Still trying to find the PERFECT Halloween costume?

I went to the Spirit Halloween shop with my sister in law and nieces the other day. It was fun, as going to the Halloween store tends to be, but not one costume spoke to me. Besides, I'm the kinda gal who doesn't really wanna wear the same costume as anyone else - I'm more likely to be something no one else thought of. Under normal circumstances, I'd have to make my costume from scratch, or maybe hit up the Goodwill and hope I can put together all the elements I need. Fortunately, for the rest of us who wanna do something original this year but don't necessarily have the time to make a costume, there's Found Item Clothing!

Under any circumstances, FIC has great t shirt replicas from some of your favorite 80's movies, fun to wear on any occasion. But dude - add a tan robe, pajama pants and flip flops, and you could be The Dude for Halloween!

Here's one that only specially trained eyes (meaning: raised in the 80's) will get:

And that's not all. Found Item Clothing has gone through the effort of compiling a how to guide to use many of their coolest shirts as centerpieces to costumes that will win you first prize in any costume contest!

Check it out here: http://www.founditemclothing.com/costume-menu.html

The Hanson Brothers is my favorite, but A.) I'm not a guy and B.) I don't have two friends willing to go in on it with me. But I know I'd be damn impressed if I saw a trio of goofballs dressed as the Hanson Brothers (bonus points if they sing some Hanson Brothers songs!) For Halloween this year, I'm gonna pull something really obscure out of my hat - I'm gonna be this chick Michelle. She's pretty cool and just a touch creepy. Should be interesting. 

The Wrong House (2010)

I'm a procrastinator. I can own up to it. It doesn't help that my personal life has been kinda crazy in the last few months, on top of taking care of a new baby, but, nevertheless, I probably could have written this review about 2 months ago when I watched The Wrong House for the first time! Hopefully Shawn French and Sue Stevens won't stalk me, kidnap me, and beat me senseless before killing me for it. Actually, they can kidnap me if they want, I wouldn't complain too much about chillin in Maine with cool people :D

So. The Wrong House. To make a long story short, I really liked it. Usually, indie horror flicks don't have much appeal to me - they tend to be goofy, poorly acted, with some of the worst special effects ever. This is not the case with The Wrong House. In fact, I watched it a second time - something I rarely do unless I really love a movie. Enough of my opinions for now, if you haven't heard of it, you probably wanna know just what it's about, right? So here's your synopsis, transcribed from the press release:

An isolated house in the woods looks like an easy mark to a group of friends camping in the Maine wilderness. The thieves haul away several ounces of pot and hallucinogenic mushrooms in the heist. But when the homeowners track them down, the thieves learn too late that there are some people you just shouldn't mess with... and that they picked The Wrong House.

The story was inspired by a rash of area burglaries around the Limerick, Maine home of husband/wife producers Shawn French and Sue Stevens (who play serial killers in the film). They initially started working on the script to vent frustration, but once the story fell into place, they knew they had to shoot this movie.

Makes sense, you know - even though I know pot & shroomheads to be pretty mellow people who wouldn't hurt a fly, if someone came on their private property and stole their stash, they're not gonna call the cops, right? So, the couple (Shawn French & Sue Stevens) take matters into their own hands. Hell, they even try to give the meddling thieves a break, but, if they followed through with all that there wouldn't have been much of a movie, right? What follows is a tense and absorbing storm of kidnapping, hallucinogenic induced torture, realistic looking fight scenes, and gore galore! There's even a freaky clown! WTF?! LOVE IT!

The thieves are all played really well, they seem naturally comfortable with each other on screen. It almost seems as though these actors/actresses are playing themselves - they are very natural and not at all hammy or over the top. Kris, played by Stacy Ann Strang, is especially likeable, she's funny and interesting, and clearly has more going on upstairs than most horror movie victims. Her sort-of boyfriend, Derek, played by Brendan Potter, was very natural, and did a great job in the fight scenes. Ashley, played by Megan Mathieu, while she doesn't want to be involved in the crime, still has no problems stealing something a little more personal than the couple's stash, and while it's not really mentioned directly she definitely pays for it more than the others! Her performance was good, but her character was not quite as likeable as Kris. Donny, played by Daniel Galloway is very convincing as a selfish dickhead whose idea it is to rob The Wrong House - I dunno what he's like in real life, but he plays douchebag really well right up until they make him scream like a little bitch. Happy fun times! Jake, played by Julian Brand, is also realistic and natural, the other nice guy of the group alongside Derek. As for the homeowners, Sue Stevens plays psychotic excellently - she makes torture look like fun. She doesn't go all Sheri Moon Zombie on us though, she remains completely convincing while being cruel and intense. Shawn French is more subdued in his psychoticness, he's very calm and cool while doling out the punishments, like he's had to deal with this before, and he probably has.

So all in all, kids... Revenge flicks are fun and The Wrong House is no exception. You can get your copy online, available through http://www.thewronghousemovie.com and http://www.amazon.com

Fright Rags releasing design for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Tomorrow, Friday October 1st, Fright Rags is releasing a t-shirt for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More specifically, it's for their friend who is currently battling an aggressive breast cancer. She is only 34 years old,
and her husband lost his job over a year ago and they are struggling to keep their house, pay the bills,
and take care of their two small boys.
This shirt will be available throughout the month of October and ALL PROCEEDS will be donated to this family.

Please spread the word via whatever means you may utilize, we'd love for as many people to know about this as possible to help not only these folks, but also to raise awareness for Breast Cancer.

This shirt will be on sale for $19.95 and it will go live on the site around 10:00am EST on Friday, October 1.
The link to the product page is: http://www.fright-rags.com/we-belong-alive-p-392.html

Better late than never. A Versatile Blogger Award story.

"Versatility goes a long way. The person who is most versatile has more going for him than a guy who does just one thing." - Barbara Morgan

Things have been stupid hectic as of late, and so I've been putting off writing a few things that have been needing my attention. I've got a bunch of free time at the moment, at least until the little man is hungry or bored, that is. So, I'll get to the point here and get to accepting this wonderful and surprising award, presented to me by Kristy Jett and Zach Shildwachter. Good thing I waited until today too, because apparently Jinx of Totally Jinxed gave me the award as well, so I thank you all! I'm kind of floored by it, actually... But I guess since this meme is meant to show appreciation for new bloggers, I shouldn't be too surprised. Even though I've been blogging on and off for years, Fright Skool is the new kid on the block right now, for sure. At any rate, I'm grateful for the acknowledgment and I will do my best to pass the award along to other deserving bloggers (And it's likely that my selections will run the gamut - I'm not only versatile in my talents but in my personal tastes as well!).


Without further ado...7 things you didn't know about me and 10 NEW blogs you should follow.

I should start here by saying I have no fucking idea what people do or don't know about me. I'm just going to write the first 7 things that come to mind that I'm sure I don't discuss with others all that much.

1.) I have too many interests. This award is more appropriate than the people who gave it to me probably know! Obviously, I write, and I think I'm somewhat decent at it, even though I have been known to go years without writing a damn thing. When I was very young, I was obsessed with reading, and I used to write stories on my brother's old typewriter until I got my 1st computer around 1987. I haven't written a story or poem in an extremely long time. Over a decade, now. Dry your tears though, I'm actually thinking very seriously about getting back to it. Writing journals is all the writing I've done for most of my adult life. It's getting old. I know myself too well - I need to start using my imagination again!

2.) I could very well be a walking contradiction (which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite Green Day songs.) For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in things that seem like they shouldn't go together. As a young woman, I thought it was completely normal to have my Anthrax poster next to my Debbie Gibson poster (and to put both artists on the same mix tapes along with other musical schizophrenia...) I've heard it all and seen most of it at this point, and I know what I like and what I don't. So maybe some of my hippie friends are put off by my love of horror movies like my punk friends are put off by my love of the Grateful Dead. SO WHAT. These are the things that make me who I am, and I'm not about to change that for anyone.

3.) I can give advice until the cows come home but sometimes taking it is damn near impossible. (I reiterate the walking contradiction thing.) Glad I know it and recognize it though. Makes it easier to overcome your issues when you aren't oblivious to them.

4.) This is one that some folks might know already, but my new friends and followers probably don't. I can't stand most women. The catty, snobby, snotty, bullshit and drama and jealousy that women are capable of sickens me. I used to think I was a misogynist but then my life started to slowly become blessed with more and more women who don't fit that stereotype at all. I now am of the strong belief that everyone, men included, are individuals no matter how much they may try to live up to a stereotype or status. I also know now that I have many sisters who understand what I mean and have turned any negativity about those cornflake girls into a feeling of sisterhood with like minded women. We look out for each other instead of gossiping or starting fires that can't be put out.

5.) I have worked in the sex industry. Sorry if you're family or an old friend and don't want to hear about it, but... It's something I've done and I'm not ashamed of it. I would like to work in the sex industry again, now that I have a better idea of what I'd like to do in it - and it's not performing. Anymore. :)

6.) Everyone knows me as an artist, and I am - have been my whole life, pretty much. I haven't been creating much in the last few years, though, and it bothers me a lot. I wish more people would encourage me to make art every day. I know it's a shameful waste that I have so many creative talents but hold myself back from pursuing them. I desperately want to change this about myself.

7.) I have never left the US, and aside from driving through all of the east coast states, the furthest west I have been is Chicago. I'd like to go there again, and soon. In fact, if I have it my way, by this time next year I will be travelling the country in an RV, having fun, seeing new places, meeting new people, doing things I never thought I'd do, and truly loving life for the first time in a long time.

Obee kaybee! So this is the hard part for me, cuz all the blogs I've been looking at are new to me but not necessarily new to the internet. I break rules like its my job though, I'm an advocate for artistic freedom and writing IS an art, after all. So I'm not going to pay attention to how long a blog has been around, and if they've already gotten this award, good on ya, you don't have to do this again, obviously. I'm just going to tell you about my top 10. They are, in no particular order...

UNFLINCHING EYE

The Person You Benefit From Knowing

Z For Zombies
Word of the Great Goddess of the Holy Lowly (one of my favorite people, truly a sister from another mister. However, her blog is very much NSFW and not recommended for anyone who has even the slightest bit of closed mindedness.)
Billy Loves Stu
Sleep Machinery (It's Work)
Woolgathering

Tea Party of the Dead

take turns (Hasn't been updated in a long time, but I love the Found Moneys post and I wish JT would write in his blog way more. He's one of the most interesting people I've ever known.)

The Spooky Brew

EXTRA CREDIT:

Amber Ladd's MySpace blog (make sure to check out her music as well!)

THAT IS ALL! Thank you, and good night!

This is Crazy Talk!

So the last few days have been a little crazy, and without getting into details I'd like to let my readers know that the rest of the summer might be getting hectic for me!
In light of this, I want to mention that the Versatile Blogger Awards that I received from Zach and Kristy haven't gone unnoticed, I'm just working on it in the background when I can, along with some movie reviews and other columns. It's going to be so hard for me to find 10 blogs that I like that haven't already gotten the award, but I can think of a few. :)

I just had my first article posted at horrornews.net today, so I'm excited about that, check it out here: Handmade Horrors, Volume One: MORBID DECOR’s Classic Horror Lightbox Lamps Make Dave's store sell out! Buy EVERYTHING! <3

OK folks, the little man is grumpin and the electric is out till tomorrow cuz the landlord is a douche. Catch ya on the flipside.

trailer post in the meantime

I have my hands full with a baby and a delicious ice cream cone, but I do have a blog to write today - it's coming later though. For now, I want to share some video madness with you. Respeck!

Skool is in session!

The big deal around here this week is that I started up a Tumblr blog as a companion to this blog. If you're not on the Fright Skool Facebook fan page, or Tumblr, then you ain't gettin the goodies. I'm posting all kinds of cool shit there that you will not get here - at least not until I find a widget that will do it for me, heh heh!)

Go. Now. Follow. I'll show you boobs.

(I never said they were my boobs though.)

http://frightskool101.tumblr.com/

Also... I may be writing for some other sites besides Damned Society so I guess you could say things are picking up for me. I'm open to opportunities, in case you were wondering - and writin' ain't the only thing I do with these fingers! (I make art and dabble in graphic design, ya pervert! Geeze!)

Woot! The First Ever Billy Loves Stu Meme for Horror Bloggers

Blogger is being a jerk and not allowing me to reformat my text colors. I'm dealing with it, so should you :P

1: In Ten Words or Less, Describe Your Blog:

nutzoid writergrrl horrorfan pimpin scary stuff on tha realz

2: During What Cinematic Era Where you Born?

F: The Halloween Era (Late 70's to Early 80's) 1976 to be specific.

                                         

3: The Carrie Compatibility Question:

  (gay men and straight women - make your choice from section A)

    A: Billy Nolan or Tommy Ross, who would you take to the prom?

  (straight guys and lesbians - make your choice from section B)

    B: Sue Snell or Chris Hargensen, who would you take to the prom?

 Ok, well since I'm bisexual and I already have a guy, I'm gonna have to say Chris Hargensen because I really have a thing for bitchy chicks, only because me and my duct tape REALLY wanna teach them a lesson. Nancy Allen was hot as hell back then, too. Tommy Ross had one bitchin 'fro though.

4: You have been given an ungodly amount of money, and total control of a major motion picture studio - what would your dream Horror project be?

I haven't written it yet, but if my nightmares and vivid imagination are any indicator, it'll be scarier than most of the stuff that passes for horror these days.

5: What horror film "franchise" that others have embraced, left you cold?

Friday the 13th. They're great for a few laughs - Jason isn't scary. Also, how many fucking movies can they make about a machete-wielding psycho who walks while his victims run? It gets so boring! HOWEVER, F13 part 4 is classic because of Crispin Hellion Glover's amazingness.

6:  Is Michael Bay the Antichrist?

No, he just has more money than he knows what to do with, and can't seem to hire a talented writing/directing team to save his life.

7: Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Frankenstein Monster - which one of these classic villains scares you, and why?

Dracula, just because of all the bullshit romantic garbage he's unwittingly created over the decades. Hello? Twilight! EW!

8: Tell me about a scene from a NON HORROR Film that scares the crap out of you:

that boat ride in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory... Me no likey multi-legged insects!

9: Baby Jane Hudson invites you over to her house for lunch.  What do you bring?

A few joints of the kind bud... Alcoholics aren't my bag, baby. I suppose I oughta bring some snacks too, we're gonna need em!

10: So, between you and me, do you have any ulterior motives for blogging?  Come, on you can tell me, it will be our little secret, I won't tell a soul.

I'm trying to be a work at home mom. The thought of leaving my infant son in the care of anyone else scares the piss out of me. I'm a decent writer, and I love horror, so I figure if I stick to it long enough, either I'll get a paid gig or my Ad Sense will start bringing checks to my mailbox...

11: What would you have brought to Rosemary Woodhouse's baby shower?

Cloth Diapers made from the Shroud of Turin!

 

12: Godzilla vs The Cloverfield Monster, who wins?

Gamera!

 

13: If you found out that Rob Zombie was reading your blog, what would you post in hopes that he read it?

Give me your wife, please! Duct tape optional!

14: What is your favorite NON HORROR FILM, and why?

Probably Summer School... I loved it as a kid, Dean Cameron is an underrated comedic genius, I wish there had been a spinoff or sequel JUST about Chainsaw & Dave.

 

15: If blogging technology did not exist, what would you be doing?

Probably being more productive with my art. I should get off this damn box! 

thanks to Pax Romano of Billy Loves Stu for creating this meme, and Kristy Jett for alerting me to this meme...

The Spirit of Evil returns?

8 years ago, I was a freewheelin' mama living in New Jersey and I spent all of my free time watching movies. One of my favorite things to do during this era of my life was to attend the shows that Exhumed Films put on at the Hoyts Theater. I was a little late to the party and never did attend one of their classic shows at the Harwan, such is life.

On a crisp autumn evening in 2002, I went to Exhumed's "Undead Night", specifically to watch the vampire masterpiece, Near Dark. But it was the opener, touted as Russia's first horror film and based on a short story by Nikolai Gogol that arrested my senses for the first half of the show.

Viy, or The Spirit of Evil started off a little goofy but continued on to be a tense and enjoyable thriller with special effects that were pretty stellar for the time - 1967. It has an ethereal, dreamlike quality, and once the witch got started on her scarefest, I didn't want to look away. I was pretty excited about this film, and I was glad that I had an opportunity to see it on a big screen with an audience.

For those of you who don't want to click on the links, the basic story is this:
A young seminary student named Khoma, after battling a witch that turned into a beautiful girl upon her defeat, is called upon to pray over the dead girl's body in the church for three nights. What no one but Khoma knows is that she is the witch, determined to scare the daylights out of the boozy seminary student! Good times ensue! Flying coffins! Creepy crawlies! Chalk circles! Wowie zowie!

Anyway, I had been thinking about this movie and wanted to look up the trailer. What I discovered is that a big budget 3D remake has been in the works for the last few years, and it looks like a pretty wild ride. It is being remade in its home country, by the way - this isn't another dreaded Platinum Dunes project. I doubt those guys even know The Viy exists.

Here is said trailer, in English:





Upon further investigation, I found that this is not the first time that Viy has been remade. Suggested to be a sequel, "Evil" (or "Vedma", "The Witch"  "The Power of Fear", or, simply, "Ведьма") is apparently horribly overdubbed and poorly acted. From what I read on the IMDB reviews, the Russian actors spoke English but were then overdubbed, making it really awkward looking. The actors were stiff because of their uncertainty with the language. The filmmakers decided it would be a good idea to set the film in rural America but it was filmed in Estonia - and it is obvious. Hmmm. Sounds lame to me, folks. The trailer makes it look promising, but there's no evident dialog. You can judge for yourself, of course. The trailer is here:


"Evil (Vedma)" Viy Sequel from 2006




At any rate, the new Viy movie looks very promising and I hope to see it released soon, and in America. If you haven't yet seen the 1967 classic, it does come highly recommended, and I suggest you go get your hot little hands on a copy of it now. See what you're missing:



For your enjoyment and pleasure.... Further investigations:

Viy 2010 IMDB
Viy 2010 Offical Site
http://www.russianfilmgroup.com/news.html
Cavalcade of Perversions review of the original Viy

new Handmade Horrors today!

Hallo fiends,
I've been recovering from a bit of surgery for the last week, so that's why it's been a bit quiet around here lately. I still have an awful lot of catching up to do in a few areas, but I wanted to pop in and let you know that I picked out 4 new Handmade Horrors today - see the sidebar to check it out!
So much great stuff has happened in the online horror community this week, I hope you haven't missed any of it. The Blood Sprayer's Italian Horror Week was a frightening plethora of great info, reviews, and tons more that I don't even know about because I've been so hopped up on pain meds that I can't see straight enough to read... But I plan to catch up on all I missed in the upcoming next few days now that I'm mostly back to normal!
Our bud Rob Delamorte published his long awaited interview with none other than Adrienne King over at HorrorNews.net today, you must go have a peek at that - you vino lovers will definitely appreciate what one of our favorite Final Girls is up to these days!
I'm sure I'm forgetting something but I'll come back and update if it comes back to me... This heat isn't helping my brain any! Melting medulla... aarrrggghhhh.....
You should "Like" my Facebook page iff'n ya don't mind... I do a lot of updating there, check the sidebar yet again for the button!
Keep cool, my fiends. Much love from the 3rd floor hell!

Repulsive Roundup... Michelle's week in horror and other weirdness

O hai my fellow horror fiends! It's been a long, hot week here in my 3rd floor apartment with minimal AC, so I've been short on brain waves and long on reading and relaxing! Last night while my munchkin and I slept, however, my lovely partner in crime and parenthood rearranged our living area and put our AC in the room we spend the most time in, so I am feeling sharp and ready to write at you! (Hopefully said munchkin will stay sated long enough to allow me use of both hands for a while!) :)
Aside from the heat, it's been a nicely horror filled week here at Fright Skool!  I've got a nice compendium of blogs and handmade goodies to share with you from around the web. Let's get started!

 So as many of you likely know, The Blood Sprayer is having it's Italian Horror Week, if you haven't checked it out yet, you need to go there now! The world's finest horror bloggers are contributing their thoughts about all aspects of the Giallo genre that we horror fiends know and love!



Highlights so far include:
American Horror Posters Italian-ized Parte Uno
Dear Lucio Fulci Thank You For The Easiest Drinking Game...
Sergio Martino Italy's Unsung Exploitation King

Keep an eye on The Blood Sprayer all week, there's much more where this came from already and more to come all week long!



Since there's so much Italian Horror love happening around here at the moment, let's continue to Handmade Horrors keeping in line with this theme shall we? Here's what I could drudge up to showcase for you...

Suspiria pendant necklace by thebookhousegirrrl on Etsy

Lucio Fulci 5 button set by PinMoonStore on Etsy

Nightmare Castle lightbox by morbiddecor on Etsy (love their shop!!!)

That's about it for now... I didn't watch much of anything yet this week, aside from the first hour or so of Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy... I probably should write up a review of that, but all I'm going to do is go on and on about how amazing and awesome it is and chances are if you're reading this, you already know!

A remake of Maniac, you say? From 1989?

Well I guess I had my nerd glasses on for a change today because I just discovered that one of my favorite horror films, Maniac, has been remade (and is apparently being remade again.)
Surprised? Me too. Apparently it was remade in Greece back in 1989. I couldn't find much about it other than this clip which reminds me of nothing in Lustig's Maniac:





Anyone seen it? I really couldn't find much in my search but it's always possible to dig a little deeper... I'll update if I find anything.

Tribute to Horror in Music Part 1: Nomeansno

Nomeansno is one of my all-time favorite bands. I love their dark sense of humor, their killer bass riffs, and their refusal to die - they've been around almost all of my life and I ain't no spring chicken!
The reason I'm here telling you about these guys at the moment, however, is because they know how to turn a punk song into a horror show that you can't get out of your head. I'm not going to get too wordy about it, I'll let the music speak for itself.

And now ladies and gentlemen, I give you Nomeansno...

To begin, since it's Father's Day, here's a chilling tale about an abusive father that won't leave you with happy feelings when you listen...


One of my favorites, this is what happens when a ransom note becomes an epic punk song:


"Have you heard the news? The dead walk!"


I could definitely include quite a few other songs here, but for now, I will just encourage you to listen to more of this most excellent Canadian band's music. You can find out more at:
http://www.nomeanswhatever.com/
http://www.manicpogo.com/

I'm about to watch...

Saw 6. I'm shit at roman numerals, what is it? VI? Yeah? OK, whatever, who cares. Anyway... I missed it in the theater, as I miss most movies in the theater these days. I watched Saw 5 in the theater and that was the last time I saw it (get it? SAW it??? AHHH I crack myself up. Not really.) I'll let you know what I think of it, normally at this point in a horror franchise everything is boring and redundant but I keep hearing good things about this one. Plus, I did something I never do - I followed a reality show. Scream Queens, to be exact. Mostly because I love James Gunn, but also because I couldn't resist a horror related reality show. So of course I'm curious to see how the winner, Tanedra Howard did in the film. I heard she's barely in it, which is too bad. She was pretty damn good for someone with no experience, I was rooting for her. So as soon as I'm done writing here, I'mma hit play and check it out.

EDIT: I watched it. Not bad. I hope it's the end though. That is all.

I also watched Let Sleeping Corpses Lie a few days ago, but honestly it doesn't merit a review from me. I was kind of bored. But hey, that's me. I can't be dazzled every time, I guess.

The Human Centipede

Well, I finally got around to watching it. I liked it, but it didn't move me all that much - I'm not in any big huge rush to watch it again. But that doesn't mean I won't encourage you all to take a look. It's certainly original and moves along at a good pace. It's also not as depraved or disgusting as the trailer would have you believe - a lot is left to the imagination, which is something that has been lacking in horror for a while.
We're introduced to the depraved Doctor early on as he abducts a truck driver on the side of the road. Later, when two vapid American party girls get a flat and end up ringing the Doc's doorbell, he drugs them and brings them to his laboratory of doom. He deems the truck driver to be an unsuitable match, kills him, and replaces him with a foul mouthed Japanese tourist. What is probably the scariest scene in the movie follows, where the Doctor shows his victims his plans for them on an overhead projector while they look terrified and make a lot of noise:

 All kinds of happy fun times ensue. 

Supposedly, the director, Tom Six, inquired with real doctors and scientists to see if this would be a legitimate procedure and apparently, it could be done. I'm no scientist, but I think that if there was a tube running through the three, that the two whiny bitches in the middle and end wouldn't have been able to be heard crying throughout the rest of the flick. The Doc even mentions something about how he should have severed their vocal cords.

There is talk of a sequel, we'll see if it actually happens. Again, the movie wasn't a waste of time, it's not as visually disgusting as you'd think, and in some ways, it's pretty damn entertaining. But I don't really see it as being sequel worthy. Only time will tell!

An Evening Of Edgar Allan Poe with Vincent Price

It's a rainy Saturday, so I figured I'd find something entertaining and creepy, that I haven't seen yet, to watch and share with you folks still coming by to see what I have to say... Hope it is to your liking and that you will share your thoughts with me.

handmade from the dripping, still beating heart...

Some of y'all may or may not know this about me, but I have got a big ole soft spot for anything handmade by a person - maybe because I'm a creative type myself, and definitely because I believe in giving real people my business as opposed to corporations. Besides, you can't deny the power of something that is one of a kind and skillfully crafted. Just look at Freddy Krueger's glove!

One of my favorite places on the net is Etsy - and lest you think that it's all just lace doilys and pastel patchwork quilts, fear not! Or be afraid, I don't care! I plan to showcase some of the cool horror related finds that I come across right here, so if you want to get some cool swag from cool people, stay tuned!

At the moment, I have a widget in the sidebar over this way ---->
it contains items from all over the site that I have marked as a favorite. Every day I will choose 4 items to display. If you have a horror themed Etsy shop and you'd like to be showcased, post your link in the discussions tab on our Facebook page (this way, even if I don't pick your items for a showcase, you're still getting some promotion!) http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=104601316255463&topic=17

Cult & Exploitation Film Posters - Vol. 1

Heart of a Lion
And the wings of a Bat
Because it's Midnite
Heart of a Lion
And the wings of a Bat
Because it's Midnite

Don't Go In The House (2005 review)

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 spiraling further into madness. There are some really twisted scenes in this movie. Perhaps it's a misogynist 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!

The Devil's Rejects (2005 review)

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. 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 unleashed 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 doin' 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 benefited 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.

A Bell From Hell (aka LA CAMPANA DEL INFIERNO) (review from 2005)

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 time period - 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.

Aftermath/High Tension (updated review from 2005)

  (original review written in 2005, updated and added to because dammit, I can...)

I first saw this 30 minute film several 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, (as if there's such a thing as a film about necrophilia that isn't disturbing...) 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 - this is absolutely not for the squeamish, and it may make you want to reconsider how your body is disposed of after your death!

I'm not going to tell you too much about it, 30 minutes is not a long running time and I know you folks dislike your spoilers. I would like to add, however, that the DVD release of this comes with another of Cerda's short films called Genesis, which is very strange and creepy but not quite as visceral and disturbing as Aftermath.

Next up is a movie that I'm sure most of you have seen already given the extreme hype that surrounded it upon its release - High Tension (aka Haute 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 definitely necessary to fully enjoy this film) I thought it was excellent. From beginning to end, there is, just like the title implies, high tension. This film 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.

old reviews

I started Fright Skool as a MySpace page ages ago. I've forgotten the login information, and I've come to despise MySpace anyway, so I am about to transfer some of my old reviews onto this blog, for posterity.

Enjoy!

Terror On Tape!

Remember the Mom and Pop video store that you used to go to back in the day? I had a few of them because my family moved to a new town sometime around 1989 when I was 13. This particular video compilation, Terror On Tape, was on the wooden shelves of Hennessy News in Scituate MA. These days, Hennessy doesn't have much of a video section anymore, but when I was growing up, they were the place to go for your horror flicks - the other video rental store up the road got rid of their horror section and beefed up their kids section, but the lady who owned it was great and I would often rent non horror movies from her, just because I enjoyed stopping by and chatting with her now and then. Anyway, I'm getting off track here.
VHS is pretty much long gone at this point, and "Big Box" covers like the one Terror On Tape came in are valuable, desired collector's items for fans of the genre. All the movies showcased in this awesomely trashy compilation were those flicks! So you can imagine how I wish I had rented this one back when I had the chance - it's not an easy one to find, and I don't even have a VCR anymore anyway! I remember there was a picture on the back of a girl sitting in a chair, and I think she might have been dead, but it's been so many years I don't remember too well - but I remember it freaked me out a little! As an adult, I've actively searched out stuff like this that bothered me as a kid, it never bothers me now, in fact I enjoy finally seeing them because it's amusing how much more active my imagination is compared to how cheesy these movies end up being! Well, someone out there was kind enough to rip it and upload it to the internet, and I watched it this afternoon.
Terror On Tape is a hilarious video compilation of some of the goriest scenes from Continental Video's distribution collection from back in the early-mid 80's. Hosted by Cameron Mitchell, who plays a creepy video store clerk. He shows 3 different customers scenes from these schlockfests, often with amusing results!
Lots of outrageous gore and sex scenes are highlighted from various titles: (cut from Imdb.com)
Blood Feast (1963)
Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964)
Color Me Blood Red (1965)
Ghost Story (1974)
L'ossessa (1974)
Frozen Scream (1975)
Suicide Cult (1975)
To the Devil a Daughter (1976)
Ruby (1977)
Cauchemares (1977)
Prey (1978)
Vampire Hookers (1978)
The Kidnapping of the President (1980)
Incubo sulla città contaminata (1980)
Nightmare (1981)
Blood Tide (1982)
The Slayer (1982)
The Deadly Spawn (1983)
Scalps (1983)

Needless to say, good times! Now I just have to run down this list and see how many of these I can find to watch. I've already seen the Herschell Gordon Lewis titles, along with Nightmare and Cathy's Curse (aka Cauchemares - wtf is that?) Those are worth a revisit, anyway.

So... who's up for a movie night?

Nightmare On Elm Street... zzzzzzzz

My sentiments exactly.

I'm not anti remake, generally speaking. See, I love watching horror movies so much that I'm willing to give them all a chance. As a life long fan of the Elm Street series - and especially of the first movie, I was looking forward to the remake, hoping that they would make it even more visceral and nightmarish than was possible back in 1984. What I got was a snoozefest of biblical proportions.

None of the actors - NONE of them, not even Jackie Earle Haley, gave a performance worth looking at. The "kids" were boring and predictable and I didn't care if they lived or died, in fact, I was glad to see them go, when they did go. The death scenes were dull compared to the original! The Kris death scene was so lame I almost wanted to cry. What was burned into my memory as a child and still freaks me out a little to this day was dumbed down and had almost no blood in it. And the way it screeched to an abrupt halt was so anticlimactic! They did it better in Wes Craven's New Nightmare, to be completely honest!

Freddy had a couple of minorly creepy moments, but nothing compared to the original, yet again. I hate to compare this to the original, but since they attempted to borrow from it's script so many times and fell flat with everything they took, it's hard not to. The exception was the body bag scene, but even that was kinda lame, especially Nancy's reaction to it. I'm sorry, but if I ever saw my dead friend, bloody in a bag standing in front of me and screaming with blood pouring from her mouth, I think I'd be a lot more shook up than she was!

Probably the freakiest shot in the whole flick.

At any rate, I did go into this with an open mind, I really hoped I would like it, but it just plain bored the crap out of me. I will probably watch it again when it's released on DVD, more or less to see what they cut out of it, since the deleted stuff actually looks like it could have made the movie a little more frightening. But again, the characters were played so dull that it was hard to give a shit about any of them. Nancy was especially disappointing - she's a far cry from the heroine Nancy of the original series. She doesn't grow a pair until the very end, and even then... Blah.