The Dance Of Reality is the new film from legendary 84 year old Spanish director Alejandro Jodorowsky, and it looks spectacular. This is his first directorial effort since 1990′s The Rainbow Thief. The new film is said to be based on the “imaginary biography” of his childhood, growing up in Chile.
Let’s have a look :
Wow!
The greatest living surrealist film-maker has returned. This film will be premiering at Cannes later this year, but so far no U.S. distribution has been announced.
Also premiering at Cannes this year is a documentary called “Jodorowsky’s Dune” which takes a closer look at the director’s failed attempt to bring a very ambitious film version of Dune to the big screen many years ago.
Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of my personal idols, an artist who has consistently paved his own way, and made the world a more interesting place by sharing his visions with the rest of us. For an enlightening experience, be sure and check out The Holy Mountain on Blu-ray, one of my all-time favorite movies!
A true masterpiece, and pretty unbelievable that they produced and got away with that film way back in 1973! Of course, by that point Jodorowsky had already become relatively notorious for his previous film El Topo, which is still widely regarded as the first “Midnight Movie”. Rumor has it that he is (and has been) hard at work on the long awaited sequel to this film, to be called either “Abel Cain” or “Sons of El Topo”.
As if that wasn’t enough to blow your mind today, take a look at the trailer for Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre, his “horror” film from 1989. Divided into both a flashback and a flash-forward, the film, which is set in Mexico, tells the story of Fenix, a boy who grew up in a circus, and his life through both adolescence and early adulthood.
If you are unfamiliar with these films, be sure and follow the links below to get yourself caught up on the work of a true master of the bizarre and creative side of film. If you can procure yourself some chemical aids before viewing, it may or may not be to your advantage…
Do your homework!
Who wants to return to The Titty Twister?
I know I do. From Dusk till Dawn is one of my all-time favorite movies, right there behind Evil Dead 2 and The Shining. A great tense action flick that pulled one of the best cinematic tricks in history by turning into a gore-filled vampire freakout at the halfway point. I love just about everything about this movie, and have ever since my buddy and I saw it opening night high on mushrooms, but that is another story…
Yesterday, it was announced that Robert Rodriguez himself will be developing a TV series continuing the story of From Dusk Till Dawn , for his own new network, El Rey (which is the name of the town they were headed to in Mexico, as well as Freddie Rodriguez character’s name in Planet Terror).
The network is intended to create a mix of reality, scripted and animated series, movies, music and sports programming. He’s already got Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci’s K/O Paper Products involved, and they’re doing an action adventure series. Check out the full press release below with all of the details.
Univision Communications Inc. announced today plans for the El Rey Network, a new general entertainment, English-language cable network geared towards young-adult audiences and created by renowned American filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures. The network will launch in December 2013 and have nation-wide distribution with initial carriage via Comcast.
Chairman Robert Rodriguez — who has been named one of Time magazine’s 25 most influential Hispanics and has directed films such as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids,Machete and Sin City — unveiled the plans for the new network and showcased one of its slated programs today at Univision’s 2013 Upfront presentation in New York.
As the lead curators of content for El Rey Network, Rodriguez and FactoryMade will cultivate a mix of reality, scripted and animated series, movies, music and sports programming. El Rey Network will provide English-language programming and will include action content that boldly features — or is created, produced or directed by – high-caliber talent, celebrities and public figures. Univision Communications will be responsible for the back office operations, sales and distribution of the network. Financial details for the agreement were not disclosed.
“Our partnership in El Rey Network is a testament to Univision’s culture of innovation, the power of our brand to live in both languages, and our constant quest to ensure we remain the ultimate resource for all Hispanics’ tastes and preferences. As we continue to grow, evolve and expand into new frontiers, Univision remains the one and only gateway to U.S. Hispanic audiences,” said Randy Falco, president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc. “We are pleased to partner with Robert, FactoryMade and the teams at El Rey Network to launch a new network to serve one of the most influential, rapidly growing audiences in America – young Hispanics. Today at our upfront, we spoke about Univision’s unparalleled brand connection and showcased our world-class content offerings across our multiplatform portfolio, as well as our firm commitment to providing Latinos with the best in-culture programming available.”
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Univision on this groundbreaking initiative to deliver high-quality original programming to our community and the wider, mainstream audiences,” said Rodriguez. “El Rey Network will serve as a launching pad to satisfy the tastes of young adults looking for exciting, cinematic, action-packed content. As a broadcast leader in media, Univision is the best partner to support us in achieving this vision.”
Added FactoryMade CEO John Fogelman and co-CEO Cristina Patwa: “Univision’s investment in the network is a ringing endorsement of the strength of El Rey Network’s strategy and its potential not just through television, but also through social and mobile platforms. El Rey will offer a slate of visionary talent, adventurous stories and iconic characters that will entertain, engage and relate to younger audiences.”
At Univision’s upfront presentation, Rodriguez unveiled the first original scripted production for El Rey Network. Based on the hit action/horror franchise from Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, “From Dusk Till Dawn,” the series will be written, produced and directed by Rodriguez. It will explore and expand on the characters and story from the original film, providing a wider scope and richer Aztec mythology.
In addition, Rodriguez announced that K/O Paper Products, the television and film production company founded by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, will produce a scripted, action adventure series for El Rey Network, which will start development at the end of June. Kurtzman and Orci are the writers and producers of blockbuster movies such as Star Trek, Transformers as well as broadcast shows such as “Fringe,” “Hawaii Five-O” and the upcoming “Sleepy Hollow”. The duo plans to announce a showrunner later this summer.
“Robert, Alex and Roberto exemplify the types of show creators that will ultimately set El Rey Network apart. We are honored to pave the way for their unprecedented debut into cable,” said the network’s Vice Chairman Scott Sassa.
The two original scripted shows are being developed as a part of the network’s co-financing pact with Reliance-backed television studio Georgeville Television and will be produced in Austin, Texas, home of Rodriguez’ 26-acre studio facilities. Georgeville, founded by Motion Picture Capital and Reliance, will be co-producing scripted programming for El Rey in a $250 million deal announced two months ago.
“As an independent studio, we were already thrilled to partner with El Rey Network on these series — we have been receiving tremendous interest in these shows internationally on multiple windows, given the filmmaker-driven stature and high-quality content of the series selection. El Rey’s partnership with Univision only strengthens our combined ability to bring more A-list content to a wider audience,” said Georgeville Television founders Marc Rosen and Leon Clarance.
So, back to the Titty Twister we go.
I don’t know how many of you guys got burned by the direct-to-video sequels, but I know I did, so call me skeptical. But the thing that those sequels were missing is the invovement of Rodriguez and his creative input.
They claim that the series would “will explore and expand on the characters and story from the original film, providing a wider scope and richer Aztec mythology.”
Interesting, because at the end of the first film, pretty much everyone is dead and George Clooney just tosses Juliette Lewis a stack of money and drives away. I always wondered what the hell she was supposed to do after that? Although it is doubtful that George Clooney would revisit his character, Julliette Lewis would be an interesting possibility. To see her character of Kate now nearly twenty years later would be an interesting thing. How different she would be from the innocent young girl who lost her whole family in a bar fight with vampires in Mexico…
Not to mention, I haven’t seen her in anything lately.
Well, it will be interesting to see where they take the storyline.
Stay tuned right here at Horror Homework for all the latest news, reviews and updates for all you horror geeks out there.
Say what?
First of all this news about a Toxic Avenger remake is new to me. Apparently, Hot Tub Time Machine writer Steve Pink has written a screenplay with Daniel C. Mitchell and they are in talks for Arnold himself to star in it, according to Variety.
Don’t get too excited (or angry) just yet…
The aging action icon is not in talks to play Toxie, but rather, “another lead role” in the re-imagining of the 1980s cult pic. Um, Okay…
But I would definitely love to see him under a few layers of slimy mutant make-up as a “hideously-deformed creature of super-human size and strength”, wouldn’t you?
Sounds like the perfect role for old Arnie.
That classic and it’s sequels were recently released in a 7-DVD box set (!) which you can find here.
We reported the news here a few months back that Troma studios released 150 movies for free to YouTube.
Well, the channel also features the complete run of The Toxic Crusaders, the awesome cartoon series that ran for 13 episodes before the “Devil Worshipping Media Conglomerate” took it off the air!
You can see the premiere episode below, and all of the rest on the Troma Channel, if you are into that sort of thing!
So, I wonder what role Swarzenegger will be playing in this flick, if any.
A friend of mine and I were speculating earlier that he probably thinks it is some kind of sequel to The Avengers, and is going to be mighty surprised when he shows up on set and doesn’t see Captain America anywhere…
Would you guys watch this if it comes to be a real thing?
I know I would.
Yesterday the world lost one of the greats.
After years redefining and perfecting the art of stop-motion animation, legendary special effects master Ray Harryhausen left this world a better place.
Born in Los Angeles, the signature event in Harryhausen’s life was when he saw ‘King Kong’ at the age of 13. He was so enchanted that he began researching the film’s effects work, ultimately learning all he could about stop-motion photography.
His most memorable works include the animation on Mighty Joe Young, with pioneer Willis H. O’Brien, which won the Academy Award for special effects (1949); The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, his first color film; and Jason and the Argonauts, featuring a famous sword fight against seven skeleton warriors.
He greatly influenced the generations that would follow in his footsteps with this miracle making, including many of my favorite directors, such as Sam Raimi, Steven Speilberg, Peter Jackson, and Edgar Wright.
George Lucas himself is quoted as saying, “Without Ray Harryhausen, there would likely have been no Star Wars.”
Mr. Harryhausen was 92 at the time of his passing, and will be greatly missed.
What an amazing life he lived, and a great gift he gave all of us with his creativity and ingenuity. 92 is a good number, and he had a long and fruitful life.
Rest in peace, sir.
Thanks for the memories.
Well, we all knew it was coming, but did you know it was here already?
Amazon Studios has made it known for a while now that they were developing a TV series exclusive to their streaming service based on the hit movie, Zombieland.
While the initial backlash was from the fact that they quickly recast actors that had no similarities to their big screen counterparts, a lot of aim is being taken now at the writing, which seems hokey and cheap to some.
Check out the trailer to the series here :
Anyone quick to point fingers at the writing should note that the script is credited to the original screenwriters of the film.
In an unusual move, Amazon released the full pilot episode today, free to view by clicking this link!
Take a look and leave some comments!
What do you think?
Today, April 16th 2013, will see the XBox release of the latest map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The Uprising pack is available for 8000 Microsoft points and includes a bunch of new multiplayer maps and… Mob Of The Dead looks amazing!
I started playing the Call Of Duty series with the first Modern Warfare, and have continued to support them with each incarnation that followed, because it is an incredibly addictive fun time to be had with friends across the country.
When Treyarch introduced the Zombie mode in Call of Duty: World at War, it was a fun kind of throw-away experience that I played a few times and went back to killing my friends online again.
When they re-introduced a more refined version of the Zombie mode in 2010 with Black Ops, it suddenly became the only game mode I played any more. The DLC released for that game just got better and better, and solidified my zombie-slaying addiction.
With the release of Black Ops 2 last November, they upped the ante again, creating several different modes and new characters. Side missions and Easter eggs galore.
The game is truly addictive in an unexplainable way.
I think maybe it is because there is never any chance of winning, just survive as long as you can, until your team dies or quits…
It’s like this generation’s hi-def Pac-Man.
Today will see the release of the newest expansion to this mythology with Mob Of The Dead. On XBox only, that is. PS3 owners like myself will have to wait another month for it, but I can live with the previous map “Die Rise” for at least that long.
“Mob Of The Dead” is a new side story set in Alcatraz as the zombie apocalypse carries on. The main characters are voiced by gangster-film veterans Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, and Joe Pantoliano!
Holy shit, yes!
Check out the trailer below :
According to the next video, the game’s designers spent some actual time at the abandoned prison, researching what areas would make the best gameplay additions. Factor into that, the new “Afterlife” mode, a flaming tomahawk boomerang that picks up bonuses for you when you throw it, and Civil War-inspired weapons like the “Blundergat”, and I think this may be the best Zombie map yet!
And, if that’s not enough to get you excited enough to drop your fifteen bucks on this thing, check out the opening cinematic for this round right here :
Download it right now on XBox Live, or join me on PS3 for a few rounds of the other maps, as we wait patiently for another month…
PSN ID(s) : HorrorHomework and DarthBiscuits.
See you on Alcatraz!
Last month, we all had the chance of a lifetime.
Legendary horror icon Clive Barker and your faculty here at Horror Homework offered all of you creative and talented young students of horror a chance to win two rare books signed by the man himself!
A prize any self-respecting horror fan would love to have, the books are beautiful.
Mr. Barker rarely does signings at all anymore, spending his time these days hard at work on more beautiful paintings along with sequels to Abarat (!) and another book of “The Art”, and the long-awaited “Scarlet Gospels”.
We can hardly fault him for focusing on writing and creating, rather than heading out to cons to write his name on stuff.
But being reclusive in this day and age is difficult.
If you were not aware, Mr. Barker runs his own Facebook page along with his partner Alex Ghastbrow, who is an excellent artist in his own right. It is a great place to see updates and fun stuff from the man himself, and if you are not a fan of that page, and Official Hellraiser, just follow the links!
The rules were simple :
Make art!
Show us how Clive Barker has inspired your life and creations.
Put no limits on your creativity. About the prizes :
One is a signed and numbered (10/500) limited edition art book from October 2007, with many of the first Abarat paintings and various other “New Paintings and Works on Paper” from that time frame.
The other is an omnibus of collected comic book adaptations from IDW, including great interpretations of The Thief Of Always, The Great And Secret Show, and Seduth.
Until now, I haven’t mentioned that Mr. Barker also drew a quick sketch on the inside cover, before shipping them off to me!
Just an awesome added bonus for the winner!
There were a huge number of submissions to this, from all around the world and many different walks of life, further proving the influence this living legend has had on the world of horror in his time on earth. He has truly been an inspiration to me for many years, and we are so grateful for this chance to bring these collector’s items to all of you!
I have decided to present to you my ten favorite entries to the contest now, and ask all of you to vote for your favorite in the comment section below. I will leave the voting open until this Sunday, April 14th 2013 at noon Pacific time, then we will count up the votes and announce the winner!
Sound fair?
Let your voice be heard, and help us to pick the winner of these unique prizes!
We have such sights to show you…
1) “Cenobite Terry”by Jasin Holliday.
2) “Exposui” by Jolie Matthews.
3) “Shuna Sassi” by Woody Welch.
4) “Angelique and Frank Halloween Costumes” by Heather May.
5) A short story inspired by Clive Barker.
Bedlam, Crazy Bedlam by Patrick Ward.
The air smells foetid, with an acrid tinge; of decay with sickly sweet perfume over it to cover the smells of death; orange blossoms mixed with hospital smells.
An assault on my nostrils, causing me to retch the confines of my stomach to burn at my teeth.
With the echoing shuffle of the dragging feet of the mad and the dead.
I detest this place. It is no altar of healing and rebirth; rather it is an all-you-can-eat buffet for Hellhounds and Death.
Even the mad would pray for death, if they could. They have it worst, dying is quite natural, but going mad is the complete antithesis of that.
Still, I come here and answer the dry questions they give. These doctors who believe the answer lies in my subconscious and then is too be drugged once found.
I respect the field, but perhaps not those who practice it. For, sometimes the wires can never be replaced, and the damage remains. Like a burnt wall, you can slap a layer of paint over it, but still it is burnt underneath.
So I answer them, I look at the Rorschach blots they present to me. I do my best, to try and pretend it looks like a grouping of butterflies or like a spreading tree. Where shadows pool beneath it, but it doesn’t to me.
It looks more like a rotting corpse I dreamed of, with engorged maggots writing blindly into the decaying flesh, squirming over each other, frantically tunneling away from the light of day into new recesses of succulent meat.
Still, even this avoids the true innermost horror, the real horror.
The horror is nonetheless so very simple. The Rorschach blot is nothing more than a picture of complete empty blackness and the endless void. We are truly alone; there is nothing and no one.
Still, this doesn’t stop the prater. What do they want to hear?
Should I tell them, I haven’t masturbated in months, because I’ve lost my imagination?
How, when I close my eyes and I see a desiccated corpse holding a purple and bloated infant to her breast; but no chiseled, lip biting, leather-clad male sex stallions, moaning in ecstasy from the illusory positions I’ve conjured up in my mind.
Rather, I see a glint of light from a scalpel as it begins to cut through my flesh and limbless infants trying to cry out through sewn shut lips.
Should I tell them, I’m seriously afraid to touch myself?
What does it matter?
In the end they will do nothing more than prescribe antidepressants, which will turn me into a zombie, as I wait and jump from waiting list to waiting list.
Just to hear them dig up my past, from my unassuming birth to this anxiety ridden moment; and all they do is dig, they never look nor put it to rest, just break down the walls and dig up the graves and leave them there, open and festering.
No better than a surgeon cutting up a patient and leaving them open as opposed to stitching them back up.
To no surprise I wouldn’t get any better after such molestation of my psyche, so they will prescribe more pills, with each getting a stronger dosage.
Till I can’t feel anything anymore. My body shakes and trembles, my speech slurs and my mind races with thought to delusion.
They rot me from the inside out.
In my protests, what typically come out first are not words but noises – crabbed, unintelligible creakings, half-utterances and mashed syllables, saliva-specked mutterings.
I now wait, seeming as if I am dreaming, till I hear the words of release. To escape, to wander away from this unknown Tenth Circle of Hell; to stumble along the streets and the passers-bys and pray for the cold and loving embrace of Death.
Just say the words…please.
Just tell me…
Our time is up…”
6) “Bound By Blood” by Nathan Jackson.
7) A hand-made Hellraiser Monopoly board by Brian Sharp.
8) “In The Bushes” by Simon Skovbo.
9) “The Mind OF Painful Thoughts” by Mr.Tattoo Bob.
10) “Le coeur révélateur (The revealing heart)” by Brice Gerbeau.
So, there you have it folks!
The finalists for the March contest with Clive Barker.
There were so many incredible entries to the contest, and rest assured we looked at each and every one of them, and read all of the short stories you guys took the time to submit.
This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, so I will leave it in your hands now.
Name your favorite in the comment section immediately below, and on Sunday afternoon the winner will be announced!
So, which is your favorite of the pieces selected above?
Thursday night this week was a real treat!
About a month ago or so, I let you guys know about an awesome Evil Dead marathon at the historic Westwood Regency Theatre, screening the original films in 35mm, and leading up to the premiere of the highly anticipated remake.
What you are reading now is a quick rundown of the festival, to be followed by my spoiler-filled review of the new film. So, if you haven’t seen the flick yet, you might want to stop reading after the part about Army Of Darkness. Fair warning.
The experience as a whole was a great one!
Spending an evening in a comfortable historic theater filled with like-minded people, watching some of my favorite movies, has to be one of the best feelings ever. At the very least, it sure beat working…
After fighting the traffic into LA for what seemed like forever, we finally made it to the Westwood, and they had really gone all out with this, certainly exceeding my expectations.
Although the press material from Westwood mentioned that they would have props on display from the films and special guests, I had no idea how much cool stuff they had planned for the legion of Evil Dead fans that showed up last night.
Some really awesome rare items!
The original script for “The Evil Dead”, 1979
The Book Of The Dead, and other original props.
Original concept art.
A collection of variant posters.
Classic action figures by Todd McFarlane.
More props, including Ash’s severed hand and chainsaw!
The original Evil Dead was presented beautifully in 35MM, and the theatre set the old-school tone for the evening with classic ads and promos, including trailers for other 80′s classics like Frankenhooker, Basket Case, and Big Trouble In Little China (Click the links to see them. Just watching that trailer for BTILC last night made me want to see this one again soon)!
The mood in the theater was excited and giddy, as we watched Bruce Campbell get tortured. Of course, the striking thing about that film is the inventiveness of it all. Just looking at some of the camera angles chosen, and the creativity that went into the practical gross-out effects is just incredible.
It is no wonder Sam Raimi has gone on to such big things, although I prefer his smaller films like A Simple Plan, The Gift, and Drag Me to Hell much more than Oz or Spider-Man 3.
That being said, you can easily spot his talent in this insane flick from 1980.
the real treat was the Q&A after the first film, where they brought out Sarah York, Betsy Baker, and Ellen Sandweiss, the original scream queens of the Evil Dead. They seemed genuinely amused to be “old ladies” who found themselves suddenly popular for a film they did over 30 years ago. It was a fun chat, and the theater was handing out Blu-rays and posters to the fans brave enough to grab a mic and sally forth with a question.
Very cool.
The Ladies of Evil Dead.
Next up was Evil Dead 2 : Dead By Dawn, and anyone who knows me knows it is my “go-to movie”. Any time the real world is getting me down, I just pop in my trusty collector’s edition and escape into that world for a while. One of the first posts I ever wrote for this site was simply a list of 5 reasons Evil Dead 2 always makes me happy.
The 35MM presentation was gorgeous. Obviously, I have seen this film many, many times, but never on the big screen, and I was happy to notice some small details that never really came through on the TV set, no matter what the size.
It was a great experience, and once again, the crowd was electric with excitement, everyone laughing loudly and shouting lines. And here I thought I was the only one who knew this film by heart…
After the film, more surprise guests were brought down from the balcony, none other than Scott Spiegel and Ted Raimi!
Ted was particularly energetic, and this trio mostly talked about the effects work, and had some interesting anecdotes about the time Ted spent in the “Henrietta” costume. Ted refused to answer any questions about Evil Dead 4, but talked at length about the fun time they had making these films, and the 4 (!) characters he played in Army Of Darkness.
It was an interesting and informative behind the scenes chat.
Next up was Army Of Darkness, of course, and it really proved to be the crowd favorite!
Everyone was applauding and cheering all through the show, and the laughs were huge.
I haven’t sat down and watched this one for a few years, and it proved to be just as fun as it ever was, and the pace of it is just insane!
The momentum of this flick is unstoppable, one ridiculous predicament after another.
A true cult classic.
Unfortunately there were no guests to talk about after AOD, but they did have a pizza party in the lobby!
I know I know, get on with the remake review already!
From this point on, there will be possible spoilers for the film, which is getting it’s wide release today. So, turn back now if you are spoiler-sensitive, and come back later after you see the flick and let’s discuss it in the comments then! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Turn back now!
Evil Dead (2013)
Here’s a spoiler : A bunch of kids go to a cabin in the woods and get killed off one by one.
A concept that has been done to death in the horror genre, ever since Sam Raimi burst on to the scene with the original Evil Dead in 1981. I thought this premise would have been exhausted long before now, but we all got a big surprise with Cabin In The Woods last year, which proved that more could be done with that deceptively simple concept.
The rally cry of the horror fan has been “Fuck remakes!” for the last few years, and I am generally one of those people too. I was led to the dark side, however, from the outstanding trailer for this remake, reports of no CGI, and talk of producers Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi being very hands-on with this production.
As for remakes in general, we keep going to them, so they are going to keep making them. The best we, as fans, can do is to choose which ones to support.
The Evil Dead remake is one of the rare good ones. The very definition of the ridiculous term “re-imagining”, remake director Fede Alvarez definitely took inspiration from the original, and turned it into his very own creation. The current remake trend (thanks a lot, Rob Zombie!) is to try and humanize the monster, which ruins everything, as we saw earlier this year with the preposterous Texas Chainsaw 3D.
Thankfully, Mr. Alvarez doesn’t waste our time trying to make us feel bad for the Deadites because they had stripper moms and drunk step-daddies…
Is it “The most terrifying film you will ever experience”, like the poster promises?
Nope.
Is it dark, violent, and creepy?
Yes!
The gore effects are incredible, and truly disgusting, and the whole atmosphere and tone of the film are incredibly dark and foreboding, right from the excellently creepy opening scene, where a girl tied to a beam begs for her life as her own father sets her on fire.
After that impressive set piece, we are introduced to our marks, as they head out for a weekend at the same cabin. Here is the major problem I have with the film, and it is possible that my opinion would be different if I had not just watched the three originals just before, so take it with that grain of salt.
But I think it is a pretty huge misstep.
You see how I described them above as “marks”?
That is the big difference between the originals and the remake.
In the original and sequel, Ash was headed to the remote cabin in search of a romantic weekend, and beset upon by sadistic evil forces. As goofy as it gets, Bruce Campbell fucking sold that character. That is why the originals are so popular.
Sure, everyone loves the gore effects and the funny set pieces of the classic films, but without Bruce Campbell’s physical comedy skills and deadpan line delivery, you have a completely forgettable film. I promise you that.
The characters in the new film are at the cabin for a completely different reason.
A group of old friends has dragged their spoiled brat junky friend out to the middle of nowhere to force her to detox. The main character, Mia, is a major turn-off. A snotty, self-righteous dope fiend with no respect for the people trying to help her.
I hated her from the get go, and that is what I think is going to keep this film from even coming close to the cult status of the first films.
Once those frisky trees finally get up the nerve to start rapin’, however, the Deadite version of Mia is effectively creepy.
It doesn’t help that the rest of the group are poorly characterized stereotypes that you will be hard-pressed to give a shit about as well.
I mean, I know someone has to open the book and say the words in order to progress the plot, but why the hell would you a) open and unwrap a book bound in barbed wire?
b) ignore everything written inside said book that promises death and demise to anyone who reads it?
c) make rubbings from the book and read the words aloud as you do so?
There is no explanation for that character’s actions other than curiosity, and I think maybe if the film had shown him struggling a bit with the tempting decision to read the book, it would have worked better. As it is, he just comes off as an idiot, and you just end up looking forward to seeing how he dies.
After the evil is unleashed by this moron, the film really takes off and is definitely a fast-paced gory ride. The character of Mia is much more likeable when she is possessed by a demon, and she goes about torturing her ex-friends with sadistic glee.
The hype is definitely no BS; the gore effects are all convincing and top-notch, some of them really make me squirm!
All in all, the 2013 version of Evil Dead is above average, and absolutely worth a watch.
It is a well-made piece of gory horror cinema, made by a crew that clearly love the genre. I honestly can’t wait to see what director Fede Alvarez has in store for us in the future, after he hones his skills on these remakes. I read that a sequel was already green-lit for this film, and am curious to see where he takes it from this point.
According to this interview with AintItCoolNews, he intends to take the sequel in a different direction to stay true to the spirit of the original series.
When asked, “Are you taking the original three films as kind of a template for the sequels, then? So, the next won’t feel the same as this first movie?”, he says :
“Exactly. It has to be. The next one has to be completely different. It’s the only reason to do it. You have to be faithful to the spirit of these things. Every Evil Dead movie is quite different from the previous one. They never repeat the formula. That’s been the doom of a lot of horror movies in the past. That’s why I think Alien is an amazing saga. Every movie changed genre and tone. They don’t repeat the same thing twice. Something that I think Sam did (with the remake)… he wanted to have a filmmaker take an independent approach to the creation. What I like about the Alien movies is they are all “auteur” movies. They are reflections of their directors.”
Sounds interesting, but you will never be able to top my all time favorite movie, Dead By Dawn!
However, I look forward to seeing you try, Mr. Alvarez…
Get out and see this movie this weekend, freaks, and log back in here and let’s talk about it!
Recommended.
Grade : B
Today is a very sad day for every fan of horror.
Earlier this morning, HorrorNewsFirst.net brought us the first reports that iconic horror author Stephen King passed away in his sleep last evening, finally succumbing to Ossificus Sumus Mendacii, a rare bone disease which results in an overabundance of calcium in the bloodstream.
He was a private man and kept his condition out of the media spotlight, and has been secretly fighting a life-long battle with it for many years while steadily entertaining us.
Despite a reputation as an outspoken and opinionated writer and columnist, in his real life, Mr. King was a very reserved man who kept his illness hidden from his fans for all of these years, even some of his immediate family have expressed their shock and sadness at his sudden death.
Mr. King will be sorely missed, but will certainly live on for many more years through the worlds and characters that he gifted us with over the course of the past four decades. It is beyond words to express the influence that Mr. King has had on the lives of several generations of horror geeks. Not to mention the inspiration he has given many young people who did not know where they fit in this world, until picking up a book that spoke the same language as them.
I know. I was one of those young people once.
I was the dorky kid in the back of the high school class wearing a black T-shirt, carrying a different Stephen King novel around with my ignored schoolbooks, and always hiding in a corner reading during lunch.
My introduction to the works of Mr. King came at a young age.
I vividly remember being on a family vacation road trip with my mother and one of my potential step-daddy’s one year and he was reading the biggest paperback I had ever seen, “IT”.
I think I was eleven or twelve. We stayed in a hotel in St. Augustine Florida that weekend, and every time the fam would go out to frollick on the beach or whatever the hell they did, I would sneak back into the hotel room and read as much as I could.
I had never seen anything like it before. I didn’t know that books were even allowed to be like that!
It turns out that the sneaking wasn’t even necessary, my mom agreed that all books were fair game, and encouraged me as long as I was reading. So I read them all. Tore through them one after another that summer and the following school years, and through his work moved on to the likes of Clive Barker, Robert McCammon, Jack Ketchum, and Dan Simmons, to name a few.
To say that Mr. King’s existence has greatly affected my life, the shaping of my own world-view, and my own outlook on life would be an understatement.
He has truly been an inspiration to me as a horror fan and a wannabe horror author, and he will be sadly missed.
Go softly into the gentle abyss, dark prince… RIP Stephen King September 21, 1947 – April 1, 2013
Yeah, they beat me to it, the bastards…
I have always wanted to open a horror-themed restaurant, combining my two loves : food and zombies, but someone out there in Iowa beat me to it!
Located in Des Moines Iowa, Zombie Burger and Drink Lab has been serving up the gory goods since fall 2011, and has become an extremely popular escape from the norm for all of those hungry Iowan gals and guys.
With a menu full of horror-inspired items, and clever wordplay that rivals the burger of the day signs at Bob’s Burgers, this place looks like a blast from start to finish!
Next time I am in Iowa for whatever reason (?), I will definitely be stopping in for a “Walking Ched” burger.
Yeah, that’s the one that is served on two mac-and-cheese croquettes, with onions, more cheese, bacon and mayo. Sold!
Other “Goremet Bashed Burgers” on the menu sound just as heart-stoppingly good, and can be prepared with up one two or three house-ground patties, including but not limited to :
The Undead Elvis — peanut butter, fried bananas, bacon, American cheese, egg, and mayo.
They’re Coming To Get You Barbara — two grilled cheese sandwich bun, American cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, and zombie sauce.
Trailer Trash Zombie — American cheese, fried pickle, chicken-fried bacon, cheese curds, and Ranch
George Romero’s Pittsburgher — ham, egg, American cheese, fries, cole slaw, and mayo.
Planet Terror — BBQ sauce, bacon, cheddar cheese, Ranch dressing and caramelized onions.
Of course they also have an assortment of salads, known as “Soylent Greens”, and various options to customize your meal to accommodate any vegetarian zombies.
Also, some interesting appetizers and snacks to munch on, like the fried brussel sprouts, pictured below.
Deep fry everything, wrap it in bacon and slather it with mayo. Sounds like this place has it all…
Wait, did I mention the Drink Lab…?
That’s right, they offer up a wide variety of customizable ways to wash down your gloriously decadent burgers, with or without alcohol getting involved.
The Drink Lab has an extensive beer program, plus Brain Freezes: more than a dozen milkshakes, spiked upon request, made with everything from cake to cereal to Kool Aid to Nutella.
Some options :
The Tutti F&%#in Fruity — exactly what it sounds like.
The Tallahassee — vanilla ice cream, a Twinkie, and cherry Kool-Aid powder.
The S’more — chocolate ice cream, graham cracker, and marshmallow cream.
Ok, that’s it! Now I am starving and checking flights to Iowa…
Catch you later freaks, and be sure and check out Zombie Burger + Drink Lab on Facebook for updates to their unique menu and specials.
This place is definitely going on my “Kick The Bucket” list. Maybe I will see you there someday!
Wow!
A true masterpiece, and pretty unbelievable that they produced and got away with that film way back in 1973! Of course, by that point Jodorowsky had already become relatively notorious for his previous film El Topo, which is still widely regarded as the first “Midnight Movie”. Rumor has it that he is (and has been) hard at work on the long awaited sequel to this film, to be called either “Abel Cain” or “Sons of El Topo”.
As if that wasn’t enough to blow your mind today, take a look at the trailer for Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre, his “horror” film from 1989. Divided into both a flashback and a flash-forward, the film, which is set in Mexico, tells the story of Fenix, a boy who grew up in a circus, and his life through both adolescence and early adulthood.
If you are unfamiliar with these films, be sure and follow the links below to get yourself caught up on the work of a true master of the bizarre and creative side of film. If you can procure yourself some chemical aids before viewing, it may or may not be to your advantage…
