Tag: horror

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – ‘People Under the Stairs’ Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

Back in the late 1990’s, when a young Matt Kelly was first discovering his love of horror movies as well the resourcefulness of the internet, he began a quest to find a movie he saw as a child. The movie I was searching for involved a kid moving into a house and the only details I remember were (1) smoke coming out of the vents (2) a couch ate someone (3) a kid getting trapped in a basement.

Now it turns out this movie was Saturday the 14th Strikes Back which wasn’t a good movie… but I didn’t find that out for many years. The first movie someone suggested it might be was People Under the Stairs. Now if you’re familiar with this movie you know that only 1 of those 3 things actually happened. So this was also my first lesson in the unreliablity of the internet.

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I could not figure out what to make of this movie. I didn’t like it but yet… I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Was it a comedy? Was it a horror? Few films made me feel the way that People Under the Stairs made me feel. I watched it repeatedly.

As the years went by my love for this movie grew and grew. I was obsessed with its quirks. I’ve met a small handful of people who adore this movie with the same origin story as myself, but most hate it.

Rewatching this movie in its beautiful Scream Factory transfer just further reminded me of how much I love this movie. It’s a creepy flick with a wicked sense of humor. As far as Wes Craven’s “lesser” films I think this one is his hidden masterpiece.

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Scream Factory really did this Blu-Ray right. Beyond its great transfer they have finally given us a commentary track so that you can hear Wes Craven explain this insane film to us, as well as a commentary from the cast.

There’s also lots of Behind-The-Scenes footage and interviews with everyone from the actors, the special effects team, the composer and the director of photography.

People Under the Stairs is available by Scream Factory today!

Horror Movie Night – Episode 6: Piranha 3D

by Saintmort

Come down to lake Havasu and crack a brew with us because this week we’re talking Piranha 3D. Wet T-Shirt contests, Trip McNeely’s penis, Eli Roth getting his face smashed in by a boat and Richard Dreyfuss reprising his role of Matt Hooper are just SOME of the reasons to love this bat-shit crazy movie from 2010. Adam regrets picking this movie while Matt and Scott geek out over everything from Christopher Lloyd’s over acting and how hot Elizabeth Shue (and Ving Rhames) still is. 

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group, our Reddit page or in the comments below.

Also subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud and iTunes

MTV’s ‘Scream’ Renewed For A Second Season

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Well, it’s not Teen Mom, but MTV’s found another hit in its Scream television series.

In response to the show’s impressive ratings, the network has renewed the series for a second season.

The official tagline for the series is “Everyone has secrets. Everyone tells lies. Everyone is fair game,” and I have to say that, even though I don’t really remember Scream (I was a young boy when the first film released), I’m intrigued by the self-aware musings of the series.

MTV EVP Mina Lefevre notes that “W] are thrilled by how our viewers have responded to the reinvention of Scream. We look forward to another season filled with suspense, horror and more twists and turns.”

Have you been watching the series so far? How does it hold up to the films? Sound out below!

Horror Movie Night Episode 4 – Dr. Giggles

by Saintmort

In this episode of Horror Movie Night, we watch and discuss 1993’s slashfest Dr. Giggles. Matt laughs harder than he has since he gave Scott a physical, and Adam is so disappointed with his first viewing of Dr. Giggles he eats a half gallon of ice cream; luckily, Matt has his vintage stomach pump handy. Also, listen for a shocking revelation about Dr. Giggle’s connection to another popular horror franchise, and how he drives cops to the bottle in the process.

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group, our Reddit page or in the comments below

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The Saint Mort Show Episode 134: One Slash Wonders Panel (Live at TanoshiiCon 2015)

by Saintmort

The final TanoshiiCon Panel finally sees the light of day. In this final panel Scott and I discuss One Slash Wonders. We break down various films that deserved Sequels but never got them and why.

If you’re curious where I’ve been I’ve been working on my new podcast Horror Movie Club. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, Reddit and Geekscape.net!

Follow Saint Mort on Facebook and Twitter and SoundCloud.

If you really like the show get Matt something nice off his AmazonWishList

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Horror Movie Night – Retroactive Bonus Episode 1: Hausu (House 1977)

by Saintmort

In our first Retroactive Bonus Episode we travel back to this past winter when we had to discuss Hausu (aka House from 1977) for Reddit Horror Club. Adam precedes to tell us a non-fiction story of taking a friend to see Hausu in a theater. I hope you all enjoy it!

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group, our Reddit page or in the comments below

Also subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud and iTunes

Horror Movie Night Episode 3: Videodrome

by Saintmort

Adam has gone to Pittsburg to audition for some weird late night snuff show, but while he was gone Matt and Scott watched Videodrome. Joining us this week is Alison who not only picked the film but is also Canadian so perhaps she can explain to us why Canadian horror movies are so fucking weird.

Either way, LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH!

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group, our Reddit page or in the comments below

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Crowdfund This: Help Unique Horror ‘The Unwanted’ Hit Its Goal!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Typically, our Crowdfund This pieces look at Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns in their infancy that pique our interest.

Unfortunately, with E3, San Diego Comic-Con, and a million other things going on at once, this one slipped under our radar, and now definitely needs our help if we want to see it happen.

It’s called The Unwanted, and it’s “a frightening supernatural thriller that examines a haunted hotel years after a horrifying incident occurred.”

The idea for The Unwanted originated from the Elisa Lam tape, which features “real security cam footage of a woman in an elevator that, over the course of four minutes, looks as if she’s becoming possessed – drifting in and out of the elevator, unbalanced and frightened. At the end of the video, she slowly pinwheels her splayed hands about, as if pleading with something we cannot see, her body then contorts and she disappears from view. She went missing and was found dead in a SEALED, inaccessible rooftop water tank weeks later. The County Department of Coroner ruled the death “accidental due to drowning” and said no traces of drugs or alcohol were found during the autopsy. This happened at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles two years ago.”

You can take a look at the footage here, but be warned that it’s creepy as hell.

Now, the team notes that they are “NOT basing our film on this footage. Instead, it inspired us – in a horrifying way – to create The Unwanted. A film with elements of The Exorcist, The Gates of Hell and The Sentinel. A film that asks the question – what if you were possessed by TWO different entities in a horrible, haunted place and the only way to stop them was to stop yourself?”

Sushi Girl co-writer Destin Pfaff is now helming this one, and with the cult fanbase that the star-studded film has, it’s crazy to me that The Unwanted sits at just $7700 of its $85000 goal.

So, The Unwanted needs our help. As always, there are some fantastic rewards up for grabs, including shirts, scripts, digital downloads, Blu-Rays, producer credits, and much, much more. The biggest reward of all? Getting to see this movie me made, of course (does that sound like a MasterCard commercial, or what)?

So, you know what to do. Take a look at the project’s Kickstarter video below, and head here to back! Are you looking forward to The Unwanted?

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare “Cellar Dweller & Catacombs” Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

It feels so great to be back! Welcome once again to Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare! This week I’ll be reviewing Scream Factory’s Double Feature release of Cellar Dweller and Catacombs. This will be my first time watching both of these films but I’ve heard good things for both of titles so I’m kind of excited.

Before a single credit comes on the screen we are introduced to Jeffery Combs playing a comic book artists in 1958. Suddenly his comic monster comes to life (along with the comic victim). it immediately reminded me of the Korman’s Kalamity episode of Tales from the Crypt (although the movie pre-dates that episode by a few years). Combs’ role is short lived but he manages to take the cellar dweller down with him. Flash forward to present day (1988) and another animator accidentally brings the Cellar Dweller back endangering herself and her friends.

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This movie was a ton of fun to watch. It’s a quick film (a brisk 77 minutes) and fairly funny. The Cellar Dweller looks pretty good as far as low-budget creature effects go and the acting isn’t as bad as you’d expect from such low-budget schlock. The film was written by Don Mancini (one of his few non-child’s play writing credits) and directed by John Carl Buechler who directed such 80’s classics as Troll, Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood and Ghoulies Go to College.

Now on to Catacombs

Catacombs is a little slower. It’s not a bad movie but it’s not a movie for me. However I know a ton of people who would LOVE this movie. It has great sets, fantastic performances and definitely is a film that should be more well-known. I can admit this even without particularly liking the film.

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Perhaps the biggest disservice for the film is that I watched it immediately after Cellar Dweller which was the superior film. However Cellar Dweller has no special features, Catacombs comes with a director’s commentary.

Either way this double feature is worth owning because Cellar Dweller was amazing and Catacombs is worth watching at least once.

The Cellar Dweller/Catacombs Blu-ray is available today from Scream Factory. Also released today is the double feature of The Outing/The Godsend and Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf.

 

Matt Kelly is the host of The Saint Mort Show and co-host of Horror Movie Night. He’s also the writer of the Every Damn DVD blog. 

SDCC 2015: ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ Trailer Premiere vs Comic-Con Smartypants

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

The boomstick of awesome was unleashed on a room full of primitive screwheads with the announcement of Ash vs Evil Dead the series debuting on Starz October 31—yes, Halloween! The fancypants Mr. Bruce Campbell (a.k.a. Ash Williams) joined Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi as well as Executive Producer of the new series, Craig DiGregorio (Reaper, Chuck), and Lucy Lawless who will play Ruby Knowby.

Ash—I mean, Bruce—gave us some sugar and elaborated on what was referred to as the equivalent of an hours-long mega movie in episodes, “. . .They need to be let loose, like the savage beasts that they are. And the only way that we can bring you the carnage and mayhem that you truly deserve is to be on a network like Starz where they don’t have a problem with. . . anything.” To paraphrase the jabber-mouths, when asked if there will be more seasons—yes, as long as all the loyal jolly roger fans demonstrate to Starz how much they love the show. . . and Starz loves money, if you see what I’m driving at here, Einstein.

Now, let’s pause real quick so I can take my pants off and get comfortable here in these fruity-looms. Come on, you know you’re shocked that I was wearing any in the first place! Much better. Okay, you, shove a sock in your pie-hole and pay attention—your pants are optional—it’s time for a trailer break, baby.

https://youtu.be/unnLg1TPCYM

Groovy.

Listen, babe, if that there wasn’t enough to get your motor running you might be a few marbles shy of a full knife drawer. But I sure can sympathize if you little monkeys are thirsty for more, so I’ll leave you with Starz’s coverage of the full SDCC panel. Enjoy it or—if you’re a soulless deadite—don’t. I’ve got a whiskey bottle to go marinate in so I don’t really give a hoot about your touchy-feelies, sweet-cheeks. But—and this ain’t just the pillow talk, baby—you’ll dig it.

Horror Movie Night Episode 2: Waxwork

by Saintmort

Velcum to Da Vaxvoooooorrrrrkk!!!!!!

In this episode of Horror Movie Night, Scott desperately pours water out of the boat while everyone pokes holes in it, Adam reads six hours of useless notes, and Matt remembers a third of the movie. Thrills, chills and tangents abound – would you like a closer look?

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group, our Reddit page or in the comments below

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The 11 Best Metal Songs In 90’s Horror Movies

by scottevil

After assembling a list of the best 80’s heavy metal songs in horror movies, my brain was still swimming with more questionable horror movie metal. To alleviate it, I decided to write the next chronological entry in my quest to document metal songs in the consecutive decades of horror. Enjoy!

11) Soak – Me Compassionate (An American Werewolf in Paris)
Barely metal, but it was pretty sinister in the context of the movie (werewolf rave scene) than it’s actual execution. Overshadowed on the soundtrack by Bush’s best song ever, ‘Mouth,’ but that one’s even less metal, so Soak gets the mention. Congrats, I guess?

10) Judas Priest – Bloodstained (Bride of Chucky)
Bride of Chucky’s soundtrack reads like a who’s-who of 90s metal, but this Priest song is the only listenable song for me anymore. “But SLAYER!” you say… Well, I’ve never liked their slower stuff and South of Heaven bores me to tears. Marilyn Manson? Never been a fan. Coal Chamber! Meh. Process of elimination leaves us with Tim “Ripper” Owens screaming for someone to clean! this! carpet!

 9) Stabbing Westward – Save Yourself (Urban Legend)
I know, I know, it’s technically industrial and not metal, but I feel like the two were close enough in the 90s to warrant a slot on this list. It’s also a fitting song for a slasher flick, though of course the original subtext was drug addiction, since what industrial song wasn’t about drugs?

8) Fear Factory – Scumgrief (Hideaway)
You knew Fear Factory would eventually show up on this list somewhere. Dean Koontz hated this movie so much that he begged Tristar to take his name out of the opening credits. It was so bad, he only allowed Phantoms to be released after he saw the final version. I’ve seen Hideaway, and can back up Mr. Koontz’s assertion that this is indeed total crap.

7) Type O Negative – Summer Breeze (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Another movie with a great soundtrack from start to finish, I Know What You Did Last Summer inspired me to get my hair cut exactly like Freddie Prinze Jr. Don’t say anything, it was the 90s. I’m sure my parents were first delighted I was learning a Seals & Croft song, then immediately disappointed when I cranked the distortion and added my best Peter Steele impression.

6) Two – I Am a Pig (Idle Hands)
I always loved this song but never knew who it was by until compiling this list, so I was pretty excited to find that Rob Halford sang it. The entire Idle Hands soundtrack was killer, but as with I Know What You Did Last Summer, the songs were all over the place and I’d say this is the best metal song from the movie. That said, ‘Beheaded’ by The Offspring is the overall best track. And best band cameo ever. Hands down.

I can’t take any more of these puns, I’ll try to contain myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFr53FLotRE

5) System of a Down – Marmalade (Strangeland)
No list of 90s metal would be complete without SOAD. I may take heat for not putting Anthrax or Pantera here instead, but I prefer Marmalade to anything else from Strangeland. This movie basically felt like a soundtrack vehicle, with songs from most of the big nu-metal bands of the late 90s (and a bunch of nobodies). I have no desire to revisit most of it, so let’s just stick with SOAD. I broke Dee Snider’s heart by not picking the Twisted Sister song. I hope he understands.

4) Triumph – Troublemaker (Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth)
It’s 1991, you’re a big-time movie executive at Dimension Films, wearing a suit with huge shoulderpads, smoking a cigar and propping your crocodile-skin shoes up on the boardroom table. “We need more Cenobites for a new Hellraiser movie. How about one with CDs impaled in its head?” Applause, tears of joy, gnashing of teeth; Hellraiser 3 gets made.

3) House of Lords – O Father (Dr. Giggles)
I was only recently exposed to the spectacle of Dr. Giggles by my friend and podcast co-host Matt Saintmort when I visited him this spring. I didn’t catch this song in my first viewing, but came across it looking for the soundtrack from the film. While not as shred-tastic as most other entries here, it’s length and power metal vibes cement its #3 slot. Bonus points for parallelling the daddy issues which lead to Dr. Giggles’ rampage. Giggling intensifies!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teJ7W6FwIHI

2) Laaz Rockit – Leatherface (TCM3)
This one didn’t make the cut in my first list, mainly because it’s a thrash song, but I couldn’t exclude it here. TCM3 is almost a complete waste of time, unless you want to see Viggo Mortensen act kind of weird and (another) chainsaw duel. Skip the movie and go straight for the soundtrack, chocked full of thrash songs from Death Angel, Sacred Reich, and Wrath, as well as the custom-written title track. The stupid chorus gets stuck in my head constantly and I love it.

1) Morbid Angel – Rapture (Night of the Demons 2)
Who would’ve thought a death metal song would top this list? Aside from being a hearty slice of Florida DM, Rapture was featured in arguably one of the most awkward dance sequences I’ve seen on film. Angela somehow survived the first film and decides to table-dance to Morbid Angel in hopes of luring boys into her demonic bosom. Or something. There’s also a Super Soaker full of holy water involved, which is pretty much the most 90s thing I can imagine.

\m/

Non-metal honorable mention:
Birdbrain – Youth of America (Scream)
Gob – Paint It Black (Stir of Echoes)
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta (Disturbing Behavior)
The Offspring – Beheaded (Idle Hands)
Goo Goo Dolls – I’m Awake Now (Freddy’s Dead)
Letters to Cleo – Dangerous Type (The Craft)
Brother Cane – And Fools Shine On (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers)

The 12 Best Heavy Metal Songs From Horror Movies

by scottevil

Hi, my name is Scott and I’m a recovering metalhead.

This is where you all say “Hi Scott!”

I spent close to a decade playing in metal bands, but my earliest experiences with the genre were thanks to 80s horror movies. It was a golden age for both heavy metal and over-the-top horror cheese; I credit much of my personal growth to those countless nights watching people with questionable morals bleed out as some Aquanetted guy in pleather pants screeched on about how rock and roll will never die. If you’re like me, horror and heavy metal are two sides of the same coin, so before you scream “Satanic Panic,”  let’s burn through a definitive list of the very best heavy metal songs to slay to.

12) Shadow – New Years Evil theme (New Years Evil)

“Call me Eeeeevil!”
New Years Evil is a double-header of ridiculous premise and execution, so it makes sense that a room full of punkers would circlepit into the new year with a hair metal band as a masked killer knocks people off at midnight in each time zone.

11) Thor – We Live to Rock (Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare)

Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare is a cinematic abomination, but this song kind of rips, so let’s call it even. Plot breakdown: bodybuilder-cum-metalhead fronts a band and fights the Devil, with a serious nod to Krull. Interested? Of course you are.

10) Solid Gold – Blood Tracks (Blood Tracks)

https://youtu.be/Hy4BoSzOzGY

The band Solid Gold (played by an actual band called Easy Action) is shooting a music video in an abandoned warehouse in the mountains. The whole crew gets snowed in and hacked up in clever ways; there’s bonus heavy metal interspersed between the gore. Two of the Easy Action guys quit to join Europe, so I guess they traded up?

9) White Sister – April (You’re No Fool) (Killer Party)

https://youtu.be/frPvDXgZGOU

Killer Party gets the award for most false starts ever, and peaks with this musical number in the first 10 minutes. White Sister does their best Y&T impression (who themselves got popular for doing their best Journey impression) in a diner while undead teenagers dance-fight the survivor girl. If you’ve got 10 minutes, watch the beginning of Killer Party. If you’ve got an hour… just watch the first 10 minutes.

8) Sorcery – I’m Back (Rocktober Blood)

Rocktober Blood had one of those VHS covers I couldn’t look away from as a kid. The demon mask and ladybutt must have created some sort of short-circuit in my brain. Drug use, human sacrifice and onstage murder are the orders of the day, though I was severely disappointed that the mask wasn’t the killer’s real face. But who needs demonic possession when metal is enough reason to kill?

7) Spastic Colon – Virgin Girl (Shock Em Dead)

When else but the late 80s could a virtuoso guitarist play the multi-neck-guitar-soloing body double for a nerd who sells his soul to become a rock star? Michael Angelo Batio (of Nitro fame) cashed in all of his chips as the possessed version of a geek-turned-rock-god who forfeits his soul to play high school auditoriums. How pissed would you be if grunge usurped hair metal a couple years after making that kind of deal?

6) Pretty Maids – Night Danger (Demons)

https://youtu.be/60oXp3GDNLA

Not quite as memorable as Accept’s “Fast as a Shark,” due to no one tearing up a movie theater on a motorcycle while this one plays, but arguably a more entertaining song in general. Dario Argento may have never written a coherent plot, but at least he padded his movies with loads of metal songs.

5) King Kobra – Paradise/Rock Invasion (Black Roses)

Another possession-metal flick, featuring a demonic hair metal band that enjoys playing small Midwestern towns. Between this and Shock Em Dead, I’m left wondering why, if you’re imbued with the powers of Satan, would you waste your fame on high school auditoriums. There’s also a confusingly erotic scene later on with a demon-headed topless girl, if you’re into that sort of thing.

4) Fastway – Trick or Treat (Trick Or Treat)

https://youtu.be/fDLlf-WUwW4

If the fear of the Devil’s music was too subtle for you in Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare, then Fastway’s title track from 1986’s Trick Or Treat may be more your speed with lyrics like this:
“Rock and roll, rockin’ on a midnight, steal your soul”
Visionary poetry that is sure to reverberate through the centuries. Inscribe it on my tombstone, please.

3) Norden Light – No Escape (Opera)

As mentioned previously, Dario Argento had a serious chub for heavy metal. This track is by far my favorite from any of his films, and it totally rips. Arguably the thrashiest song on this list, though I’m sure my metal preferences are pretty evident by now – too bad that there is no escape!

2) 45 Grave – Partytime (Return of the Living Dead)

The greatest zombie movie ever made (fight me) has one of the best obscure heavy metal tracks playing as the dead rise from their graves. There’s not much to say about Return of the Living Dead or Partytime that hasn’t been said a million times, so I’ll leave it at, “You think this is a fuckin’ costume? This is a way of life!”

1) Dokken – Dream Warriors (Nightmare on Elm Street 3)

Would you expect any other song in the #1 slot? Of course not, since nothing compares to the glory that is Dream Warriors. This is easily the best song to come out of the franchise – sorry Nightmare on My Street.

Bang your head (not too hard, it’s too early for that), crack a beer (or diet soda, gotta watch those calories), and mosh your cubicle (maybe just tap your foot a little). Rock and roll may steal your soul, but sometimes it saves you from burn victim pedo-ghosts.

\m/

Honorable mention:
The metal song that instigates all of the terribleness in The Gate
Laaz Rockit – Leatherface (TCM3)
Iron Maiden – Flash of the Blade (Phenomenon)
Lizzy Borden – Me Against the World (Black Roses)
Alice Cooper – Teenage Frankenstein (not He’s Back, that song is terrible) (Jason Lives: Friday the 13th pt VI)
The Truth – Hidden (The Hidden)
Fair Game – Blind Faith (Bad Channels)
W.A.S.P. – Scream Until You Like It (Ghoulies 2)

Scott is a musician and founder of the 8-Bit Metal project Console Crash as well as the horror inspired 50’s rock band Survivor Girl. He’s also the co-host of the upcoming podcast Horror Movie Night which debuts July 6th on Geekscape.net

Here’s A New Trailer For The ‘Scream’ TV Series

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Yep, a Scream TV series is incoming, and it launches on June 30th. The show looks cheesy-as-hell in classic Scream fashion, which could be exactly what television needs right now, amidst all of the gritty, dark, depressing series that are so prominent today.

The official tagline for the series is “Everyone has secrets. Everyone tells lies. Everyone is fair game,” and I have to say that, even though I don’t really remember Scream (I was a young boy when the first film released), I’m intrigued by the self-aware musings of the series.

Take a look at the new trailer below, and let us know if you’ll be watching when Scream releases on June 30th!

What starts as a YouTube video going viral, soon leads to problems for the teenagers of Lakewood and serves as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to the town’s troubled past.

The Saint Mort Show Episode 130: Ranking The Slashers (Live Panel from TanoshiiCon)

by Saintmort

This week’s episode is the second of four live panels recorded at last months TanoshiiCon in West Chester, PA. The second panel is “Ranking the Slashers'” featuring Scott Roger (of Survivor Girl & Reddit Horror Club) and Will Ball. The three of us rank the slasher sequels from best to worst (specifically Nightmare, Friday, Halloween, Child’s Play and TCM). Enjoy!

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Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – ‘From A Whisper To A Scream’ Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

Until today I had never seen this movie. In fact, I only vaguely remember its box art. I trust that if Scream Factory went up to bat for this release that it must be pretty damn good, so I’m quite excited to see what I’m in for. As opposed to a normal review this will be a stream of consciousness write-up as I watch the film.

Right off the bat the movie feels like a weird episode of Tales from the Crypt. The music has that anthology feel and I believe it is in fact an anthology movie starring Vincent Price as Mr. White (who I assume is our Crypt Keeper).

91gcCMgrP-L._SX425_

The film begins with a lethal injection execution which makes me question if this is an anthology film. Currently a reporter is asking Vincent Price (which is what I’ll refer to him as throughout this write up) about his niece’s history (turns out his niece is the one who was executed). I think I see where this is going. Price is discussing how his niece is just one in a long line of people born to be murderers in the town of Oldfield. I think I could really dig this movie.

Our first story is about Stanley. The Tales from the Crypt vibe I felt earlier is only stronger this time around. There’s a multi-layered dream sequence, bizarre imagery and comic-book level sex jokes. However anything that could be moderately seen as light-hearted disappears after the second death. It’s one of the more disturbing and depressing things I’ve seen in a horror film. Not because of gore or shock but because of the relationship between victim and murderer and the victim just yelling “why” over and over again. Sadly this darkness is offset by a really confusing ending.

Apparently this film was released under the name “The Offspring” inspired by this first segment. Personally I don’ think it’s a very good title but if you like it the Blu-Ray comes with a reversible cover.

PDVD_024

The second story is absolutely a Tales from the Crypt episode. It’s dark, gritty and has some creative edits as well as an ending that’ll freak you out. Whatever I disliked in the first story is completely gone in this second story.

The third story takes place at a carnival, so I automatically like it. I’m obsessed with carnival themed horror movies. I think it’s because of an unhealthy obsession with the movie Freaks. Who knows. My biggest issue with this story is that it’s two voodoo/witchcraft inspired tales back to back which is the most boring thing to do in anthology horror if you ask me.

The fourth story didn’t really hold my attention at all. It takes place during civil war times with a bunch of soldiers being tortured by war orphans. It’s bizarre but not as interesting as the other stories.

Also I’m questioning Mr. Price’s reliability as a storyteller and how big the town of Oldfield is exactly. I’m having trouble accepting that all 3 of locations so far are all in the same town.

All in all I’m glad I watched this movie. While I didn’t adore it, the whole film is worth watching just for that second story. The rest of the stories are decent enough but the second story is definitely the highlight of the film.

Pick up your copy of From a Whisper to a Scream from Scream Factory. While there check out some of their other films (like the Ghoulies double feature)

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog and why not get him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

El Rey’s ‘MonstroCity’ Movie Marathon Starts Tomorrow!

by Eric Francisco

El Rey Network never fails to provide pop culture geeks exactly the kind of entertainment they crave. Tomorrow (Saturday, April 25), the house Robert Rodriguez programmed will deliver its “MonstroCity” movie marathon, featuring the monsters of your nightmares that terrorize the urban jungle.

Get ready to sit back tomorrow with Curandero, Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead and Zombie, and C.H.U.D.!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3uUJE8RwEQ&feature=youtu.be

The full schedule is below:

A marathon dedicated to celebrating the monsters that are worthy of your nightmares, MonstroCity will take over your evening with cannibals, zombies, and demons as they overtake cities from above and below ground! You have been warned, this marathon is not for the faint of heart. There will be gore, there will be violence, and most importantly, people will be eaten!

SATURDAY, April 25th

 

CURANDERO (12PM EST & 8:15PM EST)

Director: Eduardo Rodriguez

A journey that takes one man into the bowels of black magic in Mexico City

 

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (2:15PM EST & 10:30PM EST)

Director: Lucio Fulci

A reporter and a psychic race to close the Gates of Hell after the suicide of a clergyman caused them to open, allowing the dead to rise from the grave.

 

ZOMBIE (4:15PM EST & 12:30AM EST)

Director: Lucio Fulci

Strangers looking for a woman’s father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.

 

C.H.U.D. (6:15PM EST & 2:30AM EST)

Director: Douglas Cheek

A bizarre series of murders in New York City seems to point toward the existence of a race of mutant cannibals living under the streets.

For America, cities were and still are a symbol of opportunity and hope. At the turn of the 20th century and well into the roaring twenties, the young and old flocked to make something of themselves… while the monsters dwelled outside the city limits.

The remarkable similarity that the majority of American horror films share is that they physically take place in remote or suburban locations. They almost never happen in cities. To know why, we only look at our own history.

When European settlers began to colonize the Americas in the late 15th century, conflict with indigenous tribes were, well, brutal. And bloody. You kind of expect now that every Thanksgiving your college roommate will bring up how much the pilgrims like, totally screwed over the Native Americans in terrifying fashion, man.

Well, your roommate isn’t wrong. America lost its humanity in the outskirts of society, in the total lawless wilderness. From murdering and grave robbing Native Americans and forcing them onto the Trail of Tears, to the slavery on the cotton fields and farms that built our nation, America’s worst sins happened beyond the roads.

Our folklore contain figures and spirits that lived beyond the cities. Bloody Mary, the Headless Horseman, the Jersey Devil and more. Seriously, peruse these tales yourself. How many of these tragic figures are said to haunt the most remote areas of our land?

Tomorrow, El Rey will prove that some monsters lurk just around the city block. Tune in at 12 PM ET and for an encore at 8:15 PM ET, as the MonstroCity marathon kicks off with Robert Rodriguez-executive produced Curandero!

Geekscape 363: Writing Horror Films With Stephen Lancellotti!

by Jonathan

Horror screenwriter Stephen Lancellotti and I have known each other longer than Geekscape has been around, both as friends and collaborators! So it was great having him on Geekscape to talk about ‘The Harvest’, the brand new horror movie that he wrote featuring Michael Shannon and Samantha Morton! Stephen and I reminisce about old times and talk about the difficulties of bringing your film to the big screen! We also catch up on news like the new ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ trailers! Also, Preacher has cast its Jesse Custer and Havoc is returning to the X-Men for ‘Apocalypse’! Enjoy!

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Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – The “Carrie” Double Feature Blu-Ray

by Saintmort

Get your tampons ready because today we’re reviewing Scream Factory’s Carrie Double Feature. Filled with more fire and menstruation than a burning sorority house and more crucifix’s then a church this double feature will have you warning everyone you know that they’re gonna be laughed at. Let’s watch!

Show of hands, who remembers The Rage: Carrie 2? Okay, so only the kids of the 90’s. How about the Made For TV adaptation of Carrie? No one? Okay then, you’re in luck… sorta. Scream Factory have brought both of these carrie adaptations onto the same disc.

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When I first received the package in the mail I thought it was Brian De Palma’s adaptation, so I was a little disappointed when I realized it was the made-for-tv movie starring Angela Bettis. It’s unfair to compare 1976’s Carrie to this TV movie. De Palma’s original is a masterpiece and even 30 years later remains one of the better King adaptations. Before I talk about the things working against this version I’ll focus on what it does right.

Angela Bettis is a great Carrie. It’s basically impossible to outdo Sissy Spacek’s career-defining performance but she steps up to the challenge and creates an equally (but very different) Carietta White. Also quick shout-out to Katharine Isabelle, not because she has anything important to do, but I’m always excited to see Isabelle in anything.

It was also written by Bryan Fuller who is the television genius behind cult shows like Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me and Hannibal. As far as adaptations of novels go this does an applaudable job. The book’s “retro-active story-telling” style is presented in a series of interview segments between Detective Mulchaey (David Keith) with a handful of survivors.

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The issue is the direction. Despite my absolute love of David Carson’s previous mini-series The 10th Kingdom this film just feels sloppy and rushed. The camera moves too chaotically in sequences, the performances feel like first (and only) takes and the camera stock seems off. I wouldn’t be shocked if this was one of the earliest TV movies made with a digital cameras. It has that early 2000’s digital film look.

It’s weird because this movie isn’t good, but it’s not offensively bad either. It’s just disappointing. On paper you have a bunch of people I like remaking a book that I like and it just doesn’t work. However I’d still say it’s worth watching because the whole movie feels like an experiment that didn’t work. I have to give the filmmakers credit for trying to do something new with a very well known and respected property.

Now while this was my second time watching the Carrie TV-Movie this was the first time I watched The Rage: Carrie 2 even though I specifically remember seeing the trailers on TV and the posters all over my local mall.

Everyone warned me that The Rage: Carrie 2 was a terrible movie. Now I’m not saying it’s NOT a terrible movie, but what I am saying is that with how low they made my expectations I ended up really enjoying this movie.

Right off the bat I’m loving the fact that in the first 10 minutes we have two cast members of American Pie (Mena Suvari & Eddie Kaye Thomas), Jason London and a soundtrack featuring Far Behind by The Hippos.

Now don’t get me wrong, this film is pretty terrible. The dialogue, the plot, the acting and the direction are all just slightly off. But I enjoyed it.

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The Rage: Carrie 2 is written by the man who penned the masterpiece known as Hackers and directed by the woman behind Poison Ivy… so you kinda know what you’re in for from the start. However going into this movie with nothing behind a memory of the trailer and everyone’s word that it was complete garbage left me pretty surprised that I was entertained.

The film has all the 90’s cliches. Diners, convos about Sharon Manson, asshole jocks keeping score of girls they’ve slept with, prank phone calls, huge party sequence, Brad from Home Improvement… the list goes on. It’s goofy as all hell but done in such a serious tone.

The film does this weird thing where every time Rachel (on yea… there’s no Carrie in this movie) uses her powers it cuts to black and white. It’s doesn’t achieve anything and is more distracting than anything.

There’s a bunch of logic leaps throughout, the movie is super slow in the middle and it basically plays out as a weird high school version of Romeo & Juliet (with Juliet having the ability to murder with her mind) but I honestly enjoyed it.

The slow-burn is really worth it for the final massacre at the party. It’s really is a collection of great practical effects, some cringe deaths and solid gore. If it was a little shorter and had better direction I think The Rage: Carrie 2 would actually be a pretty well liked cult film from the 90’s. No Bullshit.

The Blu-ray comes with a bunch of special features including commentary tracks for both features. Pick up your copy from Scream Factory today!

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Watching both of these movies back to back reminded Matt of the time he was pelted with Tampons cheer him up by getting him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

The ‘Scream’ TV Series Launches On June 30th, Watch The First Trailer!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: I had no idea that this existed, and if it weren’t for the iPhones in this first trailer, I’d likely have mistaken it for something from the 1990’s.

Yep, a Scream TV series is incoming, and it launches on June 30th. The show looks cheesy-as-hell in classic Scream fashion, which could be exactly what television needs right now, amidst all of the gritty, dark, depressing series that are so prominent today.

The official tagline for the series is “Everyone has secrets. Everyone tells lies. Everyone is fair game,” and I have to say that, even though I don’t really remember Scream (I was a young boy when the first film released), I’m intrigued by the self-aware musings of the series.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’ll be watching when Scream releases on June 30th!

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmares “Invaders From Mars” Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

After a brief break Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare is back! This week we’re reviewing the Scream Factory release of Invaders From Mars. I’ve seen it once before this Blu-Ray came in the mail and raises the question if I’m the wrong audience for this movie.

Before I talk about Invaders from Mars I want to discuss the fact that I’ve thought it was directed by Joe Dante for a long time. I guess it just feels like something Dante would make, a fairly innocent and non-offensive movie about a child in a weird situation with occasionally adult moments. It’d felt right in with Gremlins and Small Soldiers, but instead this movie is directed by Tobe Hooper which might not work to it’s advantage.

Tobe Hooper has had an uneven career and that’s speaking as someone who defends more of his movies than most people. It’s undeniable that Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a masterpiece and whether or not Poltergeist was directed by him or Spielberg it’s still a great movie. That being said, I’ve also defended The Funhouse as an unappreciated masterpiece, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was a brilliant ‘fuck you’ to people forcing him to make a gorier sequel, I found Lifeforce to be a complete blast, and I don’t even completely hate Eaten Alive.

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Somehow I never knew this movie existed until I was in college. The peak of my horror fandom was in Junior High during the very early years of the internet. I had no clue what IMDb was back then so I wasn’t checking into filmmaker’s filmographies and even then Tobe Hooper wasn’t really at the top of the list of directors whose filmographies I felt I needed to see anyway.

Anyways, when I worked at a video store I stumbled upon the VHS of this and watched it. It was okay, nothing to write home about. I remember thinking it was probably Joe Dante’s worst movie (see first paragraph). This might sound like an insult but Joe Dante has had a pretty solid career and even at his worst he’s still damn good.

Invaders From Mars isn’t a great movie, but I don’t think anyone is pretending that it is. Not even Scream Factory. But it is a fun movie. It’s that awkward combination of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Monster Squad that makes this movie more fun than I originally remembered. The screenplay was written by Dan O’Bannon and follows in line with Return of the Living Dead’s subplot about the Army coming in and handling the situation.

There’s plenty of great performances in this movie (including a great role from Bud Cort) but the star of the show is Stan Winston’s monster designs.  The creatures look so cool in that super 80’s way (specifically one alien who looks like Krang from TMNT).

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What hurts this movie is its undecided tone. The movie keeps trying to be a genuine horror movie and a kids movie at the exact time, since it never seems to settle on a tone it constantly feels awkward and uneven. The ending is cliche’d and infuriating

I also can’t believe how many times they say the name David Gardener in this movie. This movie should be shown to writing students as a reminder to limit how often people refer to each other by name.

Invaders From Mars is available on Blu-Ray from Scream Factory today. Beyond a beautiful transfer of the film it also contains a commentary track from Tobe Hooper and an amazing behind the scenes feature. Pick up your copy today!

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Instead of eating Ham and Mashed Potatoes with his family on Sunday he watched Invaders from Mars FOR YOU! Show up how much you appreciate his handwork by getting him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort Nostalgia Nightmare: New Year’s Evil Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

This week for Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare we’re going to be discussing New Year’s Evil which is now available on Blu-Ray from our friends at Scream Factory. Let’s see if this one drops the ball or not (ZING!)

I love Slasher films. LOVE them. Scream was my first major introduction to horror movies and turned me into someone who NEEDED to feed on horror movie content. I’ve made it a goal to see as many slasher films as possible and even own an unreasonably large amount of documentaries and text books on the subject.

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New Year’s Evil managed to avoid my sights for years. I didn’t even know it existed until it was briefly mentioned in Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (a must have for any serious horror fan). It wasn’t until last year I finally got to see it when it was briefly on Netflix Instant watch. I really wasn’t blown away by it, but at the time I watched it I was also in the middle of moving into my house so I had it on but I didn’t have my full attention on it.

This time I did all the chores I needed to have done, turned off the phone and really focused on the film. It is still one of the lesser 80’s slasher films, but it is however not a terrible movie.

The plot centers around Diane (aka Blaze), a TV personality hosting a televised New Years Eve Punk Rawk party. While taking callers on the air she begins talking to a man going by the name Evil. Evil threatens to kill a “Naughty Girl” she loves every time it strikes midnight in a different time zone. The cops are reluctant to take the threats seriously, assuming it’s a dark prank from the creepy crowd her shows tend to draw in. After each murder he calls back in and plays the recording of the murder over the air.

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The film is unique as we know what Evil looks like within roughly 20 minutes of the movie. It’s not so much a mysterious whodunnit as much as it’s a WhoIsItAndWhy? The movie does contain some clever editing, some enjoyably cheesy music (specifically it’s theme song and the song Dumb Blondes), a cool mask for the killer to wear and a fairly unique premise. Even by 1980 the slasher film had already established itself as the “unknown, masked killer stalking high school girls from the trees”. This took a slightly more suspenseful twist which is interesting at least.

The biggest problem with the movie is how overwhelmingly mediocre it is. It’ll never be a movie good enough to recommend to a friend, or bad enough to watch with a group of friends. Dread Central’s Matt Serafini’s review reference to it as an ideal “late night horror fix” and I think that’s exactly the way to watch it. This would be a fun movie to have randomly discovered on USA in the 90’s.

Now as you’ve probably figured out I’m a Scream Factory fanboy. Even if I wasn’t being asked to review movies for them I’d still be a fanboy. I don’t think anyone at Scream Factory thinks that this is a masterpiece of slasher cinema but they still celebrate it as if it were by throwing in a new commentary track and a new collection of interviews with some of creators and stars behind the film.

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While I’m not the biggest fan of New Year’s Evil, it’s still an interesting definitely worth watching if you’re a horror fan. Scream Factory has really put out a handful of other good (but painfully underrated slashers) like Terror Train, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, The Burning and Sleepaway Camp.

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Since Philadelphia just got slammed with a little bit of snow he’s going to probably spend the next weekend inside staying warm watching TV and dreaming of summer. Get him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – “The Phantom of the Opera (1989)” Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

Welcome to another edition of Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare. This week I’ll be reviewing Phantom of the Opera from 1989 now available on Blu-Ray from my friends at Scream Factory. Much like last week, I’d never seen this film prior to this viewing but I sure as hell remembered it’s box-cover. Let’s see how it is.

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I’ve always had a weird obsession with Phantom of the Opera. I blame it on Gremlins 2: A New Batch, as well as an old book of classic horror movie moments that my grandfather had in his basement. I loved the look of Lon Chaney’s original make-up and would frequently imagine the iconic music and the moment when the mask is lifted off revealing his true face.

That being said, it’s rare that I find a version of Phantom that I genuinely love. I like the classic Lon Chaney film and I can appreciate the musical, but I definitely don’t love it. For some reason nothing has reached that unattainable excitement for the original film (that I didn’t even see until after college). I do however love gory 80s/90s horror movies, so I went into 1989’s Phantom of the Opera with high hopes.

I can recall the box cover from my younger days of wandering video stores, but for one reason or another I never rented it (I’m willing to assume it’s because I still hadn’t seen the original). I can’t say that this movie’s transfer has never looked better (since I have no previous viewing experience) but what I can say is that this doesn’t look like a movie that’s 25 years old. The transfer gives it the picture quality of a movie released in the last 2-3 years.

That being said, I walked away from this movie not knowing how to feel about it. Robert England puts in a great performance and while I’m not a fan of the Phantom’s make-up Kevin Yagher’s other effects are pretty impressive. There are definitely things here, however, that don’t work for me.

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I started off kind of confused; the movie does a sudden flip from modern day to the victorian era that occurs so suddenly that if you sneeze or blink you’ll miss it. The movie is slowly paced but when it gets good it’s “severed head in a soup pot” good.

There’s a lot to like hidden within the movie but the actual journey to those moments can be tedious and boring at times. The movie also ends in an awkward abruptness, it’s obvious that they were setting up a sequel (which despite my lukewarm opinion of this movie I would have loved to have seen) that never came to fruition due to its poor box office performance.

However, since this is a Scream Factory release it doesn’t matter the quality of the film because the Behind the Mask Retrospective making of documentary on the DVD is packed with interesting stories about the history of the Phantom. If you’re a fan of this adaptation you’d be doing yourself a disservice not picking up this up for that making of and commentary track alone.

If you haven’t seen this adaptation but you’re a fan of 80’s gore and/or the Phantom of the Opera story than this might be worth checking out, but I think you’re actually better off checking out Phantom of the Paradise (also from Scream Factory). In fact, the screenplay writer even mentions watching Phantom of the Paradise for inspiration while writing. Both have extremely similar plot-lines (both being inspired by both Phantom of the Opera AND the story of Faust) but Phantom of the Paradise has the tongue-in-cheek fun (and memorable musical numbers) that this adaptation is lacking.

Saint Mort is the host of The Saint Mort Show and Reddit Horror Club podcasts. He also posts reviews in his Every Damn DVD blog every single week. He’s also the Phantom of his Apartment and attacks anyone who speaks ill of his DVD collection. If you’re generous enough give him some more DVDs to defend from his Amazon Wishlist.

PS4 Exclusive ‘Until Dawn’ Gets A Valentine’s Day Trailer!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Ready At Dawn’s Until Dawn was originally slated to hit the PS3 (with some good ol’ Playstation Move support), but was re-announced as a PS4 exclusive this past Summer.

The game totally plays like a B-grade horror film, and I’m so excited for it. I’m a big fan of survival horror games (which you’d know if you listened to the Geekscape Games podcast), and I’m super happy to see the resurgence of horror titles that’s happening now (and looks as though it will continue for some time).

Sony today debuted a new ‘Valentine’s Day’ trailer for the game, which feature’s the game’s characters gettin’ romantic before… well, gettin’ dead. The game still looks a little rough around the edges (especially considering that it runs on the Killzone: Shadowfall engine), but I’m sure things will get cleaned up before it launches later in 2015.

Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know if you’re excited!

Eight friends trapped together on a remote mountain retreat, and they aren’t alone. Gripped by dread, with tensions running high, they must fight through their fear if they all hope to make through the night in one piece.

 

Play as each of the eight characters and experience fear like you never have before. Every decision you make in your terrifying search for answers could mean the difference between life and death, but for whom? Your actions alone will decide who survives Until Dawn.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

Welcome Back to Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare. Glad to see you enjoyed it enough last week to revisit. Continuing in my Scream Factory Blu-Ray reviews I’ve got another double feature. Today you can own their double feature release of Vampire’s Kiss and High Spirits. Let’s dive in!

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Not only have I never seen either of these films prior to this Blu-Ray appearing on my doorstep, I’ve never even heard of one of them. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. Over the course of 5 hours I watched Vampire’s Kiss twice (once normally and once with commentary) and High Spirits.

Let’s start with Vampire’s Kiss. I’d heard many things about this movie, specifically that it’s one of the most Cage-iest of Nicholas Cage movies. I was not lied to in the least. The movie is bizarre, confusing, unintentionally funny at parts and a chore to watch at others.

The movie tells the story of Peter Loew, a womanizing literary agent who spends all day in the office and all night at the clubs and having one night stands. One night he takes home a vampire named Rachel who begins feeding on him nightly. Or does he?

Vampire’s Kiss is all about questioning what is reality while following an unhinged businessman that’s wrapped up in all the sleeze, culture and status of the 80s. Basically it’s American Psycho if Nicholas Cage played Patrick Bateman.

It’s got some fantastic moments in it and has notoriety for a infamous still which has become a meme (Scream Factory was smart to include that still on the back of the Blu-Ray). The commentary track between director Robert Bierman and Nicholas Cage is interesting to say the least. The two think highly of the movie and Bierman makes a few references to stylistic choices but then saying things like “I think I did that consciously”.

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If you can get past Cage’s awkward accent choice (he sounds like he’s doing a bad Keanu Reeves impression) and the dark comedic cruelness it’s not a bad film to watch… once. You’ll most likely never watch it again (unless you listen to the commentary track)… the same can’t be said for High Spirits.

I had a lot of fun experiencing High Spirits for the first time. I’m willing to believe that if I saw this movie when I was a child I’d hold it with the same level of nostalgic praise that I hold movies like Monster Squad and The Goonies.

Looking at this cast it’s amazing that I’ve never heard of this film. It’s a fantastic ensemble featuring such infamous actors as Peter O’Toole, Daryl Hannah, Liam Neeson, Jennifer Tilly, Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D’Angelo.

The movie follows Peter Plunkett who’s about to have his castle repossessed. In order to keep his property he tries to claim it’s haunted to scare the Americans that are visting the castle (including the daughter of the man repossessed the castle). When their fake ghost stories are discovered, real ghosts begin haunting the castle including Mary and Martin.

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Many centuries ago when Mary and Martin were married, Martin murdered Mary for infidelity. Every night the two are forced to re-enact that night. That is until one of the Americans Jack (Guttenberg) stops Martin, putting an end to cycle and causing Mary to fall in love with him.

I hope this film finds a decent resurgence from this Blu-Ray, as it’s a fantastic Halloween movie with ghosts, romance, comedy and a handful of good jump scares.

The most baffling thing about this film is that it’s written and directed by Neil Jordan, a man known for films of more adult nature like The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire.

Doing research to do these reviews/writeups I can’t understand how Vampire’s Kiss was more critically well received. It’s an interesting film but for very unintentional reasons. High Spirits is a much more enjoyable film overall.

Pick up a copy of the Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits Blu-ray Today!

Matt Kelly hosts The Saint Mort Show and the Reddit Horror Club as well as writes for Geekscape and his blog Every Damn DVD. He’s also going to spend Valentine’s Day night in the basement watching horror movies while his roommate has sex. He’d love it if you bought him something on his Amazon Wishlist to convince him to take that shotgun barrel out of his mouth. 

‘Devil’s Third’ Creator Thinks That The Latest ‘Fatal Frame’ Is Coming To North America

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Fatal Frame fans, have you given up hope for The Black Haired Shrine Maiden ever coming to North America?

Maybe you shouldn’t have, as Devil’s Third creator Tomonobu Itagaki has certainly just raised my excitement for the possibility of the title coming to the west. Here’s what he said on his FaceBook page:

“Hey guys, I strongly believe that Kikuchi Keisuke will release the Fatal Frame V in America, in many countries. He and me have same philosophy from Tecmo days. That’s what I can say for now. I want you guys to read between the lines. Anyway I will play this game.”

Of course, he could be totally wrong, but I’ll hold onto any shred of hope that I’ll get to play another game in this amazing series.

Have you been a fan of the Fatal Frame series thus far? Did you get a chance to play the Wii version? Sound out below!

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare: Love at First Bite/Once Bitten Blu-Ray Review

by Saintmort

Welcome to Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare. Every week, Matthew “Saint Mort” Kelly will either review an upcoming release that he’s been sent or ramble about some of his horror favorites that you should revisit. This week, Matt reviews the upcoming Scream Factory release of the Love At First Bite/Once Bitten double feature Blu-Ray. Let’s begin!

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The first thing that I noticed about this particular Blu-Ray release is its lack of special features. Essentially, there aren’t any (aside from some vintage movie trailers or radio spots). It’s understandable given that it’s two movies on one disc and space is limited, but it didn’t stop me from feeling a little let down given how incredible Scream Factory’s special features usually are.

Prior to this release I’d never even heard of Love at First Bite so of course I started with that. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but based on its title and its placement beside Once Bitten I assumed it was another teenage vampire movie. I was wrong.

The story follow Count Dracula (George Hamilton) after he has his castle repossessed and is forced to move to New York. He falls in love with famous model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James) and begins to date her despite her crazy ex Dr. Jeffery Rosenberg (grandson of Van Helsing). The movie’s humor is just as wacky and irreverent as that description seems.

It’s a pretty unique twist on the Dracula mythology by flipping roles. The count is now our hopeless romantic hero and Van Helsing is the villain that we want to see fail. While I love that twist the film is still far perfect. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some great comedic moments; I particularly enjoyed a reoccurring joke involving Rosenberg’s (Richard Benjamin) clueless attempts to expose Dracula which include (but are not limited to) shooting him with silver bullets and holding a Star of David to the vampire’s face.

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I’d also be doing a disservice to the movie to not praise the fantastic performance from Arte Johnson as Reinfeld. Moments like him cackling with glee while watching a movie about rats attacking a women or crying while watching a commercial for Raid are just the right level of absurdist comedy to make this an enjoyable experience.

I don’t know how frequently I’ll rewatch Love at First Bite, but I’m certainly glad Scream Factory gave me the ability to experience this movie for the first time. However I think the main reason many people will be getting this Blu-Ray is for the second feature the 80’s vampire/teen flick classic Once Bitten.

I remember hearing about Once Bitten back in 1993 just as Ace Ventura was making Jim Carrey a household name to kids my age who couldn’t watch In Living Color. It became a fairly regular feature film on Comedy Central. I’d always seen the film in its TV-edited version. Maybe it’s because of this that I don’t remember how much homophobic humor is in the movie.

I think there will be a ton of critics who point to these moments (specifically the ‘Fags in the Shower’ sequence) as a reason to dislike or avoid revisiting it. I’m not one of those critics. I was raised on movies like Porky’s, Revenge of the Nerds and Hollywood Knights. We as a society have come and a long way and that’s great… but I still find something super charming about the close minded 80’s teen humor and like it or not homophobia is a big part of that.

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Most people only really think about Once Bitten because it’s a pre-famous Jim Carrey vehicle, but there’s more to the movie than that. It’s basically American Pie with Vampires. In order to maintain her eternal beauty and vampire countess must drink the blood of a virgin. Cut to Mark Kendall (Jim Carrey) and his group of friends trying to get laid. Mark believes he’s struck a sexual goldmine with the seductive Countess but he begins having weird cravings, an inability to sleep and weird dreams. It’s up to his on and off girlfriend Robin Pierce to take his virginity before the Countess drains him of all is blood.

This movie is way funnier than I remembered it. I still am a firm believer that in general My Best Friend is a Vampire (released two years after Once Bitten) is the superior Vampire Teenage film, but it’s undeniable that Once Bitten is a classic for a reason.

After watching this double feature I immediately felt like there should be another double feature from Scream Factory of Rockula and My Best Friend is a Vampire. So if anyone from Scream Factory is reading you should get on that for Saint Mort. Thanks in advance!

Get your own copy of Love at First Bite/Once Bitten from Scream Factory. It’ll be released February 10th, but you can pre-order right now! Also released the same day is the double feature of Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits (look out for more about this next release next week).

Matt Kelly is the host of The Saint Mort Show, the co-host of the Reddit Horror Club and the blogger behind Every Damn DVD. He has an unhealthy love for horror movies, wrestling and punk music and wants you to buy him something nice off his Amazon Wishlist because free stuff is always nice. We at Geekscape can not support giving Matt free stuff but you can do what you want with your money. But that money would be better spent buying stuff from Scream Factory for yourself.

Scream Factory Announces March Titles

by Saintmort

Continuing their on going track record of keeping horror classics alive Scream Factory has some great titles coming out this March.

unnamed-2For starters on March 3rd the Blaxploitation classic Blacula (and its sequel Scream Blacula Scream) on a double feature DVD and will feature a commentary track from Film Historian David F. Walker (author Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak) and a new interview with Richard Lawson of Scream Blacula Scream.

For those of you not familiar with this cult classic it tells the tale of African Prince Mamuwalde (played by the intensely entertaining William Marshall) who visits Count Dracula only to end up being transformed into a vampire. After two centuries of being trapped in his tomb he gets unleashed onto the mean streets of Los Angeles.

The underrated sequel pits the titular vampire against some voodoo power and stars cult favorites Richard Lawson and Pam Grier.

That same day they’re also releasing the Italian Post-Apocalyptic Exploitation Fan Favorite Exterminators of the Year 3000.

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Eagerly awaiting the release of the newest Mad Max movie? Well you can fill some time with this post-apocalyptic future where the earth is a desert and water is the most precious substance of all. A band of survivors turn to a mysterious stranger to battle a ruthless gang of motorcycle psychos for control of the wasteland and the water. A glorious crash of guns, nuclear fallout, and synthesizers make this a must-see for anyone who’s been longing for the day in which they can finally get beyond Thunderdome.

With a commentary track from the director Robert Iannucci makes this film’s blu-ray debut just that extra level of special.

They’ve also announced the upcoming releases of Invaders from Mars, The Babadook and recently they acquired Stigmata.

Keep your eyes open on Geekscape.net for some upcoming reviews for their February releases Phantom of the Opera, The Love at First Bite/Once Bitten double feature as well as the  Vampires Kiss/High Spirits double feature.

 

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show available on Soundcloud as well as the sole writer of the Every Damn DVD blog.

Watch An Interview With ‘The Babadook’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: As a huge fan of last year’s The Babadook (it was one of my favourite films of 2014), this was too hilarious not to share.

Funny or Die has just released an exclusive interview with Mister Babadook himself, and it’s pretty fantastic (well, the host is a little over-the-top, but other than that it’s golden).

Take a look at the interview below, and let us know if you loved the film as much as I did!

An Interview With The Babadook – watch more funny videos

Geekscape Games Previews ‘Resident Evil Revelations 2’

by Josh Jackson

Since Resident Evil Revelations 2 was first announced, it was putting the wheels in motion to set up a number of returning elements and combining them with a few firsts. As the first original game in the series to debut digitally, the debut of an episodic format, and the first game staring new characters such as Barry Burton’s daughter, Moira, we’ll also see the return of the more isolated atmosphere of the originals and the first Revelations title, alongside Claire Redfield and Barry himself making their welcomed comebacks. At Capcom’s latest Fright Night event, we got the chance to experience a bit of what to expect from the latest title in the long running franchise, and from what we’ve seen so far, it’s shaping up to be a scary good time!

Throwing Claire and Moria headfirst into an abandoned prison, the two must work together to escape the horrors that await them. Ironically, the daughter of a card carrying NRA member refuses to use guns, (potential plot point, anyone?), so Moira is stuck with flashlight duty. Highlighting flashing spots on the map help the young Burton girl uncover items, keys, and melee weapons such as crowbars, that serves as both a way to open boarded doors and a tool to keep enemies at bay. Thankfully, Claire isn’t as much of a pacifist, serving as the combat expert between the two. With a variety of guns at her disposal, melee attacks that knock enemies back while stunned, (a la RE4,) she’s more than capable of keeping the pair safe.

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Which is lucky for them, since the enemies in this game don’t idle around like your typical zombie. The monsters in the demo behave much more like the faster, more viscous zombies of RE6 compared to the slower paced creatures from the first Revelations. With just enough of them lurking around corners without feeling completely overwhelmed, the game constantly had me on my toes, anxious to open that side door with an herb teasing me through the bars, knowing full well that an enemy was waiting for the chance to rip me to shreds. The dark, brooding atmosphere of the prison only amplified the tense feeling that fueled quite a few jump scares, which is in itself commendable when you consider that I’m playing in a room surrounded by loud, drunk people and a DJ playing music that’s louder than the provided gaming headphones.

What left the biggest impression on me however, was the game’s dynamic between the two protagonists. Unlike previous forced attempts at co-op, Revelations 2 felt like both characters were necessary pieces to the overall experience, especially when compared to the herb sucking, bullet draining idiots that we’re used to tagging along with us. Even if you don’t trust the AI enough to back you up, you’ll be able to seamlessly switch control between the two characters, which is helped by the much improved twin stick control scheme. All signs are pointing to single player not being such a chore this time! But then again, I would imagine co-op would still be the best way to go once the final version releases next month.

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Despite all the praise, I’m still a bit cautious. After all, Revelations in a way, was created to bring the series back to its survival horror roots compared to the more action focused direction the main series has shifted to. While the demo might have been taking it easy, the abundance of items and ammo hurt the feeling of helplessness. Combined with the fast paced enemies and the updated controls, it’s looking like this spinoff is already moving towards a more adrenaline fueled explosion fest. Then again, this was 10 minutes of an unfinished product, and even then, I still felt more terror than the entirety of either 5 or 6, so let’s hope the final game strikes a strong balance.

Are you planning on sticking with the series when it hits digital formats next month? Or will you wait for the complete package to get its physical release? And how good is it to finally have Claire back? Sound off and let us know!