Name your choices for the best and worst dressed characters in Horror.

Eric - Bloody Good Horror

Not sure about best, but worst is easy, “Jason X”. I never did understand why people in the future wore mesh shirts, bad spandex, and fuzzy purple sweaters. Oh well, I guess that was the least outlandish thing in that film.

Arbogast on Film

Henry David Thoreau once said “Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes,” to which I would add “unless your old clothes suck and you are fighting evil.” History has shown us time and again that dressing poorly is a recipe for disaster. Consider the sundry partygoers in Curse of the Crimson Altar, Dracula AD 1972 and Scream Blacula Scream - they look ridiculous in their (respectively) blazers and ascots, bell bottoms and headbands and dashikis and Kente caps. Fighting evil requires a classic approach that defies fashion trends. Consider the priests in The Exorcist, the three-piece suits favored by Dr. Van Helsing, and the SWAT uniforms of the Dawn of the Dead heroes. While I wouldn’t advocate a horror dress code, per se, I will suggest that you can’t go wrong with Georgian or Victorian dress. Everyone looks good in breeches and waistcoats. These fashions favor the ample and the starved equally well and those lines are just classic. How wicked stupid would you look carrying a Gladstone bag full of wooden stakes while wearing Sansabelt slacks?

As for who looks good… anybody whose name includes the title Count or Baron. Dracula, Blacula, Frankenstein, Yorga, Latos, Chocula… they all look fab-u-lous in their cutaways and capes. Vincent Price always favored conservative, JFK style dark suits with thin lapels, complemented by a narrow tie. Forty years later, he looks just as cool, which can’t be said for, say, Roger Perry in his TJ Maxx clearance rack castoffs in Count Yorga, Vampire, William Ellis in his poncey Carnaby Street togs in Dracula AD 1972 or the entire hippy dippy cast of Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (and look what happened to them!) And fuck The Lost Boys… you cannot confront ultimate evil in a mullet.

Nathan - MicroHorror

Who am I, Mr. Blackwell? Ah, well. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly.

For an example of a well-dressed serial killer, look no further than Frederick Charles Krueger. The workboots and khakis are timelessly neutral– and practical– and draw attention to the standout features of the outfit. Mr. Krueger’s sartorial trademark, of course, is his iconic sweater. Not everyone looks good in wide horizontal stripes, but on Krueger the design emphasizes his powerful build and broad shoulders. The sweater’s worn and fraying edges, instead of appearing sloppy, instead serve as an outward symbol of Krueger’s determination: This is a man who will come back from the dead to keep on murdering, and he certainly won’t replace his favorite sweater just to satisfy others. The outfit is accessorized with a broad-brimmed fedora, helping to balance out the width of Krueger’s shoulders. Finally, he dons his self-designed glove, a classic of brutal design in metal and leather, which draws the eye without appearing ostentatious.

A revamp of Krueger’s wardrobe appeared in 1994. Here we see the boots and trousers changed from brown to black, and the entire look is modified with the addition of a long black coat. The sweater, however, has not changed, and maintains its rightful place as the focal point of the outfit. And look closely– the sweater’s stripes are repeated in the lining of the coat itself for a subtle but delicious embracing of personal style. Krueger’s new right hand, though, trades the personal touch of the glove for a sleeker, more biological look, and I fear it doesn’t carry the same weight. Despite this, the outfit as a whole is a respectable and menacing upgrade.

Jason Voorhees, sadly, has not fared as well as Mr. Krueger. Don’t get me wrong; his outfits have been very practical throughout most of his career, and though they may err on the side of caution (read: dullness), they allow more attention to fall on Mr. Voorhees’s hockey mask.

The hockey mask itself, of course, was a wise trade-up from his previous burlap sack.

Now suitably masked, he ditches the overalls in favor of a two-piece. Still simple, still practical, the bland coloring lets the white mask stand out.

Voorhees is not as healthy as he used to be, but he sticks with the outfit that works, and accessorizes with a toolbelt.

He’s even more decomposed now, but the outfit still looks good as a contrast to the mask. So far, so good… but a little while later, Voorhees makes a mistake. A fundamental blunder, if you will, also committed by the Leprechaun and even by Pinhead himself, who should have known better. I refer, of course, to taking a trip to space.

Oy. The cyborg look does not work. Let this be a lesson to all you other icons of horror film. Don’t go to space.

B-Sol - Vault of Horror

Best Dressed: Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The Count has always been among horror’s best-dressed gents in almost every incarnation over the years, but nobody did it up like Gary Oldman. As illustrated in the accompanying pic, Oldman’s Dracula is looking sharp as a vampire’s fang–worthy of the Victorian equivalent of G.Q.

Worst Dressed: Tarman. Sure, he’d been stewing in his own undead funk for 17 years by the time Frank accidentally freed him from that trioxin cannister, but that’s really no excuse for such a slovenly ensemble.

Gary Wintle

Louis - Damaged 2.0

1. The worst of all-time is the Trickster from BRAINSCAN. It’s like a studio-head went to a David Bowie/Glass Spider Tour concert, then read an early 90s Vertigo comic and then played Ecco the Dolphin, went to a screenwriter and said “Hey, these kids today love that new wave, spiky-haired, nose-ring fad, so let’s make a movie about a killer who looks like that…ohh, and can we somehow tie this into the new Atari Lynx? Or maybe the Neo-Geo? Make it a horror film! It’s our new franchise!”

2. The best looking? That would be Thor from ROCK AND ROLL NIGHTMARE. A heavy metal angel sent by God to destroy demons, clad only in a metal codpiece? Now that’s a costume!

3. I’m gonna add another category, if I may–hottest costume ever. That would go to Salma Hayek in FROM DUSK TILL DAWN. As Satanico Pandemonium, it’s seriously the only time I ever seriously contemplated masturbating in a movie theater.

Retropoliltan - Tales To Astonish

Best-Dressed: Gary Oldman in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” Sure, he may have had funny Leia-buns on the top of his head in that one scene, but aside from that, tell me that he didn’t look exceptionally dapper? I only wish I could pull off the silver suit and top hat look.

Worst-Dressed: Pretty much anyone in any horror film made between 1967 and 1979. It’s like there was a gap in the collective sense of what was attractive, which is the only way that I can explain how abominably ugly the 1970s were. See Alan Ormsby in “Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things.”

Sean - Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat

Best dressed: Pinhead from Hellraiser.

Worst dressed: This douchebag from Terror Train.

Kimberly - Cinebeats

My vote goes to Peter Cushing’s Doctor Frankenstein and Van Helsing characters in the various Hammer films. Cushing was undoubtedly one of the best dressed men in horror films and he always looked flawless in period costumes.

As for the worst, I’m going to have to say Frankenstein’s monster in most of it’s guises. I love the original old Universal Frankenstein films but they set the standard for the monster’s look and those sloppy ill-fighting suits are just ugly. If the Doctor can dress himself so well, why he can’t afford to hire a tailor and get a nice suit made for his monster? I think this is one reason Frankenstein’s monster was pissed all the time. He wanted a better suit!

Dave - Rue Morgue’s The Abbatoir

Best: Vulnavia Wrick in The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Although I had to swipe this shot from online because I ran out of time, and it’s not the best outfit to represent her fantastic wardrobe in the film, you get the point. Outlandishly cool.

Worst: Thor in Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare. Although I love Thor, this isn’t his shining moment — although maybe his shiniest… On second thought, this is exactly why I love Thor. And this really is the best codpiece for fighting puppet-demons.

After years on the sidelines, it looks like cock and balls may finally be making their long-anticipated comeback to the runway. Thanks to the followers of horror couture found above for their insight, and please, if you have your own ideas of who has it and who hasn’t this season, share in the comments below. Ciao!

Describe a scene in a horror film that brought you to close to tears.

Sean - Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat

The climax of Heavenly Creatures is one of the most affecting, disturbing, unforgettable sequences in any movie ever.

Retropoliltan - Tales To Astonish

Even though “Real Men” aren’t supposed to be brought to tears by scenes in horror films, I have to say that the first time I remember being really moved by a scene in a genre film was in the original “Dawn of the Dead.” It was the first time I felt truly invested in the characters in a horror picture — maybe any kind of picture. Two scenes in the movie really got to me: first was Roger’s “We whipped ‘em, didn’t we?” scene; the second was the elevator scene at the end with Stephen. Even though I was moved by the ending of “Night,” I didn’t feel as much for those guys as I did for the foursome in “Dawn”; I really felt like I knew them, or at least understood them relative to what they were going through. When Peter started to go a little cuckoo, it was terrifying and sad at the same time; you knew what was in store for him, and had to watch and wait for it to happen. And when Stephen met his fate it, it pretty much killed me. It’s such a great movie, but man, what a downer.

Arbogast on Film

I’m actually a shamefully easy cry at the movies (”Oh why won’t they leave the Alligator People alone?!”) but the first thing that comes to mind is when Father Dyer gives Father Karras last rites at the end of THE EXORCIST. The movie doesn’t get enough credit for the way it understands the distance that yawns between people for all kinds of different reasons (a motif telegraphed with the missed phone calls, the Ouija board, the thwarted conversations where one person pursues another who doesn’t want to talk, the backwards speech, the writing on Regan’s stomach) and the loneliness of the modern age. Yet for all the love that goes down the wrong way in the film, the friendship between Karras and Dyer is very palpable, very local, very real… and it breaks me to pieces to see Dyer weeping* as he blesses his dying friend and Karras’ bloody fingers curling slightly in his hand to show he’s still there and to say, in his extremely diminished capacity, goodbye. You just don’t get that kind of emotional layering in horror movies most of the time.

*Yes, I know director William Friedkin bitch slapped first-time actor William O’Mally before they shot the scene but the moment transcends the trivia.

Eric - Bloody Good Horror

It’s weird, as I think back, I’m realizing that horror films don’t usually bring that type of emotion out of me. I have been moved by films, but they’re usually from other genres. When I try to think of emotional endings, I keep coming back to “The Descent”, and the way the ending that film completely rips your guts out. I speak, of course, of the ACTUAL ending, not the slightly rosier one from the American release. Even then, it’s not as much sadness as it is pure terror.

B-Sol - Vault of Horror

What immediately comes to mind is the blind hermit scene from Bride of Frankenstein. It is truly rare to find such depth of emotion in a horror film, especially one made during the 1930s, an era when much of genre entertainment was considered strictly for kids. By the end of the scene, as the hermit declares his friendship for a teary-eyed monster with Ave Maria playing in the background, I will confess to occasionally getting a little misty myself. It’s scenes like this one that place James Whales’ Frankenstein films head and shoulders above almost anything else in the Universal canon.

Nathan - MicroHorror

I can’t pinpoint one scene, but 2003’s “May” haunts me. Angela Bettis, as the title character, is terrifying, but she’s so beautiful, and so sad. She’s all alone, and all she wants is to find some happiness for herself, but she doesn’t know how. You can’t help but fall in love with her, just a little bit. And as you watch May slide further down towards her inevitable self-destruction, you wonder if maybe, just maybe, you would have been strong enough to rescue her, or if you too would just end up as a couple of extra parts in her collection. In the end, you mourn.

JA - My New Plaid Pants

Close to tears? Hell I cry all the time. Making me cry is hardly a feat. But the first sort of random example that sprung to mind here was the end of Ginger Snaps, a film I seem to love much more than most people I’ve spoken to. I just found the central relationship between the two sisters really effective, and I thought the actresses really sold those final moments, in which Bridget has to come to terms with her sister’s changes, really well.

Louis - Damaged 2.0

What does it say about me when I say the final moments of THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, when the Fireflys are gunned down to the tune of “Free Bird”, actually did make me well up?

Dave - Rue Morgue’s The Abbatoir

All of I Am Legend, particularly the ending and anytime Will Smith was dropping one-liners or talking about how Shrek is his favourite film. The stink lines emanating from that awful movie actually scratched my corneas and brought me to tears.

It’s O.K. Let it all out. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this week’s group hug. if you’d like to share your own sob story, please do so in the comments below. We’re here for you.

Name your favourite horror movie cliché.

Gary Wintle

When the monster or whatever frightful star of the franchise becomes more and more of a joke with each sequel. Jason, Freddy, Leprechaun (although that was kinda great still), and especially Chucky. Child’s Play scared the hell out of me as a kid, now look at him!

Sean - Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat

Oh, man, this is easy, and not just for movies either: I LOVE the creepy local who serves as a living warning to the foolhardy young’uns before everything turns to shit. Whether it’s the old hillbilly in Deliverance, a drunk at a cemetery in Texas Chain Saw, a taxi driver in The Ruins, the one-legged priest in Dawn of the Dead, the ranting Chinese woman in World War Z, hell, even the nice guy in Hostel Part II, I dig the hell out of those ominous dudes.

Eric - Bloody Good Horror

It strikes me as funny that slasher heroines ALWAYS have either a dead mother or a dead father (or at least absent). It’s as if the writers decided that being stalked by a psycho killer wasn’t enough to make the audience feel sympathetic for them, so they feel the need to add some other tragedy to their back story. If it were only one or two films than I probably would have never noticed, but seriously, think about some of your favorite slashers and see how many of those heroines have missing family members. It’s a strange cliche, and one that always makes me stop and take notice.

Jeff

A character runs into an elevator, her attacker right behind her. She stabs the button over and over as the attacker gets closer - the doors finally close, the attacker unable to pry them open again. In horror movie land there are no safety bumpers on the elevator doors that cause the door to open up again when pressed…

Donald May, Jr. - Synapse

I love when someone opens a door and an animal/rodent comes out with a big music “stinger” scare! Don’t open that door! A cat might come jumping out!

I just love those… they are so overused and so funny that ANY filmmaker would even try to do it. Their inclusion in horror films just baffles me. But I laugh every time!

Bill - Pulp 2.0

Lesbian vampires.

I mean really…

Arbogast on Film

I say this with no particular pride but I suppose my favorite horror movie cliché will always be the Beautiful Woman who, even though she is in unfamiliar territory and may in fact sense that something is not right, will undress and perhaps even admire herself in a mirror. I suppose we have Psycho to blame for this. While Janet Leigh’s nudity was justified and even thematically relevant, the infamous shower scene inspired a generation and a half of filmmakers who think undressing is the proper apéritif to mayhem. In Dario Argento’s Tenebre, you have that wonderfully absurd moment where the journalist, unnerved by whispering coming from somewhere behind her, elects to go on changing her clothes, a choice that seals her doom (and provides the Argento canon with one of its most indelible images); for me, the cliché reached its apotheosis (or nadir) in Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever, where Cerina Vincent takes a break from the mounting horror to shave her legs. But for all I know, maybe these things really do help. Memo to self: next time in mortal fear, cup breasts.

Nathan - MicroHorror

Why would I have a favorite cliché? I hate clichés. The car never starts. The thing jumping out of nowhere is always the cat. The girl most willing to take off her shirt is inevitably the first to die. (That last one always bugged me. If I were making a movie, I’d want to give the half-naked actress as much screen time as possible.) No, I’m sick and tired of this stuff. That’s what I like most about the post-modern ’90s and ’00s slashers– the best of them subvert the clichés in some clever fashion or, at the very least, hang a lampshade on it and move on.

That said, there’s one movie cliché so old that it’s practically a tradition, and I love it ever so much. I refer, of course, to the good old Wilhelm Scream. I smile every time I hear it.

Why not go listen to this song now?

Dave - Rue Morgue’s The Abbatoir

Gardening tools that aren’t used for gardening. Even a lame slasher flick is at least watchable if there are some entertaining kills with a shovel, shears or scythe. And, yes, as overused as they are, chainsaws are still pretty scary when that engine comes to life with a loud crackle, spewing blue smoke and promising messy, painful mutilation. What we really need are more Garden Weasel ™ deaths, though.

JA - My New Plaid Pants

Evil homosexuals.

B-Sol - Vault of Horror

Without a doubt, my absolute favorite, tried-and-true horror movie cliche would have to be the “killer/monster is right behind you” gimmick. What I’m referring to is that moment when our hero/heroine is backing up and suddenly realizes they’ve backed into whatever it was that was after them. A nice little chestnut that’s always good for a cheap scare, especially when punctuated with a sudden eruption from the soundtrack. There’s also a classic variation on this cliche which might be even better. Whenever a character in a horror movie starts walking in a particular direction while still looking in a different direction, you can bet your life savings that the instant they do turn around, they’ll be face-to-face with some unholy creature.

Kimberly - Cinebeats

The mysterious black gloved killer who’s identity is hidden until the last 10 minutes of a film. I never get tired of seeing a knife carrying killer wearing tight black gloves going on a murder spree. This is probably why I love gialli films so much.

Louis - Damaged 2.0

“Hey guys…let’s split up! We’ll cover more ground that way!”

It never fails, even in the best of horror movies, that people feel the need to pair off and go in different directions. Just once, I’d like to see a flick where all the teens stick together and either a) make it through the night because of their wise choice or b) the killer spears them, shish-kabob style.

Thanks to all this week’s contributors for one of the best Roundtables yet! Show them some love by visiting their respective sites, but before you split up please take a moment to share your own favourite clichés in the comments below. Now if only I could get this car to start…

There’s so much going on in the world of horror right now, that it’s a perfect opportunity for me to ignore all the news and talk about a project I’m working on that has absolutely nothing to do with horror!

As I’ve mentioned before, my pal Nagy has entered the world of professional blogging. To accomplish this, he had to leave the frozen tundra of our home for the balmy weather of the Sunset Strip. Before he left I gave him the Warriors 50-Pack, a massive set of sword-and-sandal movies dating from the late 50s to early 60s, so that no matter the fame he achieves out West he would never lose sight of what’s truly important; shirtless men hitting one another.

Soon after I bought the same set, and I made a resolution to watch one a week until I was finished. I told Nagy of my plan, he revealed that he had the same idea, one thing lead to another, and we have crafted a podcast dedicated to this journey. Every Saturday, Nagy and I will be delving into a world of high adventure, and we invite you to join us on our quest. The first podcast is for the film Hercules and The Masked Rider, a download for which can be found at Public Domain Torrents right here. If you want to follow along, the Warriors 50-Pack is a steal, with every place we’ve seen so far selling it for far less than a dollar a movie.

And remember, may the blood on your sword be the blood of a king!

Arbogast On Film has posted an interview with yours truly concerning the artwork that’s escaped from the flea market and ended up here the past few weeks. I’ve been in a noir kind of mood recently, so it was a kick to break out the wash and try my hand at ol’ Martin Balsam. He’s a tough one to get a hold of. It seems like those eyes would be a cinch, but they’re very elusive.

Between this and Suzanne Pleshette, I’ve been giving Hitchcock’s victims a lot of thought. The death of Marion Crane was probably Hitchcock’s most surprising kill, but I think Milton Abergost is a contender for second place. He’s a character we’re all familiar with, the competent detective who’s seen it all, but he’s wandered into the wrong movie. This is like nothing he’s ever encountered. The usual rules don’t apply. And therefore the events are like nothing he, or the audience, can hope to anticipate.

Describe your favourite “era” of horror, and give a prime example for the uninitiated.

Curt - Groovy Age of Horror

Hmmmm . . .

T Van - Tolerated Vandalism

It has been said that a writer will usually write about what he/she knows best. Having grown up in the ’80’s, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that my favourite “era” of horror is the Slasher Era of the late ’70’s and early ’80’s. While some of these films are ridiculously cheesy, it’s hard to imagine a time when Friday the 13th and Halloween weren’t a big part of my life. I know that a good majority of slasher films are not cinematic masterpieces but it doesn’t matter because I still love them.

Jeff

Drive In Movies of the seventies. Human Experiments, Kingdom of the Spiders… cheap and fast and sleazy and heavy on the exploitation that looked SOOOOO good on that big screen.

Retropoliltan - Tales To Astonish

My favorite era of horror is the classic Universal era. I’m pretty sure that this was decided for me when I had my first viewing of “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein,” waaaay back when I was a wee lad. It was those movies in particular that truly defined all my ideas of the great monster archetypes. It also supplied my young, fertile brain with the most basic horror tropes: thunderstorms, castles, creaky staircases, cackling mad scientists, giant spiderwebs, and so forth.

The most important thing about that era was that those films were (at least in hindsight) essentially innocent films; they were usually simple, short, bloodless stories that were more about entertainment and fun than actual mind-curdling terror. I can certainly appreciate more modern takes on the genre, the kind of movies that are filled with wonderful gore and leave me sleepless for days, but in the end, my heart really belongs to Lugosi, Karloff, and Chaney. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t love the genre like I do if I’d have had my mind destroyed by movies like “Dawn of the Dead” at age six. If that were the case, I’d probably be really into romantic comedies or something now.

Billy

Oh for sure 80s slashers! That’s what I grew up on. It’s nice to check out other kinds now and again, but everytime Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elmstreet is on the TV, it’ll stop me in my tracks!

Bill - Pulp 2.0

I would have to say that I truly enjoy a mix of the 20’s and 30’s eras of horror. All the shadows and angles and blends of thrillers with the horror genre (THE BAT and THE CAT AND THE CANARY) as well as the universal monster series with their homages to the German expressionism and theater in their set design (SON OF FRANKENSTEIN). We also had the further outbreak of the french pulp movement in the 20’s giving us the lurid tales of terror and the fantastique.

If only Black & White films were marketable in today’s theatrical world.

Eric - Bloody Good Horror

As maligned as it is, I love the mid to late 80’s era, when everything was so over the top that the actors could barely keep straight faces. Although there is some really awful stuff from that period, there are a few gems. What stands out? Return of the Living Dead, Sleepaway Camp 2… pretty much anything from the Friday the 13th series. There are too many to list, but if you’re a fan of “so bad it’s good”, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by NOT checking out films from this era.

Mark - Exclamation Mark’s SciFi/Horror Review

I initially loved the old Universal monsters of the 30s and 40s (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, etc.) and still look to them as standards for horror. Later, though, I found a lot of thrills and amusement in the alien invasion films of the 1950s. Examples would be the original War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, It Came from Outer Space, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), to campier movies like Invisible Invaders and It Conquered the World. All great fun.

Nathan - MicroHorror

Easy: The “twisted tales” anthology style of the 1950s and 1960s, best exemplified by the publications of EC Comics, but also by television shows such as “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits.” Set up your premise, knock it down with a curveball the audience never saw coming (but don’t cheat!) and move on to the next story. Short sharp shocks– I love them.

B-Sol - Vault of Horror

Lately, I’ve been getting more and more into the classic Universal stuff of the 1930s, the era of the Laemmles. But I’d have to say that overall, the era that’s always fascinated me the most is ’70s exploitation horror. I’m thinking of stuff like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead, Zombi 2, I Spit on Your Grave, Suspiria, etc. That’s the stuff that drew me into horror, and it will always have a sick little place in my heart.

Tim - Mondo Schlocko

Man, this is a tough one. Before the suckfest of the mid-90s and beyond we had a great run of flicks. As much as I want to say 60’s or 70’s. I have a warm spot for the early 80’s flicks such as FRIGHT NIGHT, NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, MONSTER SQUAD, GREMLINS, and so forth. It was a perfect blend of humor, weirdness, and monsters.

Arbogast on Film

I love 30s and 70s horror equally. Both eras tapped into the horror of recent wars and the twinned fascination with/repulsion to body mutilation or body modification. David J. Skal charted the rise of disfigurement as a motif horror in movies post World War I in his excellent genre study The Monster Show but I think the same thing happened during the late Vietnam era and after America withdrew from Southeast Asia. Both 30s and 70s horror were messy, Baroque, self-possessed, sexually informed and at times maybe even contradictory in their psychology; the heady, highly personal treatment of horror in both eras hit a sort of glass ceiling and ultimately beget more conservative, four-square shockers in the decade that followed, films that could be more excessively violent but were never quite as scary to me. Just as no film I can think of made in the 40s can match the queasy sense of transgression I get from Freaks, White Zombie, The Black Cat or Island of Lost Souls, no Reagan era McFright film can top the balls-out weirdness of Messiah of Evil, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, Haunts or The Hills Have Eyes.

Sean - Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat

I honestly don’t have one. I think most horror eras/movements lump in a bunch of junk with the really good stuff, so I just choose to focus on the individual good films rather than get all enthused about a decade or a scene or a subgenre or a country of origin.

Buzz kill! Thanks to all the scholars and historians who participated in this week’s Horror Roundtable. You may have noticed some new names added to the rabble, so please take a moment and click those links to sample more of their wares. But before you go, feel free to enlighten us in the comments below, Professor.

Horror Roundtable newcomer Matt Maxwell is releasing his first original graphic novel, entitled Strangeways: Murder Moon. It’s 144 pages of Werewolves in the Old West, and you can preview the first chapter right here, if only to verify that the illustration accompanying this post has nothing to with Maxwell’s comic. I’ll take any chance I can get to draw gunslingers and werewolves.

Put your best Kill Face on.

When David Z. and Paul Cooke start a new Euro-Action blog called Tough To Kill, a group of Hell’s Angels decide to take matters into their own hands and rescue the POW’s no matter what the cost.

Criss-crossed suspenders making a comeback.

Cinebeats ventures into the 21st Century and takes a crack at Cloverfield.

Tim Lucas draws our attention to a worthy cause; an attempt to create a memorial in honour of Vampira.

Craving up-to-date horror blogging? Well, so long as I’m lounging around drawing nudes instead of posting here it seems that you’re out of luck. If you must insist, may I suggest Bloody Good Horror, Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat, Vault of Horror and My New Plaid Pants, which combined manage to cover most of what’s interesting about the scene?