Top Story

Everyone seems to be really concerned about Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake. To tell you the truth, I always preferred Black Christmas. Anyway, the new rumour swirling around the internet is that after receiving negative script reviews Zombie has decided to give the story another polish, which has pushed the production start date, and subsequently the release date, back a bit. Keep in mind, this is just rumour at this point. Me, I don’t see why they’re planning on releasing the damn thing at the end of August anyway.

Movies

Well, like they say, you’ve got to take the bitter with the batter. I normally abhor posting about stills, but as you all know by now I am very excited about Rob Zombie’s faux-trailer for Werewolf Women of the SS and Bloody Disgusting has the first peek.

Twitch Film has the scoop on yet another remake, and in a bizarre twist it’s Driller Killer, an American film being remade overseas.

While you’re over there, make sure you check out the poster for Teeth. This cute little piece of work is the last thing I would have expected for a film about vagina dentata.

As an aside, want to know what my number one search phrase has been for the past month? Pterodactyl porno. Number two? Pterodactyl porn. I’ll be very disappointed if vagina dentata doesn’t knock them down a peg.

The Saw movies are holding their annual auction in less than a week. I had no idea the three movies only cost $14 million combined. They must be some of the most profitable films of all time.

If you’re going to Hell, make sure you pack some ice skates. The MPAA is implementing new procedures which will make their practices more transparent and will allow fillmmakers a better chance to appeal.

Toronto After Dark has decided upon the week of Friday, October 19 to Thursday, October 25 for it’s second year. Hopefully I can make it this time around.

Movies Online reports that the critically acclaimed zombie satire film Fido has been bumped back from March to June.

Tomb It May Concern keeps the Eurotrash suggestions coming, this time with selections by Bruce Holecheck and Neil Vokes. Digging those groovy banners, David.

Ain’t It Cool News start up the rumour mill for James Cameron’s Avatar. While from the look of things it’s not going to fall under the horror banner, a few of the potential actors involved might seem familiar.

Interviews

Indiewire has an interview with Hell House director George Ratliff concerning his first fictional film, Joshua. The movie revolves around a family that begins to fall apart after the birth of a second son, presumably due to the eldest child’s sinister nature. While Ratliff scores points for casting his lead through Wonder Showzen, points must be deducted from the article for the use of the phrase “transcends the genre”.

Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies creator Robert Kirkman discusses his next genre title, The Astounding Wolf-Man, available this upcoming Free Comic Book Day.

Literature

Lately I’ve been plowing through James Silke’s Death Dealer books, a series based on the paintings of the same name by Frank Frazetta. They’re as close to what I want in low fantasy as I’ve ever found outside of Robert E. Howard’s Conan. Now Image Comics is picking up the reins and releasing a new limited series devoted to the character, and to promote it they’ve made a preview available through Comic Book Resources. I’ll probably pick it up, but I am a tad disappointed that they didn’t get James Silke on board, especially considering he has experience in comics.

Clip of the Day

I swear, Film Junk gives me all this great material and all I give them in return is the Prom Night remake. Life just isn’t fair. Today’s clip is of a live-action reenactment of zombie video game phenomenon Dead Rising.

Misc.

Are you a blogger that’s gone mad with power? Let Final Girl take the wind out of your sails.

In-House

Just the other day I was fighting a malaise brought on by a lack of comments. I thought maybe my new format just wasn’t working out. Then, Lo and behold, a bunch of fresh comments. And to top it off, after over a month where no one new linked my way, a whole bunch of blogs and assorted sites are sending me traffic. If you’re new, welcome. If you linked to me, thanks for brightening my sleep-deprived and stressful week. And if you’re a regular, I care for you in the same way I care for Rainbow Wolf. For real.

One of the sites that linked to the Ol’ Horror Blog is the official Dexter blog over at Showtime. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it’s about considering Canadians are barred from viewing.

Another site directing traffic my way is Rue Morgue’s new blog The Abattoir. Dave Alexander has placed The Horror Blog under his personal links, one of only two selections, the other being occassional Horror Roundtable contributor Paul Corupe’s amazing Canuxploitation site. Great company to be in.

And hey, while you’re at The Abattoir take a look around. They’re finally starting to pick up speed over there, with tips on how to evade The Nightbeast, a wicked Cthulhu mask, and much more.

Finally, The Horror Blog was mentioned by Tim Lucas in a discussion concerning suitable blogs for nomination in The Rondo Awards. Though this doesn’t mean that The Horror Blog will actually be nominated, particularly considering the competition, it was nice to be considered. Thanks, Tim.

It’s 6:30 am, I was out dancing ’til 3, I’ll probably be up another 2 hours, and I’m going to be wrecked for work. And already I’m having a great day. Have a nice weekend, and make sure you drop by tomorrow for yet another huge Horror Roundtable.

Movies

As much as I like Curt’s reviews on Groovy Age of Horror, and appreciate his attempt to bring forgotten works to light, I really enjoy those posts where he approaches a broader topic. Most recently he used The Descent as a starting point to discuss horror fiction which turns out to be all in a character’s head, and why it’s a cop-out on numerous levels. A great read, as usual.

Remember the post I made the other day about the two different films which were slated to be released which were based on the same decades-old crime? Well, one of them has got the jump on the other with the release of a poster.

Didn’t we just have Christmas? What’s with all the presents? Turns out Poultrygeist isn’t the only zombie chicken movie in town. I owe Dread Central for turning me on to the wonders of Zombeak.

And they say snuff films don’t exist. Chicago outfit Death by Design will kill you on screen according to your specifications.

From what I understand alot of fans of the Blood and Chocolate novel are upset that people think the title of the movie is laughable, and that they should read the book before they judge. Apparently Blood and Chocolate star Agnes Bruckner doesn’t agree considering she hasn’t read it either.

Bonus - I love this still from Blood and Chocolate so much I’m linking to it again. Please go see it and share my joy.

Interviews

Lilja’s Library has a big ol’ interview with Stephen King where he spills on his upcoming projects. Thanks to the Rue Mortuary for the tip.

Clips of the Day

Just in time for John Carpenter’s birthday, Louis Fowler links to a new song by The Mountain Goats about the boogeyman, entitled “Michael Myers Resplendent”. I believe he also did a tune called Waco that referenced George Romero, so there’s some precendent for this.

And if that weren’t enough Carpenter love for you, Stacie Ponder at Final Girl has prepared a very special performance dedicated to the man. Special.

Real World

A businessman in Hungary is considering building a castle there in honour of Attila the Hun in the hope that it will draw tourists away from Dracula’s castle.

Top Story

I hadn’t even realized the Golden Globes were on last night. And no, that wasn’t a dig at their poorly regarded status as an awards show. I’m sure I’ll forget all about the Academy Awards whenever they come around. And yet I’m counting the minutes to Ghost Rider. Go figure.

Anyway, the winners of the Golden Globes were announced, and unfortunately the more horrific contenders were kicked to the curb. Pan’s Labyrinth lost out to Letters to Iwo Jima for Best Foreign Languge Film, Monster House was beat by Cars in the first ever Best Animated Feature Film contest, and Michael C. Hall of Dexter couldn’t hold his own against Hugh Laurie from House for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama. I’m especially disappointed that Hall didn’t win, though I knew he was a dark horse and I was just glad he was nominated. His performance in Dexter is the best I’ve seen on television in years, and if you haven’t had a chance to watch the show yet, I encourage you to do so.

Movies

Cinematical ponies up the details on a competition being held by Robert Rodriguez for his Grindhouse 101 panel at SXSW. Rodriguez is asking people to submit their best faux-trailer, with the best one being screened at the event.

A week or two back a number of movie websites announced the unveiling of footage for Aliens vs. Predator 2. I passed on reporting it here when it turned out it was just interviews with the directors, with footage from older movies spliced in. Does anyone even watch what they report anymore? Anyway, the first image from the new movie has been made available.

It seems that the Final Girl Film Club is a little lonely the fourth time around. If you managed to get a hold of The Invitation, make sure you drop them a line.

I know that I’ve developed a reputation for embracing even the most ridiculous concepts in horror, but having the long-awaited Lost Boys sequel revolve around surfing vampires seems stupid even to me.

I know nothing about The Mutant Chronicles, but if it can live up to the poster art, consider me intrigued.

In other poster news, Movies Online has revealed the next Hostel 2 poster. I can only imagine that this one is for all the theatres that were refusing the first choice. This second one seems recalls the posters from the first movie, and while that’s not really a bad thing, I liked the idea that they were taking them in an entirely different direction.

DVD

Ever wanted to watch a Turkish giallo? Twitch Film has the scoop on the latest release from Turkish exploitation purveyors Onar Films, a double bill of The Dead Don’t Talk and Thirsty For Love, Sex, and Murder.

Literature

I had no idea that horror bookstore Dark Delicacies has a bestseller list. Thanks to Rue Morgue associate editor and bibliophile Monica S. Kuebler for pointing it out.

Horror Yearbook points us in the direction of a new Jack Ketchum story, Station Two, available both at his Myspace and in his new collection, Closing Time and other stories.

Comics

In honour of comic artist Dave Cockrum’s passing, Comic Book Resources has posted an interview conducted with the artist about his involvement with Aurora monster models during the ’70s. This is precisely the sort of thing that makes this activity worthwhile. Highly recommended.

Jerry Beck of Cartoon Brew has joined forces with Leslie Cabarga, Classic Media and Dark Horse Comics to present a compilation of the 100 best Casper the Ghost stories from Harvey Comics’ early years. Beck says that most of the stories will be by Famous Studios animators of the era, whose work has been mostly forgotten over the years. He does promise that work by preeminent Harvey cover artist Warren Kremer will also be included, which is great news to this Kremer fan.

Gaming

Busting makes me feel good. Ain’t It Cool News has a handful of clips for a pretty cool looking Ghostbusters game, though chances are good that it’s some crafty amateur’s homage, and not the real thing.

The Mystery of the Haunted Vampire investigates the new Sherlock Holmes computer game, The Awakened, which features a Lovecraftian plot. They mention that it’s not out in the States yet, though surprisingly it has been released up here in Canada.

Misc.

John Hopkins University student Andrew DeVos has made his thesis, Why Horror? Fan Discussion on the Appeal of the Horror Film, available online. It’s a fascinating read. Originally found at The Rue Mortuary.

Real World

It appears that Romania is passing on the chance to reclaim Dracula’s $78 million castle.

Top Story

One of the stories I must have missed while I was on holidays was a shooting that took place during a screening of Black Christmas on Christmas Day (My guess was that they were trying to shoot themselves to stop the pain). The story came up again a few days ago when the owner of the theater chain where the incident took place decided to halt the release of Stomp The Yard for fear of a reprisal. Just in case you’re not familiar with mainstream releases, Stomp The Yard is a film about rival fraternities at a prominently black college who settle their differences during step competitions. Apparently it’s a very positive movie, with very little in the way of violent or lurid content. Obviously not my cup of tea, but probably not all that appealing to gun-toting gangstas either. Criticism was levelled at the theatre chain owner by numerous groups, including the NAACP, for making this decision based solely on race. The theatre owner denied the accusations, yet a few days later he reversed his decision, citing a belief that the situation was no longer as dire as he originally predicted.

I can understand being unwilling to show a movie with extreme violence, particularly in the crime or gangsta vein. I can even understand a desire to hold off on horror movies considering that it was during one of those when this incident took place. But how can you possibly make the leap from a slasher movie where a bunch of white sorority girls are offed to an inspiring movie about black fraternity members settling their differences through the arts?

Maybe the title Black Christmas confused him.

Movies

Against my better judgement, the faux-trailer I’m most looking forward to for Grindhouse is Rob Zombie’s Werewolf Women of the SS, mostly for the casting of Nicholas Cage as Fu Manchu. Fangoria has a few more casting announcements that puts it right over the edge, including the addition of Udo Kier and Sybil Danning among others.

In other, less positive Zombie news, the director responds to early criticism of his Halloween remake. I’m glad I’ve managed to stay out of the fray, not out of respect or caution, but through the wonderful power of indifference.

The always excellent Popcorn and Sticky Floors issues a report from Trash Compactor editor Hall Kelly on Le Brady, a theatre of the fantastique in Paris circa 1990. Though the theatre still appears to be around, it doesn’t look like it’s showing the same caliber of films. Oh, to visit Paris and see Demons on the big screen. I can dream.

Speaking of Demons, an aspiring filmmaker is shooting his zombie epic in an abandoned movie theatre, because after all, “It’s never been done.”

Horror Roundtable contributors Doug Nagy and Jay C. will be attending the Films 4 Food festival in Hamilton, Ontario on January 20th, an all-day festival of movies, discussion and stand-up comedy with all proceeds devoted to charity. One of the films being shown is Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, a month before its theatrical release, and as if that weren’t enough, now they’re serving up a bevy of prizes perfect for horror fans, including Anchor Bay DVD prize packs and advance tickets to Blood and Chocolate. If you’re in the area you should definitely pop by.

If you happen to be in Sri Lanka, don’t miss the American embassy’s presentation of Them, the quintessential giant ant movie and a film which obviously best represents the country.

The New York Times has an interesting overview of the history of I Am Legend, both the book and its numerous adaptations.

Kevin Smith continues to discuss his horror movie idea, but doesn’t seem any closer to starting work on it. One thing I wasn’t aware of was that (according to Bloody Disgusting, the source where I first found the link) he doesn’t particularly enjoy the genre, which is a little surprising to me for some reason.

The Eurotrash Pinnacle Project gets off to a great start with lists by The Hungover Gourmet and The Groovy Age of Horror. This is especially great for me, as my Eurotrash knowledge is spotty at best.

Bah. They’re making a Motel Hell remake.

New Hannibal Rising trailer.

Warren of 150 Days of Sodom whips out one of the greatest stills for any movie, horror or not, I have ever seen. Who wouldn’t want to see Blood and Chocolate after witnessing this.

People are crying censorship over the decision by some theatres to not showcase Eli Roth’s Hostel 2 poster, despite the MPAA deciding in its favour. I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I still stand by the idea that individual theatres, and even chains, should be able to reserve the right to deny either a movie or its advertising, and would find that to be preferable to the MPAA dictating the terms of how a movie is released.

DVD

Time to pack away the petitions. Over at The Dead Pit, Horror Roundtable contributor Don May, Jr. spills the beans on one of the most eagerly anticipated releases in horror; The Monster Squad. You should really listen to it, though, if only to hear Uncle Bill and The Creepy Kentuckian sing the news.

Comics

Sam Costello’s monthly horror webcomic continues with its best installment yet, the eerie Not Sleeping Well.

Creature Commandos? Steve-Dave and Walt Flannigan talk up their comic War of the Undead, in which Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s Monster team up against the Nazis during the Second World War. I’m not entirely sold, especially since it’s already been done at least once before, but I am liking the idea they have for a sequel.

“A ‘War of the Worlds’ riff where the earth is being invaded by Martians and the only hope the earth has in defeating the aliens is Drac, Frankie and the Werewolf!”

How would you like to own an original piece of comic artwork which depicts Spider-Man biting into the top of Hawkeye’s head? That’s what I thought. Enter for your chance to win just that in a contest being held by Dynamite Entertainment to promote the upcoming Marvel Zombies Vs. Army of Darkness comic.

Not enough to see someone else get eaten by a zombie? Well, here’s another contest for you. Some lucky stiff will be chosen to be eaten by the title character of the comic The Corpse.

Television

Remember back when everyone was wondering if there would ever be a full-fledged television channel dedicated only to horror? I don’t. I’m Canadian and we’ve had one for years, suckers. Anyway, now it looks like the remainder of North America will be spoiled for choice, as NBC/Universal have announced Chiller, their own share of the market.

Gaming

A Dead Rising sequel is go, with Capcom expressing an interest in a long-running franchise.

Misc.

Mondo Schlocko has achieved some strange form of mitosis and has split into two, the regular R-rated version and Classic Mondo Schlocko. You know, for kids.

Not Horror

Radar Magazine takes a stroll down memory lane with a countdown of the 20th Century’s deadliest toys. Props to the crew at The Rue Morturary for the hook-up.

I’m stretching things a little, but Stephen King talks up the first four episodes of the new season of 24 in Entertainment Weekly. I saw them earlier last week, and just like King I tried to ration them out and ended up gobbling the whole lot down in two sittings.

Top Story

Cinematical has posted a great write-up on the upcoming projects for Hard Candy actress Ellen Page. The one thing that caught my eye, and prompted me to mention the post here, was a film she’s starring in called An American Crime. Here’s the synopsis as written by Cinematical.

Film is based on a true story from 1965 Indiana about a housewife who kept a teenage girl, Sylvia Likens, locked in her basement. Page was reportedly the only choice to play Likens, and she co-stars with Catherine Keener, who plays Gertrude Baniszewski, the 37-year-old woman who led a pack of teenagers and children as young as 11 and 12 (some her own kids, and others just kids in the neighborhood) in the escalating beating, torture and eventual death of the 16-year-old, in one of the worst torture-murder cases in American history.

Sound familiar? That case was the inspiration for Jack Ketchum’s novel The Girl Next Door, considered by many, including this writer, to be one of the most harrowing novels ever written. Not that it would make much difference that someone has created a film based on the actual crime, but production has also just wrapped on an adaptation of Ketchum’s novel, and both films are slated for release this year.

Movies

The MPAA may have approved the poster for Hostel 2, but it looks like individual theatres may be boycotting it on their lonesome. As ridiculous as it may sound, I would almost rather that this were always the case, not only for posters but for films, too. Let the theatres actually decide for themselves what they will or will not show, instead of just slapping an X on something and burying it.

David Z. discusses The Eurotrash Film Pinnacle Project, working from that to an impassioned discussion of what Eurotrash means to him. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, get your ass over there. It’ll make you want to dig up some spaghetti westerns or poliziesco.

Do you have a question for the elusive Eric Red, screenwriter for the original Hitcher? Arrow In The Head would like to hear them. Thanks to Dread Central for the tip.

Apparently Sean T. Collins kinda sorta likes The Descent.

Misc.

Hot on the heels of Fangofeeder and Slash there’s a new Digg-style horror aggregator in town, Bloodee.

When I returned home from the studio last night I discovered that I had forgotten my keys. At first I was going to curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep in the foyer, but after some thought I realized that I hadn’t really been out on an adventure in awhile, and this situation could be just the thing to get my ass in gear. I wandered the streets, rocked out at a club I haven’t frequented in over a year, drew the cartoon below, and am now writing this from an internet cafe. Who loves you, baby?

Top Story

Horror Yearbook is reporting that Yvonne Decarlo has passed away. Ms. Decarlo had a long and varied career in the theatre, music and in film. Best known to genre fans as matriarch Lily Munster from the television series The Munsters, Ms. Decarlo also starred in a number of low-budget horror films near the end of her career, including The Sorority House Murders, Mirror, Mirror, American Gothic, National Lampoon’s Class Reunion and Satan’s Cheerleaders among many others. She possessed a certain charm and humour that never distracted from her beauty, and she will be missed.

Movies

I’ve been so overwhelmed since returning from the holidays that I completely skipped over the rumour that Nicholas Cage will be portraying Fu Manchu in Rob Zombie’s contribution to the faux-trailers in Grindhouse. That’s got me nearly as excited as the return of Tommy Jarvis. Props to Film Junk for showing me the way.

My New Plaid Pants searches all the internets and compiles everything there is to know about Oldboy director Chan-wook Park’s vampire film.

Speaking of the Pants, he had good reason to worry. Wolf Creek director Greg McLean’s follow-up Rogue has been pushed back indefinitely, probably due to its similarites to Primeval. I, for one, cannot get enough killer crocodile movies.

Final Girl continues its Children Hate You celebration. I wonder if she’s going to get to one of my favourites, The Children.

Interviews

Ain’t It Cool News has a talk with the co-writer and director of the upcoming Hack/Slash movie. If you haven’t read the comic its based on yet, and you like slasher movies, I suggest you give it a try.

Clip of the Day

I couldn’t resist. Someone has compiled all the “best” parts of The Wicker Man remake so you don’t have to watch the whole thing. The irony is that watching a bear coldcock a young woman just makes me want to watch the entire movie. Courtesy of CHUD.

Misc.

Rue Morgue Magazine has a blog! One of the best posts made so far is a tutorial by illustrator Ghoulish Gary Pullin on how he created their Fulci cover from a few months back.

Hey! I made Cinematical’s Film Blog Group Hug for the second time. It’s nice to be loved.

Top Story

I wasn’t following the current batch of Friday the 13th announcements nearly as closely as I should. After all, I am a fan and will probably be there opening night when this thing finally makes it to the screen. I guess I just needed something a little more substantial, or in this case, something over-the-top. At a press conference, Friday the 13th producers let slip that Tommy Jarvis may be making a comeback. My mind is officially blown.

Movies

Even more than the main attractions in Grindhouse, I’m most looking forward to the faux trailers placed during the intermission. I’ve already talked about Eli Roth’s contribution, and it turns out that Rob Zombie jumped aboard sometime during the holidays with a contribution called Werewolf Women of the SS, but now Fangoria has confirmed that Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright will be offering up a little slice of greasy heaven.

According to Jeffrey Combs, the latest installment in the Re-Animator series may be on hold indefinitely. This just a few weeks after news that the franchise was finally moving forward. Combs’ reason for the hold is that, with the Democrats poised to take the White House, a satire on the Bush administration would be too little, too late.

My irrational hatred over The Hitcher remake grows the more I see the reluctance of the people behind it to acknowledge that people still hitchike.

Speaking of The Hitcher, Rogue Pictures have announced a contest on the movie’s official page in which you can win the opportunity to be killed on screen in an upcoming production.

Lit

Bookslut rips into the worst book covers of the year, including Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocayptic tale The Road. When I first saw that cover I thought it was an advance copy, not the final product.

Comics

For all the people clamoring for more comic books about murderous prostitutes, along comes the Fred Olen Ray approved four-colour Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers.

Clip of the Day

I love horror movies as directed by kids. The Devil’s Game seems to be about a brother who is trying to save his little sister, who has been possessed by a demon. There’s an extended scene in the trailer where the two of them kick the shit out of each other that looks far better than most Hollywood product. You can tell they’re real siblings by the way they’re handing out beatings.

Real World

Romania’s Brasov county is seeking a loan to buy back Dracula’s castle for an estimated 60 million euros.

Not Horror

Mondo Schlocko lives up to its name, serving up a delicious documentary on the Baron of Bosoms himself, Russ Meyer.

Top Story

Miss me?

Even more than the main attractions in Grindhouse, I’m most looking forward to the faux trailers placed during the intermission. I’ve already talked about Eli Roth’s contribution, and it turns out that Rob Zombie jumped aboard sometime during the holidays with a contribution called Werewolf Women of the SS, but now Fangoria has confirmed that Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright will be offering up a little slice of greasy heaven.

Movies

Of all the horror movies with the potential to be remade, I think The Tingler would be at the top of my list for the most unexpected. I’m all for it if they’re planning on rigging up some seats.

JA of My New Plaid Pants leads the way to some of Guillermo del Toro’s pre-production sketches for Pan’s Labyrinth.

Movie Morlocks takes a look at the history of one of horror’s most enduring, yet underrated archetypes; the blonde little girl with the white ball.

Cinema Blend discusses the decision to replicate Michael Myer’s mask from the original movie.

And while we’re on the topic, it seems that Sherri Moon Zombie has been confirmed to play Michael Myer’s stripper mom, a role that they didn’t appear to be holding auditions for. I guess he must have wrote it specifically for his wife. I wonder if we’ll see her ass.

The infamous Final Girl Film Club makes its triumphant return with the 80s slasher flick The Invitation. It’s like Oprah’s book club, but with bigger hair.

Louis Fowler: The only person on the planet who enjoyed the Black Christmas remake.

It may already be too late, but if you live in the Toronto area and you’d like to attend a big-screen preview of the next Hellboy animated movie, Sword of Storms, all you have to do is shoot off an email to Anchor Bay.

I’m trying to avoid old news, but this is one I just couldn’t resist helping to spread the word on this one. Coffin Joe’s return, The Embodiment of Evil, has finished production and apparently it’s going to be even crazier than his previous films.

Interviews

Skull Ring continues to pull out all the stops on their interviews, this time with the world’s first and only professional horror geek, Mike Bracken. It’s actually a pretty good read, with lots of emphasis on his career as a horror critic.

Remember Werewolf, one of the Fox Network’s first major shows? The Daily Southtown has an interview with General Hospital star John York, including a small paragraph on the show that started his career.

Lit

Have you spent years sitting on your historical zombie epic waiting on a publisher? If so, Permuted Press would like to see what you’ve got. They’re putting together an anthology of short stories concerning the undead throughout history.

Comics

Comic Book Resources discusses the upcoming Werewolf By Night one-shot with writer Mike Carey. From the look of things both Morbius and Man-Thing, also of the Legion of Monsters, will be receiving one-shots of their own. Looks like Ghost Rider wasn’t returning their calls.

Sean T. Collins points us in the direction of some incredibly weird comics by outsider artist Fletcher Hanks. He seems way more Harry Stephen Keeler to me than Ed Wood, but that’s just how I roll.

Real World

The Scotsman has a great article on the locals’ acceptance of the Dracula legend as tourist fodder in Romania.

Misc.

David Z. gives the ol’ Horror Blog an honourable mention for Year’s Best Horror Blog. Huzzah!

Horror Roundtable contributor Doug Nagy has broken his ankle after a freak dalmatian accident. North Quincy officials are unsure whether he will be able to play any football for the rest of the season. Please join me in prayer for Doug. I’m sure he would appreciate it.

I had limited computer access over the holidays, but I did manage to clock in some time on the internet. One of the things I filed away for my return was the trailer for a new documentary film being produced called Grindhouse Glory (and in case you can’t tell from the title, this one is Rated NSFW).

It’s a tad overlong for a trailer, and it’s mostly bulked up with clips from various movies of that era taken out of context, but the real treat is that they’ve roped in a fair amount of near-forgotten directors to discuss those halycon days. Some of the people profiled include Jeff Lieberman (Squirm), David Durston (I Drink Your Blood), Greydon Clark (Satan’s Cheerleaders) and John “Bud” Cardos (Kingdom of the Spiders). Hell, yeah!

For even more information, make sure you check out Horror Movies interview with the director behind Grindhouse Glory, David Litz.

“I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.”

Which piece of writing, artwork or other creative output do you feel is your best of the past year?

Sean T. Collins - Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat

I’m proudest that I dragged myself to Kinko’s to print out a handful of copies of Darling Comics #0, a one-man anthology of the comic strips I’ve written over the past few years. Sure, all five strips are viewable online, and all this “issue” was was a xerox packet held together by binder clips, but seeing all five strips together in a package I can hold in my hands and flip through reminds me how proud I am of how they all turned out, which ultimately is all that matters to me.

A close second, though, is “Evil for Thee, Not Me,” my big post on the recent brutal-horror film cycle–none of which I’ve even seen yet, unless you count The Descent, which I wouldn’t. But even without viewing them I’ve found them so intriguing and thought-provoking, insofar as they (along with a year of amazingly productive psychotherapy) appear to have coaxed out of me my baseline views about horror, and therefore about art, and therefore about life.

Don May, Jr. - Synapse

That’s a tough question because we put out many releases throughout the year and, personally, I think all are great. But, the one title that we worked the longest on and, I fell, turned out better than we expected, was the STREET TRASH: 2-DVD MELTDOWN EDITION. It took years to put it all together and the amount of money and work we put into it was astounding. That particular release we at Synapse Films are extremely proud of. From the cover to the content, everything went together extremely well.

Bill Cunningham - DisContent

I happen to think that my and my partner’s work creating the key art for DEAD MARY is a good indicator of something of which I’m proud. It came together in a flash of inspiration and it was great working with everyone - they all had great feedback.

Curt - Groovy Age of Horror

It better be my novel, which I’m in the process of posting as we speak: Night Falls on a Fairy Tale.

Tim - Mondo Schlocko

For this past year, I would have to say, that I feel that screenplays that I am currently writing have been improved. Hopefully, by next year I can say that one of my films is the most creative output for 2007.

David Z. - Tomb It May Concern

I would have to go with a post and a follow up. Reviewing Insurrection! was a lot of fun, especially since I stumbled upon it by accident. As if the book wasn’t bizarre enough, I was contacted by a family friend of the author and was really delighted to put some information online that I couldn’t find that talked about pulp author and journalist Dan Brennan and his wild life.

A fun read and review with a rewarding result.

Joakim - Mexploitation

There’s probably two things, my two longish original essays/ruminations on horror, Technology and Horror: Unfulfilled Potential , and with the followup part 2, about the role technology has played and perhaps should play in horror narratives, which got a good reception, and then a bit later, Horror Monomyth: Female Ghosts, Harbingers of Death, about parallels between Mexican folk tales and J-Horror staples, with some European folklore thrown in for good measure. It was less read and commented on, but I think I’m more happy with it.

Casey Criswell - Cinema Fromage

Since my site has only been around since October of 2005, it grew quite a bit this past year. I started by only posting generic links to IMdb entries for everything I was watching, but in 2006 I actually started writing about the films. My earlier reviews were a little rough, but in my mind the site’s turning point has to be my review of Hammer Studios’ The Vampire Lovers.

This particular review was the start of my long-winded rambling phase, which has continued to grow to this day! Was it this post that helped me realize I was capable of more than just short, opinionated nerd rants? Perhaps. Before I was inspired by Ingrid Pitt in her Vampire Lovers role (or something like that, you want to say which role you are referring to), I could easily knock out a review in five minutes. Now it takes me upwards of two to three hours to come up with something like this.

Maybe I should think of Ms. Pitt as a muse? I can live with that.

Thanks once again to all the contributors. Make sure you check out the best these madmen have to offer.

On a side note, my brother Gary just landed in Australia for an extended vacation, and he wrote me to let me know that he regrets not being able to contribute to the Roundtable this week. He told me that if he had, it would have been for the illustration that makes up the banner for this post. You can see the full thing at his portfolio site. Fuck, I love that drawing.

Top Story

“The Frankenstein monster I play is a baby. He’s big and ugly and scary, but he’s just been born, remember, and it’s been traumatic, and to him the whole world is a brand new alien environment. That’s how I’m playing it.” - Peter Boyle 1935 - 2006

Movies

Prom Night is the latest horror movie to get the remake greenlight. Can you imagine what it will be like twenty-five years from now when they mine all this material once again. We can tell our grandkids we were there for the Golden Age of Remakes and that they couldn’t possibly understand.

Check out the new, consistently updated giallo blog, Giallo Fever. Link courtesy of The Groovy Age of Horror.

Cinematical casts some doubts on the upcoming thriller Open Grave. I guess I’m easy, because they had me at “some dude who wakes up in the middle of the woods in a pit full of dead bodies with no idea who these people are, how they were killed and whether or not he was the one who caused their death”.

Twitch Film has the lowdown on Fish War. This is perhaps the greatest film never made.

DVD

Anchor Bay is gearing up new releases of Re-Animator and Phantasm on March 20th and April 10th, respectively. That Elite version of Re-Animator was pretty packed as it is. I can’t even imagine cramming more material in there.

Interviews

Skull Ring is really knocking out the reviews and interviews. A few days back they interviewed comic author Steve Niles, and there’s plenty more where that came from.

Lit

Bookgasm reviews Ladies’ Night, Jack Ketchum’s brutal little novel of girls gone wild. I picked it up at the Festival of Fear over the summer and highly recommend it for people with with less than delicate sensibilities.

Curt of The Groovy Age of Horror has posted the first chapter of his novel, Night Falls on a Fairy Tale.

Clip of the Day

Here’s some video footage of a Resident Evil game being played by a guy scared out of his mind. As funny as it is, part of me was cringing thinking of all the times I screamed out loud during the game. I’m sure at least a few other people could relate. Courtesy of Film Junk.

Not Horror

Criterion has a blog!

Check back tomorrow for the latest Roundtable, and have yourself a great weekend. And once again, if you have any news or promotional material you’d like to send my way, please email me at steven@thehorrorblog.com.

Movies

Oh, my. Bloody Disgusting has revealed the international poster for Hostel 2, and it’s repulsive. Don’t click the link if you’re still eating breakfast.

Gaming

The gaming crossover event of the year? Horrorclix spills over into their parent game as Marvel Zombies make a suprise appearance in Heroclix.

Clip of the Day

The trailer for slasher desconstruction Behind The Mask - The Rise of Leslie Vernon is making me regret missing the movie when it played at various film festivals over the past year.

Not Horror

Guillermo del Toro reveals that he would cast Bruce Campbell as the infamous Lobster Johnson if given the chance.

If you have any news or promotional material you’d like to send my way, please email me at steven@thehorrorblog.com.

Top Story

“I had a feeling that the world was coming to an end, which I still think it is, and was making fear-based decisions, which were getting me into worse situations. I wanted to write a soap based on fear and anxiety in L.A.” - Bret Easton Ellis

It appears that American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis is developing a television series for Showtime called The Canyons.

Movies

Contact Music considers the poor taste inherent in showing Black Christmas during the holiday season, and as a bonus, ponders what type of person would actually watch a horror movie on Christmas.

Speaking of Black Christmas, Pop Matters explores the schizophrenic ouvre of one of my favourite directors, Bob Clark.

DVD

Criterion is releasing Monsters and Madmen, a four film box set which contains two Boris Karloff goodies and a pair of sci-fi treats. As a bonus, the covers for each disc and the box itself have been designed by comic artist Darwyn Cooke, and they’re worth the price of the set alone. Link courtesy of Comics212.

Fangoria has more on Sex Machine, including the details on a follow-up.

Interviews

Skull Ring speaks to Paul Sninchak of the International Order of Horror Professionals, a new, more inclusive guild for those who dabble in horror arts and entertainment.

Comics

The New York Times has a review of Charles Addams - A Cartoonist’s Life over at their site, in addition to the first chapter from the book.

Lit

The UK SF Book News Network speaks to author Paul Kane concerning his examination of the Hellraiser films.

Blogcritics offers up some gift ideas for the horror connoisseur in your life.

Contests

Louis Fowler has all sorts of goodies to give away. Don’t miss out on his Future Kill contest, and if you’re within receiving distance you can win one of his wicked new t-shirts via his radio show.

Clip of the Day

Mondo Schlocko presents “Bigfoot Stole My Six-Pack”, a music video directed by the Polonia Bros. I admit, I could only make it through 2/3rd before shutting it off.

Not Horror

Almost immediately after posting about Raimi’s involvement with various pulp heroes, news has leaked that the project can actually be narrowed down to just one of the characters.

The Australian compares the Canadian film industry with their own product, including a look at various genre selections. Though I think they meant the Elgin Theater in New York and not the one in Toronto.

If you have any news or promotional material you’d like to send my way, please email me at steven@thehorrorblog.com.

I’m playing around with the format of the blog for the next week. Please let me know what you think, either in the comments below or at steven@thehorrorblog.com. Thanks!

Movies

It seems that Cinepix co-founder John Dunning is being treated in the hospital after being hit by a car. Cinepix was one of the pillars of Canuxploitation, giving the world such classics as Ilsa the She-Wolf, My Bloody Valentine, Happy Birthday To Me and launching the careers of Ivan Reitman and David Cronenberg.

“”My D.P. Milan Chadima shot it, and he busted out lenses from the 1970’s! It was too fucking cool. I really want it to look like the trailer for THE PROWLER or MANIAC, and we shot it with the old school camera and lenses. Nobody shot with them in years, and Milan said the rental house dug them up out of the basement just for him.” - Eli Roth

Eli Roth describes his experience directing one of the fake trailers for the upcoming Grind House feature. Courtesy of Dread Central.

Mr. Skin has announced the Top Ten cinematic nude scenes of 2006 and Barbara Nedeljakova makes the cut at #6 with her performance in Hostel.

Some Reach For The Top nerds have challenged Uwe Boll to a battle of the minds. Someone should tell them he’s a PhD.

The Toronto Star submits an article on the rise of gore in the movies, tying it in with the holiday season. It’s a surprisingly thoughtful and level-headed look at the history of gore.

Interviews

“A Little League baseball coach when he’s not spending his time master- minding sadistic ways to torture and kill his victims, Bell has given away a few of the scary Jigsaw clown masks to kids for them to use on Halloween.” - Tobin Bell

I’m not the biggest Saw fan, but based on his interviews I can dig star Tobin Bell.

Cinematical speaks with Crispin Glover about his highly disturbing film, What Is It?

Comics

David Z. posts yet another great horror comic, this one involving a sinister nurse and a bad case of the plague.

The latest issue of The Walking Dead sells out in less than 24-hours. While so many comics decline in readership over time, it’s refreshing to see one continue to gain support.

Matt Maxwell of Dark, But Shining ponders why comics don’t scare him, then describes a comic that scares him.

Lit

The further I read into the synopsis of Jack Ketchum’s latest novel, the more I realized just which crime he was inspired by, and it really creeped me out. I’m surprised there hasn’t been an uproar here in Ontario yet.

While at work I’ve been taking short breaks and indulging in a little flash fiction writing, that is, stories that come in under a very small word count. Now it appears that someone has opened an archive for horror flash ficiton at MicroHorror. Take a look, or submit your own. All stories must be under 666 words to be eligible. Link courtesy of Slash.

Misc. Horror

Now that’s just creeping me out

I have absolutely no interest in tattoos, but this Monster Engine design floors me. Thanks to J. for the head’s up.

The Gizmo Cafe Blog would like you to substitute ‘RIAA’ with the words ‘Brain eating zombies’ at every possible opportunity.

Not Horror

I’m still laughing over this post from I Spit On Your Movie.

The Movie Blog is organizing a film festival in Hamilton on January 20th for a local food bank. One of the films being shown is Shaun of the Dead, and our own Horror Roundtable contributor Doug Nagy will be doing stand-up at the show.

Sam Raimi may tackle classic pulp heroes after he’s through with Spider-man.

If you have any news or promotional material you’d like to send my way, please email me at steven@thehorrorblog.com.