Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment released a collection of horror classics on Blu-Ray on September 15th, and I got the lot of them. If you haven't made the jump to Blu-Ray yet, it is a leap worth leaping in my opinion - big screen TV and Blu-Ray together is the closest thing to being in the theater that I've experienced, with the added benefit of no cell phone rings or couples murmuring sweet nothings to each other in the row behind... not to mention that my feet rarely stick to the floor in my den. Rarely.

The weekend of September 19 and 20 was rainy and flooded in the East Tennessee town of Athens, where I live. With no outside work to do the time was ripe for a horror movie marathon. After gazing longingly at my new wood chipper sitting idle in the barn near a pile of branches soon to become mulch, I unwrapped the first of the new Blu-Rays and settled in...

Child's Play

Pretty much everyone has seen this film, but it had been a very long time for me. While not scary at all, Chucky has become an icon of horror, albeit silly horror. The crisp visuals did make watching this one more enjoyable than I remember and I exclaimed out loud more than once about how good it looked.

For those who don't know the story, a serial killer who is also into voodoo is cornered in a toy store where he makes his last stand against the homicide detective determined to take him down. The killer planned for immortality by learning an ancient voodoo spell capable of moving his soul into the body of another prior to death. I guess he planned to continue "hopping bodies" over and over again to cheat death through all eternity. Unfortunately for him, there are no available hosts in the toystore after hours, so he settles on a "Good Guys" doll.  The doll winds up in the hands of a little boy who soon discovers that it has come to life and embarked on a killing spree.

This one if actually pretty fun... a bit better than I remembered. I just had to try not to apply any logic to the situation. I can buy a doll coming to life via a voodoo curse, but the strength the doll had to knock over adults with no means of leverage took a bit more work.

I'm not usually one for "special features" on these DVDs, but the piece on special effects was pretty cool. The mechanical dolls used to give Chucky life, along with the scenes where a "little person" was dressed up as a a knife-wielding toy, were fascinating. On to the next...

Wrong Turn

I had actually never seen this one before. The premise is that a young medical student in a very hot Mustang speeds through the West Virginia countryside on his way to some very important meeting and makes a "wrong turn", later slamming into another car packed with camping gear and leaving himself and a group of youngsters without transportation and stranded in the middle of nowhere. In "The Hills Have Eyes" fashion the kids are picked off one by one by a family of grotesquely deformed folks who proceed to cook them up and chow down. Lots of gore and sillyness ensues, and the film is not bad.

I didn't look at any special features, but the shots of "West By-God" Virginia are amazing in Blu-Ray. I did particularly enjoy the chick in the tree getting her head cut in half also, and the way that her dead body hit against limb after limb as it hurled toward the ground was a nice touch.

Wrong Turn II

There was no question that the sequel to Wrong Turn had to be next. This one starts the same way as the first, except this time it is a hot chick in a hot car driving through the same West Virginia wilderness. She is an actress on her way to film a reality show with an end-of-the-world theme. She takes, you guessed it, a wrong turn... and hits a deformed guy crossing the road. He literally flies over the car and lands in a heap behind her - quite dramatic. After she gets out to investigate the carnage the accident victim gets up, straightens his body, and acts creepy, while another emerges from the woods and cuts her in half length-wise with a machete. AWESOME scene!!

The rest of the cast gets tired of waiting on the now-dead actress and begins filming. The host of the show is played by Henry Rollins, and he is fantastic as an ex-marine searching for a niche in the world. Rollins absolutely steals the show as he lurks around and plans the rescue of the reality actors who are dismembered and disembowled one by one.

This is an example of a sequel soundly surpassing it's predecessor - I really enjoyed Wrong Turn II. There was even some character development here, unlike many of the horror of late. Not a ton mind you, but just enough so that I shouted with glee when some of the losers met their ends, and cheered for others as they attempted their escapes. This is a good one.

Misery

What a classic this one is. I hadn't watched Kathy Bates as Annie in a long time.

Annie is a dorky country woman who "rescues" her favorite author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) after he has a terrible accident in a snow storm. Sheldon writes trashy novels about a woman named "Misery" and Annie is his "number 1 fan". After the rescue, Annie holds Sheldon hostage and he psychosis becomes more and more pronounced.

I was amazed by the preformance of Kathy Bates in this film. She won an Oscar for the performance, and it is very clear that she deserved every ounce of that little gold statue. Truly amazing... and the hobbling scene is worth the price of admission on it's own. Chances are that most have seen this film a few times, but another watch is always warranted, and the Blu-Ray experience just adds to it. This was a very good purchase.

The Hannibal Lector Collection

The saga of Hannibal Lector is presented all together here with three DVDs included, Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Of course, all had to be watched back to back in a Lector extravaganza Sunday afternoon.

Manhunter is the "prequel" that introduces us to the cannibal, Hannibal. Lector eats his way through respectible society with a determined cop on his trail. Lector is finally caught and imprisoned, setting us up for...

Silence of the Lambs, the classic film starring Jody Foster and Agent Starling. So many classic lines. So many enduring characters. Silence of the Lambs is a true classic that I can watch over and over. Blu-Ray is a nice touch, but I'd watch this film again in any form.

Hannibal is the sequel starring Julianne Moore as Starling. She does a fine job, but I would have liked to see Foster again in this Role. The follow-up to a classic is always difficult... where do you go next? Hannibal decides that grossly disfigured characters, man-eating hogs and feeding a victim his own brains for dinner is the perfect place to go. Good film, though not nearly as powerful as Jody Foster in the main event. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal is perfect throughout.

Slowly but surely my DVD collection is being transitioned to Blu-Ray because the experience is intensified with the almost 3-D quality of the picture. For the most part I am not replacing DVDs I already own but rather just buying my new ones in the new format... but this bunch was an exception that I don't regret. Oh, and I forgot to mention, both Child's Play and Misery include both the Blu-Ray and the DVD versions, so there's somethign for everyone. Good stuff, and highly recommended.

What a weekend!

So...

As I have mentioned before, I am a countrified redneck from the sticks. I have a big garden this year and (when I'm not battling the evil beavers) I spend a lot of time tending the garden and making sure that the fruits of my labor are "put up" appropriately in mason jars for the long winter ahead. Tonight I'm making salsa and spaghetti sauce from the million tomatoes that came from the garden and I can't help but think...

Has there been a horror movie about folks that harvest bodies and can them in mason jars (using either the pressure-canning method or a hot water boil) for use later? I have this vision of someone happening upon the country cottage and peering into thier cubbord only to find recognizeable hands, feet and eyeballs peering back from the neatly-stacked mason jars on the shelves.

Maybe I'm just a freak at heart, but I think I'm onto something here... what would I call it?  Hmmm... something over the top like "Redneck Barbeque" comes to mind, or something simple like "Canning". The trouble with that last one is most city people wouldn't know what that means I think... but I would know.

Anyway, this is just a random thought.  I have to get back to the eyeball sauce.....

Don

I finished watching and reviewing an Indie horror flick called Maniac on the Loose, and I'm still a little pissed off about it. I guess I shouldn't be mad, but I tend to get passionate about Independent horror, and in my mind the concept is always a good thing that I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt... then sometimes I wonder about this blanket statement.

I guess I have a question really, but I think I already know the answer. Why is it that so many micro-budget Indie flicks are written, directed, produced and starring the same person. Okay, there isn't much budget so hiring a bunch of folks is really not an option here - but sometimes there is another reason, and I play unwittingly into the mix. Sometimes it's because that one person's damn ego is so disgustingly huge that they see the whole thing as some kind of fun game intended to promote themselves and give them something to show at back-room parties filled with people wearing black and sipping Cosmos to prove how overwhelmingly cool they are. And how does this effect me? Well, these films sometimes end up in my hands to watch and review with that review serving as nothing more than another ego-enhancing peg in the hat of the self-serving film maker.

Now, this general rant does not apply to every single one of the "one man band" productions in existence - there are certainly many reasons to be the Chief Cool and Bottle Washer - money is certainly one as well as potentially the feeling that the creative vision of the filmmaker could be somehow compromised if this single person does not perform every single duty themselves. Well, that last one would be the definition of "egocentric" I guess, but it's possible I suppose. But... what if this one person completely and totally SUCKS at one or more of the jobs? If they suck at ALL of the jobs then I get that - they are no-talent slobs who have deluded themselves into thinking that they have some sort of rare and unique talent and by displaying that "talent" on film they will gain fame and fortune - or at least a few more invitations to cocktail parties and bragging rights among their intelligencia friends. Kind of like surrealist art.

What really pisses me off is when at least one of the jobs, writing for example, displays a bit of talent and creativity, but the others are a complete disaster. Is it possible that they don't know that they are a horrifying (not the good kind) cheese-fest as an actor and that they are loosing any semblance of effectiveness from the talent they hire by being a shit-box director? Or do they know? If they don't know then they are clearly stupid - but it takes a lot to get a film, even a micro-budget horror flick, off the ground, and I can't imagine this is a job for a moron. But then if they DO know then they are sabotaging the film and ensuring that they have created a complete waste of time and money. I guess they must not know... but the reason they don't know is because they have fooled themselves into thinking they actually ARE the best thing since sliced bread through the sheer power of ego.

Heck, I'm all for an ego boost, and when I produce my first horror flick you can bet your ass I'll have at least a small cameo - but then I'm not going to direct the thing so if the director says "that sucks, we have to cut that out" then that's his or her job... and good thing there is a system of checks and balances because the last thing I want to create is a sucky movie that inspires a testy rant by some horror website goofball.

So, I issue this open question to micro-budget horror movie creators everywhere - why? Why would you put yourself in every single major role of the film's creation and presention when doing so all but guarantees that there is going to be a substandard result? There MUST be something that I'm missing - please, enlighten me.

Rant complete. Over and out.

So, I'm sitting now at the little glass table in the dining area off the kitchen, right next to three floor- to- ceiling windows that look out over the back deck. I like to sit here and work when I'm doing updates and such for the site because it is close to the refrigerator and there is easy access to the wine glasses and corkscrew.

Anyway, I noticed something strange a few minutes ago - strange noises coming from the windows. Since there is light inside and it is dark outside I can't see anything but my own goofy reflection when I look out the window, but still the noise continued to the point that I had to stop everything and stare for a while. Finally I saw the source of the sounds... a June Bug. I think that's what they are called - brown bugs about the size of a dime that are round and fly around in clumsy patterns, slamming against the glass and making quite a racket. Then I noticed another, and another... after a few minutes there were dozens of these little beasts slamming their brown bodies against the glass in a quest for the light. Seriously, I think there are a MILLION of them out there, all propelling their bodies against the glass. Are they really after the light???

This experience has made me think of movies like Hitchcock's The Birds and countless creepy-crawly type movies that never fail to freak me out. I hate bugs. No, really... those June Bugs are totally freaking me out.

I guess fear can take many forms in horror flicks with the raging psycho with a machete being only one facet. I remember The Descent creeped me out to no end before I ever laid eyes on the cave-dwelling monsters because of the close-quarters of the caves. Do people really go into caves for FUN??? The worst part of Slither was when that huge fat lady exploded and all of those slugs came out and tried to get into everyone's mouth... yuck.  And now, June Bugs.

If I don't come around for a while it just may be because a hoarde of June Bugs broke through my window and consumed my flesh until there is only a skeleton sitting at my computer screen. If that happens, please send help.

Don

In the very (very, very) early days of The Ossuary someone posted something they found, I think, on Facebook. Zombie Day. Take the time to act like a zombie, watch zombie movies and I imagine ensure that your stash is fresh and sufficient and the flame-thrower is working in preparation for the pending outbreak. Speaking of zombie day...

I spent the Memorial day weekend doing a couple of things out in the country. First and foremost the American Flag was waving and I took the time to remember and say a silent prayer for those countless members of our armed forces who gave their lives in defense of our Liberty in this great country of the United States of America. I also gorged on ribs and beans and drank a little (or a lot) too much. And... I worked in the garden.

How does this relate to Zombie Day you ask? Well, it all started with the garden work. For two days I was out with a hoe, a tiller and this little hand-digger thing getting rid of weeds, tending the rows, putting new seed in where the deer had cut off the tender vegetable sprouts leaving only 1/2 inch greenish nubs on the mounds... and all the while the sun was blaring down and the water bottles that I was supposed to be drinking remained full and untouched. The dehydration that set in on Sunday evening brought unbearable headaches to match my decidedly redneck farmer tan that included a glowing crimson on the back of my neck (obviously...) on my legs between my socks and my shorts and from the edge of my short sleeves to my bloodied and dirty finger nails. To top things off I realized early in the day that I was completely out of OFF! so I presented quite the smorgasbord to the billions of blood-sucking insects hovering around the area looking for a worthy victim. So... The end of that day I was miserable, body broken by hours of manual labor, burned to a crisp, head pounding from lack of fluids and itching like crazy from a multitude of bug bites.

The next day I got up, too early because my dog "Litalious Small Fry" (or "Max" for those that don't give their pets ridiculous nicknames) came snorting to the edge of the bed wanting to get outside and pee on everything that was surely peed on the night before... so, I was off to the garden again.

This time I sprayed the Adamms Flea and Tick spray (for the dogs) on myself because it said it also repelled mosquitoes. As a side note I don't recommend that... it didn't hurt or anything but it doesn't work worth a damn... And, I made a conscious decision to drink those bottles of water - in fact I set some out at strategic points throughout the garden so that when I worked up to an area that had a water bottle planted that was my cue to drink the contents. Worked pretty well. For all my planning I did forget the sunscreen. Plus there were some threatening thunder clouds on the horizon so I worked feverishly to beat the pending rainfall... which didn't come until about 7:00 PM after I was done, by the way. At least I got it all done.

Monday yard work finished and I had those ribs and beans and went to bed a little early - and got up at 6:00 AM for the long drive into Atlanta where I work as a sales guy for an Internet Security Services company. Well, it was zombie day and I felt every inch of one. I had conference calls that I don't remember. I took a nap at my desk before taking a three hour lunch to sneak home and get a nap. Man, was I wasted. I don't feel 100% even now... so Zombie Day was completely lived out by yours truly, with or without my consent. I think I even growled at some people.

So, happy Zombie Day! I hope you all had fun stockpiling guns, ammo and food stuffs for the coming inifection - or at least caught Zombie Lake. What should I work on next?... Zombie Gardens?

Yours in horror,

Don Sumner

OK folks - I have been watching this video for a long time and it is just the coolest thing. If you are a big enough dork to love Mary Poppins (like I am) and also love horror movies then this is the best of all worlds... the creator took scenes from the movie Mary Poppins and edited them together to create a horror movie trailer. It's awesome!!!

Well, the invitation went out to subscribers to Horror Movie Freaks to join The Ossuary and get the good screen names. There are some folks that have really gone all out on their profiles adding cool background images, photo galleries, music that plays when the profile is viewed... very cool.

We're still working through a few kinks in the community software but the final version is near.  Not to be confused with "The Sherrif is Near"...

I am really looking forward to getting this new community off the ground. I've tried to participate in the forums and such that other sites have and just can't get engaged. I don't know... it seems to me that most of those sites have a core of folks that berate everyone else if they don't agree with their views. So... if there isn't lively conversation going on then there is nothing really else to do there.

We've taken the best of YouTube, Flicker and MySpace and made it specific to Horror Freaks - Perhaps a big risk but I think that there are plenty of us around to make this community thrive. I need to change some of the headings on the menu bar, the ones for Videos, Photos and Music to make it clear that these are sharing channels - different from the things that show only on a profile (under my profile for each member).  Once we have more folks uploading things to share it will be more interesting for everyone to participate here... but the key is making it clear what this is about.

So, off to work. In the meantime upload some pics, videos and music from the main menu bar and start the sharing process... Oh, and videos can be embedded elsewhere like YouTube so upload here and then play wherever you want!

Now I'm rambling...

The Horror Czar 

I am so excited about the looming launch of The Ossuary! For so long now enthusiastic visitors to Best-Horror-Movies.com have been clammouring for a place to share in the community here at BHM. Sure, we have "Horror Movie Questions", "Horror Lists", "Ask the Zombie Master" and so on, but this is different - real-time interaction with horror fans across the globe.

Those other reader-submission avenues will continue to exist, but I think The Ossuary will fill a bit of a void. Forums, personal profiles, uploads of pictures, video and music, posting of events and groups of like-minded Horror Freaks are all here in The Ossuary.

I can't wait until launch... very soon!

The Horror Czar

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