DVD Review: The Blood Shed

Inbred backwoods cannibals, living in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey? What is this, a documentary? I think I noticed a few of my neighbors in this film! Yep, The Blood Shed brings the murderous inbred hillbilly genre to the Garden State, and man, is it an enjoyable ride! This film has it all - blood, laughs, snarling, roadkill, psychotic grandmothers, ball busting, Little LuLu - I mean everthing! The mastermind behind this film is Alan Rowe Kelly, who also happens to play "12-year old" Beeftina. The film is directed perfectly and you can really tell the actors relish their roles, playing it up as effectively as ever. Plenty of violence, B-movie gore and black humor make The Blood Shed easily one of my favorite movies of 2007. The film, as low budget as it is, features remarkably good quality in both video and audio. From this point on, when I'm asked for a movie recommendation, The Blood Shed will definitely be at the top of the list. The Blood Shed drips ***** out of *****. It's a perfect movie!

Here are some Hot-Off-The-Press Trailers for You!

Teeth - You won't believe what this one is about! Oh snap! Literally!

The Eye - Jessica Alba sees dead people.

Cloverfield - The most anticipated film of the new year? It is for me so far.

Wall*E - Disney and Pixar's latest masterpiece.

Hancock - Will Smith's next summer blockbuster.

The Signal - The evil that men do.

The Orphanage - A ghost story produced by Guillermo del Toro? It has to be good!

Speed Racer - Oh boy, what's the product blitz going to be like for this one? Definitely one of the most colorful films of the new year!

DVD Review: Captivity

If you can remember, Captivity made headlines with its unique billboards in California. The billboards depicting a woman's abduction, confinement, torture and termination were simply too much for the public to bear and they were judicially made to remove them. So, you can imagine when the film came out on DVD, I just had to see what all the fuss was about! Here's my review of Captivity in classic Captivi-tay style!

Abduction - The opening of Captivity is pretty good. It sucked me in and garnered my interest. The violence was gruesome and the opening sequence was pretty effective.

Confinement - Okay, the film is moving at a pretty brisk pace, I feel as if I will stick with it to the end. Again, the level of gore is pretty good for a Hollywood movie, although at this point, the film doesn't feel like a big Hollywood horror movie.

Torture - Sonofabitch I knew it! It couldn't keep this level up. Suddenly, on a dime, the damn movie turns from being a pretty effective psychological thriller into a meaningless piece of Big Hollywood crap! Goodness gracious!

Termination - The ending of the film is so ridiculous, so contrived, so stupid that I have to wonder if the makers of the film got tired of working on it and just wanted to finish it off. I am livid at this point and I want to grab something to break - hey, this DVD of Captivity is just the thing!

I hate it when a film starts out good only to fall into an abyss of crap. Now, we can add Captivity to that ever-growing list. Maybe next time, the studio will focus on making a good film rather than using an advertising ploy to get people to recognize it! Damn! Captivity gets ** out of *****.

Bikini Bloodbath Trailer

Here's the trailer for Bikini Bloodbath, the latest release from Bloodbath Pictures! Check this out and then read my review of the DVD below!

DVD Review: Bikini Bloodbath

A film full of bouncing boobies, buckets of blood and a barrage of bad words is what the gang at Bloodbath Pictures set out to make, and make it they did! Bikini Bloodbath is a hilarious horror-spoof from the masterminds who brought us Land of College Prophets, and like that movie, Bikini Bloodbath is impressively made for such a small independent group. You can tell with each film these guys produce, they get better at their craft. The editing is better, the video and sound quality is better and the actors prove themselves quite versatile. While the film's plot is pretty much summed up as a crazy French chef killing everyone he comes into contact with (still not sure why, but it doesn't really matter), this is not a film you're going to watch and discuss the reasonings behind making it. This is a film to just chill out with and laugh. Genre-vet Debbie Rochon was absolutely great in the film, although I wish she could have stuck around longer! Her lesbo-tactics had me laughing hysterically. While not a mind-blowing film, you may blow a gut laughing, and that's exactly what the filmmakers were going for, so they definitely succeeded there. Yeah, I really liked Bikini Bloodbath, because it is what it is - a man's movie! And if you don't like boobies, blood and bad words, then you're not a man, man. I give Bikini Bloodbath ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Wrong Turn 2: Dead End

Throughout history, there have only been a few sequels that were better than the original - The Empire Strikes Back was better than Star Wars, many people think that Godfather 2 was better than the first, and now, Wrong Turn 2 can be added to that tiny list of exceptions. Now, I happened to like the original, but Wrong Turn 2 kicks it up a notch! This is one direct-to-DVD release which should have seen the theaters. The effects are really good and it is very well made. I was nervous about the characters at first, but surprisingly, they turned out to be really good. Henry Rollins is the man (although I can't say I approve for how he goes out, kinda wimpy). The story follows a group of reality television contestants filming a new show out in the West Virginia woods (never a good idea). Suddenly, they start getting picked off by those nasty, inbred hillbillies (in West Virginia?). The killing starts early and it doesn't relent! This is by far the best inbred mutant cannibalistic murdering hillbilly movie made! These bulbous-headed bastards make the gang in Hills Have Eyes 1 & 2 look lame! They make Leatherface look like a pansy-ass! For a rip-roaring good time, where people are split in two, exploded, tortured and maimed, take a right turn down Wrong Turn 2: Dead End! It breeds ****1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Wind Chill

I love it when you pick up a DVD, without having any prior information about it, and it turns out to be a pretty good movie. In the past, such notable films like Dead Birds and Satan's Little Helper were discovered exactly the same way. Now, it happens again with Wind Chill. This movie is not only shot very well, but the actors turn in fine performances as well. The story follows a college girl looking for a ride home for the holidays. She finds one from another classmate, who may or may not be a stalker. Anyway, during the drive to her home, she discovers that her driver is not who he claims to be and that winds up being the best part of the trip! The two actors, Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes do a great job of creating personal tension between the two of them. When Holmes makes a bad decision on their driving route, their car ends up on the side of the road, stranding them in a no man's land of ice and snow. While the area is secluded, they are not alone. What happens next is tense, fun and well done! Wind Chill is one of this year's nice surprises. I give it ****1/2 out of *****.

Book Review: Dead Man's Song by Jonathan Maberry

Ah yes, it feels good to be back in Pine Deep! Dead Man's Song is the second in a horror trilogy by Bram Stoker award winning author Jonathan Maberry and it is just as riveting as the first chapter, Ghost Road Blues. This book picks up right where the first one ends, with Crow and Val recovering from their battle with Karl Ruger. However, everything is still not right in Pine Deep. Tow-Truck Eddie is still on the search for the Anti-Christ, the dead walk, Mayor Wolfe is losing his grip, Dr. Weinstock makes a horrifying discovery and that's just the start of it. This book is exactly what the middle part of a trilogy should be - a furthering of a complex story, while building up for a major finale. I simply cannot wait for the final chapter of this good versus evil epic. Don't keep us waiting too long Jonathan! My only beef with the book? The person who edited it. Jonathan, please, tell the publisher to find a better editor next time. Other than the poor editing, it's another stellar book from one of horror's best! ****1/2 out of *****!

DVD Review: The Tripper

Coming from the sometimes-warped mind of David Arquette, I figured The Tripper was going to be a spasmic, fun, spaced-out killer ride. But instead what I got was spasmic, slow and ultimately disappointing one. The set-up was good, about a bunch of stoners heading into the woods for a mini-Woodstock-type festival only to slaughtered by a madman wearing a Ronald Reagan outfit. There are certainly environmental and governmental overtures throughout the movie, but at times, they seemed to overshadow the fun of it all. Plus, I gotta ask you, is there any work out there for Jason Mewes where he isn't playing a stoner? He was so annoying in this movie that I uttered "finally" when he got whacked. The killing wasn't thrilling, there was never a sense of tension, and not even Pee-Wee Herman himself could shed light on this one. However, Thomas Jane did make me chuckle with his performance as the Sherriff. With so many drug references and psychadelic effects, I think Arquette hopes people are stoned while they're watching the movie. Alas, it may be the only way to enjoy it. The Tripper trips up and gets ** out of *****.

DVD Review: Flight of the Living Dead

I have to say, I was quite worried about this one. I mean, come on, how can they make a movie based on zombies on an airplane? Well, it worked for snakes, so why not zombies, I guess. Strangely enough, I found that I kinda liked it. I'm not going to go out and tell everyone I know that they just have to see this masterpiece, mind you. But for an hour and a half, I was into the movie. Call it pure zombie escapism.

Flight of the Living Dead is about a massive airliner filled to capacity, carrying a top-secret government test subject. Damn government, is there anything they aren't to blame for! Anyway, one thing leads to another and the "test subject" is released from her containment. What ensues is mass zombie fun! For a direct-to-DVD feature, New Line did a great job. Excellent special effects, a decent cast and some really good camera work combine to make Flight of the Living Dead a thoroughly watchable flick. If you can get past the fact that nearly seven thousand rounds of gunfire are shot from two handguns, and not one pierces the body of the airplane, then you'll have no problem losing yourself to the gruesome effects of Flight of the Living Dead! Oh, and don't look now, but if this film does well, there will no doubt be a sequel. Flight of the Living Dead resurrects ***1/2 out of *****.

10 Questions for...Brian Keene

Finally! I bagged an interview with one of my favorite writers, my main man, Brian Keene. Between this dude being so busy and thanks to a Myspace issue, this interview is a little late in coming, but well worth the wait. Here's a look into one of horror's most original minds - the Bram Stoker Award winning author, Brian Keene.

1.) Dave: Hi Brian, thanks for spending some time with us. My first question is – What is your writing routine like?

Brian: Monday through Friday, I get up at around 5am. I answer email and respond to posts on my message board until about 7am. I never fully seem to get caught up with these, but I try. Then around 8am, I start writing. I work till 1pm, eat lunch, and then start writing again at 2pm. Then I work until 5pm or 6pm, at which point I'm done for the day. Sometimes I'll work later than that, or work on weekends, too---especially if I'm under deadline.

2.) Dave: At what point did you decide that writing was going to be your career?

Brian: When I started making enough money from it to quit my day job. (laughs). Seriously, I've always been a writer. Even when my writing was barely earning me enough to buy a newspaper, I still thought of myself as a writer. I always made sure I had a day job, but I never thought of those jobs as my vocation. They were what I did to earn money. Writing was my vocation. These days, I'm lucky enough to do it for a living.

3.) Dave: How did you get your first novel published?

Brian: Trial and error and lots of patience. I wrote it, finished it, polished it and then submitted it. Eventually, Delirium Books accepted it for hardcover and then Leisure Books accepted it for paperback. Before that, there were lot's of "No thanks. It's not for us. Zombies will never be popular again."

4.) Dave: You’re a pretty prolific writer. How do you keep track of all of your ideas?

Brian: For each idea I turn into a finished story, there are probably ten that I forget about. That makes me sad, in a way. Do dead story ideas turn into ghosts? Hey, there's another idea! Quick, write that down.

Usually, I remember the good ones. Occasionally, if it's something really, really good, I might jot down some rough notes so I don't forget it.

5.) Dave: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Brian: Despite what you may have heard, I'm pretty boring. I like target shooting (I'm a pretty good shot), reading, watching movies, fishing, and taking walks in the woods with my wife and dog.

6.) Dave: The covers of a few of your books (The Rising, Ghoul and the upcoming Dead Sea) are very similar. Do you have a thing for hands or is it just a coincidence?

Brian: That's all up to the publisher's marketing department. Authors generally don't have much say in what goes on their covers. The hands are supposed to create a brand in the mind of the average consumer, or so I'm told.

7.) Dave: The three boys in Ghoul each have terrible things happening at home. Was this an attempt to make a statement about the family unit or was it simply for character depth?

Brian: Some of it was based on real life events---things that happened to me or friends of mine when we were that age. But yeah, the important thing to me was that when the reader finished the book, they were left wondering just who the real monsters really were---the ghoul, or the parents?

8.) Dave: Dead Sea is your next novel. Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect?

Brian: It's in stores now. It's a book totally written for the fans. They asked for another zombie novel, and I obliged. It was an absolute blast to write. I had fun with it. Zombie pusists will dig it because, unlike The Rising and City of the Dead, these zombies can't talk or think or use weapons or drive cars.

9.) Dave: There are a lot of musical references in Ghoul. What type of music do you listen to and do you listen to it while you write?

Brian: I have background noise all day long. From 6am until 11, it's Howard Stern. If he ever went off the air, I think I'd have to quit writing. Once Howard's show is over, I listen to various music all day long. I'm pretty ecclectic in my musical tastes. Today, for example, it was Bruce Springsteen, Iron Maiden, Prince, Waylon Jennings, Mastadon, Ice-T, Anthrax, Love and Rockets, Queensryche, Pixies, Circle of Fear, Robert Johnson, Nighttime Dealers, Vertigo Sun, Faith No More, and Dr. Dre. Tomorrow, it might be those bands again, or it might be something different.

10.) Dave: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Brian: Better authors than me have said it, but read every day and write every day. Every single day, man. To be successful as a writer, you need three things: the ability to write, patience, and determination.

My sincere thanks to Brian for providing a quick glimpse into his writing life and creative process. For those who haven't experienced his go-for-the-throat style of writing, head out and pick up one of his books, or better yet, pick up his library, it will save you a return trip! Or, just click on one of the book titles listed above to purchase it directly from Amazon. Find out more about this talented wordsmith by visiting his website, www.briankeene.com.

DVD Review: Hostel 2

Hostel 2 finds us following a group of sexy, young Americans making their way across Europe, meeting strange and exciting people along the way, when their trip goes terribly wrong. Wait a minute, this sounds exactly like Hostel Part 1. Indeed it does my friend, indeed it does. Unfortunately, I was left with a "been there, seen that" feeling after watching Hostel 2. While I really like Eli Roth's ambition for the genre and I still feel he has something really great up his sleeve, I can't help but feel like this is a cash-in. Replace the guys from the first movie with girls and hello, an all-new movie! While this film picks up almost immediately where the first left off, and while it does show us more into the minds of the people who actually run and participate in the festivities of the Elite Hunting Club, it's far from original. The difference between the Hostel and Saw series is that the creators of the Saw series strive to make each movie different and they're nicely complex, whereas Hostel is you get what you pay for. I didn't even think this film was bloodier than the first, which was really a surprise. The appeal of the original was the stark reality and brutality of the film, that this stuff does exist and how horrifying it is. With the second installment, that shock is lost and the film suffers for it. Hostel Part 2 chops up ** out of *****.

Movie Review: Black Sheep

From New Zealand comes this horror/comedy from director Jonathan King. It tells the story of a young man returning home to his family's sheep farm, only to find out that his brother authorized genetic experiments on the helpless woolmakers. A tale of nature gone bad, where there's genetic experiments, there's zombie action waiting to happen, and this time it's zombie sheep! The film was impressively shot, hard not to be with the gorgeous New Zealand countryside serving as the backdrop. But, overall, the film wasn't nearly as funny, or scary as I had hoped. While it tried to keep up with previous horror/comedy masterpieces like Dead Alive, Black Sheep felt a tad uninspired. For me, it just wound up being an alright movie. The creature effects were nice, and there was some tasty gore but in the end, I wasn't blown away. Black Sheep is worth a look if you're hard up for a Saturday night flick, but don't expect a laugh out loud scarefest. Black Sheep grazes **1/2 out of *****.

DVD Review: Skinwalkers

How can a movie with such a cool poster be bad? Well, while it's not exactly bad, it could have been sooo much better. SkinWalkers tells the tale of two types of werewolves, the ones who like killing and maiming and the ones who want their curse to be lifted. There's a small boy, a half-breed, who holds the key to lifting the curse, or at least that's what the "prophecy" states. When the boy turns 13 during the time of the red full moon, he will begin the process of cleaning up all of werewolfdom. Needless to say, the bad werewolves want the kid dead. We're left with an action-packed movie filled with gun-toting werewolves, one group trying to save and hide the boy and the other tracking and trying to kill him. Overall, the movie was just a standard action film with some bad werewolf makeup thrown in for good measure. Never scary or gory, it lost its horror element from the beginning. Don't pick this film based on its werewolf theme, because you'll be sadly disappointed. But, if you like guns blazing and only a few people getting hit, then you'll enjoy SkinWalkers. For me, I give it ** out of *****.

DVD Review: Vacancy

The title of this one says it all. Vacant is exactly the look you'll have on your face during the 85 minute crapfest that is Vacancy. The plot of this film is the only thing it has going for it, and it's pretty lame. As a quarrelsome couple begins to have car trouble, along a long, dark stretch of god-knows-where blacktop, they're forced to stop into a nicely lit gas station. The kindly gentleman there fixes (wink, wink) their car and it only goes about two miles before it dies for good (the same can't be said about the movie, aaarggh). As the insults fly, the couple heads back to the hotel right next to the gas station. While there, the shady innkeeper provides them with a gloomy room. The damn room looks like someone died in there. Ooops, someone did! Not only that, but our moronic leading duo, played by Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale discover that their room is actually used to make snuff films. They find out because video tapes are left in their room. Oh, the psychological terror! What happens next is neither exciting, thrilling or scary, but it did cause me to a bad case of gas (probably out of boredom). The stunning climax of this movie is one you'll never wish you saw coming and if Wilson's acting in the final ten minutes isn't some of the most over-the-top crappiness ever caught on celluloid then I'm a monkey's uncle. This film was appropriately directed by a guy with the first name, Nimrod. No joke. Vancancy fails to check in with only * out of *****. Run, don't walk away from this crappy big Hollywood piece of poop.

CD Review: Fears in the Water by The Vincent Black Shadow

The Vincent Black Shadow is the new band formed by horror crooner Nim Vind and man, are they great! I'm telling you, this band is going to hit it big. With a sound similar to early No Doubt, but infinitely cooler, TVBS's debut album Fears in the Water is one that's constantly playing on my MP3 player. Female lead singer Cassandra Ford easily transcends the musical diversity the band pumps out, from guitar-driven rockers to mellow, lounge-esque crooners and she proves that she has the pipes to make it work. I can't think of another debut that so instantaneously grabbed my eardrums and provided them with such auditory pleasure! Fears in the Water gets ***** out of *****. Pick up your copy today, and you'll know what's hot before it even comes to temperature.

DVD Review: Big Bad Wolf

I love werewolf movies! The bad thing about loving the lycanthrope genre, is that not much good viewing or reading material comes from it. Other than the Ginger Snaps trilogy and Dog Soldiers, there haven't been many good movies about the hairy wolfman. But, thanks to writer/director Lance W. Dreesen, Big Bad Wolf can be added to that small list of worthwhile werewolf fare! I really liked this movie. The direction and acting were right on and there was enough gore to make a gorehound like me happy. The nice balance of seriousness and humor is what made this movie work. Well, that and having a cool looking werewolf! I could have had the werewolf talk a little less, but that's a minor complaint, because the overall film was very good. The story revolves around Derek Cowley and his sneaking suspicion that his step-father is a werewolf. After all, the guy has a secluded cabin in the woods and he always leaves on business meetings during the time of the full moon every month. After a rash of deaths, Derek and his friend Samantha, are left to discover the truth behind his step-father's timely disappearances. Big Bad Wolf solidly takes a place next to the other werewolf films listed above as well worth watching! I give it **** out of *****.

Book Review: Wicked Things by Thomas Tessier

Wicked Things is Thomas Tessier's first original novel in ten years. That being said, I hope he has more up his sleeve than just this story. I was really let down by this book. Oddly enough, I found myself reading and reading, even though nothing was really happening. It always felt as if something was on the verge of happening and then...nothing. The ending sort of rushes in on you and I actually had to read the last page twice to realize what happened. The story revolves around insurance investigator Jack Carlson and his investigation onto a series of strange deaths in the sleepy little town of Winship. The town is the ideal small town, but it has a dark secret. Can Jack overcome the roaming gangs, the secret religious sect, the town's red light district and the rash of murder/suicides that take place upon his arrival? In the end, reading this book gave me the exact same sensation that Jack was experiencing in the book - kind of strange, almost like a bad trip, surreal and ultimately kind of boring. Wicked Things is best left for when you're really hard up for something to read and you're too broke to go to the bookstore and the library's closed. It gets * out of *****.

Book Review: Offspring by Jack Ketchum

Good old Jack Ketchum! Just when you can really use an uplifting tale of love regained, Jack rears his leg back and kicks you right in the ass! Oh man, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Offspring takes us back to the Maine coastline where the tragic events in Off Season occurred. Ketchum's family of cannibalistic sadistic children return, with new members and new skills. Ten years have passed since the nightmare portrayed in Off Season, and everything has been quiet in the town of Dead River, Maine. However, things are going to be getting very messy, very soon! The story once again follows the events of a single day - May 12, 1992 - and Jack really knows how to fill out 24 hours! With brutally realistic violence, this book is not for everyone. But if you've had the pleasure of reading Off Season, you will want to read this book. Nobody conveys violence on the page like Jack Ketchum! This book is a visceral treat for the lover of horror. It's deadly fast paced and you'll probably finish it in one sitting. Do yourself a favor - read Offspring - if you have the guts! Absolutely ***** out of *****.

Book Review: Edgewise by Graham Masterson

Graham Masterson, now that's a name for a horror writer if there ever was one! To be honest, while he's written many top sellers, this is the first novel of his I've read. But having said that, I'm afraid Edgewise, while very good in parts, simply doesn't do the man's reputation any justice. It's been a while since we've had a book or fim about the Wendigo, and Masterson's quick read brings the ghostly deer/wolf/man back onto the scene. Strangely enough, not long after the whole Alec Baldwin/Kim Basinger debacle, this book gets released. It's about a mother who is nearly killed when an angry father's group kidnaps her children because of a messy custody situation. The distraught woman seeks the help of an irreverant Native American shaman with the hopes of setting the greatest tracker on the trail of her husband. She was never told that the Wendigo destroys and eats whoever gets in its way! Not only that, but when she can't keep up her end of the deal, she finds that she's the subject of the Wendigo's wrath. Plenty of action and grue, Edgewise is certainly the best Wendigo story I've read or seen, but like I said earlier, it's just not what I expected from someone of Masterson's reputation. Overall, I give Edgewise *** out of *****.