing draft and interacting with fans is awesome, but the satisfaction is just not there in the same way that it is on here.   Fortunately, I had enough energy last night when it was done to find some horror to watch. My selection for the evening was 2009s Dark Fields (AKA The Rain). Plot/ A farmer unearths an old top hat on his property and with it an ancient Indian curse that lays waste to all the farmers crops. All of the adults of the farming community are afflicted by a strange sickness that slowly dries them up until they are dust. It is only when the farmer communes with the hat does he find what it is that will save them all. Let me start by saying this was not the best film I have seen lately, but there

Lonely I Stand - From Zombie Epic Project

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I guess all of this work my Steelers101 website has paid off... In all, I have finished one more chapter of my zombie epic. Here is another taste! Lost Alone My every step a mystery Only your scent draws me near Yet, you are nowhere These hours blur Cascading like the sands in a bottle of tears Only with every passing second my cravings mature It has been far too long since I tasted your womb Since your lips graced mine Now, our future is clouded by this plague So many things have changed So many lives have been impaled by the darkness By this growing hunger that drains our being That fuels every desire My skin My thoughts My veins All of who I was has gone All that remains is but walking flesh Lonely I stand Lost Alone Searching the horizon for one last embrace For one last chance to dine on your divinity

Orca (1977)

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If you have read the blog, you already know Jillian’s fascination with shark movies. Every once in a while, I have to change it up a bit, and give her a variety of man versun nature, animal creature features. My selection for her this time was the 1977 creature feature Orca. Plot/ After witnessing his mate and child's death from Nolan's hands, Orca, the killer whale, goes on a rampage in the fishermen's harbor. Under the villagers' pressure, Nolan, Rachel and an Indian sail after the great beast, who will bring them on his own turf? Yes, this is one of those man versus nature (or nature versus man) flicks that were all the rage in the 1970s, but this is a bit more than that. This has a heavy and dark feel woven into its fabric, it is full of atmosphere, the acting was solid, and the role reversal was a nice twist. More important, there was an intelligence factor in this one that is subtly at the heart of the story. Yes, there are some dat

Maniac (1980)

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After a couple of days of different subgenres, I decided to venture deeper into horror with a classic 1980s display of violence and gore. For me, growing up during that era, I miss the look and feel of those classic ventures into terror. I hope that we can get back to that at some point. After some minor debate within my mind, I decided on Maniac from 1980. Plot/ A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, loose in NYC, kills young women and takes their scalps as trophies. Will he find the perfect woman in photographer Anna, and end his killing spree? One of the best parts about the 1980s was the rise of Tom Savini and his incredible special effects, and this flick is the perfect example of that. Sure, it is not the typical slasher or gorefest, but it is a gritty, intense and realistic look at a true psychopath. Sure, it was a micro budget and some of the pacing was a bit off, but it remains on of the best from the era. The acting is solid (especiall

The Violent Kind (2010)

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Last night while pushing through the final defensive linemen profiles for steelers101.com, I decided to amp up the background scenery with something hopefully more intense and violent than The Bone Snatcher. My selection was from 2010, The Violent Kind. Plot/ One night at a secluded farmhouse deep in the Northern California woods, a small group of hardened young bikers and their girlfriends are tormented when one of the girls becomes savagely possessed and a gang of "Rockabillies" seemingly from the 1950's descends upon them to collect what is growing inside her. When this started, I wanted to turn it off; it seemed like the typical indie horror flick. However, once you get through the opening sequences, this turns into one interesting, fun and decently gory flick. Honestly, for an indie horror flick this one delivers. It has solid acting, good effects, atmosphere and an in-depth storyline with some astounding twists. Yes, we could have do

Solitude - Part of My Unfinished Zombie Epic

This is going to be part of my zombie epic (if I ever get around to finishing it). Unfortunately, I am unsure which character is speaking to me with this one. I am sure I will figure it out in time... It haunts me in times of solitude A vague whisper of a dream I can almost remember The lingering warmth of a forgotten touch I sense it there, in the darkness In the quiet moments of times I can barely recall Resting on the limits of my reason It calls to me, urging me to cry out Only to have my voice echo into nothingness It is a history that was written in stone ages ago And every figure of it has faded away To leave me here to live in the shadow of a wraith A vision of what was and a lost wish of what may be I know it, and I know it is there It waits for me to discover it once more To unearth the secrets it holds and find myself Because without it I am but an undefined impression of possibilities It becomes me as I have always been a part of it A promise that has ex

The Bone Snatcher (2003)

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The last few days have been busy between trout fishing and working tirelessly on NFL Draft stuff for Steelers101.com. I cannot believe how much time pre-draft profiles take. Last night, I could not take it anymore and put on some horror for background scenery. The movie I chose was the 2003 creature feature The Bone Snatcher. Plot/ After miners disappear in the Namib Desert , some scientists find their remains and the demonic creature that killed them. When I turned this on, I expected the worst. Lately, I have been batting about zero with the random direct-to-DVD stuff, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, it was far from perfect, with some of the characterization, tension and atmosphere feeling forced. However, there was a lot to like. The cinematography, aided by a tremendous location, was heavy and full of a desolate feeling that matched the background, the acting was competent and most importantly the creature and effects were awesome

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

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Today is Friday the 13th, one of the days I look forward to every year. There is so much going on with different superstitions, creepy programming and of course, the ever popular visit from Jason Voorhees. When I was young, I can remember seeing the original Friday the 13th in the theatre. I truly believe that the moment Jason came from the depths changed my life and sent me on the path I am on today. I loved it. With that thought fresh in my mind, I decided to revisit the franchise with Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. Plot/ Years after Tommy Jarvis chained him underwater at Camp Crystal Lake , the hulking killer Jason Voorhees returns to the campgrounds when he is released accidently by a teenager with psychic powers. I am a huge Friday the 13th fan, and love every time it pops onto the calendar as it allows me a chance to revisit at least one of the flicks without hearing any crap. This entry, the seventh in the series, was probably the last o

Donner Pass (2012)

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With a week consisting of Nude Nuns With Big Guns and Human Centipede 2, I had to come up with something different to watch last night. Tonight and tomorrow are already in the works with multiple entries from the Friday the 13th franchise as I prepare for the first day of trout season Saturday. My selection last night, Donner Pass from 2012, honestly, not what I expected at all. Oh, on a different note, a huge Happy Birthday shout out to Reverend Peyton (@BigDamnBand on Twitter)… That dude can make any instrument, cigar box or shoe box sound amazing! You Rock Rev! Plot/ Donner Pass has a well-known and macabre history - the place where George Donner and his party got stuck in the winter of 1846 and were forced to resort to cannibalism to keep from starving. But what if it wasn't just history? OK, this is nowhere near a great movie. In fact, it falls into that category of horror that is just there, nothing special, but nothing terrible. It was just not me

Nude Nuns With Big Guns (2010)

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After watching Human Centipede 2, I decided I needed something mindless to get some of those visuals out of my head. Yes, there are many choices out there, but I needed something that had just enough sex, violence and nudity to clearly give me a new visual. After some debate, my selection was 2010s Nude Nuns With Big Guns. Plot/ Upon taking her vows to become a nun, Sister Sarah is abused, brainwashed and drugged into submission by the corrupt clergy. On the verge of death from a lethal dose of drugs, Sister Sarah receives a message from GOD telling her to take vengeance on all those who did her wrong. Armed with God's will and an arsenal of big guns, she dispenses Judgment Day on her former tormentors. OK, if you have read the title of this flick, you should already know what to expect. Nude Nuns with Big Guns, is exactly that, a mindless throwback to days gone by, full of all of the exploitation, grindhouse, and sexploitation sleaze that populated the driv

Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011)

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After taking a break from blogging last night so I could focus on Steelers101.com, I figured it was time to finally sit down and write about this next flick, the controversial Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence). While my review is below, let me start by stating that no matter what you feel about this movie (or type of movie) writer / director Tom Six must be applauded for his willingness to push the envelope in filmmaking. Too many times, films of today must fit into a cookie cutter, something neither Human Centipede movies do.    Plot/ Martin is a mentally disturbed loner who lives with his mother in a bleak housing project. He works the night shift as a security guard in an equally grim and foreboding underground parking complex. To escape his dreary existence, Martin loses himself in the fantasy world of the cult horror film The Human Centipede (First Sequence), fetishizing the meticulous surgical skills of the gifted Dr. Heiter, whose knowledge of the human gastr

Monsters in the Woods (2012)

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After watching horror royalty with Robert Englund, I decided to venture into the depths of no-budget cinema for my next entry. My first flick for the evening was Monsters in the Woods from 2012. Plot/ A micro-budget movie crew treks into the wilderness to shoot horror scenes for their unsellable indie-drama. They soon find themselves in the midst of their own real horror movie, as a large group of creatures hunts them. Anyone who read the description of this should have understood from the outset that it was destined to be a low-budget monstrosity. Sure, it is mired with flaws, but that is what I expected.   There were some decent points with the monsters, some of the acting was ok, and the effects were far from terrible. However, I do not know if you can count this as a good movie, as the script was choppy, the cinematography all over the place, the length was too long and some of the acting was very bad. In the end, it was nothing special. I would not

Inkubus (2011)

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After laughing at the hilarious parts of that little known comedy, Clown Hunt, I went to the video store in search of something different. With so many choices, it was hard to decide on something (so, I grabbed four flicks). My first flick for the evening was Inkubus from 2011. Plot/ Inkubus tells the story of a skeleton crew working the final shift at a soon to be demolished police station. The night takes a gruesome turn when the demon, Inkubus, calmly walks into the station holding the severed head of a murdered girl. Inkubus toys with the crew, allowing himself to be restrained, and begins to proudly confess to his litany of crimes, some dating back to the Middle Ages. Why? Inkubus has a score to settle with the one detective that almost put him away some thirteen years ago. To their dismay, the cops quickly become pawns in Inkubus' brutal crowning achievement of murder, gore, and mayhem. They ultimately realize it is his world they only die in it.

Clown Hunt (2010)

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I cannot believe I finished my first full week of being an independent instructor at PIA; great class, great week. Couple that with it being a holiday weekend and there is a lot to look forward to as we move forward (trout season opens next weekend-woohoo). Needing something different, and more lighthearted than my usual viewing, I watched something with more laughter and happiness. Yep, clowns and more clowns in the 2010 comedy Clown Hunt! Plot/ In a world where clowns live in the wild and are harvested, a group of men gather for their annual hunting trip. However not all is right, Albino Willie, a rare albino clown, may be hunting them. Every once in a while, movies come from left field and are so much better then anyone could imagine. That was definitely the case for this twisted comedy. Honestly, this was one of the funniest, most well written and well acted comedies I have seen in some time. Yes, there are some moments that are truly over the top

Scourge (2008)

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After taking a few days off from watching my normal Horror or Sci-Fi entertainment, I was definitely feeling some withdrawals. I had to find something mindless with blood to quench my needs. What did I find? I found the 2008 entry Scourge to keep my company. Plot/ An ancient pestilence called The Scourge has been set free in a small town after being entombed in a church's masonry for a century and a half. As bodies rapidly pile up, nothing stands between the spawning Scourge and the rest of the town except our young heroes. Scourge, hmmm, where to start. This movie was kind of a mixed bag, featuring a solid and creative concept, some decent cinematography, and blood. Honestly, everything that should make for an enjoyable flick, but it never truly delivers on its promise. The acting is uneven, the pacing is off, and the creative concepts in the idea fail by biting off too much in the scripting and losing its identity. In the end, it is not terrible,