My blog: Some thoughts on films

I’m watching April Fool’s Day ...

Sun, 05 May 2013 01:26:48 -0400

Check-in to April Fool’s Day on GetGlue.com

Rue Morgue British Horror Issue #133

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:07:26 -0400

On stands today is the brand new issue of Rue Morgue and I could not be happier. It is a celebration of British horror and it has two of my first features, so you can understand why this means so much!

First up is my feature on A Fantastic Fear of Everything, one of my favourite films of last year. I talk to the director Crispian Mills about this extraordinarily quirky film and I can assure you, if you haven’t seen it, you MUST.

Next is the feature on one of my favourite British horrors to come out recently, a small independent film that needs attention: Harold’s Going Stiff. I chat to the director Keith Wright about how this small film has done so well at recent film festivals.

I’ve also got my monthly Entrails and there’s also a damn cool review of Cockney’s vs. Zombies which *spoiler alert* I loved.

That’s pretty awesome stuff, and that’s just the stuff I’VE written. There’s an incredible feature on The Wicker Man and Sightseers, just to name a couple. Not only is it jam PACKED with awesome, it also boasts their best cover in a long time. Don’t miss out!

Lake Placid: The Final Chapter Review

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:26:23 -0400

Click on the picture below to read my HorrorTalk review of Lake Placid: The Final Crapter… I mean… Chapter….

Rue Morgue- Issue 132

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:34:18 -0400

The new issue of Rue Morgue is out and has excellent coverage of the new Evil Dead film. I wrote about the intriguing story of how Toy Story 3 director, Lee Unkrich, came to find the famous lost ending of The Shining. I also talk about the return of Toronto-based lecture series The Black Museum, not to mention my monthly Entrails to boot.

Pick up a copy today!

Holy intense home invasion movie Batman! Finally we have the...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:59:26 -0400

Holy intense home invasion movie Batman! Finally we have the trailer for the much anticipated You’re Next by director Adam Wingard. Looks god damn chilling.

Ant Man Test Footage!

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:54:32 -0400

Watch this while you can, no doubt it will get taken down very, very soon. This is test footage from Edgar Wright’s Ant Man. Just imagine the fight scenes, what he did with Scott Pilgrim still blows me away he is exactly what is needed for a comic book movie!

Photo

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:39:47 -0400

Last night I watched the rather awesome horror anthology Body...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 23:28:31 -0400

Last night I watched the rather awesome horror anthology Body Bags. There’s a plethora of horror cameos and some truly disturbing stories to creep you out! John Carpenter presents it in gruesome fashion from a morgue. This is my horror suggestion for you today.

And for you lucky badgers, it’s all here on YouTube:

Evil Dead Blew My Mind

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:00:00 -0400

Last night I got a chance to see Evil Dead before its release next month. This is one of the films I have been looking forward to the most this year, and after what has been such a disappointing year for movies for me, I was a little worried. Luckily though this film was all kinds of insane awesome, just the horror film I had hoped for.

An unrelenting bloody mess from start to finish, Evil Dead promises gore and it gives it by the bucket loads. The effects are phenomenal, but some of the most excruciating scenes to watch use the classic device of sound, not sight. It’s not torture porn. Yes, it’s insanely over the top but it never makes you feel nasty like a Saw or Hostel film, this is the kind of nasty that evokes a classic ’80s horror feel, it never feels completely real…but it’s close enough to scare the crap out of you.

What makes this film work is the sense that the people behind it had not only a true love for the original, but understood it completely too. There are lots of nice little nods to the original series, and I actually got the feeling this film isn’t so much a remake, as following on from the events that have happened already from Raimi’s original.

What was kind of annoying about the experience was that the entire theatre was howling, screaming, laughing together and then the minute the credits roll all I could hear was, “Yeah it was OK but….” it’s like people didn’t want to fully like this because it’s a remake. That it’s instantly never going to be more than a 3 out of 5 film. That pisses me off, fair enough if it didn’t do it for you but give it a fair chance first and mark it on its own merits, don’t even try and compare it. I’ve also heard a lot of people complaining about the lack of comedy, people forget that the first Evil Dead was a flat out horror film and it only really got slapstick in the second one. Also, if they did have an “Ash” character, it would NEVER have lived up to Bruce Campbell so I for one, am glad they didn’t try.

After the onslaught of mediocre bump-in-the night movies this year has brought us (Mama, Dark Skies etc.) it is great to see a true blood and guts movie that doesn’t hold back. Evil Dead is the film Sam Raimi would have made back in ‘81 if he’d had the money and means. And that is why this movie works.

Oh, tip: If you’re a fan of the series, make sure you stay until the end of the credits for a nice little surprise.

4/5

Sherlock Season Three- The wheels are in motion! (via BBC)

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:08:23 -0400

Sherlock Season Three- The wheels are in motion! (via BBC)

HorrorTalk Comedown Review

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:03:26 -0500

Click on the pic to check out my review of the British horror full of yoof and all that. Innit blad. Yeaaaa.

Rue Morgue March Issue

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:12:23 -0500

Keep your eyes open for the March issue of Rue Morgue, it has my news piece on the Zombie movie made by PhD Physic Students, Decay, and my monthly Entrails. As well as all that it has a super sexy front cover (as always) with great features on Arthur Machen and The Lords of Salem.

Check it out…

My Top Ten Horror Films Of 2012 For HorrorTalk

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:30:28 -0500

This video shows actress Naomi Grossman’s transformation...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:02:36 -0500

This video shows actress Naomi Grossman’s transformation into “Pepper” from American Horror Story. I genuinely thought all the make up was real, this woman is an amazing actress and the effects are utterly spectacular! You don’t realise it’s fake until late in the second series. Bravo. This season has been the best, I didn’t think it could outdo the first but it has!

A film I need to see this month: Sound City.

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:01:06 -0500

A film I need to see this month: Sound City.

New pics from The World’s End have surfaced via IGN and...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:58:00 -0500

New pics from The World’s End have surfaced via IGN and Empire. The final film in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy. God damn I can’t wait.

Mood Indigo Trailer

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:44:00 -0500

You don’t need to be fluent in French to see how beautiful the new film by Michel Gondry is going to be…trailer below, released in France April 24th.

My Fake '80s Movie

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:05:00 -0500

If I made a fake ’80s movie, there is no doubt it would have the best soundtrack…here’s a taster of how it’d go down (of course this only works if you listen along to the music, play along!):

Miami Horror Holidays Starts the film, giving us the fun atmosphere of a California setting where we met the unloved underdog who longs for the girl of his dreams…

Twin Shadow 5 Seconds for the inevitable motorcycle chase of the underdog and the local bully through a desert…

Tennis Marathon Where we see, through a series of random events, the underdog and dream girl spend a day together in the summer sun where she realises he is not just the geek boy she always thought he was.

Kindness That’s Alright is the fierce track for the big dance off between the underdog and the bully midway through the movie, underdog reveals his mad skillz thus winning the girl of his dreams.

Blood Orange Bad Girls is the final dance at the prom where the underdog and girl of his dreams totally smooch up.

Yesayer O.N.E Perfect for the closing credits, all is resolved and everyone is happy.

You would pay money to see that, right?

What's the point Digital Spy?

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:23:00 -0500

Digital Spy just produced this feature: “20 Movies You Never Knew Existed”. A title like that will always intrigue a cinephile like myself, and normally I wouldn’t comment but this is potentially the most pointless feature I’ve ever seen. Apart from the fact that I have indeed heard of about half of them, none of them bar TRICK ‘R TREAT are worth seeing. Surely a better idea would be, “20 Movies You Never Knew Existed…BUT SHOULD!”?? To read the original feature click here.

Recently Rue Morgue did a Top 200 Alternative Horror List which had the right idea. I thought I’d do my own 20 films you maybe never knew existed…but should! And no, they’re not all horror. Also I’m not arrogant enough to think you won’t have EVER heard of all of these, but there may be a couple.

Rubin and Ed

Crispin Glover’s best performance.

Detention

A headache of weird.

Resolution

Proves new horror has still got lots to give.

Intermission

Insanely cool, Irish flick.

Stuart A Life Backwards

Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbach- pure gold.

Nice Girls Don’t Explode

A girl sets things on fire when she gets amourous.

Paperheart

Adorable and sweet.

All The Real Girls

A film to make your heart ache.

5150 Rue Des Ormes

A horrific thriller that is unrelenting.

Harold’s Going Stiff

Putting new life in the Zombie genre.

Real Time

A gambler’s final hours.

The First Day of the Rest of your Life

A realistic look at a family going through changes.

Sick Girl

Girls are Sick!

All ABout Evil

PEACHES CHRIST IS GOD.

The Station Agent

I love films about unlikely friendships

Female Trouble

As wicked as Pink Flamingos, but easier on the eyes.

City of Lost Children

Jean Pierre Juenet has a magical mind.

Once

Gorgeous and refreshing.

Lucas

Everybody loves an underdog

Chronicle

2012’s most overlooked film.

New issue of Rue Morgue now available! Isn’t it...

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:52:47 -0500

New issue of Rue Morgue now available! Isn’t it beautiful?!