tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101426822024-03-07T03:53:31.120-05:00Dave's Horror ReviewsMy reviews of movies, books, music, games, and just about anything else I feel like reviewing, as well as news from the Horror and Fantasy world. I can be reached by E-mail at: daveshorrorreviews@hotmail.comdavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.comBlogger476125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-55137585728365550232014-07-17T10:28:00.001-05:002014-07-17T10:28:00.198-05:00Be back soon!Hi all! I'll be updating this blog soon... stay tuned!Donovan Copywritinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16519386970392555595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-39864670517807137712012-11-11T08:55:00.002-05:002012-11-11T09:00:53.820-05:00Movie Review: Puppet Master X: Axis Rising<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since 1989, Full Moon's <i>Puppet Master</i> series has held a spot in my heart. I can still remember the first time I watched the original after taping in off Cinemax on an old VHS. I remember watching it and thinking, <i>this is awesome</i>! That experience solidified my relationship with Charles Band's Full Moon Studios and forever since that day, I have sought out the studio's films and am thrilled that this little independent studio is still producing movies. Now, 23 years after the original Puppet Master was released, Blade, Pinhead, Leech Woman, Jester, Six-Shooter, and Tunneler return for <i>Puppet Master X: Axis Rising</i>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't mess with America... or Blade!</td></tr>
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Puppet Master X picks up where <i>Puppet Master: Axis of Evil</i> left off, with Danny, Beth and the puppets fresh off destroying the Nazi manufacturing plant. Unfortunately, as the film opens, we find that Tunneler has been taken hostage by the no-good Nazi bastards. With the Nazi presence starting to grow in Chinatown and an old scientist working on a regeneration machine for them, it's up to Danny, Beth, the puppets, and the aptly named Sergeant Stone to save Tunneler and America!<br />
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As far as the film goes, what can you say about a Full Moon film? After all of these years, you kinda know what you're getting into. The puppets are awesome, including the new ones, Blitzkrieg, Wehrmacht, Bombshell and Kamikaze, the set design is good, the effects are not bad, the acting, well, a little over the top, but it all adds up to a fun time. Actually, I was particularly impressed with the audio and video presentation of the film. Richard Band's music is still the best in the B-movie biz and the video was crisp and clean. The only audio snafu was the fact that every time Beth spoke in the beginning of the movie, it sounded like she was a little too far away from the mic and it made it sound like she was speaking from a cave. But who cares? It's <i>Puppet Master</i>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His axis, it is rising.</td></tr>
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Like the nine before it (with the exception of that dreadful one that starred Corey Feldman), I loved <i>Puppet Master X: Axis Rising</i>. While not perfect, it's everything a B-movie needs to be. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it delivers on almost all counts. I give <i>Puppet Master X: Axis Rising</i> <span style="color: cyan;">****</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>.<br />
Check out the trailer for <i>Puppet Master X: Axis Rising</i> below.<br />
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Pick up a copy of Puppet Master X: Axis Rising for your collection!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=davshorrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B009B8YMOW" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
Donovan Copywritinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16519386970392555595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-83051571649287268822012-11-10T08:26:00.004-05:002012-11-10T08:26:55.997-05:00Movie Review: The Devil's Carnival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From the makers of <i>Repo: The Genetic Opera</i> comes another colorful journey into the world of musical horror. <i>The Devil's Carnival</i> is the latest from the collaborative team of Terrance Zdunich (writer) and Darren Lynn Bousman (director) and it features many of those who starred in their previous effort, such as Bill Moseley, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, and Nivek Ogre. Along for the ride this time are newcomers Emilie Autumn, Dayton Callie, Sean Patrick Flanery, Briana Evigan, Jessica Lowndes, and a host of others.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What did you say about my chin?"</td></tr>
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The film plays like a live-action musical adaption of three of Aesop's Fables. Three poor souls, a kleptomaniac, a gullible teenager, and an obsessed father, each die only to wake up on the doorstep of the Devil's Carnival. Once inside, they are subjected to many of the temptations and tribulations that marred their real lives. Will they be doomed to repeat their past discretion or will they be redeemed? At the controls of their destinies is the devil himself.<br />
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With this being a musical, music played a large role in how the stories were conveyed. The film's songs fit comfortably within the design of the sets and the carnival backdrop. Often haphazard and sometimes hard to understand, the rhythms and lyrics of the songs aren't as straightforward as they were in Repo, so listening to them outside of the film probably wouldn't be as enjoyable, but overall, they weren't bad. As far as the film itself goes, Zdunich steals the show as the devil. Sporting some really great makeup, his devil character is brilliant. The other actors don't quite match his enthusiasm, especially blubbering old Sean Patrick Flanery, who kind of started grating on my nerves after a while. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damn you, Norman Reedus!</td></tr>
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Clocking in at a mere 55 minutes, <i>The Devil's Carnival</i> is not your usual movie, but it is enjoyable just the same. On a minimal budget, the creative team did a great job of designing the sets and as crazy as the tunes were, they were impeccably arranged.<br />
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From what I hear, this might be the first in a series of these short musicals from Zdunich and Bousman, and I wouldn't mind that at all. Overall, I liked their takes on the fables and the carnival theme, with all of the odd characters, is just great.<br />
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I give <i>The Devil's Carnival</i> <span style="color: cyan;">****</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>.<br />
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Check out the trailer for <i>The Devil's Carnival </i>below!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v2hqUqsxe9w" width="450"></iframe>Donovan Copywritinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16519386970392555595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-34515630710850706342012-10-23T06:00:00.000-05:002012-10-23T07:13:59.380-05:00Movie Review: Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Proving itself to be the franchise that never dies, <i>Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines</i> hits store shelves on October 23, but does this ragtag trio of hillbillies have anything left to offer horror fans? The original was pretty good, the second and third weren't all that bad, and the fourth in the series wasn't great but it wasn't terrible by long shot either. Like most horror franchises, the quality of the films have steadily declined through the chapters and finally, in part five, the series hits its bottom (until the inevitable part six comes out). This, despite the fact that it stars Pinhead himself, Doug Bradley.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doobies and driving don't mix, ya dingus!</td></tr>
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The movie takes place once again in the backwoods of West Virginia in a small mining town that is in the midst of celebrating its famous "Mountain Man Festival." A group of 37-year old college kids, while driving toward the town to attend the festivities and getting high (of course) at the same time, almost hit a guy on the road and ultimately run the car into a tree. The man they almost hit is Maynard (Bradley), a grizzled old serial killer who happens to take in the three murderous hillbillies after the events of part four of this franchise. With his three companions waiting in the wings, Maynard is arrested and taken to jail, along with the delinquents.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the hell is Norman Reedus doing in this movie?</td></tr>
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Even though Maynard is a mean old bastard to the hillbillies, even calling them "pinheads" at one point, they love him like an inbred brother and they turn their savage tendencies on the town in order to free one of their own. Of course, the town is deserted because everybody is over at the Mountain Man Festival which is happening at God-knows-where because when they show the town during the day it's filled with people walking around while at night it turns into a ghost town. I mean there is NOBODY in town, except the delinquents, the sheriff, and old drunk, and Maynard (who keeps muttering threats and promises of death to all while behind bars). It all makes for easy pickings for the hillbillies. There's only one shot of the actual festival in the film and it features a cop getting laid. It seemed the director was trying everything he could to get another pair of bouncing boobs in the movie. I guess that deputy must have been getting banged all night long, because he never answered his radio or called in to the station once. And for all the talk about how "busy" the police were going to be because of the festival, the deputies never brought anybody back to the station. I guess the festival crowd was more congenial than they anticipated, or they were getting laid so much, they didn't care.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My reaction after hearing there might be a part six.</td></tr>
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So, where does <i>Wrong Turn 5</i> go wrong? From bad acting to crappy set design to lousy makeup and special effects to a story with more plot holes than pot holes, <i>Wrong Turn 5</i> has a lot of bad going for it. Plus, whereas the previous chapters at least had some interesting kills, the kills in this one seemed rudimentary at best. Despite Bradley's best efforts, the movie staggers along like a one-legged redneck trying to walk the Appalachian Trail. At the end of the day, the moral of <i>Wrong Turn 5</i> is today's college kids are dumber than a trio of inbred West Virginia hillbillies. <br />
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<i>Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines</i> gets <span style="color: red;">*</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>.<br />
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Check out the trailer for <i>Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines </i>below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aeFylL3lLoU" width="420"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-5697208485676169662012-10-20T07:59:00.004-05:002012-10-20T08:00:56.283-05:00Movie Review: Smiley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I did it for the lulz. I did it for the lulz. I did it for the lulz... Damn, it doesn't work when you do it to yourself! Maybe I should have tried Beetlejuice, or Bloody Mary, or maybe Lovett. Oh well, in either case, that's my reaction after watching the new film, <i>Smiley</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey Rocky, how's Cher doing?</td></tr>
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You see, Smiley is supposed to be this urban legend killing machine who shows up and kills people when in an online chat you type "I did it for the lulz" three times. Looking like a homicidal version of the kid from Mask, Smiley suddenly pops up behind the unsuspecting victim and drives his knife into the poor sap. Cool premise, right?<br />
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Unfortunately, despite the decent effort by lead actress Caitlin Gerard, and a relatively cool idea, <i>Smiley</i> fails to work. Why? For one, half the film is cast using people who have found their "fame" on YouTube. Second, in trying to be hip, the film relies on a lot of "Internet lingo" for most of its jokes, which greatly reduces their effect for those who aren't in with that scene. Third, after about a half an hour, you start finding that you really don't give a crap about these characters and after about 45 minutes, you find yourself just wishing Smiley would kill them all off already.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH6-X3ECy1o0B7bTFPOXk7A9n9xnxVlcaJy027K7kBH7C0ZQfdy2Lh7ZwSkzO_OVCoiXvhHIfL6NEjwTtM3WZzNR4eVhUWfdKjExsEs264asKxxEk7sbGb7G3zo66VBsnyoKc/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH6-X3ECy1o0B7bTFPOXk7A9n9xnxVlcaJy027K7kBH7C0ZQfdy2Lh7ZwSkzO_OVCoiXvhHIfL6NEjwTtM3WZzNR4eVhUWfdKjExsEs264asKxxEk7sbGb7G3zo66VBsnyoKc/s200/images+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You sure did. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I get what writers Glasgow Phillips and Michael J. Gallagher (who also directed) were trying to do with the film. Sort of trying to make a statement about the nihilistic view of today's Internet-hardened teens and how all of the hate that's shared and spread on the web can somehow mutate into a cyber-serial killer, but at the end of the day, poor execution, a one-note story and unlikable characters ultimately ruined an otherwise original idea. I give <i>Smiley</i> <span style="color: yellow;">**</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>.<br />
Check out the trailer for <i>Smiley</i> below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/11yBPx-ymZA" width="420"></iframe>
davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-90901377669546051922012-10-20T07:19:00.003-05:002012-10-20T07:23:47.079-05:00New Documentary on Stephen King's Pet Sematary Being Made<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzvmlaJQOpoFay7nITiIP43N7RIp3cfFj3o6k05wxgKcUyY42QE-cZoC6PiIs_aHZ1vSsGQ3otoSO5neBvp4Ti4Dtj2DDDzOr25bsgGsyxYael99t-12X4RQiObhVm4R95-lA/s1600/525724_129033950579256_715499300_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzvmlaJQOpoFay7nITiIP43N7RIp3cfFj3o6k05wxgKcUyY42QE-cZoC6PiIs_aHZ1vSsGQ3otoSO5neBvp4Ti4Dtj2DDDzOr25bsgGsyxYael99t-12X4RQiObhVm4R95-lA/s320/525724_129033950579256_715499300_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I think most horror fans may agree that the film, Pet Sematary, is still one of the most successful adaptations of one of Stephen King's novels ever. Directed by Mary Lambert and released in 1989, this film arguably captures the essence of King's work pretty accurately (the fact that King wrote the screenplay and actually demanded the film to be shot in Maine certainly helped) and to this day remains an effective and enjoyable piece of cinema.<br />
<br />
I don't know about you, but that scene where Zelda runs across the room still haunts me! Or when Fred Gwynne's character Jud says, "Sometimes dead is bettah." Or when little Gage says menacingly, "Now I want to play with youuuuuu...." There are so many memorable scenes in this film!<br />
<br />
And now, thanks to John Campopiano and Justin White, a full-blown documentary is being made about the film. John and Justin have somehow wrangled almost everybody involved with making the film for on camera interviews. Check out this list!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3AA6NvO9AJDTAFPCu9lDUxbymvbbjqf3XAVvLRIYuNwl4uRQxDaBRWhE-tWGo6PxWgXPAxi_lDUOV-ZOYrxZ0AAhc51hUh84zVjn3yuUGwZEaAByj4iyhA_z05b38wLTEHrn/s1600/47921_129168053899179_1612618244_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3AA6NvO9AJDTAFPCu9lDUxbymvbbjqf3XAVvLRIYuNwl4uRQxDaBRWhE-tWGo6PxWgXPAxi_lDUOV-ZOYrxZ0AAhc51hUh84zVjn3yuUGwZEaAByj4iyhA_z05b38wLTEHrn/s320/47921_129168053899179_1612618244_n.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see this. If you want to learn more about the film or follow its progress, I encourage you to check out the documentary's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/UnearthedandUntold" target="_blank">official Facebook page</a>.<br />
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In the words of wise old Jud Crandall, "The soil of a man's heart is stonier, Louis. A man grows what he can, and tends it. 'Cause what you buy, is what you own. And what you own...always comes home to you."<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<br />davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-71549316918541064992012-10-19T15:40:00.000-05:002012-10-19T15:40:08.311-05:00Audiobook Review: Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hC8EXxJuRIOnspgQdYIPLmR5ehjoeyDxCQKsmSbccLHzgvz2i6_pCc2LgiJa8zDainAbTAc0co7Y8RMTqVlDwZMma4JCQQUq_Trf6m2mHz6QLJTvlYKDhWVNZbhcpvzKNyt-/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hC8EXxJuRIOnspgQdYIPLmR5ehjoeyDxCQKsmSbccLHzgvz2i6_pCc2LgiJa8zDainAbTAc0co7Y8RMTqVlDwZMma4JCQQUq_Trf6m2mHz6QLJTvlYKDhWVNZbhcpvzKNyt-/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
The world is changing fast. Some people have developed special abilities
that turn them into superheroes almost overnight. But all in all,
that's not too bad, right? These new heroes are helping to fight crime
and generally, they're making the world a safer place. Unfortunately,
there are other changes also taking place.<br />
<br />
Continue reading my review of <i>Ex-Heroes</i> over at my book review blog, <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Words From the Vein</a>, by clicking <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2012/10/audiobook-review-ex-heroes-by-peter.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: black; color: #cccccc; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20.78333282470703px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<br />davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-21264552941406367692012-10-19T12:23:00.002-05:002012-10-19T12:23:47.327-05:00Book Review: The Five by Robert McCammon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFK8uf2rkLJg7FbbSnDBGq9IkTmuYjmhM9C2JpzEFoVqVn4wZzk85pWLlv3O47mxAkogyDEiBBM9lEPT2Xgm7UZYYLJlccoEtm7rqYzgEfs0lH0Gk8s-q_F9LDRfCBk9MOJWK/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFK8uf2rkLJg7FbbSnDBGq9IkTmuYjmhM9C2JpzEFoVqVn4wZzk85pWLlv3O47mxAkogyDEiBBM9lEPT2Xgm7UZYYLJlccoEtm7rqYzgEfs0lH0Gk8s-q_F9LDRfCBk9MOJWK/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
I've been a huge fan of Robert McCammon's work for a long, long time, so when his novel <i>The Five</i>
was released back in May of 2011, I was quick to order it. I also
quickly devoured it, savoring every chapter, every word. It's been a
while since I finished it, and I'm finally getting around to reviewing
it, so Mr. McCammon, I apologize for the delay.<br />
<br />
Let me start by saying <i>The Five</i>
is unlike any other story written by Mr. McCammon. This novel is
largely grounded in reality, with a slight supernatural angle, if it can
even be called that. The events that occur are eye-opening,
world-shattering, and oddly-enough at times, touching.<br />
<br />
Continue reading my review of <i>The Five</i> over at my book blog, <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i><b>Words From the Vein</b></i></a>, by clicking <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2012/10/book-review-five-by-robert-mccammon.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-41991307503936589272012-10-04T12:12:00.003-05:002012-10-04T12:12:54.621-05:00Book Review: Niceville by Carsten Stroud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFAshDmWTrjwQtBPObu-EYBkUP-idIrFt1m5K3bhsZUl1hEKcKskSJrpXMpM8dUGNeFZpRKf-HC2aqnvtxpdh66YvjnZMQOBPGGdBW-ne99tNQK-LHMxE6E155hV2XYuAojop/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFAshDmWTrjwQtBPObu-EYBkUP-idIrFt1m5K3bhsZUl1hEKcKskSJrpXMpM8dUGNeFZpRKf-HC2aqnvtxpdh66YvjnZMQOBPGGdBW-ne99tNQK-LHMxE6E155hV2XYuAojop/s320/images.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<i>Niceville</i> by Carsten Stroud is an odd little book. Part crime story and part supernatural mystery, Niceville is not your average friendly read - and like Martha Stewart says, that's a good thing.<br />
<br />
Continue reading my review of <i>Niceville</i> over at my book blog, <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i><b>Words From the Vein</b></i></a>, by clicking <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2012/10/book-review-niceville-by-carsten-stroud.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-30124310205992481082012-09-30T08:40:00.000-05:002012-09-30T08:48:35.940-05:00DVD Review: Barricade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLO4MQG5ZFaGXrM2DjtkWpBfgC1HQRrlcVpsyNxOVyiQAeyTpZnGw10kj5pZ6OqMD3uPheQchfr1KFFZCh5ZZfqoVDPs_ohkI9Tn58090AQvLyPxAGtZlwSArMi0sMMx07lZN/s1600/Barricade-Movie-Poster-Andrew-Currie-2012_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLO4MQG5ZFaGXrM2DjtkWpBfgC1HQRrlcVpsyNxOVyiQAeyTpZnGw10kj5pZ6OqMD3uPheQchfr1KFFZCh5ZZfqoVDPs_ohkI9Tn58090AQvLyPxAGtZlwSArMi0sMMx07lZN/s320/Barricade-Movie-Poster-Andrew-Currie-2012_5.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<i>Barricade</i> is a supernatural horror story from <a href="http://www.wwe.com/inside/overtheropes/wwestudios" target="_blank">WWE Studios</a>, the movie-making portion of World Wrestling Entertainment, but unlike previous films from the studio, this one does not star one of the company's wrestling superstars. Instead of Hornswaggle, <i>Barricade</i> stars Eric McCormack, Jody Thompson, Conner Dwelly, and Ryan Grantham. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh10iY5_qzquouHVWc2wwKuNMp67A5kFjIz8NOFHvIa1OOz_TGlShMrJdwGQtbrZvj0o9Hx9ZRUZnvcf04zKyZNzA9rjxaK0mfgpYGCi1Pi-u0u6Up97AuZwa_x5Ib7zapx1E7/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh10iY5_qzquouHVWc2wwKuNMp67A5kFjIz8NOFHvIa1OOz_TGlShMrJdwGQtbrZvj0o9Hx9ZRUZnvcf04zKyZNzA9rjxaK0mfgpYGCi1Pi-u0u6Up97AuZwa_x5Ib7zapx1E7/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not too shabby of a cabin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The story focuses on McCormack as the father of two children, who a year after the unexpected death of his wife, decides to take the children to their mother's family's cabin in the woods for a Christmas vacation. On their way there, they stop at the town's gas station where they are supposed to pick up the keys to the cabin from <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> alum, Donnelly Rhodes. Poor old Donnelly Rhodes also happens to be the town's sheriff and as usual, he has a heck of a cough. Through his hackings, he warns McCormack that they are expecting a bitch of a snow storm.<br />
<br />
When the family finally gets to the old cabin, it's not too long before they start coughing too. But, they take it in stride; they take a quick look around the house, fire up the Christmas tree, and settle in for a restless night of sleep (in which McCormack thinks he sees his wife's ghost staring through the windows at him). As the movie progresses, everybody starts getting sicker and sicker while becoming more and more afraid of the house. They keep hearing strange noises inside the house and they keep seeing weird shapes outside of it. At one point McCormack has enough and he decides it's time to leave. Sadly, when he ventures outside, he finds his SUV is completely covered with snow and once he gets the driver's door open, he finds it won't start either.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyb9DSZvHkaceH2Y40xikpIKZipiXlF0y0xBsHEBpdILLrRp1j4_MOB7A_1nsRLUmJJij-MplaNs4MvHTfRCH-18SL6AOoZDGGBse7X0VdGhTEnXJ9D9e_XMiG8t9qigtV3pR/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyb9DSZvHkaceH2Y40xikpIKZipiXlF0y0xBsHEBpdILLrRp1j4_MOB7A_1nsRLUmJJij-MplaNs4MvHTfRCH-18SL6AOoZDGGBse7X0VdGhTEnXJ9D9e_XMiG8t9qigtV3pR/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's cold as a ma-fa out there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, to protect his children from who-knows-what, McCormack barricades his family inside the home. Strange happenings continue to occur, the children continue getting sicker, and McCormack continues his spiral as he relives his wife's passing through a series of flashbacks.<br />
<br />
Old Donnelly Rhodes comes up to the cabin to check on the family and after McCormack opens the door, Old Donnelly Rhodes suffers an accident that is revealed later on. Meanwhile, Rhodes' dependable Chevy is still running outside, but instead of taking his sick children out of the house, McCormack closes the door and proceeds to have more hallucinations. After a time spent running around from room to room, McCormack finds the old man's car keys (<i>even though the car was RUNNING when the old man came to the door</i>) and decides that now he can save his children! Unfortunately, McCormack's character is a moron and as he's driving 65 mph on a snow and ice covered road, he looses control and lands in a snow bank. So, it's back to the house they go.<br />
<br />
After this happens, all is revealed and we discover what's been going on and what happened to old man cough-a-lot Donnelly Rhodes. As the credits roll, I give a "meh," and suddenly find myself wanting to clear my throat. <i>Barricade</i> has its moments but they are way too few and far in between. It was well-shot, from a cinematic stance, but the characters were what really brought the movie down. Not the actors, mind you, but the characters. Ultimately, <i>Barricade</i> wasn't that scary and it felt like I was already down this snowy road before. I give it <span style="color: #f1c232;">**</span> out of <span style="color: #3d85c6;">*****</span>.<br />
<br />
Check out the trailer for <i>Barricade</i> below:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ekXNWWlp3N0" width="420"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-90934736594934658692012-04-11T06:51:00.005-05:002012-04-11T06:56:56.626-05:00Book Review: Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbeF5qTNi5huM9_urNlpKs4bUIWjH11O8S4G7lCJW_f-GTQm9wtuH1fveI6L_6Rlbb9iqwlblIOgk7B1_3nOPOHCkucAe05kB4jA5A0hesveXGiFlwrbJ846FolO9HuQJ4Qkq/s1600/RotandRuin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbeF5qTNi5huM9_urNlpKs4bUIWjH11O8S4G7lCJW_f-GTQm9wtuH1fveI6L_6Rlbb9iqwlblIOgk7B1_3nOPOHCkucAe05kB4jA5A0hesveXGiFlwrbJ846FolO9HuQJ4Qkq/s320/RotandRuin.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />
My review of Jonathan Maberry's award-winning novel, <i>Rot & Ruin</i> is up over at my book review blog -- <b>Words From the Vein</b>. Check it out by clicking <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-review-rot-ruin-by-jonathan.html">HERE</a>!davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-46699164098324141762012-02-11T08:38:00.001-05:002012-09-30T08:40:31.749-05:00Movie Review: Rudyard Kipling's Mark of the Beast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0hQfiA_WUNKoX8p3uewIfG_OAl2Nwv6NfPVT3Enab3uEqEIWa2sjbeT1FjJmwzLpRk8LELo9QCLk_JrihFQ0Zfu9ViYDQIW4UJpUFWJ7z0Bb28IDbozqi3mMtCMmLx7mn5O7/s1600/motb_pv1_test2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0hQfiA_WUNKoX8p3uewIfG_OAl2Nwv6NfPVT3Enab3uEqEIWa2sjbeT1FjJmwzLpRk8LELo9QCLk_JrihFQ0Zfu9ViYDQIW4UJpUFWJ7z0Bb28IDbozqi3mMtCMmLx7mn5O7/s320/motb_pv1_test2.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>The name Rudyard Kipling has long been connected to a little jungle boy, dancing apes and a big blue bear, but for those who haven't delved into this writings beyond <i>Jungle Book</i>, they might be surprised to discover that old Rudy had a warped mind that he used to write several fantastic horror stories over the course of his life. One of his most popular was <i>Mark of the Beast</i>, and finally, Bloodbath Pictures and Hale Manor bring this tale to life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj474b5tu-dnydk767uYbSjmzLNEFj0gNEdSvM09tZ0jveGdMH_GOFwMR87zTJL81Uvh4T_hCLoUqklv60w00jSbMTjtZ1O8NXqPCBwQRHaL43IdyYllpjh6nhQ4XPdgOJYd6Cf/s1600/images1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj474b5tu-dnydk767uYbSjmzLNEFj0gNEdSvM09tZ0jveGdMH_GOFwMR87zTJL81Uvh4T_hCLoUqklv60w00jSbMTjtZ1O8NXqPCBwQRHaL43IdyYllpjh6nhQ4XPdgOJYd6Cf/s1600/images1.jpg" /></a></div>Starring Debbie Rochon, Dick Boland, Ellen Muth and a host of Bloodbath regulars, like Phil Hall, Sheri Lynn, Matt Ford and Margaret Rose Champagne, <i>Mark of the Beast</i> is a departure from Bloodbath's previous films as it is played largely straight. The movie follows two people (Rochon and Boland) as they try to deal with saving a friend (Hall) who after defacing a religious shrine becomes cursed by the silver leper who lives in the forest that surrounds their homes. Their fight to survive becomes a life and death struggle for all involved, including the faceless silver leper, and the lengths at which they go to save their friend will not be without its repercussions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaxUQgUViNhPe7C3eD5J3t5tKU6Hb8MceKUmen8O5VW1bN6D905ZOGBWaJUnB0iF7VQvsT29l2Zyadt9oedvF2025A_r6OdT2WMbHTu2TZ1MjwNHaRyUkFc876-c3CDKjJ9Lv/s1600/images2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaxUQgUViNhPe7C3eD5J3t5tKU6Hb8MceKUmen8O5VW1bN6D905ZOGBWaJUnB0iF7VQvsT29l2Zyadt9oedvF2025A_r6OdT2WMbHTu2TZ1MjwNHaRyUkFc876-c3CDKjJ9Lv/s1600/images2.jpg" /></a></div>With fantastic creature design and an outstanding, bombastic score, <i>Rudyard Kipling's Mark of the Beast</i> is Bloodbath's most inspired effort to date. Adapted for the screen by Thomas Edward Seymour (who also directed with Jonathan Gorman) and Sheri Lynn, <i>Mark of the Beast</i> effectively combines 70s-style horror with deep-running religious, political and moral themes -- and hey, it has Debbie Rochon in it!<br />
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While I'll always love Bloodbath's "Bikini Bloodbath" movies, I am glad to see that the troupe is spreading its wings and embracing tougher, more serious films. Seymour and the rest have a ton of talent to share with us and each film represents significant growth in their film making process, and <i>Mark of the Beast</i> is no different. I give <i>Mark of the Beast</i> <span style="color: cyan;">****1/2</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>.<br />
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Check out the trailer for Rudyard Kipling's Mark of the Beast below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yPm6yhSac6Y" width="420"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-61299578808720369442012-02-10T09:10:00.002-05:002012-02-10T09:14:58.496-05:00Movie Review: I Saw The Devil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjruDwHtWsTpFETeiJdOBiVt2eHRsDsIXgkBx2qX03cjSHztpbr9zHd8-m4WmW83bktOxH8lM_JSc6K-QIy8YVKs61Pybgsy4mewyBX2PoSkaIA86jGcFM7Bi4y3Kr9qb2B8er/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjruDwHtWsTpFETeiJdOBiVt2eHRsDsIXgkBx2qX03cjSHztpbr9zHd8-m4WmW83bktOxH8lM_JSc6K-QIy8YVKs61Pybgsy4mewyBX2PoSkaIA86jGcFM7Bi4y3Kr9qb2B8er/s320/images.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>With the Oscars just a few days away, I have to say that I am very disappointed with this year's top movie considerations. I mean, Moneyball...really? No movie starring Jonah Hill should EVER be in consideration for a top film, let alone him get a nomination. Talk about Hollywood politics! Anyway, since the Academy is a bunch of old blowhard fools with a penchant for stagnant movies, I figured I'd introduce you to THE TRUE BEST FILM of 2011 - <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2VQXE/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=davshorrev-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B004P2VQXE&adid=0N2EEKEGH1QV45T526X4&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fdavesnewsandreviews.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F02%2Fmovie-review-i-saw-devil.html">I Saw The Devil</a></b></i>. This movie is so good, it makes every American-made film from the past year look like crap.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJUZsZUbAE6HJNxQGS2_VG8JqELqFNmQo_xR8CellIVHVmv1DAdlge_TW50_i7tEfkID9tujqKnjX3kUWh0aBjW1DabGsDW8ypagmG7m9V64O-bGoqk7uNj1zfkjqeq03pd2R/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJUZsZUbAE6HJNxQGS2_VG8JqELqFNmQo_xR8CellIVHVmv1DAdlge_TW50_i7tEfkID9tujqKnjX3kUWh0aBjW1DabGsDW8ypagmG7m9V64O-bGoqk7uNj1zfkjqeq03pd2R/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2VQXE/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=davshorrev-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B004P2VQXE&adid=0N2EEKEGH1QV45T526X4&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fdavesnewsandreviews.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F02%2Fmovie-review-i-saw-devil.html"><i>I Saw The Devil</i></a> gets inside your head, burrows deep into your guts and guess what? It lives there for a long time after you've seen it. You'll find yourself thinking about this movie over and over again. You'll have long conversations with your friends about how far someone would go for revenge, whether revenge makes a difference and who's really the one affected by it all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSq4T2MI7rqtBcVf8xAIcoKlzCXh91O29iIfKyBHIYKi-Kabvf1DItlFzjbwxHLthU5Tne6ZMBMx3S5PP4xLzeFL2W19WuFH7Y0P3_tyWW_qWvhxDuFSZn6nVimcu83tlWpOtD/s1600/images2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSq4T2MI7rqtBcVf8xAIcoKlzCXh91O29iIfKyBHIYKi-Kabvf1DItlFzjbwxHLthU5Tne6ZMBMx3S5PP4xLzeFL2W19WuFH7Y0P3_tyWW_qWvhxDuFSZn6nVimcu83tlWpOtD/s1600/images2.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2VQXE/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=davshorrev-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B004P2VQXE&adid=0N2EEKEGH1QV45T526X4&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fdavesnewsandreviews.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F02%2Fmovie-review-i-saw-devil.html"><i>I Saw The Devil</i></a>, directed by Kim Ji-woon, follows a young special agent named Soo-hyun who is out for revenge against the psychopath who kidnapped and murdered his pregnant fiancée. As Soo-hyun's obsession and determination grow in intensity, he finds himself getting closer and closer to the edge of the abyss. What develops is a cat and mouse of extremes that doesn't slow up until the credits roll.<br />
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Absolutely everything about <i>I Saw The Devil</i> is perfect. Watch it, feel it, experience it and I think you'll agree that it blows away any American-made film of the last five years. I highly recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2VQXE/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=davshorrev-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B004P2VQXE&adid=0N2EEKEGH1QV45T526X4&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fdavesnewsandreviews.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F02%2Fmovie-review-i-saw-devil.html"><i>I Saw The Devil</i></a> and give it <span style="color: blue;">*****</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=davshorrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004P2VQXE" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-66968047485929258372012-01-22T09:07:00.001-05:002012-01-22T09:08:22.574-05:00Book Review: The Devil Stood Up by Christine Dougherty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMER4Yqo5zk4PW6b9mpJMZCM-JmTfF99tuJhIaIBzN-qjY4Dv8Km2emck9V_mkM7he69FAEZiOBKWBTKCVS0xbfT3Gsl9m6xfYy9Xm8k2ldZ1cdzMi-YYEJkWlkrurlkS7H9CN/s1600/The-Devil-Stood-Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMER4Yqo5zk4PW6b9mpJMZCM-JmTfF99tuJhIaIBzN-qjY4Dv8Km2emck9V_mkM7he69FAEZiOBKWBTKCVS0xbfT3Gsl9m6xfYy9Xm8k2ldZ1cdzMi-YYEJkWlkrurlkS7H9CN/s1600/The-Devil-Stood-Up.jpg" /></a></div>Hey guys, check out my review of the new book by Christine Dougherty, <i>The Devil Stood Up</i>, over at my book review site Words From The Vein. <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-devil-stood-up-by-christine.html">CLICK HERE!!</a>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-52169419825841186022011-10-11T08:09:00.001-05:002011-10-11T08:10:32.528-05:00Book Review: Seed by Ania Ahlborn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzdOMBQQ98NsAjq-8oatMBSBQ8705jEMYzPbFr96Bm26JltpWQynBIIqNpu1K4c2gaoSl8z1OF4DKFg60hU3kuCBsRUSz8n8dJ4u-vOZUQeWY7DVy6f7SAp9P0M9ssH5mPyjk/s1600/4544017305_pre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzdOMBQQ98NsAjq-8oatMBSBQ8705jEMYzPbFr96Bm26JltpWQynBIIqNpu1K4c2gaoSl8z1OF4DKFg60hU3kuCBsRUSz8n8dJ4u-vOZUQeWY7DVy6f7SAp9P0M9ssH5mPyjk/s1600/4544017305_pre.jpg" /></a></div>Check out my review of <i>SEED</i> by Ania Ahlborn over at <a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/"><i>Words From the Vein</i></a>, Dave's Horror's other site strictly for book reviews. Here's the link:<br />
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<a href="http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-seed-by-ania-ahlborn.html">http://wordsfromthevein.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-seed-by-ania-ahlborn.html</a>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-84130573955409152922011-09-11T08:45:00.003-05:002011-09-11T08:52:49.998-05:00Movie Review: Creature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnW4EOZ5HF9A9X7Do-DsLOUpiFUXyVNZLbiB_pX7tLCtS1uZv1Vnaa5GppL6Yv44Gik8Quth_CuRFFYetErKE0_xgQ3V6XWVjlU62mZU-BVJBg_j33BspKtC5ihhyphenhyphenbu-O9E0v/s1600/Creature-movie-poster-%25282011%2529-picture-MOV_d593b262_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnW4EOZ5HF9A9X7Do-DsLOUpiFUXyVNZLbiB_pX7tLCtS1uZv1Vnaa5GppL6Yv44Gik8Quth_CuRFFYetErKE0_xgQ3V6XWVjlU62mZU-BVJBg_j33BspKtC5ihhyphenhyphenbu-O9E0v/s320/Creature-movie-poster-%25282011%2529-picture-MOV_d593b262_b.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>ARGGGHHH!!! Will somebody tell me right now just how this movie made it into theaters?! After seeing the trailer for <i>Creature</i>, I thought, OK, might be a little cheesy but it could be fun. Holy hell, I couldn't have been more wrong!<br />
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Terror has teeth?! TERROR HAS TEETH?! ARGGGHHHH! It took so long to see these so-called teeth I stopped caring by the time I did! This movie is an hour and a half of pure crapola. The monster is THE worst thing I've ever seen and the characters just can't die quickly enough for my tastes. Man, everything about this movie sucked, with the exception of Sid Haig, of course. In fact, the three hillbillies, of which Haig is one, are the ONLY things about this move that are half-decent. The twenty-something soon-to-be victims are so cardboard it's ridiculous.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrLZ2J988XLUSxwngSyKmOdTtl-Pk1vPaFoTtEP28BBFwtdU-if9GUlYfXtluGqtHNx19GbTEox-eMRbujB17asINAdrJ4b58owavYzQ7GURyIACcNhNysUURrOVuRlcgIpWX/s1600/creat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrLZ2J988XLUSxwngSyKmOdTtl-Pk1vPaFoTtEP28BBFwtdU-if9GUlYfXtluGqtHNx19GbTEox-eMRbujB17asINAdrJ4b58owavYzQ7GURyIACcNhNysUURrOVuRlcgIpWX/s1600/creat.jpg" /></a></div>This movie should have been titled, "<i>Creature... That Slowly Stands from a Squat</i>." Because that's ALL this creature does! Every time they show him, he's slowly rising from a squat. Sometimes he has some kind of turtle shell or something on top of him and sometimes he doesn't. What, does he carry that thing around like a cape or something? And that's not even the worst of it. When the creature growls or makes one of its other imposing noises, it does so without moving its mouth! Instead of killing swamp people, this mo-fo could have had a great career as a ventriloquist.<br />
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<i>Creature</i> is so bad, it shouldn't even be considered for one of Syfy's Saturday Night movies! In fact, this thing makes some of Syfy's offerings look like freaking <i>Lord of the Rings</i>! It doesn't even fit in the "it's so bad it's good" category. I'm telling you, I haven't been this pissed off after seeing a movie in ages. What a terrible waste of time this movie is. If you have a hankering to see an old back-Bayou killer movie, try <i>Hatchet</i>, or even <i>Venom</i>, as they are far superior to this swampy turd (and that's saying something!).<br />
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I give <i>Creature</i> a big fat alligator egg, <span style="color: red;">0</span> out of <span style="color: #0b5394;">*****</span>.<br />
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Check out the trailer for <i>Creature</i> below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0wFLRbkzWxo" width="450"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-69637118102413012782011-09-01T19:27:00.000-05:002011-09-01T19:27:19.797-05:00Movie Review: Chawz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnfnupI6WTe0mnTdGbO9SCn7RWVk34SNHGT3cPZh2bcXXdWrmtyEHP_be4d1s1XT9eLvHUMvG-wz4wtIfannUrRPVsL6Peo8jYnOMDBveyZKeqpq7dgFhAoyJRufmmFbkhy0d/s1600/Chawz_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnfnupI6WTe0mnTdGbO9SCn7RWVk34SNHGT3cPZh2bcXXdWrmtyEHP_be4d1s1XT9eLvHUMvG-wz4wtIfannUrRPVsL6Peo8jYnOMDBveyZKeqpq7dgFhAoyJRufmmFbkhy0d/s320/Chawz_1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>If there's one thing I can't get enough of, it's monster movies, but more in particular, Asian monster movies. In recent years, Korean filmmakers have reintroduced us to the beauty of mutant monster movies, something that we here in the U.S. haven't produced successfully since the 50s and 60s. These movies are supposed to be light on scares and big on fun. Case in point, <i>Chawz</i>!<br />
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The story follows a young police officer from Seoul who gets transferred to a small rural community, much to his chagrin. After his arrival, the body parts start piling up and the previously peaceful village has now become a haven for death and dismemberment conducted by a renegade mutant boar with a voracious appetite -- for human flesh! Eventually a world-famous hunter is called in, and along with the crazy police force, they set out to kill the beast. The only bad thing is they're completely unprepared for the job.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgu3WE8NRiE92G6fGs5Vvjhrm8VX9oFOjczrOwqbL7A5Hn4WDMtOBQXin9hVQ1DyVEoMBDxRdciukf5Jl3-JPH8TSE5U1RRFTKPzYugV47Og-IbcxHAA3Kg8IvXytUayDoU_1C/s1600/CHAWZ_1284505353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgu3WE8NRiE92G6fGs5Vvjhrm8VX9oFOjczrOwqbL7A5Hn4WDMtOBQXin9hVQ1DyVEoMBDxRdciukf5Jl3-JPH8TSE5U1RRFTKPzYugV47Og-IbcxHAA3Kg8IvXytUayDoU_1C/s320/CHAWZ_1284505353.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Written and directed by Shin Jung-Won, <i>Chawz</i> knows not to take itself too seriously and that's a good thing. All throughout the movie, there are laugh-out-loud moments and Korean cinema's trademark crazy characters, like the bumbling police force, the boastful hunter and the wacky female villager, that balance out the film perfectly. And, as you can see in the pic below, the cannibalistic boar doesn't look too bad either.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhss24c4vpgPcWqQk4WxQGVGzLGT8qnHXdobxnZC4mucZZnmXO2JtzwXjaqv9t74kIlg8tmebDVEjNR8wcJ7gPrq1hNL0V7HFBexLJc0M-i6VO4V0PWTSgy0k00kmyOn7tuoX7v/s1600/chawz12850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhss24c4vpgPcWqQk4WxQGVGzLGT8qnHXdobxnZC4mucZZnmXO2JtzwXjaqv9t74kIlg8tmebDVEjNR8wcJ7gPrq1hNL0V7HFBexLJc0M-i6VO4V0PWTSgy0k00kmyOn7tuoX7v/s320/chawz12850.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Is <i>Chawz</i> perfect? No. But it is funny, exciting and a lot of fun to watch. And while it is a monster movie, the allure of <i>Chawz </i>has more to do with the human characters rather than the spectacle of the beast, which also kicks ass by the way. I give <i>Chawz</i> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">****</span> out of <span style="color: #3d85c6;">*****</span>. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y-Xy-JIX-OY" width="420"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=donovancopywriting&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=bpl&amp;asins=B004L9GLYK&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=donovancopywriting&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004L9GLYK&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-72854879641065685802011-09-01T15:35:00.002-05:002011-09-01T15:38:34.533-05:00Movie Review: Bereavement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjADYERkdJNM5KbuJIzevEczLTEY2Qwj913ySoLBADmUvfKPVZsPsikEMlA-3834PINlx39Gn8x32yEEdxZ_vu1eFfN-0eucowvYMDMbWBf6VatL7Pd6Sh4I19aorBdVwdZES/s1600/Bereavement_Movie_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjADYERkdJNM5KbuJIzevEczLTEY2Qwj913ySoLBADmUvfKPVZsPsikEMlA-3834PINlx39Gn8x32yEEdxZ_vu1eFfN-0eucowvYMDMbWBf6VatL7Pd6Sh4I19aorBdVwdZES/s320/Bereavement_Movie_cover.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>Being a lover of director Stevan Mena's <a href="http://davesnewsandreviews.blogspot.com/2005/05/dvd-review-malevolence.html"><i>Malevolence</i></a>, I was excited to see his latest film, <i>Bereavement</i>. This film is actually a prequel to <i>Malevolence</i>, which came out back in 2004, which is quite a lengthy span between the films, hence the fact that very little is mentioned about the first film in this one's promotions. While <i>Bereavement</i> works as a stand alone slasher movie for those unfamiliar with <i>Malevolence</i>, having seen it does add to the world in which this one takes place and we get to see how the killer in <i>Malevolence </i>becomes so, well, malevolent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtkXkWS2KVkM48mqY_jICQ0qvlMt1qDIPl4FOlXhiFX187jJVsOem1p1L-sbteJ91D9GFq-Q9_yVNpleZFjWAONIYbsVIr5_WgIjJ7wwJQXav-oVu1garZs_ESopFA05ZNH3l/s1600/4d70e35346ec0.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtkXkWS2KVkM48mqY_jICQ0qvlMt1qDIPl4FOlXhiFX187jJVsOem1p1L-sbteJ91D9GFq-Q9_yVNpleZFjWAONIYbsVIr5_WgIjJ7wwJQXav-oVu1garZs_ESopFA05ZNH3l/s320/4d70e35346ec0.image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>Bereavement</i> is a very slow burn of a movie and for me, it never really caught fire. It does have plenty of things going for it, however. For starters, the movie has stunning cinematography and aptly creepy music which adds to the thick, heavy atmosphere that permeates the movie. This is a serious horror movie in which the consequences are very real. There are no stupid jokes here to help lighten the mood, folks, this is old school torture horror. There's even violence to children in this film, it's so doggone dark. But, like I said, the consequences are real and the violence is no joke.<br />
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My biggest problem with <i>Bereavement</i> is that I just didn't care for any of the characters. Michael Biehn and his entire family just didn't do it for me. I don't know why, but that's the truth of it. So, when things turn from bad to worse, I didn't find myself caring much. I was thinking, "Man, this is a really long movie!"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoE1m0AMM-kRGJ9WkirFaJMSWVbscrH1O7cCsLwNIEMPJpLoQMkGF-5wIvaok_XNZ6UvMLQZbE7ecdF6z62OAALOGXhPMsCTtd710hKmnD4pxabrfcugVlsg-0KJOnJZsh-Hmg/s1600/Bereavement12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoE1m0AMM-kRGJ9WkirFaJMSWVbscrH1O7cCsLwNIEMPJpLoQMkGF-5wIvaok_XNZ6UvMLQZbE7ecdF6z62OAALOGXhPMsCTtd710hKmnD4pxabrfcugVlsg-0KJOnJZsh-Hmg/s320/Bereavement12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, that said, <i>Bereavement</i> is not a completely bad movie, just like it is not a really good movie. It has its good points and its bad. In fact, it's the most middle-of-the-road movie I've seen in a long time. In the end, I give <i>Bereavement</i> <span style="color: #ffd966;">**1/2</span> out of <span style="color: #3d85c6;">*****</span>.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=donovancopywriting&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0051ZIXMQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-90399056003708536822011-08-29T08:20:00.000-05:002011-08-29T08:20:56.237-05:00Movie Review: Spiderhole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8F84p96ozLX99WiQxxt5RDAmlxXszZQ_nXNnf51xbSnEE7-wJ1-hILOAEHnNGESaSUup65AxeJ2Y5hyphenhyphenKXKraqMnogJvO_okN6HuUzQ4_JRbsC7EVEer2SLrjO2FIl4CJGtNI0/s1600/spiderhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8F84p96ozLX99WiQxxt5RDAmlxXszZQ_nXNnf51xbSnEE7-wJ1-hILOAEHnNGESaSUup65AxeJ2Y5hyphenhyphenKXKraqMnogJvO_okN6HuUzQ4_JRbsC7EVEer2SLrjO2FIl4CJGtNI0/s320/spiderhole.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Let's start this review off by taking a look at the quote offered on <i>Spiderhole</i>'s promo, "If you liked <i>Hostel</i> and <i>Saw</i>, you'll like <i>Spiderhole</i>." Oh those crazy editors, it's supposed to read, "If you like <i>Hostel</i> and <i>Saw's </i>grimy environments, then you MIGHT like <i>Spiderhole</i>."<br />
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<i>Spiderhole</i> is about four Brit thirty-something teenagers who are looking for a nice cozy and abandoned place to call home for a while. In other words, they're squatters. They happen upon this one place that seemingly looks perfect, but alas, is anything but. One by one, they're targeted and set upon by some behind-the-scenes madman.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jRno4fILlausENfOwmcUofEYOQq5dqxRWSkedsfM_OIEEvIZgDf669syr8vpMepZxUganah63arbKC6ZWL3GBEfn8JWA2-PuBmXWagKOhgmia_1XB1zU7V5FyoGtLQ9qQXpv/s1600/44692000001_1048534828001_spiderhole-ifc-t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jRno4fILlausENfOwmcUofEYOQq5dqxRWSkedsfM_OIEEvIZgDf669syr8vpMepZxUganah63arbKC6ZWL3GBEfn8JWA2-PuBmXWagKOhgmia_1XB1zU7V5FyoGtLQ9qQXpv/s320/44692000001_1048534828001_spiderhole-ifc-t.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, these clowns, oh, I mean kids, start looking around the place that's going to be home. For some reason the greasy-haired leader doesn't want to search the place top to bottom, he says he scoped out the joint previously. Then, somebody opens a cabinet and blood-covered clothes and shoes fall out. Queue the "everybody freakout, we gotta get outta here, the leader convinces everybody to chill out and go to sleep" scene. Yeah, I mean, what's so bad about some blood covered clothing, right? Goodnight, see you in the morning. From this point on, <i>Spiderhole</i> starts slipping down the spiderhole.<br />
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As they wake up, they discover that somebody barred the door and now, they're trapped inside the building. Nevermind that when the one kid hits a window filled up with bricks that the bricks totally MOVE; he gives up and kicks the wall. Nevermind one girl gets a massive cut on her leg and you have no idea how or when she got it except when she tells the others she got it when looking in some other room she somehow explored while she never left our sight. Then, there's a horrible sequence that looks like segments of film got put together in the wrong sequence during editing. You're literally left asking, "is the killer in front of her or not? No, wait, now she's in a chair, no, now she's removing balusters, wait, wasn't the killer right in front of her a minute ago?"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMkQVZSqui1yrevLzyV__7xX0pO-YRKNC25u6e86qCO_JcG7f_KzVw5phqj8Yl1qwdUUTMRwdci8YpCH1GSnZH8OSuzno9dTkLa8mDy_eJHmVtBUcRU86Ussa-T8e3A6N4fsh/s1600/spider-hole-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMkQVZSqui1yrevLzyV__7xX0pO-YRKNC25u6e86qCO_JcG7f_KzVw5phqj8Yl1qwdUUTMRwdci8YpCH1GSnZH8OSuzno9dTkLa8mDy_eJHmVtBUcRU86Ussa-T8e3A6N4fsh/s320/spider-hole-movie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>Spiderhole</i> is a film that had tremendous promise if it was done right, but sadly, it falls flat on its face. The trailer for this thing makes it look awesome, but sadly, it sucks big time. I hope this thing puts the final nail in the sadistic surgeon coffin bit, because it's starting to reek.<br />
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<i>Spiderhole</i> only gets <span style="color: #cc0000;">*</span> out of <span style="color: #0b5394;">*****</span>. Check out the preview below, but don't get caught in its web, this movie is pretty, pretty bad.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Hyb9BrYqvxQ" width="450"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=davshorrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005EPHX7O&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-18677395587456478602011-06-30T17:45:00.004-05:002011-06-30T17:49:46.466-05:00Short Film Review: The Water's Edge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9gWhrON_QLPXunG8VVrzvnZBFxxZ-DKhcOUxk7wLvXpfBfXPlgQaxpu87wkk0Xzyie7Qb8Y9no8gRV0dB8WWf2_6Ua4cJ0D1i1htVI0S2y_Vb2BM6o3ubTNbTEtShOd6aB8D/s1600/243103_10150185398261616_680201615_6968548_3085660_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9gWhrON_QLPXunG8VVrzvnZBFxxZ-DKhcOUxk7wLvXpfBfXPlgQaxpu87wkk0Xzyie7Qb8Y9no8gRV0dB8WWf2_6Ua4cJ0D1i1htVI0S2y_Vb2BM6o3ubTNbTEtShOd6aB8D/s320/243103_10150185398261616_680201615_6968548_3085660_o.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />
If you please, I'm going to ask you to take out a piece of paper and a pencil or some other writing instrument. Now I want you to write down this name - <a href="http://cargocollective.com/christhomas#1513972/Home">Chris Thomas</a>. Why am I asking you to do this? Because his short film, <i>The Water's Edge</i>, is so frickin' fantastic I have no doubt in the world that you're going to be seeing this kid's name on the big screen very, very soon. In fact, everybody that worked on this thing will have a very successful future in film if I have anything to say about it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmG79SnImw9hbqh9P1WB6ew-f-9csM7sLvUQz_RCBt9nQSTEtlFRuICEpWVXuoDMrHP3aXzbgCm-o7uZqSaa9p9EiYqsxYjLAZ_XDI7mzpm0cuQ6Y0-hVQWo7BBOjQtcV_Mu_/s1600/243911_160220870710334_119946514737770_357143_4608843_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmG79SnImw9hbqh9P1WB6ew-f-9csM7sLvUQz_RCBt9nQSTEtlFRuICEpWVXuoDMrHP3aXzbgCm-o7uZqSaa9p9EiYqsxYjLAZ_XDI7mzpm0cuQ6Y0-hVQWo7BBOjQtcV_Mu_/s320/243911_160220870710334_119946514737770_357143_4608843_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Chris contacted me the other day and asked if I would watch his film and give him a review and man, am I glad he did. <i>The Water's Edge</i> is stark, rife with tension and mesmerizing. The fact that he's just out of film school and this is what he came up with blows me away. Everything about this movie is on target, from the sparse but ever-so-effective sound design to the main character's emotional performance to the cinematography to the editing, everything works beautifully.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">According to Chris, <i>The Water's Edge</i> is <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--><span class="ecxapple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"set in an alternate vision of the future. Robert Stenuit struggles to survive alone in a dark barren environment while seeking human contact. However, he must avoid the threats that surround him. A visual interpretation of German literary romanticism, with elements of melancholy and the sublime. Influenced by the early sci-fi and horror films."</span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"></span></span></span></span> I can't begin to express just how <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">powerful this short film is. It's a tale of one man's lonesome journey through a land of isolation and hopeful wanting. You see it on Robert's face, you feel it in the slate rock that covers the barren landscape where the only sounds he hears are the blowing wind and the crunching of the slate under his tattered shoes and you know it by sight because it's a feeling we've all felt at one time or another in our lives. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7sCbEcALRUBM5q7ARWbmKg8dVwvs7vKL2ttqxRVTeLc7yqkhtrDlPH_FKQQKzamqThC-4TPwN-GTHIaiQv6WDTA8s0Q8XeslOBjXOSqwJxj5ucPiTRWZNEawzEpvllVRUA0C/s1600/199410_10150490565390293_698940292_17775253_7649247_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7sCbEcALRUBM5q7ARWbmKg8dVwvs7vKL2ttqxRVTeLc7yqkhtrDlPH_FKQQKzamqThC-4TPwN-GTHIaiQv6WDTA8s0Q8XeslOBjXOSqwJxj5ucPiTRWZNEawzEpvllVRUA0C/s320/199410_10150490565390293_698940292_17775253_7649247_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Water's Edge</i> is currently playing in select film festivals so if you see it listed, GO SEE IT!! I give <i>The Water's Edge</i> an enthusiastic <span style="color: blue;">*****</span> out of <span style="color: blue;">*****</span>. I just can't say how much I loved this film and if there's any justice in the world, we'll see a feature length version of this thing in the near future. Check out the trailer below.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><i><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><i><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><i><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="170" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22774801?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/22774801">The Water's Edge. Teaser Trailer (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/whereisct">Chris Thomas (CT)</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-60328935132039268152011-06-10T08:34:00.007-05:002011-08-23T15:07:10.903-05:00A Lot of Catching Up to DoI know I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of recent reviews, so to help save time for the time being, here's a quick run down of a few books and movies that I have recently read or seen, in no particular order:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Books</span><br />
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First, I'm completely hooked on Shana Hammaker's short story series, Twelve Terrifying Tales for 2011. There's not a month that goes by that I'm not waiting patiently for her next tale. Here's where we're at thus far with Shana's work:<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie</span> - <span style="color: #3366ff;">***** </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Border Crossing</span> - <span style="color: #3366ff;">*****</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">North of Forks</span> - <span style="color: #3366ff;">*****</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Metamorphosis</span> - <span style="color: #3366ff;">*****</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Souls, Inc.</span> - <span style="color: #3366ff;">*****</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Teeth: A Fable</span> - <span style="color: #3366ff;">*****</span><br />
<br />
Next, here are a few other novels I've recently read:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849610622/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=davshorrev-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1849610622">Dark Fiction</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=davshorrev-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1849610622&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> by David Kempf - <span style="color: #ffcc66;">**</span> - Kempf has a really good premise in this book but the sheer number of seven word sentences tends to make this a laborious read that make sit feel like he's dictating the story rather than letting it flow smoothly.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1448601541/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=davshorrev-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1448601541">Ancient Awakening</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=davshorrev-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1448601541&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> and<span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1453779159/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=davshorrev-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1453779159">Ancient Enemies (Volume 2)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=davshorrev-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1453779159&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> by Matthew Bryan Laube - <span style="color: #33ff33;">***1/2</span> and <span style="color: #33ff33;">***1/2</span> - I love Laube's Ancient series. His stories are fast paced, fun and exciting. They each could have easily gotten four stars if they had been edited a little better. Even still, I can't wait for the next chapter in this exciting tale.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Sea </span>by Brian Keene - <span style="color: #66cccc;">****</span> - What more can I say about Brian Keene? He's awesome and Dead Sea doesn't disappoint on its promise of nasty zombie action.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Abominable </span>by William Meikle - <span style="color: #cc9933;">**1/2</span> - I loved the thought behind Meikle's short story, Abominable, but I really didn't like the narrator of this yarn.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Mister Slaughter </span>by Robert McCammon - <span style="color: #3366ff;">*****</span> - Another brilliant book from Mr. McCammon! In my opinion, one of the best writers working today.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Serial</span> by Jack Kilborn and Jake Crouch - <span style="color: #33ccff;">****1/2</span> - What a fun, nasty little tale this one is!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Monster</span> by A. Lee Martinez - <span style="color: #ffcc00;">***1/2</span> - This was one of the funniest books I've read since Good Omens. The ending left me a little wanting but it was one heck of a fun ride getting there.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars: Death Troopers</span> by Joe Schreiber - <span style="color: #66cccc;">****</span> - Zombies in outer space, in the Star Wars universe... what else could an 80s-era teen ask for?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Movies</span><br />
<br />
True Grit (2010) - <span style="color: #00cccc;">****</span><br />
Paranormal Entity - <span style="color: #ffcc66;">**</span><br />
House of Fears - <span style="color: yellow;">***</span><br />
8213: Gacy House - <span style="color: #ffcc66;">**</span><br />
Night of the Demons - <span style="color: yellow;">***</span><br />
Suspect Zero - <span style="color: yellow;">***</span><br />
Deadfall Trail - <span style="color: #ff9900;">*</span><br />
Blood Creek - <span style="color: #ff9900;">*</span><br />
Crimson Rivers - <span style="color: #00cccc;">****</span><br />
Drive Angry - <span style="color: #00cccc;">****</span><br />
Black Death - <span style="color: #00cccc;">****</span><br />
Skyline - <span style="color: yellow;">***</span><br />
Prowl - <span style="color: #ffcc66;">**</span><br />
Monsters - <span style="color: #00cccc;">****</span><br />
Pandorum - <span style="color: yellow;">***</span>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-85043646475501407922011-06-10T08:02:00.005-05:002011-06-10T08:30:54.106-05:00CD Review: Sins of the Past by The Young Werewolves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zfvmZ0Cn8Yz3mmo3Y_IYYATcO-z9WPhVFcBuy7Vd-jy4S7FhyHMhw3GsW0sN6wkZ3ib_h-y6bCpgH9mPg3YO6GdazqKcZiwcdSxjfgpniDg5EMteOX6GSkv2gd_veHPmeEar/s1600/the-young-werewolves-sins-of-the-past-300x300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zfvmZ0Cn8Yz3mmo3Y_IYYATcO-z9WPhVFcBuy7Vd-jy4S7FhyHMhw3GsW0sN6wkZ3ib_h-y6bCpgH9mPg3YO6GdazqKcZiwcdSxjfgpniDg5EMteOX6GSkv2gd_veHPmeEar/s320/the-young-werewolves-sins-of-the-past-300x300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616576029444976482" border="0" /></a>First, I want to apologize to The Young Werewolves because they sent me this CD for review a while ago but due to some issues in my life I wasn't able to get the review up until now. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sins of the Past</span> is the third album by the Philadelphia trio and like their previous effort, <a href="http://davesnewsandreviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/cd-review-cheat-devil-by-young.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cheat the Devil</span></a>, they have churned out another excellent disc filled with rock-n-rollicking tunes.<br /><br />To put it simply, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sins of the Past</span> is fast, fun and the ideal CD for any horror-themed party. With songs like <span style="font-style: italic;">Zombie Prom</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Twelve Steps to Rock N Roll</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Midnight Monster Hop</span> and their own rendition of <span style="font-style: italic;">Rock Lobster</span>, there's no way to stop yourself from hitting the dance floor. They also stay true to their 50's rock inspiration on this album, especially in tunes like <span style="font-style: italic;">In the Shadows</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dreamtime</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Damned if You Dare</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Hot Rod Burnin'</span>. But without a doubt, their song Generation Breakdown is the star of this disc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomKdFW3FLGNgbtQYHKA8HYaU4E9aVYXCriMcwz5D5rJpMIhF9MsbDEgtzGy-jNe9GAywrzK5VtpfFuf7ECz6CI8apS2D8cqPYCwZ5UPPMm5O5s7i6a-3PsSVGfGcJ1PAvgiLq/s1600/nyi9te32v50u9ieu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomKdFW3FLGNgbtQYHKA8HYaU4E9aVYXCriMcwz5D5rJpMIhF9MsbDEgtzGy-jNe9GAywrzK5VtpfFuf7ECz6CI8apS2D8cqPYCwZ5UPPMm5O5s7i6a-3PsSVGfGcJ1PAvgiLq/s320/nyi9te32v50u9ieu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616582498068534978" border="0" /></a><br />Sins of the Past sees The Young Werewolves musically maturing and evolving naturally into their prime. The disc is expertly produced, the songs are well written and brilliantly performed. Wolfman Nick Falcon, Jonny Wolf and the lovely Shewolf Dana Kain have produced one fine sounding CD and one of the best rockabilly records in the past year and a half. Great job guys!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sins of the Past</span> gets the full complement -- <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">*****</span> out of <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">*****</span>. I just love this record! Pick up a copy and start dancing to the ghoulishly groovy sounds of THE YOUNG WEREWOLVES! AAAROOOOOOOOO!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=davshorrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004EGCAHW&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-69393912649536271062011-04-10T18:03:00.002-05:002011-04-10T18:46:15.084-05:00Book Review: Luminous and Ominous by Noah K. Mullette-Gillman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidV6lWTTT2hxUXvDWt5HwnTWpaao19Frl_YT8HmcFnPJ504uL6Ll0VMLQ6pqcGorPNGctIe6Px1RZBshR8UzV4dYdBy6qZ-zVoXudYP4AinqtOuC_70kzE6S8dZP5B7eisg0eU/s1600/LuminousPaperbackcover.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidV6lWTTT2hxUXvDWt5HwnTWpaao19Frl_YT8HmcFnPJ504uL6Ll0VMLQ6pqcGorPNGctIe6Px1RZBshR8UzV4dYdBy6qZ-zVoXudYP4AinqtOuC_70kzE6S8dZP5B7eisg0eU/s320/LuminousPaperbackcover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594094741493714098" border="0" /></a>When I originally read the synopsis of <span style="font-style: italic;">Luminous and Ominous</span> by Noah K. Mullette-Gillman, I must admit I had my doubts. I mean, beautifully colored plants overtaking the planet and bringing on an extinction-level event? It doesn't exactly sound like it would work. But, for a number of reasons, it does!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Luminous and Ominous</span> is a story about a group of friends and the decisions they have to make when it becomes evident that the world is ending. Who do they save when there's only a limited amount of time and space? What items do they take with them? What do they do when the people and the world around them change? Noah K. Mullette-Gillman brings us a very realistic look at these grim realities and that's what sets this story apart and what makes it so special. While the circumstances might be fantastic, the reactions are realistic and that's why this book works so well. You see, Noah never lies to us.<br /><br />Noah fills his story with believable characters, strong and realistic dialogue (a little heavy on the exclamation points early on in the story, but that's me just picking) and a most interesting alien infestation. From his vivid descriptions of the plant-like invader to its strange and wonderful insects and animal-like hybrids, Luminous and Ominous is a fun read that plays in your mind just like a movie, sort of like a technicolor version of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span>, except this story made a better movie in my mind than film version of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road</span> actually was.<br /><br />If you're a fan of horror survival fiction and you're looking for something new and different, you're going to want to read this book. It's unique, refreshing and pretty damn good. I give <span style="font-style: italic;">Luminous and Ominous</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">****</span> out of <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">*****</span>.<br /><br />And thanks Noah, here I thought I was the only one who has this sorta weird belief that the end of the world wouldn't be that bad of a thing. Maybe it comes from living in New Jersey. Pick up Luminous and Ominous for your Kindle and read it for yourself.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=davshorrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004D4ZOYG&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-49189396929307862642011-04-07T16:45:00.004-05:002011-04-07T17:13:52.670-05:00Short Story Review: Charlie by Shana Hammaker<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8zOTC-nZkmvYIR9ou0i9VSXA46xx6Fc5_66ZfbzQCoIvPiFLp8F6Vd0ai_49TTKZFUyaSZn8RhyB4mjq0EhfZo8HOIxkNlGs5DQKh-qzfXgOTiBpEj5arjkNrOnVdi-cqaTX/s1600/51YCBKlXGZL._SS500_.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8zOTC-nZkmvYIR9ou0i9VSXA46xx6Fc5_66ZfbzQCoIvPiFLp8F6Vd0ai_49TTKZFUyaSZn8RhyB4mjq0EhfZo8HOIxkNlGs5DQKh-qzfXgOTiBpEj5arjkNrOnVdi-cqaTX/s320/51YCBKlXGZL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592961697487431874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie</span> is the first short story in Shana Hammaker's short thriller series, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Twelve Terrifying Tales for 2011</span> and let me tell you, you're going to be hearing a lot from Ms. Hammaker if I have anything to do with it because this is one fantastic read! You know, writing a short story is a specific art form all its own and not many writers can accomplish this feat successfully, but so far (and I've read three of Ms. Hammaker's stories thus far) I can tell you that she has it down pat.<br /><br />First off, I want to thank Ms. Hammaker for writing such a well crafted and thrilling story, but perhaps even more importantly, this thing sparkled off the page with such clarity I was almost caught off guard. Allow me to explain. A few months ago, I bought my first Kindle, and to be honest, I'm addicted to the thing. However, there's one thing that drives me absolutely crazy about the e-book craze -- so many authors are rushing to get their stories out to the public that a little thing called <span style="font-style: italic;">editing</span> is getting thrown to the wayside. Misspelled words, absent periods and terrible grammar have plagued many of the e-books I've read. That is, until I read Shana Hammaker. Shana's stories are professionally written and error-free which is truly refreshing to me. I just wanted to mention this because it tells me she really puts a lot into her work and I, for one, appreciate that.<br /><br />Anyway, back to <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie</span> focuses on a woman named Alex who finds a corpse in the basement of her newly purchased home. He wasn't there when she closed on the house, but the poor dead guy got there somehow. Now, as if finding the dead guy in your home isn't bad enough, it gets worse when "Charlie," as she eventually names him, starts popping up again and again. Who is Charlie and why does he keep coming back? The answer is going to surprise you.<br /><br />Shana Hammaker fills her debut story with expertly-crafted characters, gorgeously realistic dialogue and a flurry of fine details other writers wish they were able to create. The fact that she does this in a short story is all the more impressive.<br /><br />Take my advice and start reading Shana Hammaker's short stories. They're beautifully written, fun and fast, and yeah, a little disturbing, but that's the way I like it! I give <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">*****</span> out of <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">*****</span>. Order it from Amazon today, it's under a buck for crying out loud!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=davshorrev-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004J8HVWE&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142682.post-15275719840418117252011-03-26T05:59:00.002-05:002011-03-26T06:23:06.492-05:00Movie Review: Sucker Punch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ch0xAON8MhwvvPYkOKFjP83ziAL39RAGIGC5sBEXagftbVhfOOAqid_Iucz1ANVy-Q-dt_8SxqfD1b9c52Z3WQznZFxrgXhyphenhyphen5KYNYrmshLC2pQ8eqEA8UjGE65Cd0Q7MNT1d/s1600/Sucker-Punch-Movie-Poster1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ch0xAON8MhwvvPYkOKFjP83ziAL39RAGIGC5sBEXagftbVhfOOAqid_Iucz1ANVy-Q-dt_8SxqfD1b9c52Z3WQznZFxrgXhyphenhyphen5KYNYrmshLC2pQ8eqEA8UjGE65Cd0Q7MNT1d/s320/Sucker-Punch-Movie-Poster1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588341790615128082" border="0" /></a>Has there been a movie with more anticipation than Zak Snyder's <span style="font-style: italic;">Sucker Punch</span>? I mean this movie is going to be like every fanboy's wet dream, right? You've seen the eye catching stills, you've watched the incredible looking trailer dozens of times and now the movie finally arrives and... well, hmmm.<br /><br />This review is going to be a little different than my usual because I really don't know what to think about this film. I <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to like it, I really do, and sometimes I do, but there is so much wrong with the movie that I find myself leaning the other way as well.<br /><br />For starters, I thought the special effects were a little less special than I was expecting. Zak Snyder is sorta known for his visual prowess and all that but there's nothing here we haven't seen before and to be honest, a lot of these effects look pretty poorly done. The dragon, for one thing, looks far, far worse than say the dragon in Reign of Fire which was made <span style="font-style: italic;">nine frickin' years ago</span>! The three giant Japanese warriors in the film's first battle sequence were also terribly animated. On the other hand, the part with the German steam soldiers was absolutely fantastic.<br /><br />In the end, this film suffers from too much animation done way too poorly for my tastes. Now don't get me wrong, I like animation to a degree but it should not leave you thinking, "That's lousy CGI," while you're watching it.<br /><br />As far as the story goes, there's a good premise here but I felt no connection with characters whatsoever. Sure, they were nice to look at, but at the end of the day I wasn't emotionally involved in <span style="font-style: italic;">Sucker Punch</span> at all. It felt like I was just sitting there watching it. I hate to say it, but that's pretty much what I was expecting anyway, after all, Zak Snyder movies are more style than substance and by now we should all know that going in. What I <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> excited about was that this was going to be an audio and visual assault on the senses and ultimately while it was a spectacle, it was a poorly executed one.<br /><br />Sadly,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Sucker Punch</span> gets <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">**1/2</span> out of <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">*****</span>.davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275131210260413991noreply@blogger.com0