Boo!

CSI: NY Season 4 Episode 6
This episode, entitled "Boo", originally aired on Halloween 2007.

Friday Night Frights: Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Welcome to tonight's episode of Friday Night Frights.

Tonight's feature is the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder. The writers are George A. Romero (1978 screenplay) and James Gunn (screenplay).

A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.

The Real Amityville Horror (2005)

The Amityville Horror
In December 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz and their three children moved into 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house in Amityville, a suburban neighborhood located on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Thirteen months before the Lutzes moved in, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. had shot and killed six members of his family at the house. After 28 days, the Lutzes left the house, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there.

Mediums and psychic investigators have claimed that there is a curse on the property, while others believe the gruesome history has been invented as a money-making scheme.

The Real Amityville Horror sets out to discover the truth about one of American folklore's most notorious mysteries and features George Lutz's last on-camera interview before he died in 2006.

Additional information can be found at Amityvillefiles.com.

This is the full documentary, from a playlist.

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity is now playing. Click HERE to see if it's showing in your area.

After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban "starter" tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic, but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.

Here's a couple trailers.

Saw VI

On October 23 Saw VI opens in theaters.

Here's the red band 'Carousel' clip.



Here's the trailer.

Drag Me To Hell

Drag Me To Hell was released on DVD today.

Director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and The Evil Dead Trilogy) returns to the horror genre with a vengeance in the film that critics rave is "the most crazy, fun and terrifying horror movie in years!" (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly).

Here's the trailer.

Friday Night Frights: Battle Royale (2000)

Welcome to tonight's episode of Friday Night Frights.

Tonight's feature, Battle Royale, is a Japanese film based on the book by Koushun Takami. Many members of the Japanese Parliament tried to get the novel banned, but to no avail. When the film was released, they attempted to ban it also. Both efforts resulted in the novel and film becoming even more successful as people bought the book and went to the movie to see what the fuss was all about.

In a future where society is on the verge of collapse, the government takes drastic action against the problem of rebellious teenagers in this violent sci-fi opus from Japan. In the year 2002, Japan's economy has taken a dramatic turn for the worse, and massive unemployment and inflation have thrown most adults into a state of chaos; the nation's youth culture responds with unprecedented violence, delinquency, and truancy. Desperate to restore order, the Japanese parliament responds by creating the Millennial Reform School Act, in which groups of junior high students are selected at random, sent to an isolated island, and forced to play a rigorous war game, in which all but one of their number are killed. Kitano (Beat Takeshi) is an embittered school instructor who guides the 44 students of the Zentsuji Middle School's Class B through the deadly game known as "Battle Royale," as they struggle to survive against the elements and each other. Battle Royale proved to be both successful and highly controversial in Japan, where it set box-office records and prompted political leaders to call for stricter controls on violence in Japanese entertainment; the film was initially rated R-15 (no one under 15 admitted), unusual for violent films in Japan, though director Kinji Fukasaku later prepared a re-edited version that earned a more lenient classification. Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Harper's Island Premieres Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow night (April 9 at 10pm ET/PT) CBS will premiere it's new show Harper's Island.

In this 13-episode murder mystery, a group of family and friends travel to a secluded island for a wedding but fall prey to a murderer who kills them one by one. Every episode, someone is killed, and everyone is a suspect.

Mark H. Harris, of About.com, has provided an overview with a cheat sheet of the main characters (there are 25 of them) in preparation for this event.


Here's a promo from CBS:



In fact, you can find a whole page of videos from CBS about the show here.

There's even a Pick the Victim Game you can play weekly. Enjoy!

Let the Right One In

A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates but never strikes back. The lonely boy's wish for a friend seems to come true when he meets Eli, also 12, who moves in next door to him.

But Eli's arrival coincides with a series of gruesome deaths and attacks. Though Oskar realizes that she's a vampire, his friendship with her is stronger than his fear and he cannot forsake her.

However Eli knows that to continue living, she must keep relocating. But when Oskar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can...


One of the best novels of any genre I've read in the past several years, it's not just a terrifying and gripping vampire story, but a tender tale of friendship between two lonely children as well.

This 2004 novel is the first by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. The book was a bestseller in the author's home country of Sweden and has been translated into Danish, German, Russian and English. Lindqvist also wrote the screenplay for a Swedish language film version by the same name, directed by Tomas Alfredson, which was released in 2008 to widespread critical acclaim. An English language remake, to be directed by Matt Reeves, is scheduled for release in 2010.



THE MOVIE

Let the Right One In was directed by Tomas Alfredson and stars Kåre Hedebrant as Oskar and Lina Leandersson as Eli. The highly acclaimed film was awarded 43 wins and 6 nominations.

"A CHILLING FAIRY TALE. As delicate, haunting, and poetic a film as you're ever bound to see." - Guillermo del Toro (director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy)

Here's the trailer:

Friday Night Frights: Dog Soldiers (2002)

Six soldiers. Full moon. No chance.

Welcome to tonight's episode of Friday Night Frights.

Tonight's feature is a great "man movie" (as opposed to a "chick flick")! Soldiers and werewolves! Crack open a beer and enjoy!

Dog Soldiers was written and directed by Neil Marshall; the cast includes Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, and Liam Cunningham.

A routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scotland wilderness.

Here's the full movie, in a playlist:

Scare Tactics

Scare Tactics is a reality show on the Sci-Fi Channel, currently hosted by Tracy Morgan.

This hidden camera show puts unsuspecting victims into terrifying situations, usually involving movie-style special effects and makeup that recreates horror movie clichés. The victims are set up by friends/family in tandem with producers.

The unsuspecting victims on the show are usually lured to some location, either invited there by people they know (who were in on the act), or reporting for what they thought was a new job. Soon they would experience some kind of terrifying scene — like a strange monster, a terrible accident, or a violent crime being committed – all of which was staged while the victim was secretly being video recorded.

Friday the 13th in 2D

Just two more days until the release of Friday the 13th (2009).


For those of you in dire need of a Jason fix NOW...



Here's the trailer for the new movie:





Here's the trailer for the original Friday the 13th (1980):






His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th was released earlier this month on February 3.

In this look back at one of the most resilient slashers in horror film history, host Tom Savini reflects on thirty years of bloody carnage and gory mayhem as waged by Jason Vorhees, the hockey-masked mama's boy who always gets his victim, no matter how fast they run. Filled with classic clips from every Friday the 13th film, featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage, and offering interviews with over eighty filmmakers, fans, stuntmen, special effects artists, actors, and journalists, this documentary offers the definitive look at the legacy of a killer who never needs to utter a word, because his trusty machete does all the talking. Featured interviewees include, Kane Hodder, Harry Manfredini, Sean Cunningham, Betsy Palmer, Felissa Rose, Lar Park-Lincoln, Greg Nicotero, Adrienne King, Seth Green, and Fangoria editor-in-chief Tony Timpone. Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Here's the trailer:






Jason on "The Arsenio Hall Show" promoting Friday the 13th Part 8.





Two previous posts from this site (in case you missed 'em) with music videos featuring Jason:

He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask), by Alice Cooper, and a Jason-Michael-Freddy compilation from AJ's Music Videos.



You can read about ALL the movies at Friday the 13th: The Website.


Chi, chi, chi, ha, ha, ha

Once Upon a Time Snow in Miami

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day!

Also on this date: in 1977 snow fell in Miami, Florida. This is the only time in the history of the city that snowfall has occurred.

The year 2004 brought us some more unusual weather in the movie The Day After Tomorrow.

Written and directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Emmy Rossum, the movie is about a climatologist (Quaid) who tries to figure out a way to save the world from abrupt global warming. He must get to his young son in New York, which is being taken over by a new ice age.

Special effects include tornados in Los Angeles, tidal waves, and a very quick freeze.

Here's the trailer:

The Joe Pitt Casebooks

I've been reading this series since I discovered author Charlie Huston from his books in the Hank Thompson trilogy (more on that trilogy at the end of this post).

You can learn more about Charlie Huston, whom Stephen King calls "one of the most remarkable prose stylists to emerge from the noir tradition in this century", at the author's website - Pulpnoir.com.

The Joe Pitt Casebooks are an ongoing series of supernatural noir thrillers. Each casebook chronicles Joe Pitt's life as well as his struggles in the underground of vampire clans of New York. At first Pitt is an unaffiliated vampire, living in between the cracks by doing jobs for various clans in exchange for blood and freedom. However, as the series progresses, this shifts and Pitt's life evolves with each book.

As of this posting, there are four books already published in this series:

1. ALREADY DEAD
2. NO DOMINION
3. HALF THE BLOOD OF BROOKLYN
4. EVERY LAST DROP

Here's the synopsis of the first book, Already Dead:

"Those stories you hear? The ones about things that only come out at night? Things that feed on blood, feed on us? Got news for you: they’re true. Only it’s not like the movies or old man Stoker’s storybook. It’s worse. Especially if you happen to be one of them. Just ask Joe Pitt.

There’s a shambler on the loose. Some fool who got himself infected with a flesh-eating bacteria is lurching around, trying to munch on folks’ brains. Joe hates shamblers, but he’s still the one who has to deal with them. That’s just the kind of life he has. Except afterlife might be better word.

From the Battery to the Bronx, and from river to river, Manhattan is crawling with Vampyres. Joe is one of them, and he’s not happy about it. Yeah, he gets to be stronger and faster than you, and he’s tough as nails and hard to kill. But spending his nights trying to score a pint of blood to feed the Vyrus that’s eating at him isn’t his idea of a good time. And Joe doesn’t make it any easier on himself. Going his own way, refusing to ally with the Clans that run the undead underside of Manhattan–it ain’t easy. It’s worse once he gets mixed up with the Coalition–the city’s most powerful Clan–and finds himself searching for a poor little rich girl who’s gone missing in Alphabet City.

Now the Coalition and the girl’s high-society parents are breathing down his neck, anarchist Vampyres are pushing him around, and a crazy Vampyre cult is stalking him. No time to complain, though. Got to find that girl and kill that shambler before the whip comes down . . .and before the sun comes up."



THE HANK THOMPSON TRILOGY

This was my introduction to the author. Not horror, they are an engrossing example of pulp noir. Great reads, each one!

You can learn more, and even read each of the books in the trilogy online, by clicking here.

Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE KING!

Today is the 74th birthday of Elvis Presley. To mark the ocasion, here's Bubba Ho-tep, directed by Don Coscarelli and starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis.

Based on the Bram Stoker Award nominee short story by cult author Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-tep tells the "true" story of what really did become of Elvis Presley. We find Elvis (Bruce Campbell) as an elderly resident in an East Texas rest home, who switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death", then missed his chance to switch back. Elvis teams up with Jack (Ossie Davis), a fellow nursing home resident who thinks that he is actually President John F. Kennedy, and the two valiant old codgers sally forth to battle an evil Egyptian entity who has chosen their long-term care facility as his happy hunting grounds.

I strongly recommend watching the DVD with the commentary by Bruce Campbell in character as Elvis.

Here's the full movie, from a playlist:

Fear Itself: New Year's Day (2008)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here's an episode of the NBC show "Fear Itself".

New Year's Day was written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II).

A woman wakes up on New Year's morning to discover that the city is in an uproar. She vaguely remembers a party and it is assumed she passed out. She then attempts to get to her friend's apartment while continuing to remember parts of the party and all the while avoiding zombies.

The American Nightmare (2000)

The American Nightmare, a documentary directed by Adam Simon, examines the nature of 1960's-70's horror films, the involved artists, and how they reflected contemporary society.

The film features interviews with John Carpenter, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper, John Landis, George A. Romero, and Tom Savini, among others.

WARNING - CONTAINS SCENES OF EXTREME HORROR

Full documentary, from a playlist:

The Unborn (2009)

Here's an Internet Yellow Band trailer for the The Unborn, which opens in theaters January 9.



You can find out more at the official movie site.

Friday Night Frights Bonus Saturday Night After Halloween Movie: The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

Welcome to tonight's episode of Friday Night Frights. Yes, it is Saturday, but the Halloween spirit(s) lingers.

Tonight's episode, The Midnight Meat Train, is a FEARnet Special Presentation. From Clive Barker comes the story of a man struggling to make it as a photographer. Today's assignment: Follow that guy into the NYC Subway. And by the way, he is a serial killer. Starring Bradley Cooper, Brooke Shields, Leslie Bibb, and Vinnie Jones.



(Click here to watch The Midnight Meat Train on FEARnet.com)

House (2008)

The only way out... is in.

House opens in theaters November 7. It's based on the book by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.

In rural Alabama, two couples find themselves in a fight for survival. Running from a maniac (The Tin Man) bent on killing them, they flee deep into the woods and seek refuge in a house. They soon realize the killer has purposely lured them to this house and that they are now trapped. As they huddle around an old fireplace, a tin can falls through the chimney. Scrawled on its side is a message from the killer, establishing his House Rules. The rules call for their deaths unless they kill at least one of the four. They have less than 12 hours to find a way to survive. At sunrise the game is over and everyone dies if the killer's demands aren't met. What they quickly learn is that the only way out... is in. But going further into this house--where unknown challenges await them--is equally deadly.

Here's the trailer.