CD of the Month (November): Werewolf Order by Shadow Reichenstein

Got his little black beauty in my mailbox the other day and haven't stopped listening to it since. An unbelievable piece of horror-rock if there ever was one. The songs are crisp and perfectly produced. Shadow does an incredible job of summoning Bela Lugosi. It's about time Halloween got its own music and It's Halloween is the perfect tune for it. The lyrics are ghoulishly fun with the music a little harder here than on their last cd. My only beef is that they included an updated version of a song (Be My Victim) from their debut. A minor snag in an otherwise perfect coffin lining. ****1/2 out of *****.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Despite all of the things left out from the book, this is still the best one of the lot. Plenty of action, intrigue and eye-candy for any movie fan. Harry's getting older and so are his freinds so there's plenty of hormonal problems going on here. Throw in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the return of Voldemort and we've got ourselves a winner. Beautifully directed, wonderfully acted and perfectly scored, this movie keeps you going well past the two-hour mark. The absolute greatest thing about this franchise is the fact that they keep the same actors for the same roles, something that's rarely done. They are also able to snag some really great actors for the bit parts. Order of the Pheonix just can't get made quick enough! Highly recommended. ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: The Gingerdead Man

That's it! Call the coroner and toe-tag me, I'm dead! Full Moon Studios have put out some bad films over the years, but this one takes the cookie. From a studio that can make masterpieces (Subspecies, Castle Freak) when they want to, this is just a bad, bad movie. Not even Gary Busey's thespian masterwork can save it. Didn't he get nominated for an Oscar once? Oh how low we fall, first Celebrity Fit Club and now The Gingerdead Man! Busey plays a killer who goes to the electric chair and happens to return from the dead as a killer cookie. That's all you need to know, the rest of the story doesn't mean a thing. If Charles Band wants to save his company, he'd better hire Ted Nicolau back and put out some higher quality stuff. 0 out of *****. And I'm a die-hard Full Moon fan!

DVD Review: Jack O'Lantern

What did I do to deserve this? I watched this crapper over Halloween weekend and it took me this long to write a review about it. You see, I've been in the toilet throwing my guts up and gouging my eyes out since then! Never before have I seen someone die by being run off the road, and hitting ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. The front end is smashed up and there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in front of the damn thing. Anyway, the result of the ghost wreck is the dad is killed and the son is left brain damaged. Then a mysterious pumpkin is left on the boy's porch and when he goes to carve it, there's blood in it and somehow he gets possessed by something and he turns into a big pumpkin man, or something like that. It's even more funny watching the making of because everyone is saying how great the movie is. They must have been high. Another one of these and I just may kill myself! 0 out of *****.

DVD Review: Blue Demon

Holy Mama, simply put, Blue Demon is one of the lousiest movies I've ever had the displeasure of watching! For everyone that reads my reviews, you know that's really saying something because I watch some stinkers! A scientific team creates a group of "smarter and deadlier" great white sharks that they're able to control, all of them except a particular nasty one called "red dog". Never mind the fact that just about everyone that comes into contact with these man-eaters are able to walk away before they get attacked! There's only 3 deaths in this entire crapfest! Oh yeah, the sharks escape the laboratory, oh no look out, blah blah blah. Included in this masterful piece of crap is a stunning performance by Jeff Fahey (by stunning, I mean laughably bad). Forget the sharks, this movie will kill you! 0 out of *****.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Just a note to let you know some new reviews will be up very soon. Some of the DVD titles are Blue Demon, Jack-O-Lantern, Werewolf Hunter and a few others. Don't forget to keep an eye out for the November CD of the month. It's been a tough choice this month, but I think I have a winner, so stay tuned. Other than that, thanks for the nice words about the site, don't eat too much turkey and Stay Scared!

P.S.-Don't forget, the Davies are right around the corner and the list of nominees is shaping up nicely, they'll be posted next month!

DVD Review: Boo

Finally, another competitor for a Davey comes out of the woodwork. For a B-movie, Boo is a very atmospheric and well acted spookfest. The story takes place in an old abandoned hospital where the ghosts are extremely active on the third floor. On Halloween night, a group of kids plan to wander the halls of the place in hopes to scare their girlfriends. One of their other buddies went in ahead to set up some props, only thing is, this place don't need no stinking props! Add in a cop looking for some other kids that were missing, a loaded gun and the ever present Dee Wallace Stone, and you've got a gripper! The main evil spook wants to leave the hospital and can only do it in a human body, so paranoia sets in as the characters begin to wonder who's human and who's not. Nicely directed, I give Boo **** out of *****.

DVD Review: House of Wax

The latest incarnation of the House of Wax horror movies is a hard one for me to review. I thought it was decent, but on the other hand, I kept nodding off while trying to watch it. I don't know if I was just over-tired or maybe the movie's not as good as I thought it was. I may have to watch it again to be sure. On the good hand, it had a few jumpy parts, the acting was solid enough and the sound was good. On the bad hand, it was slow to get moving early on, Chad Michael Murray is extremely annoying in it, and after the slow beggining, it still plodded along in other parts. I won't bother with the plot, it's a house of wax movie, you can figure it out. For now, I'll give it **1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Land of the Dead

The latest zombie flick from the man that invented the genre, George A. Romero is a pleasant surprise. I had heard alot of disappointing things about it so I was wondering how bad it was going to be. Well, not bad, not bad at all. Romero tells a fresh rendition of the zombie flick where the zombies actually start to regain some type of thought control back over their bodies. The world is overrun with the dead and a caged-in city is the only safe haven. The city is divided into a class system with only the rich getting the goods and the lower class citizens living on the streets, hey just like real life! Eventually, the zombies get tired of the humans coming out into their world and killing them and taking supplies for the big city. It's time for a revolt! the zombies are able to think on a barely-there level, but just enough to get by, almost like they were modeled after George Bush, but with a little more smarts. Romero does an effective job of portraying his behind-the-scenes social commentary which I think is about social status and racism. Nicely directed with plenty of gut ripping, I give Romero's latest **** out of *****.

DVD Review: The Hollow

Nothing like a good old Headless Horseman movie on a chilly October night, oh, can anybody recommend one to me cause this one ain't it. Not unless you like your Horseman riding around with a gigantic rubber pumpkin on his head. This thing was more like a watermelon than a pumpkin! And when he rode, the damn thing was bobbing this way and that! It looked ridiculous. And to boot, the rider was never headless like on the cover, he always had the melon on his head. The fact that Nick Carter gets the lead billing tells you something about this one too. He plays a tough kid so that also tells you a little about the casting. The plot is basically this-Icabod Crane escaped the Horseman the first time round and now his ancestor (Kevin Zegers) must face the reemerging threat of the Horseman. Stacey Keach was at least entertaining as the graveyard keeper but can someone please get Judge Reinhold a decent haircut! Kaley Cuoco from TV's Eight Simple Rules was no better than Carter in the acting department. Just too many things working against this one--**1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Sin City

Frank Miller's cult comic hit comes to the movie screen with Robert Rodriguez directing. Sounds like a match made in heaven, sometimes yes and sometimes no. There's just too much going on in this movie. It's comprised of three seperate yet intertwining stories. Each story was good enough for it's own movie and yet they had to be squashed down to all fit within one movie. The direction is stunning with the black and white with certain things colored look. The movie was a visual treat to watch but the way the stories were combined took away from an otherwise good film. Mickey Rourke was fantastic as Marv, he was the highlight of the movie and his story was the best. Given that, the movie as a whole gets *** out of *****.

New Award Show!!

The year is rapidly coming to a close and we all know what's coming don't we? No, not Christmas! It's THE DAVEY'S!! Forget about the Oscars, the Emmys, the eleven award shows on MTV, Peoples Choice Awards, Billboard Awards, and others that don't even deserve mentioning. There's only ONE award that's worth getting and that's a DAVEY! In the upcoming months, I'll be doing some true soul searching to try to figure out exactly who deserves this truly prized award. I'll be picking the very best in the following catagories: Best CD, Best Direct-to-DVD film, Best Novel, Best Television Show and maybe if I have the time, I'll pick best actors and actresses or some junk like that. Julia Roberts won't win, I'll tell you that! And Russell Crowe can stay home! This is for the REAL hard working people in show business, the people who get hardly no exposure or credit. Not the pampered poohbahs like George Clooney and his gaggle of bought freinds! Stay tuned, the list of candidates will be up eventually. Unlike the other awards, I give people the entire year to make the list so if a film comes out on December 31st, it's still in contention for this year's award. Not long after the New Year, the winners will be revealed and some people will rejoice and have a great year and unfortunately, some will cry out and fall into a bottomless pit of self loathing and hatred, but so it goes in the brutal world of entertainment. Until next time, rent the movies I recommend, listen to the CD's of the month and by god, don't watch Snapped!!

CD of the Month (October): Dark Light by HIM

The leaves are piling up on the ground, the sky is overcast, a chill wind blows and all around the skeletons and ghouls of Halloween are playing in the yards. Perfect time of year for HIM to release their latest disc. All the moodyness and poetic madness is in full effect on Dark Light. Every song has references to the grave, death and/or love as is usual from Ville Vallo and gang. I don't understand how certain bands get overexposure (My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, etc.) and some, better bands don't get any. HIM has been consistently putting out some great music over the last few years and I see alot of merchandise in Hot Topic but I never hear them on the radio or see them on TV. I think that may change with this release. Every song is radio freindly and I can't see them not getting some exposure this year. From the Exorcist-style opening of "Vampire Heart" to the final refrains of "In the Nightside of Eden", Ville takes us on a ten song trip through the graveyards of love. Recommended, even if you aren't a ghoul with a broken heart. ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Satan's Little Helper

Just in time for Halloween, a film that takes place on Halloween. How can you refuse to rent a movie with this kind of cover art? Satan's Little Helper is chock full of dispicable acts of various brutality. No one is safe here, not the blind man, the pregnant woman, the baby in the carriage, not even the cat! The film is about a little boy who's obsessed with his new video game called "Satan's Little Helper". He then sets out on Halloween to find the real Satan and become his helper. "Satan" here being a ruthless killer in a scary mask, he delights in taking the boy from murder to murder enlisting him to even lure some victims. I have to tell you, the little boy really makes this movie. This is a well directed and acted B-movie that really deserves an audience. It's more of a black comedy/horror mix than a straight out horror movie. Amanda Plummer plays the boys mother and after the first act, she gives a good performance. I recommend this film, it's more of a treat than a trick. **** out of *****.

DVD Review: The Amityville Horror (2005)

With The Fog remake hitting theaters this friday, and with the scores of horror remakes looming on the horizon, it's no surprise that horror re-do's (or as they say in the biz--re-imaginings) are a new hot commodity. Michael Bay started the craze with the success of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and the new version of Dawn of the Dead only fanned those flames. Bay's next re-do is The Amityville Horror. While not a bad film, I feel that it didn't have the effect of the original. Now, I don't mean that the original is scarier by comparison, I mean that at the time the original was released, it had a much more of a horrific feel to it. If you watch the original today, it's almost laughable, but at the time...oohhh, spooky! And that's what you don't really get with the remake, the feel. It was well directed and acted with Ryan Reynolds giving a surprisingly good performance. By now, we all are familiar with the true story of the Lutz family, so I won't rehash it here. I still wonder how families that go through this kind of thing even contemplate staying in their house. The first time I see a malevonent spirit in my house, sayonara house! Still, I recommend the film for a rental, there's a few points in the movie that are tension filled and a few jumps here and there. Should have and could have been scarier though. I give it *** out of *****.

DVD Review: Kung Fu Hustle

I loved this movie. It was exceptionally directed and choreographed. While in theaters, it was being promoed as a comedy, and while there were some funny parts, I thought it was a standout action movie with more martial art ballet than alot of kungfu movies. The plot involves a small town filled with cast-offs and ruffians that lies in the poor section, therefore it's never had problems with the big city gangs that plague the rich section. However, certain events lead to the Ax Gang waging a war on the seemingly helpless people. They find out that they're not so helpless after all and a hero is born from an unlikely place. Like I said, watching the ads for this film had me expecting a Kung Pow type of movie but I was pleasantly surprised. It's beautiful to watch and the ending is touching. I give it ***** out of *****.

DVD Review: Dead and Breakfast

I was chock full of joy when I found out this film finally came out on DVD. I was waiting over a year for it and it looked promising. You can see, on the cover it's touted as being the U.S. answer to Shaun of the Dead. Not by a long shot. Just because a movie is funny and has zombies in it doesn't make it Shaun quality. The fact is, it's not really that funny and it's definitely not scary. But I can't say it's all bad, it's decent in spots, and there were some chuckles here and there (mostly delivered by the Something about Mary-type singer between the scenes). For a B-movie, it has some familiar faces in it. David Carradine, Jeremy Sisto (May), Gina Philips (Jeepers Creepers), Eric Palladino (Strange Frequency) and Portia de Rossi (TV's Arrested Development) in a tiny role. The plot involves a bed and breakfast that is a local bad spot, everyone talks about the strange things going on up there. When a group of young friends, on their way to a wedding, decide to stop for the night, one of the does something bad and unleashes an unearthly evil. The evil will stop at nothing before it turns the entire town into a bunch of wisecracking, dancing zombies. Well shot and well intended, I just didn't feel it delivered on a horror level. I'm going to give it *** out of *****.

CD of the Month (September): Fiend Club Lounge by Misfits Meet The Nutley Brass

This is a must have disc for any Misfits fan. The Nutley Brass have made a brilliant album comprised of their own renditions of 11 classic Misfit tunes. The only complaint is it's way too short at only 21 minutes of playing time. But what a truly inspired 21 minutes it is! It really is surprising to see how layered and complex these old punk rock songs are. Skulls and Teenagers From Mars are true masterpieces that really stand out. This is just a fun disc to listen to, singing the ghoulish lyrics set to horns and piano. I'm telling you, this is a great novelty record, perfect to take the seriousness out of these terrible times we live in, if only for 21 minutes! ***** out of *****.

DVD Review: Snapped

I've been out of commission for a while and THIS is the movie I pick to start reviewing again?! Damn me! A crapper through and through, Snapped is a movie made with a bunch of cast-offs that can't get parts in regular B-movies and they prove it the entire time. Granted, the main character wasn't as bad as the rest of the cast, but she's no Angela Bettis! The plot follows a young woman, who gets hired by a strange art house that specializes in displaying death art. Feeling the need to be the best she can be and prove her doubters wrong, she goes to some extreme measures in the name of her art. All this while dealing with a breakup with her druggie boyfriend, who happens to look like a bad Keanu Reaves impersonator (and who's acting happens to make Keanu's look like Lawrence Olivier!). Pass on this one, the subtitle says it all--You'll be better off Picturing Yourself Dead than watching this stinker. 0 out of *****.

DVD Review: Sleepover Nightmare

Seven years ago, while partying with his friends, a seemingly fine upstanding young citizen loses track of his girlfriend. While he was away getting hamburgers, it turned out she was in the mood for a hotdog, and not his! The clean cut lad goes carayzaay and does a number on the hotdog deliveryman. Then drives his car over the bonfire, oh the humanity! Fast forward to him being transported to a different prison in one of the most secure vehicles around, the Ford Aerostar! While playing around, the driver loses control and the madman is freed! He happens upon a gaggle of twenty-somethings having a party on an isolated estate on the lake. They begin to drop like bored flies in variously lame ways. As crappy as a film I've watched in a while! Very bland and not very entertaining. The house on the lake was the star of this film, that's how bad it was. I wonder what it is about the insane that enables them to have superhuman strength, the silent capabilities of a cat and the dissapearing qualities of Houdini? Maybe it's the straw hat. Sleep through this one. 0 out of *****.

Remember Your Favorite Hosts

An upcoming DVD titled American Scary will soon be released and it has a coffin-load of footage from the old television horror shows with hosts like Zacherley, Svengoolie and Cecil Creepe just to name a few. Check out the trailers for the film HERE.

BOO! Just in Time for Halloween

The DVD release of the haunted hospital film Boo is scheduled for October 25th. I know I can't wait for this one either. Perfect timing for the release if you ask me. Also on tap for the Halloween releases will be George A. Romero's Land of the Dead hitting the shelves on October 18th.

Rejects Release Date

My favorite film of the year so far, The Devil's Rejects, will be released unrated on DVD on November 8th. Oh I can't wait!

Movie Review: Ichi the Killer

I had the opportunity to catch Takashi Miike's violent film Ichi the Killer the other day on the Sundance Channel. Everything I heard about this movie was how utterly violent and brutal it was. I thought the film was very good and not the hardcore gorefest everyone makes it out to be. The story is very engaging, the acting very good and the direction was pretty ahead of it's time for a film made in 2001. When an underworld Boss gets brutally murdered, his main hitman, Kakihara (pictured on the cover) goes on a rampage to find his killer. Kakihara is a sadomasochist and anxiously awaits the showdown. The killer of course is Ichi, a young man so troubled internally that he constantly cries and can't control his killing tendencies. The duo have a date with fate that ends with very questionable results, I have my own theory about what happens at the end of this film. If you would like to discuss it, leave me a comment and I'll tell you what I think. I really liked the movie and will search out Miike's other films to see how they stack up against this one. I give it **** out of *****.

CD Review: X&Y by Coldplay

I didn't want to like this CD, I really didn't. But I do. It's mellow melodies flow from your speakers enveloping your ears in cool soothing sounds. Coldplay finally finds its style and sticks with it throughout the album. You can forget all the Radiohead comparisons, they come into their own on this album. The album starts off with Square One, a song that says we're all the same and finishes with the beautiful Twisted Logic. Their hit Speed of Sound isn't even the best track on the album. It truly is a beautiful sounding CD and their best so far. It gets ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Hide and Seek

It really doesn't take much for people (mainstream movie reviewers mostly) to be frightened by a movie. I say that because there was alot of talk about Hide and Seek while it was out at the theaters. It got mainly good reviews and did well at the box office. Many reviewers said the movie was truly scary. They're all lame and pawns to the Hollywood machine. This is just a run of the mill thriller, tailor made for the Hand That Rocks The Cradle type moviegoers. Despite having some top notch actors involved, the movie plods along at a snails pace and any decent horror lover can figure out the "twist" long before the mid point of the movie. On a good note, it did have good sound, the 5.1 surround was very good. But it takes more than sound to make a movie. I give it **1/2 out of *****. Oh yeah, as for the 4 alternate endings, they're just different variations of the same thing and not much of a bonus.

See the Masters of Horror!!

The website for Showtime's upcoming Masters of Horror series is now live with a fantastic trailer for the season's episodes. I must say that it looks like it rocks! I now have to consider getting Showtime just for this show. At present, there will be 13 one hour episodes directed by many of horror's biggest directors. Click HERE for the site.

Book Review: Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Ah yes, another Agent Pendergast novel from Preston and Child, and what a top notch story it is! When we last saw Pendergast, he was bricked up in a wall in a castle in Italy, left for dead. This novel picks up only a few months after those startling events with D'Agosta left to try to solve the puzzling note from Pendergast's brother Diogenes all alone. Diogenes gave them a note with only a date written on it, a date that he promises to pull off a terrible crime. D'Agosta has only seven days to figure out the riddle, when one by one Pendergast's friends and associates start being murdered. Diogenes turns out to be just as wiley as his brother but insanely insidious. This novel is an exciting, intriguing and action packed one and a perfect way to spend these hot, lazy days of summer. I give it ****1/2 out of *****. Would have been perfect but for all the shameless plugs of their other novels, kinda bugged me after a while.

Two More Trailers

The Men Who Fell
http://themenwhofell.com/trailer.php

The Dark Hours
http://www.twitchfilm.net/darkhours_trlr.mov

Trailers!!!

Gingerdead Man
http://www.fullmoondirect.com/trailers/Gingerdead_Man_Trailer/gdead_trailer.mov

Serenity (Trailer #2)
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/serenity/trailer_2/

A Sound of Thunder (Trailer #2)
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/asoundofthunder/trailer_2/

Deep Blue
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/deep_blue/

Transporter 2
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/transporter_2/

News and Updates

George Lucas has noted that his next project will be for television and it will be an animated Clone Wars series as well as a previously noted Star Wars live action series.

Internet rumors have Indiana Jones 4 getting under way with Paramount eyeing a Feb. 2, 2007 release date. The rumors also have Harrison Ford agreeing to star.

Another franchise that refuses to die, Highlander, is gearing up for another installment to be called Highlander: The Source. It's the first of a trilogy detailing the Immortal's quest for the Holy Grail of their world.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, the Hugo Award winning novel by Susanna Clarke is in the works for movie adaptation with Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) penning the screenplay.


Greg Grunberg (Agent Weiss) told TV Guide Online that he will be leaving ABC's Alias this fall after four seasons. Also on the Alias front, ABC has released this synopsis for the upcoming season starting on September 29:"After they both survive the crash, [Sydney] learns that the man she has known as Michael Vaughn is under investigation and suspected of being a double agent. She questions whether their business and personal relationship over the years had all been a lie. When Sydney discovers that she is pregnant with Vaughn's baby, she is determined to uncover the truth about him. Meanwhile, because of Jack's [Victor Garber] past betrayal by Irina [Lena Olin], he begins to worry that his daughter may suffer the same fate as he did. He will also have to deal with the fact that he will soon become a grandfather, while still learning how to be a dad. Sloane [Ron Rifkin] will have to do some soul-searching of his own, as he makes an unholy alliance in his desperate fight to find a cure for Nadia [Mia Maestro], who is still in a coma." Alias will be on Thursdays at a new time slot, 8:00.

Congratulations go out to Battlestar Galactica for winning a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. It's fraggin' great!

Final Destination 3 is set to be released in theaters on Feb. 24th, and the Texas Chainsaw prequel, subtitled The Origin, is scheduled for an October 6th, 2006 release.

CD of the Month (August): Octavarium by Dream Theater

Dream Theater's one of those bands that you never know what you're going to get. So, needless to say, I was very surprised when I heard this disc. I feel it's easily one of their best, good enough to be this month's pick. The album starts off with a rocking tune (Root of All Evil) in classic DT style, then slows down a bit with Answer Lies Within. I was taken back by that song, it wasn't what I'm used to with DT but it is a great track in itself. They have an homage to 9/11 on the disc called Sacrificed Sons that is very moving and the intro itself is hard to get through. The title track is an epic of an opus clocking in at 24 minutes but the styles used in the song evokes memories of Rush, Kansas and Yes to name a few. Only eight songs on the disc but each is a journey of it's own and you'll find yourself listening to it constantly. Beautifully produced and masterfully orchestrated, this is one hell of a good album. It gets ***** out of *****.

DVD Review: Devour

Warning, Warning! When a cover of a DVD is all red, stay away, stay away! Just like Cursed, this movie sucks! Both covers are all red. Coincidence? I think not! This crapfest was like watching Dawson's Creek with a little satanism thrown in. The emotions, the sound, the filming. Everything felt like I was watching a teen drama on television. When kids start playing a computer game called "The Pathway", it starts taking over their life, telling them to kill people and then themselves. Unbeknownst to them, it was created by a satanist! And they're being possessed by Lucifer himself! Oh no! Why am I watching this crap?! Pass on this one, please. May the director of this never work again! 0 out of *****.

DVD Review: Tremors 4-The Legend Begins

Just as the title says, this is the beginning of the long running Tremors series. The only problem is they never say where the worms came from! They were just there all of a sudden. Besides that little snafu, the film was entertaining. I've always liked the Tremors films, some more than others, but they are all fun, and this one fits right in. Here, we find out the original name of the town was "Rejection" and up at the silver mine, people are dying. When no one will enter the mine, the town starts to shut down. The owner of the mine (Michael Gross) comes to town to find out what's happening and upon finding out about the killer worms, hires a gunman (Billy Drago) to take care of them. I must say Drago is great in his role as Black Hand Kelly. This is a good little flick without all the computer generated monsters that ruin alot of films. Nicely shot and acted, when a series gets into it's third sequel, they rarely have the quality that this one does. I give it ***1/2 out of *****.

Movie Review: The Devil's Rejects

Best film of the year hands down! What Rob Zombie accomplishes in only his second feature film is absolutely mesmerizing. He takes the most foul, mean, low down and dirty group of miscreants known to man and makes you fall in love with them. I liked House of 1000 Corpses, but this sequel blows it away. I didn't want the movie to end. It's a shame popular Hollywood refuses to acknowledge this genre because both Bill Moseley and Sid Haig deliver award worthy performances. Their facial expressions alone convey more than most actors can with a book full of dialogue. This film picks up where House left off, the Firefly family coming under attack by the police and Otis and Baby escaping to hook up with Captain Spaulding. A sherriff obsessed with revenging his brother's murder is shadowing them the entire time and he takes to extreme measures to extract his revenge. I can't convey how good this film is, Rob Zombie is the man! It gets ***** out of *****. It's about time a movie delivered the goods!

DVD Review: Urban Legends- Bloody Mary

The third in the Urban Legend series starts out slow but after it gets going, it turns out to be a good little movie. When Mary Banner dies in 1969 on her prom night, her body is hidden by her date and she's never found. Fast forward to current times and when a group of high school jocks kidnap the school newspaper reporter who printed a scandalous photo of them and her two friends, Mary decides to come back for little payback. It's actually better than that quick synopsis. The film is shot very good, the acting is decent and the sound's not bad. This is a movie that could have easily been a crapper, but the director put enough care into it to make it better than alot of Direct-to-DVD fare available. I give it ***1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Deep in the Woods

Another taste of horror from France and after seeing the trailer for it, I was excited to see it. I thought it was going to be a better film than Haute Tension. I was wrong. It was not better than Haute Tension and I was wrong to be excited about it. A group of actors are hired by a wheelchair bound man to put on a show for the strange little boy that lives with him in his sprawling wooded estate. I don't know if the kid is his son, nephew, friend or what, it's never revealed. Anyway, one by one the actors start to bite it. Oh yeah, plus there's a subplot dealing with a mad rapist running around the countryside. All this adds up to a crappy, hard to follow piece of French filmmaking. Don't get fooled by the trailer like I did, pass on it. 0 out of *****.

Book Review: The Loch by Steve Alten

What a ride! Steve Alten's latest book is his best so far and I'm wondering how he's going to top this one. He gets better and better with each book and The Loch blew me away. I've said it before on my site that I love everything about Nessie and hands down this is the best book about the old girl out there. Packed with action and more information about Scotland and Loch Ness than I ever thought existed, this is one entertaining and educational read. I actually learned things from this book. The plot follows Zachary Wallace, a fallen from grace marine scientist, who's called back to Scotland for his father's murder trial. While there, the beast attacks some tourists and Zach gets caught up in trying to find the reason why and put to rest his own "demons" from the past. The explanations of what Nessie is and how things got to be the way they are are all very believable and I have to say the best theories I've ever read on her. The best read of the summer, order it now from the picture on the right side of the site, you will love it and you won't be disappointed! I give The Loch ***** out of *****.

CD Review: Dirty Diamonds by Alice Cooper

As Alice Cooper nears 60 years old, he's showing no signs of slowing down. What he started with The Eyes of Alice Cooper, he continues here, going back to old school rock and roll. A few of the songs on this disc sound as if they were recorded back with Billion Dollar Babies or School's Out. Even as he ages, his voice is as good as ever. So many times watching bands like The Who or Pink Floyd recently at the "One" Concert, you ask yourselves "They still sound good, so why aren't they putting new music out?". Someone usually answers "They can't write stuff like that anymore.". Well Alice is proving them wrong again as this disc is very old style sounding (except " Stand"). If you liked Eyes, there's more where that came from here. It gets **** out of *****.

Movie Review: The Fantastic Four

The summer's second big superhero movie made a huge payday on opening weekend but sadly, wasn't as fantastic as everyone was saying. Not that it wasn't entertaining. It's just that in today's day and age, previews ruin movies. If you've seen the previews, you've seen the movie. There were very few action sequences that weren't in the trailer. Dr. Doom (as the hooded and masked Dr. Doom) is in the film only at the end. I know that this is the first of what should be many, but I felt a little cheated. The effects were good but my cineplex put the film in a theater with lousy sound so that didn't help matters. The acting was pretty good throughout the movie and the makeup on The Thing was really good, alot better than the CGI Hulk. Here's hoping the crew returns for the sequel and that it's a little more action packed. As for me, I liked Batman Begins better but I still give Fantastic Four ***1/2 out of *****.

Book Review: Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way by Bruce Campbell

The Chin's second foray into the publishing world is just as an entertaining read as his debut, If Chins Could Kill, Confessions of a B-Movie Actor. Long held in my heart as one of my favorite actors, Bruce puts on display his unending wit and humor as he describes his misadventures trying to become a part of a big league "A" list movie starring Richard Gere and Renee' Zellweger. As the movie unwinds around him and blame is cast upon the "B" movie actor, Bruce takes to some desperate measures to clear his name and save his reputation. Filled with laugh-out-loud pictures and action sequences as only The Chin could write, this is a must read for any genre fan or any fan of humorous stories. Even better than his first, this book gets ***** out of *****. Noboby can pile it on like Bruce Campbell.

CD of the Month (July): Once by Nightwish

Each new Nightwish release gets bigger and better than the last one. Once is their best so far. The sound is HUGE on this album and it's easily one of the best produced albums of the year. Seriously, every track hits it's mark. The musicianship is unbelievable and Tarja's vocals are as powerful as ever. "Dark Chest of Wonders" starts the CD off with a great guitar riff and the songs have an almost cinematic feel to them. There are eleven songs on the album and every one is fantastic, even if one is sung in Finnish (Kuolema Tekke Taiteilijan). I don't know, it must be something in the water over in Finland, Once is the second CD of the Month from a Finnish band so far this year. Viva' La Finland! The disc gets ***** out of *****. Perfect.

Movie Review: Batman Begins

This is the best Batman movie ever! Gone are all the colorful backdrops, stupid jokes, crappy big name actors and terrible scripts. This is how a Batman movie should look. Dark and dreary like the main character. Christopher Nolan directed a masterpiece here and Christian Bale really is the best Dark Knight yet. Also not to be forgotten is Michael Caine, as the butler Alfred. Everyone was casted wonderfully, even that goofy bastard's girlfriend wasn't bad. Even if you're not into superhero movies, I'd have to say you would like this movie. It's a very character driven drama. I give it ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Skinned Deep

Another offering from Fangoria's line of DVD's and for all intents and purposes, another stinker. The character on the box, called The Surgeon General is the only interesting character here. The plot has a family falling into the clutches of a sadistic family consisting of Mama, the Surgeon General, Plates (a plate flinging Warwick Davis), Brain, and The Creator. Brain actually has a gigantic brain sticking out the top of his head. Anyway, all the family members are killed except the teenage daughter, who Brain happens to fall in love with. The thing is, if you read the movie description, it's NOTHING that actually happens in the movie, I mean, you can bend it really out there to make it fit but come on! The only thing that can save this movie is watching it on the same night as Cold Grip! It gets * out of *****.

DVD Review: Black Cadillac

This is a flat out well made movie. The acting is top notch, with Randy Quaid turning in another memorable role. Based on a true story, the plot follows a Princeton football star, his little brother and his childhood friend as they trek across Minnesota heading home to Wisconsin after an all-nighter. After pissing off some locals at a roadhouse bar, the boys are harassed on their drive by a mysterious Black Cadillac. Even after picking up a stranded cop (Quaid), the terror continues. This is a much better movie than Joy Ride, Detour or Monster Man. I give it **** out of *****.

DVD Review: Cold Grip

Holy Mama, don't watch this crapper! It sucks. Plain and simple, it's not worth the film stock it was filmed on. A woman with HIV stalks her victims at the airport and after a night with them, she leaves them the bad news on their mirror. Well, one guy's just not going to let her get away with it! 0 out of *****. Yeah, it's so crappy, Skinned Deep was actually looking better and better the longer this movie ran!

DVD Review: Ghost Lake

When I saw this movie was being released, I had high hopes that it was going to be good. Well, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. Too many times while watching this I was muttering "What the hell is going on?", and that's never a good thing when it comes to horror movies. The movie follows a young woman whose parents died while she was out getting it on with some guy and she tries to escape her guilt by going to her parent's cabin. Nothing or no-one is what it seems at the old lake. What follows is a cock-a-mamie plot massacre. The film said it runs 111 minutes on the box, but in reality it ran well over 130 minutes, and boy it felt like it! Unfortunately, the best part of the disc is the "making of" portion, it was actually entertaining. The movie gets ** out of *****.

Xombie is Back!

The long awaited sixth episode of the web's greatest comic is now online and can be viewed HERE.

DVD Review: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

Finally got around to seeing this one. Now this is a good old-fashioned action yarn here. Pure escapism from the crappy world for a while. The visuals were pure heaven, the movie being one big piece of eye candy. Not since Raiders of the Lost Ark have I been swept into such a fun adventure. Made me feel like a kid again. This thing was filmed like it was made in the golden age of cinema, with many of the accents from 40's and 50's style sci-fi paranoia films. The acting was good, I liked how Gwynneth kept looking at her camera and trying to decide when to shoot her last 2 pictures. The sound was great also on this movie. I really enjoyed it and give it ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Ripper 2-Letter From Within

This one was a stinker. It really had nothing to do with Jack the Ripper at all. Molly Keller, Jack's direct descendant, returns (although another actress plays her here) and is being held at an insane asylum. She's such a whacked out case, that her doctors send her off to Prague to be part of a secret test that utilizes dreams as therapy. Somehow, the Ripper comes forth from her dream and starts killing off all the other bad apple kids at the testing facility. It's kinda funny how the Ripper looks just like a Ringwraith from the Lord of the Rings and everytime it's shown, it's moving in slow motion. It's a shame because the video quality was good, as well as the sound, it's just that the movie sucked. I'll give it * out of *****.

DVD Review: Shallow Ground

This is a film I've been waiting for to be released and it's finally out. Let me start by saying that it was better than your average direct-to-DVD release. The cinematography was excellent, the video quality was very good, the sound was 5.1 surround and was very good also. The acting was so-so, but overall it was a very good film. It ranks up there with Dead Birds as one of the great direct-to-DVD releases of the year so far. The plot follows a small town police force that's in the process of closing up shop, when a naked boy, covered in blood and garnishing a knife comes walking into the station. What follows is a tale of unsolved murders, vengeance and restitution. Talk about kharma! Do yourself a favor and check this one out. It's about time we get some decent horror. Way better than Saw and I liked it better than High Tension too. I give it **** out of *****.

Horror/SciFi DVD Releases for 6/28

American Gothic
Bizarre
Cyclone
Decadent Evil
Demon Sex
Extreme Horror: Two-fer
French Sex Murders
Shadow of the Wraith
Revelations
Shallow Ground
The Sisterhood
The Slaughterhouse Massacre
Troma Pack #1-7
Twilight Zone: Season 3 - The Definitive Edition

DVD Review: Dead Meat

It seems that zombie movies are all the rage right now and Ireland doesn't want to be left out. This take has a strange strain of mad cow disease spreading across the land turning people into zombies. I have to say, the makeup is some of the worst I've seen in a while. It looks like the zombie faces are made with oatmeal. The Irish countryside looks nice though. The three survivors have to fend the horde off in an old castle and unfortunately, the movie never really gets going. There are a few Evil Dead and Night of the Living Dead type moments. There are a few good kills in the movie, but really other than that, it's nothing you haven't seen. Still, if you love the zombie genre, you owe it to see it. I give it ** out of *****.

DVD Review: Man-Thing

This was a film that was originally heading to theaters and at the last minute went straight to the Sci-Fi Channel and then on DVD. It's based on a Marvel comics character. When a contractor starts tearing up the Black Water section of the swamp, it awakens the ancient guardian that protects it. The new sherriff in town has to try to solve the rash of unexplained murders in the area. I was expecting a terrible movie and what I got was a decent little monster movie. I thought it was shot well, plenty of gross stuff and the acting was pure B grade. The effects were better than I had expected. Still, it's good it didn't go to theaters, it wouldn't have had the mass market appeal of other comic franchises. It's good for a Saturday night monster movie. It gets ***1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Rock & Roll Frankenstein

Leave it to the people over at Shock-O-Rama Pictures to come up with this one. When Uncle Bernie loses his best musical act he resorts to an unethical way to create the next megastar. He employs the help of his scientist nephew and a group of stoner dudes to put together (literally) the superstar. The stoners raid the graves of some of the most popular dead musicians and piece by piece, a star is made. The head of Elvis, the hands of Hendrix, etc.. Things go wrong when the stoners are sent to get Jim Morrison's johnson and after an accident, they wind up grabbing Liberace's instead. The King shoots to stardom while his "member" keeps having unnatural urges. It's a war of wills. You can't help but laugh when the King's dong starts talking like Liberace and saying things like "Mmmm, I smell dingleberries!" This was a funny movie that could have been funnier, but the guy that played the King was great. This would make a great drinking game movie, down a shot everytime Uncle Bernie says "Fucka!" or "You cocksucka!" It gets **1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Dark Town

A slum owner comes across some vampiric squatters, gets bitten and returns home on his birthday to infect his family. Throw in the mix a group of gangmembers that run from a gunfight only to hide out in the lair. The movie looked suspiciously crappy in the beginning but actually turned into a decent little vampire flick. There's more than a fair amount of gore in the movie and the vampire makeup is better than alot of others out there. There's also a few comedic scenes interspersed throughout that add to the film. Not a great movie, but it was decent. I give it *** out of *****.

DVD Review: Cold and Dark

Remember the name Luke Goss. This dude is gonna hit the big time soon. He stars as a cop that dies and plays host to a creature called The Grail in this supernatural thriller that is much better than your average movie. It's well acted, directed, has great atmosphere and is all around a classy thriller. Goss' character, while dead and possessed, continues to be a cop, but shells out his own brand of vigilante justice. His cop partner knows of his friend's situation and faces the tough part of being loyal to him or turning him in for the rash of murders. Those in the know will recognize Goss from The Last Horror Movie, which was reviewed on this site a while ago. This is one B-Movie that raises itself above the pack and could have easily been a theater release. I give it ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Cursed

Could this movie possibly be as bad as all the reviews said it was? I had to find out for myself. And for once, everybody was right. It's hard to find a topic that everyone can agree on, but everyone can agree that this movie sucks. I even watched the unrated version and it was lousy. I don't know what they could have possibly cut out because there was absolutely nothing in this movie. Not for nothing, but Joshua Jackson should have stayed in Dawson's Creek, I don't care if they're not filming it anymore, he should go back. He's terrible in this movie. And to make matters worse, the werewolf is the gayest looking creature in the world, it looks like it was created by Sigfreid and Roy! I don't want to waste any more time on this one, so I give it 0 out of *****. For those keeping count, that's three crappers in a row.

DVD Review: Memorial Day

As if watching Boogeyman wasn't bad enough, I then have to submit myself through this hunk of crapola. It's times like these I really wonder why I love this genre so much. For starters, you see on the cover, that guy that looks amazingly like Jason Voorhees? Yeah, he's not even in this movie, the killer here wears an ugly kabuki mask. Oh yeah, do you see that huge machete he's holding like Jason Voorhees? Yeah, it's not in the movie either. "But Dave, what IS in the movie?" I hear you asking. My answer would have to be "Oh, dear reader, there's ALOT in this here movie, ALOT of crappy acting by ALOT of ugly actors saying ALOT of crappy dialogue, so much so that it made me run to the bathroom ALOT of times!". Let's see if this plotline sounds familiar. Many years ago, a group of friends go camping at Memorial Lake, one girl brings her retarted brother. Suddenly, all the campers are too drunk to know and the boy DROWNS. Then, many years later, they return to the campground, albiet on the other side of the lake, and they start getting killed in terrible ways (I meant to say "terribly boring ways"). If you see this movie on your video store's shelf, run the other way! I mean it! This movie gets 0 out of *****.

DVD Review: Boogeyman

I'm not going to waste any time here, this movie flat out stunk. The acting was absolutely lousy, the Boogeyman was laughable, the plot was full of holes and the pacing was mediocre at best. The only thing good I can say about this film was it's use of sound, the 5.1 audio was good on this movie. The main character walked around in a stupor the entire movie, so much that I was getting nauseous just watching him mope with his eyes quivering half open. I also couldn't get it out of my head that he looked remarkably like a cross between Skeet Ulrich (Scream) and Jimmy Fallon (SNL, Taxi), call it silly but it made it hard to look at this guy. The rest of the cast must have been employed by the Ugly Actor Agency because there is some serious ugly going on in this film. The Boogeyman at the end of the film is ridiculous, a computer generated guy that never appears scary or believable. I find it very offensive as a horror lover to have to watch this garbage, especially when it comes from the creators of The Evil Dead! Very disappointing effort from the producers of the excellent The Grudge. The plot centers on a young man in his twenties who when young witnessed his dad being taken by the Boogeyman, and he returns to the house to face his demons and see if the Boogeyman is real. They made some good money with this film, I just pray there's not a sequel. I give the movie * out of *****. I wish it stayed in the closet!

Horror/SciFi DVD Releases for 6/21

Cursed
The Jacket
Farscape: Starburst Edition 2.1 Volume 4
Gilgamesh Volume 1
Immortal
The Outer Limits: Aliens Among Us
The Outer Limits: Death & Beyond
The Outer Limits: Fantastic Androids & Robots
The Outer Limits: Mutation & Transformation
Outer Limits: New Series Collection
Sleepover Nightmare

Well, we have Wes Craven's bomb, a ton of Outer Limit Discs, an Anime, some SciFi and a B-Film. Sleepover Nightmare is my pick of the week, like that should surprise you.

DVD Review: Seed of Chucky

After sitting through AvP, this movie came as a welcome relief. I consider Seed of Chucky to be the best in the series. There wasn't enough killing for me, but the story and acting were entertaining enough that it didn't matter. There are times that this movie is absolutely hilarious. The long lost child of Chucky and Tiffany's love comes home to reunite with it's parents. I call it "it" because it doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl. Chucky calls him Glen and Tiffany calls her Glenda. The two murderous dolls hatch a plan to impregnate Jennifer Tilly and then through black magic, switch souls so they can give up their doll bodies forever. Tilly is great throughout the movie, both playing herself and the voice of Tiffany. Brad Dourif once again lends his voice to the hilarious Chucky. This is one sequel that is worth watching, it's entertaining from start to finish. I have to give it ***** out of *****. There's really nothing bad about the whole thing!